Excursion To Istanbul

So, I got a notification in the mail on December 25th that a package was waiting for me in Istanbul from USA. That meant my parents.
Well on December 26th my Turkish dad, Baba M took me to Istanbul and showed me how to get around a bit on the Metro system in Istanbul. An invaluable lesson.
He is sick, and I needed to be home by 4 or 5 because Long Rock is going to be home at that time. So, I we couldn't do any sightseeing. Well I love Istanbul so much, I did what I call Window Sightseeing. (Similar to Window Shopping)
And here are the lovely pictures that I took from this adventure with Baba M

I want to call this the Fatih Mosque In Istanbul it is easy to find and  near Tramways and Metro stops.

Another part of the Castle Wall

From the Autoban to the Marmara Sea: View from my bus.

This is called Lake Büyükçekmece (pronounced Bookcheckmege the e sounds like the e as in "egg")

A Merry Turkish Type Christmas This year!

This year I celebrated Christmas a little late because the Long Rock has been working over time and times a thousand. 
 So, When he asked me If I wanted to do Christmas I was a little hesitant. It wasn't that I didnt want to celebrate it. I love Christmas. I love it so much. It was that I feel a little down because I really was planning on being in USA and living there this year. I never said that out loud, but it was in my plans. Well, it did not work that way. I wanted to just cry and I was just not in the mood.
Long Rock said, "But I love Christmas so much", and I could not take that from him. Christmas Eve and  Christmas Day was spent decorating the living room, wrapping gifts. I have been recently accused of locking certain people out of the living room and not letting anyone come near the gifts, which is so far from the truth. I did however, do everything I can to hide the opened gifts that I was wrapping because I wanted them to be a surprise. 
  It turned out to be a nice surprise and everything went very well. 
Turkey does have Christmas, but they just call it New Year, and it is celebrated on New Year. It is all in every sense and purposes, New Year. As a matter of fact, all the month of December, people are getting ready for the New Year, and as a matter of fact, just last night, they had an advertisement, It said "Where is Santa?" and it went on to say "Be good, This year Santa will come:"and ended with Happy New Year. HAHA

I will say, that Christmas Day was spent chatting with Monkey Three, and snapchatting. Yes: I have a snapchat with my monkeys. Only Family memebers get to snap chat with me. 
 Anyway... That was the best part. Emailing and snap chatting with Monkey Three. 
But, the day after Christmas Long Rock came home and thus began my Christmas with him. 

I woke up early on the 26th and went to Istanbul with my Turkish Father because on the 25th the post man gave a letter saying we got a package. I will blog about it in the following blog. It was quite and adventure. 

Merry Christmas ALL!!!   

Mrry Christmas!! our Christmas Jammies!

I love warpping Gifts! 

Teyze means Aunt in Turksih.

Our Tree was in a little corner but Long Rock thought to move it to the table for better decorating! Good idea!

This paper came from USA

All Ribbon was saved by Anne so she could have her own wrapping collection

All the wrapping I did. but, the paper with Santa Claus. My mom wanted my gifts to be a surprise. She wrapped them.  I miss my mom to death. I love her so much

Back on Facebook Detox: This time is For Real.

So, I have had a love hate relationship now over the last couple of years on Facebook with Facebook. 
 I was resolving to go along with it because it is the cheapest and fastest and easiest way to reach all the people I want to keep in touch with. 
 But, really? 


Facebook is becoming a cesspool of smut. It is where I practically met my beloved one now. But, People are not using it to connect in a positive way. They are using it in a way that is counter productive. 

Facebook used to be humble and they used to intend to connect the world with each other. Now, Facebook wants your money. I guess the muilti billion dollars a year it has is not enough for the people that are making loads of money off you, and so they are in January going to start a couple of things. 
First of all, If someone doesn't know but wants to contact you  (or if they know but you are not friends,) they will start charging to send emails. This is saying::: You have something important to say to the person who is not your friend, so, we will connect you with a fee... REALLY??? In other words a sneaky way to get more money from you. 
Then there is another thing. They are going to start charging big companies for them to while you are waiting for your news feed to upload, commercials. You know those annoying 30 second commercials on TV that really make you want to not watch TV? Yeah... They are allowing TV-Type commercials. These will be forced, by the by. They are starting this in January. 

