Cuba: Museum Art, Museum Nacional de Bellas Artes

Quick, name a Cuban artist.  Yeah, before coming here I could not have named one either. Of course, that does not mean all that much. There are lots of countries whose artists I could not name. It does not necessarily mean anything about the quality of their art.  After visiting the Museum Nacional de Bellas Artes, I think it may say more about the quality of Cuba's artists' promotional talent than of their art.

And it's not just me.  On my way to the museum, I paused to check my map (always a risk, this time it cost me three CUC).  Swiftly, someone came to my aid: "Donde vas?". I told them I was on my way to the art museum - which just happened to be the way they were headed. Only we were not headed to the same museum. In Havana, there are two art museums located just a couple blocks from each other. My 'friend' assumed I was headed to the 'good one' a collection described as 'universal art'.  Basically, it is European stuff confiscated from rich Cubans after the revolution. I had to convince my new friend that I knew what I was doing. I really did want to visit the museum of Cuban art. I'm not sure my friend or any other Cubans have ever visited the Cuban art museum. I suspect they doubt anything Cuban could rival all that stuff by famous foreigners - but it does.

It is an enormous collection (revolutions are great for art museums) laid out on two floors, in four wings.  It spans more than a century of the work of Cuban artists. The vision and technique are excellent. It is apparent that Cuban artists trained seriously and followed the trends of their European counterparts. There is classical, Impressionist, Cubist, abstract - the whole range, yet most of it with a Caribbean or Cuban slant. They have some great stuff and sadly, a no picture policy. One of the guards said I would find copies of a bunch of the work in the store downstairs but alas, it was not so. It seems the only thing that Cuba is good at merchandising is Ché and this was no exception. The shop had more postcards of him than of the art upstairs. (I found some on-line though, somebody was sneakier than I am).

There was one element of particular note: that is the collection of José Marti themed paintings. Marti is, of course, Cuba's national hero and this is a state museum. So, where's the surprise that Fidel would include political art? The surprise was in the date of the work and the painters who created them. They pre-date Fidel by decades and speak to the almost timeless appeal Marti and his values have for Cubans. I expect long after traces of Fidel have disappeared, Fidel's monuments to Marti will remain.

Tour Guide: Lonely Planet, Cuba

I miss my tour guide. Sadly I left it on the counter in the hubbub of changing hotels at the beginning of the second part of of my stay in Cuba, my tour outside of Havana. Fortunately, by then I had already read it and for the most part it had already done its job. I have the overview and background I needed and I now have a living tour guide, Odalys.


Lonely Planet is a very good guide. As the cover will tell you, it has 105 maps and about 300 pages of all kinds of information; practical, historical, cultural and just plain fun. In fact it was so good that I found myself carrying it with me almost everywhere I went. Normally that would not be an issue, but in Havana there were at least two reasons to leave it at home. First it's a big book and I had no pocket to put it in. It was too hot to drag a coat or backpack so I had to carry it. And that was the second problem carrying a guidebook pretty much screams tourist and puts a huge target on you - and believe me, people zero in on that target.

Something to watch for...

Even so, the book was worth carrying. Its maps were far superior to the map I bought two CUCs from the tourist bureau. That map only had the things they wanted you to find (places to spend money) and street names were often obscured by symbols used to identify the highlights. Lonely Planet would show you the corner of the park where locals gathered to argue about baseball - a fascinating scene - they really do discuss passionately.

The book has a great and balanced overview of recent Cuban history and explanations of how things actually work in Cuba, something that is not always entirely clear without some explanation. It does well the thing which is probably a guides greatest utility it helps you avoid missing the little things you might otherwise not notice.

Cuba: Medical

If you are a fan of Michael Moore, or perhaps even if you are not a fan, there's a chance you already know a bit about medical care in Cuba. In his movie 'Sicko'  Moore uses the Cuban system as a contrast to the system we have in the United States. Audaciously, Moore takes 9/11 responders to Cuba. These are people who became ill after working at the WTC Ground Zero but who cannot afford to be treated in the United States. They go to Cuba where they receive good care at low cost. Moore is probably also the reason I had to buy an $80 insurance policy before I could visit Cuba.

