Turkish flag everywhere

The above are the several shots I took in the town Bademli and Dikili. I'm not going to make hasty generalization out of it saying the whole Turkey is like this. But the phenomenon do interests me.
Coming soon, my article on Turkey's nationalism.

Portrait of Bademli

The place where we live is a holiday resort, neighbouring a small village named Bademli. Bademli is a small village in any sense, it takes no more than 10 minutes to finish the whole village, and the owner of any single shop you drop into will give you a detailed profile of all the villagers you would possibly meet if you spend the entire day there. Life was and remains to be quiet and organized, starting from the first prayer at 5 in the morning and finishing by the cheering for a football game late in the evening. In Bademli you don’t even need a watch to see the time because you could easily figure it out either by the position of the sun or the things people have been up to. But if you think that’s what turkey is all about, you’re definitely wrong. There’re cosmopolitans like Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir where over 30% residents are living and all kinds of things are going on. Like anywhere else in the world, Turkey is also going through rapid process of urbanization which gives rise to a number of social issues. (read essays on Turkey’s urbanization)

Click here to see a day in Bademli.

COMING SOON: Interview with a villager in Bademli, see how urbanization changed his way of life.

Beginning of the trip

One month ago, I was struggling with whether or not to come to Turkey, cautiously weighing the benefits against other possibilities. Ultimately a strong desire for exploration finally brought me here.

Time: 29 June, 2008

Location: Dikili (somewhere in Turkey)

My journey has just started...

Istanbul-Izmir-Dikili-Decemko

The 10-hour bus trip proved to be challenging both physically and mentally.

As I fought to fall asleep, I was interrupted by the frequent appearance of the national flag outside my window, by the parade of women wearing stylish scarves. Does their popularity show the Turkish citizen’s love for their country like most people claim. Or is it a mere myth? Aren't the stylish scarves conveying some silent yet strong message when the whole world is obsessed with the theory of "clash of civilizations"? as modern women adapt their traditions to contemporary fashion.

Decemko, a holiday resort lying quietly between the mountains and the sea

I was happy to fall asleep soon after our arrival. However, my happiness proved to be temporary. I was woken up by some monotonous singing and, to make matters worse, the same annoying thing happened the next morning. Later that day, I was told that what I heard was the Koran prayers which take place 5 times every day.

Unlike the old days when people in Dikili suffered from the isolation of their remote location, villagers nowadays find it much more convenient to reach out to the outside world. In addition to the physical highways leading to the village, access to the internet “superhighways” is also having a significant impact.

Introduction

Go out and see the world

Like the tree reaching out to sky

But never forget the ground where you’re rooted

Like the kite always aspiring to a new height

But never forget the strings in hand and the shadow behind

This blog doesn’t mean to be politically provocative, though issues like nationalism, religion, globalization and etc. would be constantly covered; nor does it mean to be a travelogue, though it starts with the trip in Turkey. Then what IS it after all these ISNOT? It’s for exploration, of things you’ve never been exposed to. It’s for reflection, of phenomenon you take for granted. Feel free to comment, criticize and present your insight on it.