Coronavirus Communique: Saturday May 20.2020

Bom dia,

Eu preciso de practicar meu Português mais tão estou escrevendo em Português só hoje. 

Eu acordei cedo para exercicio fora, antes que fique muito quente. Já está 31º C as dez horas... Minha caminhada foi pacífica. Depois eu fui direito para o ginácio. Agora me sinto relaxado tomar meu cafe no meu lanai na sombra.

Estou ouvindo reggae música a partir dos meus amigos sala de estar na Hawaii. Isto é, claro, de um computador.  Cada semana eles fazem videos para que todos possam desfrutar.  É muita masa! Eu sinto que estou de volta ho Havaí. Eu posso ouvio os sapos ('coqui' frogs- a very bad invasive species to Hawaii) no fundo.  Eles vivem na selva (jungle?) é, bem, isso me faz saudades para os trópicos.

Tem sido séculos desde que eu ouvia reggae parece...

Hoje eu vou continuar cortar tecedo para fazer um vestido de verão.  O tecedo tem bolinhas brancas em um fundo azul.  Felizmente, eu tenho dois mais semanas gratis de trabalha!  Recentemente, um ano atrás, eu comprei uma máquina de costura é tem sido último para costurar novamente.

Na verdade eu tenho minha amiga, Denise, de agradecer pela insperação. Eu a conhecí há trente anos em Santa Cruz, California.  Ela é o melhor!  Ela costumava tem um atelier chamada 'Wild Thing' e eu trabalhei lá. Foi na praia no Capitola Village. Ela me ensinou sobre a vida & estar feliz em tudo. Também, ela me ensinou a amar a música jazz.  Agora ela está vivendo no Surf Beach, Austrália e tem seu estúdio de design em casa.  Ontem, ela me disse que ela vai me fazer um vestido!  Então, eu escolhi um estilo e tecedo.  Ela só usa tecedo com Aborigional impressāo. 

Aqui está a sua informacao para a 'Etsy store', se chama 'Global Vibe' dela:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/globalvibe?fbclid=IwAR0-EetNXqwhQhUC1nAKraAL6f5lF3WXmW22EZRAeJNuIglYO8FkXiX3kqI

 E uma foto de nós: Ela visitou-me e meu namorado e sua familia no Hawaii para as férias.

Hippy chicks. Denise e eu na manha de Natal no Maui. Eu não me lembro o ano...

Voltar a Português...

É muito difícil para mim entender Português... Eu posso escrever e ler muito melhor do que eu posso escutar.  Eu vou tentar ouvir podcasts Portugueses mais.  Minha nova coisa é ouvir Bossa Nova podcasts porque as palavras são cantadas mais lento. 

Isso é suficiente para hoje! Como é que eu faço?

paz

Coronavirus Communique: June 4, 2020 Outward Bound Through Inner Journeys

Jazz jam session:
You guys if you wanna hear a cool jazz rendition of Peter and the Wolf, check it.  Oh, and the narration...

https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-xspyt-d9a98f

This podcast episode features the New England Jazz Ensemble performing a jazzed up arrangement of Sergei Prokofiev's, Peter and the Wolf. Arranged by Walt Gwardyak with a hip "jazzbretto" (narration) by Giacomo Gates.

 The Odyssey continues.


 Funking on down Pak Ciry Parkway this morning:

the local wildlife; meow

BEE present

break on through to the other side

give me life

beautiful decay

support local businesses

(some of my) medicine

structure

form

sanctuary

weave

tension

harmony

ego

focus

I am healed. Again.

to-do list:
master:      Google Classroom
continue:   The High Mountains of Portugal
organize:   Tarot project
binge:        Orange is the New Black {yes yes, I'm late to the game}
foster:        Continental Portuguese
cultivate:   Health
liberate:     da kine

Mistress of Plan B series: Coronavirus Communique May 21, 2020

Mistress of Plan B series

Things I’m digging right now in the time of corona-virus:

Thinking about Ernest Hemingway sitting on his lanai in Paris with his typewriter.

it'll do, for now...

Ginger. Lots of it.

Smoothies every day. Serious mana from the gods/goddesses, this is my kool-aid.

Jazz.

Not checking the news incessantly.

“Mermaid Hair Don’t Care” [thanks Hayley]

Early rising w/da kine and working out outside before the sun gods/goddesses reigns supreme.  With every lap comes a sense of calm vigor.  Blood pumping, it nourishes my cells, my spirit, me. 

Then there are the mulberry trees (yes?) with its mana hanging low, yet not so low anymore to easily reach.  I gotta work to get to those luscious black berries now.  Perhaps another few weeks at most to engage in this endeavor and I’ll move on to another sideshow activity.

The floral bouquet rising from my beloved Yosemite trucker hat continues on.  The abundance of roses in bloom in the region now does not escape me. The audacity to pluck one! The desire to pluck many adornments can’t be abated. After giving me essence to accompany my workout, they continue to delight me decaying on my bathroom sink counter. I honor their metamorphosis into sweet decay. 

Sprouting sprouts. This joy has recently been heightened. As the temperatures have been increasing here, my mason jar sprouts have become compromised. I’d noticed that the glass jars were more a greenhouse recently, collecting more moisture. Of course I knew what the solution was (seed bags I learned), but didn’t have any, or so I thought.  Then I remembered Julie from the Istanbul tribe. She had given us these reusable vegetable bags (seed bags!) that a friend of hers had made.  I constantly use them still on my green grocer visits in the hood. I already possessed the remedy!  I put that shit to work immediately and on day 2 I already see a major difference.  Sprouts happy. Holly happy. 

Tribe. The Human tribe. The Blood tribe. All the tribes. I am tribe.

“Valeria” on Netflix.  Only one season right now so get on it.

“The Eddy” on Netflix.  Jazzy beats. I need speak no more about it.  Sure the story is a sideline. It works.

Tarot cards.  Yes, introspective times necessitate self-reflection- however you go about it.

Something that felt really good recently: Carrying a big stack of books downstairs in the foyer for anyone to read.  What a sense of accomplishment!  First, just to part with books is so difficult so the act in itself is a small victory.  It’s like spreading your seed far and wide to all corners of the eARTh.  What faraway lands will all these books end up at the end of their lifespan? What stories divulge.  They have their own trajectories independent of us spending some time admiring them on our book shelves, finally reading them, seeing them lying around on the coffee table for months afterward, etc. So to release them into the wilds, anything is possible!  You know that feeling when you score a free book and you also get another hidden nugget in a bus ticket, museum stub, a note scratched on a post-it on some random page- yes THAT. It delights.

Plan B; one hit wonders sometimes, which is fine.  Plan B always deserves cultivation and storage somewhere in the hard drive.  I don’t always pay attention to Plan B, but when I do I’m sincere. Then I set it aside until its time. Plan B rarely works ‘on the fly’- not for me anyway.  But the possibilities… That is the beauty of Plan B.

