I continue with my travelogue to Turkey in 2006…
The next morning, if I remember correctly (in November 2006), we woke up before 5am so that we could take the hot air balloon ride. My son got a free seat as he was only 6 year old. (Anything above 6 are chargeble)
The Living Years by Mike and the mechanics
Arthur’s Theme by Chris Cross
The last few minutes in the ferry backed from Blue Mountain. Seagulls flied with sunset on Sydney Opera House.
Writing this blog I know I am running away from the preparation of next Tuesday’s negotiation and discussion on vendor tendering process. Pretty lousy, why people want finance people to deal with people? Can’t I just work with my computer?
And so now I am indulging in my memory. Even with important issues on coming Tuesday.
Let me worry that on Monday. These two photos are soothing.
More beautiful mansions along Parramatta River backed from Homebush Bay toward Sydney…
A seagull followed the ferry we took. At times landed at my friends’ heads. She just flew right above the ferry, like kite.
Beautiful yacht at Parramatta River.
Starting from Homebush Bay Wharf, along Parramatta River, we took a Ferry back to Sydney’s Circular Quay.
Beautiful sunset, shining river and a row boat/ racing shell crossed right under a bridge.
We saw many many Mansion houses along Parramatta River.
And some yacht clubs…I think.
There are more pictures from the ferry trip along Parramatta River in the next post. Below is the map starting from Homebush Bay Wharf.
I went to Sydney in November 2007. Together with my friends, we took a trip to Blue Mountain and came back to Sydney by ferry.
Does Blue Mountain look blue?
If I remember correctly, I was the only non-Muslim of the tour group that followed the night trip to this Caravanserai to watch the the ritual or ceremony of Mevlana’s whirling dervishes. There were probably about 15 of us, mostly Muslim, went to this Caravanserai. My wife and son and probably 20 others in the tour group decided to stay in the hotel and to prepare to wake up early for tomorrow hot air balloon experience.
It was the early or mid November of 2006, early winter. I wrote in my earlier incomplete travelogue post, highlights of my Turkiye trip:
In a chilling winter night, at this remote 800 year-old caravanserai near Avanos, we watched the ritual or ceremoney of Mevlana’s whirling dervishes. (Mevlana’s teaching) This photo of the caravanserai was taken at about 10pm-11pm, after the ceremony. It was a cold and serene night of early winter. I watched with deep respect to the ritual.
After more than two years, I was unable to complete my travelogue and my memory of this cherished trip is slowly faded away. I love this land, Turkiye or as they called, Anatolia, very much. I just unwilling to forget or accept a blurred faded memory of this beautiful land and beautiful culture and people.
I searched the net to find the name of this Caravanserai, Sari Han Caranserai.
Looking at the architecture. I am very sure SariHan is the Caravanserai that I visited.
Caravanserai served as lodging place for the travellers at yore. Sarihan Caravanserai was part of the Silk Road. The Ottoman Sultans collected tax from the traders when they entered the country. In exchange, the Sultans provided free lodging to these traders. In today words, these are international trade.
It was an extremely quiet night at Avanos. Once the bus engine stopped, all you could hear was quietness. People talked softly. The dervishes songs/ chants were clear and distinct from the background quietness.
This was the hall where the dervishes performed their whirling ritual. It began with plain single vocal. We could hear the echo and it was mesmerizing. Then, the musical instruments joined in. There were some woodwinds, strings (something like a ancient version of guitar) & drums. Very simple background music, though not simple melody.
Then the Whirling Dervishes started to whirl, probably entered into a kind of trance.
The performers were, as I was told, the direct descendants & disciples of Mevlana. There was at least a university professor in the 4-5 whirling dervishes. There were, if I remember correctly, 5-7 musicians playing the ancient musical instruments.
From the little I know, I think Mevlana’s whirling dervishes are not part of Islamic’s sect. The performers are probably Muslims but carry on with the Mevlana’s culture. In today perspectives Mevlana’s Whirling Dervishes movement are peace activists. Mevlana, when he was alive, promoted peace among religions and ethnics. He believed music and dances are the keys to enable people to forget about differences and to live in peace with each other.
