Genuine Thoughts

Independence Day - Back in USA

2011-07-04T13:45:00.002-04:00

Day -1
July 4th
Weather - 81 degrees, mostly cloudy
Plans - R & R

Well, I'm now back in the good ol' US-of-A, and it feels good. No plans today besides unpacking, laundry, posting photos, and enjoying the holiday.

In case you'd like to view my photos, I have about 500 of them total from the trip. You can check them out here, on Picasa - https://picasaweb.google.com/117303597347979775218/TurkeyTrip

Back to celebrating! Happy 235th birthday, America!

Day 14 - Travels to the States

2011-07-02T16:46:00.003-04:00

Day 14
July 3rd
Weather - varying across 7 different time zones
Plans - A full 24 hour day, beginning at 4a in Istanbul and ending at 9p EST in New York (4a Istanbul time)... Flights from Ankara to Istanbul and Istanbul to NYC; train ride from NYC back to Harrisburg; crashing on my own bed.

The Dismissal

Each day as I've been blogging, I've been listening to music. As I began today's post (albeit a day early), the song "No Surprise" from Daughtry (music video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyl24HRGgSU) began playing, and it has a great place in today's post. The chorus is, in case you haven't heard it:

There's no surprise I won't be here tomorrow
I can't believe that I stayed 'til today
And you and I will be a tough act to follow
But I know in time we'll find this was no surprise

It's no question that, come tomorrow morning at 5:15am, I'll be out of this great hotel here in Ankara, and, by 9:30a I'll be on my way out of the country of Turkey.

I really can't believe that I stayed 'til today. For what it's worth, I can't believe I was fortunate enough to go on a trip here in the first place 14 days ago.

Turkey and me will be a tough act to follow, no doubt about that. I've become so much more cultured as a person, as a teacher, and as an American. I'm proud of the experience I had, and I'll find as time progresses, that will be absolutely "no surprise."

I'd stay a lot longer in this wonderful, growing, progressing, diverse, and culturally rich country, but there's someone special back home I can't wait to see again...

Devin

Maybe one day I'll see you again, too, Turkiye!

Day 13 - Ankara

2011-07-02T16:16:00.003-04:00

Day 13
July 2nd
Weather - 88 degrees, a shower in the morning, mostly the sunny the remainder of the day
Plans - Anatolian Museum of History, Ataturk Mausoleum, Minister of Turkish-American Relations, Final Dinner

What a beautiful, huge capital city. I could've stayed here at least another few days, no doubt, but our term is coming to an end. So sad to see it slip so quick!

Anatolian Museum of History

A very satisfying place for those who like neolithic cultures, ancient history, pottery, archeology, or Hittites. I'm not much in this fandom, but I certainly enjoyed this place. This is where "King Midas' Tomb" is (I say that in quotations because there's no factual evidence to that), as well as some other things we saw at Catalhuyuk. I quickly mowed through this showcase (not that large, maybe the size of a football field's worth of ancient relics) and then headed outside to take shots of the beautiful roses after the shower we experienced. Gotta love the Rose Country (Turkey's nickname). Here's a photo of the "Mother Goddess" from where we were a few days ago in Catalhuyuk.

Afterward we traveled downstairs and previewed the kids center, sponsored by the Turkish Cultural Foundation. WOW, what a neat place for kids! Down there there were 12 different workshops for them, from being paleontologists, to making coins, to investigating crime scenes using scientific / museum skills. If I were 10 years old, my mom would have to PRY me away from this place.

Afterward we walked to an uphill eatery to eat the only thing I had talked about not eating - the Turkish pita (pizza), served on a long tray and slivered by an old fashioned cook. My God, it was delicious - 1 part spicy, 1 part egg, and 1 part lamb, the 3 divisions were equally good.

Ataturk Mausoleum

To understand a Turk, one has to understand their hero, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Similar to our George Washington, this former general-turned president led his country out of it's "darkest age" into a beacon of democracy, and his people loved him for it.

When I teach my students about Ataturk, I call him the "democracy dictator" for shoving this new system of government down his people's throats. But they revered him and saw him as a nearly perfect leader, so they went along with his reforms. And there were many. Think about turning the former Ottoman Empire, ruled by the same family of sultans for 500+ years, into a democracy. And then think about doing that while your country is occupied by the UK, France, and most of all, the Greeks. On top of that, they badly lost a war, and were fighting a civil war with their own Armenian people.

The 1920s in Turkey were a mess, but, out of the rubble emerges this guy, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, to lead them into the western and modernized world. And the Turks love him for this. The Mausoleum is a must see for anyone visiting Turkey, and we were fortunate enough to cut through the lines (upwards of an hour to enter the Mausoleum and the museum) and see Ataturk's personal belongings, his private library collection, and his role in the many battles that shaped his history as both the commander of the Turkish army and the leader of his people. Just an amazing story, one after another. And the place where he's kept is the perfect capture of their perfect man - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2hhaiVLAOI

We were also able to see the changing of the guard at the museum, which was a wonderful opportunity. Gurjan, our assistant on the tour, was with me when we watched. He's a member of the Turkish Navy, so he was very astutely aware of the discipline needed to drill and be one of the honorary guards of Ataturk's tomb. He kept nudging me in the side and in his accent, saying, "discipline, discipline, you see?" Here you can see the discipline - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAFBAWyXdUE

Minister of Turkish-American Relations

This short but incredible powerful woman came to our hotel and walked right ahead of me into this fantastic conference room on the roof. I said, "Oh, you must be our guest." And she introduced herself, but her first name, and I didn't think much of it. Little did I know this woman was the Turkish government's expert and representative to the entire Western Hemisphere. It was great to listen to her lecture and answer our questions. She was like a Turkish Hillary Clinton, without question. We enjoyed her candor in answering things about our interconnected view of the world, problems joining the EU, the Armenian struggle issue, Cyprus's issues, the Arab Spring, and more. What an incredible lady for Turkey to have, and for us to have as a guest!

Final Dinner

I was fearful of our last dinner, since the group planned this recreation skit on the day I was deathly sick. When I heard them describe all of this and also saw the practice, I thought, "My God, I'm going to watch the Titanic sink in Ankara." But the group pulled off a fun parody of our guide (Orhan), bus driver (Miten), assistant (Gurjan), and our TCF Reps, Hulya (the Istanbul Director) and Bonnie (the creator of the program from California). The 5 of them were brought to full laughter and tears as the group recreated some of the highlights of the trip, some improv, and some wholehearted laughter. Afterward we presented each of them with gifts, both monetary and as goods, and then shared some kind words. I was in charge of closing out the dinner by paying tribute to Gurjan and Miten, and I think I did well in giving them their place in our hearts. It's amazing to think that this fully-packed fortnight is now coming to a close. But, here it is, and we'll have to say goodbye to this wonderful country and the people we've met along the way, both from here and from back home!

Day 12 - Cappadocia (Kaymakli Underground & Carpetium)

2011-07-01T11:31:00.005-04:00

Day 12
Friday, July 1st
Weather - 77 degrees, sunny
Plans - Kaymakli Underground City, scenic Cappadocia photo opportunities, Carpetium Turkish Carpets

Kaymakli Underground

The largest underground city is located not far from where we were yesterday. Developed as a place of sanctuary against frequent Persian attacks, the Greeks living here in Cappadocia needed a safe-haven every once in a while for the aggression. This was a decent place, and the underground city was quite a feat of human dominance. There were ventilation shafts, communal kitchens, and even wineries. It was a quick visit, too! Here's a video of traveling through the underground city - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaGcCuxPlR8

Scenic shots

Man, as if we couldn't get enough of the view...

Check out this video of the landscape, too - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUDZUozy-EU

Carpetium

I really didn't predict the presentations at the Carpetium would be as incredible as they were, but, like many other things, I underestimated its splendor. First we received fine explanations as to how the thread is made and woven, most especially the expensive silk rugs, as seen in this video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvO9Hzzik3Y

We then received the full sales pitch, which was the absolute most entertaining and enjoyable sales pitch I've ever seen. They must've had 100 rugs laid out in front of us, of every size, color, region, pattern, and material you could imagine. The best thing to describe it would be the rug circus, but better, and with food (great pita breads, pizza-like style) and wine (sarap). Heck, they even had a birthday cake for one of the ladies who was celebrating her day today!

Mark, Gary, and I talked about setting betting parameters as to how many women would buy carpets. He put the over/under at 5 and, while I originally took the under, I backed out and Mark supplanted my bet. It's a good thing because the ladies purchased 6 carpets, one of them a beautiful cotton/wool blend that was 10'x13' and about $4,500.

I had so much fun, even though I didn't buy anything. Mark completed his burpees for the day here, too - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLYprVPw19Q

For now I'm off to dinner; tomorrow we have a nice 4 hour travel to the capital city, Ankara, where we'll meet much more contemporary issues of Turkey!

Cultural Differences & Similarities between the US / Turkey

2011-06-30T15:21:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I tried to post this in the morning, but the file size was too large for Blogspot.

Use my teacher webpage, and all the way at the bottom of the page is a .pdf file that says pretty much the same thing in this blog title. I worked on this for the last 11 days, so I'd like to think that though it's far from complete, it's quite comprehensive. Open up the .pdf and enjoy!

http://www.cvschools.org/webpages/jmiller/turkey.cfm

Day 11 - Sultanham, Cappadocia, Dervishes

2011-06-30T14:38:00.005-04:00

Day 11
Thursday, June 30th
Weather - 78 degrees and partly cloudy
Plans - Sultanham Caravanserai, Cappadocia Christan Conclave, Whirling Dervishes in nearby Cappadocia

It's the last day of June, and that makes me sad to think that this great journey is soon going to come to an end. However, we've been gone for quite some time and I'm starting to find myself eager to return to home.

Sultanham Caravanserai

When the Ottomans wrested power from the Seljuks in the early 15th century, one thing they had going for them was that their territory was the keystone on the Silk Road. However, one issue they had was professional bandits from all over the world stationed themselves in the empty quarters of the blossoming empire to ransack caravans in transport while asleep at night. The Ottomans figured out a way to counter this problem - build large, unmanned protective forts along the Silk Road and let the traders and their men use them at the end of a day's voyage; they called them caravanserais. This was a genius edition to the route, and it costs the Ottomans little more than the construction costs, but it was a win for the traders and a win for the people who lived along the route in the empire. I found it to be a compelling place, and though we had a quick stop there, it was a nice tidbit of history to have under my belt.

Cappadocia

Easily one of my favorite places along our tour is this immense UNESCO site. Traveling across the Anatolian Plateau has been rather, well, unchanging. Rolling, verdant hills give way to a more steep embankment here and there, but there's not much in terms of variance in the culture or the geography - until we reached Cappadocia. Vast, spear-like rocks jettison out of the ground as if Hades himself built an artillery here in the heart of Turkey. The site of the old volcanic remains would be astonishing enough to the eye, until we remember that this site was used by Christians escaping persecution in the 4th century. The followers of Christ who moved here transformed and adapted to the landscape, turning the tallest of the peaks into guard towers, and the widest of them into vast, intricate churches.

Just walking around keeping your eyes to the bright whites and tans are spine-tingling enough, but when we went inside some of the dwellings, I tried to put myself in the place of the monks who sat at the tables and ate dinner on a rock table while sitting on their rock seats (pictured here to the left). I tried to envision being a nun climbing a ladder to collect pigeon dung to use as fertilizer in the fields. And I tried to think about what it was like to escape the persecution of the Romans who were pushing the early followers into the outskirts of society like this majestic place. See my video of entering the caves here - http://www.youtube.com/watc h?v=H4mjHm9oKc8

However, all my thoughts collapsed when we entered the churches. It's a shame I couldn't take any photos, because the colors that began with simple crosses and designs in the 400s AD and became full on iconography in the 10th century were mind numbing - and to see them in a cave. Wow.

Christians had lived in these caves up until the 1920s, when, after losing World War I, Greek Christians were mistreated in Turkey just as Muslim Turks were mistreated in Greece. The prime ministers of both countries agreed to a population exchange and the many of the Greek Orthodox parishioners were told to leave their 1,500 year home and go back to Greece. Many were glad to escape the violence, and some of it could be seen in the caves.

