What I’ve learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0037

1801.  There are turkeys in Turkey . . . maybe not;

1802.  The sun doesn’t seem as strong in Istanbul as it does in the U.S. . . . at least during the fall time;

1803.  Where there’s a minaret, there’s a mosque;

1804.  I can now say that I’ve been to Asia;

1805.  Turkish hamburgers (i.e., islak)! . . . Who knew?

1806.  Ayran tastes like (slightly) sour, watered-down yogurt . . . probably because it is (slightly) sour, watered-down yogurt;

1807.  The Asian side of Istanbul seems poorer than the European side;

1808.  Freshly squeezed pomegranate juice has a citrus zing to it;

1809.  Watch out for the shopkeepers in the Grand Bazaar (in Istanbul).  You’ll be browsing and you might have a thought of buying something like a leather jacket.  You wander in to one of the stores.  The shopkeeper gets you to try on a few.  The next thing you know, his daughter has emigrated to where you’re from and has lived there for the last twenty years.  You tell him you’ll think about it.  He doesn’t want you to leave.  You’ve bartered a price.  He only wants cash.  He asks you how much money (Turkish lira and U.S. dollars) you have in your wallet.  You tell him.  You hand over most of your money.  You now have a leather jacket you may or may not have wanted and you’re not sure if you’ve been ripped off or got a good deal because you haven’t done your homework . . . all in a span of five minutes;

1810.  Robbie dances when she shops;

1811.  Turkish delight (i.e., lokum) is like gummy candy, except covered with powdered sugar and sometimes with nuts;

1812.  Robbie has a playful, mischievous side to her;

1813.  Cinnamon sticks can double as straws;

1814.  Robbie can read your tarot;

1815.  It saddens me that Robbie has seen so much ugliness in the world;

1816.  A Turkish XL isn’t the same as an American XL;

1817.  Robbie has a scar on her bicep;

1818.  Robbie doesn’t wet her cotton swabs;

1819.  Robbie fits nicely in my arms;

1820.  Robbie likes towels;

1821.  The (fresh) homemade cake (with chocolate pieces and more) at Cherrybean Coffees (CherrybeanCoffees.com) in Istanbul is pretty tasty;

1822.  I can now say that I’ve bought women’s shoes;

1823.  The Sirkeci Rail Station (in Istanbul) is the terminus (i.e., end destination) of the Orient Express;

1824.  Everybody’s crazy.  It’s just about finding the right crazy that complements your crazy;

1825.  During his famous ride, Paul Revere never made it to Concord.  He was captured along the way coming from Lexington by the British;

1826.  The Kaffa region of Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee;

1827.  It seems that Paul Revere wasn’t a very good artillery officer;

1828.  Your social support network is the biggest predictor of your health;

1829.  Happiness is a choice;

1830.  “‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all” . . . Tennyson’s words have never rung truer.  With the former, there’s at least one moment of joy and ecstasy, whereas with the latter, there’s only heartache and frustration;

1831.  How do you try to forget someone you don’t want to forget and who pops into your thoughts when you see or read something even when you’re trying not to think about that person?

1832.  It’s amazing what a little (sea) salt and freshly ground (black) pepper can do for a (sirloin) steak;

1833.  It seems like every year Christmas decorations go up earlier and earlier;

1834.  Bob Woodward (of Watergate and “Woodward & Bernstein” fame) has written (or co-written) seventeen books and holds the record for the most number one bestsellers for nonfiction (at twelve);

1835.  Bob Woodward still holds a position at “The Washington Post” (as an associate editor);

1836.  Dana Priest broke the story about the secret CIA detention facilities started under the Bush administration to interrogate terrorists and brought to light the deplorable conditions of outpatient facilities at Walter Reed (Army Medical Center);

1837.  General David Petraeus has a Ph.D. (in international relations) from Princeton (University);

1838.  Bob Woodward is pretty funny;

1839.  Bob Woodward has known David Petraeus for many years.  When they first met, he invited him to dinner, prepared by his wife, over at his house;

