Conversion rates today:
$1.00 US dollar = 1.54 Turkish Lira
$1.00 US dollar = .79 Euro
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Packing List from Rick Steves
What to Pack
Shirts. Bring up to five short-sleeved or long-sleeved shirts in a cotton/polyester blend. Arrange mix according to season.
Sweater or Lightweight Fleece. Warm and dark is best — for layering and dressing up. Dark colors don't show wrinkles or stains.
Pants. Bring two pairs: one lightweight cotton and another super-lightweight for hot and muggy big cities and churches with modest dress codes. Jeans can be too hot for summer travel. Many like lightweight pants/shorts with zip-off legs. Button-down wallet pockets are safest (though still not as thief-proof as a money belt, described below).
Shorts. Take a pair with pockets — doubles as a swimsuit for men.
Swimsuit. Especially for women.
Underwear and socks. Bring five sets (lighter dries quicker).
One pair of shoes. Take a broken-in, light, and cool pair, with Vibram-type soles and good traction. (I like shoes by Ecco). Sturdy, low-profile tennis shoes with a good tread are fine, too. (Some people bring along an extra pair of sandals in case the shoes get wet.) For winter travel, bring heavy shoes (for warmth and to stay dry).
Jacket. Bring a light and water-resistant windbreaker that has a hood. Gore-Tex is good if you expect rain. For summer travel, I wing it without rain gear — but always pack for rain in Britain and Ireland.
Tie or scarf. For instant respectability, bring anything lightweight that can break the monotony and make you look snazzy.
Money belt. This hidden pouch — strapped around your waist and tucked under your clothes — is essential for the peace of mind it brings. You could lose everything except your money belt, and the trip could still go on. Lightweight and low-profile beige is best.
Money. Bring your preferred mix of a credit card, a debit card, and an emergency stash of hard cash. I rely on a debit card for ATM withdrawals, a credit card, and a few hundred dollars in cash as a backup (in easy-to-exchange $20 bills).
Documents and photocopies. Bring your passport, plane ticket (or e-ticket printout), railpass or car-rental voucher, driver's license, student ID, hostel card, and so on. Photocopies and a couple of passport-type photos can help you get replacements more quickly if the originals are lost or stolen. Carry photocopies separately in your luggage and keep the originals in your money belt. In your luggage, you'll also want to pack a careful record of all reservations (print out your hotels' confirmation emails), along with a trip calendar page to keep things up-to-date as your trip evolves.
Small daypack. This is great for carrying your sweater, camera, literature, and picnic goodies while you leave your large bag at the hotel or train station. Fanny packs (small bags with thief-friendly zippers on a belt) are a popular alternative, but are magnets for pickpockets and should never be used as money belts.
Camera. A digital camera and a high-capacity memory card mean no more bulky bags of film. A mini-tripod allows you to take crisp shots in low light with no flash.
Water bottle. The plastic half-liter mineral water bottles sold throughout Europe are reusable and work great. If you bring one from home, make sure it's empty before you go through airport security (fill it at a fountain once you're through).
Wristwatch. A built-in alarm is handy. Otherwise, pack a small travel alarm clock. At budget hotels, wake-up calls are particularly unreliable.
Earplugs. If night noises bother you, you'll love a good set of expandable foam plugs.
First-aid kit.
Medicine and vitamins. Keep medicine in original containers, if possible, with legible prescriptions.
Eyeglasses, contact lenses, and prescriptions. Contact solutions are widely available in Europe, but because of dust and smog, many travelers find their contacts aren't as comfortable in Europe. I wear my glasses, and I don't pack a spare pair, but I do bring a photocopy of my prescription just in case.
Sunscreen and sunglasses. Depending on the season and your destination.
Toiletries kit. Sinks in cheap hotels come with meager countertop space and anonymous hairs. If you have a nylon toiletries kit that can hang on a hook or a towel bar, this is no problem. Put all squeeze bottles in sealable plastic baggies, since pressure changes in flight can cause even good bottles to leak. (If you plan to carry on your bag, all liquids and gels must be in 3.4-ounce or smaller containers, and all of these items must fit within a single, quart-size sealable plastic baggie.) Consider a vacation from cosmetics. Bring a little toilet paper or tissue packets (sold at all newsstands in Europe). Fingernail clippers and tweezers are also handy.