Medical is something Cuba does well. And, they do it on the socialist model - to each according to their need...  You need medical care, they provide it. Apparently this is something foreigners have clued into and some now come and take advantage - in both the positive and the negative sense. Hence, the requirement to have an insurance policy, valid in Cuba. Some one they can bill for your services.

A crossroads hospital in the countryside

Ideologically it has been important to the regime to provide good medical care to 100% of its citizens and they have made a concerted effort over a long-term to accomplish that. They have built the hospitals and they have trained the doctors and nurses and they have put the effort into understanding wellness. As Canadians know (I'm thinking of the high tax on cigarettes) that is one of the benefits of a government that is financially responsible for your healthcare. They really care whether you are well or sick.

The result has been very positive for Cuba. Cubans are happy with the care they receive. They can see a doctor for free. If they need medicine, it is available and affordable. If they are hospitalized there is no bill. The facilities, while clearly more modern and nicer in appearance in the cities, are spread throughout the country. Villages have clinics and crossroad towns have hospitals. Services are available and there were not huge crowds waiting.

A village clinic

A side benefit has been the development of medicine as an export commodity. The research put into healthcare is yielding therapies that can be sold world wide. Cuba's ability to train doctors has allowed them to barter those services to Hugo Chavez' Venezuela for oil. For a developing country, Cuba's medical system is nothing short of extraordinary.

Exploring Havana

Most of the places we have been we have attempted to walk as much as possible. If you want to get to know a city, that's the way to do it.  Buses can be useful in getting an overview. They cover a lot of ground, and at least you can see the ground you're covering. Subways are pretty useless. You can learn something about general infrastructure and neighborhoods as you watch people come and go but otherwise you have no idea what is going on up there. No, if you really want to get to know a place, you walk.

In Havana, deciding to walk is a pretty easy choice. There is no subway and though there are buses they are not really a viable option, especially for a visitor. First problem is that the fare is in a currency you don't have, the native currency (more on Cuban currency in the Cuba commerce posts). Now you could get some pretty easily - but getting some without breaking the law is a lot harder. The second problem would be getting on the bus. I have never seen buses more crowded in my life. Not even the buses that pick up at sporting events that have just let out, where people cram on rather than wait for the next. Here you would just cram on because the next will be just as crowded. And the crowding creates the third problem; you are a target for pickpockets, it seems.

At least that's what the guidebook tells you. That crushed together environment is perfect for the pickpocket.  Of course they are touching you - how could they not?  No, you are better off walking and so I did. Just once I took a cab late one night when it seemed unreasonable to walk. I thought I was going to asphyxiate.  First, Havana has the worst air quality I have ever experienced (and I lived in LA in the 1960s when LA was worse than it is today)  The cars, trucks and buses all belch smoke like you would not believe. In the cab, in traffic, that smoke is coming right at you. When it's not, the air is no better because inside the cab you are breathing the fumes from the gasoline in the trunk. Yes, apparently the cabs all carry extra gas in their trunks because you can never be sure if the gas station will have it when you need it.  So, when you do find it you get as much as you can. I'm pretty sure the gas in the trunk creates both a health and a safety hazard.

No, you are better off walking. And when you walk you will see the neighborhoods tourists usually blow past in the cabs. The stores that Cubans rely on to meet their daily needs, the houses they live it, the schools they attend and the CDR office that makes sure everything in the neighborhood is just as it should be.  You see the real life.  It's an eye-opener.

Transit to Cuba

Okay, so maybe I picked the wrong day for it - but my hotel in Havana has a wonderful veranda and seems like the perfect place to sit and write about Cuba. Wednesday, it was 30 something degrees Celsius. Blistering and humid. The veranda was packed. On this day, if the temperature is half that I would be surprised. It's cool, windy and raining and I was alone out there. If I was a snowbird I would be disappointed but actually I prefer this weather to the hot stuff. I am not cut out for humidity.

So, then what am I doing in Cuba? Well, on my list of the countries I wanted to visit, Cuba was number one. Iran was number two, but I chickened out. Early. Already in September I knew that one was not going to happen. At that point it wasn't clear that I would get to Cuba either. For Americans, going to Cuba is not as simple as booking a flight. No, the freest people on this planet need to ask their government's permission to visit a small island 90 miles off our coast.

