tea sugar and a dream

first of all, it is covered in blue eyes. everywhere. they are like freckles. blue freckles. the evil eye for protection. maybe this is why istanbul felt so calming. there was nothing to worry about. the train in from the outskirts of the airport into to the neighborhood sultanahmet where meredith and i stayed was the first indicator of what the city holds. it holds and offers a little bit of everything. we passed high-rise apartment buildings that were all painted different colors. and i don't mean all different types of blue or beige. i mean, blues, greens, pinks, yellows, reds, purples, and so on. but they weren't obnoxious about their color. they just were. we passed parts of town that could compete with new york city. and when we pulled into our part of town, standing there in the night sky, bold and beautiful in her age and wisdom, the Hagia Sophia. and i think it was that moment, that something in me either switched on, or switched off. i can't tell which one it was, but it was amazing.
it has been interesting to be in italy and realize that people think i am italian, or spanish, and i was even more surprised to find that in turkey everyone thought i was turkish. and when they found out i was american they didn't believe me. but about being american in turkey. i wasn't nervous, but i did have a little caution in how people would react to me. but it was amazing. everyday i found myself in numerous conversations with strangers about politics and life and culture and art and everything. and no one, and i mean no one held me responsible for anything. thank god. but i was so in love with how people talked to each other, and listened, and were interested, and offered tea... hmm... oh i drank so much tea, and so much of it was free. perfect. what more do i want from life than to live some place beautiful in an open and interested community? i don't know... not much. it was wonderful. in the turkish bath house (thats right. turkish bath house. i almost didn't leave...) it was perfect. the women in istanbul seem to disappear a little if not only because the men in istanbul are insanely prominent. (if you think italian guys are bad, they ain't got shit on the turks... ain't. got. nothin.) but in the bath house, you walk in and there are just women. no one has an age, no one has a race. it was beautiful. i was on the verge of tears multiple times in there. especially when i met two women from israel and two from Lebanon. we all noticed each other because we all looked the same. the two from Lebanon were a little more milky in their skin tone, and the Israelis a little darker. and i was just in the middle. it was the most beautiful conversation. they just wanted to know what people thought of the other, and wanted people to know that not everyone in any country likes what is going on. i can't even describe...
and the call to prayer, a couple times a day. i could lsiten to that for the rest of my life.
anyway. istanbul is amazing. and i met the most amazing people. not just people from istanbul, but people traveling through. i really think i might try to live there for a little bit of my life. some time. at least, i need to go back.
oh, and tea, sugar and a dream. that is how they say to pronounce thank you in turkish. tesekkür ederim.
yeah. the city just got more beautiful ever day and night.
any questions? that might be easier.
oh, and also, i will post some pictures of some doodles i made in instanbul later. my camera is tired.