Merhaba, Canimlerim

First of all, a moment of silence for one of my absolute favorite ladies - Molly Ivins. I just read that she passed away from breast cancer and the world is a worse place from the loss.

Yes, I have been silent. Quick update for now, but the Syria adventure seems to be over. The people are still great, but the mukhabarat seems to be a little down on some of us. When I went to inquire about returning to work at Amideast I found the place had been shut down by the mukhabarat. There were these very Soviet-looking wax seals on the doors. Interesting.

Then, I headed for Turkey for a visit. Planned to stay a few months and study the language and return to Syria. Well, at the dreaded Bab Al-Hawa border crossing I was held for over an hour despite having a current multiple-entry visa. Luckily the world's best bus drivers, Suleyman and Mehmet held the bus. And luckily the other riders did not come for my head. They did all poor into the station wondering what was going on, but luckily seemed amused when I turned to them and threw up my hands to admit the problem was mine. The message from the man ın charge, wearing a spiffy track suit, was somewhat obvious. Though polite, he pointedly asked me, "So when you go to Turkey you are not returning to Syria, correct?" So, I suppose not.

So, I am now in S. Turkey and will head to Ankara in a week and not sure what is next. I may stick around, but I have some things tugging at me to return to the US. Just wanted to post something in the mean time.

Salaam.

Back in the Big D

Nothing much to report. I arrived in the Big D Wednesday and am trying to figure out a routine that includes getting to bed before 3 and getting up before sunset. As I am in flux, I probably won't focus on the blogging just yet. Have to get my bearings, not to mention something to eat right now.

Damascus is much as I left it, save for some new construction projects.
I promise to get my ass in gear.
Salaam.

Where have all the Iraqis gone?

Many people in the US I talk to are shocked to hear that there are so many Iraqis living in Syria (and other surrounding countries) after fleeing the violence in their country. Some were surprised people were leaving, because Iraq seems like such a great place to raise a family these days. Some were surprised to hear of the troubles many of these refugees face in the countries they flee to. My neighborhood had many Iraqis living there. I heard complaints from many in Damascus that some prices had risen in response to the influx.

This article from the December 8 New York Times outlines the population shift out of Iraq. Be sure to look at the accompanying graphic for the statistics.

At the rate we're going, George, there won't be any Iraqis left to bring democracy to.

Again, click on the post header to link there.

Salaam.

My Opponent Eats Live Young

While I will vote next week, I feel it's just getting so ridiculous. When Bush said he believed Dick and Don were doing a great job, the first thing that popped into my mind was "You're doing a fine job Brownie," so I figure he's not the best judge of who gets a gold star for their work. Then again, if Dick and Don were eating babies on the White House lawn, he'd pretty much say the same thing, so never mind. Following W's comments, conservative writer Andrew Sullivan was quoted as saying "this is no longer an election, it's an intervention."

Electoral politics make me a bit shy to admit where I am from. I sort of cough out my response. Tell somebody you are from Palm Beach County, Florida and you will have a lot of explaining to do. For the record, I didn't live here during the 2000 debacle.

Listening to Katherine Harris in the "debate" last night, or as I referred to it "Katherine Harris and her ongoing debate with reality", was sad. She tossed out the old "9/11-Iraq connection" and all the standard party lines. Om-Taromeet and I were wondering if Sen. Bill Nelson was thinking, "Keep talking! Every time you open your mouth I go up a point!"

The saddest thing to watch are the pathetic ads, or what most people use to decide who they will vote for. In the final days it has basically come down to "My opponent is a Godless sinner!", "My opponent kicks puppies!", "My opponent eats her young!" I am just waiting for the add attacking a candidate as "an active member in an Al-Qaeda sleeper cell!" We cannot be that far off. So much for constructive discourse and, well, representative democracy. So, the middle class is slipping further into poverty, Iraq is "close" to chaos according to the US military, and the American dream is vast becoming unobtainable. But, at least gay people can't marry, some schools can teach that evolution is a "theory", and victims of rape and incest will most likely be "protected" from being able to have an abortion in S. Dakota. God bless the U.S.A.

And, in another example of the success of the Bush plan of "say it enough and people will believe anything", an informal poll I saw online said a majority of Americans think the new Al-Jazeera English-language network should not be allowed to broadcast in the US. Somewhat amusingly, %90 said if they needed work, they would not seek work with Al-Jazeera. I think they need not worry. Again, I guess free speech is only free if you tow the line. According to the current Al-Jazeera English-language web site, the network is FINALLY due to launch November 15. I, for one, hope that somebody will have the courage and conviction to carry the network. This country needs it.

