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Weekend Getaway: Zeeland

19/10/2018

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After a long break of nearly three years, I have decided to revive my blog again. I will restart with a weekend trip recommendation for those who are looking to have a taste of the Netherlands outside of Amsterdam: Zeeland…

Zeeland has been on our radar ever since we moved to the Netherlands, and we finally have had a chance to make this trip during mom’s visit to us back in August. Before I share the detailed recommendations, allow me to navigate you first on the map. Zeeland is the westernmost and least populous province of the Netherlands, right above Belgian border. It is a province that is pretty much an accumulation of islands and peninsulas. This is because most of Zeeland is below sea level, what a surprise, huh? The name of the province is literally “sea land”, which is probably no surprise to you considering the geography I just described.

Our trip to Zeeland was short, we left on a Saturday morning and came back on Sunday evening. The province is small (only about 2,930 square kilometers) but you need to plan your trip in advance as there is no concentrated activities given the scarce population. For this reason, we have decided to keep Middelburg – the capital of Zeeland – as our base and drive around to small villages and sights from there. Looking back, I think this was the right decision as Middelburg offers most of the attractions in the region. Located on the central peninsula of the Zeeland province, it is pretty much less than 30 minute drive to everything else in the province, and offers some picturesque spots. The city is historic, it is dated back to late 8th century, and has the shape of a fort with ancient walls surrounding the city. You can see the aerial view on google to understand what I mean with the pointy edges around the city walls.

The city itself is quite small, one can easily cover the entire city center by walking from one end to the other and hitting all attractions in half a day. And this includes frequent stops in little cafes and shops on the small side streets. We started our city tour from the parking lot at the edge of the city center and walked along the shopping streets towards the townhall (stadhuis). Around town hall, there are many small cafes and restaurants where you can enjoy your beer or coffee for a short break. 

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Another quite nice sight was the Abdij, a small enclosed square with a tower and historical buildings in surrounding. There is also the famous Zeeuws Museum at this square for those museum enthusiasts (not me!).
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After about 3-4 hours, we felt that we were actually done with this beautiful small town and have decided to explore other sights in the province. I will first tell you about a site that you should not miss: Oosterscheldekering

The Oosterscheldekering is the largest of the 13 ambitious Delta Works series of dams and storm surge barriers, designed to protect the Netherlands from flooding from the North Sea. The construction of the Delta Works was in response to the North Sea Flood of 1953. This was the last great flooding that impacted the area. This surge barrier is nine-kilometer-long and really impressive to see with your own eyes. This place shows you how this small country keeps its safety below sea level. There is also an artificial island called Neeltje-Jans, at one end of the barrier, with a small theme park for the children.
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Our last stop during our Zeeland weekend getaway was a small village by the ocean called Westkapelle. Westkapelle is a small city on the island Walcheren. It is on the westernmost tip of Walcheren and is surrounded by the sea on three sides. It is tiny tiny, with a handful of restaurants, but it offered us a nice coffee break before we started our 2-hour return drive to Amsterdam.

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We certainly enjoyed our weekend getaway in Zeeland, and I hope that you will as well if you ever make it there. Feel free to drop me a line in case you need more specific recommendations such as hotels or restaurants to hit..​

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First year in Amsterdam...

28/8/2015

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Today marks a very special anniversary in our lives… We have moved to Amsterdam exactly a year ago! And I though there is no better excuse to break the long period of silence and tell the story of our first year in this beautiful city with some numbers and facts. So, here they are…

365 days since moving to Amsterdam…
365 days of rain (I’m just joking! it’s really not that bad…)
238 days of commute on bicycle, including 5 days on snow and ice, 22 days miserably missed out due to heavy rain…
158 Dutch words learned (152 are the same in German, so I might be cheating a little bit!)
62 runs completed, 547 km run in total, including 1 half marathon and 1 10-mile race…
48 different restaurants tested (and liked! How do they keep the bar so high??)
18 cities visited in 9 different countries, 3 countries for the first time ever!…
12 visits by friends and family (not sure if they came to visit us or the city J)
5 days spent to get used to living here, 1 day was more than enough to fall in love!…
1 laptop bag stolen (but surprisingly not my bike yet, though it is probably just a matter of time)…
1 Ajax game watched live in Bijlmer Arena (I think I watched more Galatasaray games at TT Arena while living in Amsterdam, some habits don’t go away…)
0 days where I wished I still had a car (you want to improve the quality of your life? drop the car!)
0 mouse spotted in the house (our friends tell us that in Amsterdam, you either have a cat as a pet or a mouse, you just might not know it yet!)
0 traffic jams experienced (I’m not counting the heavy congestions on bike lanes during the rush hours)…
0 political turmoil reported, 0 economic crisis artificially generated (booooring! I am still wondering what the Dutch are reporting in the evening news, the cat stuck on the tree?)…

I will keep adding more statistics as I remember other stuff, but you get the idea!
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Memoirs of an Expat - Part II : Getting Around in Amsterdam...

12/1/2015

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I had already communicated earlier that my next post would be about the ease and joy of transportation in Amsterdam. I must admit, it’s been a long two months since my last blog post. However, better late than never, right? You may think of it as the additional time I needed to excel on my navigation with Amsterdam’s transportation system. There is one thing that hasn’t changed since my last post, and that is my opinion on how amazing the transportation options are around here!
Obsessed with the idea of owning a car? Think twice…
If you are coming to Amsterdam as an experienced professional who has climbed up the corporate ladder and earned bunch of perks, it is the natural instinct to protect those while you are transferring. One of the most important compensation elements in most countries is the company car benefit. And once you get the taste of having a nice car with no worries of the cost of fuel, insurance or maintenance, it is hard to let go. The first question you ask during your interviews is “What make/model of car would I have as the company car?” Well, let me tell you; once you start living here, you quickly realize that owning a car is more of a burden than a benefit. The parking permits in Amsterdam run as high as a few hundred euros a month and if you live in the core center of the city, you may wait more than a year to get one! The cost of owning a car does not stop here. Local taxes can run as high as 300 Euros a month. Also, having a company car as a benefit does not excuse you from the cost of driving. The company cars are strictly considered as means of doing business, and if you drive your car for more than 500 km per year (that’s right, per year!), then you are taxed based on the value of your car each year, so in about 5 years you end up paying the full price of your car in taxes.. So, there is no way out of high costs when you join the car owners family in the Netherlands.

