So this blogging thing? I kind of left you a few weeks ago and didn’t really follow up on the rest of my trip, which I plan to do now as well as a few other things. It’s not that I didn’t have time, just no inclination and I didn’t think the posts would be as good without actually showing you with pretty pictures.
Now I’m back in Australia. I got back on Friday night actually and have been trying to get shit done whilst feeling jet-lagged, so finally I’ve come back to catch you up with photos.
I left you as we were about to head out and see Pamukkale, these kind of pure white limestone cliffs and natural springs. I’ve never seen anything like it and with the heat, the cold water over our feet felt so good. The water was so nice floating in the mineral salts thick in the water. And at the top, there are the ruins to an ancient Greco-Roman city in case you didn’t think it could get any more amazing.
Out of Istanbul, we discovered that less people speak English and whilst it was hard, the challenge was kind of fun and I think if I was there for longer than two weeks, perhaps months, I could perhaps pick up all the basics without clutching onto my phrase book.
The other amazing thing outside of Istanbul, were the beaches on the Mediterranean coast. We spent three nights in Datça and taking into account I usually hate swimming because my skinny pale body can’t handle the cold water, this beach was beautiful to swim in. Thinking about the weather now, it’s in stark contrast to the biting Melbourne cold that was a shock to the system upon my return.
Back in Instanbul, and by this time feeling mostly better since getting sick at the start, we dined on amazing food and saw the usual sites such as the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofya. These Islamic holy sites, constantly reminded of with the calls to prayer throughout the day, are of a scale and detail that cannot be matched with modern architecture and I couldn’t help but wonder about the racists that oppose such structures being built in the Western world. We’re missing out. And considering I’m not a religious person, The Blue Mosque was about as close I’ve come to any kind of spiritual experience. The place was far more moving than any church I’ve stood in.
So the weather was amazing, the sites something you wouldn’t see elsewhere, the food great, and being away from everything was nice, but I’ve heard people go overseas and are ‘changed.’ I’m not sure it applies to me. There’s been nothing revelatory about my trip and actually I kind of relished getting back home, except when the jet lag kicked in.
What now? Well amongst editing fiction, perhaps writing some new stuff, gearing up for refugee protests, performing at a RAC fundraiser, trying to get to some Melbourne Writers Festival sessions, I guess I need to look for that job. That’s kind of scary. Who’d hire this radical anyway? My Google results are like a resume of who not to hire, updated daily by yours truly. I did apply for uni though so at least I only need something casual or part-time.
As for the blog, being away has meant a slew of ideas for posts have stored themselves up and I’m eager to get to them. Some of the things you’re likely to see are (and please comment if you have a preference):
- Reviews of MJ Hyland’s This is How and Chine Miéville’s Embassytown
- Political analysis in times of crises and a response to people who say ‘Now’s not the time to play politics’ such as what people said around the time of the London riots.
- How anonymity and trolls affect debate and free speech on the internet
- A response to Jason Coggins’ piece in Write Anything about episodic storytelling with something to do with the format and tropes of wrestling (though this is likely to be on Write Anything as well)
- A look at crowd-funding, in particular, the site Pozible (with interview)
Now all I need is to sleep during regular hours and I’m all set…
