22.5.10
20.5.10
This is not Turkey
For the longest while I have been pottering along, off season travel, some travellers, few tourists and recently moving thru remote, vast, lonely eastern Turkey. Today I flew... too much distance to cover in a short time... from Trabzon on the Black Sea coast, south to Antalya, major tourist hub on the Mediterranean coast.
The buses from the airport go into busy Antalya. I wanted to go in the other direction to the town of Side (Seeday). Negotiated with the bus driver to get dropped on the highway.. great, but big disappointment when he charged me full fare as tho I was going into Antalya... I was no longer in the east where buses and people would take me short distances and refuse any kind of payment.
Finally arrived in Side and the second bus driver in an hour handed me my pack upside down! After sorting out my pack and re-adjusting the straps I started walking in the direction of the beach to my hotel. Overwhelming. This was no small town. Traffic. Tourists. Shops, shops and more shops and hotels everywhere.. all set amidst the lovely ancient ruins, but no homes, little markets, shoe shine boys, tea salons or cheap eateries. Side seemed to be one big resort town. Everyone in their holiday clothes. Girls in their little summer dresses and skimpy heels. I felt like I had just stepped outta the bush. Pepsi seemed to think so too.
I was wandering , desparately looking for a reasonable dinner. Everything was 4x+ what I was used to paying. In my wandering, I stopped at an esthetics shop, interested in the price to have my brows threaded, but I said not today, for tomorrow, that I was really looking for something to eat. Pepsi insisted I relax, take a seat, why not now? 10 lira, moustache free. Wasn't aware of my moustache, but ok. His twin sister started her work. Then Pepsie started to pull at the hairs on my cheeks and insisted it had to go. So away she went, threaded my entire face, smooth as a baby's bum said Pepsi.
Typical chatter, why am I single (Canadian men must be blind, he says... or maybe it was all my facial hair, i think), why no children. Well Pepsi is single too, we could have children.. or just do the 'training'. I looked at him and said that we didn't know each other...
20 lira (10 euro) less, I continued my search for dinner. Have accepted that tonite won't be cheap, and maybe another glass of wine will help. I am not comfortable.. I wasn't looking for a holiday.. not like this.
But the Turkish warmth I have fallen for is not completely lost here. I was offered a drink on the house, and notice that there is belly dancing tomorrow night and I am welcome... ah, but my bill shows surcharges and taxes, something I haven't seen before today. Barry Manilow, Whitney Houston, Beyonce.. I miss the Kurdish music I have been listening to.
I have a tiny room overlooking the beach, can hear the waves crashing in. 4 nights here.. off to the bank in the morning.
The buses from the airport go into busy Antalya. I wanted to go in the other direction to the town of Side (Seeday). Negotiated with the bus driver to get dropped on the highway.. great, but big disappointment when he charged me full fare as tho I was going into Antalya... I was no longer in the east where buses and people would take me short distances and refuse any kind of payment.
Finally arrived in Side and the second bus driver in an hour handed me my pack upside down! After sorting out my pack and re-adjusting the straps I started walking in the direction of the beach to my hotel. Overwhelming. This was no small town. Traffic. Tourists. Shops, shops and more shops and hotels everywhere.. all set amidst the lovely ancient ruins, but no homes, little markets, shoe shine boys, tea salons or cheap eateries. Side seemed to be one big resort town. Everyone in their holiday clothes. Girls in their little summer dresses and skimpy heels. I felt like I had just stepped outta the bush. Pepsi seemed to think so too.
I was wandering , desparately looking for a reasonable dinner. Everything was 4x+ what I was used to paying. In my wandering, I stopped at an esthetics shop, interested in the price to have my brows threaded, but I said not today, for tomorrow, that I was really looking for something to eat. Pepsi insisted I relax, take a seat, why not now? 10 lira, moustache free. Wasn't aware of my moustache, but ok. His twin sister started her work. Then Pepsie started to pull at the hairs on my cheeks and insisted it had to go. So away she went, threaded my entire face, smooth as a baby's bum said Pepsi.
Typical chatter, why am I single (Canadian men must be blind, he says... or maybe it was all my facial hair, i think), why no children. Well Pepsi is single too, we could have children.. or just do the 'training'. I looked at him and said that we didn't know each other...
20 lira (10 euro) less, I continued my search for dinner. Have accepted that tonite won't be cheap, and maybe another glass of wine will help. I am not comfortable.. I wasn't looking for a holiday.. not like this.
But the Turkish warmth I have fallen for is not completely lost here. I was offered a drink on the house, and notice that there is belly dancing tomorrow night and I am welcome... ah, but my bill shows surcharges and taxes, something I haven't seen before today. Barry Manilow, Whitney Houston, Beyonce.. I miss the Kurdish music I have been listening to.
I have a tiny room overlooking the beach, can hear the waves crashing in. 4 nights here.. off to the bank in the morning.
18.5.10
a good one
Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
by the incomparable Dr. Seuss
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.
And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.
Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.
You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.
I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.
You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.
You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.
And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.
No! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!
Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.
Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.
I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.
All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.
And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.
But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.
You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)
Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!
by the incomparable Dr. Seuss
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.
And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.
Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.
You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.
I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.
You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.
You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.
And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.
No! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!
Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.
Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.
I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.
All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.
And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.
But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.
You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)
Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!
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