A wonderful end to a wonderful year— a happy new year to everyone!

These are just gorgeous. They sound beautiful, too.

There may actually be some real snow in my future. This will have to do for now.

March on Republic Day, 29 October.

Well, it’s that time of year again— our merry band of crazy NaNoWriMo participants is heading out of the starting gate, either with a bang or… not. As usual, I’ll be participating, and as usual, my novel has an element of the supernatural in it.

Why the candle? It’s part of my writing ritual. It keeps my creativity burning or something. Whatever, it works for me.

Best wishes to all the participating novelists! Let’s nail this thing.

A happy day to all who are celebrating.

The parade for the closing day of the annual Golden Orange Film Festival, the largest and most important film festival in Turkey.

There were a lot of celebrities there, but my favourite part was the silver people. So dreamy.

I’d never seen a lunar eclipse before, and this was a spectacular one. It was the longest lunar eclips in the last century, and we were so lucky to be in the totality zone.

Okay, no, it wasn’t really a smackdown, but we did have a little get-together over the weekend to play some mahjong and eat some dessert.

We had so much fun, we’ve decided to make it a regular thing.

Fun for all ages.

There’s an 800-strong army of tango enthusiasts in Antalya. They meet several nights per week.

Night quickly becomes early morning.

When Rita is on the floor, people take notice.

I know I’m over a month behind, but I finally got around to editing the photos from the ADSO International Women’s Day concert. The theme was sopranos, and the singing was just gorgeous.

For obvious reasons, I refrained from taking photos during the actual performance, but I managed to get a couple of shots at the end.

Our three sopranos were Aslı Ayan, Tülay Uçar, and Nurdan Küçükekmekçi Aydın (L to R). You can find performances from each of these lovely ladies on YouTube.

There was a lot going on for Women’s Day in Antalya yesterday. The flowers were just a nice bonus.

Even in these dark days, a new year brings light. Here’s to a great 2011 for all of us.

Midnight will sound
And we’ll all gather round the new little year of the day
But, dear old year, before you go
There’s something you ought to know…

Though your back is bent and your beard is grey
You’re a year well-spent, and I’d like to say
You put on a first class show, and I’m sorry to see you go!

You brought trouble, taught me to handle it
Thanks for the lesson
You brought romance
Oh, what a scandal it caused when it all fell through!
You brought worry, taught me to laugh at it
Now I’m confessing that my whole approach is new after a year like you

So we’ll share a toast from the loving cup
Here’s to you, grown old, and to me, grown up
There’s nothing left up your sleeve, but I’m sorry to see you leave!

You’ll retire into a memory
You’ve earned a good rest
It’s been great
And though I’ll pretend to be part of this midnight show
Just between old you and me and that kid with his year to grow
I’m sorry, really sorry to see you go!

Hope you’ve got some great things planned tonight.

Last year I wasn’t able to do NaNoWriMo because we were travelling around Thailand and Malaysia at the time. It felt weird not writing a novel in November, because I usually do NaNoWriMo every year. For me it’s not about creating a knockout bestseller or anything like that— I do it because I get a good feeling out of it, because I love the community aspect, and because I think it’s a useful exercise on several levels. It’s also a hell of a lot of fun.

So I’m back in the saddle this year, and I couldn’t be more excited. I love the selection of participant banners they have this year, and I chose this one because, coincidentally, the working title of my book is Monkey Mind.

So if you’re NaNoing this year, add me! We’ll struggle through together. This will be my seventh NaNoWriMo and I couldn’t be more excited.

Happy birthday, John. You are missed.

I love the way my room looks at night now.

Charlotte at Animation Fun World really hooked me up with all the best Halloween decorations! I couldn’t be happier.

A single message engraved in 24 languages on the Imagine Peace Tower in Reykjavik. Yoko Ono will be re-lighting the tower on Saturday, 9 October in honour of John Lennon’s 70th birthday. The ceremony will be broadcast live on the Imagine Peace Tower web site, be there or be square.