Sealable plastic baggies. Bring a variety of sizes. In addition to holding your carry-on liquids, they're ideal for packing leftover picnic food, containing wetness, and bagging potential leaks before they happen. The two-gallon jumbo size is handy for packing clothing. Bring extras for the flight home, as they can be hard to find in Europe.
Soap. Not all hotels provide soap. A plastic squeeze bottle of concentrated, multipurpose, biodegradable liquid soap is handy for laundry and more. In the interest of traveling friendlier to our environment, I never use the hotel bathroom "itsy-bitsies," preferring my own bar of soap or bottle of shampoo.
Clothesline. Hang it up in your hotel room to dry your clothes. The handy twisted-rubber type needs no clothespins.
Small towel. You'll find bath towels at all fancy and moderately priced hotels, and most cheap ones. Although $50-a-day travelers will often need to bring their own towel, $100-a-day folks won't. I bring a thin hand towel for the occasional need. Washcloths are rare in Europe. While I don't use them, many travelers recommend quick-drying synthetic towels.
Sewing kit. Clothes age rapidly while traveling. Take along a few safety pins and extra buttons.
Travel information. Rip out appropriate chapters from guidebooks and staple them together. When you're done, give them away.
Map. Get a map best suited to your trip's overall needs, then pick up maps for specific local areas as you go.
Address list. To keep in touch, many travelers write blogs or send mass emails as they travel. But if you prefer to mail postcards, consider printing your mail list onto a sheet of adhesive address labels before you leave. You'll know exactly who you've written to, and the labels will be perfectly legible.
Small notepad and pen. A tiny notepad in your back pocket is a great organizer, reminder, and communication aid (for sale in European stationery stores).
Journal. An empty book to be filled with the experiences of your trip will be your most treasured souvenir. Attach a photocopied calendar page of your itinerary. Use a hardbound type designed to last a lifetime, rather than a spiral notebook. My custom-designed Rick Steves Travel Journals are rugged, simple blank books that come in two sizes. Another great brand, with a nearly cult following among travel writers, is Moleskine (also available at my Travel Store).
Optional Bring-Alongs
Packing cubes. These see-through, zip-up mesh containers keep your clothes tightly packed and well-organized.
Clothes compressor. This handy invention — I like the one by Flat Pack — allows you to pack bulky clothes (such as sweaters and jackets) without taking up too much space or creating wrinkles. Simply put the item in the bag, roll it up to force the air out through the one-way nozzles, and pack it away.
Small packet of tissue. Stick one of these — sold at newsstands and pharmacies throughout Europe — in your daypack, in case you wind up at a bathroom with no toilet paper.
Spot remover. Bring Shout wipes or a dab of Goop grease remover in a small plastic container.
Sandals or flip-flops.
Inflatable pillow (or "neck rest"). For snoozing in planes, trains, and automobiles. Many travelers also swear by an eye mask for blocking out early-rising or late-setting sun.
Tiny lock. Use it to lock your backpack zippers shut. Note that if you check your bag on a flight, the lock may be broken to allow the bag to be inspected. Improve the odds of your lock's survival by buying one approved by the TSA (Transportation Security Administration, the agency responsible for airport security). While you'll unlock the TSA-approved lock with a combination, security agents can open the lock without damaging it by using a special master key.
Small flashlight. Handy for reading under the sheets after "lights out" in the hostel, late-night trips down the hall, exploring castle dungeons, and hypnotizing street thieves. Tiny-but-powerful LED flashlights — about the size of your little finger — are extremely bright, compact, and lightweight.
MP3/video player, CD player, or radio. Partners can bring a Y-jack for two sets of earphones. Some travelers use digital recorders to capture pipe organs, tours, or journal entries. A small, portable radio adds a new dimension to your experience.
Adapters. Europe's electrical outlets are different from ours.
Office supplies. Bring paper, an envelope of envelopes, and some sticky notes (such as Post-Its) to keep your place in your guidebook.
A good paperback. There's plenty of empty time on a trip to either be bored or enjoy some good reading. If you're desperate, popular English-language paperbacks are often available in European airports and major train stations (usually for far more than their North American price).
Collapsible umbrella. I like one that's small and compact, but still sturdy and well-constructed enough to withstand strong winds.
Poncho. Hard-core vagabonds use a poncho — more versatile than a tarp — as protection in a rainstorm, a ground cloth for sleeping, or a beach or picnic blanket.
Shirts. Bring up to five short-sleeved or long-sleeved shirts in a cotton/polyester blend. Arrange mix according to season.
