What to do on a plane when you have an annoying passenger next to you.

[Swish]

Hey, I was just trying to point out that Turkey today isn't what's depicted in Midnight Express and that anyone can vacation there just like in any other European country. I've traveled all over Europe, including Turkey, and I can say unequivocally that there are far more dangerous places than Istanbul. Heck I feel safer there than in South Newark or Watts for sure.

It just seemed like the associations from Turkey to human rights to terrorism were slipping mighty fast into stereotypical assumptions about people based only on where they happen to live. Ironically, the primary source of terrorism in Turkey is actually anti-Muslim. Likewise the recent upsurge of Christian-based anti-government terrorism here in our own country certainly doesn't help. And our prison system is no model of human rights either. Movies like Midnight Express just accentuate negative stereotypes when our own country is far more disturbing in these areas.

Whether we want to admit it or not, traveling in Muslim countries is typically much safer than in Christian countries, just ask anyone else who has. So let Mr. MidFi have his vacation in peace. I'm sure it will be a wonderful trip with plenty of positive stories for him to report back when he returns.

...when I mentioned that movie and that I would have no trouble traveling to Turkey. It's not exactly at the top of my list, but I wouldn't avoid it either.

As for religious zealots, there are some in nearly every religion, and history is fraught with wars that were started because of religious differences. Amazing, isn't it?

[Mr MidFi]

... and jet-lagged as hell. Did anyone miss me?

We had a blast and saw some very cool things. Anyone interested in looking at just a few of our photos can check them out here:
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/f192159874
(many more are to come; we haven't had time to sort through them all)

[ForeverAutumn]

... and jet-lagged as hell. Did anyone miss me?

We had a blast and saw some very cool things. Anyone interested in looking at just a few of our photos can check them out here:
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/f192159874
(many more are to come; we haven't had time to sort through them all)

I missed you.

Too many pictures there to view at work. I'll have to wait until I get home. But tell us, what was the highlight of your trip?

[Mr MidFi]

I missed you.

Too many pictures there to view at work. I'll have to wait until I get home. But tell us, what was the highlight of your trip?

Tough to pick just one, but... the hot-air balloon ride over Cappadocia was pretty incredible!

[nightflier]

Any signs of the kinds of misery in Midnight Express?

[atomicAdam]

Hey...
Even old New York was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it, I can't say
(People just liked it better that way)

Take me back to Constantinople
No, you can't go back to Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That's nobody's business but the Turks!

too bad they are making children's music now.....

[Mr MidFi]

Any signs of the kinds of misery in Midnight Express?

Actually, we drove past a high-security prison out in the middle of nowhere a couple of times... and it looked like a suitably grim place. [shudder] But generally, and overall, the Turkish people were among the kindest and most hospitable people we've ever encountered, anywhere. And Istanbul is just a huge, bustling, prosperous metropolis with a million things to see and do.

And the food's really good, too.

[Troy]

too bad they are making children's music now.....

I HIGHLY recommend the recent TMBG releases The Else and Cast Your Pod to the Wind. Both are throwbacks to the first 3-4 albums. Short quirky and excellently weird little songs.

I despise the eye-rolling political turn Nightlier forced on this thread, but no, it should not be relocated.

[3LB]

Turkey...the original white meat

[Swish]

Turkey...the original white meat

....Pork the one you love.

[Swish]

... and jet-lagged as hell. Did anyone miss me?

We had a blast and saw some very cool things. Anyone interested in looking at just a few of our photos can check them out here:
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/f192159874
(many more are to come; we haven't had time to sort through them all)

...you forgot the rule that you should include people (yourself?) in some of them. I particularly liked the bird in flight. A local artist was taking pictures at a wildlife preserve and got a picture with hundreds, if not thousands, of geese taking off at the same time, and it's truly amazing. I should have bought a print at the last art show. Heck, I still can at the next one since he's local.

[Mr MidFi]

...you forgot the rule that you should include people (yourself?) in some of them.

That's actually at my wife's insistence... she's the one who posts the images to the zenfolio account. For whatever reason, she doesn't want people knowing what we look like. I think she assumes there are too many perverts out there. Based on what I've observed of the internet, that's not necessarily wrong.

Anyone who wants to know what we actually look like can see us here, however...
onelittleworld.com