Thought about going ‘green’?
If you insist on driving, there are more green options than owning a car. There are car clubs, where you become a member for a small fee, and you are able to lease a small and environment-friendly car on an hourly basis. Readers from the U.S. will immediately relate this to companies like Zip Car. This is a great option if you don’t need a car on a daily basis, but occasionally need one for either driving out of town or running errands. The most commonly known companies are Green Wheels and Connect Car. They offer a variety of car categories and membership types that suits your specific needs. This can however become another costly experience if you go long distance or extended periods of rentals. But, there is always the traditional way of renting a car for this. 
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Who needs a car anyways?...
Yes, this is so true for Amsterdam! Before I came here, I did a ton of research on lease company cars, rental cars and car clubs. I was even tempted to sign up for it to make my life ‘convenient’ the minute I arrive. Well, I am glad I didn’t… The public transportation in Amsterdam as well as in the Netherlands is absolutely amazing! The city is literally wired with railways, metros  and tramlines. You rarely have to walk more than 5 minutes to get connected to one of the public transports. All trains run on exact schedules, you can follow them on most of the stops and of course you can track your next ride online. Google Maps does an excellent job of routing you through the city on public transportation, including the walking connections in between. If you really want to get ‘local’, you have the 9292.nl website or the 9292 app on your smart phone. You can plan your trip, check for delays and customize your personal frequent locations for easier use. It works like magic!

Unlike many urban cities, the trams and trains are very clean and modern. You don’t get the feeling similar to riding the NYC subway or the Bay Area buses. Chances are that the person sitting next to you is either an executive of a multinational firm or a tourist having a time of his life in Amsterdam. The cost of public transportation is also relatively decent. A direct train ride from the airport to the city center costs you 4 Euros, and a tram ride is about 1.50 Euros if you get a ride card  called OV-chipkaart. If you are just visiting for a few days, daily passes are also very efficient as they include both the airport transfers and the local rides. The tickets and daily passes can be purchased at major stops, online or on the trams. If you don’t want the complexity of planning, you can always keep it simple and pay 3 Euros for each tram ride.

The pleasant experience of public transportation is extended throughout the Netherlands. The national railway system is called NS, and the official website is simply ns.nl. Here, you can also do pretty much everything relating to your travel needs, including a seamless connection to the extended European railways. With the on-time and fast express lines, long distances become really short. For example, Rotterdam is only 25 minutes away from Amsterdam, and Brussels is only about an hour.

What if I am not the public transport type of guy?...
You can immediately think that taxi would be a good option. Nope, it’s definitely not! Unlike other major cities, taxi rides are crazy expensive, despite the relatively short distances. Just to give you an idea, a taxi ride from the airport to the city center costs more than 50 Euros. If you need to go for a 10-minute ride across the town, you can bet at a minimum 20 Euros. The new trend of Uber may be a creative alternative for you in Amsterdam, despite the fact that it was recently deemed illegal by the local authorities. It comes in options of black car service or simply a local driver taking you from one place to another. This experience will cost you about half of what you would pay for the taxi. If this is the first time you heard about Uber, I encourage you to test it out (here or in your own town) as it is a unique experience…

Well, I saved the great news for the last… If you can let go of roaming engines and comfortable seats and go back to basics, I have yet to talk about the best option for you.. Yes, bicycles! Bikes have become a lifestyle, even a symbol of Amsterdam, for a very good reason. But, I am afraid you need to wait for my next blogpost, because this definitely deserves a full post of its own… I promise, I will not wait for another 2 months to do the third post of my expat memoirs series, as I am already excited about it :)

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Memoirs of an Expat - Part I : Getting Started in Amsterdam...

18/9/2014

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This post will be the first of a series of write-ups I am planning to share with you about my experiences as an expat living in Amsterdam. There is absolutely so much to write about, many topics have crossed my mind, but I thought I would start with the natural one first: the experience of arriving here and taking care of the mandatory steps in order to become ‘local’.

The word expat is used slightly off-context here in Netherlands. You don’t necessarily have to be on a temporary mission or a fixed-term assignment in order to be an expat. If you are a so called ‘qualified’ professional with an intention to stay for long time, you get the benefits of an expat in the Netherlands. I called it the benefits for a reason, because the Dutch know really well that in order to fuel their sizeable economy, they need more skill and force than what they already have. This is a tiny country, with a population of only 17 million. And to become a recognized economy in the world scale, you need a lot more. Therefore, if you fall in the so called ‘expat’ definition, you are more than welcome over here. Immigrating anywhere is not easy; you basically are leaving behind everything you are accustomed to, and entering a totally unknown territory. But, the Dutch system is specifically designed to make this painful process as easy as possible.

The orientation starts even before you arrive, and of course it requires some paperwork. It is not nearly as burdensome as one might guess. Almost all information can be submitted either online or via scanned document, so that the applications can start ahead of time. You first apply for a temporary residence permit, and against the general assumption of immigration services taking forever, this only takes 2-3 weeks. You get a notification that your temporary visa is approved and you can go to the consulate at your hometown and get it within a day, nice start! Once you have this, you are basically free to go in and out of Netherlands and the European Union… Please note that some EU countries may give you a hard time if you are entering the zone through them for the first time, so it is advisable to start with the Netherlands.

Once you arrive in the country, the immigration officer greets you with a smiling face and really welcomes you. You are in before you realize, and off to your ‘new home’, no hassles, no hardships. In almost all major cities, there is an expatcenter. I first thought that this was another tourist information desk where you can get nice booklets about the city and the country, but it is much more... 
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They have truly integrated all ‘localization’ services here. So, you don’t need to go to the registrar or town hall separately. You get your Dutch ID number (kind of a tax or social security number), you get stamped a work authorization in case it is not granted before, and you get fingerprinted for immigration. They say that you should receive your permanent residency card with a week, yes, you heard it right! As you are getting ready to step out, they offer you all forms and information about getting your driving license, and point you across the street to the banks where you can now open your first local bank account. All of this takes about an hour or two, and before you realize, you are ready for your first day of work! 

There are two more formalities that you have to do within the first few months of your arrival; getting a health insurance and getting tested for tuberculosis, which are both mandatory here for foreign nationals. The insurance is just a matter of filing another online form, and the TB test is taken at the general health center in the city, but even there the process works like a magic and you are in and out within 15 minutes. 

You might ask: can everything be so perfect? Of course not... One downside I might mention here is adapting to the local language. The sounds are very rough and different, so even as an English and German speaker, I have a hard time following people here. By the way, everybody is so friendly and well educated that they immediately switch to English when they realize you are not Dutch. And thank God there is google to translate all those local websites instantly to broken English for us :)

I tried to give you some flavor to the super-nice experience I have had with the painful process of changing your life. If you want to find out more details, there are a ton of websites out there describing all of the above in a lot of detail. The one I would highly recommend is www.iamsterdam.com, so if you are seriously thinking about making a move, definitely check it out, it helped me a lot!

Alright, this is it for now… I think my next post will be about the ease and joy of transportation in Amsterdam - it is simply amazing - so please come back and check out the site over the next few weeks…
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Finding that perfect workplace...

11/9/2014

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Do you want to be a big fish in a small pond or small fish in a big pond?