Sweater or Lightweight Fleece. Warm and dark is best — for layering and dressing up. Dark colors don't show wrinkles or stains.
Pants. Bring two pairs: one lightweight cotton and another super-lightweight for hot and muggy big cities and churches with modest dress codes. Jeans can be too hot for summer travel. Many like lightweight pants/shorts with zip-off legs. Button-down wallet pockets are safest (though still not as thief-proof as a money belt, described below).
Shorts. Take a pair with pockets — doubles as a swimsuit for men.
Swimsuit. Especially for women.
Underwear and socks. Bring five sets (lighter dries quicker).
One pair of shoes. Take a broken-in, light, and cool pair, with Vibram-type soles and good traction. (I like shoes by Ecco). Sturdy, low-profile tennis shoes with a good tread are fine, too. (Some people bring along an extra pair of sandals in case the shoes get wet.) For winter travel, bring heavy shoes (for warmth and to stay dry).
Jacket. Bring a light and water-resistant windbreaker that has a hood. Gore-Tex is good if you expect rain. For summer travel, I wing it without rain gear — but always pack for rain in Britain and Ireland.
Tie or scarf. For instant respectability, bring anything lightweight that can break the monotony and make you look snazzy.
Money belt. This hidden pouch — strapped around your waist and tucked under your clothes — is essential for the peace of mind it brings. You could lose everything except your money belt, and the trip could still go on. Lightweight and low-profile beige is best.
Money. Bring your preferred mix of a credit card, a debit card, and an emergency stash of hard cash. I rely on a debit card for ATM withdrawals, a credit card, and a few hundred dollars in cash as a backup (in easy-to-exchange $20 bills).
Documents and photocopies. Bring your passport, plane ticket (or e-ticket printout), railpass or car-rental voucher, driver's license, student ID, hostel card, and so on. Photocopies and a couple of passport-type photos can help you get replacements more quickly if the originals are lost or stolen. Carry photocopies separately in your luggage and keep the originals in your money belt. In your luggage, you'll also want to pack a careful record of all reservations (print out your hotels' confirmation emails), along with a trip calendar page to keep things up-to-date as your trip evolves.
Small daypack. This is great for carrying your sweater, camera, literature, and picnic goodies while you leave your large bag at the hotel or train station. Fanny packs (small bags with thief-friendly zippers on a belt) are a popular alternative, but are magnets for pickpockets and should never be used as money belts.
Camera. A digital camera and a high-capacity memory card mean no more bulky bags of film. A mini-tripod allows you to take crisp shots in low light with no flash.
Water bottle. The plastic half-liter mineral water bottles sold throughout Europe are reusable and work great. If you bring one from home, make sure it's empty before you go through airport security (fill it at a fountain once you're through).
Wristwatch. A built-in alarm is handy. Otherwise, pack a small travel alarm clock. At budget hotels, wake-up calls are particularly unreliable.
Earplugs. If night noises bother you, you'll love a good set of expandable foam plugs.
First-aid kit.
Medicine and vitamins. Keep medicine in original containers, if possible, with legible prescriptions.
Eyeglasses, contact lenses, and prescriptions. Contact solutions are widely available in Europe, but because of dust and smog, many travelers find their contacts aren't as comfortable in Europe. I wear my glasses, and I don't pack a spare pair, but I do bring a photocopy of my prescription just in case.
Sunscreen and sunglasses. Depending on the season and your destination.
Toiletries kit. Sinks in cheap hotels come with meager countertop space and anonymous hairs. If you have a nylon toiletries kit that can hang on a hook or a towel bar, this is no problem. Put all squeeze bottles in sealable plastic baggies, since pressure changes in flight can cause even good bottles to leak. (If you plan to carry on your bag, all liquids and gels must be in 3.4-ounce or smaller containers, and all of these items must fit within a single, quart-size sealable plastic baggie.) Consider a vacation from cosmetics. Bring a little toilet paper or tissue packets (sold at all newsstands in Europe). Fingernail clippers and tweezers are also handy.
Sealable plastic baggies. Bring a variety of sizes. In addition to holding your carry-on liquids, they're ideal for packing leftover picnic food, containing wetness, and bagging potential leaks before they happen. The two-gallon jumbo size is handy for packing clothing. Bring extras for the flight home, as they can be hard to find in Europe.
