I'm in a latin american literature survey class right now and this poetry is awesome. Such a daring young woman at the turn of the century in 1900. ain't no shame in bearing your feelings. AIN'T NO SHAME IN CHALLENGING GENDER ROLES AND SOCIETAL STRUCTURE!
I'm sorry I can't include the English translation because it doesn't do the poem justice.
El intruso por Delmira Agustini
Amor, la noche estaba trágica y sollozante
Cuando tu llave de oro cantó en mi cerradura;
Luego, la puerta abierta sobre la sombra helante,
Tu forma fue una mancha de luz y de blancura.
Todo aquí lo alumbraron tus ojos de diamante;
Bebieron en mi copa tus labios de frescura,
Y descansó en mi almohada tu cabeza fragante;
Me encantó tu descaro y adoré tu locura.
Y hoy río si tú ríes, y canto si tú cantas;
Y si tú duermes duermo como un perro a tus plantas!
Hoy llevo hasta en mi sombra tu olor de primavera;
Y tiemblo si tu mano toca la cerradura,
Y bendigo la noche sollozante y oscura
Que floreció en mi vida tu boca tempranera!
**Me encanta más la frase "Me encantó tu descaro y adoré tu locura" porque te sientas así cuando estás verdaderamente enamorada, ¿no?
Otra buena representación del amor:
Explosión de Delmira Agustini
¡Si la vida es amor, bendita sea!
Quiero más vida para amar! Hoy siento
que no valen mil años de la idea
lo que un minuto azul de sentimiento.
Mi corazón moría triste y lento…
Hoy abre en luz como una flor febea.
¡La vida brota como un mar violento
donde la mano del amor golpea! **
Hoy partió hacia la noche, triste, fría…
rotas las alas, mi melancolía;
como una vieja mancha de dolor
en la sombra lejana se deslíe…
¡Mi vida toda canta, besa, ríe!
¡Mi vida toda es una boca en flor!
**la oración que me gusta más.
Dos otras que tengo que incluir que no es de la misma epoca pero aún más fascinante (por una escritora que consideraría mi heroe).
Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz
read on this womans life, shes amazing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juana_Inés_de_la_Cruz
PRIMERA:
Hombres necios que acusáis
a la mujer, sin razón,
sin ver que sois la ocasión
de lo mismo que culpáis;
si con ansia sin igual
solicitáis su desdén,
por qué queréis que obren bien
si las incitáis al mal?
Combatís su resistencia
y luego, con gravedad,
decís que fue liviandad
lo que hizo la diligencia.
Parecer quiere el denuedo
de vuestro parecer loco,
al niño que pone el coco
y luego le tiene miedo.
Queréis, con presunción necia,
hallar a la que buscáis
para prentendida, Thais,
y en la posesión, Lucrecia.
¿Qué humor puede ser más raro
que el que, falto de consejo,
él mismo empaña el espejo
y siente que no esté claro?
Con el favor y el desdén
tenéis condición igual,
quejándoos, si os tratan mal,
burlándoos, si os quieren bien.
Opinión, ninguna gana,
pues la que más se recata,
si no os admite, es ingrata,
y si os admite, es liviana.
Siempre tan necios andáis
que, con desigual nivel,
a una culpáis por cruel
y a otra por fácil culpáis.
¿Pues como ha de estar templada
la que vuestro amor pretende?,
¿si la que es ingrata ofende,
y la que es fácil enfada?
Mas, entre el enfado y la pena
que vuestro gusto refiere,
bien haya la que no os quiere
y quejaos en hora buena.
Dan vuestras amantes penas
a sus libertades alas,
y después de hacerlas malas
las queréis hallar muy buenas.
--------------------------
(parte más importante abajo según yo)
¿Cuál mayor culpa ha tenido
en una pasión errada:
la que cae de rogada,
o el que ruega de caído?
¿O cuál es de más culpar,
aunque cualquiera mal haga;
la que peca por la paga
o el que paga por pecar?
¿Pues, para qué os espantáis
de la culpa que tenéis?
Queredlas cual las hacéis
o hacedlas cual las buscáis.
----------------------
Dejad de solicitar,
y después, con más razón,
acusaréis la afición
de la que os fuere a rogar.
Bien con muchas armas fundo
que lidia vuestra arrogancia,
pues en promesa e instancia
juntáis diablo, carne y mundo.
SEGUNDA:
FINJAMOS QUE SOY FELIZ
Finjamos que soy feliz,
triste pensamiento, un rato;
quizá prodréis persuadirme,
aunque yo sé lo contrario,
que pues sólo en la aprehensión
dicen que estriban los daños,
si os imagináis dichoso
no seréis tan desdichado.
Sírvame el entendimiento
alguna vez de descanso,
y no siempre esté el ingenio
con el provecho encontrado.
Todo el mundo es opiniones
de pareceres tan varios,
que lo que el uno que es negro
el otro prueba que es blanco.
A unos sirve de atractivo
lo que otro concibe enfado;
y lo que éste por alivio,
aquél tiene por trabajo.
El que está triste, censura
al alegre de liviano;
y el que esta alegre se burla
de ver al triste penando.
Los dos filósofos griegos
bien esta verdad probaron:
pues lo que en el uno risa,
causaba en el otro llanto.
Célebre su oposición
ha sido por siglos tantos,
sin que cuál acertó, esté
hasta agora averiguado.
Antes, en sus dos banderas
el mundo todo alistado,
conforme el humor le dicta,
sigue cada cual el bando.
Uno dice que de risa
sólo es digno el mundo vario;
y otro, que sus infortunios
son sólo para llorados.
Para todo se halla prueba
y razón en qué fundarlo;
y no hay razón para nada,
de haber razón para tanto.
Todos son iguales jueces;
y siendo iguales y varios,
no hay quien pueda decidir
cuál es lo más acertado.
Pues, si no hay quien lo sentencie,
¿por qué pensáis, vos, errado,
que os cometió Dios a vos
la decisión de los casos?
O ¿por qué, contra vos mismo,
severamente inhumano,
entre lo amargo y lo dulce,
queréis elegir lo amargo?
Si es mío mi entendimiento,
¿por qué siempre he de encontrarlo
tan torpe para el alivio,
tan agudo para el daño?
El discurso es un acero
que sirve para ambos cabos:
de dar muerte, por la punta,
por el pomo, de resguardo.
Si vos, sabiendo el peligro
queréis por la punta usarlo,
¿qué culpa tiene el acero
del mal uso de la mano?
No es saber, saber hacer
discursos sutiles, vanos;
que el saber consiste sólo
en elegir lo más sano.
Especular las desdichas
y examinar los presagios,
sólo sirve de que el mal
crezca con anticiparlo.
En los trabajos futuros,
la atención, sutilizando,
más formidable que el riesgo
suele fingir el amago.
Qué feliz es la ignorancia
del que, indoctamente sabio,
halla de lo que padece,
en lo que ignora, sagrado!
No siempre suben seguros
vuelos del ingenio osados,
que buscan trono en el fuego
y hallan sepulcro en el llanto.
También es vicio el saber,
que si no se va atajando,
cuando menos se conoce
es más nocivo el estrago;
y si el vuelo no le abaten,
en sutilezas cebado,
por cuidar de lo curioso
olvida lo necesario.
Si culta mano no impide
crecer al árbol copado,
quita la sustancia al fruto
la locura de los ramos.