This question is a really tough one for almost all professionals. Well, don’t get too excited reading this, because I don’t think there is a right answer for this, as each person is unique, and so are one’s desires and passions in life. But I thought I would give a shot at this question from the perspective of someone who has done quite a bit of both over the last 17 years…

Most of the time, this questions arises when one is trying to pick the right company and the right job. In other words, everyone wants to be “big”, no doubt about that! The real question that remains to be answered is how small is the company for you?

Yes, I am talking about the difference between working for start-ups vs. for large corporations. Let’s start with the textbook definitions: According to Wikipedia, a start-up is a newly created company, a partnership or temporary organization designed to search for a repeatable and scalable business model. A corporation is a legal entity that has been incorporated either directly through legislation or through a registration process. Of course, I will use this word in a slightly modified meaning, to describe large business corporations.

Let’s start with the ‘new kid on the block’, the start-up. Even the name is exciting isn’t it? Yes, it is new, it is fresh, it is an all-white blank page. There are no pre-set rules, none of the old-school practices, no paperwork, no hierarchies… It is free spirit, exploring new and exciting opportunities is not only allowed but it is encouraged. Nobody is breathing down on your neck to catch your mistakes, you have all the freedom to do it your own way. Everybody knows you by name, everybody is looking forward to learning from your experience. You are your own boss. When you ask for permission to do something, most of the time the response is ‘why are you asking, why are you waiting, go try it out’. How cool is that?! And of course the workspace, it is different, the first things to catch one’s attention is the welcoming rest areas, the hip design, the pool table, maybe even the pool! Who doesn’t want to work here?

And now, let’s look at the large corporations before we jump to a conclusion.. The first thing you see is the huge building, or maybe even the campus. None of that ‘we are located on the basement of the run-down building over there, and when you enter, we are all the way to the far right’ crap. All of these buildings are ours. When you come in your first day, your workspace is ready, even your name tag, and your computer, you plug it in and start working. Don’t know anybody yet? No problem, they have a 2-week orientation program already laid out for you, and in case you are still uncertain about something afterwards, there is a well-documented process that captures 10 years’ worth of knowledge for you, right there, a click away. Wait, don’t forget to schedule some time for that training, designed just for your own self-development, so that you are a happier employee. If you want to do something, you can ask to someone who knows, there is no ‘re-inventing the wheel’ around here, it is all about efficiency so that you can do your job as fast as you can and as well as you can so that you can take off at a decent time and create that work-life balance you have been craving for. Who doesn’t want this now?

Well, the phrase ‘There is a flip-side to everything’ hasn’t been said for no reason. Can anything be so perfect? Of course not…

Let’s look back at that compelling start-up you almost signed up for. Remember all the freedom and the flexibility? Well, all that space is usually filled up by an entrepreneur or a founder, who is full of ego. Why wouldn’t he? - Of course, this person could also be a she, but please don’t make me write he/she for the rest of my blog, focus on what I am saying :) - Of course, this is all his! He created all of this, and he is nothing but success (so far..) He has all the right to say and do whatever he wants and you need to do exactly as he says. He is the boss, you just have to deal with it.. Oh, there is also that thing he asked for, you don’t know how to do it? Tough luck, you need to go try it, learn it, fail on it, try again, because this is all new, remember? That know-how you are hoping to find sitting next to you, I am afraid that doesn’t exist my friend… And yes, please keep that cellphone on 7/24 because all of a sudden you might just be needed in the middle of the night for an urgent matter (yep, you guessed right, all matters are urgent!).

And that corporation, where everything looked so well structured and so efficiently organized, well wait until you hit a 10-feet high wall trying to accomplish something, because that is not how you do it around here.. There is a form you need to fill out first, and then go get five approvals so that you can even start thinking about it. Trying to get a bigger picture on where your great work fits in on the overall? Well, that information is confidential, and you do not have authorization to access that part. And that badge you forgot to carry on you, please do not repeat this fatal mistake again, or else you will be given your first official written warning…

Well, if you are wondering what is the take-away from all this, here’s another great phrase that fits here perfectly: ‘The grass is always greener on the other side’. The professional life has something to offer for everyone, and at different stages of their life. I am not saying one type of work culture is better than the other one, but I can definitely say that I have learnt a lot from all the companies I have worked at so far, and still learning. Starting your career at a well-established organization may be definitely an advantage, because the place simply acts as a professional school, and it is much easier to build up your experience. Once you reach a certain stage of your professional career, the start-up environment can offer a lot of opportunities to show yourself and contribute while still earning a great deal about the big picture. Just as you may have a tendency to feel ‘too old’ within the youngsters of the start-up, you can always ‘grow your pond’ and try to create a new challenge. If you are going to take one advice from all this, be the best you can be, no matter how big or small the company is and the world has always something bigger and better to offer to you! And if you are going home happy at the end of the day, then you work at the right place…

An important footnote: None of this information is related to a specific company or a specific set of people I worked with, so if you are one of those ‘sensitive’ ones, please don’t take this at all personal, this is not about you, it is all about me…

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Yaz tatili icin dogru tercih... Midilli

7/7/2014

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Daha once yine bu blog uzerinden sizinle “Kuzey Ege’nin Yesil Cenneti” basligiyla paylastigim Thassos adasi yazima aldigim guzel yorumlardan cesaret alarak simdi de sizinle Midilli deneyimlerimi paylasiyorum...

Konu yine bir seyahat, yine bir haftasonu kacamagi, ve yine bir Yunan adasi. Bos zamaniniz varsa, ve artik geleneksel hale gelen Cesme ve Bodrum seyahatleri disina bir alternatif ariyorsaniz size Midilli’de gecireceginiz bir uzun haftasonunu siddetle tavsiye ediyorum.

Adaya ulasim...

Midilli’ye gitmek Turkiye’den seyahat edecekler icin gayet pratik. Rotayi once Ayvalik’a ceviriyorsunuz, Istanbul’dan gidenler icin 6 saatlik bir yolculuk sonrasinda ulastiginiz Ayvalik limanindan kalkan Jale Tur’a ait kucuk feribotlar, sizi 1,5 saatlik keyifli bir deniz yolculuguyla Midilli’nin merkez koyune ulastiriyor.

Ada cok buyuk, dolayisiyla araciniz olmadan adada gorulmesi gereken yerlere ulasmaniz cok da mumkun degil. Bunun icin ya adada kucuk bir arac kiralayabilir, ya dakendinize ait aracinizla adaya gecebilirsiniz. Kendi araciyla adaya gececekler, yola cikmadan once Turing Otomobil Kurumu’ndan bir uluslararasi ehliyet ve yurtdisi trafik sigortasi anlamina gelen yesil kart sigortasi almasi gerekiyor.

Midlli Merkez’de kisa bir mola...