Soap. Not all hotels provide soap. A plastic squeeze bottle of concentrated, multipurpose, biodegradable liquid soap is handy for laundry and more. In the interest of traveling friendlier to our environment, I never use the hotel bathroom "itsy-bitsies," preferring my own bar of soap or bottle of shampoo.
Clothesline. Hang it up in your hotel room to dry your clothes. The handy twisted-rubber type needs no clothespins.
Small towel. You'll find bath towels at all fancy and moderately priced hotels, and most cheap ones. Although $50-a-day travelers will often need to bring their own towel, $100-a-day folks won't. I bring a thin hand towel for the occasional need. Washcloths are rare in Europe. While I don't use them, many travelers recommend quick-drying synthetic towels.
Sewing kit. Clothes age rapidly while traveling. Take along a few safety pins and extra buttons.
Travel information. Rip out appropriate chapters from guidebooks and staple them together. When you're done, give them away.
Map. Get a map best suited to your trip's overall needs, then pick up maps for specific local areas as you go.
Address list. To keep in touch, many travelers write blogs or send mass emails as they travel. But if you prefer to mail postcards, consider printing your mail list onto a sheet of adhesive address labels before you leave. You'll know exactly who you've written to, and the labels will be perfectly legible.
Small notepad and pen. A tiny notepad in your back pocket is a great organizer, reminder, and communication aid (for sale in European stationery stores).
Journal. An empty book to be filled with the experiences of your trip will be your most treasured souvenir. Attach a photocopied calendar page of your itinerary. Use a hardbound type designed to last a lifetime, rather than a spiral notebook. My custom-designed Rick Steves Travel Journals are rugged, simple blank books that come in two sizes. Another great brand, with a nearly cult following among travel writers, is Moleskine (also available at my Travel Store).
Optional Bring-Alongs
Packing cubes. These see-through, zip-up mesh containers keep your clothes tightly packed and well-organized.
Clothes compressor. This handy invention — I like the one by Flat Pack — allows you to pack bulky clothes (such as sweaters and jackets) without taking up too much space or creating wrinkles. Simply put the item in the bag, roll it up to force the air out through the one-way nozzles, and pack it away.
Small packet of tissue. Stick one of these — sold at newsstands and pharmacies throughout Europe — in your daypack, in case you wind up at a bathroom with no toilet paper.
Spot remover. Bring Shout wipes or a dab of Goop grease remover in a small plastic container.
Sandals or flip-flops.
Inflatable pillow (or "neck rest"). For snoozing in planes, trains, and automobiles. Many travelers also swear by an eye mask for blocking out early-rising or late-setting sun.
Tiny lock. Use it to lock your backpack zippers shut. Note that if you check your bag on a flight, the lock may be broken to allow the bag to be inspected. Improve the odds of your lock's survival by buying one approved by the TSA (Transportation Security Administration, the agency responsible for airport security). While you'll unlock the TSA-approved lock with a combination, security agents can open the lock without damaging it by using a special master key.
Small flashlight. Handy for reading under the sheets after "lights out" in the hostel, late-night trips down the hall, exploring castle dungeons, and hypnotizing street thieves. Tiny-but-powerful LED flashlights — about the size of your little finger — are extremely bright, compact, and lightweight.
MP3/video player, CD player, or radio. Partners can bring a Y-jack for two sets of earphones. Some travelers use digital recorders to capture pipe organs, tours, or journal entries. A small, portable radio adds a new dimension to your experience.
Adapters. Europe's electrical outlets are different from ours.
Office supplies. Bring paper, an envelope of envelopes, and some sticky notes (such as Post-Its) to keep your place in your guidebook.
A good paperback. There's plenty of empty time on a trip to either be bored or enjoy some good reading. If you're desperate, popular English-language paperbacks are often available in European airports and major train stations (usually for far more than their North American price).
Collapsible umbrella. I like one that's small and compact, but still sturdy and well-constructed enough to withstand strong winds.
Poncho. Hard-core vagabonds use a poncho — more versatile than a tarp — as protection in a rainstorm, a ground cloth for sleeping, or a beach or picnic blanket.
Getting close!
Are you packing yet?
Soon, you will see a copy of the syllabus posted here.
I hope everyone had a great graduation weekend.
Dr. Berg
Soon, you will see a copy of the syllabus posted here.
I hope everyone had a great graduation weekend.
Dr. Berg
Friday, April 30, 2010
Ride Needed
Greetings everyone. I hope all your finals are going well.
