What's going on in Turkey?

Nothing!.. Absolutely nothing but manipulation... That's all...

People has panicked, saying "AKP will bring 'Sharia' to Turkey if the current Prime Minister Tayyib Erdogan becomes the President of Turkey"... What a bogus... When an Islamic party in Turkey did make it before?.. Could Erbakan, who was the most radical one, make it when he was the Prime Minister?..

Secular ones say "Oh, they will change the Constitutional law and turn Turkey into an fundemantalist Islamic country"... It is not that easy, trust me... There are some elements that are not going to let it happen, both local and foreign... Turkey is in this vicious circle for decades now... I believe, unfortunately, DSP and CHP (still) are the parties that harmed Turkey more than any other party in Turkey.... Their useless, meaningless persistency about staying separate just brought chaos to Turkey...

I am very sad to see that people is not seeing what is really hurting Turkey... Turkey is an emerging market which is trying to grow and settle, to get some foreign investments, funds... Can you see what happened next week? Turkey's financial markets got volatile and some foreign investors got scared and sold their bonds and stocks... Who did loose because of that unnecessary panic? Turkey... Who won? The ones who want to harm Turkey... So, please think before you act like a fool, and try to stay calm... These are just political games...

Coffee in NY, Tea by the Bosphorus

Coffee is an important drink for Americans as it is tea for Turks... It is one of the signatures of New York, people with a cup of coffee and muffin bag in their hands in the morning... New York likes to have a breakfast on the way of work... Every corner has a coffee house or a 'deli' (delicatessen) to stop by and get those vital substances... Starbucks is the most common and well-known one...

It is unforgettable drinking a glass of tea by the Bosphorus... Having a traditional morning tea with cheese, olive, 'simit' or afternoon tea with sandwiches, scones, cream and sweets that makes you feel like royalty... Enjoying a relaxing tea with a view of the Bosphorus Sea in Istanbul: priceless... At least for most of us... I've heard Starbucks is conquering Istanbul, too; converting young generation from tea to coffee... I wonder if we are going to see the same scenes in the street of Istanbul in several years as in New York now... May it be the Starbucks that force to surrender Turkish tea reign and leave its place to coffee?.. It may or not... However, I don't think it can dare to wrestle with Turkish coffee, though...

"I don't drink coffee I take tea my dear
I like my toast done on one side
And you can hear it in my accent when I talk
I'm a Turkish girl in New York"
- Englishman In New York by Sting

uPod ?

I can hear you say 'what?!' Yes, you read it right... It is not iPod , uPod... There is no misspelling... Not in my writing, not in the writing in the picture...

Our friend, Wayne took us to a well-known restaurant in a Pakistani/Indian neighborhood in Queens today... The area was very colorful, joyful... I felt like I am in India for sometime... I haven't seen any person who is not Indian or Pakistani except us... The dinner and restaurant is another story but I am not going to get into that topic... At least for now... I can only say that I didn't eat, Cem and Wayne did...

However, the story was waiting for us on the way back home... Look what we got!... A very cheap uPod, $69.99 only... What a treat! Well, we decided not to buy but to take a couple of pictures of this amazing(!) product...

Baruch College

My new school... I am accepted to Baruch College Zicklin School of Business MBA program... I got the news yesterday... I am excited :)

The Departed and Casino Royale

I couldn't have a chance to watch them in a movie theatre; Casino Royale and The Departed... I just watch the second one... Wow!.. These two movies both blew my mind away... I wasn't enjoying recent movies, because they all look alike... There is no new idea, no difference...

I have to agree with "Bond is back" reviews... Bond is Bond, you know him. ;-)... I am not going to say more about Casino Royale, just the fact that it is my favorite 007 movie now... A little secret: I was very dissappointed when I heard that Daniel Craig is going to be the new 'Bond'... Silly me!!! He is soooo good...

And The Departed had me with the ending... It is awesome, especially the cast, as you all know... Jack Nicholson is the same but cool as always... Matt Damon - I love him with the Bourne Supremacy series... Isn't he so cute?.. I am not a big fan of DiCaprio... But, his performance was great in this movie... Well, you just want them both win at the end... But... Scorsese has a word to say... (Well, he left some question marks about some incidents, but it is not ruining the movie that much.)

I am very surprised that DiCaprio wasn't even nominated for his performance in this movie. I couldn't watch Blood Diamond yet but I think he was great in this one.
Enjoy... (If you don't like violence in movies, do NOT watch this. It is kind of a quasi-Tarantino movie.)

Mojito - My latest favorite drink

Bacardi Mojito: http://www.bacardimojito.com/default.aspx

Cuban Mojito Recipe (http://www.tasteofcuba.com/mojito.html)
the original authentic recipe from Havana Cuba1 teaspoon powdered sugarJuice from 1 lime (2 ounces)4 mint leaves... 1 sprig of mint Havana Club white Rum (2 ounces)2 ounces club sodaThere are countless recipes for the Mojito (prounced moh-HEE-toh), but this version is for the one Hemingway himself enjoyed at the Mojito's place of birth: La Bodeguita del Medio in Havana, Cuba. If you are throwing a Cuban theme party (Havana night themed party), plan on serving mojitos.

Another Recipe from (http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink582.html)
3 fresh mint sprigs, 2 tsp sugar, 3 tbsp fresh lime juice, 1 1/2 oz light rum, club soda.... In a tall thin glass, crush part of the mint with a fork to coat the inside. Add the sugar and lime juice and stir thoroughly. Top with ice. Add rum and mix. Top off with *chilled* club soda (or seltzer). Add a lemon slice and the remaining mint, and serve.

Perry Mason

I finished a Perry Mason story in one night... The other night, I couldn't sleep and took an old book from the bookshelf... Demure Defendant by Erle Stanley Gardner... If you know Gardner you know that I didn't put the book down until I read the last sentence... There is always action, there is always tension, there is always something to keep your mind busy, there is always something to be curious about... From the first page through the end, it never slows down... It is just clever...

I don't understand why some books are having such problem to get to the point... Those authors are bitting around the bushes a lot... I am a book worm - well, I was- until recently... I am trying to read a book for a month now and I am not sure if I can make it to the end... There are three books on my nightstand that are waiting for me to finish... One of those is sitting there for almost four months... I am trying, I am... However, I don't think I am going to make it... I know that if a book couldn't have my attention in first 10-20 pages, then I am lost... It is the same thing for a movie, too...

I really admire my friends who can insist on a bad movie or a book through the end... I tried... I tried... I am not a quitter... But sorry, I don't have time to spend on something that I am not going to enjoy or learn from... Hey, at least I tried... It just meant not to be, I guess...