Midilli, Osmanli mimarisinin yogun bir sekilde goruldugu bir ada. Adaya vardiginizda doga ve binalarin ahengi insani hakikaten buyuluyor. Midilli merkezde yarım gun zaman gecirmeniz iyi olur. Varis saatine gore sahil boyunca uzanan kafelerden birinde kisa bir dinlenme molasi verip bu kafelerin hemen arka sokagindaki ufak borekcilerden bir ispanakli bir de bizdeki laz boregini andiran kremali borek yemenizi oneririm. Eger gun icinde adaya varirsaniz, o zaman Kaldirimi Restaurant oglen yemegi icin iyi bir secim olabilir.
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 Guney plajlari, Plomari ve Ouzo...

Adanin merkezinde cok asiri zaman gecirmeyin, sayili gun cabuk gecer prensibini de unutmadan adanin tam guney ucunda bulunan Plomari tarafına gecin. Plomari adini verdigi Yunan ouzo’suyla unlu, dolayisiyla tadina bakmadan sakin buradan ayrilmayin. Ayrıca Plomari’ye 2-3km uzakliginda Barbayanni ouzo fabrikasını da gezebilirsiniz.

Plomari’nin birkac kilometre uzakligindaki Agios Isidoros plajı, adanin en guzel plaji. Altin renginde ufak cakıllı kumsalı ve berrak mavi denizi gercekten muhtesem.. Burada To Amoudeli restauranti ve yine bu restaurantin tam altindaki kumsal da bence mutlaka denenmeli. Zamaniniz kalirsa yine buraya yakin mesafedeki Melinda kumsali ziyaret edilebilir.

Adanin batisina dogru yolculuk...

Ikinci bir gune uyandiginizda adanin dogusundaki yerleri gezebilirsiniz. Oncelikle Sigri’den baslayin. Burada Fatih Sulltan Mehmet’in yaptirdigi guzel bir kale var, eger restorasyon zamanina denk gelmezseniz gormenizi tavsiye ederim. Sigri’nin icindeki sokaklar ve ufak cafe’ler cok guzel. İki hatri sayilir restaurantı var: Remezzo’s ve Cavo Doro. Salas gorunumlu Cavo Dorove deniz kenarindaki manzarali Remezzo arasindaki tercih size kalmis.

Bu bolgedeki plajlar da yarim gun gecirmeye deger guzellikte. Buradan Eressos ve deniz kenarindaki Skala Eressos’a gecin. Kumsal cok genis, cocuklar icin ideal, ayrica keyif yapacak bircok kafe var ve adanin en canli yerlerinden biri.
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Adanin kuzeyi ve tabii ki Molyvos...

Gorulmesi gereken bir diger yer de adanin kuzey bolumundeki Petra-Anaxos sahil seridi. Burasi adanin en uzun kumsalina sahip yerlesim merkezi. Petra’da gun icinde The Reef, ve O Stratos’u da tavsiye ederim. Anaxos’tan bir sonraki koy olan Ambella Beach’te de George’s Fish Taverna var, cok salas bir yer ama porsiyonlar inanilmaz buyuk, yemekler cok lezzetli ve ucuz.

Adanin bence en can alici ve gorulmeye deger yeri Petra’ya 5 kilometre mesafedeki Molyvos koyu.  Bu koy Osmanli mimarisinin en net sekilde goruldugu ve en guzel sekilde korundugu bir yer. Sehrin tepesindeki kale, altinda uzanan guzel deniz seridi ve arasina serpistirilmis sirin evleriyle tam bir kartpostal.

Restoran secenekleri burada cok fazla, O Gatos Restaurant ve Octopus Restaurant koyun Turkler tarafindan en cok tercih edilen mekanlari arasinda. Yine Le Grand Blue restaurant ve To Ouzadiko mutlaka denenmeli. Gece hayati da Molyvos’ta renkli, keyifli zaman gecirilebilecek bir cok bar ve kafe secenegi mevcut.

Kalinacak yerler...

Butcenize gore bence adada kalinmak uzere ilk tercih Petra-Molyvos yolu uzerindeki Molyvos Castle Villas olmali. Hem konumu, hem mimarisi, hem de konforuyla adanin en guzel otellerinden biri.  Yine Molyvos koyunun icindeki Olive Press Otel ozel mekanlardan biri, burasi eski bir zeytinyagi fabrikasindan donusturulmus bir otel oldugu icin farkli bir havasi var. Yine daha cok butce odakli bir arayisiniz varsa Petra bolgesindeki sira otellerden herhangi biri tercih edilebilir.. 

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 Zamaniniz kalirsa...

Yazimin kisaligina bakmayin, Midilli cok buyuk bir ada ve hemen her tarafi guzel plajlar ve sirin koylerle donatilmis. Eger Midilli seyahatinizi uzatmaya karar verirseniz guzel bir liman koyu olan Skala Skaminia ve yine Petra’ya yakin Eftalou gorulmeye deger.

Evet, Midilli anlata anlata bitmiyor, aslina bakarsaniz geze geze de bitmiyor. Bir kere giden tekrar gitmek istiyor, ve boyle diye diye adadaki cogu mekanin Turkce menuler sundugu, hatta Turkce konustugu bir yer halien coktan gelmis bile. Eger hala siz adayi gormediyseniz hic zaman kaybetmeyin derim, cunku bu kadar yogun ilgi goren bir yerin orjinal guzelligi duruyorken ve hala nispeten sakinken ketfini cikarmazsaniz cok pisman olacaginizdan hic supheniz olmasin...

Keyifli seyahatler!

Not: Bu yazida ismi gecen bircok plaj ve restoran icin referans olan Yasin Canki’ye de cok cok tesekkurler..
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Kosmak bir tutkuymus, simdi anladim...

29/4/2014

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Neden kosar ki bir insan? Yalnizsin, demek ki sosyal bir arayisin yok, derdin muzik dinlemek degil cunku onun icin daha iyi mekanlar var, spor icin spor diye yola ciktiysan neden basketbol veya futbol gibi daha eglenceli ve paylasimli bir spor yapmayasin? Cevabi cok basit dort baslikta ozetlemek istiyorum:
Isteyince oldugunu anlamak...

