SRE-Eastern Turkey 06

This will be our parting shot until we next find a connecting point to the web. The packing is finished, our car is here and we are ready to hit the road.
We have added a new feature to our page, the Global Nomads Live window to the right of your screen will contain text messages we can upload as we travel. While it is not an Internet connection, it enables us to send text messages to our site when our cell phone is in a service area…we will send brief updates and, at the very least, will keep our latitude and longitude updated for you to follow.


Gearing Up

To see where we are, simply input our most recent coordinates into GoogleMaps and you will see a Sat photo of our location. To input our coordinates, enter them into the Google Maps search pane exactly as they are displayed in the GNL window.
Just a reminder for those of you who exhibit the propensity to be overly uptight or distressed over ordinarily minor problems, we do not expect to be able to update this site for 2-4 weeks. Chill dudes…we'll be back soon.
For the rest of you...thanks for hanging with us, its time to get some dirt on our boots.

The Expedition-ette

The joys of blogging do not extend to the province of absentia. While our week was consumed with guests from abroad, language school, the beginning of Ramadan, and preparation for a 4 week outing…I have felt that my literary liability was exceeding acceptable limits. If you must protest, I will be happy to forfeit your readership until you feel I have been aptly punished. Ouch. For the rest of you….let’s get down to business.
We will be heading out on our first foray into the eastern regions of Asia Minor within 72 hours. Accepting an invitation to spend the month of Ramadan in a string of villages within the mountainous border locales was too much for this particular crew of wanderers to resist.
This will be our first Asian road trip with our departure heading us to the extreme eastern border where we will cross into the Republic of Georgia. After taking care of some business we will travel back into Turkey and south along the Iranian border to visit the first of several villages over a 3-4 week period. Our time in these villages will be spent meeting and interviewing those who live in this remote region and participating in their observance of Ramadan.
While this is a minor outing compared to the impending Silk Road Expedition 07'...we will at least get to put a few thousand miles of Asia under our belt, get some dirt on our boots, live with the locals, and spend a night or two under the stars.

Facing Extinction

We are now down to the finer points of making the apartment livable. The crazy guy that installed the wall tiles cut off the iron support on which the wall radiator hangs. And then tiled over the place where a new one should have gone, making it impossible to reconnect the heater.



So, we set to work to install a new 10” piece of iron on which to hang the 50lb radiator. Stanley volunteered to be the one to drill through an inch of ceramic tile, 2 inches of plaster, 1 inch of solid concrete and finally 2 inches of ceramic wall brick. It took 5 holes 6-8 inches deep, a hammer and chisel and 4lbs of new concrete to get it done.



It was only after the concrete had set that we could test the radiator to see if it was in the right position…you guessed it…we had to redo the entire process because the radiator has warped with age and we needed a 1 inch adjustment. This time it worked. Little guy stayed with that hammer drill, hanging off the top of the ladder…until the work was done. It seems I am almost obsolete...even if he has to wear cotton balls to do it.

Turkce Bilmiyorum

The Language gods are frisky today…we spent our afternoon in class and had the pleasure of being joined by an eccentric English lady who was well past her prime…(believe me)…who must have said “Why doesn’t everyone just learn English?”…about 20 times. I honestly think that she thinks…that she can speak Turkish. But, even to this poor pathetic linguist…it’s a complete rout and I don’t hold out much hope for her. Why? Because it is hard to learn when you’re the only one talking...sorry, my vent popped open.

Shopping in the Spice Bazaar

While this was supposed to be a private series of lessons….there was a goof up and other students showed up for the start of this season. The good news is that they cut the rate for us by 30% due to the mixup.
We rounded out the day by crossing to the European side and picking up some fabric in the Egyptian Spice Bazaar. Another crossing back to Asia…a hectic commute home and back in time for dinner. Ramadan begins in 4 days...gotta eat while we can.

Big Talk

We are in the process of beginning to consider the possibility of giving some serious thought to whether we should entertain any views on a potential shift in our aesthetic visage. While a new website is in the planning stages….for now we have thrown a bit of paint around to freshen things up, (sorry about the “big words”…I may not understand em’…but I love to use em’).

