Strawberries and Cream

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Today I'm bringing delicious things like...

a copper pot
decorated with fine relief and incisions, and
a dazzling handmade necklace
with semi-precious gem stones, Czech crystals and sterling silver.

Ah copper pots and their antiques decor is my weakness! In a home, a coffee shop, a veranda... it should not be difficult to understand why they are accepted the Queen of Pots.

Its history is so deep in the country. It's known that in the Roman and Byzantine periods there were developed metal processing workshops in Anatolia where the metalwork reached its highest level. Copper occupies an important place in Anatolian art, and one of the most ancient traditional arts using metal is copper working. As the mostly used metal, copper (Turkish: Bakir) is widely in use of the daily life for pots, jewelery, helmets, doorknockers, kitchen equipment to decorative doors, where the metal is plated with tin.


Ottomans metalwork centers are still functioning as center of copperwork, especially Gaziantep, the largest city of southeastern Anatolia region that's well known as Zeugma City is famous with its copper working and copper crafts. Bought this copper craft in Gaziantep. I loved the fine working on it, don't you. I were unable to kill it using in the kitchen even though it's orginally designed for water holder, but I like to see how it's making gorgeous addition to my living room with a few more sister pieces. Definitely charming objects, being decorative, looking much more antiques.



When thinking of these productions, I couldn't stop myself blowing off what if putting soul, or finding soul. I'd like to ask you: Are really you putting your soul into your work?

The answer I should say is no. Yes, 'no'. I think it's important about finding soul in my work, rather than putting soul.

If you aren't a jewelery designer, then I ask you to imagine what it might be like working on a summer necklace for a touristic shop versus a wedding ring design.

Which might be more fun? In other words, which might get you excited to work on? Of course, I'm not saying this is better than the other. For me, I'd prefer to work on a wedding design because it's something I'd have more fun to work on with having many gymnastics in my brain until the product comes out from my hand, something I'd get a charge out of. This is what I wanted to underline by finding soul there. And, its importance for me... a satisfaction with my job as well as my hobbies. That satisfaction is what I call is ''soul''. That is I find my strawberries and cream:)

I know that many people want to find soul in their work. Some can find, some not. Just the same, also here on blogosphere. It's the reason that makes it all worthwhile. I believe that if there's no soul there's no success in the end, as true as 1+1=2. Something that makes me get out of the bed in the morning with a smile and enthusiasm. That is why I encourage, if your current 'job' does not give that feeling for you, find something you enjoy doing in your spare time or stop, don't waste your time.

I'm pretty sure that should be something out there that makes life 'great' and 'meaningful' for all of us. Some of us put our soul into it, and others become happy just enjoying the moment.

Of course this isn't all to say that I don't put my soul behind what I do. Yes, I DO. It comes from within me. I love the feeling what I do. But, what I do, much of the time is firstly for my satisfaction. Not for others. When I'm satisfied with the result, I know that then others would be satisfied with it. A win-win situation.


Like me when I was creating and designing this piece on my own as a hobby lately, and like the craftsmen of Gaziantep when they were crafting one-of-a-kind unique asthetics copper pots... Wish may everyone try and find the strawberries and cream behind what they do. So we can really do for a living that might be our true bliss, and brings us happiness or satisfaction.

My Blog Thinks...

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connections as branches

A sunny Saturday afternoon

~Jan 24, Istanbul,
taken at home 'Natural blue'

Here's the cool thought of today. One small step for participation, one giant step for thinking:

A]] What makes the world smaller as in 'easier to put your arms around' is the humanity that comes through when we use technology to connect?

B]] What makes the world smaller is the technology that allows us to connect more easily with each other?

Aren't they the connections between our emotions and learning. Obviously that tell why we are so keen on making all those connections on several social networks like facebook, twitter, on blogs for that special feeling of being heard, being seen and a part of things -of interest, of confidence, of trust, of love. It counts... you count so many.

Anyway, that's what's passing on my mind right now.

And, I'd like to hear from you -what do you think? Leave a comment right away. In seconds. You are for A? Or, B?

