The Birthday Bubble

Yeay, I am 27!

That is 27 in Turkish standards because they round 26 years 1 day off to 27. To the rest of the world I am still 26.

I could choose to say 26 but I prefer 27 for people perceive 27 a lot older than 26. By claming to be 27, I get the “adult” treatment and shock those who think I must be a freshman in collage.

I amuse myself by making people guess my age. It is usually a very flattering game except for this last time I played it with the cab driver who was taking me to my birthday party. It got a little uncomfortable when he started elaborating on how I have the body of a woman and the face of a teenager. It is a compliment that most women die to hear but the thought that the driver had already measured my bra size before I get in the car almost made it an assault, or I haven’t gotten over my sensitivities over the past 27 years.

If we manage to overlook these little frustrations, it feels like the universe, which we belong to and own at the same time, is changing skin on the day of our birthdays. We wake up to an improved version of ourselves and thus of the universe. Everything is the same but also different, or at least you feel as so.

On the 18thof Sept 2009, I woke up to my “improved universe” to where my camera finally returned after a year in hiding. Birthday magic continued later in the day when I found out that I had more money in the bank than I knew of. It did not help Turkey to win the basketball match against Greece, but it did fill my karaoke night unexpectedly with about 30-35 people. Yet, the universe saved its best treat for the end of the day when I approached a taxi to turn on the day tariff at 4 am. He said, “Don’t you know? There is no night tariff anymore.” Dolce vita!

Our updated versions make us feel like we are capable of more in this new age. If it weren’t for this feeling of empowerment, we wouldn’t have new resolutions every year.

So, here are mine:

1) Be irreplaceable for the companies I do consulting for. Grow the business. Create opportunities for testing business ideas.
2) Resolve the long distance state of our relationship.
3) Work out consistently three times a week.
4) Get better with emails for the sake of not breaking hearts.

27, are you strong enough to let me do these?

Sodoku pizza

I wish they spiced things up a little.

Simple touches can really charm things up quite a bit.

The Serpentine Pavilion 2006 by Rem Koolhaas and Cecil Balmond

Serpentine Gallery 2005 by Alvaro Siza

Gift-wise

People can be quite uninspired gift wise. They will resort to parfums, scarves, ties, pens, photo frames, books or wine.

September is when I break my piggy bank because I have two good friends whose birthdays I have to attend, plus, my mother's and my boyfriend's mother's. So, I have been searching how to be "gift-wise".

Here is what I came up with so far:

www.buldumbuldum.com
www.aktifhediye.com

Back

After a long vacation, it takes an hour of breathing exercises and about 30 mins of streching to finally get yourself to lay your hands on the keyboard. I am mentally and physically rusty to take on any task. My fingers need to be reminded that they are each independent souls for typing. After two months of serious collaborating for holding bears and swimming, shipping the pinky alone to push P can be very stressfull for the poor little one. (OK, now I am just trying to show off saying I type with 10 fingers, but frankly, if my hand was a crew team, my pinky would be the person at the end of the boat who just sits there when everybody else is rowing)

I am a different person since the last time I wrote here: I gave up my soul for a position in a bank (which is where I am writing from in recovery of my soul), put on a few kilos from this summer's partying and ended up quitting alcohol, tea and coffee because my stomach could not take it anymore.

Between the stapler and the hole-puncher, I am debating whether I should have taken the offer to do a friend's farm's landscaping in New Zeland in exchange for free accomodation and food. Sometimes I really suck at decision-making.

Overwhelmed by paperwork

Everyone thinks that their family is different and I am sure that they are each unique cases indeed. Nevertheless, I think many families can be classified under common themes like cheating fathers, too involved grandparents, weird siblings, dependent mothers, financial worries, interventionist extended families, etc...

Yet, I still feel like mine stands alone in its own category : A successful, well-educated but not enlightened doctor dad whose obsessive-compulsiveness casted a shadow over a complete era even after his death, a schizophrenic and violent uncle whose gambling addiction paved his way to trouble with the mafia, a 12 year old half-brother I (intentionally) never met, an angelic yet amazon mother who tackles all the problems that threaten her family, a step dad who lives in Switzerland and four step siblings I have seen maybe a total of 5 times in 8 years, a depressed grandmother, a dear friend, two dogs: one blind, one lame and myself.

I have no considerable worldly possessions but in case we crash in the same plane with my mother once day, I would rather save the remaining 1600 pandas instead of my providing my uncle with more money to get himself in trouble with.

So, I wrote my will 3-4 years ago.

I wanted to amend it today but I was overwhelmed by the amount of paperwork they threw at me. You can't even rest easily in peace in this country. You need to get a number and wait in line for 3 hours only to be told that you have to come back on Mon to complete your paperwork.

This is why gluttony is a deadly sin

The Serpentine Gallery's pavilion was designed by Toyo Ito in 2002.

It is so beautiful, how could they condemn it to storage space?

Yumm, can we have your leftovers?

I have an artistic crush on Frank Gehry. London's beloved Serpentine Gallery commissioned him to design its outdoor showcase in 2008. As they appoint a different world famous architect to recreate the pavilion each year, this gorgeous structure was replaced with a design by Sanaa in 2009.

It seems to me that Istanbul will never have its promised Frank Gehry building. The project he draw to replace the ugly TRT building in Tepebasi will remain in 2D as the Turkish government is determined to not grant permission for it.

So, since London is done with the pavilion, can we have the leftovers?
It is such a shame to discard it and I have a perfect place in mind.

Bodrum Ahoy!

As I previously mentioned, I am not a fan of emailing fake "already 20 times forwarded personalized recommendations", so once again I will make my Bodrum recommendations public here.

