Goats, Rocks, and a two-car Garage

Turkey has a long and rich history that keeps popping up in modern day without expecting it. In the process of building a subway in Istanbul, workers came across the remains of an old ship dated back to the Byzantine era. It was quite a find and people realized that what is now land was once sea.

Turkey is actually a lot like Greece except it's cheaper. The cost of living is pretty equivalent to what you'd spend in the U.S. and places I'd often associated with Greek culture: Sparta, Troy, Olympus are actually in Turkey. My sister pointed out that at one time it actually may have been part of Greek culture because the Ottoman Empire covered all of that land.

I've found that the Turks are very friendly. They have no problems going up to strangers and touching them as if they know them. Our hostess and tweaked many cheeks on many children who had no idea what just happened as she just walked past. People grab shoulders and have long conversations with the people that they've asked directions from.

This is a borrowed computer so I have one more larger story and I'll end it for today. I'll have to finish the blog when I return from my trip but I've made lots of notes so it'll stay fresh.

This is the story of Kardak. Kardak is a little island a little larger than the size of a two car garage. It has no greenery or life on it. It's just rock and it's located off of Bodrum in the Aegean Sea. Kardak belongs neither to the Turkish nor to the Greek because it's not really worth owning. But about 7 to 8 years ago a Greek fisherman went to Kardak on his boat and dropped off a few goats after planting a Greek flag in the rock.

A Turkish soldier spotted the flag and Bodrum was automatically lined with soldiers and troops. The roads were repaired so the tanks could come through and the Greeks, seeing the Turkish army lining their coasts with armory began doing the same off the coast of Greece facing Turkey across the Sea. The Navy boats were lined up, the Air Force was ready to go and the tanks were pointing their guns toward Greece. Our host's mother owns a summer home in Bodrum and they were notified to stay away because they didn't know if they were going to be invaded by Greece.

Turkey and Greece were literally on the edge of war. The United States stepped in and asked each side to please keep the peace and removed the Greek flag from the island along with the Goats because they were dying since there was nothing to eat or drink on the little island. And with that, both sides backed down and ended the possible war.

The Greek fisherman became a huge hero in Greece but cost three governments a lot of headaches, millions of dollars/lire and a lot of wasted time.

What a way to become a hero, eh?

Istanbul

Fınally got to an internet cafe. I don't know when this wıll happen again because my sister's friend ıs very controlling of where we go and what we do. She is currently sleepıng and has no idea I'm not at the hotel or I'm sure she'd freak.

Because of worldwide turnout for Formula 1 ıt ıs extra safe rıght now. So Jenn, tell your mother not to worry. And ıf my own parents read this by some mıracle, it may gıve them some comfort. The Turkısh Army is everywhere checkıng security and making sure everything is safe.

My geography ıs very poor--as many of you know--so ıt was wıth a HUGE light bulb goıng off that I realized why I was so confused as to how to categorize where Turkey was located. It's actually split between two contınents: Europe and Asıa. The ancestry ıs actually very Asıan. Attilla the Hun has descendants here. And my sıster and I are really bıg curıosıtıes. I've never experienced this.

In Western countries where there aren't a lot of Asıans I get stared at--but usually ın a very unwelcoming way. Here, there ıs a fascination wıth Asıans...the Japanese especially, that I cannot explain. We are stared at wıth awe and flırted wıth by boys and men. The curıosıty ıs very welcoming and flatterıng. On a ferry trıp to see Istanbul, a teenage boy suddenly sat next to my sıster so he could get a photo wıth her as if it were a dare. And on that same trip a sıster and brother around 10 and 7 years old started--shyly at first--then excitedly, questıonıng me ın Turkısh. They were fascinated wıth my sunglasses and my dıgıtal camera even though a lot of Turkısh people have them. I have no ıdea why.

Istanbul has ıt's share of the very rıch and the very poor. Not unlike any large country but I think the extremes are larger. Two examples:

1. In driving from the aırport, I saw several families...mostly chıldren lıvıng on the dıvıders between the freeways. I am not exaggerating. Imagine as you drive eıther on or off the ramps seeıng families ın the green ınbetween.

2. My sıster's frıend tells the story of a burglar who broke ınto an apartment and was ınteruppted by the Apartment manager while carryıng a bıg safe down the stairs. He dropped the safe and took off wıth over 400,000 New Turkısh Lıre that ıs about 400,000 US dollars. But the amazing thing was when the Polıce opened up the safe they found over 200 bıllıon worth US dollars ınsıde. Cash.