We have a fellow traveler that is in need of a ride to and from Chicago. Please help her out if you can. All you have to do is make room in you car and/or hotel for one more. Just let either Dr. Berg or Dr. Stewart know that you can help out and we will fill in all the details.
Thanks!
Dr. Berg
We have a fellow traveler that is in need of a ride to and from Chicago. Please help her out if you can. All you have to do is make room in you car and/or hotel for one more. Just let either Dr. Berg or Dr. Stewart know that you can help out and we will fill in all the details.
Thanks!
Dr. Berg
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Counting
Two quick pointers about counting in Europe.
Europeans count with their fingers starting with their thumb. Americans typically start with their pointing finger. If you are buying something and want to tell the seller you want one and raise your pointer finger to indicate one, you may get two, as he or she will take that as an indicator for two!
Europeans call the second floor of a building floor one as the first level is usually occupied by shops and stores, so make the adjustment when necessary.
Dr. Berg
Europeans count with their fingers starting with their thumb. Americans typically start with their pointing finger. If you are buying something and want to tell the seller you want one and raise your pointer finger to indicate one, you may get two, as he or she will take that as an indicator for two!
Europeans call the second floor of a building floor one as the first level is usually occupied by shops and stores, so make the adjustment when necessary.
Dr. Berg
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Pre-trip Meeting Tonight
Tonight (April 20th), we are holding a very important Pre-trip meeting. We will meet in Thoresen, at 8pm.
Please make every effort to attend.
Thanks!
Please make every effort to attend.
Thanks!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Very Important Request
We will be getting Visas to enter Turkey.
In order for you to enter the country of Turkey I need you to send me the following information:
Passport Number
Place of Issue
Date of Issue
Date of Expiration
Your Birthplace (state)
Your Birthdate
Country of Citizenship
Your Profession
Please email this information to
eric.berg@mac.edu
Thank you!
In order for you to enter the country of Turkey I need you to send me the following information:
Passport Number
Place of Issue
Date of Issue
Date of Expiration
Your Birthplace (state)
Your Birthdate
Country of Citizenship
Your Profession
Please email this information to
eric.berg@mac.edu
Thank you!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Roommate in Chicago
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Pre-Trip Meeting!
Greetings everyone.
Dr. Stewart and I are going to hold a pre-trip informational meeting. At this meeting you will receive important written information from us, general information about the trip, and most importantly, have an opportunity to ask questions!
The meeting:
Tuesday, April 20th, 8pm-9pm at MacMurray College's Thoresen Auditorium in the Springer Complex.
Please make every effort to attend this meeting.
Travelers that can not make it to Jacksonville: I will post all the information from the meeting on this blog.
Thanks!
Dr. Berg
Dr. Stewart and I are going to hold a pre-trip informational meeting. At this meeting you will receive important written information from us, general information about the trip, and most importantly, have an opportunity to ask questions!
The meeting:
Tuesday, April 20th, 8pm-9pm at MacMurray College's Thoresen Auditorium in the Springer Complex.
Please make every effort to attend this meeting.
Travelers that can not make it to Jacksonville: I will post all the information from the meeting on this blog.
Thanks!
Dr. Berg
Friday, March 19, 2010
Getting to Chicago
Greetings everyone.
A word about getting to Chicago.
Dr. Stewart and Dr. Berg will be meeting you in the airport in Chicago on May 14th. We will not be meeting and organizing the ride from Jacksonville to Chicago. I would suggest two options for this end of the trip.
1. Organize a carpool from Jacksonville to Chicago and establish in advance where you are going to park unless someone will drive your group to the airport. The best advice for this option is to try and find a person willing to take you to and from the airport.
2. Get a hotel with "park and ride" service near the airport in Chicago. I will add a list of hotels and prices that I found doing a quick intenet search. With this option you will stay in Chicago the night before our trip, the hotel will allow you to park your car for the next 12 days, and they will give you a ride back to the Hotel when we return. I would also advise that you stay the night of the 26th in Chicago as flying all the way from Athens to Chicago (with a stop in New York) and then attempting to drive to Jacksonville is dangerous and thus a bad idea, you will be EXHAUSTED.
I did a Google search for "Chicago Airport Park and Ride" and found this webpage:
http://www.parksleepfly.com/
Just ask us if you have any questions.
A word about getting to Chicago.