Of course, you could go illegally. There are flights from both Canada and Mexico and the Cuban government thoughtfully does not stamp your passport on entry. You could come and go without leaving a trace - but you would be breaking the law.

Not wanting to do that, I applied for a license. The purpose of my trip actually does meet one of the criteria - research. And so, I did get my permission. We also applied for a license for MC, on the grounds that she would be supporting my research by providing her linguistic skills. I stopped learning Spanish in the 10th grade 40 years ago. Spanish was one of her fields at university. Having her to translate really would have opened communication possibilities that I don't have on my own.

No matter, the US government in its wisdom thought it was too dangerous to allow her to accompany me. Permission Denied.

At that point, I felt like forgetting the trip altogether. There are 10 countries on the list for a reason. Five alternates.  We'll just go someplace else.

MC would have none of that. "You have to go" she said, "it was your top priority." It was, and so I went alone. I'm having a great experience (thanks MC) but it could've been better (No thanks, Uncle Sam).

Turkey: Police

On Istiklal, on my favorite street, the police presence was stark. Istiklal is an avenue that runs from Taksim Square, past shops and embassies and past what may be Turkey's most prestigious school, Galatasaray, on its way to the terminus of the funicular that takes you up the big hill from the bridge to the old town. It is a happening place, jammed with pedestrians seemingly at all hours of the day.

With so many people, obviously some security presence is warranted. What we found, however, was a police presence much larger than that required for routine security. There is a section of Taksim Square that is reserved as a staging area for riot control squads whose numbers at times must exceed 100.

The area is always cordoned off and guarded. In the morning there may be just a bus or two, empty and parked. In the evening there might be seven or eight busses and dozens of police milling about. That begs the question, what are they doing there?

Well, it seems that the gates and square in front of Galatasaray are a magnet for protesters. In our short stay in Istanbul (seven days) we must have walked up and down Istiklal a dozen times at various hours of the day and night. On three of those occasions, we encountered organized protests of one kind or another. Lots of less organized leafleting. Once, we saw the police force actually deployed.

As we strolled up Istiklal, approaching Galatasaray, the flow up the street started to slow. We soon saw why. Three to four dozen police were there with their equipment (protest tanks – a kind of APC – and water cannon) They were observing a demonstration and obviously preparing for conflict. They had their shields and body armor and were beginning to fit on the gas masks. As it was only 100 yards for us to sneak by the protest, I asked if it was safe to pass. The answer was no - we should go around. So we did. A couple of blocks up, a couple blocks over, a couple of blocks back and we were back on Istiklal, on the other side. There we found a similar cadre of police, boxing the protesters in. We waited, watched, ready to flee. Nothing happened. We waited, still nothing. Finally we moved on. I asked at the hotel the next day if there had been some excitement on Istiklal. No one had heard a thing. It seems nothing had happened.

We encountered the same scene in Ankara. Police suiting up. Nothing happened. It seems it is all part of a script. Protesters come out -because that's what protesters do. The police come out as if to say we are ready for trouble - if you want to make it. The protesters don't want trouble, so they don't make it. Everybody plays their role and goes home.

WiT? Clue:  The palm tree in the background says Cuba.  It seems they don't do statues of living people in Cuba.  (I saw none of Fidel, for ex)  It being Cuba, that means Castro likes him, must mean the US didn't.  And No, our government of the day really did not like this guy.  He got what we wanted for Fidel.

Blog Note:  I still have some posts for Turkey, but we will shift to Cuba for the next few, then come back in a week or so and finish up the Turkey posts.

Turkey: Cultural

Not the best pictures, it was dark.  It's a bar!

Obviously, in any society, there is a range of cultural forms that together comprise what might be called a country's culture, or cultural heritage. I am reminded of a French joke I once heard about America: “You know why they have yogurt in America, don't you?” “No, why?” “Without yogurt, there would be no culture!”

Okay, so we are not big on opera. But still, we do have culture. Rap music is a cultural form, and it is ours. The point is that not all culture is high culture and that low culture is also an important form of expression. A long justification of my choice for Turkey. We thought about the ‘Whirling Dervishes’ as  representative of Turkish culture, but as impressive as they are, they are like the Amish in America. They exist, they are interesting, but they are not America. The Dervish are not Turkey.