First of all, Bodrum is made up of several bays all of which are reputed for different sorts of things. You will be hopping from one bay to the other. People use shared cabs (dolmus in Tr) for transportation. Dolmus (pronounced as dolmoosh) has very little to do with the cabs you have in mind. They are a cross between cabs and buses. They travel on predetermined routes like buses but unlike buses you can get off and get on it at any place you like you are in a cab. They do not work on a schedule. They wait at the dolmus station, and once all seats are taken, they head for the road. They announce where they are going to on their front window but as they usually put the final destination, you might want to check with the driver before you get on it. Alternatively, you can wait on their route and make a sign to stop them to get on them.

Renting a car or a scooter is also convenient option in Bodrum.

Do NOT use the cab in Bodrum. You will end up spending ridiculous amounts of money. A ride to the beach and back will exceed what you pay to the hotel. There are shuttles to the downtown bus terminal from the airport, but if you are a group of four, it is highly likely that getting a cab will cost around the same.


CULTURE

Do not go to Bodrum with the expectation to enrich your culture. It is a hip and happening beach town where you will dance off your pants and recover around 3 pm the next day only to restart the cycle in a few hours. Yet, as any spot you would point to on the map of Anatolia has, it does have some interesting historical attractions:

- You should def visit the Underwater Archaeology Museum in the Bodrum Castle. It has the world's oldest shipwreck. It is pretty much the only historical site where you will get a satisfactory sense of self-improvement.

One of the 7 wonders of the ancient world is in Bodrum: Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. Unfortunately, there is nothing but chopped up stones at the site. It is rather sad and disappointing.

Finally, there is the Myndos Gate. That will be the last bit of culture you will find.

An hour outside of Bodrum is Euromos which can potentially satisfy your hunger for history.

However, if you are intrigued by thu local culture, Bodrum has a lot to offer. There are some intact Aegean villages that you can visit, which make up my favorite parts of Bodrum. However, you would need to rent a car or at least a scooter. Guvercinlik and Gumusluk would be two of the easier to get to options. They are both pleasant villages but I can not say that they are completey untamed. Guvercinlik is comparatively more authentic. If you want a real village with olive trees and citrus gardens, you should probably go towards Inceburun . If you would like to buy some Bodrum style carpets, Mumcular is an untapped resource. The village is certainly not on the way of the regular tourists, so the villagers have no idea how much people might be willing to pay! I invite you to be nice and reasonable when negotiating. Keep in mind that your glass of tea feeds their entire family for a night. Support the locals.



DOWNTOWN

- The Bodrum Bazaar is very lively and overwhelmingly crowded at night but then, it is overwhelmingly hot during day time, so you are still better off touring at night. Plus, it only makes sense to profit as much as you can from the sea in a place like Bodrum.

Here are the things you can do while you are there:
* Bodrum Castle is 2 mins away from the bazaar.
* Mavi Bar is on the opposite end of the bazaar (in reference to the castle). You will find it when you are about to lose your hope. :) It is a tiny Bodrum style bar with live music, descent crowd but the people do not dance.
* Korfez and Adamik are hidden in the streets that branch off of the main street of the bazaar. Drinks are relatively cheaper in these rock bars. You won't find many foreigners here. The ones you find will have probably read my blog. ☺
* You can try out the Bodrum style veggie-beef gyros at Sirin. Many alternatives are available but this is my favorite one.
* Have the Ottoman breakfast plate at Penguen which is an icecream/desert shop on the sea. They have tables on the beach.
* You can smoke hookah (nargile) on the beach. All places next around BBC or Blue Moon offer it. Apple and melon are my favorite flavors.

My favorite nighttime hang out in Bodrum is the bar in the Bodrum Marina. It is only a 10 min walk from the bazaar. They have great live music and quality crowd that actually dance! (Turks are usually busy watching people) If you are traveling on a budget, make sure to have pregamed before getting there. A screwdriver is around 20 Euros.


AROUND

Once again, Bodrum is all about checking out the different scenes at different bays. If you stick to the area of your hotel, you will be missing a lot. Usually people will leave their hotel around 11 or 12, go to one beach, come back around 7 to shower, and leave at 8 again only to come back around 3 or 4. They will try a new beach, breath the air at a different bay everyday.

- Turkbuku is where the Turkish jetset and the jetset wannabes hang out. All boys think of themselves as Hugh Hefner and all girls act as Heidi Klum. It might be an interesting scene to check out, but might get boring after a day or two. (Take the dolmus to get there) I like going there if I am in the mood for dressing up. SHIP AHOY is a fun bar on the sea in Turkbuku. You might like it.

- There are many beach clubs like Xuma or Havana. Havana is probably the better one. They are both a spin off of Mykanos. It is a place to check people out and make appearances. People make a serious effort to dress up (to swim!) and look their best. Gorgeous girls. The party starts around 5 and continues into the night but I think that it is sort of lame. I do not find the scene at these beach clubs entertaining but to be fair, I should also note that some people adore it. It is a matter of taste.

- Gumusluk used to be a modest fisherman's village. It is still one of the best places to have fish at. (need to take the dolmus to get there)

If you can afford a night of gourme sea food, go to Mimoza. A modest but classy atmosphere with hints of local touches. Make reservations in advance and ask him to reserve the fish you want as they sell out quickly. Tel: 0.252.394.31.39 Gsm.0.532.247.61.17

I recommend to try out the following:
My favorite two mezes ever are Fava and Deniz Borulcesi with lots of garlic. :) Additionally, get Kopeoglu (Eggplant with yoghurt) and calamari.