Timeline came out and against our will. It is a terrible design and really is annoying to navigate. I strongly dislike it. We had before then "The NEW Facebook" and I get some people like Timeline: But forcing people to use Timeline is just outrageous. 

The other thing is people are starting to say taht when you write things or like it in the Facebook Website (when you like I Love Sleeping, etc) it is recorded. Facebook records everything you say and do in there. Well, for somethings, I think it is ok. It is good. I mean really we don't want a bunch of kids that are going to talking to online predators. I mean, Lett's be safe here! 
Well, Facebook also records what you comment on the different Groups. They (as in Facebook) say it so that they can try to fit the advertisements with your "Likes". But really? Is this over board? 
  There was a study done by a University a couple months ago, about the Advertising in Facebook. 
When Facebook was first getting all these big numbers, and fast, Audi, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Big companies like Ralph Lauren were the big advertisements in the right side of your Profile and your News Feed. Remember those? 
 Notice that they (the BIG companies) are not there anymore? Where did they go? Why are they not advertisming things that are huge companies, but more applications, and they will try to trap you by posting a picture of you and saying, "Where are you here?" We all have seen those, right? 
Well, the University that conducted this research said that the big companies, when polling their customers, were in fact, not effected by the advertisements in Facebook and as a matter of fact, the consumers were annoyed with the advertisements. So, Audi was the first to pull their advertisements from Facebook, within a few weeks, the others followed. They found that people were more annoyed with Facebook advertising than anything. 
Well, Facebook has to make their money somehow, and so, When you like something, whomever is Promoting the Like is doing their own advertisements. Mind you it is not a big deal to make a Group. I made two groups. I do not advertise nor pay one penny for Facebook to plaster my Group all over Facebook. Therefore I have only about 50 people in one Group and I have made one Group that you "Like" where I post things. only 21 people are in that. Why so low? Because you have to really search it because I did not pay anything to have them. I don't wantt o buy my way to make people like it. 
It is advertising. Well, OK... Facebook, then, Make a Business only page where you and your buddies and like and buy eachothers statuses all you want. I am not going to do that though... 

But, Because I am here and I have about 10 friends that the ONLY way I can get a hold of them is if I Facebook them. (Yes: I have begged and pleaded for them to get Skype and USE THEIR EMAIL!!!) But they refuse to learn how to use their email mail address and refuse to learn how to navigate themselves in MSN Chat, and so I am somewhat stuck in this Facebook and not Facebook postion. 

This comes to what to do? 
I have decided to post to my Facebook I am leaving Facebook, and for good. I will then, When marrying Long Rock, I will keep his account, and use his. I will keep my "Business Groups" and my "Business" account. I will deactivate though my main account when I move to USA. I will not be online there as much as I am anyway because at that point I will be emailing and talking to everyone that I want. I have my family's emails and everyone that really wants to get a hold of me, will be able to do so.
In the meantime, I have "Unliked" about 200 things. When I first came on Facebook, I liked a bunch of things, not knowing what it was. I have since learned not to like "Bitch Shut Up He's Mine" (I am not sure if that is a real Group: I just made it up) but I dont like "everything" because once you like what a group posts are are joined! Did you know that ??? 
So, I unliked about 200 groups. I tried deleting those groups on my iPhone It doesn't let me, easily. So I went on a PC and did it and when I relogged into my iPhone, it updated it for me. It took a while, but this is how I have to clean out some things. Facebook is one of the many changes this year! Look Out World!!! 
 

Kına Gece:: Part II

The Long Rock and I have been talking a lot lately. We have been trying to work out Traditions from both American and Turkish Weddings that we like and dislike and come up with our own unique wedding suited for us. 
 We decided that we are not doing Kına Gece. 