After the Christians left, Turks and others lived here in Cappadocia until the 1970s, when the government forced them out of there because the 4 season weather in the area (filled with frosts, freezings, and the weather damage done by them) made the caves unsafe to live. Today much of the place remains unchanged, minus the tourism deposits and the upkeep of the intricate church murals. Check out Mark's burpees here for another cool view of the landscape - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIARTwK0Na4

Whirling Dervishes

After visiting Cappadocia we went to watch the Whirling Dervishes perform at a different caravanserai. It was a very slow-paced and sleep-inducing ceremony for me, but that's because the atmosphere was so comfortable and dark. For the dervishes, they put on an impressive show. We weren't allowed to take photos or video (minus this online replica I pulled), so I can't share any thing beyond the words here, but the approximately 35 minute presentation was an impressive show of dedication and reverence. I've never seen anyone as physically, psychologically, and spiritually invested in what they're doing as the dervishes in a 10 minute consecutive spin, one arm towards the heavens and one arm towards the ground, locked in position and unflinching the entire time. You can see me do my best to whirl through the doorway not of heaven, but our hotel in Konya, complete with a whirling dervish in the whirling door. It was just too easy to do my own video, complete with whirling through the metal detector - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M11g2pMidAk

Tomorrow we head to the underground cities in Cappadocia, watch some of the fools in our crew ride camels, and then attend a workshop.

Day 10 - Pamukkale, Fusi, Çatalhüyük

2011-06-29T15:24:00.008-04:00

Day 10
Wednesday, June 29th
Weather - Mostly cloudy, near 80 degrees
Plans - Pamukkale Natural Springs, Fusi Whirling Dervishes Mosque/Museum, Çatalhüyük Ancient Neolithic Ruins

Early to rise, early to the road, but late to travel home. We left our hotel at 7:00am this morning, and didn't sit down for dinner at our hotel until 8:30pm. It was a long day. However we arrived to a hotel with all the amenities, including gasp - air conditioning and a reliable Internet - so I'm going to try and update past videos from missing previous posts for you to enjoy before I crash.

Pamukkale Natural Springs

In the interior of Turkey is a place that was once called Hieropolis by the Greeks (a resort town of about 3,000 people), but now it's called Pamukkale, which is separated into 2 distinct Turkish words, pamuk - meaning "cotton," and kale - meaning "castle." Why the cotton castle, you ask? Take a gander at this photo! This monolithic mountain of calcium stands out against the green Anatolian mountains and plateaus like a rocky, warm glacier. The Turkish government really reeled in this UNESCO site, which we see one almost daily or 2x daily by now, and claimed it as environmental protection. This is great news because apparently it had become gray because of human pollution. However, we didn't get the chance, since there were lifeguard/security dudes stationed all over, blowing whistles at us for doing things we shouldn't have, and then yelling in Turkish. It was a good laugh, but it didn't stop Mark from doing his burpees - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGOUYdqNeO4

Fusi Whirling Dervishes Museum

This was probably my least favorite stop on the trip. First of all, it took us almost 6 hours to travel from our last stop to Konya, where we're at now. Secondly, we weren't permitted to take many photos.

Before I totally infuse this part with my bias, the Whirling Dervish Order of Islam (dervish, deriving from Persian words der - meaning door and vish - meaning entrance or way), this sect of Islam was cast out by the Saudis and other areas of the Islamic world and they sought refuge in an old Konya 13th century monastery. Here they practiced a life similar to friars of that time, leading a life of sacrifice and poverty for their religion, which was led by Rumi, the supreme Dervish.

However, it was weird we couldn't take photos of recreations of the dervishes, but we were allowed to take them at our next site, so I spent most of the hour here in the flower garden, taking photos of this black & white cat in the colorful bouquets. He always came over to me and wanted to be petted, too.

Çatalhüyük Ancient Neolithic Ruins

It's not too often that you get to venture across 8,800 year old neolithic ruins, nor is it too often our tour guide remains silent and turns over the reins of our tour, but both of these happened simultaneously here in the gypsy land of Çatalhüyük (pronounced Chat-uhl-you-hook), meaning "town on the fork." The head archeologist, a UK scholar at the dig since 1995, was an incredible source of information even when we threw quite difficult questions at her, and was charming, endearing, and funny in doing so.

What to many looks like a sandbox was truly brought to life, and she gave us some appreciation of what life must have been like for the OLDEST known human settlement in the world, a community of approximately 5,000 people which, in that time, was a major place of bustle and business.

What is interesting about these people was that men and women had equal rank in society, maybe even women slightly larger a role. They lived in almost condominium like places, with each house next to one another, and the entryways to the mud-brick cottages were in the roof, not on the walls. Below the homes were kept their dead, buried just slightly below the floor, tied up in a fetal position with jewelry and other sacred things. See video of the "old dig" here, with some of my colleagues waving to the camera - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DaCbBhISz0

Not much other than this is known about the Çatalhüyük people, but it's great to let your imagination roar, especially after the most recent dig in Turkey (featured in National Geographic magazine - http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/06/gobekli-tepe/mann-text) just a 1,000 km south of this ancient site at Gobleki, and our resident scholar talked about the comparisons to civilization there, even though they had no points of contact, and, also to Native Americans and other places she's been.

I'm no archeology king, but she made us feel like royalty here. I was amazed and full of wonder, all in the same breath, and certainly made the late close to the day all the worthwhile.

However, it's now approaching Midnight here in Konya and I broke off a Skype conversation with my beautiful girlfriend Devin (who I haven't seen on here in days), just so I could finish. And now I am.

Tomorrow we're off to see Cappadochia, another UNESCO world famous ancient wonder, and to see the Whirling Dervishes perform. :)

Day 9 - Atakoy Primary School, Aphrodisias

2011-06-28T14:51:00.006-04:00

Day 9
Tuesday, June 28th
Weather - 89 degrees, sun
Plans - Atakoy Primary School, Ruins of Aphrodisias, Richmond Hotel

Sidenote - feeling so much better today. Still not 100%, but getting better. Thank the Good Lord.

Atakoy Primary School

I don't really have much to say about this school except look at how cute these kids are! For these rural youth to see American travelers is a big thing. They had a very nice school, and, as our tour guide Orhan explained, the rural kids receive a much, much better education than the typical urban kids in Istanbul, Izmir, etc. They were all very friendly and didn't speak much, probably partially because they knew little English and partially because they're kids under the age of 11. One of the ladies on the trip brought a bunch of gifts for these youngings, and they were delighted to see the frisbees, crayons, and candy. It was also funny to watch the kids do burpees with Mark - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_45YTyGcBI

Aphrodisias Ruins

Quite a find, this ancient ruins dedicated to the goddess of love was actually the site of a current town. A photographer from Istanbul took a ride into the countryside to take photos of camel wrestling, a previously popular sport in Turkey (yeah, seriously), but got lost and stumbled across a village that was built on top of this place. The locals used the old sarcophagi as water banks for their animals and even mashed their grapes in them to make wine. They took the seats from the old theater and used them to play backgammon, and the immense stadium, which you see a photo of here, was formerly a tobacco field. Absolutely crazy.

Our tour guide a special place in his heart for the man who dedicated his life to excavating this site, an NYU Turkish-American professor who spent 31 years here in Aphrodisias and even convinced the Ankara officials to pick up the entire town of 2,000 and move them a mile down the road to complete the excavations. Not as well dug as Ephesus, it has so much potential to be almost just as amazing.

Here you also see a photo of the entry gates, which I love the story. When this professor found the ruins, the Monumental Gates was the first thing he found. All that was there were the bottoms of the pillars, everything else he and his workers put together in jigsaw fashion until the nearly 40 foot tall structure sat very imposing on the fields of Aphrodisias. So did Mark doing burpees there in front of a crowd of Japanese tourists (LOL) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEW3Muq-dYA

Richmond Hotel

The only complaint I have here in Turkey is in each of the 5-star hotels we stay in, the Internet connection is awful. The views are gorgeous, the amenities plentiful (the Richmond was our second hotel we stayed at with hot springs), the food great, and the spoiling factor high. However, our Internet is akin to dial-up back in the 90s or worse. However, I'll be the first to admit - if that's my greatest complaint, I'm on one incredible journey; things could be much worse!

Speaking of the journey, tomorrow we have a very busy day. First we'll stop at the Pamukkale, and then we have a busy rest of the day.

Day 8 - Ephesus

2011-06-27T14:00:00.005-04:00

Day 8 - Ephesus
Monday, June 27th
Weather - 78 degrees & sunny
Plans - Ephesus ruins, Ephesus Museum of Archeology, St. John's Basilica, Sirince

Ephesus Ruins

I'm not sure if there are any cities in the world as well preserved as Ephesus. At its height, this city's population reached 250,000, 2nd in the world to Constantinople. Chosen for settlement because its one-of-a-kind harbor and natural mountainous protection, Ephesus became a mecca in both the Greek world (home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the original 7 Wonders of the World) and the Roman world for its importance in Ionia and its housing of St. John the Apostle, and, possibly, Mother Mary until her death.

I could go on and on about this place, but since I was just slammed by stomach sickness today, I'm going to be as concise as possible.

Speaking of which, I woke up this morning not feeling right, and, as the day progressed, my stomach just pained me worse with each passing hour. I don't know what happened or how it happened, all I know is it felt like fireworks were being set off in my tum-tum. I tried papaya enzyme from my 4th adoptive mother Peggy, a librarian from Montana, Tums, Mylanta, tea - you think it, I tried it - to no avail. I was finally rescued when I came back to the hotel to have some Imodium and Cipro Max. Thank god for these two, as I can now walk and just received an order of boiled potatoes and bread, which I'm eating as I'm blogging. Recovery is a son-of-a-gun here!

Anyways, back to Ephesus: the ancient city's entrance opens up to a promenade with a Roman bath. Afterward we made our way down some of the ancient streets in the city, which were covered and adorned with towering Ionic columns.

Next stop on the walk was the public bathroom, which was pretty funny to see. Apparently the dignitaries sat in the middle and chatted when others were doing their business. The baths housed about 40 toilets, complete with freshwater plumbing. Across the street, for whatever reason, was a wealthy neighborhood - I thought it would've killed property value, but apparently it was the place to be.

After that was a public water system set up by an aqueduct and in the shadow of a tribute to the Emperor Trajan, a Roman emperor. I found this incredibly interesting because even in the first century AD, the Romans (Ephesians) knew that the world was round, something the West forgot just a few hundred years later. We then walked down the street to the public square, made a right into the 2nd of 4 Roman baths, and then walked up to a balcony overlooking the famous Celsus Library, which is truly a beauty of the ancient age. Complete with 12,000 scrolls, the library was the 3rd largest in the ancient age. I enjoyed picking on Mark here because, as the Harrisburg High librarian, his school had 3,000 less "books" than a 2,000 year old library. That didn't stop him from doing burpees, though - http://youtube/r9cidLl581Y

Check out the must see video of the library here, too -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXBlzcpAajI

Afterward we walked next door through the famous Augustus gateway into the agora, or marketplace. This place was massive, probably bigger than a Super Wal-Mart, and home to one of the largest marketplaces of its day. I sat down, stomach churning and all, and tried to imagine the crowds of people buying Artemis figurines, eating fish with friends, or listening to Paul the Apostle preach from the nearby coliseum, which we visited next.

I really was in awe of this place, which was constructed around 70 AD and housed plays, performances, gladiator battles, and, of course, Paul's famous speech to the Ephesians, who he chastised for their idolatry of the ancient Greek goddess of Artemis, who presided over women, childbirth, and virginity. Our tour guide Ohran told us about the popularity of her worship, and people came here as part of tourism to pay homage to the goddess at her temple. I tried to sit in one of the seats and envision Paul receiving a collection of boos from the 25,000 seat capacity amphitheater, leading to his later arrest and imprisonment in the town. I also liked to think about some of the later performances that occurred there, as Ray Charles and a few other contemporary artists played in the confines of this acoustic masterpiece. Check out video of the amphitheater here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM6xxArW2sg

After this we trekked to the Church of St. Mary. It was mostly in ruins thanks to an earthquake, but our tour guide said this became a popular destination for locals and travelers alike as they began to pay their tributes to another Roman "goddess" - the Virgin Mother. Apparently for many people, Mary was more important for Jesus because it was an easy transition to go from Artemis to Mary.

