View of Geghard Church, Armenia.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Friday, October 12, 2007
Happy Bayram
Wishing everybody a Happy Bayram.
I am in a place where I see more Dutch and Russian girls, nicely dressed, than Turkish people.
It's fun, walking around and hearing people speaking in your mother language while they are not aware that maybe other people can understand them..))
It's food, drinks, sun and the sea...and they have wireless Internet (the most important),
so I am saved.
The humidity here reminds me of my years in Miami, but I am still in a suit!
I am in a place where I see more Dutch and Russian girls, nicely dressed, than Turkish people.
It's fun, walking around and hearing people speaking in your mother language while they are not aware that maybe other people can understand them..))
It's food, drinks, sun and the sea...and they have wireless Internet (the most important),
so I am saved.
The humidity here reminds me of my years in Miami, but I am still in a suit!
Award and nomination
Hatzidakis came today with a nice nomination: read it here...
If you think the same, vote..)) I think we need some more attention, we do what we can.
Al Gore got the Nobel Prize for Peace! Which is really great news. We neglect our environment terribly. We talk a lot about it, but he tries to do at least something!
If you think the same, vote..)) I think we need some more attention, we do what we can.
Al Gore got the Nobel Prize for Peace! Which is really great news. We neglect our environment terribly. We talk a lot about it, but he tries to do at least something!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Turkey's renaissance and the need for cross cultural communication
Turkey's renaissance and the need for cross cultural communication
Published in Turkish Daily News of October 11, 2007
Hans A.H.C. de Wit
For the past five years I have been asked to help Turkish companies on their way to West Europe, and West European and American companies to get grounded in Turkey. I must say, it was a pleasure, all of these trips to mainly the Netherlands and Germany with my Turkish friends, and to see the surprised faces of West European and American companies on their counter visits when I drove them around in Istanbul. And drinks and food, with a spectacular view over the Bosporus or over the business district of Maslak, Istanbul. But I also noticed something of my West European fellow country people and Americans as well: unfairness toward Turkish business vivacity and culture.
Continue reading here.
Published in Turkish Daily News of October 11, 2007
Hans A.H.C. de Wit
For the past five years I have been asked to help Turkish companies on their way to West Europe, and West European and American companies to get grounded in Turkey. I must say, it was a pleasure, all of these trips to mainly the Netherlands and Germany with my Turkish friends, and to see the surprised faces of West European and American companies on their counter visits when I drove them around in Istanbul. And drinks and food, with a spectacular view over the Bosporus or over the business district of Maslak, Istanbul. But I also noticed something of my West European fellow country people and Americans as well: unfairness toward Turkish business vivacity and culture.
Continue reading here.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Sign of life
I know I have gone MIA since I last posted here (well, uh, that was also my first post here). The reason is that I have had too much on my plate in the past month or six weeks, among them moving to my very own apartment and a good friend ending up in hospital as a result of a car-accident (in Armenia lying in hospital means that your relatives are supposed to stay with you and take care of you. I was part of the care-taking brigade so I spent about three days in hospital). And those are only a few of the things I have been dealing with.
I am trying to juggle a lot of balls and that just does not include writing blog posts at the moment. I think that ball dropped to the floor already a while ago, together with following the news and looking for blog-worthy topics. I will be back, hopefully soon, as things are slowly, slowly falling into their places again and I will be able to find my energy and time back. This is not meant as an excuse, just as an explanation why I seem to have disappeared from the face of the earth.
Editor's note, Hans:
Friends of Myrthe were involved in a traffic accident: one died, two badly injured, and one escaped... This can happen to us; where we live, doesn't matter. Drive safely!
I am trying to juggle a lot of balls and that just does not include writing blog posts at the moment. I think that ball dropped to the floor already a while ago, together with following the news and looking for blog-worthy topics. I will be back, hopefully soon, as things are slowly, slowly falling into their places again and I will be able to find my energy and time back. This is not meant as an excuse, just as an explanation why I seem to have disappeared from the face of the earth.
Editor's note, Hans:
Friends of Myrthe were involved in a traffic accident: one died, two badly injured, and one escaped... This can happen to us; where we live, doesn't matter. Drive safely!
Day Opening - October 10
View near Saghmosavank, Armenia, with Mount Ararat just visible in the background in Turkey.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Talk Metin - The Starving executive..)
The exact role of the starving executive depends on the constitution of the country you are living in. And depends on who executes the instructions given by the legislature, but has no power to act on its own without instructions, because that would put the 'starving executive' in the position of a 'work slave'.
Yes, Talk Turkey, or Talk Metin, written by our good friend Metin is commuting on poor Southern Californian also called the OC. His life must be a hell with all the untouchable beauties around him...and as a starving executive...))
Last week, I had a telephone conversation with Metin and we really had a talk, talk, talk Turkey. A roller coaster of laughs...and we agreed only on one thing: time to get a Margarita in the Blue Dolphin bar in San Diego.. and it was the most pleasant encounter for ages with a person I never faced...