The reason for this is because we have been following many people that have been doing this and we realized that the couples here in Turkey just want one more things to do to make people pay them gold and money in order to do this and "Nişanlı" For my American and non-Turkish readers, Nişanlı is meaning Engagement. They ahve a Ceremony where they promise eachother to each other in front of family, friends and everyone else they decide to invite. At this time people are obliged to give them money and gold. 
 Say what you want, it is a tradition and how it helps the couple get a start on their wedding, but really, it is just another way to get more money. 
We have been engaged now for two years. This is how we did it. 
I knew he was going to ask me it was a matter of when. 
I left for worwk and it was a night class and so I did not get home until 10 pm. I came into the home and my light was on in my room which is odd. I went to my room and right before I did so, The Long Rock came running down the hallway and said "Wait wait wait!!!" barrelled by me to turn off my light. Then, said, "Now come in!" I had no idea what was going on and he got down on one knee, and said, "Please, look up." and I did. There were glow in the dark stars that spelled out "MARRY ME" on the ceiling. He opened up the ring that he had bought me and put it on my finger and told me how much he loved me. 
  We then told the family. THAT to us was more than anything. We did not want or need people giving us gold and money only to give us more on our Wedding Day. 
 Our being engaged is about us, not buying three different dresses or more, and trying to out do the neighbors wedding. 
The Long Rock has always hated Kına. When he had his Sünnet (I should post about it later, but baiscally,I am opposed to the Turkish Tradition of Sunnets) The Long Rock had to have Kına on his hands as per tradition. He got annoyed it was on his hand and put it on the face of the Imam that was preforming the Sünnet. He has always told me that he did not like Kına Gece and he doesn2t like the noise and hte music played at Kına Gece. 
  We were "Hummm-Haw" over the last couple of years, trying to figure out if this is what we really want to do. After I showed The Long rock what we traditonally do in USA, two things we were clear about in USA we don't want here in Turkey. 

Throwing the Garter Belt (Those are sooo stupid) As a matter of fact, having one, we just don't want one. (In particular: I don't want one)
and  Throwing the Bouquet (Dumb! Why do I want to throw my bouquet?!?)
Decorating the Brides and Groom Car::: Not my thing at ALL 

And so, as I post the Kına Gece and my former post I wrote that we were trying to decide what we are doing, it will not be that the night before our wedding. 
But, we do have some other things in store. 
You my readers will have to be lookng for my posts, and reading to find out what we do, how we celebrate. 
 

I Am Announcing:::

I am really excited about this post. So much so that I am using my all time favorite color to show how excited I am!!
   A couple of hours ago, The Long Rock and I had a long talk. We talk on Viber, which is another story... BUT back to this one. We were talking about our future, something that he brought up. 
 Well, we made a solid plan together tonight and this is what is happening. We are getting married in April! This is a HECK YEAH!

I mean a BIG HECK YEAH YEAH YEAH!!!

We have been waiting for this for more than too long! We have been trying to for the last 2 and a half years!  
 Our obstacles were really quite big mountains for us to climb, not the little road blocks that we could have just set of the side of the road or sweep up and throw away. 
 Well, tonight we came up with a concrete plan! 

We are going to rid of our debts and out last payment is this coming January 1oth. 
We are getting Dental Appointments, and our teeth care of from now through then, (so we have healthy teeth before we head off to USA! smart!) The first day off after January 10 we are going to get his Identification up to date, and then get his passport (he checked his Governement webpage: Turkey has thier passports in now! Wooot!!!)

 Then, on February 10th (or his day off at this time) we are heading off to Istanbul for going to the US Embassy to get our  forms for our Marriage! 
We will in the month of February and March do everything on the forms that we need to do to get married. We will go to Dr appointments and then get our Marriage License and in April we are getting married!!! 

We are really excited about it and we are not letting anyone or anything get in our way for this goal. 
We will in April after the Wedding head back to the Embassy in Istanbul to begin our papers for getting to USA together! 
I have in the meantime been looking for a job. I was told I am needed in a bank in Nevada and the girl emails me from time to time now telling me she is still waiting for me to come back to USA so she can begin the process of me getting hired there. We are thrilled!!

And so this is our bigg announcement. We can't wait! 
I get to be in USA with my family and The Long Rock will be able to meet them. They are excited to and he is really excited to meet them. I am hoping a couple of my friends are coming from USA to our wedding... Here is for hoping!           

This Winter The Taliban: Part I

This Winter I have been thinking a lot about the Afghanistan people. I have, for years and years, been reading about them. 
 
I really have a disdain for the Taliban. 
 The Taliban has been responsible for the pillage and deaths (meaningless murders- massacres) of thousands of people.