IQ < EQ < SQ

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''Hey, my son has an IQ of 200, he's going to be an engineer.'' The mother is happily smiling.


As you remember, for long the world gave much importance to intelligence quotient (IQ). In mid '90s, findings in neuroscience and psychology revealed the importance of emotional quotient (EQ). This made us aware of our feelings and that of others as it gives empathy, compassion, motivation and ability to respond skillfully to pleasure.

Last year in 2007 a new introduction came out. New dimension to human intelligence: spiritual quotient (SQ) as the ultimate intelligence. This is the intelligence used to solve problems of meaning and value. Take an example from real life ''Am I sure that I find the fulfillment in my job? Is it the right job I do?'' Other example from blogging world ''Am I relating to the people in a way that contributes to their pleasure and mine?''

What about you? Have you found yourself (in blogosphere)?

You can share your answers with me in comments field below -if you wish:)

Our answers to above questions will determine whether we found/find happiness or not. IQ and EQ are inadequate in these issues, but SQ. Because SQ is about:

~ moving on in life.
~ the growth of a human being.
~ thinking of ourselves as an expression of a higher reality.
~ how we look at the resources available to us.
~ to discover a freedom from a sense of limitation as human beings.
~ moving in a positive and constructive direction.

I believe that bloggers should have good SQ's as it's the ultimate intelligence that can add value and meaning to their life as well as their presence in the blogosphere. Otherwise they will continue to be demolisher of the values instead of willing to be constructive. Unfortunately it is what I have also been seeing that there is a big polarization even in blogosphere. A kind of unpleasing battle that's directed to values, some countries and their people. Today the blogosphere is so charged, so polarised, and so filled with haters hating that is simply not worth as stated in The Economist, please continue reading: blogging may die as it's no longer as it was

As a result, it's our choice, again, whether we are willing to engage where others are ready to engage with us. So mine is a SQ creative blog. Yours?

Overall, what I've learned is that:

... a lot of relationships flow from the exchange of comments. Just because comments are a great barometer of how much thought I'm stimulating, and it's the means of determining a blog success.

... and, ''Receiving isn't easy.''

If it were, more of us would do it with grace and gratitude.

If it were, we could be nourished and empowered.


How to make it happen? Any way? Only the holiday season is a time for giving and receiving? These crucial questions are a part of our life experience. As told above, neither IQ nor EQ. I believe SQ something more important than IQ and EQ. Today the ability to receive is essential to our spiritual intelligence.

And, hereby I give my thanks to Bonnie in Seattle-USA, a very sweet continuous reader of this site. She's not a blogger, not a problem, but I can easily feel her spiritual intelligence with a great pleasure that's the most important point:)

My new title, being a Renaissance Woman.

A very exciting title that I received in year 2008.

Lost in Love

n

Maybe it is the...

warm gentle summer breeze,
or
the blazing sun,
or
the refreshing summer water...

Perhaps it's the summer vacation;)


Whatever the cause, we know that LoVe mostly blossoms in the summer:)

And, isn't it those marriages to be done mostly during the summer more than in any other season of the year?!

Not only me, I'm sure we have often wondered why: Why all this summer love? Needless to say, summer has always been considered to be the most romantic of the four seasons:)

When I was a child, I always marveled at the bountiful harvest my grandparents were capable of bringing forth in the fall of the year. The wheat was beautiful and golden. The corn was nearly ten-feet high. The crops they planted and harvested in the rich bottom lands were simply amazing! But why, that I was often asking? What's so special about this place? Before too long, I learned the answer: crops planted in the spring, and nourished by the rains grew to giant proportions in the rich soil along the river. By the end of summer, the crops grew tall, they grew quite healthy, they were ripe for the harvest.

So my endless love for summer shares all of these characteristics as told above in a story from my past. Love springs eternal in the spring, and is nourished by the rain. But always remember, it grows under the warm sun of summer! I can easily say that summer is the season of love as harvesting ''the loveliest flowers of the soul'':)

When I think of life is fragile... life is uncertain... life is not forever... Why NOT love? Then LOVE TODAY. In love and life, there's nothing more important than having someone to love, and someone who loves you. In short, there's nothing more important than only love and peace. And, You, do not afraid of writing ''Story of my life'' in this summer:) Maybe you did, who knows...

