Ashley’s Spirit in Kansas City

Somehow it felt apt to have Ashley’s t-shirt on to capture the idiocy of this sign in KC.  Only one word for the people who come up with this many restrictions (and for the people who go in anyway)…

Turkey Wrapup

I’m hoping to tell anyone who cares all about Turkey.  It was a great trip.  Istanbul is even cooler than you’ve heard.  I’ve got some pix here (they start after my 3rd day there, when I got a new cheap camera after realizing mine was screwed).

Lots of contradictions there.  It’s a fairly progressive country in some ways, such as its insistence on being secular, even though about 98% of the residents are Muslim.  Interestingly, women are forbidden from wearing head coverings in universities.  It’s a strange rule that means a restriction of a freedom that many of us might see as a symbol of restriction.  Confusing.  And, it’s illegal to insult Ataturk or “Turkishness.”  That’s probably why a visit to YouTube from there gets you this message:

turkey-ban

Still, I learned a lot there, and I am eager to go back.  Tesekkur ederim, Turks!