Ephesus Archeological Museum

This place was quite neat, but I sat down most of the time. The stomach was killing me. I did, however, snap some decent photos of Artemis statues, and those of the Roman emperors during the time.

St. John's Basilica

After Jesus died, he entrusted his closest companion, John the Apostle (and popular writer of the New Testament, including Revelations), to take care of his mother. It is with this Biblical reading that many people believe that John protected Mary in the sanctity of Ephesus, even causing some people to believe her final resting place was a cottage on the other side of the mountain (although there's no scientific evidence to thus). There is evidence, though that John died here and was buried in his tomb at approximately the age of 100 years old. The site later served as an emphasis for later emperors, Constantine and Justinian, who constructed this massive, two-tiered church on top of (and paying homage to) John's tomb, which is pictured here.

Sirince

I'm too lazy to look for the Turkish characters, but this little village was a fun place to visit. It's too bad I didn't get to walk around much, as I just sat in a chair near the WC (bathroom) and waited until I needed to use it, over and again. The part that struck me the most was each time I entered I had to pay 1 TL, even though I tried to explain to the husband / wife employees who charged the fee to use the WC that I was sick and, besides, the bathroom was disgusting. Chock this one up for a time when I wished I knew Turkish, especially ways to show my distemper!

Time to sign off and expedite my recovery. I'm at about 70% right now, and hopefully a good night's sleep brings me near 100% again. I'll need it for our long bus ride to Aphrodisius and Pammukale hot springs tomorrow.

Day 7 - Bursa & Kuşadesı

2011-06-26T15:16:00.004-04:00

Day 7 - Bursa & Kuşadesı
Sunday, June 26th
Weather - 75 degrees, cloudy w/ some showers in the morning (gasp!), sunny in the afternoon
Plans - Umu Camii in Bursa, Isa Bey Camii in Ephesus, and Hotel Kismet on the Aegean Sea in Kuşadesı

Umu Camii

The Umu Camii (pronounced Oo-moo Jam-ee) or "Camel Mosque" was probably my favorite religious site after the Hagia Sophia. Stationed in Bursa next to the silk bazaar, the mosque is one of the oldest in Turkey. Constructed in 1399, it was the epicenter of worship in the old Ottoman capital, and I loved its simplicity. The mosque had beautiful fountains on all sides for worshipers to wash their hands and feet before entering for prayer. There's nothing special or ornate about the mosque, but, like I said, I just really liked the look and feel of the place. I also really enjoyed being there so early in the morning (8:00am), so we were pretty much the only tour group in there, and we joined about 10 guys who pointed themselves to Mecca for their morning prayer. To see a video of the Umu Camii, click here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg5qdCEtxMw

Isa Bey Camii

The Isa Bey Camii or "Brother Jesus Mosque" is located in Ephesus, and was constructed 15 years prior to the Umu Camii in Bursa. This 1375 architectural piece was constructed at the end of the Seljuk era of Turkish history, and while the previous mosque celebrated a beginning, the Isa Bey was more of a knell to the end of the Seljuks. That doesn't mean this place wasn't beautiful, as, just like some other mosques, the Seljuks used other portions of the architecture, including the nearby Temple of Artemis (one of the original 7 Wonders of the World), among other things. The Isa Bey was used for prayer all the way up until the 1950s, when an earthquake (which plague the country) destructed the minaret and caused it to be of no use. The Isa Bey is also one of the first mosques to sport a courtyard for prayer and congregating, and it is one of the few relics from the Seljuk period that still stands today. Mark also completed his daily burpees with Cynthia, an art teacher from Florida, here among the ruins - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jcw03laK-gc
I also have a video of the inside of Isa Bey, which you can see here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2djpunxp04M

Kuşadesı

Man, I love this town. Think of your favorite sweet, clean shore town and then remove all the annoying tourists, give yourself 80 degree temps all day everyday, and place your room on the largest deck overlooking the Aegean Sea, and you'll have my room at the Hotel Kimset in the town of Kuşadesı (pronounced Koo-shah-day-shee). The town only has about 5,000 - 10,000 people, so it's large enough to sport a fun night life, but small enough to not be overrun with tourists like OCMD or Atlantic City. It's really a very nice town, and the people all walk around with a smile on their faces. I love it because it's not expensive, either. When we walked through the town center, places were advertising food for 10-15 Lira ($7-$10) and bier for 4 Lira ($2.75). However I'd hate to see the cost of our hotel, only because I'd want to be here again. Check out my photo of the sunset from my room's balcony.

Tomorrow should be a fun day. We get to hike around the ruins of the famous Greek town of Ephesus (where Paul dictated his letter of Ephisians, now a Biblical book) and then come back and hit up the beach all day. I love learning on the teacher tours!

Gule Gule!

Jake

Day 6 - Bursa

2011-06-25T14:10:00.003-04:00

Day 6 - Bursa
Saturday, June 25th
Weather - 80 degrees, and, you guessed it, sun!
Plans - Travel to Bursa, Iskender doner (gyro), silk bazaar, Karagoz shadow puppets, Turkish bath

Finally - a great night's sleep! I'm starting to adjust to the time zone change, but I'm sure the seaside hotel and maximum air conditioning helped, too.

We awoke very early to travel once again, as this will be our M.O. for pretty much the rest of the trip. From the Aegean Sea we traveled to Bursa, which is the 4th largest city in Turkey (approx. 2 million), which our tour guide Ohran has dubbed "the Detroit of Turkey," since it's where the automobiles are made.

Bursa is a lot different from the other places we've been to because we're no longer on the coast, and it's mountainous. The city used to serve as the center of Ottoman operations prior to their conquering of Istanbul, so it was very important prior to the 15th Century.

Iskender Doner Kebop

However, our first treatment of Bursa (pronounced, Boo-rh-sa) was to a thing called Iskender kebab, a 19th century treat. Claimed to be the first variation of doner (which means "spinning" in Turkish, or more familiarly "gyro" in Greek), the Iskender was abso-positively to die for. To describe this particular (trademarked) dish, the Iskender doner kebop begins with a small layer of diced pita bread, braised beef cooked on a rotating spit, Turkish yogurt (pronounced yo-oort here), tomato sauce, and topped with a bit of sauteed butter. Awesome, awesome, awesome. Made the Philly cheesesteak forgettable, and I'm certainly going to be bringing that recipe home.

Silk Bazaar

For me, the silk bazaar was neat just because I like the bazaar concept. However, since nearly 75% of the shops were selling almost entirely silk scarves to be worn as hijabs, I didn't really see myself buying things nor did I want to buy them as gifts. I still do like the bazaar concept, so it's nice to walk around, and I did get some great chocolate ice cream - love it because it's always dark chocolate. And Mark accomplished his burpees at the fountain out front - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpOj7MlONtA

Karagoz Shadow Puppets

This was our first stop we had on the tour where no one spoke Turkish but our tour guide and the 2 Turkish Cultural Foundation staffers. The host was a really nice man and talented at his job, but the language barrier made it hard to connect with him.

To explain the shadow puppets, this is a 15th century form of entertainment that had almost been lost to history until a few guys in the 1950s, our host included, revived this almost lost piece of culture. What the puppets are made of is camel or cow leather, and they are treated to become transparent. They also have 1 or 2 sticks attached to them, which one would hold in their hand to make the puppet move. In addition, there are many joints on the puppet, so even though you might only be able to move an upper extremity (like a torso and an arm, for example), you can still move a lot of the other parts of the body because it's all hinged. It's really hard to explain, even with photos (which I have attached here), so I also recorded a video of the shadow puppets in motion. Check it out, because even if you know no Turkish, it's still very unique! -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah_6C3x840Q

Afterward we were able to go backstage and try our hand at the puppets, so that was also a great hands-on experience.

Turkish Bath

Yeah, it would've been odd to bring my camera into the Turkish bath, so let me just describe them to you. At our hotel in Bursa is a natural hot spring that's been channeled by the Turks since the 8th century. So Mark and I were the only guys in the group to head down and give it a try.

The first thing you do at a Turkish bath is get into your swim trunks - however, we learned for ladies, they're a bit more, how do I say, indecent. Then you grab a quick soaking in a side room with water that's about 85 degrees Fahrenheit. After that we head to a larger room, where the water there is about 90-95 degrees. And more still for the heat-seeker is a smaller pool of water that must be 110 degrees. It was so hot I could barely get my feet in there.

While there we were able to soak, wash our selves, and swim in the pool and just soak away the loads of travel we've been enduring, it wasn't anything that totally surprised me or blew me out of the water (pun points!) One thing that was nice, though, was after we surfaced from the hot baths we were wrapped in a towel to keep the heat in our bodies and sit in a chair. I did that for about 40 minutes and fell asleep, being wrapped up like a baby.

For 21 Turkish Lira (about $15), it was worth it, but I don't necessarily feel I'd have to do it all over again. But for the ladies, they loved it. They all added a massage and an exfoliation for an additional 30 TL ($20), something that would cost upwards of $190 at the Hershey Hotel, according to my lovely girlfriend Devin.

After our Turkish bath a bunch of us met for our dinner, which was a buffet, in the heart of the hotel. It was excellent. To say I'm full is an under-exaggeration, and, coupled with the Turkish bath, has made me quite ripe for another good night's sleep.

Back to our rooms

On our way up, though, we saw a large and swanky partying happening on the steps between the hotel and the mosque, and, upon further inspection, realized it was a bris (bay-reesh as pronounced here) for a Muslim youngster. The people here looked better than they would at an American wedding, which could be because of this 5-star hotel or because of the importance of such an event in the religious culture.

Time to sign off. Tomorrow is a big day - first we visit a famous, ancient, and still operable mosque here in Bursa and then head to the Greek ruins of Ephesus, a true highlight on this trip.

Yarın bakın (see you tomorrow)!

Jake

Day 5 - Gallipoli & Troy

2011-06-24T15:37:00.005-04:00

Day 5 - Gallipoli & Troy
Friday, June 24, 2011
Weather - 85 degrees, nothing but sun (yep, still not getting old yet)
Plans - Gallipoli WWI Memorial, Aegean sea ferry, Troy ruins, swimming in the Aegean Sea.

Well, last night we never met up with my former student, but we went out in downtown Istanbul and made some new friends. Didn't come home until 3:30am, and had a 6:00am wake-up call. Sounds crazy, but it was worth it!

Gallipoli World War I Memorial

I hadn't know about this site before the trip, which is a shame because WWI is my favorite war to study. This site (on the peninsula before reaching the Bosphorus) was targeted by the British in 1915 to capture the Ottoman capital of Istanbul. However, a German general (Von Sanders) and General Ataturk were in control of the mission to defend the territory against the British and their Anzac force. The Anzacs were a motley crew assembled by then political rising star Churchill, who thought he’d throw Aussies, New Zealanders, Indians, and other empirical soldiers into the gauntlet against the defenses of the Ottomans.

It was this campaign that defined Ataturk’s military leadership, somewhat like Washington at Yorktown, but this was at a great cost. The Anzac force tried to climb the hills here in Gallipoli to capture this incredible natural defense on the hills along the Aegean Sea, but they were slaughtered by the Turks. More than 8,000 of first wave landed on Gallipoli, and none of them remained alive. They were served crushing numbers of casualties, and the Turks also had their fair share, too. It was interesting to see the Aussies and the Turks there at the same place, giving homage to their dead. Some of them even paid respects to one another.

Troy

Troy is an interesting place. Called Troia by the locals, it had always been rumored to be a fabled city, like Atlantis is today. But one man, a German-turned American-turned Greek millionaire by the name of Heinrich Schleimann made it his life’s mission to find Troy the Sixth’s crown jewels, as told by Homer in The Iliad. Schleimann found Troy along the coast of Turkey, as it fulfilled the covenant told by Homer, as it was windy, it was near the sea, on a river, and favorable for olives.

However, when Schleimann found the ruins, he haphazardly unearthed them. Not an archeologist by any means, it’s rumored he tossed about the relics (like pottery, clothing, etc) in order to try and find the gold. He employed 300 locals and spent nearly $50,000 a year (a fortune in 1868) to find what he could in the ruins while also trying to deceive the Ottoman inspectors, who gave him permission to dig here. In the end, he found what he believed to be Priam’s Treasure, and then left for his home in Greece and Troy remained disheveled.