For those who aren’t familiar with the Tower, here’s a short mini-documentary explaining how it all came about:

When you grow up with German parents, Oktoberfest is a big deal. For my mom, it represented the sole opportunity of the year to buy authentic goods from Germany. For my dad, it was his chance to catch up with his old friends German Beer and German Sausage. Oktoberfests around the world are German through and through; thus you can understand why I would expect the second annual Antalya Oktoberfest to be similar.

But no. Turkish beer, Turkish bands, and food from local Turkish restaurants. No opportunities to eat any German sausages or buy German baked goods. No German Advent calendars. No German vendors whatsoever.

It makes me wonder if anyone who organises this event has ever actually seen an Oktoberfest. They should either get some actual Germans on the committee for next year and try to make a real go of it, or change the name to Antalyafest so as not to be misleading. Turkish bands and Turkish food do not an Oktoberfest make!

Right after the earthquake happened earlier this week, I decided to get my camera out and commemorate the occasion. This will forever be my earthquake photo.

There are places in Turkey that are prone to earthquakes; Antalya is not one of them. Nonetheless, that didn’t stop an earthquake of magnitude 4.1 from happening 11km from my home yesterday. It was the most bizarre experience you can imagine; I was sitting here minding my own business, when suddenly it felt like someone had grabbed our building by the collar and given it a good shaking. It lasted for about twenty seconds and then slowly faded away. People who were even closer to the epicentre have reported much more violent shaking that actually caused people to run out into the street. While I thought the earthquake was certainly interesting, I’m happy for that to be the last one we have for a while.

Just a friendly reminder that the clock is ticking on the Hidden Anatolia project, so if you’ve had it in the back of your mind to get in there and become a part of it, now would be a great time! Come on, you’ve got nothing else going on right at this moment— it only takes a minute to help fuel the project, fueling levels begin at just one dollar, you get great rewards for fueling at any level, and best of all, you get to be a patron of independent art! Check it out and fuel, fuel, fuel!

Last night we made our way to the open-air theatre for the performance of Nâzım, Fazıl Say’s oratorio composed as a tribute to the legendary poet, Nâzım Hikmet Ran. In addition to Say taking his usual place at the piano, he also shared the stage with none other than Sertab Erener and baritone Güvenç Dağüstün, as well as the Antalya Symphony Orchestra and the State Polyphonic Chorus. It would be unfair to say that Genco Erkal simply “recited” the poems of Nâzım— he truly brought them to life.

The entire event was wonderful, but of particular note was the section entitled “Hiroshima,” a sort of poetic requiem for the children who died in the bombings.

I come and stand at every door
But none can hear my silent tread
I knock and yet remain unseen
For I am dead, for I am dead

I’m only seven, though I died
In Hiroshima long ago
I’m seven now as I was then
When children die, they do not grow

My hair was scorched by swirling flame
My eyes grew dim, my eyes grew blind
Death came and turned my bones to dust
And that was scattered by the wind

I need no fruit, I need no rice
I need no sweets nor even bread
I ask for nothing for myself
For I am dead for I am dead

All that I need is that for peace
You fight today, you fight today
So that the children of this world
Can live and grow and laugh and play

I’ve been looking around trying to find video of the little girl they had singing this solo, as her performance was spine-tingling. Long story short, if you ever get the chance to see this beautiful and touching oratorio, it’ll be time well-spent.

Starting June off on the right foot by giving something back— a free promotional desktop for the Hidden Anatolia project. Available in a variety of screen resolutions, in your choice of English or Turkish.

This is just my way of saying thank you to everyone who has fueled the project so far, and to encourage others to do the same. You can be a patron of the independent art movement, and get cool stuff in return! Check it out and take part.

Now, on with the desktops!

