It's never too late to start a blog...

At least this is what I tell myself to feel better about the fact that it has been over three months since I've arrived and am just now starting this blog. Fortunately, I can also blame the government in this case, which conveniently decided to block all blogs in Turkey soon after my arrival. Just last week I happened to come across a blog and, upon further investigation, discovered they have been unblocked. My rejoicing may be premature, however, as the government also announced yesterday that starting in August (ie after the elections in June) it will require internet users to choose a "filtering" option, effectively censoring the internet. In any case, I will write while I can.

So: I would like to extend a most hearty welcome to my blog as I finish off my last month-and-a-half in Turkey. The postings are in somewhat random order as I put them all up at once, but I will try to ascribe separate dates for clarification. Enjoy!