For National Talk Like a Pirate day a woman at work decorated her office and wore a pirate costume and sent out an office e-mail in pirate speak.
But that's not what the AAAARRRGGGGH! is for. That is in response to hours of trying to set up a home network between my Mac and two PC laptop computers. I'm overwhelmed. But my Mac now has DSL. :) It's still not hooked up correctly but I've given up for tonight.
G'night Matey!
30 September 2005
21 September 2005
More Photos from Turkey
I thought you all might like a few more photos. There will be more coming. This is just the first of a few.
15 September 2005
A Plan for Everything
We're driving along a patch of road that all of the sudden becomes E-X-T-R-E-M-E-L-Y wide. One lane to the right is the normal size. The lane we're in could be filled with 5 rows of cars.
Why is it like that you ask? Well, so did my sister.
"It's for the planes to land."
Planes?
You see, the Turkish have thought ahead. During wartime, there will have to be places other than runways for planes to land. So, throughout Turkey, you'll find these long strips of roadway with a reeeeally, reeeally wide lane and one narrow one.
I guess being surrounded by Iran, Iraq, and at one time, the U.S.S.R. along one border and Greece on part of the other can make you paranoid about war. Paranoid is prepared and you're grateful for it when the need arises.
Saying Good-bye or Until Later?
Turkey is full of surprises.
Architecture, natural wonders, and a lot of ruins. The food is good, the tea and coffee strong like their people, and it's not a land you can get a sense of the first time because there is so much history from so many different eras and cultures blended to form the one we know today.
I'd like to come back to Turkey someday. Maybe before it joins the European union, or maybe afterwards. But I'd like to see the parts I'd missed in the middle and on the Eastern side.
I'm told I'll have to travel with a man. It's not proper nor safe to travel with just women in that part of Turkey as it becomes more fundamentalist Muslim territory.
I'll look forward to it when and if it comes.
Architecture, natural wonders, and a lot of ruins. The food is good, the tea and coffee strong like their people, and it's not a land you can get a sense of the first time because there is so much history from so many different eras and cultures blended to form the one we know today.
I'd like to come back to Turkey someday. Maybe before it joins the European union, or maybe afterwards. But I'd like to see the parts I'd missed in the middle and on the Eastern side.
I'm told I'll have to travel with a man. It's not proper nor safe to travel with just women in that part of Turkey as it becomes more fundamentalist Muslim territory.
I'll look forward to it when and if it comes.
A Touch of Gold
There is an ancient people called the Phrygian people in Turkey who have left behind remnants of their stay in what is now Turkey.
King Midas of the golden touch is one of the most prominently remembered Phrygian's today.
If there is one thing that I have learned on the trip, it's that Turkey is the home of the most Ancient, ancient, ancient civilizations. And more than one.
I thought I saw old things on my trip to the U.K. and Italy last year, but this place is older. So old, that in the new world we've learned some of the old stories. We just don't know where they come from.
This trip showed me just how much of it is Turkey.
King Midas of the golden touch is one of the most prominently remembered Phrygian's today.
If there is one thing that I have learned on the trip, it's that Turkey is the home of the most Ancient, ancient, ancient civilizations. And more than one.
I thought I saw old things on my trip to the U.K. and Italy last year, but this place is older. So old, that in the new world we've learned some of the old stories. We just don't know where they come from.
This trip showed me just how much of it is Turkey.
14 September 2005
Bridges
What.
Is.
That?
I'm looking at a this contraption sitting on top of a water jug. As Emel starts pumping a light bulb shows up above my head.
In the U.S. we take the Sparkletts or Arrowhead, or "insert appropriate brand name here" water jugs, flip them over and put them into a water cooler/dispenser.
In Turkey, they don't bother with the harder part of flipping the jug. Just toss a pump on the jug while the mouth is pointed up. Sometimes I wonder why we make things harder than they have to be.
In walking through a bazaar after a boat trip I met a man who travels to the coast for the summer to sell his art. He takes a drill and etches platters, and hair clips and all different things with beautiful patterns and designs.
Both my sister and I bought one and asked him to sign the back. He offered us tea while he took his drill and signed his name.
In the winter he goes back to Iszmir (hope I spelled that right) to try to make his living there doing something else. Creating complex designs with a drill is more than enough of a skill for me, but the man's gotta eat right?
One last ingenious invention. The car shower.
All along the road sides in the rural areas where cars get extremely hot, you'll see a pole that looks like a lamp post. But instead of a lamp at the top, it's a shower head pouring out water. And you drive right under and cool your car off. It's a lot of fun and it works really well.
I'll leave you with this final story. We took a car ferry back over to Istanbul late at night. Car ferrys are nothing new but these are HUGE boats and there are some differences between them in Turkey and the U.S.
My sister, being from Seattle, climbed up to the top level of the ferry because she knew from experience that it was the best view from the boat. In searching for her a few minutes later, I traipsed right up to the top level too and found her talking with the captain while the rest of the upper level was empty.
I found it odd but there were chairs there so it was meant for people to sit right?
