A Series of Unfortunate Events

What began with a crunch and a rustle ended with an incessant silence. It was a long December. A checklist of the past three weeks since my last post: Fought Continue reading →

Let It Snow

White blusters its way across the city. The kids rush out between class periods to chase, slide, slip, and chuck. Ice finds its way down one’s sweater. She squeals as Continue reading →

Inside is So Delightful

It’s quiet. Real quiet. There is the interminable drip-trickle of the rain as it falls from the overhang above my living room window, but all else is muffled by the Continue reading →

Winter is Coming

WARNING: The author of this post is fully aware of the irony in its timing. In his memoir Roughing It, Mark Twain boiled down his description of his most down-and-out Continue reading →

A Rose by Any Other Name

Municipal workers in Bebek Park   The woman leaned over the railing of her third floor balcony. Her mussy knot of hair and pushed up sleeves contradicted her bespoke olive Continue reading →

Protected: The Bosphorus Bubble

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

The Road to Bursa

The frozen pack of ravioli sends a chill up from my ankle and reminds me that maybe its time to start closing my windows to keep the cool fall breeze Continue reading →

Sinking into Hel

Helsinki was the color of wet concrete, and everything disappeared into the mist a few yards off. Dreary and wet, my plane window didn’t reveal anything until we thudded to Continue reading →

The Cloak of Invisibility

An argument near the Galata Tower In little over a day, I’ll be on a flight back to the U.S. for my first return trip home. Zubair and Arti are Continue reading →

A Stranger in a Strange Land

I know that it has been a while since I’ve updated the blog, but I have a great excuse: Megan has been here. It’s been a wonderful (and sadly short) Continue reading →