More Turkish Adventures

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27 May, 2012
Trips, Turkey

The last post hinted at misadventures with my hotel reservation. At the time I didn’t know the whole story. The apartment hotel did not have a suitable room so they sent me across the street to the hotel I first called. I was given a nice room there that even included a jacuzzi, and I presumed the room was for my scheduled two-night stay. When I came back the next day for a short rest after a morning walk around I learned that check out time was passed (BAD BOY!!!), and I was supposed to get out. About this time a more diplomatic desk clerk from hotel #1 appeared to try to placate me and move me back across the street to a room in that hotel.

One of the reasons for my skepticism about what I was being told is shown in this photo of the entrance to hotel #1 (the doorway on the right) taken in the morning from the front door of hotel #2 where I had stayed. By the way, the name of hotel #1 is Adrien Basilica Apartment Hotel.

https://manageknowledge.us/blog/?p=1189

Turkish Adventure

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26 May, 2012
bio, Trips, Turkey

After a 12 hour and 28 minute flight on Turkish Airlines a tired me arrived in Istanbul. The last few minutes of the flight I was asking myself what’s the worst thing that can happen when I land. I decided the worst thing would be if the hotel had not sent the driver for me since I didn’t know how to get to the hotel by public transportation.

Guess what after paying €20 for an entry visa because of my  American passport no driver from the hotel was waiting for me with a sign with my name on it. I didn’t want to make a roaming phone call on my T-Mobile anywhere phone at $2.69 a minute, and I couldn’t figure out how to use public phones I found.  Finally stressed to my limit I spied a cafe bar that luckily did have wifi. The wifi enabled me to use my google voice number to call the hotel. The fun continued when the hotel clerk said there was no record of my reservation but perhaps my reservation was with another hotel with a similar name.

Armed with the phone number of the other hotel that the clerk had given me I called what was the  correct hotel. Rather than send a driver this clerk suggested I take a taxi from the airport instead. I think I got 1 of the last honest taxi drivers in Instanbul who didn’t know the part of town where my hotel was.

Anyway here are some photos taken from the window of my room in hotel #2 (Adrien Basilica Hotel). The first is the Hagia Sophia, I think.

Hagia Sophia, I think

The next is another view from another window:

I could also see a cruise ship docked in the Bosporus with what I later learned was Asian Istanbul in the background.

The last view is of the rather far away Topkapi Palace:

These pictures and many more can be found here.

https://manageknowledge.us/blog/?p=1184

First Full Day in Turkey

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25 May, 2012
bio, Trips, Turkey

My first full day in Turkey (Istanbul) I decided to walk down the street from the hotel where I ended up. Down the street was the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia, and I decided to “do” both of them, first the Blue Mosque, but this is the ticket for the Hagia Sophia.

 

Here are the pictures I took in this area (Sultanhmet) including a few shots from inside one of the trams I rode back and forth throughout the city.

https://manageknowledge.us/blog/?p=1198

Seemed Peaceful

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11 Apr, 2012
The Earth, United States

https://manageknowledge.us/blog/?p=1179

Watch Only If You Like Drama

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Apr, 2012
Humor, Wisdom I Have Learned

https://manageknowledge.us/blog/?p=1172

Protected: Getting Serious

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8 Feb, 2012
bio, Health

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https://manageknowledge.us/blog/?p=1158

Romney Candidacy Last Hurrah of the White Race

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18 Jan, 2012
Thoughts, United States, Wisdom I Have Learned

Mitt Romney’s run for president is the “last hurrah” of the white race in this country. Many whites will be voting for him for this reason, so perhaps they will have a four- or eight-year hurrah. Many whites don’t recognize the USA anymore; minority persons, including women, seem to be running everything. This is especially true for older whites. Even the younger whites, who were Obama supporters in the last election and who now support the Occupy movements, feel sure the Republicans will not help them realize the “American Dream,” as they begin to doubt whether Obama will deliver it to them. They are beginning to doubt whether they should continue to throw in their lot with those who vote Democratic because they see the Democratic Party as the source of assistance that they need and have even come to rely on.

The older whites yearn for qualification tests for voters, perhaps not as Draconic as the Republicans are supporting in some states, but something like the original requirement that a voter had to be a property or land owner. They certainly wish the voters they think the Democrats drag to the polls had some idea who their local and federal representatives were, what the three branches of the US government are and what country the Declaration of Independence was aimed at.

As a member of the shrinking white race should I follow the allure of the “last hurrah”? How bad can he be? Based on past actions he’ll probably come over to support all the global warming, improving education etc. causes I am for…

https://manageknowledge.us/blog/?p=1146

Cold Remedy

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Jan, 2012
Wisdom I Have Learned

To be taken during the first few days of cold symptoms. Slice one finger of raw ginger into nickel-size pieces and boil for twenty minutes. Strain and drink the liquid as tea, possibly adding a bit of honey for increased healing properties plus taste. Do this several times a day as you can.

A former Korean Buddhist monk told me this remedy. Thank you, Matthew, wherever you are!

 

https://manageknowledge.us/blog/?p=1143

Cure for Hiccups

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Jan, 2012
Wisdom I Have Learned

One teaspoon of sugar – or even Sweet & Low or equivalent – gulped down in one swallow. From my Aunt Mary  Malone (everyone needs an Aunt Mary), I think.

https://manageknowledge.us/blog/?p=1141

Hunter-Gatherer or Farmer

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24 Dec, 2011
Gardening, Heavy Lifting, The Earth, Thoughts

One question is which is better for the health of us humans.  One student of the evolution of humans from hunter-gatherers opined it was the worst thing to happen to the human race: people had to work long hours most days instead of the estimated twenty hours a week that hunter-gatherers spent getting food (sometimes one another but I digress ). The farmers suffered more from disease because of living and working close together and they also didn’t live as long as those who weren’t eaten.  Also discoveries have revealed the earlier humans were as much as 6 inches taller than the later farmers.

The next question becomes why did they segue into farmers if it turned out to be unhealthy. There are a lot of reasons, all of which I don’t recall. One I recall is there was a big drought, and large groups of humans discovered each other as they gathered at one of the few extant oases. From this they drifted into farming to have a reliable food supply. Agriculture led to a stratification of classes; perhaps that stratification led to agriculture. With agriculture came monogamy or at least the virtue of the female as desirable, especially since it allowed the male to be sure which children were his. Free love died along with the cultivation of wheat! But, then they did have more time and the ingredients for making beer – there are always compensations.

https://manageknowledge.us/blog/?p=1131

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