The World at My Feet

It seems cartography is not in my blood. One of my dearest friends from years gone by is a mapmaker extraordinaire…he owns a Southern California aerial mapping company and even though I have spent thousands of hours with him in our 23 year friendship…none of it has rubbed off on me.

It's a Small World...afterall (Sorry Walt)

Today I accepted the fact that I was going to have to spend money on a wall map instead of trying to make one from hundreds of individual aerial photographs. With the scale and perspective varying from set to set…it was impossible to maintain any form of cartographic integrity. If we can’t use it to chart our travels on the SRE07…it is no use to us. So, after awakening to find our masterpiece on the floor again (humidity and adhesive issues) I took it as a sign to shift gears and we tossed it.
The hunt is now on for a specialized wall map of Asia…it seems that the ones that meet our needs are all produced in the States and are expensive. As of today, I have not found a company willing to ship one to our corner of Asia.

Weekly Pieces

So it seems I won’t be asked to be the color man on the NFL’s new version of Monday Night Football, which is launching on ESPN this week …I have had my bags packed just in case they called at the last minute. But, being early on Sunday morning here in Asia, we have just passed the physics of global travel possibilities for me to arrive by kickoff on Monday.
We have had a good week of planning and preparation for our Eastern Turkey outing which is just a few weeks away. We are still trying to make the aerial photographs work in creating our wall map of the Silk Road..(that could drive me to drinking). And we have been engaged almost every evening with visiting Turks.
Tomorrow evening our closest Turkish friends come to visit. These were the folks that helped us out so much with the remodel of the apartment.
Lamb, chicken, mecimek corba, zeytin, bulgar pilaf, chickpea stew, and…the list goes on…will be the starters for our evening. When this crowd gets together…the neighbors know it.
So in celebration of the completion of (most) of the work…we offer a few pictures of our humble home.
Does it say.."Home" to you?

Ceilings are a Bit Low

Ok....That's not really our living room. It's the Sultan's Summer Palace in Istanbul.
But you know our motto: Once the door of our home closes, no matter where we are , we are the happiest family in the world. Even in this palace...things couldn't have been any happier than the Steward's home.

Chaotic Cartography

The SRE 07 plans are building steam. Our freshly painted living room wall is being sacrificed to a 7’x 20’ map of the Silk Road. We are piecing this map together from hundreds of aerial photographs we have downloaded off Google Earth.

Tibet in Pieces

The process is slow and frustrating…while the scale is fairly consistent…a variance of just a fraction…wreaks havoc within inches.
We are compiling a list of Embassy and Consulate websites and the kids are keeping tabs of any changes (of which there are many) in Visa regulations and requirements on a day by day basis.

Istanbul to the Taklamakan Desert



I spent most of today working on our map and route while Ann hit the Wednesday street market for produce in Uskudar.
Tonight we were treated to a dinner of fish, salad, bread, and the company of our neighbors. They are force feeding us….not a bad way to go.

Roaming Borders

We have become the frequent recipients of official notices from the U.S. State Department and a few Turkish based expat news sources. This last month has witnessed an increase in Kurdish separatist’s terrorism here in Istanbul as well as in other regions of Turkey. In the last 36 hours 8 people have been killed via roadside bomb, ambush, or lynch mob.
Our travel plans for Ramadan (Sept 24-Oct 23) put us in the heart of Kurdish territory. In fact ,during this time we will be the guests of several Kurdish majority villages in eastern Turkey.
One of the acceptable recommendations to come down the bureaucratic pipeline was to procure a satellite phone. Apparently, anywhere there’s sky…there’s a link. With most of our planned travel for this next year in the remote border regions where cell phone coverage is at best “futuristic”, we felt this was a “must” on our supply list.
The past month we have been researching our orbital options and today we were informed that the satellite phone we ordered would arrive exactly two months after this excursion. While the sat phone will play a major role in our Silk Road Expediton 07 (we can update our blog via this phone…or so we are told) …we will be out of luck for this current outing.
Such was my day...$25.00 in bus, ferry and taxi fares to the sat phone office. A security search and xray that left me without my wallet and family, uniformed guards to the upper floors and an interview with a gracious Turk who spoke excellent English. He had the phone, allowed me to hold it, showed me its options, put it aside for me...and said to come back in January to pick it up.

