İran on my mind...

Yesterday I spent a beautiful Saturday night glued in front of TV... I tried to catch glimpses of streets, I was peacefully walking just 2 months ago.. When I decided to travel to İran, everybody advised me to go before the elections and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the time..How right they were....

People were hopeful about the coming election, hopeful about the days to come. Their hopes, became my hopes, but how could I forget the fact that democracy and religion are tricky businesses in this part of the world. I should have known it better because I also live in this part of the world.

I travel a lot. The negative part about travelling a lot is the fact that I keep forgeting about the places and names after a while, but I always remember the people that I met. Now I worry about the safety of the people that I met in İran. The friends I made, the people I met on the streets who usually offered me tea, the young ones who tried to practice their Turkish that they learned from Tv, the shopkeepers that I bargained and joked, our guides who worked very hard for an unforgettable trip.... What was common in all of them is; they love their country, they know that they deserve better.. I feel sorry for their shattered dreams and mines...and I hope that the worst is over...

Photo: wall paintings and posters from İran

A night in İstanbul

I met with great people during my travels and some of them became my best friends in time. Last night I was with my Cuba days buddies Nilgün and Semiha. We talked, drank and ate all night long. There was a comforting breeze coming from the Bosphorus and occasional fireworks from the nearby hotels entertaining their guests. Well, the topic of the night was not our boyfriends and husband (mine!!) as expected but UFOs. Nilgün attended a recent UFO congress and told us that they are going to collect the enlightened ones on 2012. They even saw an UFO during their meetings. Something to think about.....

İmage: from the lovely balcony of Semiha...

Evil Eye Beads

In Turkey we like to hang evil eye beads to our offices, homes, cars, boats etc. or wear it in the form of jewelry. In a way you could attach them to everything that you wish to protect from evil eyes. It could also be your new born baby, or pets. I just love them. I have one in my house, one in my car and a small turquoise color one framed with gold that I use as a necklace..

3rd World War

I cant sleep..... Every morning in the very early hours of dawn, the 3rd world war erupts in the airspace of my house. Opposing parties are seagulls and crows. I literally jumped out of my bed with the sounds of two screaming armies and as you know they are not the types of birds who receive the grace of good voice. My husband says that they are protecting their young ones. I am impatiently waiting them to grow to have some silence. O, how lucky you, starts the day with the sounds of singing nightingales....

Pumpkins

Every summer I like to collect weird shaped pumpkins for decoration. I took this photograph last summer. They were the collection of a proud farmer. Aren't they lovely???

Lycian Way Dreams

We are moving to our beach house in 10 days to spend the summer. Our number one item on our to do list for the summer, is to be on this exact location and to look at this beautiful scenery.

This photo taken on the Lycian Way, near Fethiye - Oludeniz, from a fantastic spot on the 509 km long trekking route on the southern coast of Turkey. The walk passes many remote historical sites but as you can imagine we are only planning to cover a very short distance of it.

Phote: from my friend Ozan Alperden

IF

If you can start the day without caffein or pep pills,

If you can be cheerful ignoring aches and pains,

If you can resist your complaining and boring people with your troubles,

If you can understand that loved ones are too busy to give you time,

If you can overlook when people take things out on to you when thru no fault of yours, something goes wrong,

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,

If you can face the world without lies and deceit,

If you can conquer tension without medical help,

If you can relax without liquor,

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,

Then you are probably a DOG...

I heard this piece on a zen talk given by Tara Brach and love it.....