There are many cities, that I not just want to visit again, but I am already excited for a future hypothetical revisiting. But there are also cities, that I would probably not «waste» a travel to see them again. There are many many cities and not much time to visit them all, so these are the ones, I would (probably) not go again to.
Barasana Monesteries in Maramureș County
Bucharest To start off on a positive note, Romania is beautiful. The city of Cluj-Napoca and the county of Maramureș with its picturesque monasteries made a great impression on me, when I visited them, but the country’s capital did not. From my point of view, it was not very beautiful and a little bit chaotic. It had a «used-to-be-communist» feeling and not many beautiful buildings or spaces of green. The only reason I would think about visiting again, was because I was quite young, when I first visited, so maybe I would have a different perspective now, but for the most part, if you plan to visit Romania, another place would be better, in my opinion.
The Blue Church in Bratislava
Bratislava It’s not a bad city for one visit, that is certain. It has the beauty of Central Europe, with its castle and interesting architecture and it also has modern buildings, like the UFO tower. The reason why I wouldn’t be revisiting, is that it is quite a small city, and with not much to set it apart from other Central European cities. So if you go there once you will probably see most, if not all, the things you are planning to and another visit would not be worth it.
K21 Ständehaus
Düsseldorf A city in Germany, I ended up at for a day, waiting for a flight. It is not a very pretty city, but it has its nice spots, like near the river and in some green parks, but it doesn’t have that many things to do, so you will be seeing most things you want the first time, no need for repeats.
A Graffiti in Kaunas
Kaunas The second biggest city in Lithuania. I enjoyed my time there, as it is a small beautiful city, with its riverside, castle, churches and even some weird museums, like the Devil Museum. But is it worth more than one visit? I would say no, a couple of days will probably be enough for most to do all of the exploring.
The National Library of Latvia
Riga The capital of Latvia and probably the one I will be quite negative about. It has its charm,mostly within the old town and the House of the Black Heads, where I was spending most of my time. When I was leaving that spot, the city had a completely different feeling, it was rather sad, with «communist» style buildings, in dark soulless colors, it was not a pretty sight. There were still nice spots, baroque houses and a pretty interesting library, but it is, in whole, a city I won’t be going back soon.
Details of a Hindu Temple at Batu Caves
Kuala Lumpur I have a whole article on that city on this website if you want more details, but, briefly, except for the Petronas Twin Towers and the area around them and the Batu Caves which were a little outside of the city (maybe some others buildings here and there as well), there is really not much to do, for more than two or three days. My advice, just use it as a hub, walk around for two days and then continue to your next destination.
Wat Arun Temple
Bangkok Amazing Buddhist temples, the most beautiful ones I have ever seen, but apart from that, you will be greeted, with mostly western, tourists letting loose and many, many tourists traps, as well as, for me, feeling the most unsafe I have ever felt in a city (although not a lot in general). But if that sounds like something you would enjoy then go ahead, but I think if I would ever visit Thailand again, it would not be for Bangkok (again there is a whole article if you want more details).
Gardens by the Bay
(Singapore) That is not a straightforward «not traveling again» city (/country for this one), hence the parenthesis. Singapore is one of the most extraordinary and futuristic places I have ever been to and I am excited to go again, but it is small. Changi airport is a big hub, so if you pass often just stay a day in Singapore and walk around, next time do the same and every time I am sure something new will come up. Singapore might not be for a full time visit, but for many small ones, it is perfect.
Closing off this list, I want to say that this is my opinion and my preferences, which cities are going to be your favorite, really depends on personal taste. I have even changed my opinion on Athens, a city that I really disliked the first time, after visiting again, so nothing stops me changing it for these places, too. I made this list as some short of opinion guide that might help someone looking into which cities to visit. Finally, a city is not a whole country (I guess except for when it is, eg. Singapore). Like I said in the begging I might not have liked Bucharest, but I did like Cluj-Napoca, so every country has more and less interesting parts to show. So, travel safely!
The first thing I noticed when entering into a hospital in Indonesia, was the smell. It was a familiar smell, the same exact smell in fact I had sniffed in many Greek hospitals. It is that disinfected smell, that leaves the room empty and cold. Combined with the white soulless walls, it was just like any other hospital, unfriendly and giving you a sudden need to go away, rather than go inside.
We were there to see my host’s family older member, their grandma (or mum, I guess). I had a cold the previous day (it was in December so before the pandemic), so I had told them many times that it would be better if I didn’t come with them, but they kept insisting and if I had too, I would have been rather rude. Grandma was rushed to the hospital a couple days ago and was diagnosed with a heart condition. She was in the ICU the previous days but was recently moved to her own room, where she could have visitors.
Entering the room what would you have expected? I guess a clean room, grandma in the bed and maybe another relative by her side. Well, what I saw, was around six relatives laying in their makeshift beds, having a fruit feast. It was less like being in a hospital room and more like being in a open picnic. Relatives were coming and going as they pleased with more and more entering the room with the occasional nurse and doctor here and there, which didn’t seem to have any objection to the encounters going on inside. At some point we were barely fitting in the room, while most of us were sitting on the floor.