For fish, I recommend tuzda levrek They coat the seabass with a salt crust and put it in the oven. Then, they remove it from the oven and flame it before they break the crust. Nice to watch, good to eat. :)

If they are out of levrek, go for laos buglama. They cook the fish with veggies and serve it in juice.

To do it the Turkish style, drink raki with your fish. There are many brands on the market and they are all good but siyah Efe (black Efe) and Yesil Efe (Green Efe) are especially good. Yesil Efe is (green efe) made from young grapes and the Siyah Efe is triple distilled. That is how they get their unique taste. Yeni Raki, previously the major player in the market, had some health issues recently, so keep it as your last resort.

- If you want to windsurf, go to Ortakentt or to Bitez.

- There are daily boat tours that leave from every bay. As much as I like cruising, these tours are over-crowded and it spoils the pleasant feeling of being on a boat. Alternatively, you can approach a small boat and ask if they do private tours. Get him to include lunch and afternoon fruit service in the price.


HOTELS:

Warning: A quiet sleep is very hard to find in Bodrum.

Downtown:

Dilek Pansiyon $
Very basic room with beds and AC. Bathroom might be shared.
I have no idea what it looks like inside but I imagine it must the equivalent of a cheap youth hostel. I put it here because it is dirt cheap and its location is prime.
+90 252 316 3891
Kumbahce Mah. Ataturk Cad, No 69

Diamond of Bodrum $$$
It has a great location if you want to stay downtown. Only a 5 min walk to the Bodrum Bazaar. The rooms are basic and clean. Has a pool and a beach. The price is reasonable and comes with breakfast.
Yet, the breakfast is of very bad quality and very noisy at night.
Ask for a sea view room in advance.

Su Otel $$$
15 min walk to the Bodrum Bazaar.
It is a boutique hotel with a pool, but no sea shore.
The rooms are simple and clean. They have a family suit for 3 which you might find comfortable.
The prices are higher than Diamond of Bodrum but the food is much better.
The beds are little hard tho!

Hotel Istankoy $$
Haven't been inside but I briefly conversed with a few tourist who were staying there. They said that they love the location and it is a good deal for the price. It has a pool but no seashore.
Ataturk St, No 73
0252 316 4187
www.hotelistankoy.com.tr

The Marmara
This hotel is on the higher end. 15-20 min to the bazaar. If you can afford it, go for it.



Other Bays:

Mer-can Story
It is in Yalikavak, which is one of the nicer bays of Bodrum. It is a good deal because it is on the sea, has a pool an reasonably priced suites with equipped kitchens.
http://www.mercanstory.com/anasayfa.htm


If price is not a concern, here is a list of great hotels:

Maki in Turkbuku
Ada in Turkbuku
Queen Ada In Torba
Casa dell'arte in Torba
4 reasons in Yalikavak
Adahan in Yalikavak


GOOD EATS:

Kismet
My favorite eatery in town. It is a delicious esnaf lokantasi which is a cafeteria which is open only for lunch. You will get to eat real Turkish home cooking here. It is the best deal you will find: healthy, clean, cheap, and very yummy. I highly recommend the Kabak Tatlisi (pumpkin desert). They make their own yoghurt daily and grow their own herbs.
The head chef is a very descent guy. You would expect find a guy like that in a five star hotel's hospitality management. The only downside of Kismet is its location. It is not in the center of Bodrum, it is on the main road (Ataturk Blvd) that dolmuses pass through, behind Finansbank. It is easily accessible by dolmus but still not very conveniently situated. That's because it caters to the locals who work around that area, not to the tourists. Everybody is a regular here. Go there three times a week, you will get a sense of who is who.
Ataturk Blvd, behind Finansbank, Konacik
0252 319 0096 - 319 36 38

Denizhan
Meat and kebap house, the only restaurant distunguished by the New York Times in Bodrum
0252/363-7674
Turgut Reis Yolu, about 2.5km (1 1/2 miles) outside of town (across from the Tofas/Fiat service station)

Antique Theatre Hotel
Award winning menu, contemporary french cuisine
Kibris Sehitleri Cad. 243, Bodrum
Across from the ruins of the antique theater
0252/316-6053

Berk
It is a 20 something year old fish restaurant. Neither its costumers nor employees changed in those 20 something years. The restaurant is characterized by its super friendly white haired hosts (Husnu Baba and Haydar Usta) and its simplicity. You can taste the 20 years of experience in their mezes. When Bodrum is empty of tourists in the winter time, it is the only restaurant boosting with business downtown. You have to reserve a day in advance even in the winter. It is probably the cheapest fish you can eat in downtown Bodrum.
Cumhuriyet Ave, no 167 (They are close to the disco Halicarnasus (Halikarnas)
0252 313 02 39

Orfoz
Another fish restaurant right next to Berk famous for its mezes.



WARNING:
Halikarnas Disco is a trap for tourists. They advertise everywhere to make sure that it is something you can't leave without experiencing. They have buble/foam party nights twice a week and it only attracts "drink till puke" kind of Brits and overdressed Russians.

SIMPLE AND GENIUS 1: How The Greeks Estimated the Circumference of Earth

Eratosthenes was a liberian in Alexandria. One day he stumbled upon a curious piece where he read that you could see the bottom of a deep well in Syene at noon on the day of the summer solstice. Alexandria was only 787km away and no such phenomenon occured there. He could tell that the sun was right above the well in Syene at noon whereas Alexendria recieve it at an angle.

He noticed that if he could calculate the angle the sun hits Alexandria with, he could use trigonometry to estimate the circumfrance of Earth. He placed a stuck a stick on the ground and measured the lenght of the shadow. He plugged in the lenght of the stick and shadow in the Law of Sines and found the angle the sun shone with over Alexandria.