My Lovely Memories. Simplicity. Sustainability.

Ah, the summer -I am loving so much. I am loving summer sunshine. If you ask me, LoVe can be felt in every corner of the world during the warm summer months. I was in ''dream . plan . do'' to flirting with my Sun. Voilà, finally, a bit hardly, I'm safely back to home from the sunny Aegean coast:) It was pure bliss, because:

My roadtrip till N-point in the map above- relaxing.
The skies- endless blue, smooth, clear.
The beach- bare.
My memory card- empty;)
My smile- WIDE:)

As you can imagine, my vacation was dreamy to say the least, and have so much to spill about.

~ I love the sight of: standing the time.
~ I love the the smell of: beautiful flora.
~ I love the feel of: lazing in the shade.

Until I present to you the details from my vacation, and such wonders to show & tell, go be in love. LoVe well. There's nothing like it!

''The most precious gift we can offer others is
our presence.
When mindfulness embraces those we love,
they will bloom like flowers.''

Thich Nhat Hanh

Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk,
teacher, author, poet and peace activist

Remember Moments

''Life's like a play;
it's not the length
but the excellence of
the acting that matters''

Seneca

Roman philosopher, mid-1st century AD

Today it is my great pleasure to present my Awards Ceremony, already in progress;)

First, second and now ''The Excellent Blog'' taking home third place:) Kate from La Ville Est Belle gave me this award for being an Excellent Blog the other day! Thank you so much for the kind honor of nominating my work for the Excellent Blog Award, Kate! Truly I am honored.


I shall express my feelings now. I would like to continue writing for a living. In other words, I should say that I would like to make my living doing what I love to do the most: working and writing. It is a dream and a goal for me that sometimes looks far, far away but other times looks so close that I can touch it:) I reach that goal the experience is worthwhile because I am learning so much and meeting so many wonderful people during this voyage. Therefore we all are entitled to our dreams, right?

I send you this flower,

because I want our memories that last forever:)

Common Dreams

Many of the world's top leaders --including Turkey as well-- from politics, business and the global community attend at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to discuss how to make the world a better place.

Davos, Switzerland, 26Jan2008

This year (Jan 23-27, 2008) they invited people around the world to join them, and help them by submitting their own answers to ''The Davos Question'', which is:

What one thing do you think that countries, companies and individuals must do to make the world a better place in 2008?

First let's have a look what tell us the statistics about social, economic and environmental development at local, national and global levels: I would like to point out that during the last 40 years GDP has increased, child mortality has decreased dramatically, poverty has been reduced (38% lived under the poverty level of $1/day in 1970, 19% in 2000) etc. A good result for the world in general. As for the full presentation, it can be found here.

On the other hand, almost everyone believes that giving more people access to technology helps everyone today:

*It helps individuals by giving them more information and more opportunities.
*It helps businesses by creating new markets.
*It helps governments by raising general economic standards.

Let me determine that all of those people now becoming part of the global community are our new customers, our new competitors, our new providers and even our new friends. Yes, digital access also makes the world a better place:)

I know that each one of us wants to make a difference for a better life for all as much as possible.

Is there anything for the individuals in order to make the world a better place?

What can we do as each one of us is a player in the field of life?


Most of us work for a company, live in a country in the different parts of the world. Our individual actions influence the folks around us, and that influence finds its way into the companies we work for, and countries where we live. So, how about we, being individuals, focus on the good things in the people around us, and try to learn to be more forgiving of those imperfections?

We used to hear reports of systems, injustice, environmental disasters, global weather changes, political news and more every each day. It is all too enormous for us to believe we might make a difference for the better because we can no longer affect the whole; our voice is not heard in the circle of life. However, our wisdom, passionate enthusiasm and experience are withheld from our community of life.

So, to keep myself in the game I say to myself ''I do not have to do everything. However I need to do something''.

Each and every day I do something like this: taking good care of myself, education of myself, walking in the nature, having dialogues with others,... Thus, taking actions in my life that I try to contribute to a better world for ALL.