1840.  Character is how you deal with your mistakes;

1841.  According to Bob Woodward, “(President) Obama doesn’t like people or politics;”

1842.  Bob Woodward sent a twenty-one page memo to President George W. Bush when he requested an interview;

1843.  Call me crazy, but from certain angles, I think Bob Woodward looks like an older David Duchovny;

1844.  The expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy (i.e., the highest tax bracket reverting from 35% back to 39.6%) would only generate an additional $100 billion in federal revenue . . . or about 8% of the federal deficit;

1845.  Roger Daltrey (the lead singer for “The Who”) doesn’t like to button his shirt;

1846.  John Entwistle (of “The Who”) was an amazing bass player;

1847.  We’re all a little weird.  And life is a little weird.  And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness – and call it love – true love;

1848.  If there is anything holding you back in your life . . . let it go;

1849.  Running a marathon increases your risk for a heart attack. . . . They cause short-term injury to the heart, but they don’t seem to cause lasting damage.  After a week of rest, the runners’ hearts showed no long-term effects, and, for most, heart function had returned to pre-marathon levels;

1850.  I was born on a Saturday;

What I’ve learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0036

1751.  The Turks sure do love their (boiled) corn, bagels (i.e., simits) and (roasted) chestnuts;

1752.  There are little shops and street vendors everywhere in Istanbul. . . . They’re along the streets, in underground thoroughfares and even under bridges;

1753.  Istanbul is a pretty clean city.  They are street sweepers and garbage collectors working everywhere;

1754.  The Turks aren’t as concerned about public safety as Americans are. . . . They’ll work on repairing a public set of steps without blocking off the area to pedestrians;

1755.  I didn’t think heaven and hell could be in the same place at the same time;

1756.  The Turks are serious jaywalkers. . . . It’s amazing that more people aren’t run over;

1757.  There are fish in the Basilica Cistern (i.e., Yerebatan Sarnıçı);

1758.  I’m not sure if Turkey has child labor laws;

1759.  Little boys in Istanbul like to play with toy guns;

1760.  There are amazing views of the city (i.e., Istanbul) atop Galata Tower (i.e., Galata Kulesi);

1761.  Guardrails make pretty good tripods;

1762.  Lightning only has to strike once for it to work out;

1763.  When it rains in Istanbul, it really rains;

1764.  October 29^th is Turkey’s Independence Day;

1765.  Robbie doesn’t like it when people read over her shoulder;

1766.  Shopkeepers in Istanbul like to sit on the steps or on a stool outside of their shops and drink tea, smoke or play with their phones or some combination of that;

1767.  The Turks don’t seem all that concerned about roping off museum pieces like they are in the U.S.;

1768.  The detail on Alexander the Great’s sarcophagus is amazing;

1769.  Some gladiators had their own (carved) gravestones;

1770.  The Hagia Sophia (i.e., Ayasofya) was originally a Christian basilica;

1771.  Windowsills make pretty good tripods too;

1772.  Lahmacun is sometimes known as Turkish pizza;

1773.  Watch out for the unordered dishes that show up on your table in Istanbul restaurants;

1774.  When you take a cab (i.e., taksi) in Istanbul, ask for the taksimetre (i.e., taxi meter);

1775.  5. Kat Restaurant & Bar (5Kat.com) also has amazing views of the city (i.e., Istanbul) too;

1776.  Chocolate baklava! . . . Who knew?

1777.  Florence Nightingale created the foundations of modern nursing practice in the Selimiye Army Barracks in Istanbul during the Crimean War. . . . They brought down the mortality rate from 70% to 5%;

1778.  General Mustafa Kemal became Atatürk (i.e., “Father of the Turk’s”);

1779.  There are no religious marriages in Turkey only civil ones;

1780.  Pistachio shells in the U.S. seem harder than the ones in Turkey;

1781.  Robbie was raised Baptist;

1782.  I think Robbie is a very good, kind and understanding person;

1783.  Daylight savings time ends on October 28^th in Istanbul (at least in 2012).  At that time, they’re only 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, not 7;

1784.  The Turks don’t really celebrate Halloween;

1785.  I should smile more;

1786.  No regrets;

1787.  The Turks are really into juicing;

1788.  Fresh kiwi juice is a little chalky. . . . I think it’s because of the skin;

1789.  Turks sure do like sugar in their tea. . . . It’s probably why Nestea iced tea is popular;

1790.  The “Rule of Thirds:” 1.  Divide your (camera’s) viewfinder into thirds horizontally and vertically; and 2.  Make the focus of your picture a third of the way in horizontally and vertically with the horizon being on the top or bottom third. . . . Usually the sky is more interesting than the ground;