Since a perpendicularly placed stick would have to pass through the center of the Earth if extended, he could use Alternate Interior Angles to work out the angle the distance between the two cities would correspond to. The graph below will brush up the high school remains of geometry knowledge you have.





Finally, he could proportion the angle to the distance to calculate the circumference:

7.2 / 360 = 787 / X
X = 39350 km

St Michael of the under-equipped hikers is gone.

The North Star no longer exists!

Apparently, it has supernovaed. The north star will outshine the combined output of an entire galaxy for a brief time and then die over several weeks or months.


What the supernova?

Temperature and pressure in a star's core is so great that it triggers a continuous nuclear fusion inside the star. The star relies on this power to make up for the energy it looses in the form of light and heat. When the hydrogen source runs out, its star can no longer sustain this nuclear fusion.

When this happens, the star is incapable of maintaining its size. The force of gravity makes a star want to shrink, and the above mentioned reactions make the star want to expand. During the life span of a star these forces are balanced, so the star remains at a fixed size. However, when there is no hydrogen to fuel the reactions, gravity wins. The inner parts shrink and the outer parts are discarded into the space.

When a star has 8 times more mass than the sun like the North Star, the outer shell breaks with the catastrophic supernova explosion. So, the sun can not go supernova.



The Little Dipper just got smaller!

I want to go to PERU!!!!

Brown is an unique place on earth. It is full of inspiring idealists (despite its share of engineers and bankers :) - no offense- ).
A good percent of the people I know are working in academia or non-profits. Two friends I know moved to Haiti to fight AIDS. My roommate handed out free condoms for four years on the streets, reached out to the prostitutes and helped them be safe. Standing on the streets though a Providence winter would have been enough of a statement in itself. Another couple I know moved to some remote place in China to teach English. Brown even got a Turk to move to Indonesia to teach English.

The most recent rabbit that Brown pulled out its hat is my dear friend Ben. Ben was in finance for the last 3 years. A month ago, he quit his job at Citi and started a grand tour of Latino America. He sent me an email that made me want to pack my bags up and leave to some place. I am very jealous of Ben.

I am posting in here so that you can reconsider your career plans in your job that you started to like less since the summer.




Greetings from Cusco Peru on the first day of Winter (or Summer in the States)!

A lot has happened in the first two weeks, and I'd like to share with you some thoughts and stories.

I am currently living in Zurite Peru, working alongside my great friend Jasper and his newly founded non-profit (Global Student Embassy) providing cultural exchange opportunities for high school students. We are providing financial support and volunteer labor to help the town of Zurite carry out a massive irrigation building project. Relative to other towns between Cusco and Zurite (about 40 miles) it´s a luxurious village of about 1,000 people nestled under massive, sprawling mountains and one of the widest Incan terraces in Peru. The buildings are well kept, there´s a town square with a church, a new hospital in construction, a new central market, a primary and secondary school, running water (the house I am at for now has a flush toilet, which is new since last year), electricity, and warm people. One phone, no internet, and no newspapers.

We are a group of seven volunteers, living with various host families in Zurite. Jasper and I are living under the bustling roof of Tomas and Gladys Ruiz Lopez and their three bright, cheerful children, Joel, 16, Marilyn, 13, and Johan, 9. Tomas, a high school professor of religious studies, coordinates all religious studies in each of the State of Cusco's 100 high schools. The hush hush is also that he will be running for mayor of Zurite in December 2010. Seeing his work and the way he is received in town, I think he will win. Gladys has an endless number of jobs. In addition to being the nucleus of the family and maintaing a house of 6 people, she manages water usage for all homes in Zurite, breeds prize winning cueys (guinea pigs), and helps us coordinate some important aspects of the irrigation project. The most fun comes after dinner when Jasper and I play cards with 2 of the kids in the family we are living with (Marilyn, 13, and Johan, 9) or try to understand the riddles they tell us. And the excitement begins every day by 5AM with bantar about water usage rights or the sale of a decently-bred toro (Tomas admits they don't have the time to raise prize winning toros go figure!)

Cesar is the most eccentric character I've met in Zurite The first night I met him, we stopped by his shop and started playing poker with him. A few others joined and within 10 minutes a small crowd gathered in his store. The game was Texas Hold em of course. The pace of play was a cheetah running across the desert. I tried to stall on the second hand, but was reprimanded by Cesar (he´s about 78). We played with chips, but no real money. When you ran out of chips, whoever had the most gave you some. I´ve never heard so much laughter and cheer around a game of poker. And after Jasper lost about 8 hands in a row, Cesar called him inutil (worthless). That caused an uproar of course. Cesar´s nickname became La Mafia or La Socialista because he won most hands and redistributed the wealth. Tomas describes him as "no tiene pelos en la lengua" (basically, he's got a sharp tongue). He tries out his few English phrases on us and makes fun of our slow, deliberate Spanish speech.

One of the first lessons I learned about working in an agricultural setting is ¨no golpear sino jalar.¨ Don´t punch but rather pull. It´s about finesse, not strength. This has held true on three types of work I have done so far. Cutting grass for los cueys (guinea pigs). Using pico y pala (pick and shovel) to dig a ditch. And para desgranar el maiz (No word in english. Think of it this way - the corn is dried in the sun for a few weeks. You then twist and turn the corn in your hands to push off the corn kernels. They feel like corn nuts.) Jasper and I did this for about 3 hours and got through about 500 husks of corn. My technique is improving, but I still have blisters and cuts on my delicate city hands after doing some real work. Day 2 of this work, Jasper and I were complimented by Gladys on our speed.