Eating Crab at a Hospital Floor
The feast was also continuing and escalating quickly. After the fruits, we had some cake and then they brought the crab. Actually, they brought many crabs, which they proceed to pull of the meat from and eat. I tried some too and I would never expect that my first time trying crab would have been in a hospital room floor. Of course they continued eating after that, as people were coming and going all the time, so different appetites were also entering and leaving. Next up was noodles. Together with the feast we also had entertainment, which was mostly in the form of talking and video calls. At the room you could hear at least three conversations going on simultaneously, together with more than one video call with relatives that couldn’t be there. At the time we left, there were so many shoes by the door (cause we were removing them, before entering) that I could comfortably open a shoe shop.
That surreal hospital visit will definitely be something I will not forget and maybe it has given me a new perspective on hospital etiquette, but probably not.
Note: The aforementioned funeral was previously discussed, so it is not included in this article. Okay, let’s start!
After a little more than a month in Indonesia, I apparently knew people well enough to be invited to a wedding. It was not the ones getting married that I knew, though, but a relative of theirs. From what I gathered in Indonesia weddings are more open and it is much easier to go even if you know barely anyone participating, which was confirmed later as well, when I went to another one just like that. We started our trip midday after our class. I had prepare a small bag with the things I though I would need and hopped into my friends car. The wedding was happening in another city and would last for around 3 days, with a different part of the ritual happening each day. The three hour ride was short of torturous. The street were as if we were constantly riding a roller coaster with some many sheer ups and downs and oh, we had casualties. Many succumbed to their nauseousness and the rest is better not described in much detail.
Second Day Gifts
When we arrived we were dirty, tired, hungry and probably smelly, but definitely not appropriately dressed, but alas the first part of the wedding had already started so instead of going to the home we would be staying at, we went to the bride’s home. Inside it was hot, very very hot, we were even sweatier the minute we entered. I don’t know how the bride hadn’t melted away with her heavy clothing, but she was looking impeccable. Except for the temperature and our overall decay, our banter comparing wedding rituals from our country and the graciousness of the hosts offering us food was in general fun and interesting.
The second day venue (it was groom’s home)
The house we went to sleep at was big and mostly empty with many carpets, like most houses there. We were all desperate for a bath, but unfortunately the bathroom was a little bit more than a whole in the wall, so that would have been difficult. Fortunately I got to sleep in the women’s bedroom, which was the only one with a AC, although I actually got cold midway through the night. Everyone was up very very early, but of course as I was not used to that and since I realized everyone was up hours ago and I was still sleeping, I though I overslept, looking at the phone I saw it was actually only 7 in the morning. I ended up walking up around 8 or 9, so of course I was tired and I was looking for every opportunity and floor to sleep on. The rest of the wedding doesn’t have much to discuss upon. We were going from the groom’s home to the bride’s home or vice versa, there was some kind of ritual and then we were eating. After we were done eating, as in every wedding ever, I was bored out of my mind and I was spending all of my GB (since there was no Wi-Fi) trying not to die from boredom, or at least not to fall asleep in my chair. So the rest of the wedding was not much of significance.
Second Day with the Bride and Groom on Display
What was, however, was the second house we moved to. In the evening of the second day, they decided that it would be a better idea to move to another house, to some of their relatives, which home was right next to the bride’s. Of course the hosts were very kind, welcoming and nice, but unfortunately what I had seen in the house, cannot be left unsaid. There was not a lot of space inside so we were all ended up barely fitting in a carpet in the living room with a fan to sleep. That was not so bad however, the bathroom was the story I am still haunted by. It would be difficult to properly convey the situation properly but try to imagine this: the house was elevated by wooden pillars, so anyone could pass underneath, but in the bathroom the wooden planks were not placed close to each other, giving you a perfect view of the grass underneath and anyone underneath, a perfect view of you. The wooden walls were only reaching half way through, again leaving you exposed and there was no door separating the bathroom from the kitchen, again erasing any hope for privacy. The toilet was a classic squatting one, very common for there, but without any water nearby to help flash or clean, you had to take that form the «shower» part. The shower part was more deep inside giving you some privacy, but it was dark with little light. It was just a cement room, with a something like a big bathtub used to collect water. The tap was easily detachable, as both me and my roommate detached it, panicking as the water was coming in with force, thankfully it was fixed. Because of all that the bathroom was always wet allover. And yes I am privileged enough to not be used to that and I know that this is an every day reality for people living there but all the others guests were also visiting the bathroom as little as possible.
So, what is the moral of the story? I would say wedding all over are just boring and the only thing worth it is the food. Yeah, that’s what I got from this experience.
Around two at night, when I was watching another YouTube video during Quarantine, waiting for yet another day to pass, I heard a knock on my bedroom door. I got up slowly, I was not really into moving these days, and opened it. Outside was my roommate. His expression was pretty grim and he seemed concerned. I was sure something happened «Grandma died» He told me. Not mine or his, but a grandma we were living with. It was not exactly sudden. She had been sick for quite some time now and the last few days she couldn’t eat or drink, but for some reason I still hoped she would make it for a little longer. I guess after a point there is not return in things like that. I stood looking at him for a while. I didn’t know what was the appropriate way to react. We both went in the living room across her room. I said to myself that in there, where once there was a living person now it is the opposite. I tried to make myself realize what was happening.