I keep myself on this path is through gratitude. Because gratitude is the key for the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. In other words, it turns chaos to order, confusion to clarity, denial to acceptance. It can even turn a meal into a feast, a stranger into a friend, respect into loyalty. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.

I believe that I can walk another mile when I'm grateful. Because gratitude really affects me by giving more optimism and a greater confidence.


I strongly believe that tiny changes that make the world a better place:

My colleagues walking this path with me...
Blooming roses in my neighbour's garden...
The birdsong that I hear every early morning...
Saying prayers for those who in need...

I give my gratitude at least for the four above. I would like to encourage you to try it. Just because we do not need a revolution to improve but in any form of slight tiny CHANGES will do that. To have this thought in our mind is already a CHANGE, no matter how great or small that something is. By that, we can make a big difference. The world can become a better place.

Be the change you wish to see,
Be the best that you could be,
Be the possible good human-being for others,
We can all make a difference,
In the smallest of ways...
Worth doing!
I strongly believe.

The best thing about having a generous and grateful mindset is that you start seeing mostly good things:) The world seems like a much more pleasant place to be, even in the midst of hard times, and I'm generally in a happier and cheerful mood in my life. It's like that saying, ''Sunshine is like a jam. You can't help getting a little on yourself when you spread it around.''

So, in the spirite of glorifing a simple life, and letting it shine out a little farther than it has before, I would like to give my Better Place Award to...


Gil: From Lisbon, Portugal. As it truly is sites such as his that makes the www a better one. No doubt he will receive many awards for a site of this nature:) Why not discover the beauties of the world with him? As he stated that it is not such a small world.

World Map Mosaic
at the Vasco da Gama monument
in Belem, Lisbon

The Award Rules say that:

1.Use Ukok's image (above) in your post.
2.Award the blogger(s).

I'm grateful I have been with blogosphere from the beginning of Aug 2007, and only 6-months old that I am in this exciting work. This is my Second Award in a real short time, after my First Award that I am given last month in January.

I'm grateful I am always amazed at the beauty people are interested in sharing! It is about, and by, people just like me. People that love. People that care. And it grows and grows. Because I realize that there really are so many of us who contribute to my journal as the bloggers, the readers, the commentators, and even those of you who read me silently in the background:)

I'm grateful A dear friend of mine, biologist Smaranda nominated me for the Special You Make The World A Better Place Award. She is from a beautiful -yet undiscovered by many- country with dreamy mountain scenery, majestic castles, medieavel towns, the place of birth of the inventor of the jet plane engine Henri Coanda, known for the myth of Count Dracula, and famous for gorgeous talented plentiful women, see below handiwork for a better understanding:), that is Romania. She is also a believer to being a beautiful part of it instead of changing the world. For the world of beauty, join her. THANK YOU for caring about me, Smaranda:)

''Traditional Romanian Costume''
A 33X33cm (=13 inches) fabric block
made by dear Alexandrina
for my World Project,
that is yet under construction.

What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other? by Mary Ann Evans (1819-1880)

Loyalty Builders

What a wonderful thing to say to someone
~You Make My Day!~

In life, there are so many different ways to say to someone ''You Make My Day''. Honestly, I am the lucky one to be honored so often with those kind of good expressions that I used to hear are like ''Nihal, you made my day'' or ''Nihal, you brighten up my day''.

In fact I am an Award holder in my life as well.

However this way, given on the blogosphere is quite different, and for the first time it happens to me: What a special award!

I read that The You Make My Day Award is given to 'people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blogland'

The Baha'i House of Worship,
an icon of Indian modernism.
The monumental building
-called the Lotus Temple because of its shape-
was construced between 1980 and 1986
by Iranian architect Fariborz Sahba.

Recently an Indian friend of mine that lives in Hyderabad, the capital of the Southern Indian State of Andhra Pradesh, surprised me by honoring with this Special Award, You Make My Day. I want to give my sincere thanks to him for the kind and motivational words stated about me.