And yes, we did come here to work. It's been a back and forth with the Mayor, who has the last call on the use of the municipality's equipment and money. There´s plenty to talk about regarding the decision making process at the mayor´s office (actually, it went quite smoothly after he tried to stall first our meeting then the project by a week then a day then agreed to the original plan), but the most pleasant and happy sight was on the first Monday in Zurite - the first day of work. The President of Agriculture, Julio (he's puros negocios, pure business) had organized the farmers to meet for La Faena General. It´s like a town hall that takes place at the beginning of each week. Day to day, about 10 - 15 volunteers are needed to help keep the farmer's land and equipment in good repair. But we were in for a special treat on Monday, as it was the launch of a new project. We arrived probably 5 minutes early (I have no idea) and already there were about 70 campesinos. Julio spoke mostly in Quecha but we were told that he used the time to rouse the people and get them motivated about the project. The only line I understood was ¨no va a borrechar¨ (don´t get drunk). By the end of the session, there were about 170 farmers. Every two people were 'assigned' to 10 meters of canal digging (we were widening and cleaning an old canal). The assignment process basically entailed the group walking along the canal and stopping when they found a spot they liked. Jasper and I ended up at the end of the canal. Probably about 1.5 kilometers down. Work started around 10am. At 12pm we were done with our 10 meters (we had a relatively easy part compared to some of the other sections) and went home for lunch. Gladys, the mother of the host family, insisted we eat at home during our first day of work. Lunch started late of course but was mighty delicious (a heaping plate of fish, tons of veggies and lots of rice). We returned at 2pm and headed for the top of the canal to get some video footage. No one there. We started walking. No one. Still more walking and still no people. Within 4 hours, 170 farmers had cleared the way for 1.5 kilometers of cement irrigation to be built. When we put together a video, we´ll have to explain why there´s no footage of the digging! It will be a great story to tell.

For the next 8 days, we have been organizing a team of workers, buying material, and pushing the mayor to let us have our way. Finances are tough, but we've been told by Julio and Ruiz (President of the Zurite Community) that he will try to stall from time to time. When we left yesterday (Friday) for Cusco, all supplies had been purchased and work had kicked off in full force. When we return Friday, we'll start pouring the cement over the wooden frame. Can't wait to get back to Zurite!

Oh, and day 2 of work was unreal. Let's call it Home Depot - Inka Style. Wednesday morning we wake up at 6am for an early start. Our task today is to build a make-shift tent to store the wood and cement as close as possible to the canal. We wait in town until 8:45am for the materials only to learn that they had been dropped off at the camp site, rather than the Plaza. We two step it up to the building site. Our greeting is put down our backpacks and follow them to palos (wood logs). I hear palas (shovels). After 20 minutes of walking, I'm wondering why the shovels are so far off site. A loud crash should have warned me that we were carrying town trees not shovels, but in my state of stomach churning induced delirium, this thought does not cross my mind. Over the next 4 hours, a group of 9 of us carry down about 20 eucalpytus trees, making 2-3 trips each, 2 miles each trip. For the 7 volunteers, it was the hardest day of manual labor any of us had ever done. 12,500 feet altitude, smashing through dried corn fields, keeping balance on over turned grass fields, making small river crossings while carrying a tree between 40 and 90 pounds, 7 to 25 feet long. Not your average trip to Home Depot.

Many nights, we are joined at dinner by up to 6 people. A few nights ago, 4 farm hands and 1 of their children joined us. Their wage: 10 soles/day, plus dinner (3 soles to 1 dollar). After dinner I started thinking about the economics of poverty, as I do quite often. This time I had the beginning of a real observation. One cannot measure the tangible benefit of a meal as payment, the caloric intake aside. It's a social and cultural benefit; a form of human expression. Like most people in the world, these workers live alone or in small families. Dinner, in this form, becomes a gathering place, a social time. The benefit was made more apparent when Juan, the 4 year old, started to cry when his dad picked him up to leave. I asked Gladys why he was crying. She said because they had to leave dinner. He was in a social environment entertaining non-family members with his new radio and boisterous laugh Of course, this is no way a lift out of poverty. Simply one unseen benefit missed when looking at numbers and statistics.

Finally, on the political front, you have probably been reading about the conflict between the government and the indigenous people living in the jungles of Peru. Peru has 28 million people, 8 million of which live in the jungles. The current conflict is not only one of indigenous rights, but also resource and water usage/rights. Las huelgas (the strikes) have closed down road and train transportation between Cusco, Puno, and Arequipa. If you find a picture, you will see why. The streets are packed side-to-side with people and rock barricades. As I write this email, 7,000 protesters are headed to Cusco to arrive on June 24 - Inti Raymi, the most sacred festival of the year. It's attendance across South America is topped only by Carneval in Brazil. Gladys and Julio believe things will get worse after the holiday season ends. Tomas warned that if tensions continue to escalate, a civil war may break out.

Time for La Chifa (chinese-peruvian food) at our good friend Uriel's restaurant. He lives in Cusco and helped to found GSE from the Peru side. More about him later, but he's an amazing 29 year old, in his 4th year of dentistry school.