Si andar a nave ligera
no estorba lastre pesado,
sirve el vuelo de que sea
el precipicio más alto.
En amenidad inútil,
¿qué importa al florido campo,
si no halla fruto el otoño,
que ostente flores el mayo?
¿De qué sirve al ingenio
el producir muchos partos,
si a la multitud se sigue
el malogro de abortarlos?
Y a esta desdicha por fuerza
ha de seguirse el fracaso
de quedar el que produce,
si no muerto, lastimado.
El ingenio es como el fuego,
que, con la materia ingrato,
tanto la consume más
cuando él se ostenta más claro.
Es de su propio Señor
tan rebelado vasallo,
que convierte en sus ofensas
las armas de su resguardo.
Este pésimo ejercicio,
este duro afán pesado,
a los ojos de los hombres
dio Dios para ejercitarlos.
¿Qué loca ambición nos lleva
de nosotros olvidados?
Si es para vivir tan poco,
¿de qué sirve saber tanto?
¡Oh, si como hay de saber,
hubiera algún seminario
o escuela donde a ignorar
se enseñaran los trabajos!
¡Qué felizmente viviera
el que, flojamente cauto,
burlara las amenazas
del influjo de los astros!
Aprendamos a ignorar,
pensamiento, pues hallamos
que cuanto añado al discurso,
tanto le usurpo a los años.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
look what i found in a word document
some uposted blogs:
June 27, 2009
I’m now waiting at Mykonos Old Port to take the hydrofoil to Santorini. I have no idea how long it will take to get there, but at this point, I’m thinking the longer the better.
Georgia and I went out last night and had an interesting/funny time. We met some Albanian guys at a bar and while I was having a good time chatting with them, Georgia was rather reserved. What I wasn’t aware of was that the Albanians of Greece are like the Mexicans of the United States and the Romanians of Spain. However Georgia’s reservations were not based just on stereotyping, in fact there is a high rate of date rape-type crimes on the Greek Isles, committed especially by Albanians.
Albanians in general have immigrated to Greece because of poor economic and social circumstances at home, and are more or less looked down upon by Greek people. Georgia said that Albanians children growing up in Greece tend to excel in school (different from the trend that Mexican immigrants set in the US) but they still are seen as a rather sketchy group of people.
Georgia shared this information with me, which I am thankful for, because I usually treat people as “innocent before proven guilty,” that is, I wouldn’t think anything unless they outwardly showed strange behavior. Still that doesn’t mean I would break the common sensical rules I have when it comes to meeting guys: never leave a public place, never accept a drink unless you see it made or opened in front of you, never follow guys down unpopulated streets/alleys, always accept their phone number rather than giving out yours, never get in a taxi unless it is agreed upon where you are going.
(In the end, these Albanian guys turned out to be really nice. They were never pushy or sketchy as expected. And the one who couldn’t speak English very well turned out to be a hilarious dancer—bonus entertainment for the night.)
Some may consider me naïve or idealistic because I enjoy conversing with mostly anyone who speaks to me (most times because I find it entertaining or humorous) but still after 21 years of life and 6 months of traveling, I remain roofie-free and unraped, alhamdulliah, knock-on-wood. So something that I am doing must be working.
Speaking of talking to most anyone who talks to me, some guys (who we thought were gay) at the same bar last night used one of the worst pick up lines I’ve ever heard on me and Georgia. They asked if we thought an 8 or 10 dress size would be better for the cousin that he was buying it for. We took him seriously and chose the 8 (obviously accepting this conversation because we found it humorous), but anyway we kept talking and about 15 minutes into the conversation, I find out they are AIESECers! He mentioned Baruch in NYC and I told him I was familiar with the school because I am part of an organization with a “branch” there. He looked at me quizzically and asked “What organization?” When I replied AIESEC, he told me that both he and his friend across the table were part of AIESEC-Athens and did traineeships in Canada and Tunisia, respectively. We even knew some of the same AIESEC people. Sometimes (a lot of times, actually) I get fed up with the bureaucracy and drama of AIESEC, but these are the moments that I remember that its totally worth being a part of it. You have an internationally network of friends just waiting to be met. For some reason, there is an increased trust with others they are members of an organization that’s relatively similar across the globe; you know the responsibilities, commitments, and even the songs and dances that the other person is familiar with. So yes, it is cult-ish, there is a lot of alcohol involved, and there can be drama, but at the same time it provides you countless more opportunities than the next guy.
Speaking of thinking that people are gay, its true what they say about Mykonos—big attraction for gay people! Last night at a bar, I got all excited because two really good looking, well dressed young men were sitting at the table behind us. I asked Georgia what she thought of them, and she replied “ Son guapos, pero no importa porque son una pareja” (we always speak Spanish when we don’t want people around us to understand) or in other words “They’re cute, but it doesn’t matter because they’re a couple.” So, point of the story: go to Mykonos if you’re looking to relax at the beach, walk amongst picturesque whitewashed buildings and spend loads of money on delicious seafood, but not if you’re looking to meet guys (that is, unless you’re gay yourself).
Despite my idealism and naivety at times, I must admit that I am catching onto some of the negativity towards certain ethnic groups based on how other people treat them. For example, I used to be really nice to Gypsy children who try to sell me their crap, but now I have a very hard time tolerating it and rather than responding to them shoving their glow bracelets or plastic toys in my face with a polite “No, thank you,” the response has turned into a firm “No, go away” or “ I don’t want your crap” or “No, don’t touch me.” They may or may not understand, but that’s just the response that comes out. Part of this transition is because its annoying when people bother you when you are eating at a nice restaurant or having a drink at a bar, but I also believe that I let these responses come out because its not socially unacceptable to do so. Additionally, I have learned about Greek efforts to build neighborhood for Gypsies, but this didn’t help the Gypsy population, as they moved in for a few weeks, neglected the bathrooms, trashed the place, then moved on. I’m torn between accepting that this is a type of “nomadism” is part of Gypsy culture which has existed for centuries, but at the same time I have very little sympathy for people who have opportunities right in front of their noses but do not take advantage of them.
In the US, I do not accept intolerance of any one person simply because of their belonging to a certain ethnic group. However, that is because I am American and more or less know and understand the demographics of my home country. However its hard to be so accepting abroad when you are always a guest. If someone tells me to watch out for Nigerians because they are schemers, I am going to believe them because in the short time that I will be in that country, I don’t want to be schemed. If someone tells me not to trust Albanians because there is an increased incidence of rape by Albanian men on the Greek Isles, I’m surely going to believe that person because I’d rather be safe than sorry. Its difficult because my instinct tells me to treat every ethnic group with the same warmth and kindness I would treat any person. Yet when my first priority is to protect myself, my instinct changes and tells me to discriminate in order to keep myself safe---even though I feel that I’m going against all the qualities and values that I normally preach. I hope that’s understandable. If not, may god forgive me of my sins!
PS I can’t believe the King of Pop is dead. RIP MJ.
June 30, 2009
I am now on the Hellenic Seaways ferry back to Athens via Piraeus port. It’s a 4 hour ride and Georgia and I have 50 Euro tickets for Economy Class. IT seems that this ride will be rather interesting, as its loud, smoky and rather similar to the environment of a wating room (in regards to lot of chatty people) / mall food court (in reference to the café in the middle). I know I won’t get any sleep, but hopefully I won’t get seasick. I never thought that boats made me sick, but on the last ferry, I ended up feeling like my stomach was in a knot, ready to blow chunks at any minute. Georgia and I took puke-stop medicine (literal translation from Greek) before we boarded so we’re hoping that will help.
