Gettin all Culturated
Well, after a week that included rain, snow and all around evil weather, İstanbul has evened out at a balmy 15 degrees. Hopefully this trend will continue. The rain does appear to have washed away some of the dirt, and it's absence seems to have brought about a general uplifting of spirits in the city. İn these fair conditions, the street hawkers have settled into somewhat of a lethargy, with their half hearted cries blending into a soothing lull. Maybe İ've just become accustomed to the city.
Robyn's elementary school friend was in town from London for the weekend and we took the opportunity to see some of the more tourist oriented sights. The hightlights included the Blue Mosque, arguably the most famous in Turkey. The strange thing is that people were still attending prayer services when they let tourists in. There were all sorts of people bowing and praying, while bloated, new money tour goers wandered about with a shocking lack of respect. Heads that should traditionally be covered when entering a mosque were left uncovered, and vice versa. Polite signs that asked all non muslims to please stay behind them were overlooked, and many were taking pictures of people beside them in the act of prayer. İ know that my stated reason for this trip was to wreck cultural havoc, but this seemed a bit much. Such is the way of the world these days. İ suppose that İ shall need to developed a stronger stomach if İ am to become a true global menace.
Speaking of religious experiences, İ also attended a sufi ceremony. The dervıshes seem to be more in tune with the times, charging a somewhat exorbitant price for people to watch them worship god. They span with much gracefulness, giving my holy vertigo. They wear tall, fuzzy hats and İ still can't figure out how they keep them on their heads.
İn a final spurt of culturelust, we spent today visiting the hagia sophia, a 500 bc christian church that was repurposed as a mosque in the 1400's and later opened as a museum by the Kemalists. The exterior is buttressed by progressively newer buildings to prevent its collapse. The interior is a mishmash of early Christian artwork, oriental architecture, and Viking graffiti. A huge, domed central room, marred by restoritive-oriented scaffolding, dominated. Hopefully, it's magnitude comes across in our pictures.
Reviewing this post, İ observe a number of circumspect spelling choices, not to mention words that İ wordsmithed myself. The more Turkish İ learn, the more English İ lose. By the time İ get home, İ'll be a half incoherent illiterate (a change from my usually state of one third incoherence and only partial literacy).
A hearty shout out to all my followers, try not to kill yourselves before İ get back (this is mainly directed at you, Randal).
Will
Robyn's elementary school friend was in town from London for the weekend and we took the opportunity to see some of the more tourist oriented sights. The hightlights included the Blue Mosque, arguably the most famous in Turkey. The strange thing is that people were still attending prayer services when they let tourists in. There were all sorts of people bowing and praying, while bloated, new money tour goers wandered about with a shocking lack of respect. Heads that should traditionally be covered when entering a mosque were left uncovered, and vice versa. Polite signs that asked all non muslims to please stay behind them were overlooked, and many were taking pictures of people beside them in the act of prayer. İ know that my stated reason for this trip was to wreck cultural havoc, but this seemed a bit much. Such is the way of the world these days. İ suppose that İ shall need to developed a stronger stomach if İ am to become a true global menace.
Speaking of religious experiences, İ also attended a sufi ceremony. The dervıshes seem to be more in tune with the times, charging a somewhat exorbitant price for people to watch them worship god. They span with much gracefulness, giving my holy vertigo. They wear tall, fuzzy hats and İ still can't figure out how they keep them on their heads.
İn a final spurt of culturelust, we spent today visiting the hagia sophia, a 500 bc christian church that was repurposed as a mosque in the 1400's and later opened as a museum by the Kemalists. The exterior is buttressed by progressively newer buildings to prevent its collapse. The interior is a mishmash of early Christian artwork, oriental architecture, and Viking graffiti. A huge, domed central room, marred by restoritive-oriented scaffolding, dominated. Hopefully, it's magnitude comes across in our pictures.
Reviewing this post, İ observe a number of circumspect spelling choices, not to mention words that İ wordsmithed myself. The more Turkish İ learn, the more English İ lose. By the time İ get home, İ'll be a half incoherent illiterate (a change from my usually state of one third incoherence and only partial literacy).
A hearty shout out to all my followers, try not to kill yourselves before İ get back (this is mainly directed at you, Randal).
Will
posted by Will at 6:59 AM
3 Comments:
uh, okay, i guess i'll try not to off meself, though i must admit, i have no such intentions. i'm just travelling a my usual speed of crazyosity or some such marching to the beat of an obscure drummer. also, maybe the hats stay on the sufis becuase they get twisted on real tight. y'know, like when you wind an elastic up reeeaal tight and then let it go. maybe them thar sufis are spinning in the opposite way. but then again, probably not.
rml
ps: if you'all are innerested there's a linda mccartney photo exhibit (as well as others) at the RBC museum that should still be on when you get back. lissa and i went to the advance opening before all the other proles get to sully the place. they even have a rolling stones imax movie. kinda sweet, really.
pps: don't know if you've been following the news, but we have a fed election coming up on the 23 of jan, making this the longest election campaign in decades. pretty crazy, especially 'cause (and i would be money on this) that we are going to have another minority gov (either lib or con). the cons also wanna re-visit the who marriage issue--idiots.
damnit, bet money, not be money
damnit, bet money, not be money
rml
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