Blogs from Middle East - page 1065

A prelude to belly dancing Early in the morning, Lee gets me up because the Shakira in Dubai concert is on TV. I’m a huge fan and have gone to two of her concerts, but the Oral Fixation tour is the newest and I was not able to go last time (I was on my sub-internship at the time and was working hard to impress). I love watching her and singing along to her Spanish songs, and of course, I always love her belly dancing. I took up belly dancing after my first Shakira concert, but with classes and rotations, I could not keep it up. It was fun though. I’d like to do it again. Shakira’s moves would prove to be a prelude for the belly dancing we would see later. I had to work ... read more

Acropolis. Simple concept: Acro = top, polis = city… yep it’s a city on a hill. But its not until you get there, that you realise Akropol, as its known here, is so much more than a mere city on a hill. This ancient city, once ruled by one of Alexander the Great’s generals, has a number of important artefacts and ruins, including the alter of Zeus (mostly sitting in a museum somewhere), the temple of Athena and the temple of Trajan which still has part of the marble columns standing. More remarkably, a massive 10,000 seat theatre was constructed in the steep hillside, and due to the geography they had to build the theatre to an impressive height, as they couldn’t build it any wider. As you walked down the stairs, you felt that one ... read more

There’s a small fracas at the entrance to the auditorium, where British journalist Robert Fisk is preparing to give a trenchant lecture (“After the Collapse: Disengagement in the Middle East”) on Western policy in the region. A broad-shouldered woman with silvering hair has pushed her way inside, using her massive tote bag as a battering ram. Security - a meek old guy with panicky eyes - doesn’t stand a chance. She’s made it half-way down the aisle when her path is blocked by a stout, moustachioed man: his face inflamed, his lips mirthless, his recessed hairline suggesting that not even it could escape his tyranny. There’s a brief, desperate exchange between the two. The woman strains her neck, searching for empty seats (“But I can see one in the back!”); the man powers her toward ... read more

I'm back in Istanbul and have enjoyed seeing Julien again, after what, 3 years? He managed to come for business ( from GL Geneva to visit Turkish clients) at the same period I was around. Day was about visiting Istanbul together. I showed him Sultanahmet area, with the gorgeous Blue Mosq and Enormous Ayia Sophia, getting in the blue mosq while prayer time was about. This all was followed by an Efes beer in Ortaköy area, then dinner at a not so good but still as always very friendly restaurant, where we had chicken schnitzel ( weird huh?) and a good bottle of red wine. Little story here: not all restaurant serve alcoholic beverages, so our mission that evening was to find restaurant that do serve some. First question before even entering at 11pm: - ... read more

Well, we did the trek out to Gallipoli last week and in terms of all I have seen and done on this trip, it was the most rewarding and moving experience and one that I would urge any kiwi, no matter how old, to do. We started out in Istanbul last Sunday, what a pumping, seething, crazy city that is! Because it was Sunday and a beautiful day there was an insane amount of people out and about. Now, for some reason, Turkey has raised its boys to think it is ok to leer outright at girls, we got a lot of 'Baby, I remember you, you were in my dreams last night' and when we went to the Grand Bazaar I pretty much promised myself into marriage to get a discount on some ceramics. ... read more