Wrong. The top level is for captain and crew only. We were only allowed to stay because we were visitors from a different country (and, I think, because were were Asian women.)
Emel came up a half hour later after looking all over the boat for us and not finding us at all.
She hadn't thought to look on the top level since everyone knew it was forbidden.
Everyone except the ignorant Americans of course.
There were no signs, no chains, no barricades so it was open to us.
In typing this, I actually realize that that's symbolic of the American people. It can be both good and bad. But if it leads to tea with the captain and a tour of the bridge...I'll call it a good trait for now.
Is.
That?
I'm looking at a this contraption sitting on top of a water jug. As Emel starts pumping a light bulb shows up above my head.
In the U.S. we take the Sparkletts or Arrowhead, or "insert appropriate brand name here" water jugs, flip them over and put them into a water cooler/dispenser.
In Turkey, they don't bother with the harder part of flipping the jug. Just toss a pump on the jug while the mouth is pointed up. Sometimes I wonder why we make things harder than they have to be.
In walking through a bazaar after a boat trip I met a man who travels to the coast for the summer to sell his art. He takes a drill and etches platters, and hair clips and all different things with beautiful patterns and designs.
Both my sister and I bought one and asked him to sign the back. He offered us tea while he took his drill and signed his name.
In the winter he goes back to Iszmir (hope I spelled that right) to try to make his living there doing something else. Creating complex designs with a drill is more than enough of a skill for me, but the man's gotta eat right?
One last ingenious invention. The car shower.
All along the road sides in the rural areas where cars get extremely hot, you'll see a pole that looks like a lamp post. But instead of a lamp at the top, it's a shower head pouring out water. And you drive right under and cool your car off. It's a lot of fun and it works really well.
I'll leave you with this final story. We took a car ferry back over to Istanbul late at night. Car ferrys are nothing new but these are HUGE boats and there are some differences between them in Turkey and the U.S.
My sister, being from Seattle, climbed up to the top level of the ferry because she knew from experience that it was the best view from the boat. In searching for her a few minutes later, I traipsed right up to the top level too and found her talking with the captain while the rest of the upper level was empty.
I found it odd but there were chairs there so it was meant for people to sit right?
Wrong. The top level is for captain and crew only. We were only allowed to stay because we were visitors from a different country (and, I think, because were were Asian women.)
Emel came up a half hour later after looking all over the boat for us and not finding us at all.
She hadn't thought to look on the top level since everyone knew it was forbidden.
Everyone except the ignorant Americans of course.
There were no signs, no chains, no barricades so it was open to us.
In typing this, I actually realize that that's symbolic of the American people. It can be both good and bad. But if it leads to tea with the captain and a tour of the bridge...I'll call it a good trait for now.
Lost & Found
"Can you see anything?" **pant, pant, pant**
"No, can you?" asks my sister.
"No."
"No." answers Emel who's also in the water. We've been swimming in "The Blue Lagoon" and we've been told that there are underwater ruins somewhere in the lagoon in the direction we're swimming.
We've been swimming in this direction for a half an hour. I think we've covered 3/4th of a mile. It's actually not as bad as it sounds because the lagoon is saltwater and it helps with the buoyancy. We swam in the Aegean Sea too and it is actually very salty and buoyant but really choppy.
"Ouch! ouch ouchouchouchouch!" I've found it. I've swum into it.
It's marked with an empty 7-up bottle tied down. It's walls are in the water.
In the states we joke about an enormous earthquake happening and California falling into the Ocean.
We joke about it and we never think it will really happen.
Well in Turkey, it really did. More than once. In more than one place.
I got an infection from the scratches on my stomach. But we also took a boat out along the southern coast of Turkey and saw an entire village now underwater. The earthquake not only took the village and moved it toward the sea, but it took the sea and moved it toward the village too. The sea rose and flooded so the water level rose.
Kind of like what's happening in New Orleans.
The water is clear aqua blue and people kayak over it now. The Turkish military keeps a close eye on it from across the little stretch of sea to keep divers and swimmers from pillaging the treasures underneath.
There is a special unit of military set up for tourist sites. Emel called them tourist soldiers. I don't think this is one of them though. Tourist soldiers are there to protect the tourists. These soldiers are there to protect Turkey from the "tourists."
A lire for your Hiction?
Turkey is where a lot of stories that I've learned growing up have taken place. It's actually surprising how much. Of course, it makes sense once you think of it...Roman Empire, the beginnings of civilization and all that...
But did you know St. Nicholas aka Santa Claus was born in Patara, Turkey? And his church (which is a tiny, cute, and very cozy place... but no snow and now elves or reindeer) is in a nearby village?
They have a statue of the traditional Santa Claus we see in advertisements, books, and movies standing in the village square and it looks very out of place.
Did you know that many people think that Atlantis is actually off the coast of Turkey?
Hey, I might have said that one already.
Noah and his Ark are supposed to have landed on Mount Ararat along the Eastern border of Turkey after the flood.