1791.  Robbie likes beets . . . and, generally, any purple colored food(s) . . . and garlic;

1792.  The sanitation works in Istanbul tend to be Roma (i.e., Gypsies);

1793.  Robbie likes to have a drink with a cigarette;

1794.  Apparently, my upper (left) thigh makes a good cat pillow. . . . Just ask “Nameless;”

1795.  By the time she turned twenty-one, Robbie had visited every continent across the globe except Antarctica . . . of which she has (absolutely) no desire ever to see;

1796.  Apparently, slugs eat pigeon droppings;

1797.  As sad as it maybe, sometimes the stray cats in Istanbul are hit by cars;

1798.  Sultans had 8-10 wives and could remarry when one of them died;

1799.  Atatürk died from cirrhosis of the liver. . . . He sure loved his rakı;

1800.  The clock in the bedroom, where Atatürk died in Dolmabahçe Palace, is stopped at 9:05 AM, the time of his death;

What I’ve learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0035

1701.  Generally speaking, there are three occasions that cause us to feel a sense of uneasiness: 1.  When we are doing something that we think we are not good at; 2.  When we are doing something that we have had a failed experience with; and 3.  When we are doing something we know we can do, but we are putting unnecessary importance on the outcome. . . . How do we combat this?  First we must quiet our mind and put things where they really belong.  Train your mind to control your body’s emotional responses to outside stimulus.  This doesn’t mean you try to not feel emotions at all.  You just learn to use your mind to quiet them to a level where your logical brain is running the show and not your emotional brain.  These emotional responses, if not quieted, lead our logical brain to accept the idea that things are bigger than they are;

1702.  The penthouse luxury suites (with balconies) at the Dupont Circle Hotel (DoyleCollection.com/Locations/Washington_DC_Hotels/The_Dupont_Circle_Hotel) in D.C. are really nice;

1703.  Excuses are just things you are choosing not to overcome because you don’t want your goal bad enough;

1704.  The Taste of D.C. (TheTasteOfDC.org) is in early October. . . . You can get discounted tickets online beforehand;

1705.  You can eat pretty well at the Taste of D.C. for (under) $20.00;

1706.  We don’t quit doing things because we get old.  We get old because we quit doing things;

1707.  The atrium in the Grand Hyatt Washington (GrandWashington.Hyatt.com) has a Venetian feel to it;

1708.  The matchup between the (St. Louis) Cardinals and the (Washington) Nationals, on (Wednesday,) October 10, 2012, was the first playoff baseball game in D.C. in 79 years. . . . It set a (then) record for attendance at Nationals Park of 45,017;

1709.  After each (Washington) Nationals’ (baseball) game, you can get a free 16 oz. Miller Lite can at Cantina Marina (CantinaMarina.com) in D.C. for each ticket you have;

1710.  Transvestites hang out at Cantina Marina (in D.C.);

1711.  The “Snallygaster” (SnallygasterDC.com), in early October at the Yards Park in D.C., is the old Rustico Oktoberfest, but bigger;

1712.  It’s really hard to find a place to change your watch battery.  King’s Jewelry (KingsJewelry.net) in (Old Town) Alexandria is a good one.  They’re quick, friendly and they even set your watch . . . and it’ll only cost you $10.50 (including taxes);

1713.  Love is an addiction to the peptides you have created and associated to a specific person.  In any relationship (good or bad), your brain will fire off a batch of peptides that will make the experience of the relationship feel in a way that both parties become accustomed to.  After feeling this way for a long time, both of their bodies will become so used to feeling this way that they will feel discomfort and pain at even the idea of not having those chemicals (i.e., breaking up).  When they do break up, every memory is painful because it is a reminder that you are no longer getting those chemicals.  This reminder comes in the form of pain;

1714.  Your brain is hardwired to attach a specific emotional footprint to everything, every person you meet, every experience (good or bad) and every memory you have.  This is why you might hear a song that you haven’t heard since high school and you immediately smile and have a flashback of riding in a car with all of your old high school buddies;