Kaya's creme fraiche whole wheat spaghetti

Kaya requested that I share his abracadabra recipe with you and since I have (almost) adamant confidence in his cooking skills, I gladly accepted.




serves 4
total cooking time: aprox. 40 minutes

3/4 a pack of trader Joe's whole wheat spaghetti

Creme Fraiche
2 chicken breast
1 small squash
4 cloves garlic
1 large onion
leaves of aniseed root (if not substitute parsley)
10 hedgehog mushrooms
1 glass of quality white wine
black pepper
salt to taste
olive oil
canola oil

mix 1/4 part canola oil with olive oil on a nonstick pan and put the salted and black peppered chicken skin down on high heat for 3 minutes then lower the heat to turn over.
if the breasts are thick make two knife marks to increase heat penetration. Turn over 3-4 times as you cook then set aside. Don't worry if its not cooked entirely inside. Cube the chicken and set aside.

simmer the onion in the chicken pan within the chicken oil along with the garlic. Meanwhile in a different low pan boil the cubed squash with a lid on low heat for about 12 minutes
until a fork can easily penetrate the largest piece. Pour out excess water leaving about 5 tablespoons of the squash water

In a separate bowl whip 1 cup of creme fraiche with 2/3 cups water until foamy. As the onion and garlic turn caramel add black pepper and a little salt then add the cubes of squash
turn to high heat and pour in a glass of white wine let simmer for 5-6 minutes then add chicken and creme fraiche.
Let simmer for 7-8 minutes. then serve with spaghetti cooked 12 minutes aldente garnished with aniseed leaves.

Have a band-aid?

It has been a very tough year.

How did it get here? I was a happily slacking yet still A scoring senior at Brown. Had a great group of friends, a summer vacation to look forward to, a house on the best spot of Providence, healthy family, and no worries on my head expect how to skip my African Dance rituals. I used to wake up at 5 am for my yoga and pilates classes Mon through Thurs, swam at least twice a week, organized basketball games, and partied on the weekends, marched for Darfur, had 5K on my account.

Of course I knew that life would be a bumpy road but I thought things would come one by one and that I would have the strenght to tackle them all. If only one of the ropes of your parachute gets loose, you can still manage. 2009 has been the year of free fall. My parachute seems to disappear in the sky. Shit really hit the fan this time.

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ISTANBUL GUIDE

I get tons of emails asking me for recommendations in Istanbul. I decided to post it here, so that I can just direct them to my blog.


To start with, you can't imagine how horrible the traffic is in Istanbul. You will find that cabs are pleasantly cheap here. A ride in a cab will probably cost you as much as you would pay to a bus as a family.



CULTURE

Sultanahmet is where the old city is. Most of the historical sites are here:
(it will take 2 days to finish it)

Topkapi Palace will take at least half of your day. If you are visiting at winter time, wear warm stuff because it is extra chilly in the harem due to the marble walls.
Hagia Sophia is an old church/mosque, now a museum. It is one of the wonder's of the world.
Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Cami)
Water Cistern (Yerebatan Sarinci)
Istanbul Archealogy Museum

You can take a 10-15 min walk to Misir Carsisi (spice bazaar) from here.

If there is something I can't emphasize more, it is the importance of getting a guide in Sultanahmet. In Topkapi and Ayasofia it is a must. It makes a huge difference. I strongly recommend getting a guided tour of the Blue Mosque as well.

The guides will find you at the entrance. Otherwise ask the ticket booth. You can try to work out a deal with the same guide for the three spots.

Other sites worth visiting are:
Istanbul Modern (Istanbul Modern Art Museum)
Dolmabahce Palace (I like it better than Topkapi Palace because it remains furnished )
Galata Kulesi (Galata Tower, where the first man known to fly jumped off from)



POPULAR NEIGHBORHOODS

Beyoglu/ Istiklal Caddesi - The liveliest part of the town and the heart of underground culture. Many night clubs, shops and many many many many people!!! It is a favorite spot for both the tourists and the locals. There are many unique book shops, second hand stores, art studios hidden in the streets branching off of Istiklal.

*** I found a site where they orderly listed things to see as you are walking down Istiklal. It is a very good resource. You must get a print out before going to Beyoglu.
http://english.istanbul.com/Content.aspx?CatId=3624&Type=detail

Taksim Square marks the beginning of Istiklal, and Tunel marks the end. Tunel is a very popular hang out for the young and hip. Asmali Mescit Street in Tunel is full of bars I could recommend:
Here are some nice venues if you are below 30:
Babylon - live music everyday www.babylon.com.tr/english)
Babylon Lounge - latest and everlasting hits www.babylon.com.tr/english/
Otto - DJ performance www.ottoistanbul.com/index_tr.html#/home
Novo - DJ performance
Parantez - a bar with great mohitos for only 8 TL (2009) www.parantezbistro.com/news.html

If you like jazz, Nardis Jazz Club is one of the best jazz clubs in the city. It is even further down Tunel, close Galatasaray Tower. Ask people to direct you towards the Tower, and once you are there, ask for Nardis.

Line is a modest fun bar with a live band which gets everyone to dance to pop rock. Opposite from it is Hayal Kahvesi. Both venues play similar music but the crowd at Hayal Kahvesi is slightly older and has better air circulation. I can not comment on which band is better because there is a different band playing each night. It has a cover charge of 25 TL on Fridays and 30 on Saturdays but you get a free drink with it. Plus, if you are crowded or if it past 2 (they close at 4), you can negociate. It is close to the French Consulate, on the upper side of Beyoglu. Walking down from the consulate towards Tunel, you will see a Mc Donald's on the left. Around it should be Büyükparmakkapı St. A little further down on Büyükparmakkapı, it should be on your right. Alternatively, ask for Mojo which is the neighboring bar.

On Istiklal, there is an amazing restaurant called 360.
http://www.360istanbul.com/
It is costly, but it is worth the view and the food you will get.

Haci Abdullah is a good spot for a quick eat. They have traditional Turkish food, but the bill will similar to eating at 360. If you have time and want to treat yourself, go to 360. However, if you want to eat Turkish home cooking in a traditional setting, go to Haci Abdullah.

