During these cold Belgian winter months browsing through my summer vacation photos and videos often makes me discover a rare gem, one that I’d overlooked while processing over 1,000 shots and numerous videos. You may recall that I spent September of 2008 in and around Bodrum, Turkey, the undisputed crown of the Turkish Riviera, harboring expensive yachts, an upscale local (sometimes topless) beach clientèle, along with a most amusing mix of Muslim traditions with Turkish everyday commercial reality, anno 2008.
[My video:] Don’t you love the way these enterprising Turks know what really counts ? I couldn’t help but smile at this Bodrum cartoon artist, totally ignoring the Muslim invitation to start praying emanating from the Mosque behind him. He kept on drawing his hilarious but provocative cartoons, admired by tourists. Business first, just like in my friendly local Turkish corner shop.
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He realized religion wouldn’t pay his bills.
[Blog author: "It sure wouldn't Steve, but still, over the years I watched with amazement how western many Turks in urban Turkey have become. I wonder though, is the Turkish Riviera really secularizing fast or is it just packaging?"]
Comment by Steve Harkonnen — February 1, 2009 @ 6:52 pm |
Turkısh peoplle in Bodrum are dıferent from the ınsıde of Türkiye
[Blog author: "I'm sure they are Aydan. My viewpoint is obviously very limited: I've only met and talked to Turkish locals working in the Mediterranean tourist industry and my Antwerp neighborhood shopkeeper. Since a party with deep Islamic roots has won a landslide victory in Turkey's latest elections I presume the country as a whole is basically conservative-Islamic."]
Comment by Aydan — February 3, 2009 @ 12:06 pm |