And then there’s the distant Plan C. I put this to use when I headed to Yosemite to work for the season a few summers back.  Hastily arranged, it all fucking worked out fairly effortlessly (with a lot of paperwork!) and it was a fucking amazing experience (the gig, not the paperwork- but there’s something to say about keeping organized and on top of that paperwork trail shit). I put Plan A on hold for Plan C and absolutely it was the right path.  There’s a lot of magic in the universe, but you gotta feel it and catch it when it tempts you. The attractions, the dance, the emotions, the rationale (‘should I stay or should I go”) all are valuable tools when considering magic.

So I’m refining Plan B. Science! Big plans, yet not grandiose. Plan B, something to work actively towards achieving by creating while in Plan A.

Coronavirus Communique #3: " I was dreamin' when I wrote this. Forgive me if it goes astray" May 1, 2020

 "I was dreamin' when I wrote this. Forgive me if it [I] go astray"
                                                           -Prince

me.today.vibe:EternalSunshineoftheSpotlessMind.for real. And da kine.  Always da kine.

I've been meaning to comment of the floral bouquets wafting through the air in the early mornings here when I'm power-walking or running around the building complex here.  Lockdown restrictions have been lifted somewhat recently (since Ramadan started) yet I've been lingering around my health den, my cocoon of cleanliness so to speak. If I'm being honest, as a host of you know, I'm not the most organized of housekeepers... And it's perfectly fucking fine...

So you know... yes, the flowers... Each day I've gotten into the routine of starting out on my 1st lap just getting into my breath, trying to establish consistency: deep inhalation.hold.controlled, constant exhalation. Over and over.  Let's get all that shit outta our lungs, right? Am I right??? [I call this covid-19 protection. That's right, I drank THAT koolaid and I wanna believe.  An, unrelated, unconfirmed coronavirus claim I recently said that smoking MAY protect you from the virus... Weird. Wouldn't that be a strange conundrum...]

Flowers. Yes. So I sense this aromatic sensory sweetness. Yes, it's sweet. Because it's fleeting. And you have to work for it. That is the challenge here: finding the beauty where you can- either externally or internally.  Da kine. Right?

By the 2nd lap there is a flower in my pony tail (I'm thinking to bring back the term 'pig tails' this season...) or my right ear. Because, Hawai`i & shit.  I do miss the shit outta Hawai`i.  I try to live Hawai`i as much as possible here.  Everywhere.

How can someone greet a flower with a grimace? Someone can't.

[side note here, I just finished reading Tom Robbins' Villa Incognito & there is a knock-knock joke that frequents some chapters:

     knock-knock
           who's there?
      It's me. Himself

...I'm not entirely sure why I brought that to attention. I believe it was the 'someone' & the 'himself' association.  I could be wrong though].

So, books.  I've got a lot of 'em.  I've plowed through many of 'em.  I'm quite impressed with myself. Kinda like braggadocio rights I give to myself. This reflexive instinct, however misguided, puts me into another category as a compulsive book collector.

You see, I can't turn away a free book.  I carry them all around the world with me. Different bookshelves in different countries they sit. Awaiting that one day, what might never arrive, for me to pick it up, look at the flyer or postcard or museum ticket, or receipt of something incurred while traveling... Next in the process is to read the back cover. Last, delve into it.

I picked up a VERY eclectic selection when I lived in Yosemite.  Nothing but sweet fucking memories of pure goodness working that gig.  What a trip it was.  The fucking Sierra Nevada!!! Anyway, Parkies read it all. I mean, Tom Robbins? I poured through his quiver 30 years ago while living in the jungle on Maui doing that thing that one does living in the jungle... Yes, it's true. All of it. 

While I'm pondering books, I recently read some unpublished work by a colleague. Short stories is a 'newish' genre I've delved into. The result? I enjoy them.  There is something to the structure, or how you need to structure your mind, energy, psyche for short-story enjoyment.  I enjoy the challenge, the science of it.  My brain digs the chemicals it produces. So does my body. I mean, I work hard to produce the right chemicals. Tirelessly.

So the stories got me to thinking about connections. While I couldn't find a connection between all the stories, I sensed that there was. I just didn't know what it was yet.  I was rewarded in the end to find that indeed a ribbon was weaved through the stories, traveling to-fro contemporaneously or sequentially.  Yea, my brain digs these treasure hunts; sifting through the sands to get the satisfaction of discovering the jeweled nuggets.

OH OH OH you guys.  You NEED to listen to this podcast: Prince: The Story of 1999.  

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/prince-the-story-of-1999/id1488187430

Sheer fucking genius.  The Prince Foundation does an excellent job of presenting these intimate grains of sand of Prince's vast desert he surrounded himself with: Deserts of art, music, friendship, experiences. Each grain goes through this hourglass of information learned about his sheer fucking genius.

The part about working with his favorite studio sound engineer, Peggy, to working with Lisa (and her interviews are so raw and descriptive) to Desmond describing when their band opened up for the Rolling Stones, which ended up a total disaster. It's said that the Stones' fans were not ready for Prince's 'show', and things got ugly. 

Even if you're not into Prince, the podcast is well produced. 

Peace. A purple protective perspective piece of peace to you all

Some projects as of late...

More da kine magical realism please

11:30 AM and I'm back in bed, coffee in hand. This morning's run seemed different. Feeling strong as I glided (okay, perhaps more like a mellow trot), conscious of hitting the pavement mid-sole. My Hoka One One pillow top running shoes always happy to comply with enthusiasm. Different in that my days of Bosporus runs are limited.

The weather looks threatening now. I timed that right for sure. Trotting and observing, the cloudy sky patterned in geometric shapes; white marshmallows to be more specific. My favorite çay guy was already set up; wide-smile, reggae music blasting and a faithful following chatting on a typical NorIst Sunday morning along the Bosporus.

Turkish people LOVE Sunday walks along the Bosporus- no matter how inclement the weather, really. I will miss these scenes. They have already left an imprint on my heart.

Springtime. The lead-up has been dramatic this year, IMHO. While Istanbul hasn't seen any magnificent electrical storms, it has delivered fairly constant cold weather. I'm at that point where I oscillate between wanting to retire my goose down comforter, but holding out- just in case... The latter has proved to be a better option, so far.

Today looks to be the perfect day to just chill out, read (starting Bruno Schulz's "The Street of Crocodiles", delving into Germany's take on magical realism), cooking (pressure cooking magic about to begin), and other such endeavors that include lounge-type behavior.

Okay then, let the day of rest begin!
PEACE
 

'Just another ordinary work day here in Istanbul' musings

Kinda feeling on top of the world this afternoon. Giddy, you could say. A (hopefully) fortunate series of events is about to take place. Bring it, I say! I'll keep y'all updated...