The Ottomans had been trying to track down Schleimann’s findings of the treasure, but he claimed he lost it. The gold “disappeared” until 1990, when it was revealed under Gorbachev’s glasnost that the Red Army brought the gold with them to Pushkin Museum in Moscow after looting Greece during World War II. Today both Turkey and the Germans are in fact trying to reclaim the art, but the Russians aren’t budging. It’s a sad story, actually, of one of the most recognizable cities on the lips of man.

While the site is great to view, its condition doesn’t make it too fit for photos. So, with that being said, I’ll provide a photo of me in the wooden replica horse from the 2004 movie, as well as a link to Mark doing (very slow) burpees at the same landmark - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2CKpS6O5xU&feature=channel_video_title

Hotel & Swim

Afterward we stopped at our 2^nd hotel on the trip here in Çanakkale. The Internet connection is spotty at best, but we had an awesome dinner of Turkish meatballs and other delicious sides, and the best chocolate pudding I've ever had. Afterward, a bunch of us took a dip in the Aegean Sea, and it was very refreshing. When we came back we learned that the hotel has one thing I’ve been waiting for a while – air conditioning!!!!!!!!!

Time to go and recharge my mental batteries. We’re taking another long ride tomorrow to Bursa, the old capital of the Ottoman Empire prior to Istanbul.

Day 4 - Istanbul

2011-06-23T10:47:00.003-04:00

Day 4 - Istanbul
Weather - 85 degrees, all sun
Plans - Daruşşafaka High School, Beşiktaş High School, Turkish Cultural Foundation HQ, leisure time.

Today is an easy blog. We began the day much later (9:00am), so I was able to conjure a bit more sleep. That's not to say I don't enjoy the bustle, but it was nice, especially since we leave for Çannakale (pronounced CHAH-nah-kah-lay) tomorrow at 7:00am.

Daruşşafaka High School

But today we first went to Daruşşafaka (pronounced Dah-RUH-shah-fah-kah) High School, which was founded for orphaned boys in 1863. The vice-chairman said, "it's hard to explain this school, the only real equivalent to it is the Milton Hershey High School in Pennsylvania," and I gave out a quick "YEAH!" and made him laugh.

It's really a great place for kids, and despite the rough social and economic conditions of the kids entering the school, it is considered one of the top schools in the country. Most of the students who graduate there move onto the best colleges in Turkey and the US, and many of its graduates are seriously successful Turks and Turkish-Americans. Though there were no students there, I got a bit choked up on how much good flows from a place like Daruşşafaka.

Beşiktaş High School

After that we went to a public high school called Beşiktaş (Bay-SHEEK-tash) Anatolia High, which is a top 5 public high school in Istanbul. The English teachers we were able to speak with there were very perceptive and helpful. They discussed the education system, which is tiered learning, and students are tested in 5th grade, 8th grade, and 12th grade to move onto their next block of life. In this case, students must meet a certain benchmark of points to make it there. Afterward, their 9th grade year is a general studies year, and at the end of that year, they pretty much have to decide what type of career they'd like to establish themselves in by the beginnings of 10th grade. Yep, you read that correctly. This is because their schooling becomes specialized, so a student who wants to be an English teacher has a different curriculum from someone who wants to be an engineer. This is to prepare themselves for their "graduate exam," which is like our SAT on crack. It's stressful, teachers hate it, but it's the system. Students have so much to know for the test that being in school for 9 hours isn't enough - they have to employ a private tutor to help them so they can not just pass, but dominate the test at the conclusion of their senior year.

In addition, the teachers said that they are paid relatively low salary, between 1,000 - 1,500 Turkish Lira a month, or $600 - 750. This is also how much the average flat in Istanbul costs to rent, too. Despite this, teachers are revered in their culture by parents and students, and they say that most of their students kiss the teachers' hands on their entrance to class out of respect. And if there are any problems, there's no discipline, it's almost always handled at home. However, I'd be curious to know what the tough school districts are like to teachers, and I'd love to sit in a classroom or ten just to observe the educational process, for curiosity's sake.

If you're wondering about Mark's burpees, check them out here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UowM81LXSPg

Turkish Cultural Foundation HQ

At the TCF, we grabbed a quick lunch and listened to a bunch of presentations for about 2.5 hours. Since our brains were going non-stop, it was a restful period, almost too restful. However, all of the non-profits were excellent entities, and it was good to hear about their missions that they were tackling in Turkey. Here are the presentation groups we heard and their missions:

Association in Support of Contemporary Living - providing education and libraries for elementaries
KaGiDer - Women's Entrepreneurs of Turkey and women empowerment
Cultural Awareness Foundation - the "Cultural Ants" program of connecting low-income students with field trips and cultural experiences
ACEV - the Mother-Child Education Foundation, which teaches poverty-stricken parents in rural areas how to be the primary educator of their children.
ilkyar - to improve elementary boarding schools across the country.

Tonight we're going to head out for dinner on our own. I'm hoping that my former student Semih will meet us; if not, we're on our own!

Iyi gunler (have a good day),

Jake

Day 3 - Istanbul - Blue Mosque & Ottoman Traditional Music Videos

2011-06-22T16:15:00.002-04:00

Chambers of the Sultanahmet / Blue Mosque - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B87A9ICvQUI

Ottoman traditional music (played by 20 year olds!) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phQNbrcfwco&feature=channel_video_title

Tomorrow we head to do many official visits, such as the Turkish Cultural Foundations HQ, visiting 2 schools, and a few other things! Time for a better night sleep!

Day 3 - Istanbul

2011-06-22T14:59:00.006-04:00

Day 3 - Istanbul
Weather - 82 degrees, regular breeze of 15 mph, look up in the sky for a cloud, but found none all day
Plans - Egyptian Spice Bazaar, Sultahmet (Blue Mosque) tour, Hippodrome, Turkish & Islamic Art Museum, Tokpaki Palace, Archeology Museum, Grand Bazaar, Armaggan Cultural Center.

If it seems like we did a lot today, well, that's because we did. It's 10:00pm here in Istanbul, and I'm worn thin. It began last night when I couldn't fall asleep until 3:00am (which I cured after drinking a dairy drink called ayran coupled with a Turkish Kit-Kat), or it could be the fact that we were on our feet doing everything and anything today. I'm going to chock it up to both.

Breakfast & Bazaars

Our day began with a breakfast at the hotel again (which is delicious, by the way), and then we hopped on the bus and headed to the Egyptian Spice Bazaar. Mark and I palled around and checked out the shops, and I have to laugh about how these shop owners behave to Americans. "Oh, hey, what's up man, you want to buy this? 50 Turkish Lira... No?
Okay, I tell you what, I give it to you for 30..." (I walk away)
"Where are you from, Pennsylvania? Oh, I have a cousin from there. He goes to Pennsylvania University... okay, 25 Lira, and that's it."

And then I walk away with some awesome jewelry for 1/4 the price he begins tossing at me. I don't know if I could've pushed harder for an even better deal, but I'm almost certain there are dopey Americans who buy things at full price. Problem is, it's like shopping at a used car place, and so many of my colleagues feel uncomfortable doing the bargaining. Here's what I purchased at the two bazaars today:

Fez tourist hat - price marked 15 Turkish Lira (TL), he offered me for 10, I bought it for 7
I <3 Turkey t-shirt - price marked 13.50 TL, he offered me for 10, I bought for 8
2 gem pendants (for mom & Devin) - he offered to me for 75 TL, I gave him $20.
Devin's birthday present - he offered to me for 100 TL, then 60, then 40, and I bought for 35 (after he said "thirty is dirty, I started laughing.")

$1 = 1.62 TL as of today, by the way. It's a really neat currency (all the images contain the founder, Ataturk), and the exchange rate is great for the USD.

Oh, and I know you all wanted to see Mark complete his burpees at the Grand Bizarre - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeJVOG1J42U

Sultanahmet / Blue Mosque

We were running late from the Spice Bazaar, and we hit traffic and another few teachers were late, so it really stole our time from the rest of the day, especially from the Blue Mosque, which was a shame. We literally had 25 minutes to check out this impressive facade (photo taken from Turkish & Islamic Art Museum, with Egyptian obelisk in foreground).

I dressed very conservatively today (wearing jeans in the midday heat here is conservative), just because the Blue Mosque, though a tourist attraction, is still used today. So one must be decent when entering (ladies have to cover shoulders, knees, and head), and we all have to remove our shoes. That made the carpet really beautiful, but man, you can smell feet in there as soon as you walk in. The structure, though it looks larger than the Hagia Sophia, is much smaller and there are pillars used inside that take up more of the open space.

Fun fact: The Blue Mosque was the 2nd mosque to have 6 minarets (after the Ka'bah in Mecca), and the fact that Mehmet built this to rival the mosque that every Muslim prays to angered many of them. So, in response, Mehmet (who controlled Mecca in the largeness of their empire) built a 7th minaret there to make the Ka'bah "more important" once again.

While the Blue Mosque is gorgeous, I was more captured by how it looks on the outside rather than the inside. So, it's fair to say that the Blue Mosque is more of like a supermodel with no personality, while the Hagia Sophia is a cougar with tons of it.

I can't believe I just compared a Islamic place of worship to types of women, but I did.

That doesn't mean you're going to see my stop snapping photos of this blue bombshell!

Hippodrome

The Hippodrome a stadium built by the Greeks for Constantinople, and it literally translates into horse ("hippo") racing / leading ("drome"). It's where the circus used to be held, where gladiators were put on trial, and home to the chariot races. Seems like a pretty cool place, except there isn't much left to it after the Ottomans built the mosques and the prayer centers between them. But one thing that still remains is this awesome Egyptian obelisk that dates back to 500 AD, which was sent to the Romans as a token of friendship between the two countries for defeating Persia in a fierce war - think of the Statue of Liberty, just much older and much smaller, but still quite awesome. I had my photo taken here for Hans' Frozen Yogurt (of Mechanicsburg) who are making flyers of their customers in famous places sporting their "Fresh..." t-shirt. Go Hans!

Click here to see Mark do burpees at the Obelisk - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dsilQv9Bdo

Museums (Islamic & Turkish Art / Turkish Archeological)

The museums, I'm not going to lie, are somewhat bland for me. I love art when I get the chance to look at it all, but when we're told we have 25 minutes (for the art museum) and 45 minutes (for the archeological museum), my interest in the museums each dropped 10 fold. It just seemed like we tried to squeeze too much into one day, and these are two of the things I personally could've done without.

Topkapi Palace

The first major construction of the Ottomans after the Hagia Sophia renovation was building this enormous palace. Housing over 200 rooms and sitting on at least 7 acres right on the Manmara Sea, this is one pretty sweet place. The gorgeousness of the blue tile I thought was more incredible than that in the Blue Mosque. There was a pool, a bathhouse, a prison, many secret entry ways, and, of course, the Harem. Harem, by the way, means "no outsiders," not "whore house," as many of us in the west think.

The Harem was the largest part of the palace, but the funny thing is it's dedicated not to the Sultan, but to his mother. Here is where she played matriarch, and it displayed the importance the mother had in the culture of the Sultanate Ottoman Empire.

Below you'll see a photo of the Vizier (Grand Wizard)'s quarters. Think of the vizier as the vice president who, after appointed by the sultan, assumes the role of empirical leader while the sultan is abroad with the army or doing something else. One cool fact about the vizier's quarters was that he often received many of the dignitaries, and the sultan could go spy on him through a "dark room" which allowed him to see and hear but remain unseen and unheard. Another cool fact: you can't be fired as vizier, you were either beheaded or exiled from Istanbul, mostly the former.

Armaggan Cultural Center

By the time we did all this stuff and walked over 4 miles, I was puckered out. I didn't expect much from this Armaggan place, since it wasn't on our original schedule. It was, however, so modern, sleek and new, but it housed the most richness of the culture that I've seen. They remade some of the most famous Turkish carpets (on display and on sale for upwards of 65,000 TL / $40,000), remade the kaftan shirts, and the rich music. They also had some of the coolest art I've seen in a while (all modern Turkish artists), a lounge with a plant wall, and a metallurgist shop in the basement.

The tops, however, was up on the terrace level where I had my best meal to date. One thing the Turks / Ottomans are great about is the appetizer course of the meal, which is truly a delectable and different sampling of the food each and every time. This photo below was not just the most colorful food I've had on the trip, but also the most varied and the most tasteful. We then had a pasta dish in cold yogurt (which sounds odd, but it was great), with a super-tasty leg of lamb, and a glass of Turkish red wine, all to the tune of classical Ottoman music. My night finished well.