The beer street

What is? I was impressed by what I experienced one evening as we went looking for a beer. Now you know Turkey is a Muslim culture and you probably think you know that Muslims don't drink. So finding a beer might be a challenge, right? Wrong. Turks do not observe what might be described as a more fundamentalist restriction on alcohol. It seems they never have. Turkey is a Muslim country with a national drink – Raki - and a country that makes some pretty good beers. Finding one was not a problem. In fact, in Ankara there was a whole street with nothing but bars. We had our pick and we picked the student bar.


Inside, the place was jammed with students, men and women, drinking and smoking (despite a nominal prohibition – it seems the rule is just don't get caught) and listening to a folksinger performing on stage. It was a scene that could have been found in any student hangout in Berlin or Berkeley. What struck me the most was the equality of men and women. Not everywhere in Turkey did I feel that men and women were equals and their roles could easily be reversed. But here among the educated younger generation that seemed to be the case. The conversations, the interactions, the behaviors did not seem to be gender influenced. The place was very modern.  To me it was a very encouraging sign, if you prefer a Turkey that is secular and democratic. 

Who is That? #15

Here is this week's.  Send your guesses here.

WiT? Clue:  The palm tree in the background says Cuba.  It seems they don't do statues of living people in Cuba.  (I saw none of Fidel, for ex)  It being Cuba, that means Castro likes him, must mean the US didn't.  And No, our government of the day really did not like this guy.  He got what we wanted for Fidel.

Simon Bolivar

Last week's answer: Simon Bolivar (picture from Paris).  First correct answer, This time SP.

Two weeks ago scoring the only correct guess (Machiavelli) AM.

Scoring:  First Day - 10 pts.  First Correct - Bonus 5.  After Clues: 5 pts.  No Guess: 0 pts...
Catching up on the scoring for the last couple weeks:  The standings after 8 rounds:

AM:65 = 45 + 10 (M) + 10 (SB)
SP: 55 = 40 + 15 (SB)
MZ: 35 = 30 + 5 (SB)
CM: 35 = 25 + 10 (SB)
NH:10
KM: 5
You: 0

Turkey: Commerce

Upscale Istanbul Mall

The point of looking at commerce in a society is that by doing so you can gain some insight into several aspects of life. The kinds of transactions people engage in and the ways they engage in them are quite revealing. In Europe (Belgium, France and Germany - all three) I was blown away by the number of Nespresso™ stores. Their prime (expensive) locations and the crowds in them to buy what is an expensive luxury. All told, it said to me: Life is good in Western Europe.

There's a lot of coffee for sale in Turkey, but not at Nespresso™ stores. Even so, I did find very high end shopping malls where just about any other thing a western consumer might want could be found. (I am sure there is a Nespresso™ store, too if you search for it). If you are looking for some international brand name item in Turkey’s major cities, it will not be hard for you to find. In a mall in Ankara they have dedicated stores for brands (Samsung, for example) that would be one product among many offered at a US department stores. The result is a selection of products more varied than might be found in the United States.

The Grand Bazaar

There's another slice Turkish to commerce besides the malls, of course and it is probably the dominant mode. At the malls, like at home, you wander until you see something that interests you, and pop in to see if you want to buy it. The retailing is pretty passive. That is not the way it is on the streets of Turkey. Now it is true that neither MC nor I look Turkish.  In fact, I expect that our appearance pretty much screamed: foreigner (read tourist) and that made us a target. (A note on MC’s appearance: Turkish women do not have gray hair. It's like a miracle of genetics - or something). Turkish shopkeepers are anything but passive. They often stand in front of their store beckoning you to come in – “Just have a look. You don't have to buy”  They are experts at starting conversations. They avoid yes/no questions, preferring “Where are you from?” They always know someone from there and you are now chatting… “Come on inside, let me show you something…”

Similar businesses tend to cluster

Another device we encountered often enough to recognize and learn to dodge is the: ‘let me give you directions’ ploy.  You can always tell a tourist by their map. Look at a map in public and you are marked. “Where do you want to go?  Why, I am just going that way myself. I'll show you.”  Somehow, your route always takes you right past the shop where they have a friend who will make a great deal for you. It may even be true, but I didn't want a carpet. We read in the guidebook that these folks work on commission and act as agents like salesmen (yes, it was only men) everywhere, they are just beating the pavement looking for customers.