Beni taniyan tanir, her ne kadar fizigim spora yatkin gibi gorunse de icten ice pek de hareketten haz almayan biriyimdir. Ta Alman Lisesi'ndeki ilk gunlerime donuyorum. Yil 1986, yas 11, hazirlik sinifina yeni baslamisiz. Sonraki 12 yil olacagi gibi haftalik ders programi aciklaniyor, bir bakiyorum haftada iki saat spor dersi var. Aaa ne guzel, futbol oynariz, basketbol oynariz, bir heves bir heves. Ama tanimiyorum ki icine girdigim Alman ekolunu ve disiplinini! O kucucuk halimizle Herr Werner karsimiza cikiyor, basliyor jimnastik, kosu, uzun atlama filan. Ne oldugumu sasiriyorum. Bir insan hep mi sonuncu olur? Olur! Tum derslerinden 9-10 alirken spordan kalir mi? Kalir! Sanirim bu travmayi atlatmam zaman almis olacak ki kosmaya baslayali daha dort ay oldu... Bir haftasonu kendimi arkadaslarimla Belgrad'da buldum. Yuruyerek basladigim parkuru dilim disarida bitirdim, ama her ne hikmetse ertesi hafta yine gitmek istedim. Bu sefer 1 km kosup 5 km yurudum derken baktim 4. haftada bildigin kosuyorum. Insan vucudu gercekten mucize, kafa isteyince vucut yapiyor, yani isteyince oluyor... O gun koydum hedefi: Mart ayinda duzenlenen geleneksel Runtalya maratonu ile baslayacaktim bu seruvene.
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Kazanmak degil, basarmak...

Mart basinda Runtalya maratonuna katildim. Ilk resmi kosum oldugu icin ne bekledigimi cok da kestiremiyordum. Ama buldugum sey harikaydi. Kosuyu belki diger tum sporlardan farkli kilan sey, icinde olumune rekabet olsa da basarma hissinin bu rekabetin onune gecmesi. Bunu resmi bir organizasyona katilinca cok net goruyorsunuz. Kosuya basladigim andan bitirdigim ana kadar etrafimda hep birbirini destekleyen insanlar gordum. Yanindan kosarak gectiginiz hemen herkes size yol aciyor, kenardan izleyen tum seyirciler alkislarla tempo tutuyor, bu isi profesyonel yapip kosmak yerine ucmayi tercih eden atletleri ise kosanlar dahi alkislayarak destek oluyor. Cunku kosmanin felsefesi kazanmakta degil, konulan hedefi basarmakta. Yani bazilari icin amac derece elde etmek, bazilari icin sure hedefini tutmak, bazilari icin ise sadece parkuru bitirmek. Herkesin ortak paydasi ise basarmak. Yanda gordugunuz madalyayi da kazanana degil, basarana veriyorlar...

Kendine saklamak degil, paylasmak...

Evet, kostugunuz sure zarfinda yalnizsiniz, ama kosmak illa da bireysel bir spor olmak zorunda degil. Cogu kosucu kendini ozdeslestirdigi bir organizasyona uye oluyor, ve oncesiyle, sonrasiyla, antremaniyla, kosusuyla bir paylasim icinde. Ekip ruhu yaratmak zor degil, oncesinde bulusup, sonrasinda bir kahvalti edip, belki beraber seyahat edip. Bunu bir adim daha ileri goturup toplum yararina kosanlar ve kosturanlar da var ki bu cok ama cok ozel birsey. Turkiye'de bunu en yaygin ve koordineli bir sekilde yapan organizasyon "Adim Adim". Bu olusuma uye olmak cok basit, sadece internet veya mail yoluyla bilgilerinizi paylasmaniz yeterli. Adim Adim olusumu altinda kosuyorsaniz bircok sivil toplum orgutune destek olma sansiniz var, bu destegi bagis toplayarak, sosyal etkinliklere katilarak ve bunun gibi bircok yontemle yapabiliyorsunuz. Ne kadar katilim ve katki sagladiginiz size kaliyor. En ufak bir katki yapmanin verdigi haz ise kocaman! Bu yaziyi okuyup bu ise gonul veren herkese Adim Adim veya benzeri olusumlara katilmayi siddetle tavsiye ediyorum. Cunku kosmak esittir paylasmak...
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Hobi degil, tutku...

Kosu tutkusu bende daha once de bahsettigim gibi tesadufen kesfedilmis bir hobi olarak baslasa da cok hizli bir sekilde hobi olmaktan cikti. 4-5 hafta sonra dizimde, ayagimda, bacagimda agrilar ve sisikler oldu. Ortopedi doktorlari kisa sureli kosuya ara vermemi tavsiye ettikleride onlara kizdim, cogunlukla da dinlemedim, cunku bunyem kabul etmedi. Geri kalacagimi hissettim. En sonunda niye boyle oldugunu yakinlarda gittigim ve yine bir ortopedi doktorundan duydum. Ayagimda tekrarlayan taban agrisindan bahsedip kisa kosu gecmisimi duyunca bana dedigi su oldu: "Okan Bey, siz benim kosan ilk hastam degilsiniz, su anda aklinizdan gecenleri tahmin ediyorum. Ve ben size ne dersem diyeyim kosmayi birakmayacaginizi da cok iyi biliyorum. Cunku kosu bir spor degil, bir tutku. Dolayisiyla bundan vazgecmeyeceksiniz. O yuzden lutfen vucudunuzu dinleyin ve ihtiyac oldugunda gerekli ilac ve tedavileri aksatmadan ve dogru ayakkabiyi kullanarak devam edin. Ben kosamayacaginiz noktaya gelince size zaten soylerim."

Gectigim dort ay hissettiklerimin ozeti tam da buydu iste, ben oylesine bir spor yapmiyordum, bir hevesle sarildigim bir hobi de yapmiyordum, tutkum olan seyin pesinden kosuyordum! Bir sonraki kosuda sizlerle de karsilasmak umuduyla...

1 Comment

Buyurun buradan yakın: Küba Puroları

19/11/2013

5 Comments

 
Kuba hakkinda yazdigim ilk blog yazimin uzerinden gecen birkac hafta, bu keyifli seyahati unutmanin pek de mumkun olmadigini kanitladi. Okuyanlara ilk yazimda soz verdigim gibi, bu yazim Kuba’nin dunyaca unlu iki ticari urununden biri olan purolari hakkinda geliyor…
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Kuba’nin en populer ve en cok bilinen tarafi purolari.... Bence bunun sebebi puronun dis dunyada Kuba’ya dokunmanin en kolay sekli olmasi. Dusunsenize, aramizdan ne kadar azimiz gidip Kuba’yi  gorebiliyor, yasayabiliyor. Gidenlerden ise hicbiri orada gordugu guzellikleri, dinledigi muzigi, yasadigi keyifli anilari yaninda ulkeden disari cikaramiyor. Oradaki guzellikleri ne kadar anlatsaniz olmuyor! Kuba’nin sizde biraktigi o keyifli tat, sizi birakmiyor. Iste bu sebeple biz Kuba hayranlari icin orayi paylasmanin en kolay yolu purolar..

Kuba purolari, dunyanin en iyileri olarak biliniyor. Bence de dogru, cunku tutun uretimi, puro uretimi Kuba halkinin onemli bir gelir kaynagini olusturuyor. Sadece gelir degil, hayattan alinan keyfin de bir parcasi. Sokakta her yerde agzinda kocaman bir puro tutturen bir Kubali gormeniz mumkun. Sigara tuketimi neredeyse yok denecek kadar az. Eh, hak da vermiyor degilim, guzelim purolar dururken kim sigara icer?!