So, what's in my immediate thoughts you ask? Well, Surrounding me at this moment:

Iraq- A Tourist Guide (scored from a thrift shop for an animal shelter in Bahrain) from 1985, Lonely Planet Malta, my journal of unusual events to document, multiple, colorful skeins (yarn) for a plethora of knitting creations, Bulgakov's "The Master and Margarita", "Ancient Turkey" Koç University archaeology book, my iPhone, 2 Mac's and 2 kitties, da kine, etc. I'm busy.

I'm also thinking about the upcoming move, somewhat. I play scenarios in my head as to how it will all go down- project positive images and focus on all that... positive, and it's all good. Yes this is how I like to approach thinking about such things.

Did I tell you guys about our Mardi Gras party? I don't think sAo. Pictures forthcoming! Perhaps a story too... I know, right- BEHAVE!!! I'll prepare first by asking the cast of characters permission to post photo-evidence of said shenanigans :) 

FELINE FINE Mardi Gras, Sariyer, Istanbul, Turkey 2017 Krewe Büyükdere PussPuss

mood: zen; mood enhancement: (da kine) Traditional Avant-Garde electronic jazz

Sami Bey taking refuge in LoGra's unfinished #pussyhatproject pussycap...

So grateful for Some FM (https://somafm.com/bagel/songhistory.html) and their 'Sonic Universe' channel because the playlist now is exactly where I'm at.

Scene: Sunday morning 10:30 AM Istanbul time, lying on my bed with the kitties,  coffee and all kine da kine. Which, currently includes a set of knitting needles. Yes, I'm deep into my newest recreational aid :) You got that right, I'm pumping out #pussyhatproject (https://www.pussyhatproject.com/) hats- knitting hats for the upcoming 'Women's March on Washington' (https://www.womensmarch.com/); the day after the inauguration of the president elect *long, heavy sigh*. 

I'm a proper pussy and in so (I'm) doing my part for all pussies, and non-pussies universally out fighting the good fight. So far, I've knitted 5 pussy hats:
1.  proto-type PrincessHogra PussyCap
2.  LoGra PussyCap
3.  Viagra PussyCap
4.  Steve-O PussyCap
5.  EdVice PussyCap
6. coming soon to another people-protector of-pussy-rights electing to enjoy their right to freedom of speech and protest through peaceful, symbolic means. 

My goal is to make a shit-ton of #pussyhatproject pussycaps to wear here in Turkey (I'll actually be in Naples, Italy so will represent my right to be a purrfect pussy over there). 

Sami Bey and I taking my proto-type pussy hat out for it's first ride atop my head :)

More pussy pics to come... 

Fun find of the week: snippet of information concerning correct usage of 'lying' vs 'laying' (https://getpocket.com/a/read/1547718816). To add, I found the link SO easily because I have been using 'Pocket' for about 3 years now (it makes it easy to find all things you save from internet. (https://getpocket.com/a/queue/).

That's about all the plugs I can muster...

Where else am I at on this snowy, Sunday morning in Büyükdere? Enjoying the moving picture show, from my bed, of my neighborhood (quiet as it is, for the most part). Not too many tracks in the snow where I'm at, off the main drag a few blocks and uphill. Cars have been stationary for 2-3 days so have been accumulating photo-worthy snow-packs atop. Flakes of snow gently drift, capturing Sami Bey's immediate attention. What is he thinking about, I wonder. His sister, Shaika Spot (snoozing close by), and him have been receiving some acupressure pets this morning. Eagerly welcoming the pets, they purr; the sounds of jazz lulling them into their happy places, plays on. On that note, I hope all the street pussy cats are taking shelter.

Another gem for the week that can get filed under 'recreational aids' is this: Finding Emerald City to watch (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3579018/      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_City). Check out the trailer. In brief, it's a modern adaptation of the series of books that The Wizard of Oz resulted from. Yes, way back then... Vincent D'Onofrio is in it, and the guy that did 'The Cell' is directing. The setting and costumes are super interesting. This guy, Frank Baum, originally wrote the series, back in 1900 or so:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._Frank_Baum.

I had no idea about the book series and now thinking I should devote some time to that *adds this task to the never-ending 'wish list' of things I want to do*. Anyway, from the first two episodes, it looks like a marvelous journey. Yes, I'm totally stoked with this find, so thank you EdVice for doing all that you do with computer shit to get this stuff.

Yesterday... now yesterday was #snowpocalypse  here in Istanbul, or so it seemed. Because we had a meeting our HQ of the local chapter of 'Knitters Who Have a Drinking Problem' awareness group (I just made that up, most of it anyway), we had to go out into the great white mist to procure our meeting party favors... Of course a trip to the local yarn store was first on the agenda. While waiting for SarahMhLady to get up and out the door, EdVice and myself found ourselves wandering around Sariyer after a brief dolmus journey from our hood. With only 3 km. to cover, and on the sahil yolu (flat, coastal road), we couldn't get in much trouble in a moving vehicle...

So we got dumped off soon enough and started working our way through EdVice's 'to-do' list. I always enjoy this as it entails traipsing around the various side streets going into nearly every store for one, specific thing.  I don't operate in this fashion, so it is always fun to see how this unfolds; the greetings, the looking on shelves, the light talk, the business interactions, and just overall jovial encounters. It's these slices of life that endear me to Istanbul- always.

Basri, my new favorite knitting/yarn supply shopkeeper, greeted us warmly- as usual. 'Usual' meaning it's like the 4th time in 2 weeks I've been in there... Dude knows his yarn. Kind, gracious and enthusiastic about our newly and increasingly growing addictions, he always produces a smile for us. SaraMhLady originally talked up this shop, as opposed to the many others in Sariyer. Somehow I ended up with 2 more skeins (balls of yarn) and a pair of 7mm needles for my 'new' project *wonders when that will happen*. I had originally only wanted to accompany EdVice into the 'hood for a reason to go romping around in the snow, as I had been sick for a few days previously and was itching to get out into the elements. I mean, it doesn't snow in Istanbul that often, AND this is going to be my last winter season living in Istanbul.

Nostalgia for Istanbul already setting in, and I haven't even left yet. It's always interesting how one goes about leaving a place. Uplifting in a bittersweet sense, I think!

Our business finished, we trotted off towards HQ for the day. Steve-O greeted wearing a sweet Moroccan winter Gandoura (jalabiya).  De-clothing in wintertime is time-consuming I have found out. It's a process to take off all outerlayers and find appropriate places to let them be while visiting. A mound of clothing results. Everybody claimed their couch space, and got to it. All manners of conversations, libations, culinary indulgences, and tele-viewing resulted throughout the day. Highlights included another awesome bottle of Romanian red wine that I managed to fit in my suitcase from Romania, and Shepherd's Pie (made by Steve-O). Knitting fools that we are, we were fully entertained- even the knitting support group!

Shit, it's noon already. Time to bounce *chortle*

A little dab'll do ya...