Turkey: Exploring Ankara

Ankara reminded be a lot of Sacramento, though Brasilia (a place I have never been) may be a better analogy. If you look at the other countries I have visited and ask "why is their capital where it is?" it is not hard to come up with an explanation for Moscow or Berlin.

But Ankara, why is Ankara Turkey's capital? As you have no doubt already deduced from previous posts, for most of the history of Turks in Anatolia, Istanbul was the capital. Istanbul is at the strategic crossroads of two continents and has been at the center of history for thousands of years.

And Ankara? It is kind of in the middle of nowhere - kind of like Sacramento - and sometimes the middle of nowhere is exactly where you want to be. At least that is where Atatürk wanted to be. You have to remember that Turkey (as such) did not exist before Atatürk’s revolution.

The land mass that would become Turkey was part of the Ottoman Empire. With the demise of that empire, large slices of territory were shaved off by European powers for their own purposes. Turkey had no long-recognized borders. Istanbul was on its fringe and potentially vulnerable. Ankara was in the center, geographically sheltered, it was a more secure place to build a government. So that’s where Atatürk built his government.

He also built the city. Like Sacramento, if you took the government away there would not be a lot left. As Turkey is less than 100 years old, so is most of Ankara. There's not a lot of ancient architecture. Ankara is a clean, modern government center. Except for the government it is not at all that exciting.

Turkey: Government Center

We saw it many times before trying to visit. An imposing complex, it sits atop a ridge along one of Ankara's main streets. It is not just the Parliament building, but an entire government complex that lies behind tall gates and significant security. You can't really get close, without actually going in.

I suppose that should not be surprising in this environment of terrorism that so many countries are experiencing. Letting people wander up close to a building is sadly an invitation to a suicide bomber. And yes, Turkey does have a terrorism problem. There is a Kurdish separatist group and they have initiated attacks in the past. Turkey does need to keep its guard up.

By now, for me, visiting a Parliament has become something of a barometer of a government's attitude about interacting with the public. It's not just about getting inside but also about who they keep out and how they let you in. So even though Murat told me not to worry - he knew people and could arrange a visit - I decided to go on my own to see what a foreigner without connections would experience.

What I experienced was nothing short of amazing. It started pretty inauspiciously. As we approached the building there was a nice view up the hill, so I decided to stop and take picture. That's set off the security. Guards started whistling and motioning and I thought it was because somehow they knew I was about to jaywalk. But no, the area is a military zone. You're not supposed to take pictures. I guess the thinking is that those pictures might be used to plan an assault?  You are also not supposed to go up the stairs that seem to lead to the building. There is no gate there and though it looks like an entrance, it is ceremonial and the guards won't let you passed the first step. The real entrance is around the corner. So off we went.

When we got there, we were met naturally by guard. He spoke no English and I spoke no Turkish. He signaled for us to wait. A second guard with some English ability arrived, welcomed us, and asked us what we were doing there. “We want to visit the Parliament.” He was not sure about that, but walked us to the next security check and told us to ask there. First, we went through security - airport style, not at all unusual, they do that at the County Court House in Martinez. We cleared and they took us to the security command and again asked us what we wanted. Again, no one spoke enough English for us to explain.

What was remarkable was how they all dealt with this incomprehensible intrusion. They were extremely patient and determined to work things out. Eventually we found someone to translate and again I began to explain who I was and why I was on their doorstep. Apparently I said the magic word – professor.  The reaction was instantaneous and humbling.  The police officer in charge of security took my hand, kissed it and put it to his forehead.   He would personally show us the Parliament.

Again, his English and my Turkish were about equal, but he was determined. He led us across the complex pointing out things along the way, greeting sentries and pulling out his keys to open locked doors. One of those doors was the door to the Gallery of the Assembly chamber. Here he grabbed a journalist who was passing by and pressed him into service as a translator. He described the space and who goes where, when they are session. We got a real tour of the space. Strangers, who appeared unannounced.