Once we reach Athens, Georgia and I will then head to her dad’s village Itea which is close to the ancient port of Delphi. We will spend a few days there before returning to Halandri to celebrate Georgia’s birthday (july 6).
Santorini was another beautiful island. The most beautiful thing about it though, it not any man made structure, but the natural beauty of the island. It is not actually an island, but a sunken volcano. This creates in interesting view (of the caldera) from the inner cliffs of the outer ring. Imagine a ring with a solid circle in the middle. The inner circle is the top of the volcano and the outer circle is what didn’t sink underwater when the volcano imploded. It is said that this sunken island is somehow related to the Lost City of Atlantis. I don’t know all the details though; you might want to Google that one.
I think 2.5 days on the island was a perfect amount, especially when you’ve spent the previous 4 days under the sun in Mykonos. There is not much to do on the island other than walk around, take pictures and lie at the beach. When you lay in the sun for 4 days straight, it’s relaxing, but then adding 2 more days makes you feel like your trapped in a salty, sticky sauna. Again though, I can’t complain because it is an absolute paradise.
The first day we walked around Fira (the main town), took pictures and watched the sunset. The second day, we went to the black sand beach (though its more like small rocks and pebbles) and then went to a winery (Santo Winery) to watch the sunset from their terrace. The third day, we went to the red beach and then to Oia (another bigger town) to explore. The red beach was an interesting experience, as we had to get off the bus at a stop a 15 minute walk away from the beach. And it wasn’t your average 15 minute walk. We first walked along a beach, then up a path that followed a seaside cliff, then up some rocks, then down the cliff to finally reach the beach. Georgia and I decided to spend 7 Euros to get a beach chair because the beach was pretty gross because of all the seaweed washed up. That was a good decision because about 30 minutes after we sat down, there was an avalanche on the cliff behind us and some people who were laying on towels under the cliff were covered in rocks and dirt. Luckily, no one was hurt, though an old Italian couple who was sitting on lounge chairs started yelling and complaining to the Greek guy who handled renting out the beach chairs. The Italian guy wanted his money back since he was close to the avalanche. The Greek man replied that he didn’t own the rocks, he warns people every day no to sit there, and that the Italian man wasn’t even touched by even the smallest piece of debris. So the Italian man finally gave up after much pouting and shouting. Before leaving though, the Italian man took a rock that had fallen, put it on his lounge chair, and took a picture. Not sure exactly what he was planning on doing with that picture.
June 27, 2009
I’m now waiting at Mykonos Old Port to take the hydrofoil to Santorini. I have no idea how long it will take to get there, but at this point, I’m thinking the longer the better.
Georgia and I went out last night and had an interesting/funny time. We met some Albanian guys at a bar and while I was having a good time chatting with them, Georgia was rather reserved. What I wasn’t aware of was that the Albanians of Greece are like the Mexicans of the United States and the Romanians of Spain. However Georgia’s reservations were not based just on stereotyping, in fact there is a high rate of date rape-type crimes on the Greek Isles, committed especially by Albanians.
Albanians in general have immigrated to Greece because of poor economic and social circumstances at home, and are more or less looked down upon by Greek people. Georgia said that Albanians children growing up in Greece tend to excel in school (different from the trend that Mexican immigrants set in the US) but they still are seen as a rather sketchy group of people.
Georgia shared this information with me, which I am thankful for, because I usually treat people as “innocent before proven guilty,” that is, I wouldn’t think anything unless they outwardly showed strange behavior. Still that doesn’t mean I would break the common sensical rules I have when it comes to meeting guys: never leave a public place, never accept a drink unless you see it made or opened in front of you, never follow guys down unpopulated streets/alleys, always accept their phone number rather than giving out yours, never get in a taxi unless it is agreed upon where you are going.
(In the end, these Albanian guys turned out to be really nice. They were never pushy or sketchy as expected. And the one who couldn’t speak English very well turned out to be a hilarious dancer—bonus entertainment for the night.)
Some may consider me naïve or idealistic because I enjoy conversing with mostly anyone who speaks to me (most times because I find it entertaining or humorous) but still after 21 years of life and 6 months of traveling, I remain roofie-free and unraped, alhamdulliah, knock-on-wood. So something that I am doing must be working.
Speaking of talking to most anyone who talks to me, some guys (who we thought were gay) at the same bar last night used one of the worst pick up lines I’ve ever heard on me and Georgia. They asked if we thought an 8 or 10 dress size would be better for the cousin that he was buying it for. We took him seriously and chose the 8 (obviously accepting this conversation because we found it humorous), but anyway we kept talking and about 15 minutes into the conversation, I find out they are AIESECers! He mentioned Baruch in NYC and I told him I was familiar with the school because I am part of an organization with a “branch” there. He looked at me quizzically and asked “What organization?” When I replied AIESEC, he told me that both he and his friend across the table were part of AIESEC-Athens and did traineeships in Canada and Tunisia, respectively. We even knew some of the same AIESEC people. Sometimes (a lot of times, actually) I get fed up with the bureaucracy and drama of AIESEC, but these are the moments that I remember that its totally worth being a part of it. You have an internationally network of friends just waiting to be met. For some reason, there is an increased trust with others they are members of an organization that’s relatively similar across the globe; you know the responsibilities, commitments, and even the songs and dances that the other person is familiar with. So yes, it is cult-ish, there is a lot of alcohol involved, and there can be drama, but at the same time it provides you countless more opportunities than the next guy.
Speaking of thinking that people are gay, its true what they say about Mykonos—big attraction for gay people! Last night at a bar, I got all excited because two really good looking, well dressed young men were sitting at the table behind us. I asked Georgia what she thought of them, and she replied “ Son guapos, pero no importa porque son una pareja” (we always speak Spanish when we don’t want people around us to understand) or in other words “They’re cute, but it doesn’t matter because they’re a couple.” So, point of the story: go to Mykonos if you’re looking to relax at the beach, walk amongst picturesque whitewashed buildings and spend loads of money on delicious seafood, but not if you’re looking to meet guys (that is, unless you’re gay yourself).
Despite my idealism and naivety at times, I must admit that I am catching onto some of the negativity towards certain ethnic groups based on how other people treat them. For example, I used to be really nice to Gypsy children who try to sell me their crap, but now I have a very hard time tolerating it and rather than responding to them shoving their glow bracelets or plastic toys in my face with a polite “No, thank you,” the response has turned into a firm “No, go away” or “ I don’t want your crap” or “No, don’t touch me.” They may or may not understand, but that’s just the response that comes out. Part of this transition is because its annoying when people bother you when you are eating at a nice restaurant or having a drink at a bar, but I also believe that I let these responses come out because its not socially unacceptable to do so. Additionally, I have learned about Greek efforts to build neighborhood for Gypsies, but this didn’t help the Gypsy population, as they moved in for a few weeks, neglected the bathrooms, trashed the place, then moved on. I’m torn between accepting that this is a type of “nomadism” is part of Gypsy culture which has existed for centuries, but at the same time I have very little sympathy for people who have opportunities right in front of their noses but do not take advantage of them.
