| #4
- Just For Your Information
Gulin Akoz, Oct.
'01
Istanbul - I have put on weight! Can you imagine?! I might
as well be the only person who has gone to Africa and gained
weight :) My special thanks to Jeff :) The upside is, my pants
are a bit tight but I can still get into them!
- I still have the roots :) so my hair is growing back. Meanwhile
I don’t have to bother to comb my hair, don’t need
a hair-dryer, am saving on shampoo and saving the environment.
(for those who don’t know what happened, there was an
accident, I wanted a good hair cut because I wanted to feel
like a woman after three months on the road. But vola! It’s
worse than before! I virtually have no hair on my head! Never
understood women who spend hours in beauty saloons spending
so much money, this was the first and probably will be the last
for me!)
- I hate all this that's going on in the world. As a child
I was bewildered when there was an act of terror and several
groups took on the responsibility. I would ask my father "Why
are all these people saying they did it?" Surely some were
taking the guilt for something they did not do! I remember my
father answering "They are fighting for a cause and want
to acknowledge it." That did not solve the puzzle for me,
it still did not make any sense... why would people fight, why
could they not live in peace? I could never comprehend...
I guess it's a shame that at this age I still cannot understand
it. But at least I have learnt that there are all kinds of people
in the world. Progress hah? :) Still, this does not make it
any easier for me to see people suffering.
And as Ducas had said "After all, isn't it the same God
we worship?"
- It’s not only between religions, there’s dispute
within the same religion, too. In Turkey there has been controversy
for the past five or ten years. It is against the law to cover
your hair (wear a turban) when you attend school or go to work.
So some people argue that these girls/women should not be allowed
in the classroom and I heard from a friend that the final situation
is like this: If you allow somebody in your class whose hair
is covered your superior is supposed to report about you, if
not then his superior will and then you and him are going to
be punished!
Maybe for me, it's all about being fair and this is all too
unfair in two aspects. First of all, if it is the people with
a certain belief that you want to prevent from being educated,
then how are you going to pick out men since they don't have
any visible indication like a turban. The other thing is it
is also against the law for TA's, professors and university
staff to wear jeans, women are not allowed to wear pants at
all and they are not allowed to wear mini-skirts either. And
we all do! So... if they want to apply the law they should not
apply it partially. They should make the staff wear appropriate
clothing, too.
- Of course I’m not going to give up the trip. Did never
consider dropping out seriously. "I’m not quitting
unless there is a health problem or death" I had said to
myself in the beginning. And I normally stick to anything I
do. Giving up… it ain’t that easy :)
- I think going West instead of East is better. We're going
to live an extra day! (see "Around the World in 80 Days")
The only problem with this new route is I was saying "If
I complete this round-the-world tour, I will have been to 70
countries but not France." Then I figured out… found
a consolation: I'll save Paris for my honeymoon. Now that won't
be possible. But who cares?
- Istanbul is nice but I have to get out of here as soon as
possible. It devours :) all my time. The other day I realized
that I started living as I normally do in Istanbul. I want to
go to all those movies, theaters, all the new places and the
old ones I love, see all my friends, I could do all these without
having to think about it before because I never had a time problem,
but now I do! I had to remind myself that I'm actually on the
road now or at least that's the way it should be.
- It's not good to be indecisive but I really have so much
fun with myself sometimes. You know what I normally do? I tell
people 'okay' first and then think about it... if I want to
do it or not. Actually that's how I started this trip too. I
said okay, what needs to be done first? Send a cv and photos.
But they should accept me to the team first, right? If they
do, then I'll think about it :) and of course you go ahead and
do it once you have said yes or started something :)
Likewise I was on the news on TV. Also I was a guest at "Desert
Island", a radio program that you pick 10-12 songs you
would take with you if you were to go to a deserted island.
It took me 8 hours to pick the songs (i know, i'm crazy :) and
2 more to select the top 10. It was too sad to eliminate some
of the songs. But sometimes you have to make choices in life
:(
- I had told Jeff that I did not want to be famous. But I guess
it's too late now :) |