Dr. Stewart and Dr. Berg will be meeting you in the airport in Chicago on May 14th. We will not be meeting and organizing the ride from Jacksonville to Chicago. I would suggest two options for this end of the trip.
1. Organize a carpool from Jacksonville to Chicago and establish in advance where you are going to park unless someone will drive your group to the airport. The best advice for this option is to try and find a person willing to take you to and from the airport.
2. Get a hotel with "park and ride" service near the airport in Chicago. I will add a list of hotels and prices that I found doing a quick intenet search. With this option you will stay in Chicago the night before our trip, the hotel will allow you to park your car for the next 12 days, and they will give you a ride back to the Hotel when we return. I would also advise that you stay the night of the 26th in Chicago as flying all the way from Athens to Chicago (with a stop in New York) and then attempting to drive to Jacksonville is dangerous and thus a bad idea, you will be EXHAUSTED.
- Comfort Inn OHare\Rosemont\Des Plaines $129.00 one room/per night with parking for 13 days
- Radisson Hotel Chicago-OHare $ 98.00 "
- Holiday Inn Chicago O'Hare Area $ 89.00 "
- Country Inn & Suites OHare South $79.00 "
- Renaissance Chicago OHare Suites Hotel $109.00 "
I did a Google search for "Chicago Airport Park and Ride" and found this webpage:
http://www.parksleepfly.com/
Just ask us if you have any questions.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Our Flights!
May 14
11:40 am Delta #6570 from Chicago (ORD) Arrive New York (JFK) 3:05 pm
4:25 Delta #72 JFK—Istanbul Arrive 9:55 am
May 26
11:10 am Delta #133 Athens---JFK Arrive2:55 pm
4:50 pm Delta #6595 JFK---ORD Arrive 7:11 pm
11:40 am Delta #6570 from Chicago (ORD) Arrive New York (JFK) 3:05 pm
4:25 Delta #72 JFK—Istanbul Arrive 9:55 am
May 26
11:10 am Delta #133 Athens---JFK Arrive2:55 pm
4:50 pm Delta #6595 JFK---ORD Arrive 7:11 pm
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Passport chat
In this post I will try and give you all the direction that you need to get your U.S. Passport, or renew you Passport.
Please get started on this process AS SOON AS POSSIBLE if you need a Passport or need to renew your Passport.
You CAN NOT travel to Turkey or Greece without a valid Passport.
I would think it would be an unforgivible loss to not go on the trip because you did not get this taken care of.
The US Department of State has an excellent web page that will take you through all the steps necessary to obtain or renew a Passport.
Follow this link to the webpage: http://travel.state.gov/passport/
Thursday, March 4, 2010
"Hard" deadline
Ok Troops, we have a deadline for payment that we would like you all to keep.
March 16th.
If you can pay for the trip by the 16th of March your life will be much easier.
Thanks!
March 16th.
If you can pay for the trip by the 16th of March your life will be much easier.
Thanks!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
A great book to read over Spring Break
Istanbul
Memories and the City
Written by Orhan Pamuk
This book was recommended by our very own Dr. Hoff!
ABOUT THIS BOOK
A portrait, by turns intimate and panoramic, of one of the world’s great cities, by its foremost man of letters, author of the acclaimed novels Snow and My Name Is Red.
Blending reminiscence with history; family photographs with portraits of poets and pashas; art criticism, metaphysical musing, and, now and again, a fanciful tale, Orhan Pamuk invents an ingenious form to evoke his lifelong home, the city that forged his imagination. He begins with his childhood among the eccentric extended Pamuk family in the dusty, carpeted, and hermetically sealed apartment building they shared. In this place came his first intimations of the melancholy awareness that binds all residents of his city together: that of living in the seat of ruined imperial glories, in a country trying to become “modern” at the dizzying crossroads of East and West. This elegiac communal spirit overhangs Pamuk’s reflections as he introduces the writers and painters (among the latter, most particularly the German Antoine-Ignace Melling) through whose eyes he came to see Istanbul. Against a background of shattered monuments, neglected villas, ghostly backstreets, and, above all, the fabled waters of the Bosphorus, he presents the interplay of his budding sense of place with that of his predecessors. And he charts the evolution of a rich, sometimes macabre, imaginative life, which furnished a daydreaming boy refuge from family discord and inner turmoil, and which would continue to serve the famous writer he was to become. It was, and remains, a life fed by the changing microcosm of the apartment building and, even more, the beckoning kaleidoscope beyond its walls.
