Türkiye'nin selamlar! (Greetings from Turkey!)

"Turkey is a land of vast open spaces, massive mountain ranges, fertile valleys and rugged coastline, fast-growing cities and sleepy villages, bustling neon-lit seaside resorts and unfrequented beaches. A rich history has left an indelible mark on Turkey, and the country overflows with historic sites and archaeological wonders set in a varied and beautiful landscape."
Turkey Travel Guide

I couldn't have said it any better myself!

Once the former strong-hold of the Ottoman Empire, Turkey has a population of 72.5 million people consisting mostly of Arabs, and a dominate religion of Islam. The historically awe-inspiring country lies between Europe: Greece and Bulgaria; and the Middle East: Iraq, Syria, Iran, Armenia, and Georgia. Turkey also borders the Mediterranean Sea to the east, as well as the Black Sea to it's north; allowing for a hub-bub of tourism to their shorelines and heavenly-sent weather. Turkey's capital city, Ankara, along with its more commonly known city, Istanbul, reel in thousands of tourist yearly; a few out of the thousands will be us!  

 Check in soon to see what we discover at our first stop in Istanbul, Turkey: the mother-load city of historical significance.

Extended Vacation!

It has come to my attention that i have developed a passion "that burns like a thousand suns" for traveling the world. I love immersing myself in different cultures, cuisines, customs, and geographical locations different from mine. having been to 8 countries as well as 4 out of the 7 continents; I consider myself lucky and extremely thankful that I’ve had ample opportunities to circle the globe.

But I still haven't been EVERYWHERE. This is where my blog comes in. Each week I will pick a different country I’d like to travel to to explore from the warmth of my cozy bedroom study in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. My blog will be used as a worm-hole to the outside world: reviewing different cuisines, exploring unique geographical features, discovering unknown traditions and events, and supplying my followers with as many images of daily life in these countries as my blog's image capacity can hold.

Follow my blog to explore the globe without the ridiculous, meaningless expenses of airplane fees -some of which could include a charge to use the loo or those life-saving oxygen masks in the near future- and take a trip around the world with yours truly.


    

It's a Big Violin?

WOAH! YOU PLAY THE VIOLIN?!?"

"no... the viola."

"...........OoooOOoOh."

"you have no idea what that is, don't you?"

".....YEAAA I DO! IT'S, UH...IT'S.....it's a teensy violin, right?"

"...no."

"OooOoOH....well is it that big one you sit down and play?"

"...no."

"oh. "

"......(awkward silence as i begin to explain what in God's name is a Viola)"

If i had a penny for everytime i have undergone this lackluster conversation, i would have enough money to make Oprah Winfrey look poor.

Violin, cello, bass. common instruments that any average citizen of the world could suppoesdly, possibly -on a good day- distingush by apperance:  

(bass, cello, violin...in case you wanted clarification)

But what about the VIOLA? is it some alienated instrument with antennae and tail? Some estranged object that no human has ever layed eyes on? no. Of course not.

Someone had to make the first one...

But the point is that many people who think they are in the presense of a violin, might actcually be in the presense of the angelic instrument known to man-kind as the VIOLA. Having said that, the VIOLA looks 100% identical to it's cousin, the violin. The only physically apparent difference would be that a viola is usally 2 to 3 times larger than a full-sized violin, and has the same low strings as it's other cousin, the cello. Violas are the "mutants" of the symphonic instruments. Although trying not to expose my bias, the viola is really the most diverse, breath-taking, awe-inspiring, remarkable, splendid, extraordinary, amazing, and coolest-sounding out of the stringed instruments (when played properly). It can play as low as the cellos because of the shared low "C" string, and almost as extreemly high as the violins. (What about the basses you ask? they're just too gosh darn low. it's impossible to distinguish their notes, so we don't worry ourselves with them.) 

So the next time you approach a violin, please, stop. Do the world a favor: think of the inspiring words of ninjasurfer. And before you judge, please consider, that you just might be in the presense of a VIOLA.