The house quickly go in motion. It was a day after Eid al-Fitr and many relatives were already staying there. Some were crying, some, half- asleep, were still trying to understand what happened, others were moving furniture around, preparing the home for the funeral. We both tried to make ourselves available for anyone needing help or a shoulder to cry one. The first seemed to be more needed. People might have been in need for the latter too, but there was no time for mourning. The house was ready in a few hours. All furniture had been pushed to the side with carpets placed where they previously were, for the guests to sit and pray. In the middle of the room a bed was placed, were grandma’s body would lay, looking towards, what I would assume was Mecca.
I have never been to an Islamic funeral, well in fact I hadn’t been to a funeral at all, but I had read about it and it was as I had read. Relatives, friends and neighbors soon arrived, not too concerned with the raging pandemic. They were all siting down around the bed, were grandma’s body was placed, after being washed by her female relatives. They all took one of the Quran books and were praying. I and my roommate were sitting on the side, trying not to pass out there from the lack of sleep, while eating a little bit of everything the relatives had brought.
After a second washing and more praying, it was around eleven in the morning and time for the burial. I was moved there by a car driven by some random relatives I didn’t know or had seen before, but were nice enough to offer me a ride. The burial grounds, were smaller and more humble than what I am used to. Her male children did most of the burying job and there was no coffin evolved. In fact most of the funeral was organized by the family. An outside party was only needed to carry her there and prepare the grounds. She was wrapped in a white sheet, previously picked by her and given to her daughter and she was placed like that in her resting home on her side with her forehead looking at Mecca.
After coming back and before hearing an very loud and unapologetic fart from her eldest son, we had dinner and soon after I collapsed into my bed. The story however doesn’t end there, as for the following four days, the house we were leaving was looking more like a hostel, with around forty relatives living there. Truth is, we both had hard time to adapt to the chaos. In the kitchen there was constant cooking and the bathroom was almost always occupied and definitely always dirty. We had to go shopping often just to get away for a few minutes since during quarantine we didn’t have many options, but at least they seemed to enjoy it.
In the mornings there were huge pots constantly cooking food. Lunch and dinner were the same. There was always someone in the kitchen cooking without stopping and without getting tired. Every afternoon they were all getting together to pray for grandma. We were yet again on the side creepily observing, as we had nothing else to do. Then they would all sleep together on the floor and for a few hours the house was at last silent. In the last day, we prepared some boxed with food for the local Islamic school. In exchange for food they would pray for grandma’s soul. And after then the relative’s left and for the first time we truly show the empty room she had left behind.
Since last week, we had a guide about Indonesians in Greece, this week it seems only fitting to do the opposite. So, here is a guide about Greeks wanting to visit Indonesia (again, among others, not just for Greeks, but you know it is for the gimmick of the thing).
Flying over Yogyakarta
I know that probably the first thing that comes to mind when you are thinking about going to Indonesia is Bali (if you are aware that Bali is in Indonesia, that is). I have written a whole article about my experience in Bali and truth is, it is not bad at all. The problem is that Bali is not really Indonesia. Indonesians seem to be the minority there and it is packed with tourists. Now, is that bad? Not necessarily, I liked the international atmosphere and the fact that I could find restaurants serving food from all different cuisines there, the traffic not so much, but the point is, that Indonesia is more than Bali. Yeah, I know that most influences might have convinced you otherwise, but it really is.
Beras Basah Island, Bontang, Borneo
Which gets me to my next point. What should you visit if not Bali. Lombok might be a good choice, it is said to be very similar to Bali, just with less tourists. Komodo island is also close with the Komodo dragon shelter there. Yogyakarta is great for those looking for more of the culture of Indonesia. Batik, festivals and palaces can be found there. For the city dwellers, the preferred city seems to be Bandung, which is actually cooler than the rest of Indonesia, so bonus points. Of course I will have to mention Borneo, cause I have the most experience there. In Borneo, Berau is the one to visit, with scenic views and great diving spots. Finally the Indonesian Papua and the islands nearby are very beautiful, but probably should be avoided at this point due to the active militias. Generally this options are not the most unknown, but they all have easy access and something unique to offer.
Near Balikpapan
But what to do there? For me three activities cannot be missed while in Indonesia. The first is Hiking or even mountain climbing. A lot of mountains in Java, in particular, are quite popular and easy to ascend and descend, with even organized tours. The views are great and the nature even better. Next is snorkeling, as I said in my Indonesians to Greece bit, sea life in these countries is pretty different. In the tropical waters of Indonesia, you will find many fish and vegetation, that are, well, tropical. You can even see a Dory fish there (Blue Tang). Finally surfing. Surfing in Greece is difficult except for certain places. The waves are low, surfing boards are hard to find and generally we are not known for surfing. In Indonesia surfing beaches are easy to find without even looking, and especially if you are in a place known for that, equipment and lessons will be easy to get as well.
A Buddhist Temple in Balikpapan
Lanterns in Thien Le Kong, Samarinda
Okay, so we are done with where to go and what to do, but a question still remains, when to go? I think Winter and especially Christmas is the better season for going. Swimming in December is not just an Empire of the Sun song lyric. It is pretty surreal to leave your cold home to go swimming during Christmas in an island far away. Usually this period is the rainy season too. A lot of people might defer from traveling then and although there are some serious (albeit not very common) risks with traveling at that time, like floods, when it rains the temperature drops a couple of degrees, which can be very very welcome.