Meanwhile, on the sunny side of life, according to the polls in Egypt we're now only the third most hated country in the world. Congratulations, Israel and Denmark.

Salaam.

Eid mubarak

I want to wish a joyous Eid to all marking the end of Ramadan. What is meant to be a time of sacrifice, charity, and empathy has turned into something quite different this year with the daily body counts coming out of Iraq, the staggering figures of loss from Sudan, and the growing clashes amongst Palestinian factions. This is supposed to be about quietly turning inward, seeking answers, not blood. There has been something especially saddening about watching and reading the same or worse news each day. I deeply hope next Ramadan will be something we can all celebrate.

Salaam.

Food for thought

I saw this essay, published in Vanity Fair, by historian and Harvard professor Niall Ferguson referenced in another essay and tracked it down. Interesting read and well worth your time. Click on the above title to get there....

Happy reading.

The Future.....

Well, after much consideration, I have decided to return to Syria a few days after the start of the new year.

I returned to the US out of necessity (personal matters) and had been missing my life and friends back there. I am now in the process of finishing up said personal matters, seeing family and friends, and getting ready to head out again. Not sure what the future has in store. All anybody needs to know, I am very happy about returning.

My skills with the blog are slowly improving and I promise to blog more regularly once on the ground there. I plan to include sound and video recordings along with photos and text. Of course, I say "plan".... If you would like to see something in particular or have ideas, just let me know.

Salaam.

Make your reservations today!

Having a difficult time deciding where to take the family on vacation next year?
Well, thanks to Iranian President Ahmadinejad, deciding on your next vacation just got a whole lot easier.

I can see the tshirts now....
"My Parents went to Isfahan and All I got Was This Enriched Uranium!"

"Iran - It's Nuclearific"

"Iran - So good, it glows!"

I'll see you there! Thanks Pres. Ahmadinejad.

Observations

Watching: Bob Woodward on 60 Minutes
Funny: http://harpers.org/Donkeys-20060922.html

So, I have been back in the US for two months, more-or-less. As we are dragged towards the mid-term elections I am reminded of what a mess we are in. Personally, I am just waiting for a campaign add that simply states outright "My opponent is the anti-Christ." And, will people drop the hollow promises about things they have absolutely NO control over. Just stop. But, hey, most of us won't vote anyway, so go ahead, vote for Old Bag of Leaves!
Finish the clip and click on some of the related links for other "candidates", such as Hashbrowns.
Thank you, Ad Council!

Great Quote from Woodward: "They can't even agree on the bumpersticker."

And, a blessed Ramadan to all my friends who are fasting. A lovely tradition with a strong social justice message - fasting is not about your suffering, it is about self-restraint and understanding the suffering of others. Something I think all of us could use a little more of.

Salaam, y'all.

Here's to O.

Found out that an American friend I met in Damascus, Omar, is leaving for basic training this week. Yes, O. joined the Army. Huge, surprising, and somewhat frightening news. He still has several months of basic followed by officer's training, but he will eventually be deployed, of course.

Even though I will worry about him, the Army will be a better institution for having him in it. Even more important than his language skills, so desperately needed on the ground, we'll be sending the world one great guy who truly believes he can make a positive difference.

So, here's to my friend, Omar. Safe travels.

On this anniversary.....

I read this and it summed up a lot of my feelings. With both the 9-11 Commission, a Senate panel, and the CIA all agreeing with what any decent sentient being figured out long ago.... Let's not celebrate this anniversary in the malls doing what we were asked to do (shop 'till you drop) by our leaders immediately after the fact or something reactionary, but rather let's finally get down to the hard thinking so many have avoided about the day, our history, and our (potential) futures.

http://www.ocweekly.com/news/news/we-forget/25797/

Salaam. To those who have died all over the world in events they did not ask for and had no real control over.

Photos from Istanbul, not Constantinople

Mood: Slothlike and yet agitated
Music: Karadeniz by Burhan Ocal
Reading: Crescent and Star: Turkey Between Two Worlds by S. Kinzer

Here, finally, are some photos from my week in Istanbul.....Feel free to correct me if I got any names wrong.
Salaam, y'all.

Aicha Qandisha enjoying watching the huge ships pass beneath the Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridge.

Rumeli Hisari, tower and amphitheater.