 Sami Bey and Shaika Spot, faithful companions and avid travelers... My Middle East Beasts turned-to Turkish Kediler :)

As of late, I've reached into my Tiger Balm stashes, among others. It seems that the combination of yoga, running and African dance is turning my body into one big network of nerves. It actually feels a bit like growing pains.  Maybe it's just because there are so many different muscle groups being activated at various different times that no one group can find the time to relax as they're either in the spot light or guiding the other group on in some helpful way.  I just don't remember this in my previous life where I did all this, and more... lol

Fast forward to today, Easter Sunday for Christians, 9:30 am and ACTION.  It seemed like a rude interruption from my brief slumber. Brief, yes. I ended up on the party bus at 1am back to Büyükdere coming from Taksim.  Uneventful enough, but it did take some time.  Eye-spied, I think, my mysterious next-door-neighbor hopping on the bus in shi-shi-la-la Bebek (ritzy hood here in Ist where the see-and-be-seen like to dwell about and... well, see-and-be-seen).  Just adding more information to the mystery that is him, if it was him.  He is a sport coach, I think, for a campus sports team at work that shall remain unnamed to protect the innocent (me)... Anyway, American guy, I've heard.  I only know of his voice- through the walls talking on Skype... I can only assume that he wears cement blocks for shoes because that is what I hear when he is just walking up the stairs in his apartment up to his loft; I hear concrete block earth-moving tremors... So does Da Jel, who lives downstairs from this American WMD... lol. One day I'm going to run into him and we'll end up shooting the shit. I'll introduce my self as , "the purple note gal"- yes he did get a purple note slipped underneath his door once many fortnights ago... 

Coming out of the metro station, a very sparsely populated Taksim Square yesterday evening, due to the suicide bombing last weekend here...

Onward. So the reason I was on the party bus at 1am was because 4-gra had a wee/wii extravaganza at Da Kine's residence. Admittedly, the 100-pin bowling was good fun. I have birthed the 'slow mo/slow bowl form, to rave reviews from the tribe.  Slow and steady wins the race, although I didn't win.

Da Jel in an action shot

Onward. early on in the evening we all commented how we had just received the latest US embassy notice (warning) about a possible ISIL threat to places of worship today- especially churches, synagogues and diplomatic missions... Have I mentioned that I live above an Orthodox church, in an old schoolhouse?  Beautiful stone building that it is, it will become my self-exiled prison of sorts today.

Yea, it's a good day to just lay low I suppose. After running. And yoga. And a Brownie Walkabout with The Büyükdere Club Kids, our intrepid trio consisting of Ed Vice, Steve-O and myself. On our last Brownie Walkabout we ventured into an old Armenian Church further down in the hood, before trotting on to Yeniköy to down a few Teddy Beers.  Good fun.

The Büyükdere Club Kids

INTERRUPTION:  Ahhh the first sip of freshly brewed french press coffee... 

Yet I digress yet again... we all decided that 'it' (the embassy email) must concern the sites of religious worship and missions on Istiklal Caddesi (Istiklal street) mainly, as that was the site of last weekend's suicide bombing here in the latest antics (from a lame group of thugs). At any rate, I won't be cutting through the church grounds today en route to my (running) route.  WOW, at this very moment the church bells are ringing, and all the neighborhood canines are yowling... I've always been so curious on what goes on with an orthodox mass... Today is not the day to check it out.

Back to running as it's on my mind a lot these days.  Recently I broke out my old Timex GPS Run Trainer- mostly to check out my heart rate activity during my run.  I'm not sure why it's taken so long to break it out, but I suspect it's because the numbers were always so depressing while living/running in Bahrain the past 2 years... It was so damn hot running there- no matter what time of day.  I mean, it was laboriously hot trying to run into a full-on furnace coming at you...

Besides that, I'm really concentrating on working on some specific things. Specifically, my gait, as well as mind/body movement control.  What I mean to say is that I am really concentrating on focusing on experimenting with 2 different leg styles while I run: firstly, I visualize my feet.  While one is striking the ground (mid-foot strike I am also working on- coming from a (not overly severe) heel-strike background)), the other leg is close to a 90º angle with my foot trying to hit my butt. VISUALIZING I say, so that the goal is really just to get that leg high, while still projecting forward.

Running-style-wise, my second task is to try to bring free leg as close forward and near knee-level of the leg on the ground- all within an aerodynamic forward motion, so not a 90º angle here but maybe 45º. With this movement, I'm thinking that the less time my one foot is on the ground, the easier it is to transform into a mid-foot striker.  I've come to realize that my heel-strike, even though it isn't pronounced, makes me take a longer time to recover and get that foot back off the ground, as well as gives more time for my body to sink into that foot on the ground or compress my spine.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it"; I know, I know.  But, I'm having fun with it.  What I know is that when I'm running, I'm feeling that high, and it's so good that I don't want it to stop. So, if I want to continue this running-high into the years, I need to be logical. Prevention is the key, and I've done a pretty good job so far.

Yesterday's excursion into the world of running in Istanbul brought me to a new route, I think. I've been wanting to start training on hill sprints.  But I need a hill. Going up the Haciosman Hill I notice, while on the bus, that there is a forested area in a neighborhood just off the highway.  Bingo.  I ran up to this spot and just started walking into this village neighborhood.  There are 3 successive, steep hills to traverse, and probably more as I started to see people movement at the top of the 3rd and didn't feel like trekking further into this unfamiliar neighborhood/village. Let the people get familiar with me I think is a good plan.  After all, it doesn't look like any yabancī get up into this hood... What I mean to say is seeing a yabanci, and a yabanci runner, in this hood looks like an unfamiliar thing.  Baby steps... Happy baby steps that I found this new practice session to throw into the mix!

The hill sprints should build some more muscle, which should, in theory, propel me faster!  At this point, my Bosphorus Runs need a little kick.  I've been running up to 10k at a time now (on a great day), but I feel a bit sluggish.  I feel that I don't need to run farther, but faster.  Simply just to change it up.  The weather is getting warmer as it's now spring so why not? I have Spring Fever, and it's excellent.

An always great cross-training choice is yoga, of course. Even though I do miss the relaxed style of yoga on Maui, and Bahrain ( BaYoga ) I have found a sorta sweet spot here in Istanbul. What I typically find here, though, is that most all teachers have the same classes; the same poses, too much partner work (which, to me, means too much down time and time spent in the hands of someone who is going to possibly help one to injure themselves), and too much talking.