A cliff in Samarinda
One thing left to discuss then, what to eat? Depending on the dominant religion of the island you go, the main ingredients might differ. There is always the classic Nasi Goreng, but Nasi Campur (Campur means mixed) and Nasi Mawut (with Noodles) are also good (if not better) to try. Except for that anything with banana is great, especially pisang goreng dan keju (fried banana with cheese). It might sound weird but it is delicious. I really enjoyed flavored milk, even the weird flavors like cotton candy and of course you are not allowed to leave Indonesia, without tasting some Indomie. What is not very great, in my humble opinion, are tropical fruits. There are the classic bananas, mangos, pineapples, watermelons and melons, but the non classic ones taste pretty bland. Dragon Fruits for example to me taste like watermelons with less taste and all your rambutans and mata kucing have the weirdest texture without much flavor. And don’t even get me started on Durian and Jackfruit, just don’t!
So there you have it. A guide for Greeks visiting Indonesia, but mainly for anyone visiting.
The Epitome of Greece Pastichio under an Olive Tree
Since I am back in Greece now, I decided to do something a little different from what I usually do, which is mostly whatever I feel like that week, but anyway. So, let’s say you are an Indonesian and you decided to come to Greece. You go online try to find what to do there, so what are you going to read? Well, I am sure a million other articles out there, that are probably written in Indonesian to begin with, but in case you somehow stumbled to this article, I will be suggesting you things to do while in Greece, which are pretty different from what you are used to (perhaps).
*Note that this are not things only for Indonesians, but I decided for once to stay on brand for this blog.
Greek Feta fried with sesame and marmelade
Let’s start from my favourite thing: food. Unfortunately, Halal food might be a little difficult to come upon in Greece, especially if you are not in Athens (although to be honest I have never looked for it myself on purpose, so there might be slightly more options than what I am suggesting). More Halal places are opening lately, but still if you see meat out there, it is probably best to avoid it, if you want to stay Halal (but if you don’t care, go ahead, plenty of great meat options await you). Fortunately for you and your hunger need the Greek cuisine has plenty of vegetarian and even vegan options, and of course so so many delicious sweets. Here are my suggestions:
Sweet Dishes -Galaktoboureko -Saragli -Tsoureki (especially from Terkenlis) -Loukoumades -Portokalopita -Spoon Sweets (Fig is my favourite) -Bougatsa (also has a savory version) -Halva Farsalon
Drinks -Greek Coffee -Frappe -Rakomelo (if you drink alcohol)
And remember everything everything tastes better with some feta cheese
More Loukoumades with Chocolate and Sprinkles this time
Smoothie Bowl with Hazelnut, Blueberries and Figs on the side
With Cherries and Apricots
In the realm of Food, there are also fruits. Our climates are obviously very different so in Greece you can find so many fruits you are not used to. So forget your durians (please forget them), and grab some new ones to try. Olives are technically fruits and you can find some great local ones here, although I don’t really like them. Fruits also depend on the season, spring and summer (March to August) are the most fruitful seasons (pun intended). There are many local markets where you can find cheap fresh fruits. My personal favourites are peaches, apricots, cherries, figs and strawberries, but go ahead and experiment. Some more unique greek fruits are Quince, Nectarines and the aforementioned Figs. And yes feta fits even here!
Vathres Fonia Samothraki
Although as said Summer has the fruits, you have plenty of summer in Indonesia, so I think that Winter or Autumn would be a better experience. Winters in Greece are relatively mild when compared to the rest of Europe, so you will probably not freeze to death (probably). You will get to experience the quietus of life during Autumn, when trees shed their leafs and turn from bright green colors to mellow yellows and oranges. You will see the first chills, when people are not quite sure what to wear, so some are still hanging on to their T-shirts while others have already worn their winter jackets. In Winter except for the sparkle of Christmas, you might even see snow if you are lucky enough or if you for high enough (snowfall in most greek cities is not very common and doesn’t last long). If you are determined to go during summer, beaches are the way to go, just swim away and keep on swimming. Oh! And snorkel, fishes and sea vegetation is very very different.
Milia Beach Skopelos
If you do go during Summer, it would be better not to go to Santorini. Don’t get me wrong, it is a beautiful and interesting island, but it is literally the first picture everyone saw me when I said I am from Greece. They saw me a picture with the famous blue and white houses overlooking the seas and said «Do you know where that is? I want to go there!». The things is everyone does, so for all summer (well maybe not this year), it is packed with tourists and prices are through the roof. You can get picturesque views, great sea and cute houses in many other greek islands too with the added benefit that you won’t have to be pushed and turned in your try to take a picture. My suggestions are: Ikaria, Milos, Thassos (although I am from there, so I am pretty biased), Samothraki, Skopelos and Amorgos. If you are looking for a city escape, you probably already know Athens, but Thessaloniki is also an interesting visit (and a better one). There is also the city of Corinth, not of great significance in modern Greece, but with great past when it comes to Ancient and early Christian times.
Marble Beach, Thassos
Another island that you can visit, but you should visit it during a specific time is Corfu and that time is Easter. I know that Easter is a religious celebration but it encloses many traditions and folk elements of the greek culture that I think would be very interesting to experience regardless of religion. Corfu is the most popular place for celebrating Easter with unique events and celebrations, but it is naturally more crowded. Honestly you can experience it anywhere, but the rural-er the better. Easter is a moving celebration usually somewhere in April. Weather varies. If you don’t want to get involved with Easter then find yourself a small greek tavern with greek music and sit there for some food, some meze or just a drink and you will get a small taste of greek tradition. You probably don’t want me to tell you, but avoid the ones that seem touristy and choose one that locals go to, you might not find great english, but you will find a better atmosphere and better food. And please don’t go anywhere where you hear «Opa» around a million times per second.
