Turkey Day 2: The Seven Sleepers

On this sunny, spring Easter Sunday in Izmir, Turkey, an exploration of the site of The Seven Sleepers was in order.

Love her!

Oh you have a Turkish face.  And you speak some Turkish words. Are your parents from Turkey? Are you married? You are really from America? Not Turkish?

Tractor traffic in the right lane only.

Windy road of death with stick-trees to distract you from the fact that you are probably about to die.

Local resident man trapped by weird American girl with camera. 

It's the best smile he can do.  

Crafting flower crowns.  

100 Books

100 Books

This year I have a goal to read 100 books. 9 down, 91 more to go!

1. Little Princes by Conor Grennan (highly recommend- about Nepal)

2. Passage to Istanbul by Joseph Kanon (meh- slow spy novel, not very much culture, do not recommend)

3. Desert Queen by Janet Wallach (you have to be in the mood)

4. Tales from the Expat Harem by Anastasia Ashman (highly recommend)

6.  Rebel Land by Christopher de Bellaigue (recommend- historical background via stories of different kinds of people in Turkey including Kurds and Armenians)

8. SOLD by Zana Muhsen (highly recommend- about Yemen)

9. My Forbidden Face by Latifa (highly recommend- about Afghanistan)

10.  Princess by Jean Sasson (highly recommend- about Saudi Arabia)

11. Girls Like Us: Fighting for a World Where Girls are not for Sale by Rachel Loyd (recommend- about child enslavement in New York)

Currently underway:
5. Apples are from Kazakhstan by Christopher Robins (recommend- great explanations of Soviet transitions)

7.  Crescent & Star by Stephen Kinzer (not a narrative- just historic information- dry)

12.  Leap of Faith by Queen Noor

Up next:
13.  Murder in the Name of Honor by Rana Husseini

Turkey Day 1: Love, At First Sight

Out my window

Breakfast buffet

Mix of Turkish and English books in the Hotel lobby.  

Izmir does open your heart and feed your soul!

He posed for me, good sport.  

She also was willing to pose.  Darling!

Serious about the work!

Prayer beads

Sterotyping Texas?