The last one is okay though as my comprehension of Turkish isn't too great so it is more like background noise.  I can just get into my poses and concentrate on my breath and turn out the talking. Not that I'm used to a disciplined class (well, except for House of Yoga and Zen in Makawao where I practiced ashtanga), but I guess I'm used to a more intuitive class where the body talks and the mind listens. Man, I need quiet time for this :)

African dance classes started up this week! Our drummer is from Guinea and teacher is Senagalese. High energy for sure.  Perhaps it is this newest addition to my regime that is making my body ache- good ache- since there is a lot of jumping and flinging of body party involved.  Nevertheless, it feels so good.  Drums beating my body into submission while rhythmically putting me into a trance state of higher awareness... Higher consciousness... Higher frequencies being adjusted to, thus allowing me to be me... THIS. This is the Da Kine medicine...

INTERRUPTION: more coffee downstairs...

The day is already sizing up to be a tall drink of water: the sun is breaking through the clouds and I can hear the horns on the Bosphorus ships. Birds are chirping, and there is an unmistakable quietness in the TomCat antics this morning.  As spring has sprung, so have the TomCats from near and far to the doorstep of the building nearly.  They hang out in a dude-gang and battle for unassuming females, all of which are in heat collectively.  An odd-sounding symphony plays nearly 24/7 here consisting of unnerving treble (females kitties getting raped) to all about the melodious bass sounds when it's feeding time for the extensive tribe by one of the neighborhood moms who so graciously and consistently bring food to the feeding trough of the sidewalks to the baritone sounds of male dominance behavior played out as 'let's see who will fall off the garage across the street while fighting). A true cacophany of feline life in the hood captured in a mid-spring fever tribute to life in Istanbul.

COUNTDOWN: less than 2 weeks to Sicily!

In summary, "a little dab'll do ya" serves me right.  Here a dab (neck). There a dab (right outer hip socket). Everywhere a dab dab (you get the picture). I dug into my (well stocked) Tigers Balm reserves in the past week to facilitate the healing powers of (analgesic balm on) sore muscles. I started to put some on my knee caps BEFORE going out on my run... I decided this not the greatest idea even though it feels awesome.  I'm on the preventative bandwagon, but is this preventative, or masking inevitable pain without solving the problem?  It's a fine line, and it's got me wondering.  So much in fact that I started researching effects of pavement running (who doesn't know the results of this tough). I guess I'm just looking for some solid research/data to counter the obvious (pounding your kneecaps and vertebra into eventual decay). I did manage to order a new pair of running shoes though, which faithful friend JonEe will send with his otherwise awesome care packages.

As any research endeavor with me, I spent so much time on this. Days, even weeks!  It came down to 3 brands: Pearl Izumi, Hoka One One and Altra.  After much (A LOT OF) deliberation, I ordered the Pearl Izumi's.  I decided to try this 'rocker' style out after assessing my needs (stability, wide toe box, and cushioning).  The Hoka One One was my wildcard as I've never worn a 'rocker' type shoe before and they seem to be extreme.  Altra had an option or two as well, but Pearl Izumi won out.  The sizing, of course, is touchy- especially in terms of not wanting to send shit back to America so really needing the size to be correct. Not having ever tried on these 3 brands before, it's a crapshoot, but I did do indepth research and read SO many comments.  I'm feeling pretty confident about my choice and excited for arrival time!  Until then though, my Saucony Kinvara 7s are doing me just fine.  These are definitely my GO TO shoes of the decade (3 years strong with this Kinvara series and happy).
 

Peace.

Just Hop on the Party Bus

I'm becoming more and more familiar with the 'Party Bus' as it is so affectionately called here in the `bul.  After midnight the metro stops so you are limited in how you will get back home after your weekend shenanigans in Taksim, etc.  You have taxis, of course, the dolmuş, for a limited route to Beşiktaş- until you need to take a taxi, and then you have the Party Bus.

Take last week for example. Da Jel and I plotted to take the 3 am Party Bus from Taksim back to Büyükdere.  She had found a Party Bus that left from a different stop than the Party Bus that I discovered last month with Kate.

Anyway, we had it all planned out and were chilling and keeping warm, and dry, in a pub until it was time to hit up the Party Bus. Oh yea, it was pissing rain so bad.  I mean SO BAD...

Granted, we left a bit late, but figured we were on track to make the bus- I was at least since I didn't really know where the bus stop was.  It is pissing rain and we are soaking wet and nearly breaking out in a sprint the last 100 meters and there we saw it- the Party Bus... en route already without us on it and way too far away to try to catch its attention... Sadly we had to alter our plans.  It sucked. Sucked as in like 35 Turkish Lira sucked... Yea, we had to take a taxi after our short dolmuş ride to Beşiktaş...

Last night I was on a mission to catch the Party Bus. As my lungs couldn't take the smoke-filled, stagnant air any longer, I left our party HQ for the evening, Peyote:

#sickboyorganization with #‎artdiktatör‬ and #Robotat

Checking the time, I saw that I was going to have to wait a while as I was navigating down the narrow, winding staircase. As I got to the bottom I heard some progressive house and saw DJ Caner.  Immediately I joined in- especially as it involved (mostly) fresh air. Man the memories start to flood back of all the fun dance parties on Maui over the years. Nothing like spinning into that trance state and just f*cking grooving in a pure state of bliss. Yea, you know what I'm talking about- most of you anyway :)

I got to the coveted bus stop with ten minutes to spare.  The line was HUGE. It was a total after-party scene and hilarious at that. All the different tribes of people present each had their own scenario going on.  Most were in a state of slight dysfunction due to inebriation. 

Finally the bus came and there were already a lot of people on it... WTF I'm thinking, as this is the beginning of the line.  Obviously some people discovered it is much easier to wait where the bus comes out of the secret hole so that they can get a seat.  I could tell that I would have to fight my way onto the Party Bus because I just knew that some wouldn't make it on. 

Our  journey starts on the sardine-packed Party Bus.  Everyone is laughing.  I am standing in a fairly mellow spot with my (requisite) head phones on. There are about 4 different conversations going on that I am privy to as well because, somehow sharp hearing is my superpower for the journey. Again, hilarious.

I was just hoping that everybody would get off at Osmanbey, Şişli, or Mecidiyeköy- where most of the cities denizens seem to live... But they didn't.  The Party Bus was packed all the way to past Levent4. I finally got a seat and tuned out for the last stretch. 

Büyükdere was a ghost town at 3:30 am.  The air was cool and crisp, but a hint of spring hung thick hovering over me. The Bosphorus was sparkling as the stars were falling into the water. I could see the vibrations or pulse of the atmosphere as the lights danced atop the water in dreamscape formations. 

The çai meyhanes that line the Bosphorus were devoid of most of their regulars.  There were still a few good old boys hanging, talking and doing their typical boy-club thing that they do.  They always look up at me strangely, as this short-cut is popular in my wanderings.  Usually I'm coming there around 10 pm after yoga class, or after my runs in the morning, so usually I'm wearing my workout gear.  They always look up and study me quizzically, which I don't mind, or have just gotten used to. The only time I am actually a patron of this particular çai meyhane is when I'm in the company of the Büyükdere Club Kids, aka Steve-0 and Ed Shread.  