An Old Photo of Meteora (with possible a finger on the left edge)
Lastly, again different climate, different green stuff, so why not explore them yeyyy! But seriously, the second thing that people in Indonesia told me about Greece, after Santorini, was about the Greek Gods, the ancient ones that is. So why not climb their home, Mount Olympus, the tallest one in Greece. A basic hiking up the mountain is doable for even the more inexperienced person and you will find greenery, small churches, small water lakes with waterfalls where you can swim (although it is cold, -Jack I will never let go cold-), along the way. Another unique destination of the greek countryside is Meteora, which are becoming more and more popular lately (very Instagram friendly). Meteora is series of tall cliffs, with monasteries build on top, a picture will convince you.
Waterfalls at Theologos, Thassos
So, that’s a taste of what you can visit in Greece, hopefully you got interested enough to actually come, but on the other hand I doubt this article would be the spark to make you come. But whatever it is, well, come!
If you live in Greece or Turkey, then this piece of news is sure to not have escaped your radar. If you are from another place of the world however and not particularly interested in things like that, then you might not have heard the recent news that the Hagia Sophia museum in Istanbul, who was Constantinople is set to be turned into a mosque. After the decision was green-lighted by Turkey, overturning a 1934 law (that was found to be unconstitutional suddenly), I went on to watch some YouTube videos on the subject. I stabled upon this one by Al Jazeera English titled “Hagia Sophia: A matter of sovereignty or political narrow-mindedness?” and although I almost never right or much talk about politics because I find it repetitive, boring and just sugar-coated non-sense, the amount of non-arguments that sounded clever but the speakers in this interview, prompted me to right this article, taking their arguments one by one and dissecting them in this blog of mine, which is becoming more and more an amalgamation of randomness.
By first a bit of history. Some may wonder what the problem of a museum in the sovereignty of Turkey is, a predominantly muslim country, returning to a mosque is. Well, the problem is, it wasn’t always a mosque. It was built in 537 AD as a church and not just a church. It was the Cathedral and the most important church and seat of the Patriarch of Christianity (and after the split of Orthodox Christianity) during the reign of the Byzantine (or as it was known to them Roman) Empire. It still is the most important and significant church for Orthodox Christians to this day, with plenty of religious and historical significance. However, after the fall of the Constantinople in 1453 it was converted into a mosque, turning into a museum as mentioned in 1934. So, after this very brief historical trip let’s get into the dissection. Of course, you are advised to watch the interview yourself first to make sure that the arguments are not misrepresented. I will try to answer to all their arguments, but some will be condensed so that this article will not be 10.000 words.
It’s all Hagia Sophia basically
The first speaker is Ibrahim Kalin, a spokesperson of the turkish President Erdogan. His initial argument is that Hagia Sophia was a Mosque for 500 years. That’s it, that’s the whole argument. He sprinkles it with some more words, by the basis is that. The problem with this argument is that it is not an argument, it is a fact. And you know what another fact is? That it was a church for 900 years, so it has been a church longer, so why don’t they turn it to a church then based on that logic? There are churches in Turkey. Of course, it is an important landmark and they wouldn’t do something like that as the majority of the Turkish population is muslim. But he didn’t argue that, he argued that it should be a mosque because it was a mosque for many years. I hope I don’t really need to even say that, because something was, it doesn’t mean it should be. Women couldn’t vote for many years, but no one in their right mind can argue that we shouldn’t revoke their vote know because it was like that in the past. Before you accuse me however of strawmaning the argument, let me say that for this case the use of landmarks should reflect the state of the country now, not how it used to be. The museum of Hagia Sophia was representing a secular Turkey, with respect to religion and culture of others. What does a mosque will?
So, second argument has to do with whether this is just a façade to boost the ego of Turkey and give them somethings else to occupy themselves with while the Turkish economy is crumbling and is during a pandemic that hit them particularly hard. His answer to that is, there are no economic problems and we handled the pandemic perfectly. Oh, and I quick mention to his ad hominem in the beginning, when he insults the interviewed by telling him “I don’t know where you get your facts from” with clear implications about his journalistic integrity. Honestly, I could make that up even if I tried. His answer to facts is to just deny them, with no arguments, no sincerity, just a “wtf are you talking about, we are doing great”. Well, no, Turkey is not doing great. Their economy is grumbling more and more and because I am not an expert in economics, here are some articles from experts who talk about it:
As for COVID-19 did they handle it great? Well, no obviously. Turkey is on the 15th place of countries affected by the pandemic, with 221,500 cases as of 22/07 and 2,625 per 1M of population, which is less than Italy but more than Pakistan or India that are higher in numbers. Turkish citizens are still not allowed to visit EU countries for traveling and the land borders with Greece are only open for essential trips. In all fairness they are not in the worst position, but to claim that the handled I perfectly is a stretch at least. The reason why I mentioned Italy specifically, is because this speaker’s favourite logical fallacy is Tu quoque or appeal to hypocrisy, which is basically pointing your finger to the other speaker and saying, yeah but look at what you did. This speaker instead of actually presenting an argument just says that, we did good, we did better than European countries or the US or some countries in Latin America, like Spain or Italy, without mentioning European countries that did much better like Greece, or even Germany and Poland. This argument is pretty easy to bounce, with a simple idea, just because you did better, it doesn’t mean you did well, and it doesn’t prove anything about the way you handled things.