Pushing Buttons

Living in a push button world has its blessings and curses. Our door bell (a Duo-Chime 2000) is a remnant left behind by the former tenants. When we arrived it was, in Turkish vernacular, “Kaput”. Fresh batteries and some rewiring put it back in questionable service and it hasn’t stopped ringing since. Really.
It must be a woman because it has its “quirks” (Yes ladies, you may kindly leave your comments at 1 800 t-a-l-i-b-a-n). If you don’t treat the button with the utmost of care things go awry. We came home a few days ago to hear our bell ringing in cycles. No matter what we tried it kept yapping…we finally knocked it off the wall and yanked the batteries out…even then it took a few seconds to really die and go silent. If the weather changes it rings, if there is thunder, it rings, if it is late at night and no one is around….it rings.
At 10:00pm (tonight) we had just closed up and gotten comfortable when it started up again. I was tempted to ignore it when I heard someone outside…opening the door I was greeted by a neighbor and her children whose arms were loaded with groceries. She had come to teach Ann how to cook “Turk Style”.
Ramping back up for visitors we quickly changed, turned on the lights and oven, and the kitchen started hopping. Just shy of 11pm hot Borek and a peach desert were coming out of the oven. The next hours were spent sitting on the floor talking, eating, and laughing. While I still have my doubts about our “Duo-Chime 2000”….it is savvy….just like a woman, it knows the way to a man’s heart is through the kitchen, (I might just splurge on some fresh Duracell’s this week).

Doldrums

If you are a fan of things nautical (especially 18th century Royal Navy) then you know about the doldrums, if not, then you have probably heard that word used to describe a slump or lack of forward momentum.
"Becalmed at Sunset" (William R. Davies)

In the former case, the doldrums are an area of open ocean with no, or little wind. In the days of “wind power” ships within the doldrums could become becalmed there for days, even weeks. With no wind to propel them they languished in hot and humid weather with little movement. I have read the personal diaries of those who, 200 years ago, looked for relief from these equatorial dilemmas, their eyes and hopes were on the sails…looking for the slightest indications of a breeze, draft, or even a puff…of wind, to drive them to the currents and trade winds.

The Moments Before
I have never experienced the maritime version of this malady, but I know her compositional sister well. It seems that August is the season most similar to the doldrums in our little corner of Asia. Even though we have been busy and our schedule is full, there has been little satisfaction that we are getting anything accomplished.
Even my Moleskine has seen little action this month. With so much to relay to you and so many things going on around us….none has seemed important once it was put to paper. I have deleted scores of pages this month as too worn or weary to make a good read. And we find ourselves thus…until today.

During Broad Daylight

This afternoon I felt myself being edged closer to the currents of inspiration. Our day started with the same remarkable blue skies and saturating heat we have had all month. But late this afternoon things got dark quick…very dark. And within a few minutes we were in the midst of a full Mediterranean squall. For over an hour we manned the squeegees and buckets to scupper the water off our balconies and out of the adjoining rooms.
When it was finally over the air was clean. The breeze refreshing…and it seemed that the trade winds were luffing our sails again. Soon...we'll be underway.

Silk Road Expedition 07

A colleague of mine who writes a local Turkish column sent me these words today, “Cannot write, it is too hot to write”. That may explain the absence of my wandering wit. I have much to say…but it doesn’t seem important once I put it to pen. So, during these debilitating doldrums our postings may be somewhat on the lean side. We request your patience and pity.

Route Planning with a Friend from the Taurus Range

Nevertheless, I am committed to rally my forces today and send you a bit of news that has us looking east. Some time ago we had the thought of traversing the continent of Asia, specifically, traveling overland from Istanbul to the interior of China via the Silk Road. That is, after all…why we moved here. After months of dialogue our plans are firming up for an attempt to make this cross continent journey in the spring of 07….just 8-9 months from now.
We are scheduling 6-12 weeks to make the crossing and are deciding now whether to attempt to drive ourselves or travel by means of train, bus, hitch hiking, and trekking. This will be our first Silk Road Expedition to gather information on the people, tribes, and cultures of those who live along the Rooftop of the World.
With political pressures and presumptions pin wheeling as they do, this journey is certainly not going to be completed as planned. Even today, the mill of international grist is grinding different wheat. Visa regulations and restrictions have changed several times in the past few hours in countries that are on our agenda. Our task will be to head east weaving our way up and down and side to side to find our way across Asia.
We are looking for a great name for this journey (and the ones to follow). If you have something that tweaks our compass in the way of an nostalgic and exotic moniker, drop us a line…if we use your suggestion you will acquire fame and the prize of a lifetime…your own copy of one of my favorite tomes on the Silk Road.