But that was not the end. After the chambers. He invited us to lunch in the Parliament’s cafeteria. We declined, but accepted tea. Again he grabbed a passerby and impressed him to translate. We talked about our trip, his family, ours, Turkey, the US. We had a great chat, then he invited us to his house to meet his family and have dinner. He would send a car to pick us up at our hotel. Astonishing, yet for Turkey I don't think all that unusual. If you are a guest they are determined to take care of you. We could not accept his kind offer but his generosity was unforgettable.

Ankara, 1st site: CHP headquarters

The CHP Leader's office

Normally when I choose the sites I am to write about, it is because of their historic significance or cultural value. For Ankara, the first site probably would not meet either of those criteria. It probably isn't in anybody's tour guide either - but it was huge for me.
It was a visit to the headquarters of one of Turkey's leading political parties for a chat with an advisor to the party’s deputy leader. Murat and his friend Tugba (who runs a TV channel) pulled some strings and set up the meeting.

In Turkey, political parties are funded in large part by the state. This provides them with the ability to develop an infrastructure to support their ongoing activities (Their political work developing and maintaining a constituency). A Turkish political party’s physical presence does not come and go in the few weeks around election day like American political parties. - Think about it, if you wanted to visit the Democrats or Republicans today could you find them? In Turkey, you could. Months before an election, we saw the offices of many different political parties - open and doing business. Given that this is true even of smaller parties in smaller cities (Izmir, for example) it is not really a surprise that in the capital, a major political party would have its own building.

The Communists, on Istiklal

The CHP (Republican Peoples Party) does, and it is an impressive space. We got the grand tour - even saw the leader’s private office and the parties cabinet room. Very cool - Even so, the highlight was the chat.  In Turkey's history, the CHP (center-left) has been its leading party, often forming the government. The old guard, through complacency and corruption, led it into the electoral wilderness. But losing collections can be therapeutic. It has new blood, fueled by people like the adviser we spoke with. Like many Turkish politicians his background is in academia. Unlike Sarah Palin’s Tea Party, Turks don’t see expertise and an intellectual orientation as a liability in governing.  These young politicians have a vision for leading their party back to power and correcting the drift they see in Turkey towards Islamism.

It was very interesting to hear Murat (who supports a rival political party - more Liberal in the classical sense) and the CHP adviser agree on so many subjects. They are rivals who share a profound fear of the current leadership and its direction for Turkish society. It will be interesting to see what results the coming election will bring. Is a grand secular coalition a possibility? It sounded that way to me and struck me as another echo of Atatürk's legacy.

Transit to Ankara

Okay, in Turkey we were definitely spoiled (rotten).  Nowhere else on the trip have we had it anywhere near as good. In six trips to and from airports in Turkey, only once did we use public transportation. Public transportation, of course gives you another slice of life and so while I know we were lucky to be so well cared for, I think we were also lucky to experience getting there on our own. That happened on our trip to Ankara.

When I made the reservation for the flight, I thought I had chosen a reasonable hour (10:30 AM).  That might be okay if you're anywhere near the airport when you start. Istanbul has two airports, I knew that. One on the European side and one on the Asian side. When we arrived from Germany we came in on the European side, about a half an hour from our hotel. We were leaving from the Asian side - how bad could it be? Well, it could be about an hour and a half. It wasn't, but it could be and you know how it is with airline departures.  It's okay to be a half an hour early but half an hour late can be trouble.  We wanted to arrive at the airport at 8:30 AM.  That meant rolling out of our hotel at 6 AM to be sure we did not miss the 6:30 bus.

And so we did. Even at 6 AM. There was a cabbie sitting in front of the hotel waiting. We did not need him, as it was a short walk to the shuttle at Taksim Square. We made the bus easy. At 6 AM, going east, there is no traffic on the bridge that can create the 90 min. ride to the airport so we got there in 45. 7:15, too early even to check in. Early, but that's how we roll.
The flight to Ankara was uneventful. That's how people move between Turkish cities.  It seems flights are efficient, cheap and frequent. Before we knew it we were there at Ankara international.

