The weekend before last I visited Gaziantep for the first time in 3 years. Like my two visits in 2001, this trip’s purpose was also to see Ali and his family. I also came to see Rifeh, the Tunisian AIESEC trainee I previously met in Adana.

Some notable events from the time in Gaziantep:

*Seeing a light snowfall, my first snow this winter. Gaziantep is colder than Mersin.

*Visiting some ancient tombs outside of the town with Ali and Rifeh

*Entertaining Ali’s nieces and nephews aged 6 to 10 with different hand movements, clapping and juggling. They are so delightful.

*Meeting the rest of Ali’s generous and kind family

*Eating kebabs, baklava and more kebabs

*Eating breakfast, including homemade sucuk (spicy sausage), homemade jams, home-pickled olives, almost homemade everything…

*Eating more kebabs…

*Visiting and observing Ali’s family’s butcher shop, “Kasap Ali”. I will write a special feature on this shop sometime soon.

Overall, the trip was very successful despite my suffering from a cold. I hope to visit Ali’s family again, particularly during a warmer time of the year.

It is less than two weeks until the New Turkish Lira, Turkey’s new currency, will be introduced. I have added a new article on NewLira.com and made a few modifications, including the addition of commenting. See it for yourself at NewLira.com and get ready for a new era in Turkish financial history.

I was kindly requested to post about the following:

New cookbook brings Palestinians, Jews to the table

In spite of discouraging acts in the Middle East, we thought your readers might like to take a moment for some inspiration — a glimmer of cooperation and shared creativity.

PALESTINIAN AND JEWISH RECIPES FOR PEACE is a new, very-grassroots, very-nonprofit, beautiful cookbook publishing-first we just helped write.

There are stories about the people, photos, and recipes for the table and for relationship-building at home, in school, and between nations.

This useful cookbook is newly-produced by our 12-year-old Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue Group here on the San Francisco Peninsula, preparing for its 151st meeting.

Especially at this special season of light and hope, please take a moment to read about this publishing breakthrough at:

http://traubman.igc.org/recipes.htm

Read the book’s reviews in the San Francisco Chronicle and San Mateo County Times. Needless to say, the book is a very good gift idea going to a worthy cause. Helping promote good food is a bonus!

Mmmm….food…time to eat…if only I had the book to make some great recipes with…

Tomorrow, 17 December 2005, is the ‘D-Day’ for Turkey’s 40 year journey towards formally joining Europe. Will Turkey receive the go ahead to begin accession talks or not?

There is no shortage of places to get up to date won this issue.

Personally, I hope Turkey is given the go ahead as I think accession will benefit both sides:

a) Turkey: Accession will continue the positive political and economic progress that has occurred over the past few years.

b) EU: Turkey’s accession, as Muslim country, should help open minds in the EU.

What will actually happen? Who knows?

Even if accession talks do start and Turkey satisfies every condition of entry, they are not likely to join the EU until at least 2015. For the average Mehmet and Elif on the Mersin street, the decision tomorrow will probably not change their lives in a material way for a long time.

Hundreds of people have escaped from a packed cinema in Istanbul where a blaze broke out at the premiere of a Turkish horror film, causing panic.

“A candle used as part of a “fright tunnel” in the cinema’s foyer is said to have started the blaze.”

As no one was badly injured and the event is in the past, I think it is safe to laugh now. A fire at the premiere of a horror movie caused by a candle as part of a “fright tunnel”!

Whilst checking one of my past Yahoo! email accounts I wondered why the website www.meanstreak.com.au opened in a new window. I thought this was a pop-up ad so I closed it and returned to Yahoo!. Then, when I moved the cursor over the Mitsubishi Lancer banner advert, the meanstreak website again opened in a new window. I didn’t click anything, just moved the mouse over the advert.

With the high ignore rates of web ads these days, I wouldn’t be surprised if the “ad-opening by moving the cursor over” becomes a trend.

I’ve been sick the past couple of days so I haven’t written any posts or replied to emails. Despite this lack of posting, lots has happened:

On Tuesday TEDAS‘s case against me was dismissed! If I get the time I will write more about this.

On Wednesday almost 500 kg of heroin was seized in Mersin.

However, the biggest news has to be my brother, Liam’s band Headdress Of Neon Flames. Headdress Of Neon Flames not only supported American act Faun Fables, but, according to the DB Magazine reviewer, Kelly Parish,

“Headdress Of Neon Lights (sic) were definitely the star attraction“.

Just a pity Kelly could not get their name correct. Congratulations Liam and your band co-members!

On the weekend I caught the train to Adana for fun with the AIESEC‘ers and trainees. I met a few great new people and enjoyed mixing with other foreigners again.

In winter, Adana, like Mersin, suffers badly from pollution. Many people in the heavily populated cities burn wood to warm their homes. The combination of poor quality timber, thousands of fires and unfavourable atmospheric conditions lead to visible and pungent pollution. This pollution is particularly intense at night when most fires are burning.

Clothes hung out to dry end up smelling of smoke by the time they are ready to pick in. The haze visible on the Mersin horizon reminds me of Istanbul’s year-round pollution.

I wonder how the region’s wildlife remnants handle the pollution? Does the pollution affect the fish stocks? Will the burning and pollution be regulated and reduced in the future? Too many big questions to answer…