Still Hanging Around

Sick? Nope.
Away? Not Often.
Busy? Hmmmm....Ya think?
Vacation? I wish.
Guests? Where!?

What are we up to? Deep in work, high on life, and really, really tired. No worries, all is good. See ya soon....(like in a day or two, I'm giving my synapses time to cool off).

Office Hours

Everyone should have a place of their own. I’m not talking about houses or apartments…nothing that complicated. Just a place to hide out and think; a coffee shop, the bookstore, a patio or even an old motor home parked in the driveway. Somewhere to read, reflect and relax.

Another Day at the Office

The local Kebap café has become my hangout. Even more so, it has become my official office (and is listed as such on my cards, “Office Located at: Cemre Kebap, Corner Table, Istanbul”). That corner table is reserved for me, and each week when Ann goes across town to the Kazasker street market I tag along, and while she shops for peppers, dill, and lamb…I clock-in at my table and hold office hours.

With our relocation to the other side of the “other side” (you have to know Istanbul to understand that phrase), it now is a longer jaunt for me to get to the office. So, for the time being, the office will be open on Thursdays and the occasional Monday. If you miss me, order the Çop Şıs and a pitcher of Ayran, I’ll be along.

Shades of Heat

The sun is roasting my veranda, the breeze is cool, the shade…delicious…and Etta James is crooning in my ear. Could it be any better? My little balcony in Kadikoy is a slice of heaven today and…wait…wrong dream.
Actually this week has been more of a nightmare, falling on the heels of last week’s financial fiasco, this has been “moving week”, and it happens to coincide with what Istanbullus say is the hottest 4 weeks of the year. August is a scorcher here in this corner of Asia.

Views from the Shade

Yesterday we finished the big part of our move into the new apartment. Remember those black, hard sided shipping containers we brought from Los Angeles to Istanbul four months ago? They have sat unopened and unpacked until today.
Before they could be unpacked they had to be transported across town, up the long walkway and two flights of stairs to our apartment. We had been bringing one at a time as we moved back and forth between the two apartments during the painting and cleaning stage these last few weeks, but the going was slow.
Kemal, my friend that owns the local Kazasker laundry (and who I have never conducted business with since I have my own “laundry”) saw our daily struggle; lugging the 70lb containers down 4 flights of stairs, into the taxi, and then back up to the new apartment.
Yesterday he showed up with a small truck and insisted on having his delivery driver transport all of the remaining containers and luggage to the new place. In one brief hour they wiped out the entire lot that had to be moved.

The "Indoor High" this Week

When I tried to thank Kemal for his kindness later that evening, he rebuffed me, kissing me on the cheeks; he whispered to me, “Do not thank a “Mussulmaun” for loving his brother”. See what you miss when you take the shortcuts through life? I stand reproved for my grumbling this week.
I am going to put on Etta James, head towards the shade, and bask in the culture of a people who are quickly becoming my own.
All is well with the Stewards as we Live, Travel and Wander on the Far Side of the World.

Warmish

I know its been hot at home. I know that people are dying from the heat…literally. And, I remember how summer got into full swing in September and October on the West Coast. I can’t recall how many times I prayed for a “Fall-ish or Winter-ish” Thanksgiving…only to be awakened by crystal clear blue skies, and the waving of the palm fronds in the breeze. I do sympathize with you. Forced to shut yourselves away in those freezing air conditioned homes and cars day after day is a burden that is not easily borne.