Just on a side note, while we ate for the first time at one table, I finally realized the largeness of our group. There are about 35 of us that stretch from every corner of the US (teachers from Hawaii, Washington, Maine, and Florida put the pins on all four), but with everything we've been doing it's been hard to get to know everyone. Some of the people I've connected well with, thus far:

Mark - my roommate and Harrisburg High librarian, he looks like a dirty hippy and some of the kids call him Jesus when we walk down the street. We have a lot of fun and connect a lot, except for when he goes on Star Wars tangents.
Cynthia Hartman - one of 4 Cynthias on the trip, she is our Harrisburg captain and is a teacher at HH with Mark. She's as easy-going as she is tall, and always has a smile from ear-to-ear.
Meredith - a teacher from St. Louis, I could tell she used to be a soccer & softball player immediately. She teaches at a Catholic school down along the Mississippi, love the Cardinals, and is the self-proclaimed "ginger" and also the youngest person on the trip (I'm 2nd youngest).
Gary - a teacher from Missoula, Vermont, Gary is a hipster (he has a tail that's been growing since 1985) but is a ball-buster and seriously student-centered guy. He's very inspirational to me when he hasn't assumed the role of jabbing punches.

Day 2 - Istanbul (Hagia Sophia Videos)

2011-06-21T16:58:00.003-04:00

Two videos from the day:

1.) Me making a wish on the "wishing column" at the Hagia Sophia. My wish? Muslim-Christian peace, understanding, and togetherness - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvrJoW6XN7s

What would your wish be?

2.) The dome, ceilings, prayer area, chandeliers, walls, and decor of the Hagia Sophia. Photos just weren't doing this place justice - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDrZE-XYS1c

Day 2 - Istanbul

2011-06-21T15:44:00.009-04:00

Day 2 - Istanbul
Weather - 85 degrees and sun
Plans - Hagia Sophia visit, Bosphorus Strait cruise, paper Ebru marbling, Turkish tiles, dinner on the Bosphorus at Villa Bosphorus.

Hagia Sophia (Ayasophya)

Well our first day with planning was an eventful one. The first thing we did was go to the Hagia Sophia, one of the most recognizable holy grounds in the world. The current structure, which is the 3rd on this site, was completed in 557 AD. The Hagia Sophia (meaning "religious place of wisdom") wasn't just the biggest church in the world, it was the biggest building in the world for 100s of years.

After it was conquered by the Turks in the 1400s, it was converted into a mosque. It was Mehmet the Conqueror's crown jewel to defeat of the Byzantium Empire, and he immediately (overnight) had his artists cover the Christian idols in plaster, since portraits of humans and God are forbidden on a mosque. They also converted the altar (which faced the east) to the mihrab (which faces now the southeast, towards Mecca), and actually allowed the cross and other symbols to remain.

It is utterly amazing. I have so many photos (40+), but I'm just going to share some of my favorites. I'll describe each below, too. The first photo (upper left) is the Sultan's private quarters at the mosque. I thought this was probably my favorite photo. In the second photo (upper right), you can see a leather & gold hanging medallion that says "Allah," which to us looks like a "w" and an "l."

In the 3rd photo (bottom left), you see the mosaic of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus, which overhanged the alter before replaced by plaster. The final photo is of the mihrab, facing Mecca, with the Ottoman stained glass in the background.

One thing I learned about the culture while here is that the Turks aren't really fans of deodarant. There were a lot of them, and it was a hot day. It was different for me, let's just say that. Also, they're really persistent to tourists, and the one's who know English well will bargain with you and use wordplay to get you to buy things. They're pretty good at it, too, but I convinced a guy to give me 12 postcards for a $1 after bothering me for at least 2-3 minutes. They also let stray cats wander all over the place. You think it'd be disgusting, but apparently they care for them & revere them so much they even let them walk on the alter / mihrab in the Hagia Sophia.

I also have an awesome video showing the entire ceiling and main prayer area, and I'm glad I captured this because the photos don't do the spectacular site justice. I also have a video of a thing in the Ayasophya called the "wishing column," where you spin your hand in a crevice in the back entrance of the prayer area, and I, of course, wished for a place where Muslim & Christian worship isn't so segregated. The Hagia Sophia shows how they can co-exist, and we can all stand to learn from it.

Bosphorus Strait cruise

Yep, this was a lot more awesome than I thought it'd be. The views were great, and Ohran, our travel guide, hooked up a microphone and speakers and gave us an explanation of all the things we saw. This guy knows his stuff. I'll, again, attach some of my favorite photos and try to explain:

The first shot (upper left) is of Cynthia, Mark, and me with the Rumelian Castle in the background. Mehmet built this fort in the early 1400s to put a stranglehold on Constantinople, as it is at the shortest distance (800 meters) from the European - Asian divide of the city. The 2nd photo (upper right) is of the Bosphorus Bridge, which was built in the 1980s. It's amazing that this city of 12 million people has only 2 bridges crossing the Strait, while Harrisburg metro (and <100,000 residents) has 4 different bridges.

Probably my favorite thing of the cruise was just snapping photos of the houses and neighborhoods of Istanbul. It really was just an awesome site, over and over again. Down below, one thing that astonished me was that with all this prime real estate, the Turks built a ton of atoparks (kids' parks) right on the Strait. The one we parked our boat on had an outside gym, and here you see Mark and me doing hip abductions.

Also, at the Atopark, Mark did his burpees for the day. The polis were laughing their a#$%es off watching him do it, slapping their knees and everything - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RoPzoCDJFk

Ebru Marbling, Turkish tiling, & dinner

I'm no artist, but the marbling was fun and intense. We all received a lesson on how the Ebru came from Iran and how they did it (mixing different liquids in the water that didn't allow the paint to blend together), and how they used different brushes and, more importantly, shears, to make different shapes and backgrounds. The young artist was awesome at this, and then we all got a crack at it. I made a sun for Devin.

It was amazing to see a photo of First Lady Bush on the wall doing the marbling like we did. And while we waited for the others to finish, we had çay (tea) and chocolate / banana wafers outside on the owner's back lawn, my 3rd & 4th cup of the little cup of tea for the day.

Tiling and dinner were both slightly above average, which made it stand out differently from the incredible day. Dinner was an incredible view at the Villa Bosphorus (I sat first next to the Strait, and it splashed up near my feet), but the Turks like dill a lot. They also like bread a lot (I fed my 3 pieces to the fish, and they gave me 5 more). They also like sebring fish a lot, and while it's good, this was the 3rd time in 4 days that I had fish. The cheese appetizer, however, was the most awesome thing I've ever eaten from a dairy aisle, and the desserts of fresh Turkish fruit (watermelon, apple, grapes, and the juiciest peaches) were both phenomenal. And check-out my sunset photo (below right)

The tiling artists do great work (below left), but the shop was small and since I'm no artist, I felt puckered out after the Ebru marbling.

Tomorrow we head back into the city to visit the Grand Bazaar and the Blue Mosque. These are probably the 2 things I'm looking forward to the most on the trip, so I'm excited!

Fun fact:

Did you know that the Turkish word Istanbul has evolved, over time, as a derivation of the word Roman word Constantinople? When the Ottoman Turks conquered the city, they didn't like the amount of syllables in the word, so they shortened it to 'Stantinopolis, and then to 'Stanpol. However, proper Turkish struggles to have two consonant sounds next to one another, so they add the "I" (actually pronounced "ee") to the front of it, to create Istanbul ("EE-stahn-bol").

Day 1 - Evening Dinner @ Acadia Hotel

2011-06-21T15:28:00.008-04:00

Last night's dinner wasn't just any dinner. The food was great, but the view was even better. I took these photos from the 9th story of the Acadia Hotel on Monday night. Seriously:

The Sultanahmet (Blue Mosque), pre & post sunset

Ayasophia (Hagia Sophia), pre & post sunset

Dinner's view and the view looking back at me.

tourIstanbul, Day 1

2011-06-20T09:56:00.012-04:00

Day 1 - Istanbul
Weather - 80 degrees, partly sunny/mostly cloudy with the most beautiful cool breeze I've ever felt in my life!
Plans - Dinner @ 7:00pm

Today we arrived at Istanbul Ataturk Airport exactly on time, which was 9:10am their time, 2:10am back home. Jet lag, nagging kids, and just an irregularity in my circadian rhythm have really thrown off my sleeping pattern. Currently at 5:00pm I'm trying to snag a nap, but the hotel I'm staying at believes that the air conditioner works when "you can hear it." To which I snappily replied, "oh yeah, you guys get paid smell it, don't you?" I have to reset my patience timer.

Aside from that we had plenty of time to kill prior to our 7:00pm kick-off dinner. In trying to stay actively awake for our hosts and not succumbing to the ever-increasing need to nap (I hear zombies in my head yelling, "SLEEEEEP"), we took a day trip out for some lunch and then did a little site-seeing.

In downtown Istanbul we're between two districts, and the busiest of all is Taksim. This is where we ate lunch with the locals, which had awesome food. Thank god one of the Turkish Cultural Foundation people (Hulia) ate with us, because I pretty much just sat there (as did Mark & Cynthia) because of our language barriers. I wish that's something I'd better prepared for already, because we had delicious lunch (I had fresh meatballs with sweet potatoes, peas, and greenbeans soaked in lemon juice) and I want to continue that (Attaching photos), and I especially don't want to feel like a schmuck when I order their delicious tea.

Afterward we took a taxicab ride down to a real cool place call the "Minaturk." Essentially, to an American it feels like a mini-golf course (with all the minarets from the mosques feeling very windmillish), but, in reality, they architects have taken 50 or so of some of Turkey's most famous sites and reconstructed them on a 1/20th scale. (Attaching photos of me at the Sultanate Mosque mini, Cynthia, Mark, and me at the Parliament mini, and a mini of the Helecarnassus Mausoleum (which was once one of 7 Wonders of the World and now is destroyed) and the Church of the Virgin Mary, which used to serve as the Pope's meeting ground when the center of Christianity was based out of Istanbul (not much remains of this, but we will see it in Ephesus).

For a real good laugh, check out Mark doing burpees between the mini Hagia Sophia and the mini Ataturk Airport - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj1aEeE98fw

After we returned to the area (in rush hour, which, I will say is like I-83 but with bat-crazy drivers who take twists and turns to God only knows where) and then went to the Ataturk National Memorial, a tribute to the "Father of the Turks," Mustafa Kemal, who is the founder of the Turkish Republic and kinda like their George Washington. While we were there, Mark decided to do burpees for a viral video project people are doing, and while it was stinking funny, I'm not sure if we made friends with the Turks there because of this. I like the memorial because on one side it showed him as a valiant fighter for the Ottomans, as he was their most successful general in defending Turkey, while on the reverse it shows him leading a new secular country of Turkey, dressed in western clothing and having women in his cabinet. It's a real neat statue that the pigeons seem to like as much as the Turks, though.

Mark doing more burpees at the Ataturk Memorial - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj1aEeE98fw.

Now, off to dinner. Our hosts have said it's going to be great. I hope it sets the tone for a good night sleep!

12 Hours to Go

2011-06-18T20:52:00.004-04:00

In just 12 hours I'll be on the journey of a lifetime for what, to toddlers, will be the length of their lifetimes (are we there yet?!).

Beginning tomorrow with a 7:00 am wakeup, I'll be on the move until approximately 5:00pm THE NEXT DAY Istanbul time.

Tomorrow my Harrisburg companions (Mark Hafer and Cynthia Hartman, both teachers at Harrisburg High School) and I will be hitching an Amtrak train to JFK in New York City at 8:45am.
We should arrive at JFK by 2:30ish, and our flight leaves at 4:45 pm, EST (Turkish Airlines TK2, if you're tracking at home).
Our flight is of the 16 hour variety, arriving in Istanbul at 9:30 am, EST - however, when you remember that Istanbul is 7 hours ahead of our time, it'll be about 3:30 pm there.
Approximately 34 hours after my first travel, I'll be at sit down on the bed of my first hotel stay - The Lamartine Hotel in the center-city district of Taksim. The link for the hotel is here - http://www.lamartinehotel.com/.

Attached you'll find 2 photos - one of me fitting my suitcase within a suitcase; hey, I'm prepared to bring home souvenirs.

