Update

Made same changes on my blog:
The most important one is that Yasemin Yalcinkaya will be a co-author of this blog.
She is Turkish and speaks several foreign languages fluently: English, Norwegian, German, Italian and of course her native language Turkish. No, she doesn't speak Dutch and French, I do...but together we can be a news wire..))
For the past 17 years she is studying, living and working abroad e.g. Norway and Italy. Married to an Italian, and now living happily ever after near Florence with her husband and two children.
She has a PhD. in computer science, and can talk and write about the interesting developments in both Turkey and Europe.
Hey, what do you want more: a really inter cultural multi-lingual blog?!
She is looking for a job now, in Italy, Italia, Firenze preferibile, signori, but she feels comfortable to be my unpaid editor for the time being...help her!

Carnaval in Fatih, Istanbul

As some of you already know, my favorite district of Istanbul is Fatih. Not because of the 'modern Islamistic dressed women' (...) but because it's the place where my friends of the Foreign police have their headquarters and where I can buy a residency. The trip is always exciting, especially when my wife drives me and she drives from Macka to Mecidiyekoy to Fatih...quite a longer way than direct from Macka to Taksim and so into Fatih. Enfin: it was again a freaky hot day, and when you wear a suite like me, you will not be unseen in this area.

But my mood became cheerful seeing all the flags. Even some in our Dutch national color Orange...thousands and thousands there in Fatih. Looks like they are ready for carnival a la Rio instead of elections. I think they how know to party, in a different way than I used to do, but a la, everybody has his or her taste. As you can see in the picture below, one girl made her (although completely unrecognized) entry and danced on the street as we do in Rio..)



The way back was an interesting tour as well. As my wife (Call her O. or I. but I think her surname is more important..)) still doesn't know the ways in Istanbul although born and raised here and lived here all her life (with the exception of wasting 6 years abroad...) this time - the shortest in her opinion - was first 20 km in the direction of Edirne, from there a turn around to Ataturk airport, and then finally back to Macka. Quite an interesting tour. If she was a taxi driver I was already with her in a police station..))

And do I have my papers now? No, one more trip to Fatih, this time by taxi tomorrow, which takes 10 minutes one way, instead of twice 1 hour...
Pictures I made out of a shaking car..))

You have to keep in mind, my O. or I. sometimes stops on the highway when she has to make an decision: shall I take this Exit or not? Even for the Turkish drivers she is a pain in the ass. For me, I don't know better: she is only not allowed to drive when we are on holiday...

For more info call the Hot line of Turkish suicide drivers..)) It starts with an 9...