There is a sky somewhere...

New York... Life runs so fast in this city. Faster than Istanbul. Streets are narrow and half is definitely under construction. 

Every corner is full of homeless, and the corner of Wall Street showing the two faces of the new world...

I like the rush always, but this city is so crowded. Coming from Istanbul, if I say crowded, it definitely is. I have been to some like 10 states in US and this is the most "foreigner" one. People are first foreigners; second foreigners to each other. 

But this is New York. Alive 24 hours, fresh with new lives entering its territory every day... but doesnt let people see the sun at 3 pm in the afternoon diving into the blue sky. When I thought it was evening in the afternoon, I remembered Ken Loach's film on 9/11. It was showing how the city got sun after the twin towers came down with the attacks. Of course it is a terrible way to see the sun, but I felt good to see that there are some people that do want to see the sun all day long!!!

Have a nice day. 

A forgotten Eurasia Marathon

Just to chill out... and because of the ridiculous (did i write right?:)) banning of blogspot I couldnt put pictures of Eurasia Marathon. It is done almost for the last 10 years annually. Runners in the morning start from Asia, then cross over the Bosphorus Bridge and end in Taksim. Because the bridge is at normal times close to pedestrians, typical Turkish citizens use the marathon as a way to walk, have breakfast, celebrate birthdays on the bridge one time in a year. This exactly shows how we are so interested in running::))

If you ask me, no I didnt run, because I had to work and it was raining crazily. See, I am not that sportsperson either... I changed by time::)

NOTE: If you look carefully at the background of the photo with the sign on, you can see my newspaper, SABAH, with capital letters vertically..

kiss.. 

Saving Bilge in New York...

Hi...

This time from New York... I am stuck in the hotel room after 11 hours of desperate flight. Why on earth do I belong to that "never sleeping people" group and not to the "can sleep in every position" clan? This is all I judge right now... 

New York... I have flown 3 times from here and at last will stay for 4 nights... It is never enough to know a city in so short time but I know I am a good explorer. I will get used to the area in a couple of days...

It looks so lightful and lively here. According to the taxi driver, the best job after being a doctor or an engineer in NY is to be a driver. He told me he earns more than any other job-well surely more than me:))) Maybe I should work here as a driver and part/time reporter... not a bad idea!!:)

Tomorrow I will start writing about elections. Maybe I am a little late for that but save the best for last. And on Sunday I will travel to Chicago to cover Obama... I still cannot believe that he is going to win but he seems so good until now... But this is USA: powerful enough to change anything in the world...!!!

Iceland-2 "Dark woman between blondes"

Back in Istanbul, but thinking still about Iceland... because I've been answering all those crazy and never ending questions about Iceland: what did you eat? was it really freezing? were there any other turkish (this is Turk's great ideal: finding the other Turk whereever they go and talk about how their country is much more superior on everything, especially food!):))

and here comes the biggest question from the men bored to see 70 million brunette, dark women: why didnt you bring with you a cute, blonde? answer is, why dont you try to go there; you will be a prince, they love dark men, because there isnt any!!!:) (see the picture attached for the 2 blondes my newspaper put on the first page! Iceland; country of blondes!)

Some of little things apart  from these serious issues; if you ever decide to go to Reykjavik, definitely go to hot pool... Outside temperature is 2 degrees but pool is boiling. Because there are many volcanos (erupting so often) in Iceland, it heats the water. Hot water is free! Cold smells a little sulphur, because it directly comes from the source right to your tap...

The government made a highway around the island. So for those who want a long travel, you can hire a car and drive around. My Icelander friend, Björgvin said that it takes 48 hours if you never stop. So it can be real excitement. On your way glaciers, hot sources, great fish and quiet... (and no the government of Iceland do not pay me for all these ads)...

However, I got a free dinner in a fish restaurant I did an interview before. Sometimes (but very rarely), it helps to be a journalist. I ate in a very small, but fantastic place called "Sjavar Barinn", right on the harbor. You must try all those on the table. Also not so far, one of the best lobster soups in "Sea baron" cooked by a 80 year old fisherman... 

May God bless the seafood and all places that cook them!!! 

From the far north... Country of Ice...

I am in the land where it was once the place of dreams... Where wealth was so high and where occupied the first place of the "happy people" index. 

I am in Iceland... Thousand of kilometres away from probably each person reading this blog... 

No it's not snowing and no it's not freezing. Actually people of Iceland dont like it when you call here "the land of ice".

I am not here to interview Björk, sorry... But to write about something much more interesting: economic crisis. But what is a "crisis" when you have 3 cars and you lose one. Comparing to other ends of the world, poverty... This country is one of those examples that will fill in the books, "dont be like them" title. Greed, losing yourself in huge amounts of money, then falling from the top when there is no net to save you...

But apart from everything, this is such a beautiful country. Black volcanic mountains, dressed with snow, a huge lake, brilliant sky... Sun cuts your eyes because it's so close to the poles. For those of you, who like cold weather, Iceland. The people are so so friendly, very open. Because the population is very small, (only 120.000 in Reykjavik), everybody knows each other. This city is more like a modern village...

There are wonderful fish restaurants. One of those best food are shark meat, cod...

I will write more about here...

bilge. 

 

Peace at home... Peace in the world...

Do you ever get tired of this world... to consider it as a bus, and want to shout to the driver "please let me off in the nearest stop?" To hide in a place quiet, peaceful, to be on your own. To be out of office, its never ending gossips... Work in a black box! Disappear... No need to answer the cell, after, no need to answer thousands of questions why your cell was off!... Maybe on the far end of where east meets west, where another continent starts... No, you cannot hide in the same city... you gotto run. as far as you can...

Sometimes where the peace is by the people you tried most to leave out of your life... the people who brought you, gave into this world, left looking after your footsteps in life and the ones that never liked your steps (and will never like!)... so maybe that quiet, peaceful place is with them... I spent my weekend in one of the most hidden corners of Istanbul- Guzelce... Hope it always stays as a secret for its little inhabitants:)

I spent it with them...

Thank you mom and dad! 

Hi... Merhaba... Ciao... Hola...

Hi to everyone... Merhaba...

Today, 10/Oct/08 I started my blog. The reason I write here is for others to know my country, beautiful Turkey, my travels -I do a lot- and to meet different people in the incredibly fast changing and expanding world.
I always kept a diary through my school years filling loads of pages with my life, spending hours to write them and then spending another extra hours trying to hide them from my mother. However now I am here making my some part of my life open to maybe millions. Just a contradiction as years go by and world changes.

I will write by blog in English, because there is no translation in internet from Turkish to English. Maybe with this, "they" can recognize why there is no technic for a language that is spoken for more than 300 million people all over the world. But you are free to comment in any language that I can understand, Turkish, English, little bit of Italian.

Welcome again...