Bazaar in Urfa
The next morning we saw Urfa, and it was like having left the country – very middle-east; little Turkish spoken; Kurdish and Arabic; covered women;… Read More »Bazaar in Urfa
Türkiye
East to the Syrian border
After three days at Elif’s father’s house in Antalya, swimming and eating as if on a beached cruise ship, Kadri announced that we’d be going… Read More »East to the Syrian border
A perfect day
Elif’s stepfather Cos won’t be able to get any vacation at all this summer, which means he’s going to try to call in sick occasionally.… Read More »A perfect day
A unique brand of Islam
Today, Elif cut tinsel for our friend Jeff at Telli Baba’s grave. The “Telli Baba” tomb is set on the very edge of the water,… Read More »A unique brand of Islam
Cinema and theater
7/21/2002 Istanbul theaters are showing films from all over the world. Of course our Hollywood action exports do the biggest business, but they also have… Read More »Cinema and theater
The World Cup
6/14/2002 Turkey advanced to the second round of the World Cup for the first time in its history, and I found it out from the… Read More »The World Cup
Slaughtering my cat
We went away with Dilek and Cos for two days to a Greek island near Gallipoli. The last thing you want to do is go… Read More »Slaughtering my cat
Teaching Mesut Pektas
I am teaching English to the esteemed Mesut Pektas, the head of the Istanbul People’s Bread Factory. He’s also under indictment for taking bribes and… Read More »Teaching Mesut Pektas
Overcrowded courts
The economic crisis is really affecting the courts, and there’s a great shortage of judges, lawyers, even courtrooms. Elif’s stepfather Cos is working longer hours… Read More »Overcrowded courts
A tonsillectomy
I’ve been getting sick a lot lately, and every time, it seems to turn into a nasty throat infection where my tonsils swell up. I’ve… Read More »A tonsillectomy