In the US, I do not accept intolerance of any one person simply because of their belonging to a certain ethnic group. However, that is because I am American and more or less know and understand the demographics of my home country. However its hard to be so accepting abroad when you are always a guest. If someone tells me to watch out for Nigerians because they are schemers, I am going to believe them because in the short time that I will be in that country, I don’t want to be schemed. If someone tells me not to trust Albanians because there is an increased incidence of rape by Albanian men on the Greek Isles, I’m surely going to believe that person because I’d rather be safe than sorry. Its difficult because my instinct tells me to treat every ethnic group with the same warmth and kindness I would treat any person. Yet when my first priority is to protect myself, my instinct changes and tells me to discriminate in order to keep myself safe---even though I feel that I’m going against all the qualities and values that I normally preach. I hope that’s understandable. If not, may god forgive me of my sins!
PS I can’t believe the King of Pop is dead. RIP MJ.
June 30, 2009
I am now on the Hellenic Seaways ferry back to Athens via Piraeus port. It’s a 4 hour ride and Georgia and I have 50 Euro tickets for Economy Class. IT seems that this ride will be rather interesting, as its loud, smoky and rather similar to the environment of a wating room (in regards to lot of chatty people) / mall food court (in reference to the café in the middle). I know I won’t get any sleep, but hopefully I won’t get seasick. I never thought that boats made me sick, but on the last ferry, I ended up feeling like my stomach was in a knot, ready to blow chunks at any minute. Georgia and I took puke-stop medicine (literal translation from Greek) before we boarded so we’re hoping that will help.
Once we reach Athens, Georgia and I will then head to her dad’s village Itea which is close to the ancient port of Delphi. We will spend a few days there before returning to Halandri to celebrate Georgia’s birthday (july 6).
Santorini was another beautiful island. The most beautiful thing about it though, it not any man made structure, but the natural beauty of the island. It is not actually an island, but a sunken volcano. This creates in interesting view (of the caldera) from the inner cliffs of the outer ring. Imagine a ring with a solid circle in the middle. The inner circle is the top of the volcano and the outer circle is what didn’t sink underwater when the volcano imploded. It is said that this sunken island is somehow related to the Lost City of Atlantis. I don’t know all the details though; you might want to Google that one.
I think 2.5 days on the island was a perfect amount, especially when you’ve spent the previous 4 days under the sun in Mykonos. There is not much to do on the island other than walk around, take pictures and lie at the beach. When you lay in the sun for 4 days straight, it’s relaxing, but then adding 2 more days makes you feel like your trapped in a salty, sticky sauna. Again though, I can’t complain because it is an absolute paradise.
The first day we walked around Fira (the main town), took pictures and watched the sunset. The second day, we went to the black sand beach (though its more like small rocks and pebbles) and then went to a winery (Santo Winery) to watch the sunset from their terrace. The third day, we went to the red beach and then to Oia (another bigger town) to explore. The red beach was an interesting experience, as we had to get off the bus at a stop a 15 minute walk away from the beach. And it wasn’t your average 15 minute walk. We first walked along a beach, then up a path that followed a seaside cliff, then up some rocks, then down the cliff to finally reach the beach. Georgia and I decided to spend 7 Euros to get a beach chair because the beach was pretty gross because of all the seaweed washed up. That was a good decision because about 30 minutes after we sat down, there was an avalanche on the cliff behind us and some people who were laying on towels under the cliff were covered in rocks and dirt. Luckily, no one was hurt, though an old Italian couple who was sitting on lounge chairs started yelling and complaining to the Greek guy who handled renting out the beach chairs. The Italian guy wanted his money back since he was close to the avalanche. The Greek man replied that he didn’t own the rocks, he warns people every day no to sit there, and that the Italian man wasn’t even touched by even the smallest piece of debris. So the Italian man finally gave up after much pouting and shouting. Before leaving though, the Italian man took a rock that had fallen, put it on his lounge chair, and took a picture. Not sure exactly what he was planning on doing with that picture.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Mykonos
since I haven't had internet connection in a few days, here are a few posts that i've saved up:
June 23, 2009
I just arrived in Mykonos and we’re waiting in the hotel lobby for our room to be ready. We left Athens via the port or Rafina on a hydrofoil this morning at 7:45. Luckily, the water was relatively smooth except for a few rough moments when I thought my stomach was going to fly up my esophagus and out of my mouth. Didn’t happen though. Alhamdullilah
The coach bus ride to the resort/hotel was also rather interesting, as the roads are about 1.3-1.5 lanes and up, down and around hills, mountains and cliffs. There was one point in which the tour bus was going up a 45-degree incline, no exaggeration. The 20 minute ride felt like a slow motion rollercoaster.
Since I arrived back in Athens from Turkey, Georgia and I took a few days to go to Thessaloniki, a few days to explore Athens nightlife, and a few days to sit around the apartment.
Thessaloniki is a city about 4.5 hours by train north of Athens. It has a lot of history, as it was a stop along the ancient road from Constantinople to Rome. There are two great museums –the Byzantine Museum and Archeological Museum—in Thessaloniki which display the city’s history beginning with prehistoric homes all through the Byzantine era, the Schism and the changes in Greek art. The city center is located right on the sea, and for that reason I liked it a little more than Athens-aesthetically speaking at least. Otherwise it’s pretty similar to Athens.
Georgia and I stayed in a hotel, but met with her family friend, Dino. He is a really nice guy who used to coach Greek pro basketball, but now has is own sports clothing business. We spent one afternoon swimming in the pool at his house on a hillside a little ways outside the city center. Another too-good-to-be-true experience, as we sat at Dino’s private inground pool, sipping freddos (a popular coffee drink which is basically sweetened espresso added to whipped milk over ice), looking over Thessaloniki and the gulf of Thermoaikos with the outline of Mount Olympus in the background.
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June 25, 2009
I wish there were other, stronger descriptors for “gorgeous,” “beautiful,” “stunning,” and “amazing” since I’ve used those words so many times. I feel like I’m at the point where these words have totally lost their meanings. I’ve said them so many times at so many different locations that I don’t even believe myself anymore. But really, what other words are there to describe the Foro Romano in Rome, the Nile in Upper Egypt and the clash of the blue sea and eggshell white buildings on the rocky sand-colored slopes? Let me know if you have any ideas for me.
I suppose I could take a picture or movie, but even still its hard understand the beauty from a picture or a movie because you’re not physically in the environment—you’re not feeling the sun and the sea breeze and seeing the colors of the clouds against the rocky mountains against the beach against the blue-green of the sea.
There are so many picture perfect moments on this island, as you’ll hopefully be able to understand from my pictures. I am not a cat person normally. In fact, normally I think cats are either too fat or too skinny and disgustingly furry. But here on Mykonos, there is something about the street cats that make them cute and make their black fur or sky blue eyes picture perfect against the whitewashed buildings and bright blue doors. I may have just lost about 15 coolness points for saying that, but its true!!
Otherwise, I don’t really have a lot to say about my time here in Mykonos. All we are doing is sitting by the beach and pool, alternatively, and heading into town for dinner each night. Our hotel the “Royal Myconian” is about 30 minutes by bus away from the city center. It’s a five star hotel, but we get a deal on the normal room rate because Georgia’s dad has a environmental engineering conference here. Its very well the nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed in. Continental breakfast is included in the room rate and has everything type of breakfast food you could imagine, including any made-to-order coffee drink and even non-breakfast foods like champagne. If you know me, you would guess that I would stash food to last me the whole day so that I don’t have to buy the 14 Euro pizzas or 11 Euro smoothies from the poolside hotel restaurant. When I was at breakfast this morning, I approached the table to sit down and one of the cute young Serbian servers swooped over to pull out my chair for me. This is great!