As much a portrait of the artist as a young man as it is an oneiric Joycean map of the city, Istanbul is a masterful evocation of its subject through the idiosyncrasies of direct experience as much as the power of myth--the dazzling book Pamuk was born to write.
(book review from the publisher Random House, Inc)
Memories and the City
Written by Orhan Pamuk
This book was recommended by our very own Dr. Hoff!
ABOUT THIS BOOK
A portrait, by turns intimate and panoramic, of one of the world’s great cities, by its foremost man of letters, author of the acclaimed novels Snow and My Name Is Red.
Blending reminiscence with history; family photographs with portraits of poets and pashas; art criticism, metaphysical musing, and, now and again, a fanciful tale, Orhan Pamuk invents an ingenious form to evoke his lifelong home, the city that forged his imagination. He begins with his childhood among the eccentric extended Pamuk family in the dusty, carpeted, and hermetically sealed apartment building they shared. In this place came his first intimations of the melancholy awareness that binds all residents of his city together: that of living in the seat of ruined imperial glories, in a country trying to become “modern” at the dizzying crossroads of East and West. This elegiac communal spirit overhangs Pamuk’s reflections as he introduces the writers and painters (among the latter, most particularly the German Antoine-Ignace Melling) through whose eyes he came to see Istanbul. Against a background of shattered monuments, neglected villas, ghostly backstreets, and, above all, the fabled waters of the Bosphorus, he presents the interplay of his budding sense of place with that of his predecessors. And he charts the evolution of a rich, sometimes macabre, imaginative life, which furnished a daydreaming boy refuge from family discord and inner turmoil, and which would continue to serve the famous writer he was to become. It was, and remains, a life fed by the changing microcosm of the apartment building and, even more, the beckoning kaleidoscope beyond its walls.
As much a portrait of the artist as a young man as it is an oneiric Joycean map of the city, Istanbul is a masterful evocation of its subject through the idiosyncrasies of direct experience as much as the power of myth--the dazzling book Pamuk was born to write.
(book review from the publisher Random House, Inc)
Sunday, February 21, 2010
March 1st
Greetings everyone. Dr. Stewart and Dr. Berg would like to have an accurate headcount for the trip by March 1st.
If you plan on going, make sure you know how you are going to pay for the trip, have registered for the course (if you plan of taking the trip for credit), have registered with us, and have a Passport (or have the process underway).
Thanks! Dr. Berg
If you plan on going, make sure you know how you are going to pay for the trip, have registered for the course (if you plan of taking the trip for credit), have registered with us, and have a Passport (or have the process underway).
Thanks! Dr. Berg
Monday, February 15, 2010
Istanbul
Greetings everyone!
If you intend on going on the trip please let Dr. Berg (eric.berg@mac.edu) or Dr. Stewart (rj.stewart@mac.edu) know where you are in the process so we can get an accurate headcount.
I will now start to post photos of the places we will go in May Term. I have started with Istanbul. Enjoy!
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Saturday, January 30, 2010
Crunch Time
Dr. Stewart and I are trying to finalize the list of those students who are going with us to Turkey and Greece this May. If you have expressed interest about going but we haven’t heard definitely about your plans please let us know as soon as possible.
If you haven’t gone to financial aid yet please do so next week and get your loan process started. Also you need to register for the course.
If you have decided not to go, please let us know as we are currently holding a plane seat for you will need to release it by next Friday.
Less business, more fun stuff for the next post.
If you haven’t gone to financial aid yet please do so next week and get your loan process started. Also you need to register for the course.
If you have decided not to go, please let us know as we are currently holding a plane seat for you will need to release it by next Friday.
Less business, more fun stuff for the next post.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Do not wait!
Greetings everyone.
We have just received word from the tour company that there are a limited number of seats on the plane to and from Athens. What does this mean for us?
We need to know EXACTLY who wants to go as soon as possible.
Please get in contact with Dr. Berg (Eric.berg@mac.edu) or Dr. Stewart (RJ.Stewart@mac.edu) and get a confirmed place on the tour.
We have just received word from the tour company that there are a limited number of seats on the plane to and from Athens. What does this mean for us?
We need to know EXACTLY who wants to go as soon as possible.
Please get in contact with Dr. Berg (Eric.berg@mac.edu) or Dr. Stewart (RJ.Stewart@mac.edu) and get a confirmed place on the tour.
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