     It is cold during the winters in Afghanistan and Pakistan and there are thousands of displaced people. So, the only option for them is living in make shift tents. They can only accomodate so many people and so the other people who have an over flow, are not "legally" supposed to be in the make shift tents. The Afghanistan and Pakistan Government have come out and told the "illegal" people (who are displaced) to "Go" but where are they to go, really? 
     They are given a small ration of food and hardly any shelter. Apparently the U.N.or N.A.T.O. Soldiers do not turn them away and in fact try to help them. The kids want to, and need to,go to school but they are "illegally" residing in the tents and they found the life expectancy of the infants born in the winter time in this area from the displaced peoples are about two and a half months. This is to say, that if 1,000 new borns are born in the winter, less than 160 of these infants will survive the harsh elements. UN and NATO soldiers give the people what they can, but the governments say that they are there illegally. However, they are in the camps
 because of the Taliban. They have been driven from their homes and farms. They flock to the cities seeking a safe haven from the Taliban.
Let me tell you what the Taliban have taught or teach these people, and tell me they are not the axsis of evil. 

Here are some of the things that had been effected by their reign. 
Systematic Massacres to Civilians
(more than 15 different times in their Reign of Terror) totalling of more than 5,000 people each time.

Mass Killings of Cilivians supported by Pakistani and Arab Troops (meaning they were involved)
Witnesses reported the skinning of civilians, in villages, as part of their genocide. and using long swords for slitting throats and doing such violent acts. 
The Taliban's "Ambassador" to Pakistan said that all these were "necessary"... Please note, he said this in 2011.
I put quotations around "Ambassador, because, to say that word would be recognizing that the Taliban is really a form of government and not terrorists that they really are

 Ethnic Cleansing
Please readers, I wish to not go into detail of what this entails. But, you can only imagine.
The starving of 160,000 people. The UN reported that in 1998, the UNESCO World Food Program had sent, The Taliban had denyed the civilians, which includes all women and children, food. They were starving and in need of emergency supplies. The UN said this is a way to defeat the people in their time of war, starving the people to death. 

Villages being forced into Labor Camps
One Village had 1,500 defenders. On August 8th 1998, The Taliban engaged battle with them, and indsicrmininately and syustematically killed all in the village but 100 people. Reports from the village said Members of the Taliban were raping and slaughtering women in the streets, thousands of people were locked into containers and suffocated. This caused the Iranina Troops to be deployed:: 250,000 of them. 15 Iranian jouranlists were tortured and killed in this attack. The City of Istalif, containing 45,000 people were given a notice of 24 hours to leave, then the city was razed, killing and slaughtereing everyone and any living thing in the city. 
The city of Bamian, Or Bamiyan, where hudreds of people were bombed out of their homes, and the UNESCO (one of the "World Wonder's" Site (Buddha's Statues) were blasted out of the Mountain Side, because it was "not Islamic" and  "anything not Islamic" needed to be erradicated from Afghanistan. 

Human Trafficking
 Thousands upon thousands of women and teenage girls have been kidnapped and sold into forced sex slavery in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The women were mostly (ethnically) Tajik, Uzbek and Harras areas of the Central Asia, and were not just Afghanistan or Pakistan, but they would go into other neighboring countries and encouraged this, telling the families that they were protecting these women. 
Reports of women who commited suicide because they would rather die than be a sex slave skyrocketed in this region. Reports were not just from the Taliban, responsible, but Al- Qeada,  and Pakistan Troops were all involved in the missing, sex slaving and selling of children,teens and women. 

Here is a quote I found from the internet: "Not all men approved of this behavior, some local Taliban commanders were opposed to the human trafficking ordered and conducted by their leaders. One Taliban commander, Nuruludah, is quoted as saying that he and his men freed some women which were being abducted by Pakistani members of Al-Qaeda. A few local Taliban in Jalalabad also freed women that were being held by other Taliban and members of Al-Qaeda in a camp."

I got that quote from wikipedia and the author of the article from Time Magazine. 

Oppression of Women:: 
According to the Physicians of Human Rights, in 1998, reported that there is no other group in the world that is more forceful and oppressive than the Taliban, no other regime in the world has methodically and violently forced half of its population into virtual house arrest prohibiting them on pain of physical punishment. 
Women were (have been) forbidden to be educated.
Girls were forbidden to atten school or University, girls and women were forbidden to go shopping with out a male relative and forced to wear the burqa. (A piece of clothing which completely coveres the head to the feet, with only a small screen to allow the woman to see through for her eyes.)
Women who were (are) walking not with their relative were charged with adultery, and beaten, at times to death, and publicallly. 
After 1998 the oppression of women became more severe and all homes were forced to have a black covering the windows to avoid seeing women in their homes. 
Women were forced off the streets. 
 Employment of women were banned. Because all most teachers in Afghanistan pre- 1996 were tyically women, all schools with women or female teachers and employees were shut down. 
 Hundreds of women were also forced into marriage with Soldiers of the Taliban.
Women were not allowed to go to Hospitals or see Doctors who were pregnant, meaning forced at home birthing with no Doctor (Because women can't work, and Doctors aren't allowed to help with women who are pregnant) 