So I always instinctively scrutinize the mehane whenever I walk by in case I see da kine so I would then go and chat them up.  Of course, at 3:30 am it looks strange if you are looking over all the patrons because all the patrons, basically, are watching you, if you remember, in a weird way, that just gets to feel 'normal' after a while and then you kinda forget about it- the weird way they are looking at you...

So, the story ends here with me getting home without a hitch, really. What really surprised me, though, was how I absolutely STUNK of cigarettes.  No wonder my lungs wouldn't, couldn't, take it any longer at the club. Of course, the club, Peyote, is tragically cool so one tolerates the low ceiling and relatively small venue space because their lineups are usually alternative and interesting and artsy. 

Stripping off my cigarette-infused fabric and seeing (smelling) the pile on the floor was nearly suffocating... I honestly felt bad about putting the heap into my dirty laundry basket- it's like the other dirty clothes inside didn't deserve having to tolerate this batch... In they went and in I went into the waiting hot shower.  Man a hot shower feels good after a night of party/dance/walk-in-rain (oh yea, it was raining again too, but not like last week), etc. 

I slipped underneath the crisp cotton sheets and slid the goose-down comforter over me and grabbed my computer while the kitties adjusted themselves onto me now. A little bit of da kine and an episode of Freaks and Geeks and I went into lounge mode, only to be interrupted by the not-so-subtle hint of sunrise... 

Crisis-mode starts up instinctively and immediately.  It flushed over me and BAM, less than a minute later I am hoping to go into deep slumber.

In other mundane news:

school is cool
yoga is becoming sexy again
running is a high
da kine will always be da kine
the Kovan  bakery in Osmanbey ROCKS
popcorn Jelly Bellies aren't so bad after all

And on an ending note, I'm absolutely DYING to look through all my spring/summer clothing that has been stored away for the past few months. This. THIS consumes me.  I am trying to hold out, but I'm just so damn excited about wearing slinky clothing once again and seeing my body after a winter of hibernation... It's been a long time since I've looked at all my bikinis and I can't wait to be in them ALL again soon.  Damn I miss the f*cking beach lifestyle.  I realize every day that I live without the beach that that is what I'm all about really. I guess missing that lifestyle is the challenge for me now.  I have willingly severed ties.  It is an interesting experiment. I know that a beach is my destiny. I know so deep down that it's not even a problem I guess is what I mean to say. 

Okay, It's now 12:15 pm and I'm still in bed.  Earlier I pulled open the curtains when I went downstairs to make my brew and saw a brilliant, sunny winter day unfolding- a bit windy it seems though. This has been a pretty mild winter here so there isn't much to fuss over.  I think I'm doing pretty good for experiencing my first winter in a few years.  I could even deal with a snowfall or two again.  

I feel like I am getting the clothing and layering thing down to some degree lately.  It seems that in the past 2 weeks, or since the semester began, that I am finally getting it down. I mostly notice this on my runs.  On Friday's run, it was still pretty early so I moved onto my light long-sleeve running jacket and beanie.  It worked well and my entire run was just sweet.  Yesterday it seemed a bit colder so I switched to my new running jacket- with the puffy chest part. That also worked well, although I had to alternate with taking off/putting on my beanie.  That run was super sweet too.  What will today bring?  It does seem windy, but I can tell already that sunscreen is a must :)

   

Maui- roger that...

Home alone- the Maui diary: chapter 1. "Slow and Steads Wins the Race"

Kula. Fresh air. Rarified air. Night sounds. Animal noises. Earth quivers. Hawaii. Yea, sweet sounds Maui makes at night. Daytime too, but there is something extra special about the night. There always is. Especially on Maui. It's somewhere between taking the time to stop and listen and hear,  and to just produce this behavior naturally, without a thought that you are actually 'doing it' but already engaged. That. That's IT.

My commentary this evening is from Kula HQ at ... Well you know her as I've described that she still has a check book register :). She thinks I amuse myself way too much with that one, but she should know the immense lesson that is for me- keep to a pattern that works. Slow and steady wins the race. That's right, I'm totally katie-girl's #1 fan girl. She's preggers if you don't know!  Yes, I love watching this one evolve in this world. 

I just spotted the Biracik Hand towel I gave her (last year after I went to Biracik, on the Euphrates in SE Turkey) in her kitchen. Also, the Amethyst - encrusted hand mirror in her bathroom :) my old, wicker file cabinet baskets are proudly  displayed in the dining room in a splendid state of decay.  Ahhh I've filed many a good piece of paper in those drawers of old *sigh*. But thats IT. I secretly must love tradition because  these little things make me smile in life when at Katie-girl's. And it is that tradition I find in her house that makes me keep up my tradition of leaving "tiny messages" as I call them rough out her house in odd places!!! Like little surprise presides that her and Jamil happen upon whenever. 

  

And then I see instances where she has broke tradition: on the absence of the water filter in fridge, that shower cleaner thing that was in her shower for years and years is gone. It was strange. She got it at a garage sale I think. She was happy. She loved that thing. When I would visit, I would use it (after you showered, you would press a magic button and this thing would rotate and spray and clean shower. It  just made me smile every time I used it.  I love useful magic. Katie-girl excels at useful magic. 

It's noon in Bahrain- the next day. Have no idea the rime here really. Time. Yea, time travel trips me out. Those 50's sci-fi series. They were good for the imagination, and have relevance for the present. Watching old Star Trek series and seeing Dr. Spock & crew re-combining in their little particle re-combiner contraption, this always amazed me.  Today, as I was on my last day of a 2 solid day flight journey, I visualized this. I visualized myself- without knowing it initially. Our bodies are doing just that from the inside, but we just don't see it because of our protective layering ((skin & psyche). 

BREAKING NEWS: I'm heading into the tent...

Night sounds surround me. Exactly what I need. I need my mind blown- Maui style. Maui does not disappoint ever. I feel really lucky to always return. Ahhh Maui and it's moisture and nurishment from the mountains and the far reaching clouds that look for somewhere throughout their march across  the Pacific Ocean to unleash their rainy fury. As I type underneath the li'l camp light, I hear melodic sounds.  Insects - they sound so exotic at night. In daylight hours one usually wants to smash them dead. Oh the dichotomy of contemplating insects... 

"Tent" is a 'pup-tent'. Hopefully the rain-fly becomes of use tonight :) The tropical coolness in the air envelops my skin. Like it knows my skin is craving rain. Craving moisture. Craving Maui. How can Maui know a thing like that? 

I , of course, did my centipede check. Always a good idea. Always. By the way, I have hot-peppered beef jerky and chocolate in Tent with me... I went and visited Oppo (Katie-girl's Chinchilla). Oppo, old man,   And myself- having intra-species communications of the mind. Oh Star Trek... 