Then he mentions the political and public support that this move is having and that very few people are against it. Turkey under the latest leadership of Erdogan has seen many human rights violations and many journalists that are not allowed to freely express their opinions without consequences, as you can read in this article, among many others https://www.dw.com/en/freedom-of-speech-stands-trial-in-turkey/a-52420654 . So at least to me, this overwhelming support seems more like a muzzle, rather than genuine support. But that cannot be proven and, in any case,, yes the building is under turkish sovereignty but it is a monument considered a world heritage with ties to other religions and cultures, so should political support from the inside be the only things that matters?
He later mentions that the arguments made by the ones opposing this move are two. The first is that they are afraid that after that not everyone will be able to visit the building as a mosque, which he argues is not true. However, I have my reservation for that. Of course, we will know for sure as soon as it opens, but right across the street we have the Blue Mosque and indeed everyone is allowed to visit, but women have to wear hijabs. If I woman chooses to do that could for her, but why should I be forced to in order to see a very important building that is also part of my heritage? Also, again with reservation I would assume that not everyone will be able to enter and roam freely during prayer, with some like the Friday second prayer being quite lengthy, so again not total freedom. Furthermore, more down in their conversation another speaker mentions how they are afraid that the christian symbols in the church will be hidden, which will change this world heritage and it would be disrespectful. So, will everyone be allowed to enter, and will the building be the same? It remains to be seen, but it is doubtful.
Later, he mentioned that many places serve like both historical and religious sights, like Notre Dame, which is an odd example, considering that now it doesn’t really serve as anything, after the whole fire incident. But again, his arguments are so easy to refute. Notre Dame was always a church, it was built as a church in a christian country, ruled by christians (for the most part) and it always worked as a church, so it is not the same thing. If Hagia Sophia was a mosque to begin with, nobody would care. And yes, many churches in Europe are also open as museums, but usually they sway to one or the other, or they keep a specific place inside for worship and the rest of the place is for tourists, who act like they are inside a museum not a religious place.
He goes on to question why is secular Europe (yeah Europe in particular, not other countries that have raised concern) is asking how a mosque can act as a museum too and that their attitude is questionable. Basically, dog whistling (but just whistling) islamophobia. Not to repeat myself this building has a very complex history and cultural background and by this move put very simply you are disrespecting it, opening by the way the Pandora’s box for other countries, like Israel (which generally has a degree in disrespect). That’s what some countries and not Europe in general is questioning, not whatever he chooses to say.
After that charade is over, he talks about how Turkey has a long tradition of being open to different religions. I am going say, that yes Turkey has been secular and has been accepting, but the problem is not what it was, it is what is seems like it’s becoming, moving further and further from secularism to religious fundamentalism, with many laws changing under Erdogan (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39053064). Also yeah, Turkey has been secular, but let’s not forget the population exchange in 1923, between Turkey and Greece, in which muslims were forces to leave their homes and go to a new country they didn’t know, Turkey, while christians had to do the same and go to Greece, with the main purpose of creating homogeneous countries when it came to religion. Or we can mention the 1955 Pogrom of Istanbul, where the Greek minority of Istanbul was targeted, while their Orthodox churches, cemeteries and homes were destroyed and many were forced to leave. Turkey wanted to be Turkified driven by the new nationalistic ideas burning the Balkans in the 19th and 20th centuries. All countries have passed such phase, so it is not to say that Turkey was over the top nationalistic, but it is to say that the road was not paved with roses as same may want to present.
He later asks what international institutions or conventions are there to decide what they can and cannot do with Hagia Sophia. I don’t know what about UNESCO? Yeah, I know they are useless, but they exist and in any case, all countries have to abide to some international laws, whether they are obligatory or not doesn’t matter. We exist in a globalized world and countries have relations with one another. Yeah, if one wants, they can do whatever they want with their buildings and people and not abide those laws at all. That might get them to hot water, but even if they can avoid open conflict, they will start losing alliances and relationships with other countries that are disrespected. Turkey strategical position, which resulted in countries looking the other way for many issues in the past like the Armenian Genocide for example. But for how long they can do whatever they want without becoming more and more isolated? North Korea does whatever it wants, but it is not exactly the number one tourist destination. Oh, he also makes a Tu quoque again (I told you it is his favourite), mentioning the rise of islamophobia in Europe (yes again just Europe). Is Islamophobia an issue? Yes. Is it any relevant? No. Again just because someone else is doing something bad, doesn’t make your position any better or gives you the right to act in such a way.
We later learn that the major of Istanbul himself is against this decision. Gee and I thought everyone were for it. Yet again, instead of answering he just says, his political party agrees so it is their problem. No argument, no answer as to why such a relevant person would be against such a decision. After that again a speech about how great their economy and handling of the pandemic is, already talked about that and then again about religious minorities.
