Wednesday, 30 October 2013
Tuesday, 29 October 2013
Sunday, 27 October 2013
Tuesday, 15 October 2013
So let's celebrate an unsuccessful explorer
Columbus Day in the USA has been a federal holiday since 1937. What, I have to ask happened on the day now known as Columbus Day between 1492 and 1937?
I post this on the day after Columbus Day so Americans have a whole year to contemplate some of the myths surrounding the man 'hyped' as some kind of hero by the Knights of Saint Columba.
For your inspirational reading material click anywhere on this sentence.
I post this on the day after Columbus Day so Americans have a whole year to contemplate some of the myths surrounding the man 'hyped' as some kind of hero by the Knights of Saint Columba.
For your inspirational reading material click anywhere on this sentence.
Tuesday's quote
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall"
~~ Confucius
Sunday, 13 October 2013
Matt&Sarah - Matt - Bat out of hell
So there may not be enough sweat and spit in this version for some people but leaving that aside isn't this the most definitive version of this most definitive rock song.......EVER??!!
Monday, 7 October 2013
Turkish Delight?
So
that’s it back home after my fourth visit to Turkey!
The important thing to get
from that is that the last time of course was, we think, 15 years ago!
In
some ways nothing has changed, in others everything has changed!
Behind that
there is some good old fashioned Persian logic! Don’t kid yourself that Persia
doesn’t exist. It was a larger, more influential empire than Europe.
Europe
is the biggest part of the problem now though. Geographically Turkey is on the brink
of Europe, the political and corporate side is headed way down the highway
towards the European Union because economically, to them, it makes sense. The
people however have no interest whatsoever in being anything other than
Turkish.
So
let’s think again – 75 million people, 97% Muslim in 300,000 square miles with
borders to Asian, European and Middle Eastern countries. That’s a seriously big
country with border problems, although less than ever do still exist between
both Cyprus and Greece, both in the European Union and in Kurdish territory
between itself and Iraq. Human rights issues are prevalent and many other
issues with regard to employment, trading and equality seriously need sorting before
Turkey joins any serious ‘Western’ union!
Non
of that is said to make any political comment, purely to bring the country up
to date in both my own and maybe your minds!!
So
15 years ago Turkey was in many respects a third world country. How ridiculous
to ask my son whether there were plenty of both internet cafes or cash
machines!!
My memories of my three previous visits in the late nineties were of one
or two cash machines in the whole time we were there and only ever a less than
50% chance of them working and as for the internet, yes laugh away!!
So what we have now is
more ATMs in one place than I have ever seen before and a full on Wi Fi war!
Though to be fair Fast Internet has become a bit of a Turkish oxymoron!
Still
15 years ago you were a Lire millionaire with less than £5, the Dolmus’s were
cheap and always full and McDonald’s had only just arrived.
The bottom right I'm lovin' it is Turkish but it's a very strange translation!! |
Nothing’s changed, no really, ok they’ve
knocked a few 000’s off the currency, Burger King and Subway have joined loads
of fast food branches of various descriptions and as for the Dolmus service it
is still incredibly cheap and lip service has been paid to both the regulation,
what and how many can be carried and the age of the actual vehicles there is no
escaping the fact that Dolmus is (still!) Turkish for ‘stuffed’ and that is
invariably what they are – with people, animals and locals and touristy things!
Remember Dad it's the pink dolmus - who could forget or miss it? |
Yes
there has been huge expansions in the tourist areas, making them more
commercial than ever, the supermarkets are more prolific, the bazaar more
keenly competitive. The excursions are just as tacky and oversold. English is
still the chosen language to establish where you are actually are from, you are
still for the most part approached at every opportunity to go and spend your
Turkish Lire in their establishment. They still accept $’s and £’S at
extortionate rates of exchange for almost everything, haggling is alive and
well. The poor are still poor, the rich are still rich and the locals are more
or less the same as they always have been.
No change at all in the ‘funny’ signs – made all the funnier by either
grammar or spelling.
But
here is the thing…… I have changed! As a single traveler look at the advantages
I have!
Nobody wants a single
‘old fart’ in their beach restaurants or their late bars/night clubs so I can
walk past and observe without being hassled. I have no one to protect, no
partner to look out for in this ‘male heavy’ environment. I can walk through
the bazaar without offers to swap my ‘woman’ for a camel or two. I have no
children to take care of and protect from adult orientated humour or
inappropriate behavior. Neither do I
have to explain some of the nuances of a multi cultural society to any other
person, young or old.
This
time too, it has to be said, some other big advantages.
The
main reason for my visit was to see my son and his girlfriend, Matt and Sarah, yeah
click the link, perform at a highly prestigious, all inclusive well known venue,for a major tour operator, a distance from the town of Marmaris. I’ll leave you to work out the advantages of
having a son that looks more Turkish than most Mustaffas and works and lives successfully
in the community that they all coexist!! Plus how superb is it when the mystery
password for all the all inclusive benefits is “I’m Matt’s Dad!!”
Friday, 4 October 2013
Friday's Quote.
"To be successful, the first thing to do is fall in love with your work."
~ Sister Mary Lauretta
Well that's it for quotes on here for the moment. It was only temporary you know!! Quotes will continue next week on Facebook I'm sure!!
Thanks for visiting be sure to come back some time hey?!!
Visiting my other blogs could not be easier, just follow the links somewhere over that way!!! >>>>>>>
This is Thursday's quote.
"The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary."
~ Vince Lombardi
Last quote of the week is tomorrow after 8am!
Wednesday, 2 October 2013
A quote for Wednesday.
"A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices."
~ William James
Come back tomorrow after 8am for Thursday's quote!
Tuesday, 1 October 2013
Tuesday's Quote
"Every man has three characters: that which he exhibits, that he has, and that which he thinks he has."
~ Alphonse Karr
After 8am for tomorrow's - I will be checking who is here!!
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