2560×1440 English
2560×1440 Türkçe

1920×1200 English
1920×1200 Türkçe

1920×1080 English
1920×1080 Türkçe

1600×1200 English
1600×1200 Türkçe

1600×1050 English
1600×1050 Türkçe

1280×1024 English
1280×1024 Türkçe

1280×960 English
1280×960 Türkçe

1280×854 English
1280×854 Türkçe

1024×768 English
1024×768 Türkçe

320×480 English (iPhone)
320×480 Türkçe (iPhone)

240×320 English (mobile)
240×320 Türkçe (cep telefonu)

I get a lot of e-mails and Twitter messages from people saying that they envy my life, and while I’m certainly grateful for what I have and the things I’m able to do, May was a sobering reminder that it’s not all wine and roses. I still have problems just like everyone else. I had a moderate health issue that took me out of commission for most of the month, and during the few intermittent days when I was well enough to be up and about, the thought of trying to get caught up on things like writing and photo projects was too overwhelming to deal with.

Things are back on the upswing, however, and as much as I hate summer, I’m actually looking forward to June. I want to get the Hidden Anatolia project fueling wrapped up as much as possible, and starting tomorrow I have a new introspective photo project starting up (details coming soon!). I think the goal is to keep as busy as possible during the hottest months, so that maybe I won’t notice how awful this whole wretched season is.

Also, I’m looking at taking a brief break from the heat— somewhere really, really north. Just for a few days. I’m thinking Arctic Circle.

Anyway, first things first: a lot of people have asked about Hidden Anatolia over the past few days, and a couple of very generous donations have come in, including a second one from LeahAndMark.com, bringing their fueling total to a whopping $200! It’s fantastic to have such amazing support from friends in the community, and you can get involved as well, no matter what your budget. Fueling levels start at just $1, and even at that amount you’ll still get your name published in the official Hidden Anatolia book! The reward levels go up and up from there, and I look forward to having as many fuelers as possible, so if you ever wanted to be a patron of independent art, now’s your chance!

Learn more about Hidden Anatolia and join the project!

Here it is, the very first confirmed location for the Hidden Anatolia project. I put a lot of thought into what my top priority would be, and the Southeastern Anatolian town of Hasankeyf pretty much ticks all the boxes.

What’s so special about this town that I would want to get there before any other place and get it documented? Well, for starters:

• It has been continuously inhabited for nearly three millennia, and has seen no fewer than nine civilisations
• The modern town is built around the historical ruins, many of which are still in very good condition
• It’s situated on the Tigris
• There is a very controversial dam project underway, and if it continues as planned, the dam would put the entire town and all its history permanently underwater. Everyone would have to be relocated. The completion of the dam has already been postponed because of this controversy, but construction will likely continue sometime relatively soon
• i.e. time is of the essence if anyone wants to come and do any sort of comprehensive exploration in situ
• For some reason, people just don’t go there, except to protest the dam being built;
• This is the one place I would be so, so unhappy about if I missed the opportunity to photograph it while it still existed.

That’s it in a nutshell. There are just so many layers of struggle and triumph there, from the Sumerians to the Romans to the Mongols to the Ottomans, and even up through the struggles of the present day. For me there’s something magical about that, and basically I think we just need to go see it for ourselves, you and me. So that’s the plan.

For those who aren’t familiar, the Hidden Anatolia project is a journey to bring to light the most beautiful secrets of the Turkish mainland, one of the most misunderstood areas in the world. The trip will be documented from the road at hiddenanatolia.com, and will culminate in a coffee table book of evocative images and essays from the journey.

Funding for the project is provided via RocketHub, and with the support of people like you, independent artists and journalists like myself can continue to do work like this for the benefit of everyone. Contribution levels begin at just $1, and are not empty donations— there is a rewards structure in place so that all supporters of the project get something back for their contributions. You can select a contribution level that works well for you, and receive great rewards like a postcard from the trip, a free copy of the Hidden Anatolia book, or even a one-of-a-kind canvas print from the journey. Supporters also get special updates, and the opportunity to help shape the direction of the project.

It’s easy to become part of Hidden Anatolia. Simply visit the project page, select a reward level that appeals to you, and contribute with your credit card or PayPal account. RocketHub guarantees your donation, as well— if the project does not receive full funding, all the contributors get their money back. Become a patron of the international arts community, risk free!

Become a part of the Hidden Anatolia project now

Visit hiddenanatolia.com