After this comedy routine, we have another two guests. One is Mustafa Akyol from Washington D.C., I mostly agree with his points, so I am not going to bring up his arguments as there is no point to just mentioned it and just say I agree with it, at least in my mind. If that is hypocritical then so be it. The other gentleman is Mehmet Celik, who is a managing editor in the Daily Sabah, a newspaper in Istanbul.
He starts of with our old Tu quoque. So, his arguments is that in the Balkans and in Spain mosques have been destroyed in the past or converted. They have and that is despicable and disrespectful behavior that should be condemned, but it is also irrelevant. The facet that someone has done something bad, does not give you’re the right to do the same bad thing bad and if you do it makes you the same as them. There is no logic in acting in a way that you, yourself disagree with, when you see it done by others. He also later mentions that Athens does not have any mosque, when asked if Greek displeasure was what this move was trying to provoke, Again, despicable and disrespectful and many want that to change, but also irrelevant and not answering the question.
Later, he argues that this should be only a matter of domestic issue. As mentioned, any country can do whatever they want with their private land, at least to an extent, but they cannot expect international support. If a country acts rogue and disrespects the culture and religion of other countries, then it will slowly face the consequences and even be isolated by the international community. Turkey does not exist in a void, so any decision taken, no matter how much it looks like it is theirs’ to take, will be looked into by others.
In the end after this long-long analysis, that probably no one would read, I have to say, however, believable it may seem, I really don’t care that much about this decision. Yes, it is wrong, and it is disrespectful, but in my opinion, it is made to provoke Greek’s and Christians. It is a power move to show that look what we can do. But after watching that interview, I could resist to reply to the nothing arguments they were making. I don’t know, it was just fun.
As the months passed, it was time for me to leave Indonesia and get back to Greece. To travel you always have to book a ticket first. This normally easy procedure, was filled with a lot of stress and endless nights looking for flights, prices and restrictions on Skyscanner. Booking a ticket from the other half of the world back to mine, was no easy feat with airlines announcing flights and then cancelling them, flight restrictions to countries changing all the time, nobody being able to give a definitive answer to where I can actually fly and prices skyrocketing out of nowhere. In the midst of this chaos, I figured that one week should be enough time to book my ticket with it not having such a high chance of being cancelled. So I did and soon enough my short three day trip from Samarinda to Jakarta, then Doha, then Amsterdam then Athens and finally Thessaloniki began.
Hamad International Airport
I expected this trip to be much different from all my others. The thing that was definitely different was the fact that I had to be wearing a mask for the majority of the trip and always be on edge with my sanitizer on hand worrying for any potential sources of infections. The mask was not, however as annoying as I expected, after a while I was not even realizing it was on. The airport personnel, when there, was also equipped with the appropriate gear, although it very much differ from airport to airport and airline to airline, with the Qatar Airways flight attendants in full suits and the Transavia ones with just feeble masks. The airports were for the most part empty and kinda sad. I was walking completely alone at Schiphol airport at night, after all the night flights had already flown, which is one of the most busy airports in the world.
An empty Schiphol Airport
Anxiety was at an all time high for this trip. I was also full of nerves after arriving at Jakarta Airport to see around 90% of the flights cancelled and nearly had a heart attack before I made sure that mine would actually go. I was also to the brick of a bursting aneurysm waiting to be let in Amsterdam after landing there in order to check in my bag again. Apart for my nerves however, the truth is, flights and life in the airport was mostly going on as normal. Yes most stores were closed and looked abandoned, but generally there were not many checks or questions or forms to fill as I expected. With Batik Air and Qatar Airways the middle seat was empty in order for social distancing I guess, although one middle seat does not seem enough space, but whatever. Transavia and Aegean Airlines were at full capacity though. Athens International Airport seemed to have taken most precautions, as we were all tested before entering, we had to wear masks at all times and sanitizer was freely given everywhere. Although I have to mention, that there is no point in wearing a mask, if it barely covers your mouth, let alone your nose, which was a style many people seemed to follow. Wear your masks properly people! For Indonesian domestic flight we also had to be tested and take some precaution before flying but it felt more like security theater rather than actual protection as people were stacked when they had to take the appropriate forms before flying.
Many cancelled flight at Soekarno Hatta AirportFood still given during flights
In general, the biggest obstacle for flying during a pandemic was the irregular flights and the fear of cancelling, rather than the actual virus. Flights are full, people are generally acting normal and you fly like you did before, just with the addition of a mask. Is there a future for traveling, then? Probably, but possibly not a very regular, soon and who knows who will actually financially survive in the end in the industry. Anyway, happy traveling, whenever that would be and here is to hoping it is soon.
A couple days ago, my friend decided that she had too much spaghetti laying around and it would be a good idea to make a Carbonara. Although it is not a very, or actually at all, Greek dish, we use to cook it often back home, even if, to the dismay of many Italians, we put Crème fraîche in it, so I eagerly volunteered to help. The result, even without Crème fraîche but more close to the original recipe, for me was great. It was creamy and light and delicious, the rest seemed to have quite a different take, for them it was very bland, so they were quick to mix it with ketchup, vinegar, rice and whatever was available on the kitchen counter, making sure that any Italian that survived my Crème fraîche comment would be sure to die now. I was surprised, how can such a delicious plate, seem bland to them?