I mean, I have just been transported- back in time. Back in Maui psyche mode. Back to the space I am most comfortable in. I thought about exactly that as I stepped outside Tent to pee. Peeing in nature. All animals do it. We Hope Sapiens can still do it too- especially at night when no one is around and you're sleeping underneath the stars. Anyway, great feeling.  'Too much information' you're thinking? Well, I'm thinking that's why you read blogs- because you want more information!  Anyway, I try not to disappoint readers so... There ya have it. 

Okay moving on to another subject... I guess I can bombard you with more information. I now hear bigg-ish raindrops spaced quite a few seconds apart. No downpour- yet!!! Wouldn't THAT be something? 

One thing to mention for those of is that travel long distances frequently is that air travel used to be so great. Now, it's just lines, taking laptops outta computer bags for security checks, retaking shoes off (only in America still do I seem to do this at airports) going through security mazes, walking down too narrow of aisles, not getting enough sleep, eating shit food, etc. It all sucks. What feels good? First class. This is an experience I rarely experience, but today I saw my angel in the form of a Hawaiian girl at the United Airlines counter at LAX. I had a window seat and wanted to change to aisle, and I had a 5 hour layover at LAX so I walked up.. She did the computer magic thing and saw my route for the past 2 days and looked at me and said, "Oh, you're getting upgraded to First Class'". Man, local style!  I get me some 'wasta' back home in Hawaii ( "wasta" or 'Baksheesh' is kinda like 'privilege' maybe is a decent word to use to describe a synonym). 

Anyway, as I mentioned in my last blog entry, I tend to get sat next to kinda hunky guys on airplanes. This time too. We managed to have a fantastic conversation right from the start. Then, I woke up 5 hours later when the airline attendant came on and said that we would be landing soon... Yea. That's what First Class does to one. It let's you sleep- even through having a conversation with a kinda hunky guy :)

I wonder what time it is. *Kerplunk*

Ps  didn't spell check... Don't need to because Maui is IN my mind. It was like an instant blood transfusion of Vitamin M for Maui... Yea folks it's all that. Oh yes, da kine got me and got me good. No let go da reins :)

Ready...Set...Go: From Middle East to Western Pacific Ocean

Am I ready?  Yea, I'm ready to rock outta here in  my rocket-ship (ahem... Lufthansa Airlines). So folks, it looks like this is my last communique from my A`ali HQ for a few months. I'm deserting the desert for my Western Pacific island.  Desert Dweller to Island Kine. Let me tell you, it's not a journey for the faint of heart; stuck in economy class for 30 hours or so, eating kibble I wouldn't feed my kitties, breathing recirculated air while trying not to listen in on conversations... Wait. Back-up. No one has conversations anymore... Even on planes we're reduced to clutching at our lifelines- if not to call someone, but to stare at the screen playing games or watching movies.  Yea, I'll be watching movies as well and likely not talking to anyone.  Well, honestly I've been pretty fortunate in the 'cool neighbor on airplane' department.  As a single gal flying around the world and only sitting on aisle seats, I've somehow always managed to be placed next to a... single, handsome male flying around the world sitting in the 'mush-pot' as my dad would always say... Enough on that and let's just hope for the best :)

Speaking of dad, I've been thinking about him lately.  Thinking about his wisdom and wise-sayings.  What was he thinking when he traveled all around the world- albeit inside a submarine... I would love to ask him what I need to know, what I really need to know, about grant-writing.  I feel like I write with my heart on my sleeve, or fingers extending onto the computer screen so as it happens...

Upon doing some research on what teaching Fellows/Fulbrights have options to do after their terms are up, I've discovered there is a wealth of grants to apply for to conduct research in your specialized area.  Well folks, I've ran it through in my mind (dad, were you following?) and am plotting... I won't divulge now, but just know that something is in the works for me in the future. Honestly though, the first step is to become an alumni, and I'm not there yet- thankfully!  Yea, if you don't already know, my mission has been extended and so I'll be returning to Bahrain in September to carry on with another 10 months of teaching in residence.  So what does that mean?  It means another 10 months of plotting for my future, it means data collection- which means a plan... It means thinking about culture, landscape, archaeology, history, story-telling. It means narrowing down to a specific region I want to focus on.  Yea, I'm stoked when I think about the future.  Just need to take that first step...

To help me sort out all this in my mind, I've decided to take on another cross-country Amerika journey on 18 wheels.  I think you all know this already, but I'm just so excited that  I squeal with delight when I think about it!  To prepare for the southern route I've done some background research.  What form you ask?  Well, for starters I watched seasons 1 and 2 of Duck Dynasty... That's about as far as I've gotten so far... Any more ideas from you guys is greatly appreciated.

Back to this morning though.  Here in my host desert kingdom:  It's my last morning with coffee in bed for a while.  I'm glued to the air conditioner. I've made a make-shift 'fort' (pillows and a sarong) for the kitties on the bed so they are playing Indians and Indians :)  Yea, no cowboys to be seen here at Fort Formolo- just Shaika "long black spot" and Sami "scalpel"... For some reason Sami Bey likes to creep up on me while sleeping and start pawing at my hair, and then pulling it... Kinda creepy honestly.  I think to myself, "Gosh, what if I don't wake up for a while and when I do, I see a pile of hair on the bed and I rub a bald spot... Eek.

Ramadan has started and it is a festive atmosphere here. Yesterday I fasted all day- just by default as I was at work and didn't bring anything to eat, and of course there is nothing there to eat at this time.  I didn't eat or drink until 5pm when I was finished with my day.  You know what, it wasn't too bad.  Yes, I say this for only 1 day of fasting- and it wasn't even long enough as with daylight long right now, fasting is approximately for 15 hours. So, while you're fasting, I suppose that you do things to distract yourself from this endeavor.  So I decided to trot off after work to a 'house of henna'- Rachna's Henna Salon.  I spent the afternoon with a bunch of lovely ladies all enjoying a brief respite from the heat and chatting about whatever with each other. I suppose not surprisingly I noticed a few ladies glued to their cell phones- even when their friends were right there with them!  I guess this still trips me out. Are we really all about this tiny screen and tapping?  I guess so and it's here to stay until we all become big losers and get Google Glasses... Ugh.

Another thing I noticed since Saturday (Ramadan was set to start Saturday, but then Saudi Arabia didn't spot the crescent moon (with naked eye) at the proper time, so it was set back to start Sunday.  So, this gave everyone an extra day to EAT and DRINK!!! The supermarkets were crowded.  I mean super crowded.  As well, yesterday afternoon Alosra Sar parking lot was really crowded.  People like buying food during Ramadan!  Why?  Because they make splendid meals for Iftar (the daily breaking of the fast at sundown and after prayers). I mean, these are some serious spreads.  Food galore.  I remember friends in Turkey telling me they actually gain weight during Ramazan!  So yes, people stay up all night and eat and socialize.  It is a time of family gathering and purifying.  It is really so beautiful.