Other Oppressive Laws, Violating Human Rights: 

The Taliban were forced to be recognized as "Religious Dictatorship"
People under Taliban Rule were not allowed to practice any other religion but what the Taliban said they could practice. 
This included criticizing the Taliban. 
Journalists were killed and anyone writing anything negative about the Taliban
News papers, News Radios and Television was shut down, only things that the Tablian wantedpeople to hear were reported as news.
Laughing, clapping or shouting outside was banned
Men forced to grow beards
Music of any form: banned
Birds as pets: banned
Flying Kites banned
All children must have Muslim names: any NON Muslim must wear a piece of cloth that is yellow to identify if they are Mulism or not. 
Photos of any Living thing (including text books): Banned
Photos of Family: banned
Suits and Ties: Forbidden
Questioning a  Punishing Sharia Police is prohibited. This is to mean that if a Sharia Police is punishing or rather beating a woman or individual, questioning or trying to intervene would be a punishable offense.
 There were many other laws and rules the Taliban had (or have)  
Punishments were:: flogging, amputations, stoning and hanging.

For this reasons, you can see why I prefer the US Troops there in Afghanistan. Civilians being reported dying because Pakistan said they are? I can guarantee that the Pakistan's government, as well as the Taliban that is doing the killing... Pakistan's Troops, Al Qeada and Taliban are using the civilians as human shields.
 And so, this year, I am really worried and thinking of the dear people of the world that are not as fortunate as we are. 

The Taliban and Today::: 
So, why must we think about Taliban and why are we concerned about them now? 

This is why. Because although the best way to rid of the Taliban, it is to rid of each Taliban Member. Starting from the bottom and working upward in ranks.We need to assure that they don't come back. 
We have to understand that as of 1996, when the Islamic State of Afghanistan was formed, the Taliban no longer was supported by the USA. Why did USA support them in the beginning? Well, because the USA was told they were Anti Sharia,(Anti Shi'a)  Pro-Western, and Anti Iranian. The U.S. Government were helping  Afghanistan against the Russians in the war that lasted approximately 20 years. 
The Taliban are different from Al Qadea. I want to make it clear to my readers, and I think I will have to talk more about the Taliban. 

As of Novermber 23rd the Taliban has retreated into Pakistan from Khandahar. This is a small victory but a victory none the less. 
  I have been upon my reaserach wanted to add that the many illegally tent residents were offered land and homes by the Afghanistan Government, however, with the lack of trust in whom to trust, they are too scared to be in a rural area. I also wanted to add that because of the wars, (before 1992, Afghanistan was in war for more othan 20 years with Soviet Union, trying to break free from Communist Rule)
the women are the ones that are suffering the most. This is because they are the ones that are left husband-less and are widowed because of the wars, and the Taliban killing the men who refuse to fight along side them. 

So, this war with the Taliban is really layered and complex. It is not about USA getting bad guys. It is about the UN, NATO along with USA, Great Birtian and Many other countries trying to give back to the people what they have for over 40 years now, have fought for. 
 For all my Central Asian readers. God Bless you at this time, and the best thing I can say to you in words of comfort is a quote I have memorized in my time of hardships. 
..."Peace I leaveth with you, Peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afriad." May peace go within your hearts. May those who can share with others, please share. go to UNCESCO and donate money to the people of Afghanistan. 
  May all your hearts be filled with joy and love and may the people of this world recieve peace. 

A Soldier taking pictures with the children in a Village in Afghanistan. Thier biggest hope is to gain the Civillians trust to help them and protect them from the Taliban.

The Taliban Soldiers. Of course they don't want their faces shown. They are wanting to hide their identity.

Women are forced to wear the burqa.

One of the things that the Taliban does is separate family, the basic nucleous of society

Public beatings is a norm there as chldren and people look on, unable to stop the beatings. The "crime" this woman commited? something simple as a laugh? maybe he didn't like her ankle peering from the burqa?