View across the Bosphorus at Rumeli Hisari, built in 1451 by Sultan Mehmed II ("the Conqueror") at the narrowest part of the Bosphorus to control traffic and prepare for the siege of Constantinople. The Asian-side tower of the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge stands in the background.

Inside the Roman cistern.

Under the central dome of the Sultan Ahmed mosque.

The Sultan Ahmed mosque.

Hagia Sophia as seen from the Sultan Ahmed Mosque.

Passageway, Hagia Sophia.

Mixture of iconographies beneath the layers, Hagia Sophia. I have read that there is controversy as to how to conserve the works of art here, as they are layered on top of each other.

Lesser dome of the Hagia Sophia and the principal dome and a minaret of the Sultan Ahmed mosque seen through an upper window in the Hagia Sophia.

Tiled niche overlooking the apse.

Detail of tilework in niche overlooking the apse of the original basilica

Window, Sultan Ahmed Mosque

Mary and Jesus mosaic in one of the domes of the Hagia Sofia.

Minbar of the Hagia Sophia with the name of God above.

Door to the library of Sultan Mahmud I, Hagia Sophia

One of many grand, arched windows in the Hagia Sophia.

(above) Hagia Sophia, beneath the great dome. After passing from Eastern Orthodoxy to Roman Catholicism to Islam, the Church of Holy Wisdom was converted into the Ayasofya Museum by Ataturk in 1935.

Aicha Qandisha in the courtyard of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque
(also known as the Blue Mosque)

A Clear View of Lebanon

Thank you to Cursor.org for sharing the link to this map, which clearly shows the scale of the bombing of Lebanon. Click on the title of this post or follow the link to see for yourself.
http://lebanonupdates.blogspot.com/2006/08/mapping-israeli-assault-july-12-august_02.html

I am back in the US to take care of personal affairs. Not sure what the future may bring. I have been in S. Turkey for the last month and a half and in Istanbul for the past week. Really wish I was back in Istanbul! Truly a great city. People I spoke with are VERY worried about this war escalating to include Syria and Iran.

My thoughts are with my friends in Damascus and the people of Lebanon.

I promise to update the blog. I had been staying in S. Turkey, about 30 minutes out of town and not convenient to internet access. Also, my personal life has all sorts of drama at the moment. Do have lots of photos and will get some up asap.

Turkey Pics

Looking back across the border at the coastal mountains in Syria from Turkey.
Tunnel of Titus, built by Vespasian and Titus to divert rainwater from the Orontes River and prevent flooding in and around the ancient port city of Seleucia Pieria.
Looking back at the city of Iskanderun from the boat.
We are heading back Wednesday, so I'll have more photos later.
Salaam!

Turkey Lurkey

Just returned from a lovely week in the Hatay province in southern Turkey. After five straight months in Damascus, I needed a break and I needed to see the sea again. Stayed at a friend's house outside the city of Iskanderun and did nothing for a week and it was great.

Today it's back to work, sort of. I arrived at 9am to find a mostly empty office. My desk taken over by someone else in my absence and I have no idea where my stuff is. My director seems to be out today, so I am catching up on emails and trying to get sorted out.

I begin private tutoring in Arabic in a week or so, when my teacher returns from traveling. Looking forward to making progress. After a week of only hearing Turkish and trying to practice the few words I know it was a bit of a trick to shift back to Arabic.

By the way, as far as I am concerned, the most important word in the Turkish language is "Tutku" (pron. tootkoo). It means passion, but is also the name of the most wickedly delicious cookies ever made. One of my friends who made the trip with our group happens to be thoroughly addicted to chocolate (to an occasionally frightening degree) and she got me hooked on them.

At the border yesterday there was a massive, miles-long backup of trucks due to the Americans' closure of the Turkish-Iraqi border, which forced everybody to go through Syria. I filmed a little of it. It was impressive. I joked that perhaps I should apologize to all the drivers for their troubles. Of course, it didn't stop our bus. We just drove down the other side of the road, which was also rather interesting.

The signs at the Syrian border crossing were quite amusing:
"Brother Travelers..." ('cause I guess we women don't get out much)
"Welcome to Assad's Syria" (which doesn't need to be changed from one to the next)
The one that told "my dear traveler" to "contact the appropriate official" in case of problems or complaints is funny to anyone who has ever dealt with foreign bureaucracies.

Promise to put up some photos and write more now that life is a little less hectic.