On Comparison

"Comparison prevents you from looking fully. To really look at the sunset, there must be no comparison; to really look at you, I must not compare you with someone else, it is only when I look at you without comparative judgment that I can understand you."

Istanbul Grand Photo Finale

I woke up the last morning of the trip, and decided I should maybe have orange curtains too.

Spice Bazaar. I actually stood on the side here and wrote in my journal, kind of as an experiment to see if anyone would bother me. They didn't. Amazing.

My favorite treat. It's roasted pistachios with apricot date filling. Sweets of the gods.

Mmm, instant sugar high.

The only not-nice person in Istanbul. We bought coffee from him. Turkish-style. I haven't tried mine yet, but it's in my purse, ready for a sniff anytime. All the locals were here getting their daily grind.

Another example of a Turk resting.

Spice Bazaar- turkish delight.

Alley way lunch. Sure as heck doesn't look alleyway, does it?

Notice the lack of females. Most women in Turkey spend their lives in the home. I don't think I'd be too good at being a Turk, unless I had a sex change. Probably not gonna happen.

I was sitting right by these sponges, so I couldn't not include them.

Waiting for the airport shuttle, before we realised our watch was an hour slow.

But we still caught the flight...

I love Turkey. (Still veg though.)

Look at these lazy Turks! I'd have a mind to do the same thing every day. If I could let myself.

Ok, so E insisted on documenting my "pajamas." Yes. That's correct. I always acclimate to "freezing my ass off" regardless of the temperature. I tucked my nightie into my jeans, so was all proper like.

Independence and being "on the way."

Thanks to years in Portland, I see rain as romantic and beautiful and cleansing. It also bring out the colors in everything.

Istanbul: Day 1

I am so driven by color-- I know these are tastier than usual - being so beautiful. This was Breakfast Dessert.

On the Bosphorous.

The pretty flowers. PLASTIC! I'm thinking I might be part Turkish. And when I grow up rather than killing things, I'll just stick plastic plants everywhere. No one will know for better. If anyone gives me crap, I'll just tell them I'm saving the earth by saving water. Or mention my guilt at serial plant killing, which is a talent of mine.

Second coffee of the day (but I think our hostel served us instant so that doesn't count.). First Turkish Coffee of the trip.

Third coffee. First espresso. Best smelling coffee in a long ass time.

I think this is Mosque Sofia.

I want to make this tree and put it in my room. Or my living room. Or my kitchen. Or the bathroom.

I used to have a problem with puzzles. But after therapy, ok never mind-- I'll never be cured.

Look at those two guys on the left. I had to sneak-take this picture... at the Grand Bazaar.

More dialogue to follow...

As usual, this trip is verification that I have a severe incurable travel addiction.

From the Lazarus Project, an Eastern European online photo gallery & book project

~~Home is where somebody notices when you are no longer there.~~

 

~~His last words of advice were about the US of A. Over there anything can be true.~~

 

~~I needed to imagine what I could not retrieve; I needed to see what I could not imagine.~~

 

~~Your nightmares follow you forever, like a shadow.~~

 

~~He had always been a slow man, but after he had sunk into the aquarium of darkness, he became even slower; now time flowed differently for him.~~

 

~~A human face consists of other faces- the faces you inherited or picked up along the way, or the ones you simply made up.~~

 

~~Her indomitable spirit was not intimidated by the presence of the law.~~

 

 

 

NYT Multimedia

Lens: Eastern Europe's Odd Attractions By SHANE DIXON KAVANAUGH Published: June 1, 2010

Velibor Božović's photographs of Eastern Europe almost look familiar, as Shane Dixon Kavanaugh reports. But everything is slightly off.

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/01/showcase-168/

 

The Lazarus Project online version: http://aleksandarhemon.com/lazarus/#