Istanbul Was Constantinople

Full disclosure: McKibbin and I have been watching Northern Exposure re-runs. This blog post is heavily influenced by my love of Chris In The Morning.

This morning I was making coffee in the break room and I switched on the television as the Today Show cameras found Matt Lauer in Istanbul, Turkey. Immediately I started to humm a song by They Might Be Giants (…if you’ve a date in Constantinople she’ll be waiting in Istanbul…) .

Lauer offered some sound-bite history of Turkey. He mentioned the Ottoman Empire, the culture of Turkish coffee. He rendered a 1630s report of some guy climbing to the top of the Galata Tower, wearing a pair of artificial wings, and leaping from the tower to fly about 3000 meters.

All the while I hummed (…Istanbul was Constantinople, now its Istanbul not Constantinople…) and made coffee at the power plant. My inner narrator thought, obviously this winged-guy from Turkey wasn’t afraid of heights or flying.

It was the sight of the Blue Mosque that stopped me in my tracks. I was bedazzled. Its not often that one of my senses overloads the others. I’m such an auditory person its even less usual for my eyes to lead the charge, but, the mosque was that lovely. I had to come back to my computer and search for something to write... "Named for the blue tiles that decorate the interior, the Blue Mosque is a working religious facility. Completed in 1617, it has 16 balconies, six minarets, and an underground pool that regulates the inside temperature."

Only I would find the underground pool HVAC system interesting. The mosque, however, was a work of sheer inspiration and artistry.
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Speaking of art, remember my ROAR post about my brother’s art show in February? One of his photos won an award from the Nebraska Arts Council. How genius is that?

I might be the first to say so in cyberspacethe award is well deserved. Give it up for my brother who stepped out on a limb, showed what he’s got, and won an award for it. Congratulations, Matt!

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The Blue Mosque also raises the topic of an international experience. With that mention I have to, have to, have to hoot-and-holler with admiration for my friend Becki. She's is off to Tanzania for a two year stint in the Peace Corps.

Becki has a compassionate nature and a rousing sense of purpose. She offers the Peace Corps skills, an open mind, and the enviable ability to pick up foreign languages. The Peace Corps, and the rest of us, are lucky to have such a compassionate person volunteer for the Corps. Straight-up: Becki is my Peace Corps hero.

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I am surrounded on all sides by greatness. And, sigh, I have to say it feels terrific!

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As a parting thought, Happy May Day!

If you have the chance, I suggest hugging your local union rep. For most of human history the weekend was nothing but a pipe dream. It took the labor movement make it a reality. Enough said.