As befits the national airport of an important and large country, Ankara International goes the extra mile to impress. There is a river in the airport, if you can believe it. It runs for hundreds of meters. I'm sure its job is to impress important foreign officials to come to call. I think it does its job.

There were not a lot of people at the airport. I am not sure what the flight schedule was but when we stopped for coffee after the flight, we were the only ones there - except for airport workers on a break. Huge airport - no one there. Only in a national capital could you justify the expense.

The emptiness may also have been a result of how hard it is to get into a Turkish airport. They put you through a full security check just to walk in the front door. There is a second one to get on the plane. That may seem excessive, or it may just be the future considering the recent attack at the Russian airport. Planes aren't the only target nowdays. Turks already know this.

WiT? Clue:  A few weeks ago, we were on a 'Father of his Country' kick.  Well, this guy may be the best example ever - and he had lots of children!

Who is That? #14

Here is this week's.  Send your guesses here.

Still in Cuba, so no score updates.

I was surprised to see this guy when I did.  He seemed out of his element then, but he is an appropriate choice for my current location...

WiT? Clue:  A few weeks ago, we were on a 'Father of his Country' kick.  Well, this guy may be the best example ever - and he had lots of children!

Last Week's answer:  Niccolo Machiavelli

Hola de Cuba!

A post from Cuba

I know I said there would not be any - because I had read that the internet is so bad, but then I found a WiFi connection.  The internet is bad.  I am convinced it is intentionally so.  It is ridiculously expensive for the average Cuban.  Thirty minutes of dial-up (yes, dial-up.  Remember that?) would cost a Cuban a days wages.  The other day it took me five minutes just to login into my gmail.  Facebook, because it has graphics, was much slower.  I would log on and let it run in the background while I read and responded to email.  If I was lucky, I could see my page for a minute before my card expired and the computer shut down.  You don't even get to keep the pages you loaded to read off-line.  They just melt away.  Cool graphic, that - your page melting away.  Once you get past the disappointment of seeing it melt away....

Mobile phone communication, even land lines, is equally pricey.  Skype calls cost more than $1. a minute.  Why?  Well, as John Marshall famously said: "the power to tax is the power to destroy."  I bet Hosni Mubarak wishes he had made communication a lot more expensive just about now.

At any rate I am in Cuba, learning a ton.  Some of it good, some of it bad.  But as my father used to say: "it costs money to learn how to play the piano."  Learning how to avoid getting cheated costs some money.  It cost me $12.50.  About the cost of a piano lesson.

The weather has been quite variable.  From sweltering on Wednesday, to downright cool yesterday.  Today is somewhere in the middle.  Tonight is my last night in Havana, then I get out and begin to see parts of the rest of the island.  Havana has been great.  Lots of material for the blog, but be patient.  I have taken advantage of the time here to write up most of the Turkey posts, so there is a backlog that needs to be cleared before the Cuba stuff starts. 

For Americans, I really wish you could come and experience this.  It is unique in many ways and, I expect, very perishable.  It's kind of a Catch-22.  You can't see it until the embargo ends, and when the embargo ends it will disappear.  I am taking pictures for you though.  Sadly you will have to live vicariously.  Until soon - Enjoy the canned posts.

Bonus WiT? Clue:  Am I going to have to bust some heads to get you to guess?  'Cuz I will.  Don't doubt me.  I'll do whatever it takes.  He'd prefer you hate him, well, fear actually...

Transit to Istanbul

Murat's Dad

One of the things I have noticed as I have started to execute my “25 Things” is that there really are not 25. The origin of this blog is the requirement that I write about each of the elements that are part of my sabbatical project. In writing up its parts, for some reason I separated the element of traveling to the country from the element of traveling to each of the two cities I would be visiting in each country. It doesn't make much sense to me now. When you transit to the country, you are likely headed to one of the cities.  That leaves you writing about the same event twice. It doesn't really work. There just is not enough to write about. Usually.

But Istanbul is different. (Noticing a theme? Turkey was different.) By the time we began our trip to Turkey, MC and I had been on the road for months. Istanbul was the 12th city we are visiting (not counting day trips from Brussels). We were old hands. We knew how to get to and from the airport using public transit and we were used to schlepping our bags.