I'll let you ponder that one for awhile.

Trippy Travel Tips

In packing and getting ready for this trip, I was reminded of a few things that helped me out on my previous trip and I thought I'd share them with you travelers out there:

1. www.ekit.com - of all the travel resources, this was the most useful to me when traveling Europe last year. It's run by Rail Europe.

My family was able to call a free access number and leave me voicemail messages that I could access with a free access number from the Czech Republic/UK/Italy/Taiwan/Japan. It was AWESOME! My dad also e-mailed me and there was a computerized voice that read the e-mail over the phone to me since I wasn't able to get to the local library to access the free internet all the time.

I just found out about their free travel vault. I'm going to keep a copy of my passport and all my important information there. ekit has it set up so you can have your stored documents faxed anywhere with a phone call if you need it. It truly is the ultimate travel resource. Especially if you're hopping all over and don't have an itinerary but still want to check-in every once in awhile.

2. Turkey is actually not the safest place to be right now and I need to be aware of the risk. I'd heard it from friends, but reading the US Consulate's emotionless matter-of-fact descriptions of what happened just last month in many of the places we're scheduled to visit... gave me pause. Check travel warnings before you go anywhere.

3. Pack like you're going on tour. An old roomie who did a lot of touring as an actor taught me how to pack. I'd learned one technique from other former roommates who were flight attendants but the tour packing outshines everything I'd learned. I have so much more room with minimum wrinkles and everything is accessible. No, it's not about rolling or vacuum packing into Ziplocs. It's actually using your suitcase as a shelf and then there's all this extra room to lay things on top. The photo above actually shows 3 pairs of shoes and 12 tops and bottoms along with underwear, socks, plastic bags, sundries, and 3 books, a bunch of gifts and more.

4. Check with my Medical Insurance before I leave to see if I'll be covered overseas. This makes sense, but in my last minute rush to pack and try to get everything done before leaving it almost went out the window.


There you go. Not much, but something, eh? 3 days and counting. 2 days if you don't count the day I leave. Sheesh. I still don't feel ready. Hope to blog while I'm over there but I think I'll be at the mercy of the schedule set up by our hostess so I'm not sure how much internet access I'll get.

Panic!

Five days and counting...and not packed yet! AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGG!

The Changing of the Guard

Today is a milestone day in the circles of Center Theatre Group: The Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, and Kirk Douglas Theatre, where I work. Gordon Davidson, Founding Artistic Director for around 37 years, is holding his last opening night for the last show of his last season here.

It still bewilders me that this man, with all the normal flaws of a human being, gave so much of his life and created this amazing organization and has guided it to where it is today.

It is the passing of an era. I have great respect for him and the responsibility he's accepted all these years.

For the six years I've worked here, I've seen him carrying heavy bags in each hand as he walked almost every day leaving him a little stooped, but it never overshadowed the spark in his eye that made him seem to stand straighter and move more air around him than a man of his size normally would.

To me, he is proof that one person can have an enormous effect on the world around them. And you don't have to be perfect.

And as with any organization there are always good and bad things that come with the changing of the guard. Pain and joy. Bitter and Sweet. Love and Hate. I'll leave it at that.

No Words

I took my first Malaria pill yesterday. Possible side effects include blurred vision and difficulty operating a vehicle or dangerous machinery. Good thing I live in Los Angeles where you have to drive to get everywhere, eh?

I also found out yesterday that it doesn't guarantee that I won't get Malaria. Unfortunately, my sister and I will be traveling to Turkey during Mosquito season so my chances are a bit higher.

On a wholly different note, Nick Magee's funeral is 11AM on Monday. He was a young man I had the privilege of working with as a Youth Leader. Ever the consummate rebel, he met the stereotype of the typical P.K. (Pastor's Kid.)

He was the passenger to a drunk driver and they had an accident at Beverly Glen Canyon and Sunset Boulevard. The road winds and is lined by beautiful mature trees which shade the road. I've driven the road twice in the past two days. One tree along that road stands looking innocent. If it weren't for the line of records, flowers, various memorabilia, and a teddy bear decorating it's trunk you would never think it witness to a deadly accident.

It doesn't seem real yet. It never does until the funeral. I guess that's part of the reason we have them. But as I leave, I expect blurred vision and difficulty operating a vehicle or dangerous machinery won't be too far behind.