This year is particularly interesting here for Ramadan because also late at night is... wait for it... THE WORLD CUP games being aired!  Because of the time difference between South America and the Middle East, the games are aired late at night!  So, of course everybody is eating and watching the games!  And boy what a game last night between Algeria (I think everybody's favorite) and Germany.  Germany won, but Algeria won our hearts!  Damn those men are handsome too :)  That's another thing about the Middle East- there is no shortage of handsome men, and beautiful women incidentally. I've yet to check out Qatar (I'm flying there tonight), but so far Oman is tops for beautiful men category :) I can say honestly though that everybody here has beautiful hearts.  I can also say that driving is scary... All who know me know that I'm 'slowpoke'- mostly because I always had "Maui Cruiser" cars (old beaters) that would generally shimmy and shake at 55MPH...

To sum up, Ramadan Mubarak, or Ramadan Kareem to all reading this that partake!!!

It's time to rise and shine and get this day done and hop on a rocket-ship and cruise the galaxy (okay, airplane traveling through the stratosphere).  Upon arrival (48 hours travel time without time differences to account for, so less with), I'll be sleeping underneath the Maui sky in a tent in a Kula backyard!!! How cool is that??? What a way to break myself back into island living!  Yes, I'm keeping it real.  No air conditioners for me for the next few months thankfully.  Just good, clean Maui air to keep me cool, calm and relaxed.  Yea, and Da Kine :)

Arabian Sea

Western Pacific Ocean

The Last Days of Disco?

The last days of disco Turkey

As I type from my home office bed on a Sunday morning here in Gaziantep I realize that it is not just another Sunday morning.  It is my 2nd to last Sunday morning in Gaziantep. It's rather monumental- certainly for me.  Certainly for friends that are leaving/staying. As we all bid each other adieu and the population of Petek Apartments dwindles as each soldier bravely leaves their cell block barracks that they have taken shelter in for the past year or 2...

Yes, we are dropping in numbers. One combatant, Long Dark Rain Cloud, left already.

NOTE: As most all you should know by now, I have pet names for everybody. I even have pet names for my important computer files. They are sweet. They are smart. They are silly. Okay, I will press on.

Two more, Thurston & Lovey,  will escape from the trenches today. Many returners have already left for their homelands in order to take advantage of their vacations before summer school begins, etc.  Some are leaving for bigger arenas; some are leaving in hopes of finding another arena; some had no choice but to leave; some are leaving with dreams of wanderlust; some are simply leaving.

The point being that we have all experienced a sort of 'boot camp.'  There were ups and downs, but generally it was just a matter of flat-lining in a day-to-day existence.  We all grew collectively as separate units.  It was a long, strange trip for all of us- Turks, and all internationals alike.  We all had our growing pains.  We all learned how to give and take between the cultures.  We all learned our 'systems' of operation.  As with every system, there are diversions and quirky side alleys, open-spaces and backstreets, as opposed to the main avenues, mass suburbs and MOI so to speak.

 It is a beautiful thing- to reinvent ourselves. You know- to all of us leaving: When one door closes, another opens.  This... this is the driving force. This keeps me wanting more. This drug so powerful that I am a happy addict for life. I am thankful to have experienced life here in SE Turkey. 

SIDE NOTE: drinking coffee and staring into the space formerly known as 'Holly's fairly tidy living room'. Again, most know that I like to be fairly organized. More than fairly actually. Right now chaos is seeping into my life. Oh how I wish I could just dump out all my empty bags and start throwing things into each.  This is how it is organized in my mind:

box 1 ("school nerd")
This gets shipped via MNG Cargo to Ankara and then to the US Embassy for shipping to Bahrain US Embassy. This consists of school books, scholarly books and anything else remotely associated with work. This is a real box... I will meet the box in Ankara to hand deliver.

box 2 (The Black Box)
This is my trusty black Da Kine rolling canvas duffel bag. Very durable, yet 1 wheel is all askew.  This means this one does not travel far. It stays in Istanbul awaiting my return in 1 year... inshallah (please Vicky... please)
Full of clothing- mostly winter, which I will not need in Bahrain.

NOTE: each 'box' will contain a packing list, and I will have a master copy (actually 2; one hardcopy and one back-up file). 

box 3 (Mr. Preppy)
This is my trusty checker-print Da Kine rolling canvas duffel bag. Very durable + has 4 working wheels. It also stays in Istanbul awaiting my return in 1 year... inshallah (please Vicky... please)
Full of memories that cannot escape my life yet (mostly travel interests).

NOTE: boxes 1, 2 and 3 to be shipped to Istanbul via MNG Cargo

box 4 (Aegean Mermaid)
This is my trusty green swirly patterned Da Kine rolling canvas duffel bag. Very durable and in working order. The Aegean Mermaid travels to Istanbul and Hawaii with me. It is full of presents.Some additional things that I need to take to Bahrain go in here.

box 5 (Mr. Dangerous)
This  is my untrustworthy rolling duffel bag hastily bought in a back alley somewhere in Istanbul I believe... Can't even remember.  I feel that I cannot trust this bag after completing 1 final mission back to a new homeland (Hawaii) where it will immigrate and try to fit in to its local surroundings. It is actually only a rotation box- only if I really need it...

box 6 (Pleasure Box)
This is my acid-green injured upright carry-on rolling bag. It had some problems over the past years. Its color has dulled to a decayed, almost forgotten green- almost unrecognizable now. This must stay here in Gaziantep I fear. The Pleasure Box is full of books that I don't want to part with, but can if absolutely necessary.  It will be hosted by none other than Solo_ojo.  He doesn't know this tidbit of information yet.  I'll likely spring it on him sometime next week when he's feeling nostalgic about how our friendship has blossomed  throughout 2 countries, 2 jobs and 2 revolutions...

box 7 (Mrs Beg, Borrow and Steal)
This is (my) loaned-out red carry-on rolling bag. It travels to Ist and Hawaii- back to its rightful mistress (owner). It has been a good loaner, and will bring immense good luck to its mistress. It has been put in charge of such tasks as secreting away my valuables during my stay here (original idea, no?)

So, that is that.  I'm sure that I missed something. I love it that one of the Turkish teachers said they would help me pack if I needed it because they were just as insanely structured and organized as I am with packing (I think perhaps even more so actually).

In essence, I have a lot to do, and finding it difficult to throw myself into it.  I am in the process of giving away EVERYTHING from my apartment.  Everybody better come and get it today because  one of the workers here is going to take everything this afternoon!!!

Now to finish up my 2nd cuppa joe and get the organizing started...

ps- there is a revolution in Turkey right now.  It's fucked up. The people are tired of the current govt trying to micro-manage their every daily move.  It's a good fight.  Much respect to all the peeps out on the front lines for the past 5 days.  I fully support and am doing what I can to further the cause.