Today we are leaving the five star resort to stay in a hostel in Mykonos Town-the main port city on the island. It will be quite the change from this luxury paradise hotel, but it will be fun to go out on the town tonight. Apparently, Mykonos has great nightlife.
June 26, 2009
Sadly, the only African people that you see in Greece are men selling fake bags or ripped DVDs on the street and women cleaning bathrooms and sweeping floors. On Mykonos, I saw a group of 3 African (I’m guessing Nigerian) women and in Athens I saw a handful of African-American tourists. But that’s about it. Anyway, back to my main train of thought—if the African men selling fake bags on the street (on top of a blanket rigged to make a sac to pull over their shoulder should the police come) can afford to make it all the way from Nigeria (the country from which many of them come) to the island of Mykonos and acquire the plethora of faux Gucci handbags, why would they not just take all that money and do something a little more productive with it? I don’t know the economic situation of Nigeria (and that’s something I’ll need to look into) but it must be a pretty crappy if thousands of men and women come all this way to sell bags and clean bathrooms.
June 23, 2009
I just arrived in Mykonos and we’re waiting in the hotel lobby for our room to be ready. We left Athens via the port or Rafina on a hydrofoil this morning at 7:45. Luckily, the water was relatively smooth except for a few rough moments when I thought my stomach was going to fly up my esophagus and out of my mouth. Didn’t happen though. Alhamdullilah
The coach bus ride to the resort/hotel was also rather interesting, as the roads are about 1.3-1.5 lanes and up, down and around hills, mountains and cliffs. There was one point in which the tour bus was going up a 45-degree incline, no exaggeration. The 20 minute ride felt like a slow motion rollercoaster.
Since I arrived back in Athens from Turkey, Georgia and I took a few days to go to Thessaloniki, a few days to explore Athens nightlife, and a few days to sit around the apartment.
Thessaloniki is a city about 4.5 hours by train north of Athens. It has a lot of history, as it was a stop along the ancient road from Constantinople to Rome. There are two great museums –the Byzantine Museum and Archeological Museum—in Thessaloniki which display the city’s history beginning with prehistoric homes all through the Byzantine era, the Schism and the changes in Greek art. The city center is located right on the sea, and for that reason I liked it a little more than Athens-aesthetically speaking at least. Otherwise it’s pretty similar to Athens.
Georgia and I stayed in a hotel, but met with her family friend, Dino. He is a really nice guy who used to coach Greek pro basketball, but now has is own sports clothing business. We spent one afternoon swimming in the pool at his house on a hillside a little ways outside the city center. Another too-good-to-be-true experience, as we sat at Dino’s private inground pool, sipping freddos (a popular coffee drink which is basically sweetened espresso added to whipped milk over ice), looking over Thessaloniki and the gulf of Thermoaikos with the outline of Mount Olympus in the background.
---
June 25, 2009
I wish there were other, stronger descriptors for “gorgeous,” “beautiful,” “stunning,” and “amazing” since I’ve used those words so many times. I feel like I’m at the point where these words have totally lost their meanings. I’ve said them so many times at so many different locations that I don’t even believe myself anymore. But really, what other words are there to describe the Foro Romano in Rome, the Nile in Upper Egypt and the clash of the blue sea and eggshell white buildings on the rocky sand-colored slopes? Let me know if you have any ideas for me.
I suppose I could take a picture or movie, but even still its hard understand the beauty from a picture or a movie because you’re not physically in the environment—you’re not feeling the sun and the sea breeze and seeing the colors of the clouds against the rocky mountains against the beach against the blue-green of the sea.
There are so many picture perfect moments on this island, as you’ll hopefully be able to understand from my pictures. I am not a cat person normally. In fact, normally I think cats are either too fat or too skinny and disgustingly furry. But here on Mykonos, there is something about the street cats that make them cute and make their black fur or sky blue eyes picture perfect against the whitewashed buildings and bright blue doors. I may have just lost about 15 coolness points for saying that, but its true!!
Otherwise, I don’t really have a lot to say about my time here in Mykonos. All we are doing is sitting by the beach and pool, alternatively, and heading into town for dinner each night. Our hotel the “Royal Myconian” is about 30 minutes by bus away from the city center. It’s a five star hotel, but we get a deal on the normal room rate because Georgia’s dad has a environmental engineering conference here. Its very well the nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed in. Continental breakfast is included in the room rate and has everything type of breakfast food you could imagine, including any made-to-order coffee drink and even non-breakfast foods like champagne. If you know me, you would guess that I would stash food to last me the whole day so that I don’t have to buy the 14 Euro pizzas or 11 Euro smoothies from the poolside hotel restaurant. When I was at breakfast this morning, I approached the table to sit down and one of the cute young Serbian servers swooped over to pull out my chair for me. This is great!
Today we are leaving the five star resort to stay in a hostel in Mykonos Town-the main port city on the island. It will be quite the change from this luxury paradise hotel, but it will be fun to go out on the town tonight. Apparently, Mykonos has great nightlife.
June 26, 2009
Sadly, the only African people that you see in Greece are men selling fake bags or ripped DVDs on the street and women cleaning bathrooms and sweeping floors. On Mykonos, I saw a group of 3 African (I’m guessing Nigerian) women and in Athens I saw a handful of African-American tourists. But that’s about it. Anyway, back to my main train of thought—if the African men selling fake bags on the street (on top of a blanket rigged to make a sac to pull over their shoulder should the police come) can afford to make it all the way from Nigeria (the country from which many of them come) to the island of Mykonos and acquire the plethora of faux Gucci handbags, why would they not just take all that money and do something a little more productive with it? I don’t know the economic situation of Nigeria (and that’s something I’ll need to look into) but it must be a pretty crappy if thousands of men and women come all this way to sell bags and clean bathrooms.
Monday, June 15, 2009
back in Greece
I've been back in Greece since Wednesday and it really feels like "summer." Georgia and my travel plans to Sparta fell through due to a family emergency so we spent the last few days in Athens rather than Sparta. We've basically seen all the tourist places in Athens so now I really feel like I'm living here: especially because Georgia's family has moved into the apartment building for the summer. The door is always open and aunts, uncles and cousins are always walking in and out. And at the same time, I'm meeting tons of new people (friends of Georgia and then their friends), and I honestly feel like I'm in the show "Sex and the City." In Madison, I'm used to going to house parties or a bar here and there. But here in Athens, the night life (as far as I've experienced) is very classy and there are beautiful people everywhere. I suppose they aren't more beautiful in the US or in any other country, but they do dress and carry themselves nicer. We go out and the bar tenders are 20-something Abercrombie and Fitch model-looking fellows wearing V-necks, and the crowd ranges from young Greek women having margaritas with their friends to older businessmen in suits having whiskey at the bar. The larger clubs have a stage for the male and female go-go dancers and open out to the beach and the Aegean Sea. Anyone who is anyone gets their own table with their own bottles of 100 Euro vodka or drink of choice. The party really starts at 1 or 2 am and "bar time" is announced by the sunrise. Rather different from the basement parties and beer kegs of Madison, WI.