And my most endeared "souvenir," my lovely girlfriend Devin, who I'll miss dearly over these next 2 weeks.

But Turkey awaits! Tam yol ileri (full speed ahead)!

Midnight Express

2011-06-15T20:04:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I watched Midnight Express via a recommendation from Dennis Pechart. Dennis, you're a friggen jerk - my heart was pounding the whole time while I said, "things are different in 2011 compared to 1978, things are different in..." over and over again.

In fact, part of my tour's purpose is to introduce me to the "real Turkey," not the one presented to us through the Ottoman Empire or films like Midnight Express.

However, if you've never seen the film, here's a trailer for you:

Why Turkey?

2011-06-13T15:16:00.000-04:00

Some one asked me this question this week. My answer...

Why not?

Pre-Turkey Bound

2011-06-07T11:07:00.003-04:00

Today is the first day of Final Exams at Cumberland Valley High School, so I'm taking a break from grading to initiate my first pre-blog post.

Just 12 days until I leave for Turkey - I'm very excited, but, to be honest, I haven't had much time to think or anticipate my departure! Things have been (and always are) so busy to close out the school year that it's tough to really wrap your brain around anything else.

For my itinerary and trip notes, please access my webpage at school under a link specifically for my trip, which occurs June 19 - July 4 - http://www.cvschools.org/webpages/jmiller/turkey.cfm.

On a sidenote, if you read below about my other blogs, I used to publish all my Op-Ed articles that I wrote, including a brief stint writing for the Pennsylvania Tourism industry where they paid for my lift tickets to snowboard at the various mountains across the Commonwealth. That was pretty awesome until I hurt myself trying to pull off maneuvers that 27 year olds shouldn't be attempting!

Snowboard Blog - 01/25/09

2009-01-27T19:56:00.003-05:00

It’s time for westward expansion as I hit up one of the Appalachian’s biggest peaks outside of Greater Pittsburgh!

Excellent:

n The little things – I have personally never seen tissue boxes at the chair lifts, tickets available for purchase as you drive in, a person divvying up the ridership at all the busy lifts, or a ski school that is dedicated to the new folks on the mountain. Plus, I loved checking out the array of mountain cameras so you can view the slopes yourself before you go.

n Rockin’ lodge – If you’re looking for an experience that doesn’t just end on the mountain, head to any

of the four different lodge areas to enjoy yourself; one bonus: many on the mountain are in their 20s, 30s, and 40s – not just teens.

n All-inclusive – one of the greatest things about Seven Springs is the variety the mountain provides. If you want a condo right off of one of the slopes, it’s there. If you want simple green circles, they’re there separated and separated from the more difficult terrain. There is bowling. There are several places to eat and the tavern in the main lodge is monolithic. So much for so many tastes.

n Open trails – I almost never had any problems avoiding other skiers or snowboarders because the trails are so wide and vast.

Satisfactory:

n Price - $52 allowed me to ride all day and night on the weekend. Prices during the weekday and night are much more reasonable, especially for what you receive.

n Artificial Snow – I could tell that much of the base is artificially made, and, being as south as Seven Springs is, it does an ample job of covering a solid portion of the mountain.

n Food – As par with most resorts, food was overpriced. However, I enjoyed the soup and one of the best and largest cookies I have ever laid eyes on. My friend had a killer buffalo chicken sub, but dropped $10 on it.

Needs Improvement:

n Conditions – After talking to several regular riders, they said that today was one of the best days they’d had in a while. That being said, it was 22 degrees and windy, enough to freeze my Camelbak insulated water container and enough to turn at least 3 or 4 runs into solid, scraping ice journeys.

n Closing Trails – I think that some of the trails were far too icy to be open, while other trails were set to shut down at 4:30p.

n Signs – One thing about Seven Springs is it is difficult for a newcomer to navigate. Signs are scattered and their fonts small.

n Terrain Parks – “The Alley” was one of the most fun parks I have ever rode through. With its 6 table tops, I loved it. However, it was really the only one worth visiting. The others were under construction or too simple.

Final Grade: B-

All things considered equal, on its best day Seven Springs could possibly be an A- resort, or at least a B+, especially with all things considered. However, as a man who is one with the mountain, the conditions left me feeling that this was a slightly above average day. That being said, I will, without question, say that the Seven Springs is unrivaled in comparison to other resorts south of The Pennsylvania Turnpike, probably the best resort in southwestern PA, and – snowfall permitting – the potential to be a truly incredible resort.

Snowboard Blog - 01/17/09

2009-01-27T19:19:00.003-05:00

To Lake Harmony for Big Boulder Ski Resort in the Poconos; PA’s terrain park specialty.

Excellent:

n Terrain Parks – Actually called Board Parks because they dedicate much of their time and energy to creating so many.

n Conditions – Big Boulder touts being the first resort to open and the last to close for a reason; it opened prior to Thanksgiving and will probably have its last run in March thanks to Old Man Winter’s frequent snow breath.

n Price – at $48 for their most expensive lift ticket and $30 for a night pass, not many resorts rival Big Boulder’s price

n Two Mountains – though not many will travel to and fro, one can spend the day at Jack Frost and then maneuver to Big Boulder for the evening.

Satisfactory:

n Food – The cuisine is below standards of other resorts, but at least it’s more reasonably priced.

n Not Many Beginner Runs – The emphasis on Board Parks has pinched out many of the Green Circle trails for the beginners, oftentimes pushing them into more advanced trails.

n The Lodge – There’s enough room to maneuver but not enough to enjoy a drink; but the most frequent patrons are young, high-school aged kids so this is adequate for Big Boulder.

Needs Improvement:

n Short Runs – By the time you take the lift to the top and come back down, it feels as if you could easily time it on a stopwatch.

n “Normal” trails – Again, the emphasis on board parks has limited the amount of Black Diamonds to three, so if you’re visiting the mountain just for an explosion of speed or for variety, you may walk away disappointed.

n Busy Nights – The low price for a night ticket and the traversing of many of Jack Frost’s day skiers make for crowded trails at night.

Final Grade: B

If you love to do tricks and hit the Board Park, you’ll entirely disagree with my assessment and rank Big Boulder as an A. I’m quite fine with compromising with a B for Big Boulder, as the excellent conditions and great price make Big Boulder a wonderful stop for any mountain traveler.

A Call for Open Government

2009-01-21T22:03:00.002-05:00

In 1775, a nation was purportedly conceived behind a veil. Amidst the shut windows and closed doors of the Pennsylvania State House, 343 of the nation’s most stalwart citizens entered and exited the Second Continental Congress in what was legendarily secret. Here they managed a ballooning crisis with their fatherland, and, together, forged a common bond that founded a nation.

But those officials had something today’s do not – government accountability. The unjust taxes, the innocent citizen casualties, and the dismay of Great Britain were shared. It bridged a gap between citizen and government. Vital to this connection was the media, and the outcome of the American Revolution may have been substantially different without the honesty and clarity they transferred.

But this pivotal role did not cease at national foundation. William Lloyd Garrison was a beacon of morality that helped abolish slavery. Journalism raked through the unsanitary conditions of the early 20th Century food industry. Nary could an American dismiss Walter Cronkite as he delivered the Vietnam War to American television sets. Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward used transparency to unearth Watergate. And, most recently, DrudgeReport.com revealed the shocking Whitewater scandal in 1998.

Though investigative journalism shed light on a litany of our government’s darkest secrets, Americans have come to accept a deeper veil of secrecy. Beginning September 11, 2001, many citizens became so terrified, they delivered Pres. Bush a blank check to protect us. There was little concern over what rights we lost or crimes we were about to commit.

And so, the blindness and shortsightedness of our government led us to war without evidence of weapons of mass destruction; to disobey The Constitution at Guantanamo Bay; to condone the atrocities committed by BlackWater mercenaries; and accumulate a deficit beyond imagination.

Slinging war money as though it were confetti is only the prelude to our morose economic climate. Undue tax relief complemented by bad loan industry oversight, shady banking procedures, and corporate bailouts doomed Americans without their knowledge. And here we stand, on the verge of collapse. A fall we knew little about.

The new incoming president has many difficulties to overcome, least of these being an open government. Barack Obama has resigned himself to the task, beginning Change.gov, a website dedicated to his administration’s tasks at hand, compiled in a Citizen’s Briefing Book.

But an e-book is just the beginning; the public is thirsty for more than rhetoric. They want honesty. Americans yearn to eliminate backroom, partisan politicking, and hope that the next decision to go to war or expunge previous policies is completed in public and not behind a veil. They want an environmental policy that is as realistic as it is idealistic, fair enough to keep jobs while improving an endangered environment. Americans want a government that will support them when health concerns arise rather than seek the political donations from the pharmaceutical industry. They want to feel safe from attacks and not threatened with their liberties. But most of all, Americans want to ascertain where their tax dollars are being spent. They want a government who helps them while accounting for every one of the hard-earned dollars it takes to accomplish that.

President Obama seems ready to the task at hand. He stated, in his inaugural address, “Those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.”

Our Founders rebelled from a government who failed to bridge a gap between the people and their government, a government who kept them in the dark. Hope and change led an admirable mission to create the American democracy; only open government can relight that mission and make it admirable again.

An Historic Day - And I Experienced It!

2009-01-20T20:04:00.002-05:00

January 20^th, 2009 was an iconic, memorable day for millions of Americans, and I was one of the lucky few to experience it, up close and personal. An itinerary of my day:

1:26 am – Departure – Harrisburg was entirely empty and quiet.
3:24 am – Park & Ride – I approached Grosvenor Metro parking lot earlier than opening, and people had already parked and were waiting to board the metro.
4:09 am – All Aboard! – After passing the time chatting with a few parade volunteers, the first train of the day approached, and we didn’t just board it, we filled it. On board I met two very friendly ladies, one a middle-aged teacher from Pittsburgh who was sharing the inauguration with 50 of her students, another a young, beautiful, intelligent black woman who discussed the hurt associated with the Eagles’ playoff loss.
4:37 am – Shortcut – I hopped off the Red Line at DuPont Circle and walked south to my friend’s apartment. While walking, I noticed that the security increased as I walked and time elapsed; one National Guard soldier every other block gave way to blockades and snipers as I drew closer to the National Mall. Not even 5 am, I was stupefied by the amount of people walking the streets, bursting with energy, song, praise, and even dance. I soon joined in and yelled, “This is so surreal!”
5:01 am – A Bit of Warmth – I met my friend John and perused my Inaugural Packet provided by his boss and my former Congressman Paul Kanjorski as John readied himself; we quickly walked to the nearest Metro station.
5:30 am – Capitol South – John and I exited at the Capitol South at the perfect time and far ahead of schedule, so we sat down for a quick breakfast and coffee.
7:10 am – Rendezvous – Once we met all John’s friends, we made our way to the Blue Ticket Area.
7:36 am – The Line – I will attach a picture of “The Line” that was formed to enter the blue ticket area. It swirled like marshmallow and caramel in an ice cream amalgamation that wrapped around 2 blocks long, and equally as cold. While waiting in “The Line,” I met some very compelling individuals. Two ladies behind us were professed Pittsburgh Steelers fans. One man to our right began an ominous chant, dividing “The Line” into three sections, each obligated to “Oh! Bah! Ma!” Another man near me was Steve Glassman, Chairman of the PA Human Relations Commission, and a very affable man who was most cheerful of any one in “The Line.”
10:46 am – Clear! – Yes, 3+ hours later, we finally made it to our designated area. Still, every one was in high spirits.
11:36 am – No Respect – When Pres. Bush appeared on the Capitol stage, the crowd booed and soon followed with, “Nahna nahna nahna, hey hey hey, goodbye.” This was the most only sour event of the day.
11:44 am – Timing – Just when the Ceremony Speaker announced “and now, President-Elect Barack Obama,” a swarm of sparrows flew from the sky right behind the camera, capturing a moment television viewers would never see.
11:57 am – VP – Joe Biden, with a beckoning voice, swears in as Vice President.
12:05 pm – Gametime – Barack Obama, despite a fumble between he and Chief Justice Roberts, swears in with a gravity and somberness I had yet to hear. He soon follows the jitters with a resounding speech that echoed throughout the city, and likewise, the applause and cheers thundered as the Americans behind us on the lawn and scattered throughout the streets followed in their cheers and applause.
12:31 pm – After 11 hours, the historical event was complete. While exiting we separated ways. I again began talking to members of the exhilarated audience, and observe, with a smile on my face, as strangers high-five, smile at one another, and join in Gospel hymn. One man grabbed me by the shoulders and said, “Congratulations man – lots of history was made today.” I turned and laughed. It was surreal that I was fortunate enough to experience it.