Heading Out Into the Heat

But, could I just express myself a bit here without the “been there done that” retorts that may be forming at the tip of your tongue? It has been warmish here also. Now they don’t run to the press when folks die of heat…because that happens in Central Eurasia frequently. They don’t open “cooling shelters” because there are still hard working folk who don’t have any type of shelter, much less a “cool” one. And they don’t have brownouts…because when it gets too hot, they just turn the power off until there is enough to turn it back on again.
Life continues to move forward, streets are dug up and repaired, bread is baked in wood fired ovens, and men swing pickaxes in the middle of the day to make new roads and paths.
A few days ago we got an indoor temperature reading of 117.9 degrees. We waited till it cooled to the low "teens" later in the day, before we headed to the store to pick up more paint. We expected this big hardware store to be cool, but it was just as hot as our apartment. Even though they have A/C, we have never been there when it was turned on.
In the taxi on the way to the store we had the typical old Fiat that make up the backbone of this city’s taxi fleet. The older cars don’t have A/C, but they make up for it in the vents that pour out an amazing volume of heated air, fresh from the engine.
On the way home I waited to catch a newer taxi (this one an 06 Hyundai). I saw the windows rolled up and the shiny paint and knew that this was going to be a good ride home. However, even though it was a new car with A/C, the driver was determined to make the trip without using the air conditioning or rolling down the windows.
An old friend of ours who has passed into the nethers lived abroad for over 40 years in Central Eurasia; she told us “I was wet for 4 decades”. That has hit home for us. It’s either the “wet” during the shower, or the perspiration that hits once the faucet is turned off. In either case…there is no water shortage here.

Trekking Stambol

Istanbul Traffic

Istanbul is a big city. While the official census places its population near 10 million people, the unofficial (but realistic) population hovers between 15-22 million due to the ebb and flow of refugees and immigrants. It is by far the largest city we have ever lived in...and...that is saying something after basing out of Los Angeles for awhile.

Our arrival here, almost 4 months ago, got off to an overwhelming start when it took us 4 hours to travel the 15 miles from the airport to our apartment. Moving across this city can be daunting for even the savviest of metrotrekkers. Which makes today’s column so incredibly spellbinding and intriguing.

Take our two young wanderers (Stanley and Elle) and picture them sleeping in due to several weeks of late night remodeling and cleaning at their, soon to be, new apartment. We had allowed them to slumber late while we left early to meet the plumber and electrician across the city.

Once they woke up, they called and wanted us to pick them up so they could join the work crew. With workers here, and in the middle of wet paint, concrete, and without water, we told them it would be a while.

The bravado of youth blossomed in Stanley, emptying out my change jar, he and Elle headed out to find their way to the other side (yes, they first called and checked with us). Conversing in their limited Turkish, they hailed a taxi, explained where they wanted to go, and arrived at our location some time later.

Stambol's Trademark Taxis

When they pulled into our sitesi, Ann dashed out to pay the driver only to find Stanley counting out hundreds of small Turkish coins and filling the driver’s hand with the equivalent of nickels and dimes. Stanley looked at his mother and said “Already took care of it”, and walked towards our building. The taxi driver was laughing, and as Ann gave him a generous tip, he called out to Stanley “see you soon” in Turkish.

The truth of the matter is that this driver did not know us or our kids, but we later found out that as the kids approached the stand where you “hail” the taxis, several other drivers who knew us, had told him to take care of our kids, and exactly how to find our new apartment.

It was quite an adventure for these two trekkers...living in a culture where the woman is not readily acknowledged, Elle could not have played any role other than to advise Stanley quietly. For her it was a bit unnerving, for Stanley, arriving in his own taxi, riding in the front seat, sunglasses donned, arm out the window, and being in charge of a bulging pocket of booty and his own geographical destiny...it was a day to remember.

Baksheesh

Sometime ago I read the story of a young guy, in the early 1950's, who boarded a ship in New York bound for India. He had less than $3.00 in his pockets. His journey took him to Alexandria, Egypt where he hopped another boat to Beirut. From there he headed overland, through Lebanon, Syria, Persia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan before finally coming to rest near Delhi, India. I had the privilege of spending a week with his daughter and family some time ago. He is long gone now, but his adventures live on in my heart.