Tutun uretimi Kuba adasinin dort bir kosesine yayilmis. Ulke bildiginiz uzere dogu-bati ekseninde uzunlamasina bir ada. Tutun kalitesi, adanin batisina dogru gittikce artiyor. Ulke tutunlerinin en kalitelisi en batida uretiliyor, bu bolge ayni zamanda uretimin %60’iyla hacmen de lokomotif konumunda.

El sarmasi purolar, farkli islevleri olan dort ayri tutun yapragindan sariliyor. Her yaprak, bir butun olarak kullaniliyor, yani hic parcalanmis veya toz haline gelmis tutun kullanilmiyor. Buyuklugu ne olursa olsun her puronun icinde 3 adet yaprak var. Yapraklardan ilki sert dokusuyla puroya seklini ve dik durusunu veriyor. Ikinci yaprak, puronun aromasi ve tadini veriyor. Son yaprak ise puronun iyi yanmasini sagliyor. Bu uc yaprak el yordamiyla bir araya getirildikten sonra plastik kaliplarin icine yerlestiriliyor, ve prese sokuluyor. BIr sure bu sekilde bekletilip seklini aldiktan sonra puronun boyuna gore uclari kesiliyor, ve dorduncu yaprak ile sarilip yapistiriliyor. Yapistirma isleminde de kesinlikle herhangi bir yapay kimyasal madde kullanilmiyor. Dogal bir recine ve biraz da dogal tukuruk ile islem tamamlaniyor. :)

Sarilan purolar, once uretim hattinin sonundaki bir kisi tarafindan yanma testine sokuluyor, ve sonra kalite kontrol icin farkli bir istasyona yonlendiriliyor. Bu son noktada ise puronun rengi, dokusu, uzunlugu, kalinligi, sarma sekli yani herseyi tekrar kontrol edildikten sonra kutulanmaya hazir hale geliyor. Herhangi bir kalite kontrolunde puro bu kalite kriterlerine uymazsa, ya tekrar sarilmak uzere uretime geri sokuluyor, ya da bu mumkun degilse puro imha edilerek cigarillo veya diger tutun urunlerinin imalati icin hammadde olarak kullailiyor.

Puro fabrikalari hakkinda da biraz bilgi vermek gerekiyor, cunku buralarda cok ilginc uygulamalar soz konusu. Oncelikle belirtmeliyim ki fabrikalarda fotograf cekmek kesinlikle yasak, o yuzden malesef sizlere bu ilginc yeri tasvir etmekle yetinmek durumundayim. Fabrikalar genellikle uc-dort kattan olusuyor. Isciler, kucucuk masalarinda ve inanilmaz sicak ve nemli bir ortamda calisiyor. Puro sarma isi de tahmin edeceginiz uzere cok tekduze ve tekrar gerektiren bir is. Bu monotonlugun isciler uzerinde yarattigi olumsuzlugu onlemek icin ilginc onemler alinmis. Her katin en on sirasinda yuksek birer masa var. Bu masalarda bir gorevli, iscilere her sabah o gunun gazetelerini mikrofondan okuyup herkesin guncel bilgi edinmesini sagliyor. Ogleden sonra da genellikle roman okuyarak fabrikada calisan iscileri biraz olsun disaridaki hayata bagliyorlar. Her iscinin calisma gununde doldurmasi gereken belli bir kotasi var, bu kotayi erken bitiren isciler erken paydos yapabiliyor, veya tercih edenler daha uzun calisip fazla mesai ucreti kazaniyorlar. Yine her puro iscisi calistigi her gun icin maasinin yanisira 5 adet de bedava puro alma hakki kazaniyor.

Puro satin almanin Kuba’da birden fazla yolu var, birincisi normal dukkanlardan, ikincisi fabrika satis magazalarindan, ucucusu de karaborsadan. Kuba’da hangi sehre, hangi sokaga girerseniz girin etrafinizda yerliler beliriveriyor ve kisik sesle “amigo, puro, very cheap” seklinde sesleniyorlar. Puro ile ilgileniyorsaniz sizi ya kirik dokuk bir binanin ust katlarina, ya bir ahirin arkasina acilan avluya, ya da evlerinin arka odasina goturuyorlar ve derme catma bir masanin uzerine yayilmis ve akliniza geelecek her tur puroyu sizin seciminize sunuyorlar. Bu purolarin nereden geldigi kesin bilinmiyor, bazilari kacak uretim diyor, bazilari da iscilerin kendilerine aldigi 5’er purodan derlenen paketler oldugunu soyuyor. Ama bir gercek var ki, o da bu purolarin cogunun kalitesinde hicbir problem olmadigi ve orjinal olduklari. Fiyatini sorarsaniz, o sizin pazarlik yeteneginize kalmis. Ama yaklasik bir fiyat vermek gerekirse dunyanin dort bir tarafindaki duty free’lerin neredeyse onda biri fiyatina aliyorsunuz purolari. Isin ilginc tarafi ise karaborsayi engellemek icin ulkede hemen hemen hicbir yaptirim uygulanmiyor, Kuba devleti sadece ulke disina cikarilabilecek puro sayisini kisi basi 60 adet ile sinirlandirmis, yani bir baska deyisle eger bu isi ticarete dokme niyetiniz yoksa purolarinizla sorunsuz evinizin yolunu tutuyorsunuz.

Son olarak da purolarin markalari ve kaliteleri ile ilgili bilgi vermek istiyorum. Puro isimleri, fabrikalarda ogleden sonra okunan roman ve hikayelerden alinmis, Montecristo, Romeo ve Juliette gibi… En kaliteli kabul edilen puro markasi Cohiba. Cohiba ayni zamanda Castro’nun ictigi marka olarak da biliniyor. Ikinci sirada Montecristo var, bu da Che Guevara’nin tercihiymis. Ucuncu sirada Romeo ve Julietta var, ve sonra digerleri…

Bu yazimi, lezzetli Kuba purolarindan birini en kisa zamanda keyifle tutturmeniz dilegiyle sonlandiriyorum.

Sevgiler...

5 Comments

Yalniz ama onurlu: Kuba...

31/10/2013

10 Comments

 
Her seyahat, biterken 'simdiye kadar yaptigim en guzel seyahatti' dedirtir insana, ama Kuba bana 'simdiye kadar yasadigim en farkli deneyim'i yasatti. Seyahate cikmadan once Kubaya giden arkadaslarimin hemen hepsi Kuba hakkinda cok guzel seyler soyledi, bir iki kisi de uzak durulmasi gereken bir yer olarak ifade ettiler (ne kadar da yanilmislar!). Sizlerle, ozellikle de su ana kadar 'dunya uzerindeki baska bir dunyaya' henuz gitme ve gorme sansi olmayanlarla, Kuba hakkindaki izlenimlerimi paylasmak istiyorum.
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Evet, baslikta sectigim kelimeler tesaduf degil, benim acimdan Kuba'nin ozeti: yalniz ama onurlu... 