Snowboard Blog - Blue Mountain 01/11/09

2009-01-11T21:32:00.004-05:00

A fresh four inches of snow were a siren to visit Blue Mountain located in Palmerton, PA. After driving back roads to reach this small haven, my day was underway. The report card:

Excellent:

n Majestic views – after the snow and ice storm fell a few trees and clung to those both living and dead, Burma Road housed one of the most glorious landscapes for a skier / snowboarder. Much of the remainder of the mountain was similarly remarkable.

n Long runs – any rider can lift to the top and have a lengthy ride down, three of which eclipsed a mile. Lazy Mile with the Terrain Run Park / Halfpipe at the bottom are one of my favorite runs in the state.

n Ski & Board Check – cautious riders will rest easy with the free board / ski check located at each lodge and rest area.

Satisfactory:

n Food – while fare was overpriced as it is at most resorts, the amount of choices and the quality were better than most. I particularly enjoyed the roasted almonds to the rear of the bottom cabin.

n Conditions – in the beginning of the day, the fresh powder was great, especially once the groomers pulled through. However, many of the lift loading and unloading areas were ice-filled, as were large portions of the black diamonds.

n Price - $52 allowed me to ride all day and night on the weekend.

n New Trail – Dreamweaver – the new trail is very representative of the park and places another lengthy trail on the east side of the park that every one can enjoy.

n Board Parks – what was once a neglected part of the mountain is now very reasonable. With five board parks, Blue is moving in the right direction.

Needs Improvement:

n Ticket kiosks – I arrived at 11:45a and the ticket kiosk would only allow us to purchase a ticket for 12:30p. Needless to say, when we tried to enter the mountain, we were stopped by the attendants.

n Trail off-shoots – friends and I love to go venture off the path through the woods. I can count on one hand the amount of places one can do this at Blue.

n Lodge comfort – the lodges could use a facelift and better setting, especially to serve adult beverages from a bar rather than a cooler adjacent to the bathroom.

Final Grade: B

Blue Mountain has always housed some of the longest runs in the state and is now complementing that with a variance of board parks. In addition, they possess friendly customer service and excellent crossovers between trails.

"Never Share"

2008-12-29T14:09:00.003-05:00

I’ll write about you

Until I’m thin air

But this poem

I’ll never share

I’ll talk about

Our first stare

With which no other

I’ll ever share

My fingertips locked

In her curly hair

Hers to keep ‘cause

I’ll never share

Face so delicate

Figure so fair

Angels can’t hope

To ever share

Mind of a compass

Morals of a square

Only God

Seems to share

Pleasant and lovely

And strong and rare

Traits only she

May ever share

And world around her

She seems to wear

Only to hope

She’ll ever share

But it’s our separate worlds

That seemingly chair

For with any one else

Distance be no bear

And all the miles

From here to there

Keep us from

Completing our pair

In a moment which

In dreams we’d share

But I’ll write of you

Until I’m thin air

But this poem

I’ll never share

(December 2006)

"Defending the Position"

2008-12-29T14:01:00.004-05:00

It’s the second winter day, 2003

And I sit in a dugout left empty

To watch the grass hold on to the field it’ll lose

As a dog tows his owner to a poop spot he chose

And the wintery winds, still warm, make the siding flap

Grows green the grass, and I watch it adapt

It’s held the fort strong, no patches dead

While all around its allies have fled:

The leaves blown off, the birds fly in scuttles,

The sun bows out early, the dirt cries in puddles.

Through their retreat, while scared of Frost’s ploy,

This beautiful day is a gift for the grass to enjoy.

(December 2003)

"Break in Case of Glass"

2008-12-29T13:54:00.004-05:00

You talk of glass ceilings

That limit the size

Of the salary you’ll earn

Or portend your demise

Like being a woman’s a crime

A cast where there’s no mold

To form fit the fight to

Break the glass ceilings.

You talk of glass ceilings

Like it’s a tease at the top

A place you’ve been promised

But will never live up.

Still, if inside you erupt

No wall, no roof, no controls

Can hinder you and your goals

As you break the glass ceilings.

Deep down I know you’re feeling

It’s exoteric, the power, wielding

And it might be a haul

No submitting, no yielding

To this terrible glass ceiling

And soon enough you’ll start seeing

There’s no glass ceiling at all.

(December 2005)

A Christmas Missed

2008-12-01T14:57:00.003-05:00

Soon television will be flooded with some of your favorite Christmas classics, such as Miracle on 34^th St., A Wonderful Life, The Santa Clause, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and A Christmas Story. The child in me always preferred the animated favorites: How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, A Muppet Christmas, and my favorite, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Each one of these movies are great in their own unique way, but the moral to all is the selflessness of the Christmas Spirit can trump any problem and bring warmth to any life.

After witnessing some of the atrocities that occurred this Black Friday, one cannot help but wonder how amiss we are with the meaning of Christmas.

In a California Toys 'R' Us, two men fired their sidearms after their female companions entered a bloodied fight. The event culminated in the loss of both mens’ lives and also a sense of shopping safety. To quote bystander Joan Barrick, “All I was thinking was… I don’t want to die today.” Not wanting to compromise next year’s shopping, Toys 'R' Us dismissed the shooting as a “personal dispute” and therefore “inaccurate to associate [it] with Black Friday.”

Black Friday was worse for Jdimytai Damour, a part-time Wal-Mart employee who wiped the dust out of his eyes to report to his job early that morning. According to police reports and the New York Daily News, Damour was assigned crowd control at the store entrance – an arduous task overseeing an unruly collection of 2,000 people eagerly waiting for the 5:00 am opening. Shoppers to the rear of the crowd started chanting “Push the doors in!” and within moments, the doors barricaded off the hinges, followed by a mob that “bum rushed” a group of employees who tried to form a human chain to keep the shoppers at bay.

Their yielding approach was in vain as several people were pummeled over, Damour included. Fellow Wal-Mart staff members scrambled and leaped “on top of vending machines” to avoid the mayhem of shoppers (who “yelled like savages”) until they could eventually reach Damour. The thirty-four-year-old died almost instantly of a heart attack.

In turn, the raucous toppled four shoppers, including a pregnant woman who, after being stepped on, lost her 8-month-old fetus.

All this for Guitar Hero World Tour for $59 or a 50” Samsung LCD TV for $798?

This might be a series of rhetorical questions, but what has happened to humanity during a season of giving? With behavior like this, is it difficult to imagine ourselves in A Wonderful Life where angels receive their wings? Is Black Friday nothing more than the search for this year’s fashionable “Red-Ryder BB Gun?” How would the Santa from Miracle on 34^th Street come back to judge us – as naughty or nice? Or better yet, what of the judgment the (oft-forgot) namesake of the holiday, Jesus Christ?

We don’t need Jack Skellington or Tim Burton to identify with a Nightmare Before Christmas. It’s a Grinch that lies within, and for many of us, emerges on an appropriately named Black Friday.

Presidential Election Trivia

2008-11-04T14:52:00.000-05:00

The Harrisburg Patriot-News Election Special

November 4, 2008

With the election only a few days away, every media source is going to be pounded by poignant opinions, haberdashery, endorsements, and threats. In a change of pace, let’s do a bit of presidential trivia. Can you name the:

Last time a Republican ticket won an election without a Bush or a Nixon on the ticket?
Year and candidates that brought out the highest percentage of Americans to the polls?
Number of consecutive elections had taken place with a sitting President or Vice President on the ballot (2008 excluded)?
Territory of land purchased by the first Republican administration (and was dubbed “Seward’s Folley”) but is now represented on the Republican ticket.
Only President elected to two non-consecutive terms was who?
President who was never elected as a president or vice president by the American people?
First President to lose in a bid for re-election?
Party who had more Presidents, Democrats or Republicans?
Last President elected that was neither a Republican nor a Democrat?
Future President collected the most electoral votes and most popular votes in 1824, yet still lost the election (in the Corrupt Bargain)?
How many of the 55 presidential elections did the winner NOT receive a majority of the national vote?
Answer: True or False – young Barack Obama was legally old enough to consume alcohol when John McCain was first elected to Congress?
Dominant religious domination of the 43 elected presidents?
University that has produced the most presidents?
Amount of children Sen. McCain has?
Preferred game of admitted gamblers Sen. McCain and Sen. Obama?
Number of Presidents from the 11 since the end of World War II that have been left-handed?
Answer: True or False – A majority of the Presidents were Freemasons?
Year that, adjusted for inflation, the President made more money – 1908 or 2008?
How many Presidents have a military background?

1a. 1928 – Pres. Herbert Hoover

2a. 1876, when Pres. Rutherford Hayes lost the popular vote to Samuel J. Tilden, but won the Electoral College. The turnout has stymied since.

3a. Thirteen straight elections, from 1956 until 2004.

4a. Alaska

5a. Pres. Grover Cleveland, in 1884 and 1892. He also won the popular vote (but lost the election) in 1888.

6a. Pres. Gerald Ford

7a. Pres. John Adams lost to his political rival, Pres. Thomas Jefferson

8a. The Republicans have elected 19 Presidents, while the Democrats have fielded 13.

9a. Pres. Zach Taylor, a Whig, was elected in 1848 but died just 16 months into office.

10a. Future Pres. Andrew Jackson lost to Pres. John Q. Adams.

11a. Sixteen.

12a. True – but Sen. Obama was a mere 11 years old when his running mate, Sen. Joe Biden was first elected to the Senate.

13a. Twelve Presidents have at one time or another identified themselves as Episcopalian (Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, W. Harrison, Tyler, Taylor, Pierce, Arthur, F. Roosevelt, Ford, G.H.W. Bush). If Sen. McCain is elected, he would become the thirteenth.

14a. Harvard had a hand in educating six presidents (both Adams, both Roosevelts, Kennedy, and Pres. G.W. Bush (MBA)). Sen. Obama would become the seventh.

15a. Sen. McCain has seven children (Sydney, Doug, Andy, Meghan, Jack, James, Bridget)

16a. Sen. Obama prefers five-card stud, while Sen. McCain enjoys craps.

17a. Five (Truman, Ford, Reagan, G.H.W. Bush, Clinton; both McCain and Obama are left-handed, making ½ of the most recent presidents left-handed even though only 1 in 10 Americans are a “southpaw”)

18a. False. Only fourteen (Washington, Monroe, Jackson, Polk, Buchanan, A. Johnson, Garfield, McKinley, both Roosevelts, Taft, Harding, Truman, and Ford) of the 43 were Freemasons.

19a. 1908. In 2008, Pres. Bush was paid $400,000. In 1908, Pres. Theodore Roosevelt, made $75,000, which would have been $1.7 million in today’s figures.

20a. Thirty-one presidents have had a military background. All of them, sans Pres. Buchanan, served as an officer. Sen. McCain would become the thirty-second.

Sources: PresidentialElection.com, The Page at Time Magazine, Wikipedia, Funtrivia.com, Worldmaps.com, PeopleQuiz.com, Quizland.com

The Founders Flip-Flopped, Too

2008-08-31T14:45:00.000-04:00

The Harrisburg Patriot-News

August 31, 2008

On March 14, 2004, presidential candidate and current Senator John Kerry claimed that he “voted for [a soldier funding proposal in

Iraq

] before I voted against it.” This boondoggle quickly painted Kerry into a corner, and framed him with the disparaging political term – the “flip-flopper.”

In the 2008 election, the term has become even more pervasive and commonplace. Sen. John McCain has been accused of changing his stance on a laundry list of measures: from his stance on immigration, supporting Pres. Bush’s tax cuts, or encouraging off-shore drilling. Sen. Barack Obama has also been accused of banking a few U-turns, sharing McCain’s off-shore drilling stance, while now supporting FISA and neglecting public financing.

The media’s fascination with tracking these changes of position led me to wonder – were the Founding Fathers flip-floppers?

Unquestionably.