I could say I'm living like a true European young person. That is, summer means no school, no work and living off parents money. The only thing is that I'm not living off my parents money. In the United States, I thought it was relatively common to be financially independent from one's parents by age 21, but meeting all these people abroad, I see its not as common as I thought for both Americans and non-Americans alike. The downside is that I have to be annoyingly frugal when out to eat with friends and I don't have an unlimited cash flow. But on the upside, I can do whatever the heck I want (no one withholding allowance if I do or don't do this or that) and I can be proud that I worked for everything that I am experiencing. It makes it kind of a double whammy that I have worked for all this money on my own (or earned it from scholarships) and then I'm using it to be able to travel the world on my own. One side of me feels guilty for not having a "productive" summer by American standards. But while I'm not working in a prestigious office building or doing an internship this semester, I still believe I'm gaining invaluable skills in accounting, decision making, leadership, problem solving, etc. (Even the clubbing and going out experiences help, I swear!). I have said this a billion times, but I truly believe that the things I'm learning in my travels are priceless lessons and vital facts that I could never learn from a book, course, conference, or lecture even at the highest regarded university.
For example, you may take a course about society in the Middle East that teaches you that some people in Islam believe that homosexuality is a mental disease and that any gays or lesbians need to seek immediate psychological help. But that's kind of hard to believe until you're sitting at a restaurant with a young Egyptian man who tells you that he feels uncomfortable around gay people because they're not normal and that they should see a psychologist in order to be "cured."
Or you read about the problems between Greece and Turkey and it doesnt seem like it should be such a big deal since it was so long ago in history. But then you go to Greece and hear daily about the bitterness towards Turks for kicking out over a million Greeks from Asia Minor over 50 years ago.
Or you learn about Turkey's desire to become part of the European Union but think it's silly because Turkey just isn't part of Europe--it's a different continent, different history, different culture. But then you go to Istanbul and feel like you haven't set a foot out of Athens if it weren't for the call to prayer being broadcast 5 times a day.
Some stuff just gets the wheels a-turnin.
I could say I'm living like a true European young person. That is, summer means no school, no work and living off parents money. The only thing is that I'm not living off my parents money. In the United States, I thought it was relatively common to be financially independent from one's parents by age 21, but meeting all these people abroad, I see its not as common as I thought for both Americans and non-Americans alike. The downside is that I have to be annoyingly frugal when out to eat with friends and I don't have an unlimited cash flow. But on the upside, I can do whatever the heck I want (no one withholding allowance if I do or don't do this or that) and I can be proud that I worked for everything that I am experiencing. It makes it kind of a double whammy that I have worked for all this money on my own (or earned it from scholarships) and then I'm using it to be able to travel the world on my own. One side of me feels guilty for not having a "productive" summer by American standards. But while I'm not working in a prestigious office building or doing an internship this semester, I still believe I'm gaining invaluable skills in accounting, decision making, leadership, problem solving, etc. (Even the clubbing and going out experiences help, I swear!). I have said this a billion times, but I truly believe that the things I'm learning in my travels are priceless lessons and vital facts that I could never learn from a book, course, conference, or lecture even at the highest regarded university.
For example, you may take a course about society in the Middle East that teaches you that some people in Islam believe that homosexuality is a mental disease and that any gays or lesbians need to seek immediate psychological help. But that's kind of hard to believe until you're sitting at a restaurant with a young Egyptian man who tells you that he feels uncomfortable around gay people because they're not normal and that they should see a psychologist in order to be "cured."
Or you read about the problems between Greece and Turkey and it doesnt seem like it should be such a big deal since it was so long ago in history. But then you go to Greece and hear daily about the bitterness towards Turks for kicking out over a million Greeks from Asia Minor over 50 years ago.
Or you learn about Turkey's desire to become part of the European Union but think it's silly because Turkey just isn't part of Europe--it's a different continent, different history, different culture. But then you go to Istanbul and feel like you haven't set a foot out of Athens if it weren't for the call to prayer being broadcast 5 times a day.
Some stuff just gets the wheels a-turnin.
Friday, June 12, 2009
reflecting on turkey
For the last week or so, Tolga has been getting really frustrated because nothing here in Turkey really shocks me. He remembers his time in the US and thinks that I would have thought this city/country is polluted, chaotic, conservative, etc. But coming from Egypt, the shock factor for any of these things is totally gone.
The other day, we went to a place in Istanbul to buy ripped DVDs and computer programs for about $2 each. We started in some little shop off the main road where men sat around drinking tea and trying to lure each passerby into their respective shops, then followed the shop owner down some more hidden streets to another place to buy the DVDs.
Tolga commented "Pretty creepy, huh? Does this freak you out?"
"Not really, I replied. I’ve been to places like this in Egypt."
He was disappointed that he couldn't shock me.
When we were in a minibus on the way to the beach, we saw a man on a motorcycle with his young son in front of him, neither of them wearing helmets.
"Check that out!" Tolga said. " Can you believe they're riding like that?
I replied “Ha, I’ve seen worse,” referring to the time in Egypt when I saw a whole family (Dad, 2 small children and an infant in the Mom’s arms) on a motorcycle.
Again, Tolga was mad that I wasn’t surprised.
That’s not to say I wasn’t pleasantly surprised by Istanbul. Other people who had been there had painted a rather negative picture for me—a place where women are called at, where the streets are over crowded, where people are restricted because of Islam. Some of these things are true in some areas of Istanbul, but I don’t see them as a factor that will overcome all the positives. There are negatives when traveling to any place and you just have to take them with a grain of salt. In Egypt a 15 year old offered camels, cows and chickens for my friend and in Istanbul someone grabbed my butt. I will never forget these things, but when someone asks me about Egypt and Turkey, these are surely not the first things that will come to mind.
I believe that is the fault of many Westerners when the come back from countries like Egypt and Turkey. Many Americans that I have previously talked to are disgusted by similar situations that have occurred to them. Rather than sharing the positive things they know about the country they or someone they know has visited when I tell them of my travel destinations, they put on a face of panic and proclaim “Oh, but when I/my daughter/my friend was there, this or that happened to her! Can you believe it? You’ll never feel safe over there”
The sad thing is that Westerners can’t get past the idea that many men in Muslim countries are sexually suppressed and don’t know how to deal with those feelings in a socially acceptable way. They judge those poor (financially and intellectually), uneducated men by our American standards. This is the biggest mistake. It’s not like all men in Egypt and Turkey find it acceptable to degrade women in these ways. In fact, if you ask any educated man—young or old—they will tell you its an embarrassment to their country and many times apologize to you for something that isn’t their fault.
On that same note, I don’t mean to make direct comparisons between Egypt and Turkey. From my experiences in those countries, I gathered that Islam is viewed in a different light in each of these places. In Egypt it is what people would think of as a stereotypically Muslim country—alcohol is harder to come by, women fit in better the more conservatively they are dressed, men and women belong to separate social circles. Turkey, however, treats Islam and the United States treats Christianity. Some people take religion as the only guide for living, some people believe in God and pick and choose what rules they want to follow, while others just laugh at some of the silly doctrines the religion dictates and ignore them altogether. You can get a beer at any restaurant, there is great night life, women wear shorts and tank-tops but you still see a woman covering her head here and there and the call to prayer still sounds 5 times a day. But there are many Turks who really look down upon women who cover their head. Like I mentioned in a previous blog, it’s a strange mix between traditional and the West’s view of modern.