But still I have my doubts: is he a true Turkish patriot or an American one..and he asked me: 'are you a Dutch or a Turkish patriot?' - I ..))
Up to California...to discuss what a 'starving executive' means...I will take my time.. Talk Turkey..)
Yes, Talk Turkey, or Talk Metin, written by our good friend Metin is commuting on poor Southern Californian also called the OC. His life must be a hell with all the untouchable beauties around him...and as a starving executive...))
Last week, I had a telephone conversation with Metin and we really had a talk, talk, talk Turkey. A roller coaster of laughs...and we agreed only on one thing: time to get a Margarita in the Blue Dolphin bar in San Diego.. and it was the most pleasant encounter for ages with a person I never faced...
But still I have my doubts: is he a true Turkish patriot or an American one..and he asked me: 'are you a Dutch or a Turkish patriot?' - I ..))
Up to California...to discuss what a 'starving executive' means...I will take my time.. Talk Turkey..)
Monday, October 08, 2007
Bloggers and commenters wanted
Most of the Turkish bloggers and expats in Turkey who replied to the statements made by Newsweek journalist Fareed Zakaria, Turkish president Abdullah Gül and prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, like Erkan, Bea, Emre and Christine, put all the info about the ongoing discussion on the blog at http://www.sargasso.nl/.
Now it's time for comments of people from Turkey, the Netherlands and elsewhere to discuss these statements and our replies.
Today it's the 4th day of Belief in Democracy. In total there will be 8 statements published - of the three persons mentioned above - and the 8 replies from us. Each day: last day Friday the 12th. But discussion is open. You don't have to use your real name and you don't need to be a blogger!
Below are the first 4 statements, replies and comments.
Friday October 5 click here.
Saturday October 6 click here.
Sunday October 7 click here.
Monday October 8 click here.
So, join the debate.
Now it's time for comments of people from Turkey, the Netherlands and elsewhere to discuss these statements and our replies.
Today it's the 4th day of Belief in Democracy. In total there will be 8 statements published - of the three persons mentioned above - and the 8 replies from us. Each day: last day Friday the 12th. But discussion is open. You don't have to use your real name and you don't need to be a blogger!
Below are the first 4 statements, replies and comments.
Friday October 5 click here.
Saturday October 6 click here.
Sunday October 7 click here.
Monday October 8 click here.
So, join the debate.
Messages of Mercy
An advertising agency in Saudi Arabia plans to air public service commercials to promote kinder treatment of domestic helpers in a country where reports of abuse of foreign workers are rife. The ads will air on Arab satellite television stations after the holy month of Ramadan said Kaswara al-Khatib, founder and chief creative director of Full Stop Advertising. Continue reading here.
The three ads cost around $100,000 (dhs367,000) and were financed by a non-profit subsidiary of construction giant Saudi Bin Ladin Group, the family-run business which was set up by the father of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden. "We deal with helpers as if they are not humans and have no feelings", said the 37-year-old former electrical engineer.
Everybody in the region knows how badly Saudi people are treating their maid/domestic helpers. Hope this awareness campaign creates not only attention for them during the holy month of Ramadan, but for a long time. There were couple of cases here as well, one Middle Eastern couple struggled their Filipino maid at their home, and locked her up in the house. Some kind of revenge like what American soldiers are doing in Iraq. The maid found a way to run away and went to the police station with bruised body and blood marks on her. Sad really:(((
Shop names in Turkish?
This is another ridiculous piece of legislation: all shop names must be renamed in Turkish in Bodrum. To protect the Turkish language....
I don't know how they will translate the BodyShop, McDonalds, Tesco, Reebok Store, Swarovski store etc. into Turkish.
Are the SHELL shop, BP shop, Total shop, still allowed? And what about Carrefour?
What about all the discos, hotels, restaurants?
Why not re-brand Bodrum as a city into Halicarnassus..)) That would be fun..
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Fatwas
The last 20 years I was wondering who can issue a fatwa, and who are authorized to do so? So many ridiculous of these kinds of 'verdicts' are issued in the last years.
Here is a list of fatwas, I don't know if we have to take them seriously. And here is a fatwa against naked sex...
But Saudi Arabia came with a solution: a web site with authorized fatwas. A pity that the site is in Arabic only...
Although the Saudi authorities announced to modernize their judiciary, they started this week with giving two gay men each 7.000 lashes. Do you survive that?
Here is a list of fatwas, I don't know if we have to take them seriously. And here is a fatwa against naked sex...
But Saudi Arabia came with a solution: a web site with authorized fatwas. A pity that the site is in Arabic only...
Although the Saudi authorities announced to modernize their judiciary, they started this week with giving two gay men each 7.000 lashes. Do you survive that?
Hacking, spam etc.
We always appreciate the comments of people, but discovering this morning that an anonymous person left more than 25, all the same, comments here is annoying. What's the fun about that?
Allowing bloggers only to leave comments is not an option. Many people don't have a blog, but that doesn't mean that they don't have anything worth reading to see.
Allowing bloggers only to leave comments is not an option. Many people don't have a blog, but that doesn't mean that they don't have anything worth reading to see.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Talk with Turkey, talk with Holland..
