Memorial Monday

Image via Wikipedia

I went to school in DC and Memorial Day meant one thing: Rolling Thunder.

I'm not a biker girl. Never aspire to be one. But I really am awed by the thousands of bikers who show up each year to show support for POW-MIA (Prisoners of War and Missing in Action).

I've heard the ride starts in California, gathering members along the way to reach the capitol in a wave of - yup -Rolling Thunder. And let me tell you, that's exactly what it sounds like when they roll into town.

I'm thankful for the sacrifice of so many soldiers. No one likes war, but one visit to a cemetary like Arlington, Virginia or Colleville-sur-Mer in Normandy and you really have to send up a prayer for all those young souls - every chance you think of it.


So today is a day when I'm thinking of it. From my ancestors who battled in the Revolutionary War, to my grandfathers who fought in World War II, to my cousin who serves today, and to any family who sends loved ones out under our flag, thank you.

Related articles

• The sounds of thunder (capitolhillblue.com)

Yerköprü Şelalesi (Landbridge Falls)

tr.yenisehir.wikia.com

Want a refreshing reward for your trek to Alahan Monastery - besides the panoramic view and Byzantine ruins there? Head up the road a bit to the Yerköprü Şelalesi. (Land bridge falls)

I'm a huge fan of waterfalls and I am so inspired by this place. The sheets of moss dripping with white veils of water, verdant ferns and figs surrounding the swirls of crystal water below, the ancient cavern air laced with minerals.... Hmm... Imagine what's lurking in that dark cave.

Me: Wonder to worst case scenario in under two seconds. Probably a good thing - I was heading toward thesaurus rape.

But really, it's magical. Just watch the clip below and you'll see what I mean.

Now...how can I sneak a scene with this place into my manuscript?


YERKÖPRÜ ŞELALESİ-YERKÖPRÜ WATERFALL (Mut-Mersin-TURKEY) from umut cor on Vimeo.

Magical Creature Must-Haves

Cover via AmazonI know I hit the jackpot when the eleven-year old boy of the house strokes the cover of a book and asks "Oooo...is this for me?"

Yeah. My Borders find of the weekend: The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures by John and Caitlin Matthews. (On the sale rack for $9.99!)

It's in a perilous place right now. As in, I want to read it and the boy has confiscated it while I wasn't looking. It's OK. While he was at grandma's I quickly read the main passsages I needed. And he has to go to school tomorrow. hehe.

But really, many times I've found myself surfing the net, looking for a creature that does such and such, and wishing I had the Monster Book of Monsters to give me a clue. This is that book!

Unfortunately, there aren't that many creatures from Turkey or the Middle East in the volume. I think part of that problem is that the source material is either a) passed down in rote or b) has never been translated. Still, several entries point me in a promising direction and if I find more info, language isn't going to be a barrier.

BTW, it seems there's been an alignment of the planets in regard to writer's guides this week. I read a great post on The Writer's Guide to Psychology over at Sarah Fine's, and I was researching a semi-precious gem on Holly Ruggiero's Writer's Guide to Crystal and Gemstones. Check them out!

maNga at Istanbulive in NYC

A little background:

Istanbulive in New York city is a free summer concert in Central Park. The past two years were very well attended and caught some really good press from places like The New Yorker, National Geographic, NBC and the Lucid Culture blog dubbed it "Turkish Woodstock". Unfortunately, this year in question because of funding, but the advertising is going full steam ahead...so I thought I'd let you know about it after all. (Check out the strategic tulip in the logo.)

One of the confirmed artists, Zülfü Livaneli , sings a more traditional set- which the entire crowd seems to know the words for - just hum along. He's famous enough that when U2 went to Istanbul, he sang a couple songs onstage with them. He's internationally aclaimed for his film scores and has been to Cannes. French newspaper, Le Matin, says he's a real poet. And he is.

According to Instanbulive, The New York Gypsy All-Stars (NYGA), masters of contemporary Balkan Gypsy music, is a musical chemistry experiment with explosive staying power. Living up to their name in every way, the NYGA blend traditional Gypsy and Turkish melodies with a scorching jazz and funk backbone, creating a unique sound that satisfies the brain and soul. The band exemplifies New York in the most eclectic sense possible, hailing from Macedonia, Greece, Turkey and Brooklyn.