Pres. George Washington was elected to office as a nonpartisan. He in fact promised to avoid partisanship. Yet it was Washington who became the adulation of the Federalist Party and a strong national government. He created a rift with Democratic-Republicans by expelling the French diplomat “Citizen Genet,” who roused Jeffersonian supporters to aid France in their war with Britain. Washington ironically should remain the only president elected without a party because of the partisanship of his own administration.

Thomas Jefferson also belongs to this list. The 18^th century libertarian and a one of the most vocal opponents of nationalized government didn’t hesitate to use his presidential influence to conduct the Louisiana Purchase. This $23 million transaction (approximately 1/3 of the GDP at the time) was a major government expenditure. Many argued that if Federalist John Adams had proposed this measure, Jefferson would have surely opposed it.

Pres. Adams himself turned on his own Federalist Party as they grew hungry for war with France. His administration, creators of the first FISA-like Alien & Sedition Acts, was bent on curbing foreign espionage. They later used this as a vehicle to level the Democratic-Republican Party; yet when Adams stepped in and overturned the Acts as well as the French “Quasi-War,” ironically the only things leveled were his own party and his chances of re-election.

The biggest flip-flopper of all was James Madison. He was the author of more than 1/3 of the Federalist Papers, a 1788 compendium with the sole intention of convincing America to support Federalist policies and to rally around a strong central government. Madison created the binding document that gave birth to such a government. But three years later, the “Father of The Constitution” switched parties and systemically fought for a Bill of Rights to give more power to the individual states and Americans themselves.

Though John Kerry wouldn’t know it, flip-flopping is as American as apple pie. In fact, voters should fear candidates who remain inflexible and rigid on some issues. As our nation grows and we unearth technological, military, and economic shifts in our culture and world, we shouldn’t be measuring the quality of a candidate by merely their first opinions and moral standards but also on their ability to do what’s best for America at any and all times.

Economics 101 - For the High School Graduate

2008-06-01T14:34:00.000-04:00

Published in the Allentown Morning Call and the Lehighton Times News, June 2008

One of the most peculiar things about teaching is when students ask, “What is something good I can do with my life?”

For those students in need of a compass, I advise you to use simple economic principles as your guide:

· Supply & Demand: The most basic principle of economics revolves around this term. Job markets that are in huge demand – health services, mathematics, accounting, engineering, scientific research, etc. – all pay well because there aren’t enough people to supply the markets.

· Trades make every one better off: Too many high school students enroll in college because it seems like a good idea. However, some people should not be sitting in more classes – and accruing an average debt of $22,000 – when they could be learning a trade or pursuing a quick, hands-on degree such as dental hygienist.

· Elasticity: People who are flexible tend to roll with the market well. If you decide to pursue a college degree, make yourself well-rounded. A friend of mine recently graduated with degrees in both special and elementary education. That doesn’t just double his chances of getting a job, it quadruples them.

· Maximize resources: Prior to the 1990s, as butchers spilt up parts of the chicken they tossed the chicken wings. But with a little entrepreneurialism, that same chicken wing that was once garbage quickly became valuable. The world around us is in desperate need of people who can turn ordinary resources into extraordinary investments.

· There is no such thing as a free lunch: If you think you’re in for an easy way to make money – many often point to law on this one – you couldn’t be more wrong. The LSAT is the most difficult standardized test in the world, and the three years you might spend in law school will be the most intense you will ever experience.

· Risk & rewards: If you’re planning on making millions, you’re going to put yourself out there in the face of failure. Under Armour founder Kevin Plank maxed out every credit card he had to make his water-wicking material, but was rewarded big because he risked big. More young Americans need to make big – and intelligent – risks. Imagine if you’re the entrepreneur to replace oil.

· All choices involve opportunity costs: If you invest $2,000 annually into a mutual loan with 10% returns for 20 years, you’ll be a millionaire by the time you retire. Think about that the next time you ask for the sticker price on a Mustang.

· Pay attention to the bottom line: Sure, you need to find a career that will make you happy, but you don’t want to be living paycheck-to-paycheck. Look for jobs that pay well, and pursue at least one of them.

Class of 2008, I wish you much success. May the torch of simple economics be your guide to unearthing it.

Dollars & Democracy: The 2008 Election Highlights American Excess

2008-04-02T14:17:00.003-04:00

Like a credit card bill from hell, first quarter fundraising reports showed an excessive amount of dollars collected for the 2008 presidential candidates. Senator Hillary Clinton leads the soon-to-be spending spree, having raised $36 million through the first three months of her campaign, quadrupling the record amount collected by Al Gore in 1999. Even John Edwards – the third place finisher in the Democratic primary – has eclipsed Gore’s numbers, raising a cool $13 million for his campaign; America still awaits for Barack Obama’s and Republican figures to be disclosed.

It has become safe to assume the 2008 presidential election will be costlier than any election in the history of our world. Spending will, undoubtedly, eclipse the $1 billion mark in this decisive race. Seems like an excessive amount of zeroes for a job that pays $400,000 per year, but it becomes even more extreme when one realizes $1 billion is a higher dollar amount than the entire GDP of 28 nations.

But people like Jonah Goldberg would have you think that this price tag is by no means intolerable. According to his March 28^th article in the Washington Post, “More money means more communication, more debate, more education. In other words, more democracy.”

More money does not mean more communication. More money means more bought votes, more you scratch my back while I throw dollars at yours. Money is to political campaigns what PowerBait is to the first day of fishing – you just have to continuously apply until you get every fish to bite, because they are all hungry. Plus more money usually means more painful, slanderous and repetitive advertisements; not what the Framers would consider a two-way communicative conduit.

Neither does more money mean more debate; it eliminates it. Today we hardly elect the candidate with the best ideas. We elect the candidate who gets our attention, and that usually comes at a price and with many purse strings. According to OpenSecrets.org, we elect the candidate with the biggest checkbook 97% of the time. This causes many deserving candidates to drop out of the race early simply because they cannot keep up with the fundraising. More money means less candidates and less debate.

And to believe that more money equals more education? Considering that 5% of voters elected Bill Clinton in 1992 because he played the saxophone or that 6.25% of voters placed George Bush in office in 2000 because he was a guy they could “sit down and have a beer with,” if we really wanted to educate the voters, we could do it in a much more effective and efficient manner than making signs and barraging them with tasteless, purchased propaganda.

Instead, political races should have a level political playing field. This nation was founded upon equal opportunity, and the current price tag of elections virtually eliminates any hopes of average citizens with great ideas to play in the same arena as the millionaires and billionaires that run the system and the corporations that sponsor them. Watch Bullworth or Man of the Year if you want to laugh at that biting but honest audacity.

Money has not enhanced our democracy, it has squandered it. The only way to solve this is to slowly take it back from campaign donors and pork-barrel spending projects and for every voter to look at their politician like they would their teenager with our national credit card. Call it "American Excess," because that is what money has done to our political system. If we neglect to watch it, recover it, and reinvent it, the great democratic system that was fine-tuned in this country and replicated around the world will not be every where we want it to be.

Rendell Brings Shovel to a Snowball Fight

2008-02-13T10:29:00.004-05:00

KeystonePolitics.com, February 12, 2008

As Pennsylvania was blanketed by snow on Tuesday, the thickest “white stuff” was recorded by Tony Norman of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

“You’ve got conservative whites [in Pennsylvania],” said Governor Ed Rendell, “who are probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate.” Rendell continues his charade, saying, while “looking at the returns in my election, that had Lynn Swann been the identical candidate that he was – well-spoken, charismatic, good-looking – but white instead of black, instead of winning by 22 points, I would have won by 17 or so.”

Wow. Did Pennsylvania really elect a man so insensitive, so egotistical, and so naïve?
I have three questions for you, Mr. Rendell:

Don’t you believe you won in the 2006 general election because you were the stronger candidate?

The 2006 Swann campaign was infantile: Swann had political party (our state is slightly Democrat) and fundraising disadvantages (Rendell out-raised Swann 2:1). He was also a non-native Pennsylvanian that had no political experience running against the incumbent governor, who walloped him in every debate because Swann had the policy-handling skills of Humpty Dumpty. Why he lost the election had nothing to do with his skin color. It had to do with Rendell’s ability to work a shovel and Swann’s lack of it.

Second, since you relied upon black and suburbanite voters, never conservative whites, what gives you the right to speak on their behalf?

When gun control and abortion became major wedge issues in the 2002 primary race, Rendell lost every middle county to current Sen. Bob Casey, Jr. In 2006 he lost these counties again, sans a handful. Rendell’s comments not only unearthed James Carville’s description of Pennsylvania (“Pittsburgh to the west, Philadelphia to the east, and Alabama in between”), it attempted to recast the areas (he never carried) as culturally backward, as if the Little Rock Nine, Brown v. Board, and Martin Luther King, Jr. did little to change the mindset of its residents. And as a resident of these areas, it’s offensive.

Lastly, since conservative whites are opposed to label candidates such as the “black” one, why would they support the “woman candidate” – especially one with the last name of Clinton? Or why should they support any candidate you endorse?

Based on profiling, most voters who will disregard Obama will also not vote for Clinton, just as they disregarded Rendell. By pitting the two candidates against each other – and reinforcing the “conservative whites’” distaste for him – our governor is reducing the slight Democratic lead for either winner, whether it’s Obama or Clinton. Instead, the scales tilt toward the moderate and toward the Republican. Advantage: McCain.

At this time next month, the presidential primary will move to Pennsylvania. And, just like cinders spoil a fresh, uncontaminated snowfall, insensitive comments issued by our own governor may have tarnished one of the greatest moments in our state’s electoral history. But then again, the next comment could be even more outrageous, too.

Teaching to the Test Extinguishes Fire of Learning

2008-01-26T21:53:00.000-05:00

KeystonePolitics.com, January 22nd 2008

Allentown Morning Call, January 24th 2008

Lehighton Times News, January 26th 2008

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”

While a student at Bloomsburg University, I remember stumbling across this banner, and being floored by its message. These words, which I later learned was a quote by Irish poet William Bulter Yeats, have served as the flag to my classroom.

I am a firm believer that students learn by doing, but more importantly by wanting to do. Give them a torch and a sense of guidance, and they will find their way. But give them a pail, and you’ll find how much they hat being compared to other students on assessments such as the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA).

After learning about the PA Board of Education’s decision to make PSSAs standard as a graduation requirement, I gave them the torch of my classroom to discuss the proposals. Here’s what I learned:

A mere mention of the acronym PSSA automatically conjured an array of emotions. Some students were filled with revile. They hate the PSSA. But they detest our school’s 4SIGHT remedial test, its evil step-brother, even more. Just yesterday one of my “problematic” 9th grade students was pulled from my class during a test review – which he was fully participative and thoroughly enjoying – to fulfill his 4sight requirement. He pleaded to stay, but I explained the state supercedes me as boss. His response? “Mr. Miller, I’m going to finish in 5 minutes.” He was back in four.

There are many students like this young man who have learned to be apathetic about tests. After years of taking tests with no review of their answers, they do not know how to improve themselves and achieve the coveted “Advanced” or “Proficient” rankings. So they’ve learned to be unconcerned.

Others are entirely consumed by them. One student told me that when he was in 3rd grade he “used to get nauseous the day before the PSSA because he had been brainwashed to succeed.” Instead of finding success, some unearth stress. Approximately 49% of students suffer from test anxiety; giving them more tests shows how little their apprehension matters.

Special education students are also a concern. One of my students explained to the class, “if we have these standardized tests, a student like me might be forced to drop out.” Her face turned sour as explained, “I need teachers’ help on tests, and I feel lost when I take the PSSA.”

What about vocational-technical students? “I’m not going to college,” professed one of my very blatant students. “I just want to learn a trade. But with this proposal, I’ll be forced out of something I love to do into college prep courses. That is crap.”

“Imagine that your son or daughter has problems the year they are to take one of the two English PSSAs (language arts and reading/writing, which must both be passed),” said another student. “It doesn’t matter the problem – whether a bad teacher, a teacher on maternity leave, or the student has personal issues. They’ll be forced to take a test they need to pass but are doomed to fail.”

I love feeling floored by statements like that.

But if teachers are forced to teach to tests, conversations – like this one where students discuss and solve problems – will be replaced by the memorization of answers. In effect, we will force a continual extinguishing of the fire by examining the filling the pail that is standardized testing. It’s a light we cannot afford to lose.