Believe in Democracy
04-10-07 om 17:01 - Carlos
On the 8th of October VPRO Dutch television will broadcast the documentary 'Turkije - Het Dilemma van de Democratie': 'Turkey - the dilemma of democracy'. The documentary will focus on the issue of EU membership for Turkey and the role of islam in a democracy.
Here at Sargasso we will discuss statements made in this documentary by Newsweek journalist Fareed Zakaria, Turkish president Abdullah Gül and prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
From October 5th until October 12th, each day at 13.00h (Amsterdam time, 14.00h Istanbul time) we will post one of these statements. With these statements we will post the views on the statement by a Dutch member of the European parliament, a Dutch journalist and producer, a Dutch-Turkish rapper and bloggers from the Turkish blogosphere.
All posts of this Dutch-Turkish blogging project can be found here. This blogging project is part of the Dutch democracy week WijZijnDeBaas (WeAreTheBoss): the Dutch contribution to the International Week for Democracy.
The statements will be provided in text and after the broadcasting of the documentary also in short video messages. Although normally on Sargasso we write in Dutch in this case we will be discussing in English, because we feel it's important non-Dutch (and especially Turkish) bloggers can join in. In this case we also ask our Dutch 'reaguurders' (commenters) to discuss in English, for the sake of what the internet is all all about: enabling worldwide communication.
Here are some of the blogs from the Turkish blogosphere (turkish and expat) who were contacted and/or contributed to this project:
erkansaka.net,
istanbulian.blogspot,
quirkglobalstrategies,
energynewsletterturkey.blogspot,
internations.blogspot,
arabisto.com,
remarkablesolutionsblog.com
mvdg.wordpress.
The classical dilemma of democracy is that a majority of people can vote within the system to abolish it and therefor eliminate democracy itself. Is democracy about having a majority, or is it about how the majority treats minorities within the system?
In theory a democracy can introduce the sharia. That's why for political commentator and Newsweek journalist Fareed Zakaria Turkey is an interesting test case in the VPRO Tegenlicht documentary. In the VPRO Tegenlicht documentary 'Democratie voor beginners ' (2004): 'Democracy for Starters' Zakaria warns that a political system can end in tyranny of the majority. In the coming documentary VPRO Tegenlicht poses the question: can democracy and islam co-exist?
By engaging in an Dutch-Turkish blogging project Sargasso wants to take the discussions one step further: beyond our own borders. Why have one discussion in Holland and one in Turkey, when we can try to understand each other viewpoints in a bilateral discussion?
04-10-07 om 17:01 - Carlos
On the 8th of October VPRO Dutch television will broadcast the documentary 'Turkije - Het Dilemma van de Democratie': 'Turkey - the dilemma of democracy'. The documentary will focus on the issue of EU membership for Turkey and the role of islam in a democracy.
Here at Sargasso we will discuss statements made in this documentary by Newsweek journalist Fareed Zakaria, Turkish president Abdullah Gül and prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
From October 5th until October 12th, each day at 13.00h (Amsterdam time, 14.00h Istanbul time) we will post one of these statements. With these statements we will post the views on the statement by a Dutch member of the European parliament, a Dutch journalist and producer, a Dutch-Turkish rapper and bloggers from the Turkish blogosphere.
All posts of this Dutch-Turkish blogging project can be found here. This blogging project is part of the Dutch democracy week WijZijnDeBaas (WeAreTheBoss): the Dutch contribution to the International Week for Democracy.
The statements will be provided in text and after the broadcasting of the documentary also in short video messages. Although normally on Sargasso we write in Dutch in this case we will be discussing in English, because we feel it's important non-Dutch (and especially Turkish) bloggers can join in. In this case we also ask our Dutch 'reaguurders' (commenters) to discuss in English, for the sake of what the internet is all all about: enabling worldwide communication.
Here are some of the blogs from the Turkish blogosphere (turkish and expat) who were contacted and/or contributed to this project:
erkansaka.net,
istanbulian.blogspot,
quirkglobalstrategies,
energynewsletterturkey.blogspot,
internations.blogspot,
arabisto.com,
remarkablesolutionsblog.com
mvdg.wordpress.
The classical dilemma of democracy is that a majority of people can vote within the system to abolish it and therefor eliminate democracy itself. Is democracy about having a majority, or is it about how the majority treats minorities within the system?
In theory a democracy can introduce the sharia. That's why for political commentator and Newsweek journalist Fareed Zakaria Turkey is an interesting test case in the VPRO Tegenlicht documentary. In the VPRO Tegenlicht documentary 'Democratie voor beginners ' (2004): 'Democracy for Starters' Zakaria warns that a political system can end in tyranny of the majority. In the coming documentary VPRO Tegenlicht poses the question: can democracy and islam co-exist?
By engaging in an Dutch-Turkish blogging project Sargasso wants to take the discussions one step further: beyond our own borders. Why have one discussion in Holland and one in Turkey, when we can try to understand each other viewpoints in a bilateral discussion?
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