Locked Out in Istanbul
While there is no overland journey to capture your imaginations this day...I can tell you the riveting and ironical story of a young family living on the Far Side of the World who is broke and out of cash...Us. Well, we are not really "broke"...we have money...we just can't get to it. Here we go:
About a month ago we were notified that one of our stateside banking establishments was issuing new Visa debit cards. That card is our only link to cash while we are living abroad. In fact, this little piece of plastic is so important that we opened two bank accounts at two different banks, so that we could have two cards, and therefore, two ways to access funds in case of snafus or snags.
Since I am an optimistic pessimist (one who smiles while planning)...I sensed trouble ahead. I withdrew several thousand Lira from our account, and with the help of local friends, stashed it close at hand. There is an old Islamic proverb that applies here: "Trust Allah, but tie up your camel". So, I began to tie up the loose ends.
Even if there was a delay in the issuance of the new cards, I had enough to see us through the week of the Visa card transition and then an extra two weeks. With all of the repairs we are making on our new apartment I knew we would need the cash for labor and parts.
It is now going on week "4" with no new ATM cards in sight, the old cards were punctually deactivated by Visa, before the new ones were mailed out, and, word is that our new cards are still not in residence in our local stateside bank. So, now we have a problem…money…but no way to get to it.
So...here is the beneficial side of advance planning: Our second banking establishment now became very significant in our plans. We have a portion of our income (my pension from California) routed to that establishment each month to further eliminate any financial failings.
With my last 50 Lira in my pocket (about $28.00) I approached the ATM in downtown Istanbul to make my withdrawal from bank Number Two….imagine my surprise to discover that I had no access to those funds either. They simply were not there, Kaput, Kabash, Kaboom.

Is There Money In There?

It seems that the funds had not been deposited because there was some suspicion that I was dead…really. Since we are not easily reached by mail, and since a piece of mail (although they cannot tell me what the mailing was about) might have been returned to the sending organization. They cut off my disbursement because they thought, that possibly, I had passed into the nethers...and someone was taking advantage of my pension funds.
After two hours of international calling (thank you Mr. Bell) some VERY sympathetic people in Springfield, Missouri and San Diego, California…(namely, Stephanie, Gina, Cheri, Shirley, Dave, and Heather) we should have limited access to some cash within the next few days. And access to all of our funds within the next week. For now…we are dead in the water with the remodel, hiding (not really...well, yeah, sorta) from the guy who is making the shower doors and due to hang them this week, counting the change under the cushions, and eating rice and soup.
You know me and my “bottom line”.
Bottom Line? It may not be a Transatlantic journey with a few bucks in our pocket, or an overland adventure through lands fraught with danger….but we are loving it, living here in Istanbul, temporarily tapped, sublimely satisfied, and perpetually perplexed.

Smoke Pumpers

Last night we heard a noise that we couldn't place...it sounded like the "almost empty glass with a straw gurgle” that we tell our kids not to make...but on a huge scale. It was so loud that we had to yell to talk to each other.
We leaned out our windows trying to get a look, when we spotted a tiny little truck with a large nozzle on the top, pumping out a thick white smoke that obscured everything in its wake.

15 Minutes After the Zapper Passed

It passed just a few feet from our windows and the smoke rolled up to our glass, turned and headed up and down the outside wall. It was like being inside the clouds. It turned out to be the mosquito zapper truck saturating the village with some mix of toxins that are probably not allowed at home. We haven't seen a skeeter since!

New Views

Who said that "the eyes are the windows to the soul? If the eyes really are the windows to the soul, then windows must be "the soul of inspiration”….(or something like that).
Why the mental meandering? Because today I have a new view on the World, after several weeks of cleaning and painting we are just a few days away from being able to move into our new flat. There is still much to do…but I was able to find a spot on our freshly scrubbed balcony today, with windows that look north, where I was able to sit and ponder my paltry perceptions.

My Window to the North

I am at the very heart of the matter a “visual person”...I find it impossible to talk to someone without maintaining visual contact. I cannot compose a single sentence without an image in my head to write “around”. So "windows" are critical to this struggling scribe.