That did not happen in Turkey. This may explain why Turkey is MC's favorite stop so far. In Istanbul when we arrived there was a very nice man waiting for us with my name on the sign. This was entirely Murat’s doing. The man worked for Murat’s father, who is a building developer constructing high-rise apartments. Murat told his dad we needed a ride and it was arranged. He took us to our hotel where it became clear I needed a Turkish SIM card for my phone. It was arranged. A person to show us around would be nice. It was arranged. I could go on.

Most places we have been we were a visitor. In Turkey we felt like a guest. A lot of that was Murat. I know.  But some of it was just how Turkey is different, I think.

Blog update:  I had some catching up to do with Germany, so the next few posts will be canned - since I do not expect to be able to put up new stuff from Cuba.  If I somehow find a suitable connection, I still have lot's of Turkey posts to write & upload - then once I am back the Cuba posts should start.

Who is That? #13

Here is this week's.  Send your guesses here.

I loved this one.  A lot of people would probably say he had it coming...

Last week's answer: Charlemagne.  First correct answer, This time Alexander beat Scott P. .  Lots of you are still sitting on the sidelines! 

Scoring:  First Day - 10 pts.  First Correct - Bonus 5.  After Clues: 5 pts.  No Guess: 0 pts...

The standings after five rounds: It is getting tight at the top!

Charlemagne/Karl der Grosse

AM:45
SP: 40
MZ: 30
CM: 25
NH:10
KM: 5
You: 0

WiT Note.  This week, I am in Cuba.  It may not be true, but I have read that internet access is horrible (and intentionally so - don't want Eygpts or Tunisias, here).  It will affect the Blog posts (they will all be done in advance and scheduled to post automatically), It should not get in the way of the game,  but I will not be able to update the scores.  MC will answer your guesses.  When I get back to the Free World, we will bring everything up to date.

Turkey: Religion

Blue Mosque, for ritual washing

On the surface, it might seem that Turkey is a particularly religious place - especially if one spends sometime in the old quarter of Istanbul.  There, it's most important historic sites (the Blue Mosque the Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace and the Hagia Sophia) are all within steps of each other.  And in the old town, there are a bunch of mosques, large and small, old and new. Each one of those mosques will have a minaret, or two, or four, or six (Blue Mosque has six, it is unusual - but a good story. Look it up)  Each of those minarets will have a loudspeaker and six times a day will issue the call to prayer.

So it seems that religion hangs in the air Turkey. Another element that creates an impression of religiosity is the prayer beads that you see everywhere, not just for sale to tourists (MC bought some), but constantly in the hands of people you see in the streets. They're always fiddling with them. They are ubiquitous.

A Christmas themed ad?  If it works...

And they have not all that much to do with religion, as it turns out. Yes, their origin is religious. They have 33 beads, and are supposed to be used to recite the 99 names of Allah.  That is until you break one of the beads off.  Then it just has 32, no particular religious significance, and just becomes a fidget toy, like a stress ball. Apparently this is what most Turks do. They're not praying all the time - just keeping busy.

In many ways this is like the way they seem to relate to the call to prayer. It is a constant part of their lives, but does not have all that much religious significance for the average person. At the appointed hour, the calls will start.  In places with multiple mosques they alternate so as to avoid stepping on each other, and from what I could tell, people seem to just keep doing whatever they were doing. To put it bluntly, they seem to just ignore them.

In this respect (ignoring religion) Turkey is very much like the West and in that, it is the realization of the dream of its founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Atatürk was a true revolutionary whose vision extended beyond politics to social life. (see the history post for more on him - coming soon)  He believed Turkey needed to be a secular country and he worked hard to accomplish that. To me, it seems he succeeded.


I know many Turks have grave concerns about whether that last statement will long be true. They fear the direction the current government is taking. They do not want to live in an ‘Islamic Democracy’, rather they prefer a democracy, populated by Muslims. In that, there is no difference between them and me. I fear America's Christian Dominionists (Sarah Palin is the best-known example) and I want the United States to remain a democracy, populated by Christians (among others). Not a Christian Democracy.