The past week was very busy. This is why I have not posted. Besides work and social commitments I also managed to register some .IN domain names, including Joe.In, in the Indian domain name launch. Also this week, an ancient fossil was found in Tarsus, and

The big news in Mersin this weekend is the launch

HOLD ON, HOLD ON, STOP RIGHT THERE. I AM CURRENTLY IN A STATE OF MILD SHOCK. I just found out 2005’s world’s longest hammer throw was thrown in Mersin today. Not only that, but I most likely witnessed and even took a picture of the person throwing the record throw!

I wasn’t even going to write about the hammer throwing I saw today. It occurred on the dirt soccer pitch across the river from where the national politician Deniz Baykal was going to officially open the new path. I was more interested in the path-launch and only watched the hammer throwing from the bridge whilst waiting for Deniz to arrive. This was the same location as Tarkan’s concert last year. The throwing looked like nothing special to me. The only thing strange was the surveying equipment used (instead of tape) to measure the throws. That, and the fact one participant threw far longer than the others.

Whilst looking for the “Mersin” stories at Google News, I discovered Esref Apak threw 78.06 metres at the Turkish National Winter Throwing Championships. This is more than any other person has thrown in 2005.

Taking a photo of what I believe is Esref’s record throw was a complete coincidence. I didn’t know who he was and I only took a photo for the hell of it. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen the hammer throw live before. As I mentioned previously, I wasn’t even going to write about the hammer throwing in the blog today. After the record throw, the sparse crowd gave a round of applause.
Anyway, here is Esref, milliseconds after releasing his record throw:

A close-up view of the same throw:

Esref’s follow-up throw:

Close-up:

Hopefully, today’s news will create more interest in the 5th European Winter Throwing Cup to be held in Mersin in 3 weeks’ time.

This morning I walked westwards along the coastline and back again. Now I have a digital camera I can take photos of random things and post them here.

Mersin’s largest mosque, “Mugdat” Mosque, is undergoing extensions. The mosque’s fifth and sixth minaret’s are currently under construction. This expense seems grandiose for a country with ever-present poverty. I don’t know why this money is not spend on charities instead.

Mountains (with snow!) in the background, the Mediterranean in the foreground, military in the centre.

What birds are those?

My new car 🙂

Last night Orhan came around to say g’day and watch the soccer on TV. He arrived whilst I was making my current favourite smoothie:

Ingredients
1 kiwi fruit
1 orange
2 or 3 Anamur bananas (the equivalent of 1 normal-sized banana)
1 heaped teaspoon honey
A few pinches of dried mint (fresh is better)
Water to liquidise

Steps
1) Wash fruit and cut into small pieces. Add to blender.
2) Add honey, mint and water.
2) Blend until smooth.

I love this drink!

Kiwi fruit are relatively new and uncommon on the Turkish market. Recently, I have seen them at the weekly Wednesday bazaar for 2 YTL (2 million old lira) a kilogram.

Later, time came to open the Absolute Kurant vodka I bought from duty free at the Turkish-Syrian border. Soda water and ice smoothed the vodka.

The final drink of the night was a modified White Russian:

Ingredients
Vodka (normal Finlandia this time)
Kahlua
Soda water
Sweetened Condensed Milk thinned with a dash of hot water
Ice

Place all ingredients in glass and stir.

This drink was delicious, although highly intoxicating if drunk in significant quantities. Sweetened condensed milk is hard to find in Turkey and the stuff I used came from Syria. Complementing the drinks were “Tutku” chocolate-filled biscuits.

Today my boss and I originally planned to eat at the only Chinese restaurant in Mersin. When we got there, it was closed for good. Short lives are very common for non-Turkish cuisine restaurants in Mersin. Locals generally don’t like to try new foods. Instead of Chinese we went to the newer Mexican restaurant next door.

The fajita and tacos were quite good, although pricier than average for Mersin. This was my first Mexican food for ages.

Although the decor was not quite the best, with plastic-chandeliered candlestick holders and bendable metal forks, it certainly matched the front of the restaurant:

The Mexican hat and Valentine’s Day promo hearts really do it for me!

I was playing with my camera in the office when I heard the “simitci” (bread ring seller) come. I decided to start the timer, place the camera on the top of my desk and have a potluck photo. Here is the result:

Although most of the photo is out of focus, I love the contrast between Kaya (the worker in the right foreground), the simitci with the bread rings carried on his head, and the statue of liberty sign on the window.

The following photo, also taken with the timer, is of the work lads:

Pick the foreigner!

Kaya (centre) began working for the company a few months ago. Shortly after Kaya’s arrival, Serkan (right) returned from his holidays with a moustache, much to the disgust of his sisters and the work ladies. I think the only woman who likes his moustache is his Mum. There is no chance of me joining the moustache club!

Today I stumbled upon a fascinating read concerning the early years of the Turkish Republic. The piece is put together by Erik-Jan Zürcher from Leiden University and is based on the 1936-37 travel diaries of Robert Anhegger and Andreas Tietze.

Here are a few tidbits:

There the Kemalists were creating a new Turkey according to their vision of modernity. Three features seem to have been common to all new towns: Firstly, a European-type municipal park (belediye parkí), with flower beds, fountains and tea gardens; secondly, a statue of the Gazi, the president of the republic; and thirdly, a cinema, which in most towns could still only show silent pictures.

…

The old method of measuring time (dependent on the numbers of hours of daylight) is still in universal use. When people use the European clock (which had been adopted officially in Turkey in 1926 along with the Christian era) they always mention that they mean “alafranga” time.

Happy Birthday Anna!

As my way of saying ‘have a good one’, here is a joke our older sister sent me (and probably everyone else in her email list) today:

There were two statues in a park; one of a nude man and one of a nude woman. They had been facing each other across a pathway for a hundred years, when one day an angel comes down from the sky and, with a single gesture, brings the two to life. The angel tells them, “As a reward for being so patient through a hundred blazing summers and dismal winters, you have been given life for thirty minutes to do what you’ve wished to do the most.” He looks at her, she looks at him, and they go running behind the shrubbery.
The angel waits patiently as the bushes rustle and giggling ensues. After fifteen minutes, the two return, out of breath and laughing. The angel tells them, “Um, you have fifteen minutes left, Would you care to do it again?”

He asks her. “Shall we?”

She eagerly replies, “Oh, yes, let’s! But let’s change positions. This time, I’ll hold the pigeon down, and you shit on its head.”

LOL!

What does the most senior Shia cleric in Iraq say about gold; graveyard visit; chat between male and female; chess, permanent marriage; social; lottery and much more?

Check out all the questions and answers. Many are quite frank and revealing.