And in a museum I saw a plate that had the Sufi word Yummi engraved into the bottom. The word means happiness. So when we say something is Yummy, it's actually from way, way, back beyond your stomach and your tongue. :)
I also got to visit a place where the cave holds clay and a natural hot spring. Cleopatra was said to have visited often and put on clay masks as a beauty treatment.
It used to be free. Now it's 3 New Turkish Lire.
History, Fiction, and commerce interwoven.
But did you know St. Nicholas aka Santa Claus was born in Patara, Turkey? And his church (which is a tiny, cute, and very cozy place... but no snow and now elves or reindeer) is in a nearby village?
They have a statue of the traditional Santa Claus we see in advertisements, books, and movies standing in the village square and it looks very out of place.
Did you know that many people think that Atlantis is actually off the coast of Turkey?
Hey, I might have said that one already.
Noah and his Ark are supposed to have landed on Mount Ararat along the Eastern border of Turkey after the flood.
And in a museum I saw a plate that had the Sufi word Yummi engraved into the bottom. The word means happiness. So when we say something is Yummy, it's actually from way, way, back beyond your stomach and your tongue. :)
I also got to visit a place where the cave holds clay and a natural hot spring. Cleopatra was said to have visited often and put on clay masks as a beauty treatment.
It used to be free. Now it's 3 New Turkish Lire.
History, Fiction, and commerce interwoven.
Ephesus, Jesus, and stinky feet
Turkey is humid. Ephesus is especially humid. Think Mt. Rushmore in the summer. Lots of tourists. You can't really move. This picture is the first I took of the day and it was early morning. Within 30 minutes the place was packed with people and it was impossible to move without bumping into someone.
I thought I was at Summerfest in Milwaukee, only without the spilt beer.
After spending 3 hours sweltering in the sun with no shade anywhere, you'd think that washing your face would do the trick. The funny thing is, it doesn't.
What really does the trick is washing your stinking feet. Especially if you've been wearing sandals without socks.
But even if you do wear socks with tennis shoes, the dust and sand gets everywhere and washing your feet actually cools you down and makes you feel clean. Even if you can't wash your body.
No matter what your beliefs, it helps a person understand the stories about how Jesus washing his disciples' feet in the Bible was not just humbling (think of the stink) but also cleansing and refreshing.
Sounds kinda like....a toothpaste commercial?!?
I thought I was at Summerfest in Milwaukee, only without the spilt beer.
After spending 3 hours sweltering in the sun with no shade anywhere, you'd think that washing your face would do the trick. The funny thing is, it doesn't.
What really does the trick is washing your stinking feet. Especially if you've been wearing sandals without socks.
But even if you do wear socks with tennis shoes, the dust and sand gets everywhere and washing your feet actually cools you down and makes you feel clean. Even if you can't wash your body.
No matter what your beliefs, it helps a person understand the stories about how Jesus washing his disciples' feet in the Bible was not just humbling (think of the stink) but also cleansing and refreshing.
Sounds kinda like....a toothpaste commercial?!?
Blue...er.. yellow in the face
Emel argues in Turkish with the man at the door. We move to the side door. The next man waves his arms and exchanges sharp remarks as Emel argues back waving in the direction of my sister and me.
From growing up in a bilingual home, I've learned to get meaning from tone of voice and body language and this man does not want us in there.
Emel shoos us in anyway and says just go, forget the man, I'll tell you what he said later when we're inside.
After removing our shoes we step inside Blue Mosque. So named for the beautiful Blue stained glass inside. But the first thing that hits me is the wall of odor. The smell of sweaty feet wafts up my nostrils and makes me blink back water in my eyes. After adjusting, I'm able to focus on the lights hanging low and the comings and goings of the mosque as well as the amazing beauty of the architecture and stained glass.
As we sit, Emel whispers that the man did not want to let us in. He said that visitors weren't allowed at prayer time. She told them we weren't visitors...we were Chinese (even though we're Taiwanese-American). I'm not sure how that made sense...but he let us in.
From growing up in a bilingual home, I've learned to get meaning from tone of voice and body language and this man does not want us in there.
Emel shoos us in anyway and says just go, forget the man, I'll tell you what he said later when we're inside.
After removing our shoes we step inside Blue Mosque. So named for the beautiful Blue stained glass inside. But the first thing that hits me is the wall of odor. The smell of sweaty feet wafts up my nostrils and makes me blink back water in my eyes. After adjusting, I'm able to focus on the lights hanging low and the comings and goings of the mosque as well as the amazing beauty of the architecture and stained glass.
As we sit, Emel whispers that the man did not want to let us in. He said that visitors weren't allowed at prayer time. She told them we weren't visitors...we were Chinese (even though we're Taiwanese-American). I'm not sure how that made sense...but he let us in.
Life in the Fast Lane
Driving in Turkey is a little like a race track. Sometimes there are no lines on the street guiding you. Sometimes there are. Most of the time it doesn't matter because the drivers make their own lines whether or not they're there.
Formula One Racing was going on the first day I was in Turkey, but I saw more action on the public roads.
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