I think that’s why I enjoyed the city so much. Additionally, I’ve realized that it’s not just about the sights and the food that make the experience (although Istanbul gets an A+ in both of those areas), it’s the people! In Egypt I went to visit one friend, but he had an opportunity to go to the Gaza strip with his university, so I had at the end a week where I stayed with someone who I just met and chilled with a whole new group of people that I had met through my American friends. In Turkey, I was lucky enough to have two Turkish hosts who introduced me to a lot of their friends. And that’s not even including all the people who I met randomly at clubs, bars, museums, at the beach, on the street. In the US, I am very skeptical meeting people at these kind of places, but when traveling, you have to be very open minded (but at the same time very cautious) about the people you meet. Many times, you find people in the same situation as you—traveling, looking to learn from others and their experiences. I have met some very interesting people just by saying hi or by not being weirded out by random people who say hi to me. Additionally, I have learned so much by listening and asking questions rather than blabbing about myself. I have been surprised at how much people will share if you ask the right questions, and if you ask the right questions, people will let you in on some very important insights about life and people in general.
Break time.
The other day, we went to a place in Istanbul to buy ripped DVDs and computer programs for about $2 each. We started in some little shop off the main road where men sat around drinking tea and trying to lure each passerby into their respective shops, then followed the shop owner down some more hidden streets to another place to buy the DVDs.
Tolga commented "Pretty creepy, huh? Does this freak you out?"
"Not really, I replied. I’ve been to places like this in Egypt."
He was disappointed that he couldn't shock me.
When we were in a minibus on the way to the beach, we saw a man on a motorcycle with his young son in front of him, neither of them wearing helmets.
"Check that out!" Tolga said. " Can you believe they're riding like that?
I replied “Ha, I’ve seen worse,” referring to the time in Egypt when I saw a whole family (Dad, 2 small children and an infant in the Mom’s arms) on a motorcycle.
Again, Tolga was mad that I wasn’t surprised.
That’s not to say I wasn’t pleasantly surprised by Istanbul. Other people who had been there had painted a rather negative picture for me—a place where women are called at, where the streets are over crowded, where people are restricted because of Islam. Some of these things are true in some areas of Istanbul, but I don’t see them as a factor that will overcome all the positives. There are negatives when traveling to any place and you just have to take them with a grain of salt. In Egypt a 15 year old offered camels, cows and chickens for my friend and in Istanbul someone grabbed my butt. I will never forget these things, but when someone asks me about Egypt and Turkey, these are surely not the first things that will come to mind.
I believe that is the fault of many Westerners when the come back from countries like Egypt and Turkey. Many Americans that I have previously talked to are disgusted by similar situations that have occurred to them. Rather than sharing the positive things they know about the country they or someone they know has visited when I tell them of my travel destinations, they put on a face of panic and proclaim “Oh, but when I/my daughter/my friend was there, this or that happened to her! Can you believe it? You’ll never feel safe over there”
The sad thing is that Westerners can’t get past the idea that many men in Muslim countries are sexually suppressed and don’t know how to deal with those feelings in a socially acceptable way. They judge those poor (financially and intellectually), uneducated men by our American standards. This is the biggest mistake. It’s not like all men in Egypt and Turkey find it acceptable to degrade women in these ways. In fact, if you ask any educated man—young or old—they will tell you its an embarrassment to their country and many times apologize to you for something that isn’t their fault.
On that same note, I don’t mean to make direct comparisons between Egypt and Turkey. From my experiences in those countries, I gathered that Islam is viewed in a different light in each of these places. In Egypt it is what people would think of as a stereotypically Muslim country—alcohol is harder to come by, women fit in better the more conservatively they are dressed, men and women belong to separate social circles. Turkey, however, treats Islam and the United States treats Christianity. Some people take religion as the only guide for living, some people believe in God and pick and choose what rules they want to follow, while others just laugh at some of the silly doctrines the religion dictates and ignore them altogether. You can get a beer at any restaurant, there is great night life, women wear shorts and tank-tops but you still see a woman covering her head here and there and the call to prayer still sounds 5 times a day. But there are many Turks who really look down upon women who cover their head. Like I mentioned in a previous blog, it’s a strange mix between traditional and the West’s view of modern.
I think that’s why I enjoyed the city so much. Additionally, I’ve realized that it’s not just about the sights and the food that make the experience (although Istanbul gets an A+ in both of those areas), it’s the people! In Egypt I went to visit one friend, but he had an opportunity to go to the Gaza strip with his university, so I had at the end a week where I stayed with someone who I just met and chilled with a whole new group of people that I had met through my American friends. In Turkey, I was lucky enough to have two Turkish hosts who introduced me to a lot of their friends. And that’s not even including all the people who I met randomly at clubs, bars, museums, at the beach, on the street. In the US, I am very skeptical meeting people at these kind of places, but when traveling, you have to be very open minded (but at the same time very cautious) about the people you meet. Many times, you find people in the same situation as you—traveling, looking to learn from others and their experiences. I have met some very interesting people just by saying hi or by not being weirded out by random people who say hi to me. Additionally, I have learned so much by listening and asking questions rather than blabbing about myself. I have been surprised at how much people will share if you ask the right questions, and if you ask the right questions, people will let you in on some very important insights about life and people in general.
Break time.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Yet another beautıful day ın turkey.
Today Tolga and I rented a car and drove about an hour north of Didim to see the ancient city of Ephesus, the house of Mother Mary, and a small town called Sirince (pronounced SHIR-in-je) where they produce wine.
We forced ourselves to get out of bed at 9am after a late night out in Didim and started the day with a traditional Turkish breakfast in a nearby village called Akkoy. SO DELICIOUS. Everything was fresh from the farm: eggs literally taken from the chicken coop, tomatoes and cucumbers plucked from the garden, olives taken from local trees, olive oil squeezed fresh at the house, not to mention the homemade bread, butter, and honey. This is the way food is supposed to be enjoyed.
Ephesus is one of the largest intact of all world's ancient cities. At many historical sights you see one building: the Colosseum, Temple of Zeus, a monastery. But Ephesus is actually a whole dang city where at its high point 200,000 people lived over the last five thousand years. People like Cleopatra, Marc Antony and other Greek and Roman leaders made visits. If you look at it, its just a bunch of heaps of rocks and stone carvings thrown together—some buildings are mostly intact but others just consists of walls and pillars here and there. But learning about each building individually allows you to put the picture together.
In the US, our history classes teach us about events mostly in the last 200 years as being the most important in terms of issues that impact us as Americans. A lot of times we put Western society in high regard and forget “the east.” But looking at these sites really makes you think beyond what you have learned in textbooks . Also you are able to tie together everything you have learned from movies or in world history classes and visualize it in the place where it actually took place. For example, Ephesus has a huge meeting hall where the leaders came together to discuss government and democracy. There are huge bathhouses where people came together to wash and socialize and then waterworks that brought water to different parts of the city. There are even rows of port-o-potty style toilets at the bathhouse that let the waste drop into a deep pit where it was then washed away by the water system.
Kind of makes you think twice about what constitutes modernity and who we can thank for who we are today. How much have we really changed over time? How is it that 5,000 later we are still using similar structures and enjoying similar past times?