Vegetarians have a hard time in Turkey. Zencefil is one of the rare restaurants that offer yummy vegetarian food. It is not on the main street, so locating it may be challenging. Find the French Consulate on Istiklal Ave (on the upper end close to Taksim). Walking towards Tunel, take the first right after the consulate. Then, take the first left. Now you should be on Kurabiye St. Walk about 100 m. It should be on your right.

Fransiz Sokagi (French Street), which is also known as Cezayir Sokagi, is also a nice place to eat or to have a drink. The food won't blow your mind, but the street has a nice, cozy feel.

Cicek Pasaji or Nevizade (also in Beyoglu) is where you should go for a traditional Turkish tavern experience. Live traditional music and maybe a belly-dancer with traditional Turkish food as well as Raki ( very strong Turkish alcohol) is what makes up a tavern experience.
Boncuk in Asmali Mescit has good food but there is no live music. To reserve, call 0212 245 31 69-70. Another tavern you could go to is Cumhuriyet Meyhanesi. They are short on the spectacle side as there is no music, but you get to sit at the tables where Ataturk and his friends frequently discussed national matters.

Take a walk in the Barkac Street next to Galatasaray High School. There are nice art galleries, antique and vintage shops, where you can hunt for design treasures! This street leads to Cihangir.

Cihangir - is a cute bohemian neighborhood overlooking the Bosphorus. Although it is more popular among the performing arts proffesionals, it is the house to many artists, journalist and writers among which are Orhan Pamuk, the recipient of numerous literary awards, including the Nobel Prize in Literature 2006 and Sinan Cetin, the producer of full-length films and television series, and foremost, commercials.

It has colorful streets with little cafe shops and boutiques. Cuppa is my favorite place for brunch in Cihangir. Fresh fruit juices and smoothies, organic sandwiches and all sorts of breakfast food.


Ortakoy - is especially cute on the weekends with the bazaar set up on the streets. It has cozy and laid-back vibe. Here you can visit the Ortakoy Mosque, right by the sea. There is a synagogue and a church which are still in service. Sometimes they will let you in, sometimes they won't depending on their mood. It is worth a try.

Here, I recommend to eat either at Lavanta or House Cafe. You can ask people on the street once you get there. Everyone should know.

Also, you can do a boat tour of the Bosphorus. This tour will take an hour whereas if you hop on the the ones that depart from Eminonu, you will be trapped in boat for four to five hours. Do NOT take the long tour as you will be stranded under the sun staring on bare hill tops after the second hour.


Bebek - This is one of the fancier neighborhoods along the Bosphorus. There is very little to do besides sitting at a cafe and watching people. You could go there for a coffee or dinner. People are very conscious of their appearances here. Casual-chic would be the proper style to dress.


Nisantasi - The fanciest neighborhood of Istanbul. Old, French style buildings, high brands, crowded bars and restaurants, and of course pretty girls make up the streets. Zanzibar in Reasurans Passage is a pricey but good place to have delicious thin crust pizza. As everything else in Nisantasi, it is on the expensive side.

Prince Islands
Take a ferry from Kabatas or Eminonu ports to the islands of Istanbul. They are very remote and pretty. Looking at the architecture in Buyuk Ada (Buyuk Island), you can imagine how pretty Istanbul used to be once upon a time. Cars are not allowed on the islands. Rent a bike or take the horse carriage.



SHOPPING

To buy authentic Turkish stuff visit the Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi). Carpets, leather jackets, jewelry, spice... Also the capital of imitations of branded bags, shoes, watches, etc.. You should absolutely NEGOTIATE!


Besides, check with your hotel reception to go to one of the local's bazaar. Each neighborhood has a bazaar once a week. Check with your hotel where they are. It is a good opportunity to buy textile at a shockingly low prices. Again, you can negotiate here but not as tuff as at the Grand Bazaar.

Shopping malls I can recommend include:
Kanyon
Akmerkez
Istinye Park



DON'T MISS

You should absolutely get a "kese" (kind of peeling) at a Turkish Bath (hamam). The most popular ones are Cemberlitas and Cagaloglu Hamams. Check again with your reception to find the Turkish bath they recommend.



Since you are in Istanbul you should have dinner at the following places:
For an best of the Turkish Cuisine, go to Konyali at Kanyon. I highly recommend the "Tandir".

NY Times selected Istanbul the gastronomy capital of 2008. Three restaurants that they recommend are:
Ciya www.ciya.com.tr/
Muzedechanga www.changa-istanbul.com/v2/muzedechangamain.asp
Mikla www.themarmarahotels.com/The-Marmara-Pera/eatdrink-mikla-restaurant.asp



Will be back with a list of places to stay...
Kybele Hotel is in Sultanahmet. It is a cute, conveniently located hotel which I think you would enjoy. Their number is +90 212 511 7766. Email: kybele@smallhotels.com.tr. Website: http://www.kybelehotel.com/

New Finds in the City

B4 IT WAS COOL > LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
89 E. Houston
b4itwascool.com
It is an amazing shop/atelier with a great collection of industrial antiques from the beginning to mid 20th century. They have a great collection of old industrial lamps. You can see that Engineer, the Machinist and the Stylist were all the same man. The price tags are very scary but it is def worth checking out.

OLIVIA
161 E. Houston
olivianyc.com
Descent looking (didn't eat there) Spanish food
They have a talented 3-person band playing familiar tunes.

CAFE MOGADOR
101 St Marks
cafemogador.com
Yummy Moroccan Tagines and Middle Eastern/Mediterranean food and their prices will def put a smile on your face. It can be a hassle to find seats at lunch time. Outdoor seating is available though it is very limited. Tried 4 dishes, liked them all.