1715.  If the feeling you shared with a girl created a peptide cocktail that felt so good it made you euphoric, then you are ingesting a very powerful drug.  If that drug is ripped from you when you aren’t ready, then you will suffer from the exact symptoms of a drug addict who is suffering from withdrawal pains the first couple of weeks when s/he’s in rehab.  The pain can be so bad that you will do anything to get your fix (i.e., her) back, even if you were telling your friends a week ago that she annoyed you and that you kind of wanted to shop around;

1716.  If you ever lost a woman during a relationship, it’s likely because you started to “need” her instead of “want” her;

1717.  You need water, air and food. . . . You don’t need any individual’s love or approval;

1718.  6’ 11” Brazilian (power) forwards-centers, making $13 million a year, (specifically Nenê Hilário of the Washington Wizards,) are pretty friendly;

1719.  Courtside seats at the Verizon Center are pretty comfortable;

1720.  The Guinness Book of World Records was originally created by the Guinness Breweries as a marketing giveaway;

1721.  The habit of courage can be learned just as any other habit is learned, through repetition.  We need to constantly face and overcome our fears to build up the kind of courage that will enable us to deal with the inevitable ups and downs of life unafraid;

1722.  While there are infinite things we could be afraid of, at our core, we are crippled with the fear of rejection, and the fear of failure, far beyond all else.  The fear of rejection is the most damaging because it can literally be crippling.  It is a cancer that can literally hold you in a self-imposed prison keeping you from taking the necessary action required to meet a specific goal;

1723.  Riding a roller coaster at night is a whole new experience;

1724.  Riding a roller coaster (specifically “Batman’s Batwing Coaster” at Six Flags America) right after eating ice cream isn’t a very good idea;

1725.  Paul Revere was an artillery officer in the Massachusetts militia during the Revolutionary War;

1726.  Rakı reminds me of absinthe;

1727.  The Grand Bazaar (i.e., Kapalıçarşı) in Istanbul is history’s first financial center and the world’s largest covered market;

1728.  Robbie is serious about turning off the lights;

1729.  Apparently, it’s illegal to talk badly about Atatürk;

1730.  There’s such a thing as Turkish ravioli;

1731.  The hummus in Istanbul has a slightly nutty flavor;

1732.  Robbie likes a good, strong massage;

1733.  I’m (really) glad Robbie isn’t stuck in a Turkish prison;

1734.  No one wears shorts in Istanbul;

1735.  The weather in Istanbul in late October/early November is great.  It can be a little breezy, but the wind isn’t cold. . . . You’ll be fine wearing just a t-shirt and (a pair of) jeans;

1736.  Turkish men really like to fish.  You’ll see a guy wearing a t-shirt and jeans to a guy wearing a suit fishing;

1737.  The Turks sure do like their (blue) jeans. . . . Almost everybody (male and female) wears them;

1738.  Everybody in Istanbul dresses pretty well . . . including the blue-collar workers;

1739.  How to drink Turkish tea: 1.  Clean and sanitize the tea glass by filling it halfway up with hot water, swirling it around and discarding the water; 2.  Pour hot tea halfway up the glass through the strainer; 4.  Fill the rest of the glass with hot water; and 4.  Add sugar to taste;

1740.  The Turks don’t seem to care about littering;

1741.  It says “giriş” (i.e., Turkish for “entry”) not “girls;”

1742.  The Ottomans sure loved their jewelry;

1743.  There are a lot of stray cats in Istanbul . . . and to a lesser extent dogs;

1744.  I don’t think the Turks like sour candy or pinot noir;

1745.  They squeegee the marble sidewalks outside of the Sirkeci Rail Station in Istanbul;

1746.  Istanbul might give San Francisco a run for its money as the hilliest city;

1747.  I think “Saturn” might be the European equivalent to “Best Buy;”

1748.  Beyoğlu Belediyesi in Istanbul is kind of like a cross between the Latin Quarter in Paris and Kalverstraat in Amsterdam . . . except with a wider main street;

1749.  Burger King seems pretty popular in Turkey;

1750.  No one wears sandals in Istanbul;