Additionally, visiting these kind of sites in various countries over the past few months allows me to make a lot of global connections. Sure, today these isolated sites are in different countries and accessing them requires different currencies, methods of travel and knowledge of different languages, but then you realize that in the time that these cities were thriving and the buildings were in business, the world was organized in a wholeee different manner. You realized that they weren't so isolated as they seem today.
For example, I was in Rome over Spring Break. In a few different places around the city, there are obelisks which were gifted to the Roman empire by the ancient Egyptians. In Egypt, I saw the places where those obelisks were made and the tombs of the people who commissioned them and sent them abroad. In Istanbul, there is another obelisk and in Ephesus, statues and tablets with Greek gods and inscriptions are scattered around. In Greece, I visited the archeological museum where some of the most well known statues in the same styles are displayed. No matter how much you read about this stuff or how many multiple choice questions you answer correctly about ancient Mediterranean relations, it doesn't really soak in until you see it.
Turkey is a really beautiful country. The drive to Epehsus was beautiful with many views of the Aegean sea and the nearby Greek isles, as well as small towns buried among fields of olive trees, the donkeys and chickens that live there, and the mountains and rolling farmland that you see in between. From my limited time here, this country seems a strange mix of old and new, modern and traditional, east and west. Here in Didim its especially unique. For example, I can sit on the beach, next to the topless woman tanning a few chairs away, sipping a beer, hearing the call to prayer every so often, seeing a woman swimming in a full body swimsuit including head cover. Then on the way back to the apartment, you see the man on his porch reading the Qur'an out loud, pass the street cats and dogs that wander the street and have to remember to not talk or laugh to loud for fear of what the neighbors might think. Then at the clubs, people are absolutely schwasted, dirty dancing on the floor, having sex on the roof of the club (yes, I really saw this and consequently, am scarred for life). Its important to note here, though, that there are a lot of British tourist here. Still, there are plenty of Turkish people who take part in this debauchery is well.
As for Istanbul, it could be Europe (but no, I am not asserting here that Turkey as a whole should be part of the European Union). There is traffic, but people follow traffic lights. There is litter, but there are trash receptacles here and there. You see women who are wearing hijabs, but they are the minority and I have yet to see anyone wearing a full niqab. It even seems from the people that I've talked to that they are looked down upon. There are great bars and clubs, and you have no problem finding alcohol.
At the same time, I do feel limited at times in terms of what I can wear due to disgusting creepers who roams the streets. I even got my ass grabbed twice the other day when there was a celebration going on for a soccer team that won. Its so incredibly degrading because you can't do anything about it. A wise woman once told me that God punishes. Insha'allah that is true. If God is cruel enough to allow war, then he must be cruel enough to rip off these men's balls and grill them in front of their noses. Inshallah.
Well, I'm off to take homemade jello shots with Tolga.
Güle güle!
We forced ourselves to get out of bed at 9am after a late night out in Didim and started the day with a traditional Turkish breakfast in a nearby village called Akkoy. SO DELICIOUS. Everything was fresh from the farm: eggs literally taken from the chicken coop, tomatoes and cucumbers plucked from the garden, olives taken from local trees, olive oil squeezed fresh at the house, not to mention the homemade bread, butter, and honey. This is the way food is supposed to be enjoyed.
Ephesus is one of the largest intact of all world's ancient cities. At many historical sights you see one building: the Colosseum, Temple of Zeus, a monastery. But Ephesus is actually a whole dang city where at its high point 200,000 people lived over the last five thousand years. People like Cleopatra, Marc Antony and other Greek and Roman leaders made visits. If you look at it, its just a bunch of heaps of rocks and stone carvings thrown together—some buildings are mostly intact but others just consists of walls and pillars here and there. But learning about each building individually allows you to put the picture together.
In the US, our history classes teach us about events mostly in the last 200 years as being the most important in terms of issues that impact us as Americans. A lot of times we put Western society in high regard and forget “the east.” But looking at these sites really makes you think beyond what you have learned in textbooks . Also you are able to tie together everything you have learned from movies or in world history classes and visualize it in the place where it actually took place. For example, Ephesus has a huge meeting hall where the leaders came together to discuss government and democracy. There are huge bathhouses where people came together to wash and socialize and then waterworks that brought water to different parts of the city. There are even rows of port-o-potty style toilets at the bathhouse that let the waste drop into a deep pit where it was then washed away by the water system.
Kind of makes you think twice about what constitutes modernity and who we can thank for who we are today. How much have we really changed over time? How is it that 5,000 later we are still using similar structures and enjoying similar past times?
Additionally, visiting these kind of sites in various countries over the past few months allows me to make a lot of global connections. Sure, today these isolated sites are in different countries and accessing them requires different currencies, methods of travel and knowledge of different languages, but then you realize that in the time that these cities were thriving and the buildings were in business, the world was organized in a wholeee different manner. You realized that they weren't so isolated as they seem today.
For example, I was in Rome over Spring Break. In a few different places around the city, there are obelisks which were gifted to the Roman empire by the ancient Egyptians. In Egypt, I saw the places where those obelisks were made and the tombs of the people who commissioned them and sent them abroad. In Istanbul, there is another obelisk and in Ephesus, statues and tablets with Greek gods and inscriptions are scattered around. In Greece, I visited the archeological museum where some of the most well known statues in the same styles are displayed. No matter how much you read about this stuff or how many multiple choice questions you answer correctly about ancient Mediterranean relations, it doesn't really soak in until you see it.
Turkey is a really beautiful country. The drive to Epehsus was beautiful with many views of the Aegean sea and the nearby Greek isles, as well as small towns buried among fields of olive trees, the donkeys and chickens that live there, and the mountains and rolling farmland that you see in between. From my limited time here, this country seems a strange mix of old and new, modern and traditional, east and west. Here in Didim its especially unique. For example, I can sit on the beach, next to the topless woman tanning a few chairs away, sipping a beer, hearing the call to prayer every so often, seeing a woman swimming in a full body swimsuit including head cover. Then on the way back to the apartment, you see the man on his porch reading the Qur'an out loud, pass the street cats and dogs that wander the street and have to remember to not talk or laugh to loud for fear of what the neighbors might think. Then at the clubs, people are absolutely schwasted, dirty dancing on the floor, having sex on the roof of the club (yes, I really saw this and consequently, am scarred for life). Its important to note here, though, that there are a lot of British tourist here. Still, there are plenty of Turkish people who take part in this debauchery is well.
As for Istanbul, it could be Europe (but no, I am not asserting here that Turkey as a whole should be part of the European Union). There is traffic, but people follow traffic lights. There is litter, but there are trash receptacles here and there. You see women who are wearing hijabs, but they are the minority and I have yet to see anyone wearing a full niqab. It even seems from the people that I've talked to that they are looked down upon. There are great bars and clubs, and you have no problem finding alcohol.
At the same time, I do feel limited at times in terms of what I can wear due to disgusting creepers who roams the streets. I even got my ass grabbed twice the other day when there was a celebration going on for a soccer team that won. Its so incredibly degrading because you can't do anything about it. A wise woman once told me that God punishes. Insha'allah that is true. If God is cruel enough to allow war, then he must be cruel enough to rip off these men's balls and grill them in front of their noses. Inshallah.
Well, I'm off to take homemade jello shots with Tolga.
Güle güle!
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