Just out my window (this balcony has an enclosure with windows) is a large plum tree. I look out onto the upper part of this tree whose base is 30 feet below. If you are sitting on this balcony, you cannot see the base of the tree. Your view is of the thickest part of the foliage without distraction.
The plums are hanging heavy on the upper branches and out of the reach of all but the nimblest. They have been taunting me there for weeks now…the lower branches have been stripped bare by those who pass…but the jewels of this tree still hang heavy and golden…and safe. Until today.

A hijabed head popped into my view. It was attached to a twenty something-ish mother who was rapidly climbing to the upper reaches of this tree. She saw me and smiled in embarrassment…being just a few feet from the edge of my balcony she could have stepped inside our window with ease.

Hidden in the Trees

She gathered a few of the most succulent looking plums from the crown of this tree and dropped them into the waiting hands of her children below. With a smile tinged with apprehension she scampered down to the ground and led her brood away. It was a delightful interruption and my first real impression through these windows. A smarmy observation you say?....Perhaps. But, when was the last time you saw your mother scurry up to the top of a tree to procure treats for you?

Wired for Power

They gave me my own piece of wire today. It was a moment that will not soon be forgotten. You see, to get your own piece of lamp wire means that you get control. Control means that you can supply your family with the extravagance of electrical accoutrements such as lights, a functioning refrigerator and what not.

My Tech Tools

Living in a notable, ancient city (no Mark…Chicago is not "ancient"...and there is a difference between "notable" and "notorious") you run into centuries of historical infrastructure or, a lack of the same. Here in our 20th century municipality that has built itself on pre-historical civilization, we live in comparative comfort, with a minor exclusion here and there.
One of these omissions happens to be the electrical supply to our building. Being a mix of old and new construction our basement contains the meter room with connections for all the units. Our particular union with the juice has a modern meter attached to a decades old ceramic circuit box. Some time ago modern circuit breakers were added, but instead of removing the older ceramic fuses from the linkage, they simply made miniature jumper wires using old coins and lamp wire. Now, to keep the electrical flow active it must first run through an old fuse held together by burned Turkish Lira coins and short pieces of lamp wire.
While this functions well most of the time we have had several episodes of the wire melting to the ceramic fuse and losing our electrical supply. The first few times this happened our building handyman fixed the problem. However, there seems to be a rash of melting wires, and the poor guy spends a good part of his day making new jumper wires to keep up with the demand.
I think he got overwhelmed and took a breather, because today I found a coil of old lamp wire he had left for me. I also found a pile of old business cards (you use those to hold the fuse…those little buggers get so hot they glow red), and a plastic bag to use to grip the ceramic fuse receptacle so you can break the seal of freshly melted wire and coins.

Kaboom

It came in divine timing…no sooner had I found the stash of goodies than the fuse began to glow red, the unmistakable “pop” followed (it’s more like a “cracking kaboom”…accompanied by blue spikes and bright yellow sparks) and the lights went out. I grabbed my new electrical implements and went to work. Five minutes later we had the juice flowing.
It made my day…here we are, foreigners, living on the far side of the World and today I found myself the honored recipient of lamp wire, a stack of old cards, and a plastic bag. After just three months of living in Istanbul, I already have my own fix it kit!

Swinging Doors

Doors don't seem to rate high on our list of things of import...unless they are closed and we need them open...or...they are open, and we thought they were closed. We are trying to figure out which of these we are facing.
We had plans to travel to Beirut for meetings (and a week of vacation), and then to Aleppo, Syria to research a period of Jean Louis Burkhardt's life...a Swiss explorer who lived in Aleppo for several years to study Arabic, (he later went on to discover the Temple of Ramses II among many other of today's archaeological wonders).
Ok...let's put the theme here on "hold"...this is going to take some time, so let me taxi around this with a "Burkhardt Moment" (this is a good time to go for snacks if your not historically inclined): Jean Louis Burkhardt was the first non-Muslim to be documented as visiting Mecca, even today, almost 300 years after his death, he stands as a giant of archaeological exploration and discovery, he was a master of disguise and subterfuge all in the pursuit of Central Asian knowledge. He...was a wanderer extraordinaire.