In Turkiye, Ataturk banned all religions sects. I supposed it is still illegal to have religion’s rituals until recently. We were not allowed to take photo of the Whirling Dervishes.
Before the bus left for Hotel, I rushed to the left side of the Caravanserai to take this photo. The night was cold, very cold.
This is the map and the location of Sari Han Caravanserai.
Technorati Tags:
caravanserai, serihan, avanos, Mevlana, whirling dervishes, Ottoman, Turkey, Turkiye
Between Abdullah Badawi and Anwar Ibrahim, I prefer Abdullah Badawi.
Between UMNO and PKR, I don’t like UMNO but PKR is still too inexperience.
So which one? Vote candidate or party? If I were Pematang Pauh voter, based on candidate, I will choose Anwar Ibrahim, unless his opponent is Abdullah Badawi. Based on party, I will choose PKR and definitely not UMNO. Inexperience is ok, but money politics (if Mahathir was true) is rotten.
I believe Abdullah is a better and more moderate leader than Anwar. I know I can trust Wan Azizah but I don’t know if I can trust Anwar as a leader. But just for all the unfairness he received from Malaysia police and all packs of lies that spread against him, I wish him to win the by election.
If I were to rank the most suitable person to be Malaysia Prime Minister…
Number 1 - Wan Azizah
Number 2 - Abdullah Badawi (only if without UMNO)
Number 3 - Anwar Ibrahim
If I were to rank the most unsuitable person to be Malaysia Prime Minister…
Number 1 - Anyone from UMNO, except Abdullah Badawi
Number 2 - Abdullah Badawi (under UNMO)
Number 3 - Me
I think I have a strange political preference. For instance, between DAP and MCA, I would vote MCA only if under the leadership of Ong Ka Ting or Ong Tee Keat. I would vote DAP only if Lim Kit Siang is no longer at DAP. So now, among UMNO, MCA, MIC, Gerakan, DAP, PKR, PAS, etc. My ranking is
From Best to Worst:
1. MCA (only if under the leadership of Ong Ka Ting or Ong Tee Kiat. Reasons: Restricted terms for president, clean, 君子群而不党.)
2. PKR
3. Gerakan
4. PAS
5. -
6. DAP & MIC (reasons: strongmen leaders, i.e. Lim Kit Siang and Samy Vallu. Even with more than twenty years as party leaders still linger around. I believe strongman is bad for our society.)
7. UMNO (reasons: Pak Lah is good, but thank to 20-year of Mahathir’s regime, the party is rotten due to money politics. Like what Mahathir said, they are all yes man. He left out the part that they were trained this way under his regime.)
It was not always number 1 for MCA. Under the leadership of Ling Liong Sik, or that DVD scandal actor, I would rank it equivalent to DAP and MIC, that’s second last place.
If I have to choose among Mahathir, Ling Liong Sik, Samy Value and Lim Kit Siang, I would vote for my cat to be member of Parliment. It is really lucky for Malaysians that these 4 persons are either out or about to be out of Malaysia politics. We just need to make sure they will not come back, in the form of proxies.
With this, it is clear that let us hope Anwar will win this election.
The accusation is a lie. There was no sodomy. Leaked medical report confirmed that there is no evidence Anwar had sodomised Saiful.
Until today, the doctor stands by his report that there is no evidence Anwar had sodomised Saiful. He knows he is going to be made to pay for this but he doesn’t care. He is not going to change his report and say that Anwar sodomised Saiful whatever they do to him. Exasperated, the police had to release Anwar on personal bond or police bail. The doctor refuses to doctor his report and neither does Anwar want to volunteer his new specimen.
Malaysia-today.net
This false alarm case was handled by Serious Crime Division and 12 SWAT team members were sent to arrest Anwar without a concrete medical report. Our police intelligence is in serious questionable level.