LF
150 5th Ave or 149 Spring St
lfstores.com
This boutique is no secret. It is a chain from LA which was spotted on several celebrities and thus got great publicity. I had no idea until I walked in front of it. Very hip and contemporary. It has a very LA feel.

On Sakirin Mosque

It is said that to be Turkey's first modern mosque. To claim this title, it should have made either an artistic or cultural innovation.



Is it indicative of a cultural innovation?:
This mosque did not make any social or religious reforms. It did not breed a new religious subgroup who associates itself with this mosque. The practices are the same as in the other mosques. Women still don't mix with man and they still have to cover up. What difference does employing a female designer make when the religion remains phallocentric?

Fadillioglu says she did not make it too futuristic so that everyone feels welcomed here. She did not want to discriminate. How ridiculous it is to think that the people who go to mosque on daily basis would feel themselves home here! Nothing can appeal to everyone. Such a mosque surely wouldn't appeal to the core religious. I don't expect it to get a big mass. I think it will become the mosque for the ceremonies of the non-religious people who passed away.

Furthermore, it is very cowardly to try to include everyone so that you don't have to deal with opposition. It is a shame to come as far as to build a modern mosque and to fear attaching it to a cultural reform.

Finally, it does not indicate that the government or the public is more open to modernizing religion as it was a privately founded project by the Sakirin Foundation.



Is it indicative of an artistic innovation?:
Is there an artistic innovation to be proud of? Unfortunately, there isn't. You will be very surprised to find out about the artistic faith of this mosque:

It is the second attempt to build a modern mosque in Turkey but the first to actually succeed.

The first one was intended to be Architect VEDAT DALOKAY's Kocatepe Mosque in Ankara. His project was accepted and started in 1967.



However, as its foundations were being laid, the government decided to stop its construction for not conforming to the norms of traditional islamic structure. Instead, they commissioned a conventional mosque by HUSREV TAYLA.



Ironically, Husrev Tayla, the architect of the traditional replacement mosque, was hired to do the Sakirin Mosque. He must have been intimidated by the task of doing a modern mosque as he pretty much borrowed everything from the plans of the Dalokay's Kocatepe Mosque:


Do you see anything new?













Now, do you agree with me that this mosque fails to live up to its claim or not?

FIRST MODERN MOSQUE OF TURKEY: SAKIRIN MOSQUE

Thanks to the Sakir Foundation, Turkey now has its first modern mosque rising up from the Uskudar sky. First, I would like to give you a tour of this mosque and after that, I would like to share my thoughts on why think this mosque is a failed statement.

Radical new sanctuary configurations had been experimented with since the dawn of Modernism in the late 19th century. Religion as a whole has been reviewed worldwide. Consequently, as architecture is the spokesman of culture, we witnessed a revolution in the places of worship.

In an attempt to catch up with now a century old trends, Turkey took a big step forward by assigning a woman to be in charge of the design and construction of the Sakirin mosque. Erdogan can now show his 32 just whitened teeth to the army of cameras which want to interview him on Europe’s most recent report on how pathetic of a job Turkey does protecting its woman from their husband’s abuse and proudly say “ but Turkey is officially the one and only country to host a female-designed mosque in history!” A bright red APPLAUSE sign will keep blinking until Sarkozy forges a grin.

Sakirin Mosque was widely publicized in Turkey and abroad. She is not the architect of the project (she is the interior designer), but it is still the first time a mosque gets a feminine touch. Even that is a big step for a country which made only backward progress in this area.

If Islam is not exactly your comfort zone, the fish-scale metallic dome is definitely an icebreaker. It does not feel like you are about to enter a mosque but rather a concert hall.
Crafted by: Kadir Akorak

Let's enter.









The old and the new make several compromises inside.
• The metallic sheer is balanced off with the traditional turquoise
• The structure steps down from its “stage for a spectacle” impression to a mosque, but in turn, it will give up its ‘house-of-Allah-modesty’ to glory
• The mosque keeps its crowning chandelier, yet the crown gets a facelift resulting in a modern chandelier, made up off hundreds of glass droplets, which creates a feeling of the unusual fluidity.
• The amorphous figures on this grill continue to contradict the traditional expectations. Typical Turkish mosques are decorated with geometrical and/or floral designs. Crafted by: Kaya Kalaycı




The fluid metal and glass finally join their mother water in the courtyard creating meditational atmosphere. All religions consider meditation to help the communication between the believer and creater. They employ different tools to densify the faith in humans. Catholicism uses portraits of suffering, Buddhism utilizes the color orange and this mosque used fluidity.





Saidly, Fadillioglu never refers to the fluidity theme in her numerous interviews. I choose to think that it can not be coincidental. She knew this mosque would be widely publicized, and she calls this project the climax of her life. So, I guess it would be safe to assume that she calculated every detail that she put in there.


Her feminine touch does not only show in the zen décor, but also in the acknowledgement of the female presence in the mosque. Some mosques reject woman, saying that their facility is not designed to accommodate woman. Well, this one is. It has a prayer room and absolution facilities for woman. The admission of woman is not an innovation. It was already there, but some mosques chose to ignore it.




Diyanet Isleri (Religious Affairs) found it appropriate to assign here an atypical imam whose unusualness and publicity matched that that of the mosques.

Razaman Kutlu (46) is not your everyday imam. He is a documentarian, musician, orator, TV host, architect, radio newsman, and an actor from a (unfortunately) popular mafia/gang fight series called Kurtlar Vadisi. He does not prefer right over left only because Islam favors right, also because his face pictures better from right.

Now that I made an introduction to out first modern mosque, I can get to the real stuff.