Burger
After that, I though to my own experience, one of the things I miss the most, while in Indonesia, is Greek food, especially a nice piece of feta cheese. It was the same when I was away in Denmark, I had never craved Gyro so much in my life. Why did I miss food so much? I think it is the cultural aspect of food that makes it so close to our eager souls. Every traditional dish has a different significance for us. With Gemista and Pastichio, I always remember summer and my grandma bringing it in a big tray for all to eat. I have closely associated Christmas with the sweets you use to find in the local bakeries when the time comes around (so around November). And before I start writing a Telenovela with how melodramatic I am becoming, think about it. It makes sense, right?
Sushi
Every region has specific food growing there. People didn’t have the luxury and easiness of transporting food far away, so they were mostly cooking with what was offered. That is why our local foods are usually made with things that can grow in our land, more or less. That is why some cuisines that were far from spices tend to have more flat food than others. I mean there was a small thing called colonialism, because the west wanted more spices. And yes of course nowadays a lot of us can eat from whatever cuisine we want, but our local food still remains the same. I mean try to convince my Indian roommate that any food without the appropriate Masala (spices) can still taste good.
Chocolate with a Doughnut on Top
I am of course not pretending to give an amazing new perceptive that no one has thought before. It is more a revelation to myself, I guess, to see how much the food we like has to do with who we are and where we come from. It is also interesting to finally understand, that really there is good and bad tasting food, just the things we are used to eating.
Since the Pandemic has indefinably land us on spot, I have caught myself looking at old photo albums of my travels more and more. Living vicariously through the pictures of my past, I often come across my trip to Iceland.
A graffiti in Reykjavik
My trip to Iceland was on of the most spontaneous trips I have ever done. I booked the ticket from Copenhagen to Reykjavik with the late WOW air (Rest in Peace) only one and a half weeks before flying, after a late night conversation about it with some friends. I did not have much times to decide, as my main motive was to see the Northern Lights and for better chances to do that, I had to go before April and it was already the begging of March. So I booked a fast ticket, a room on Booking and I left a cold Danish morning to an even colder Icelandic afternoon.
Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral
I booked a bus seat to take me from the airport to the city, as public transport was not much recommended (at the time, at least). My first impression of Reykjavik was that it is a cute Nordic town, not even a city. You can easily walk it, it does not have many tall buildings or big streets and it is quite and cozy. I personally prefer the hustle and bustle of big cities, but it was relaxing. There are two highlights there, the first is the cathedral with the very Icelandic name Hallgrimskirkja. It is probably the most famous landmark of the city and a quick google search will make you understand why it is a highlight. The second was the concert and convention hall called Harpa. It has a full glass exterior and interior, it overlooks the ocean and the light hits it with such grace that even my selfies looked good. One last thing to mention about Reykjavik is the Bonus Supermarkets, which are great for tasting Iceland and their famous Skyr yogurts in many flavors. I also bought an extremely delicious salted caramel chocolate there and it has a cute logo with a pig. I mean, good prices too, but chocolate and pig logos are more important.
An Icelandic horse
Of course we all know, that Iceland is far from just Reykjavik, so the next day I hoped early in the tour mini van I had booked and started going around. Generally there are many many tours you can book in Iceland (or at least there were many, before that whole pandemic thing), some cheaper, some expensive, definitely no cheap ones though. Iceland is not a cheap place for vacation, so if you are looking for budget traveling, good luck. Back to the trip now, it was full of, for a lack of a less cringy term, magic. I did the golden circle, a popular tourist route, which lasts half a day and takes you to the highlights of Iceland. We walked on ice, we fed Icelandic horses, which are extra cute, we walked between the Eurasian and American plates at Pingvellir National Park and we saw waterfalls. I still remember the wonder with which I was looking at the Gullfoss Waterfall or my surprise when I first saw the water coming with such force out of the Geyser. I literally spend all the time we had there just looking at the water coming out of the Geysers, it was that exciting.
Kerid Crater frozen
What about the Northern Lights, though? That was the reason I went there after all. Well, I booked a tour for that too. As it is difficult to see it in the city, they take you with a bus in a national park with complete darkness and you wait to see it. They don’t appear every day, but the first night I went they told us that it is actually a good day for it. After arriving, I first marveled at how many starts there were out there. I have never seen that many. In fact the sky was so dark and clear, that even I, with no knowledge of astronomy managed to see and recognize constellations. As the time was passing and the cold was becoming more and more unbearable, we were all getting more and more disappointed since there was no aurora to be found, so we went back. Thankfully you can re-book these tours for the next day for free if you don’t get to see the Lights on your previous try, whether that is your first or fifth. I didn’t have high hopes the next day, but yet after a while, there they were. It was brilliant. It was like blue and purple fairy lights dancing in a harmonious melody in the sky, with such poise and grace. I caught my self staring at them, giggling like a child with happiness, it was truly unforgettable. I have to say however, that it was not green like I have seen many times in photos. Looking through the camera of a fellow tourist, I saw that in his pictures it was indeed green, while my eyes were seeing blue and purple. There is definitely some physics involved there, but I am not capable to give a proper explanation as to why, just to say that it happened.
Golden light through Harpa
So that was my trip to Iceland, short, cold and expensive, but so worth it. I definitely want to visit again, to see the many more it has to offer, but for now,I am still staying home. So, until we travel again, let’s delve on the memories.
The Indonesian Chronicles 