Kuba'yi Kuba yapan hikayesi, 19. yuzyilin basina kadar uzaniyor. Kuba, emperyalist guce karsi ilk sinavini 1800'lu yillarin basinda Ispanyollara karsi veriyor. Ispanyollar'la savas aralikli olarak yuzyilin sonuna kadar devam ediyor. Bu bagimsizlik savasi tam kazanilmak uzereyken Amerika devreye giriyor ve bugunlerde Ortadogu'da en yakindan gozlemledigimiz bicimde mudahale sonrasi ulkede kaliyor. Demokratiklesme adi altinda yapilan anayasada onemli kazanimlar oluyor, ancak Amerika bir yandan da askeri varliginin devam etmesini bu anayasada garanti altina aliyor. 1902'te cumhuriyet kuruluyor. Bugunun Kubalilar'i bu donemi yeni somurgecilik donemi olarak aniyor. Amerikan etkisi 1902-1959 arasi devam ediyor. Son yedi yilin yonetimi hepimizin kulagina asina olan Batista liderliginde geciyor. 

1953 yilindan itibaren Kuba'nin unlu devrimi Castro liderliginde basliyor. Devrim, her ne kadar Fidel Castro'nun adiyla anilsa da, devrimin fikir ve aksiyon liderligi Fidel, Raul (bugunku liderleri) ve Che Guevara tarafindan yurutuluyor. 1959 yilinda Batista'nin devrilmesiyle devrim hareketi sonuclaniyor. Bu devrim, cogumuzun bildiginin tersine bir sosyalist devrim degil, bir bagimsizlik hareketi olarak yapiliyor. Icinde komunist ogeler barindirmiyor. Sosyalizm Kuba'ya devrim sonrasi donemde Che'nin etkisiyle yayiliyor ve benimseniyor. Ve 60'li yillarda basliktaki ve gunumuze kadar uzanan 'yalnizlik' seruveni basliyor...

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Kuba yalniz...

Amerika, devrim sonrasi Kuba'ya net bir karsi tavir alarak ulkeyi izolasyona terk ediyor. Kuba halki, dunyaca 'ambargo' olarak anilan izolasyona 'abluka' diyor. Sebebi de Amerika tarafindan uygulanan yaptirimlarin sadece Amerika tarafindan Kuba'ya uygulanmasiyla kalmayip Amerika tarafindan dunyadaki tum ulkelere de uygulatilmasindan kaynaklaniyor. Bu ayrimci politikanin Kuba'ya ekonomik olarak 20 yillik bir toplam kayip yarattigi tahmin ediliiyor. 90'li yillara kadar Kuba bir sekilde ayakta kalmayi basariyor, bu donemde de dogu blogunun yakin destegini hissediyor. Amerika tarafidan bloke edilen ticaret kanallari, Sovyet Rusya'si yoluyla asilmaya calisiliyor. Ta ki, orasi da cokene kadar... 90'larda Sovyet cokusuyle beraber enerji krizi cikiyor. Durum o kadar kotu hale geliyor ki, otomobiller akaryakit yoklugunda curumeye terkediliyor, tarimda kendilerine yetemedikleri icin gunluk kisi basina kalori tuketimi 1600'e kadar dusuyor. Yani Kuba dibe vuruyor! 90'larla baslayan ve 2005'e kadar devam eden bu yoksulluk donemine 'special times', yani ozel donem diyorlar.

Ama Kuba onurlu...

Boyle kotu bir durumdan halk olarak kenetlenip ayaga kalkmayi basaran ve kendi kendine yetebilen bir toplum yaratiyorlar, ve sadece 15-20 yil gibi kisa bir surede ve hicbir dis yardim almadan!


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Kuba'nin bugunku nufusu yaklasik 11 milyon. Butun siyasi, ticari, sosyal sistemleri tikir tikir isliyor. Issizlik orani sadece %1,5. Herkesin universite ve is garantisi var. Yasam beklentisi, devrim oncesi 55 yil iken simdi 80 yila cikmis. Halkin %76 sehirlerde yasiyor. Okuma yazma orani %100, hem de 1961'den beri... Saglik, bilim ve sanat alaninda o kadar ileriler ki, 'gelistim' diyen ulkelere parmak isirtiyorlar. BM'nin yayinladigi kaliteli yasam endeksinde Avrupa'yi ve Amerika'yi geride birakmis, Kanada ile yarisiyorlar. Dunyada bilinmeyen ilaclar, uygulanmayan tedavi yontemleri kesfedilmis ve uygulaniyor. Kanser asilari bile var! Tum tuketimlerinin %80'ini kendileri uretiyorlar. Halkin neredeyse tamami organik tarimdan besleniyor. 

Rejim sosyalizm, ama kendine ozgu bir duzen. Mahalle mahalle, bina bina orgutlenmisler (bu mikro orgutlerin ismi CDR), ve tum siyasi temsilcilerini halkin icinden seciyorlar. Nufusun %20-25'i genclik kollari veya Komunist Parti uyesi. Ama isminin aksine Komunist Parti, ulke yonetiminde aktif rol alamiyor, sadece rejimin devamini saglamaktan sorumlu. Secimlere katilim orani %96, komunist bir ulke icin varsayildigi uzere bir katilim zorunlulugu da yok. Raul'a guven ise cok yuksek. 

Internet neredeyse hic yok, sebebi de Amerikan internet altyapisini kullanmak istememeleri, tabii biraz bilgi kirliliginden de korkuyorlar. Ama yayiliyor, belediyelerde gencler icin bilisim merkezleri var, arastirma merkezlerini ve egitim kurumlarini onceliklendiriyorlar. Bireysel kullanim neredeyse hic yok...

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Kuba dunyada Havana Club isimli Rom ve Cohiba, Montechristo gibi markalar altinda yaptiklari mukemmel purolariyla aniliyor. Purolarla ilgili ayri bir yazi gelecek, biraz daha sabredeceksiniz, kusura bakmayin... :)
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Kuba demek muzik demek! Ben hayatimda boyle birsey gormedim! Bogazimizdan eslik eden bir canli muzik olmadan bir lokma gecmedi.. Hem de oyle uyduruktan canli muzik degil, en kralindan... Sanat adamlarin ruhuna islemis resmen. Olayi turistik ticarete de dokmuyorlar. Gelip bahsis isteyen yok, once calisyorlar, sonra gelip CD'lerini isteyip istemediginizi soruyorlar. Bir de yan resimde oldugu gibi kendi icin calanlar var, hem de her yerde..