Jean Louis Burkhardt, the Wanderer



This guy actually spent several weeks sleeping in a flea and vermin infested caravansary in order to become "gamey" enough to pass as a native pilgrim...It worked. He was able to travel for several years throughout the Middle East and avoid discovery as to his "Swiss-ness"...his mastery of local dialects, accent, grasp of the vernacular, and cultural knowledge allowed him to fit in.
Because of his dedication to culturally adapt to his surroundings he gained access to the most guarded places. Petra, Aaron's Tomb, the Kaaba, and the Snake Monument were among the most significant, this was before the rest of the World even knew these places existed, (sorry about the verbosity that is present...Jean's life story winds my clock).
Open or Closed?

Now, if you're still with me we'll get back to the post. As I was saying...we had planned on visiting Aleppo and Damascus two weeks ago, but due to some Visa issues and the high cost of just applying for our Visas with no guarantees ($400.00)we put it off until October. After Syria we thought we would take a week of vacation in Beirut to coincide with some interviews and meetings we have scheduled (Beirut is our 2nd favorite city in the World) before heading back to Istanbul (our 3rd favorite city in the World...you can guess our number 1...can't you?).
Now with the renewed vigor of Middle East unrest it all seems in doubt. We have friends in Beirut that we had planned to spend time with. We will keep you posted as to our October expedition and where it will lead....Syria is still at the top of the list...we are in the process of "rattling doors". For now I am up in the middle of the night looking for Jean Louis' biography (it's time to peruse it again)...if you want a great read...hunt this one down.

Bits and Pieces

Word is out that the Stewards need help. Yesterday our little Village of Kazasker in Istanbul jumped to life to help us organize our move and a bathroom remodel. (For the complete post click on the Metroblogging link to your right). We are neck deep in chaos, no water and no toilet…but we have a great group of locals that have come to bat for us.




Today they went to work and bashed the daylights out of this 40 year old Turkish bathroom. Tonight it is in bits and pieces...but morale is high. In between numerous glasses of tea and cigarette breaks they finished up with the demo around 7pm tonight. We have had a great time working with them today.

Going In

Kitchen Sink...(Next to the Big Crack)
Welcome to our new show: "The Lifestyles of the Far and Wandering"...a bit different from those who make their living creating warm, aesthetically energizing, and pursposefully peaceful interior living spaces.....Huh?
This is our new flat, the previous tenants left in a rush and we took these pics before beginning work. We have just a few weeks to get this place out of the Petri dish and into shape for us to move into. The location is great, the rent is reasonable, and other than being pretty beat up...we think we can tweak (Ok..."Tweak" is a bit weak) it back into "Early Nomad". That suits us well.

Soap Anyone?
Our Own Science Experiment

Ok...forgive the sarcasm. We really are upbeat about this place. For starters it's indoors, and has water, and heat. That alone puts us in the top 6% of the World's population. A bit of bleach, a lot of muscle and Martha Stewart will be begging for a tour. In case you don't hear from us for a few days...you know where we are and what we will be doing (can you mix bleach with Roundup)?

Costco Culture

I am actually at a loss for words...not really (like that could ever happen to a Steward). But I am close to being at a loss for words. Here we sit on the other side of the world and the Price Club/Costco crowd has made themselves known. Not the Stateside version of pensioners who time their stops at these mega-stores to be the first to sample the free give aways...but their Greek counterparts.
The View from the Promenade


I used to walk the aisles of Costco on the West Coast and be amazed at the "survival of the fittest" mode that people adopted as the "Spicy Turkey Weenies" were coming off the grill on those little toothpicks...they would jostle, push, shove and joust for position as if it were the last food they would be able to take home to their starving family. It seemed all elements of decorum and grace were abandoned...reputations squandered....all for the passion of a heat and serve gastronome.

Tonight as I compose this dispatch I am sitting in the lobby of the Makedonian Palace in Thessaloniki watching the same set at work. There is a Greek Wedding taking place and while there is a considerable "Big & Fat" element to it...it is the little old ladies who are wandering through the lobby, not part of the Wedding Party... who are cleaning off the cookie trays and stashing them in their large LV purses. One old bird has made her 5th pass at the Divinity Puffs and is gearing up for another.

So...even though the location has changed...the impulse hasn't...when it comes to free party food....the game is afoot.
High Tech Travel Laundry