They sound pretty good, if you ask me.

But the real purpose of my post is the alternative rock band, maNga. Their title, Beni Benimle Birak is on my playlist for Burnt Amber, and I just think some of their songs are really cool. Some are a little crazy, but... they definitely have fun with manga of the other sort in their video clips.

So, if you're in NYC on Friday, June 17th, 2011, check it out!

My Mersin Backyard






Narlikuku via Mersinliyibiz on Facebook

 The End of Grade exams are over and my kids are counting down the number of days left this school year. I can just feel summer creeping in between the cloudbursts.

It means less productivity on the writing front, but more days to float around in the pool, mulling over ideas. More chances to lounge in the chaise while I swallow a book whole...

In that spirit, here's a leisurely cruise up the Mediterranean coast to some villages near my old "backyard" in Mersin. (Beta readers: There's a flash of Narlikuyu and Aykar - and Kizkalesi, of course.) Enjoy!


Mavi'nin Gözünden Mersin Koyları from umut cor on Vimeo.

Scorpion



Image via Wikipedia

House of the Evil Eye, Antakya, Turkey



The scorpion, aka the akrep (Turkish) or aqrab (Arabic), is a lot like the snake. It has a dual meaning.

An akrep can be a symbolic embodiment of evil or sexuality. (I'll let you extrapolate what a woman might mean when she claims to be "stung by a scorpion".) Yet the akrep is also protective design embroidered into the hem of a women's dress, or worn as an amulet to keep general evil at bay.

I suppose it's like fighting fire with fire. For example, in the mosaic at right, the evil eye is being attacked by all sorts of things associated with badness - snake, dog, pitchfork, centipede, jackal (I think), crow, and of course, the scorpion. Even the little demon is pointing a strategic part toward the eye. KAI CY means "and you", so the message is : If you put your evil eye on me, I'm sending the evil back out after you.

Remember in the depictions of Mithras, there's a scorpion grabbing the sacrificial bull by his - Well, I guess evil and sexually are intertwined in both of these examples. Let's try another.
 
Sufi mystics like to use the akrep as a symbol of their mastery over evil. Some Sufis even claim immunity, treating bite victims and performing ritual-like scorpion handling demonstrations.

Yeah...Some people may treat scorpions like pets, but I'm still not keeping any around. Where's my lavender?

Related articles

• Scorpion venom - bad for bugs, good for pesticides (scienceblog.com)

Laughter is the Best Medicine Blogfest

See photo for self-descriptive indication of today's subject matter. Thanks  for the great idea, Leigh and Lydia! Check out the others on the linky list here.

So, in keeping with my middle eastern/fantasy writer theme - here's one joke about genies and another about a parallel universe.

Three men: an editor, a photographer, and a journalist are covering a political convention in Miami. They decide to walk up and down the beach during their lunch hour. Halfway up the beach, they stumbled upon a lamp. As they rub the lamp a genie appears and says "Normally I would grant you three wishes, but since there are three of you, I will grant you each one wish."

The photographer went first. "I would like to spend the rest of my life living in a huge house in St. Thomas with no money worries." The genie granted him his wish and sent him on off to St. Thomas.

The journalist went next. "I would like to spend the rest of my life living on a huge yacht cruising the Mediterranean, with no money worries." The genie granted him his wish and sent him off.

Last, but not least, it was the editor's turn. "And what would your wish be?" asked the genie.

"I want them both back after lunch," replied the editor, "the deadline for tomorrow's newspaper is in ten hours.

ME: Guess they didn't read my post on the three wishes!

How many science fiction writers does it take to change a light bulb?

Two, but it's actually the same person doing it. He went back in time and met himself in the doorway and then the first one sat on the other one's shoulder so that they were able to reach it. Then a major time paradox occurred and the entire room, light bulb, changer and all was blown out of existence. They co-existed in a parallel universe, though.

ME: Blown out of existence and co-existing? Is that possible? Wonder if Matt MacNish, Matt MacNizzle and/or Matt Rush would mind asking Orson Scott Card?


These jokes were snagged from Ginger Edwards.