Yemek kulturleri hic gelismemis, resmen karinlari doysun diye yemek yiyorlar. Domatesli pilav, yaninda sansliysaniz tavsan eti ve sebze, muhtemelen de sadece tavuk yersiniz. 

Nedenini sordugumuzda cok mantikli bir sebebi oldugunu da anliyorsunuz, herseyden once tuketim kulturu olmadigi icin asiri lukse hic kacmiyorlar. Ikincisi de evlerde ve kapali mekanlarda hic vakit gecirmiyorlar. Sistem sosyallesmek ve paylasmak uzerine kurulmus. Gecenin bir yarisinda sokaklarda yuzlerce, binlerce insan takiliyor, sohbet, muhabbet, muzik... 

Ada ulkesi olmasina ragmen balikcilik da hic gelismemis. Sadece nehir agizlarinda tatli su balikciligi yapiyorlar. Deniz balikciligi yapamamalarinin iki sebebi var, biri denizlerinin cok sig olmasi ve iyice acilmadan kaliteli balik bulamamalari, ikincisi de tahmin ettiginiz uzere ulkede oralara cikacak para ve yatirimin olmamasi ve Amerika, Meksika gibi teknolojik ulkelerle basa cikamamalari..

Dayanamayip araba resimlerini yazinin en basina koydum.. Ulkede resmen 60'li yillarda yasar gibisiniz, etrafta eski Amerikan arabalari hakim, bazilari bakimli, bazilari yorgun. Bir de sonraki donemde (malesef) gelen cirkin dogu blogu arabalari var. Ama eski Amerikanlar'in guzelleri oyle guzel ki otekileri gormezden geliyorsunuz.

Binalar yorgun, yipranmis. Renove edecek veya bakim yapacak yeterli kaynak yok ulkede. Ama herseye ragmen guzeller. Sehirlerin ana meydanlarindan baslamislar renovasyon calismalarina ama yine parasizliktan yavas gidiyor.
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Kuba, tum tarihi dokusunun yanisira Karaib denizin doga harikasi bir adasi. Dolayisiyla inanilmaz guzel ve bakir kalmis plajlari var. Deniz sicakligi 25-26 derece, bembeyaz ince bir kum, piril piril bir deniz. Ulkenin kuzeye bakan kiyilari daha guzel, her butceye ve zevke gore deniz tatili yapmak mumkun. 

Ozet olarak, ne ararasaniz arayin Kuba'da var. Keyif var, muzik var, sanat var, doga var, insan var, gunduz var, gece var, ama herseyden onemlisi bizim ogrendigimiz ve bildigimizden farkli bir mutluluk var. 

Artik hep ayni ve siradan yerlere gitmekten sikildiysaniz Kuba size her konuda baska birsey sunuyor. 

Yazimi, beraber seyahat ettigim bir arkadasimin kendi acisindan Kuba'yi ozetledigi ve benim de cok hosuma giden cumlesiyle bitiriyorum. Sormadan ismini paylasmiyorum, belki yazimi okuyunca kendisini desifre eder :)

"Kuba farkli birseylerin mumkun olabilecegini kanitliyor."

Sevgilerimle...


10 Comments

Keyifli saglik da oluyormus..

3/10/2013

0 Comments

 
Evet, bu yazimda klasik seyahat notlarima ara verip, hatta guzel yemeklerden bahsedecegimi dusunen takipcilerimi de ters koseye yatirip, bir saglikli yasam programina yer verecegim. 

Bundan tam bir ay once, serbest yukselise gecen kilolara bir dur demenin zamani geldi dedim, ve acaba hangi diyeti yapsam, diyetisyene mi gitsem, o nasil kilo vermis, bu nasil verememis diye bakarken anladim ki oyle disaridan gazel okuyarak yaptirilan diyetlerden bir hayir gelmiyor. Ya birkac bin lira odeyip kontrole gidince adamin suratina nasil bakacagim diye kotu hissederek hayat zehir oluyor, ya da kulaktan dolma, kitaptan okuma diyetlerle kilo vereyim derken sagliginiz bozuluyor.

Ve kendi sentezimi yaratmaya karar verdim. Tabii bir isim vermeden de diyet programi olmaz, ben de diyetimin adini soyle koydum: "Alkollu Sifir Karbonhidrat Diyeti" 

Aslinda arkadas arasinda konusurken piyasada cok populer olan bir diyetisyenin adiyla zenginlestiriyorum, ama internet ortaminda kimseye ayip etmeyelim :)

Evet, adindan da anlasilacagi gibi basit bir diyet; tum karbonhidratlar, yani hamur isleri, sekerli mamuller, tatlilar, hatta ekmek bile yasak. Ama bu diyetin guzel yani, diyet yaparken sosyal ortamlarindan, ozellikle de raki masalarindan, sarap tadimlarindan uzak kalmak istemeyenlere hitap ediyor, cunku alkollu ickiler serbest! Tabii alkolik tadinda icenlerden bahsetmiyoruz, sosyal iciciler icin diyorum.. Diyetin bir diger guzel yani da yediklerinize hicbir sinir koymuyorsunuz, yani "uc kibrit kutusu" peynir, "bir corba kasigi" zeytinyagi benzeri olculu takipler yok; ara ogun, ana ogun gibi teknik muhabbetler de hos karsilanmiyor bizde.

Yani isin felsefesi basit; keyif serbest, yeter ki seker ve hamuru kes!

Ben ne doktorum, ne de diyetisyen; aslini sorarsaniz beni taniyanlar yediklerimle beni tasvir etseler herhalde "tatli canavari" derler. Dolayisiyla bir cogunuz bu yaziyi okurken benim bu yukaridaki programi uyguladigima da inanmakta zorlaniyorsunuzdur, ama yaptim, oluyormus. Bir hafta kadar tatliyi ve hamuru kesince artik aramiyormussun, hatta dakikada bir acikmalar, bir turlu doymamalar da kesiliyormus. 

Diyeceksiniz ki, anlatip duruyorsun da sonuc ne? Soyleyeyim: bir ayda verilen 5 kilo, gozle gorulur anlamda yokolan bir gobek ve kendini iyi hissetmek. 

Uydurdugum bu diyet programinin "kilo koruma" doneminin nasil olacagini henuz bilemiyorum, ama icimden bir ses koruma donemine ihtiyac olmadan, arada bir "yakalayinca, tatlinin hamurisinin en kralini bulunca, cok da dert etme, gotur" yaklasiminin keyifli ama saglikli olmaya devam etmek icin yeterli olacagini soyluyor. Bakalim, gorecegiz.. 

Haa unutmadan, adi uzerinde keyifli saglik; bu program suresince spor yapmak da asla bir zorunluluk degil, tamamen opsiyonel....

Herkese saglik ve keyif dolu, kaliteli bir yasam dilegiyle...
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