He is from a country of contrasts with its diverse cultural traditions, vital, multicultural and dynamic, old-fashioned and ultra-modern at the same time, poor and super-rich, cramped and spacious, colorful, elegant, chaotic, noisy. Seeing life from his eyes in a country where I have not yet been grabs my all attention for everytime. I would highly advice you to take some time yourself and read his writings in order to get an idea of India's unique atmosphere here.


The Award Rules say that:

1.Write a post with links to blog/s that make your day or make you think, and make the award announcement.
2.Acknowledge the award giver.
3.Tell the blog winners that they have won by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on.
4.Be aware you may get the award several times.
5.Display the ''You Make My Day'' in your blog (optional).

Choosing won't be easy but here goes. I am pleased to announce just two today, but any day all of my friends on the roll of ''My Daisies'' could get awards. Oh yes, each one of you is like a Daisy for me, SmiLe:)

Giovanni: (shortly as Joe) From adorable Rome, Italy. His photo blog shows you the areas around his homeland. He's got an artist's eye when he's taking photos. Catch the moment with him:)

Marita: Lives in Holland, and is one of those people that you can tell has a warm and friendly heart. I'm always inspired by her writings especially about love and the nature, her unique way to share her thoughts with gorgeous photographs, and stories from her life and family that all make me interested in reading her journal.

The blogs I read on a regular basis provide me a mixture of inspiration, appreciation, knowledge and even laughter. There are so many intelligent and beautiful people out there! And blogosphere is wonderful in the way that it allows incredible connections.

It's our differences that make us unique,
Our respect that brings us together,
Our talents that foster frienship.

Thank YOU ALL for Making My Day!

Visual Delight

''Whatever you do, or dream you can,
begin it.
Boldness is genius and
power and magic in it''
Goethe

I can't speak for each one of you, but I can speak for myself on my journal:) I should say the fact that I sought out this community as it awes and inspires me every day.

I now make it a point to say that it's so nice to see such a varied group of people from different countries and different backgrounds blogging, and luckily possible to meeting them at times!

There has been such a tremendous outpouring of energy and passion for my writing that the only thing I can think about is this: THANK YOU!

THANK YOU for visiting me and reading my write-ups, for providing your insights and spread the word -it's great to get your each feedback and useful for me on how to make it better-.

THANK YOU for making the leap of faith to join me in this journey! Since the first day of August I started on, it's been an amazing and wonderful experience for me. I've also developed some wonderful friendships along this journey. You also know who you are, so I will not mention names;) But I am happy to call each and every one of you as a friend.

My assistant tells me this journey shall continue;) In other words, Show Must Go On:) You wonder who's my assistant? Attention now:


If you're looking to buy or sell, there is a better way: Chart performance data and statistics on every record. Peak date, peak position, peak topic, countries mostly visiting, distribution by continent... To examine the data with charts is my everytime Assistant:)

Why a chart? Because the chart is very useful, as it could help a production (or development -gives me hints even when I think how to develop my current journal-). A way of summarizing, a set of categorical data or displaying the different values of a given variable (e.g. percentage distribution). It provides a strong visual impression when presenting the data, and tracks the queries. Graphs are also an attractive way to explore and describe the information. You can easily see in pie chart above, Top 5-Countries, where on earth you are from:)

In sum, I get my power from data! Information, or say, the power of statistics is absolute for me! I believe in what they say me, as they speak instead of you. More than you? Yes, it is:) I could hardly wait for getting my first Quarterly figures:)

Here's what you say me for the period of first 3-months: I made a peak with 45 visitors till today, and an average number of visitors ~35 per each day. I, too, eagerly watching you;)

Thanks for letting me know better than I know myself:)

Inspirational Sayings

fghh

''Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed
by the things that you didn't do than the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.''
Mark Twain

I just wanted to start with this quote from Twain. Because I am always wishful for new adventures and this side of me has always gotten the best of me once again -like becoming a blogger:)

All we know that WWW was full of lots of interesting stuff. However not a space for the communication area. Since 2005, we have a blogging world and the fact is that the people are so popular in a creative space. In my opinion, it is an amazing community of enthusiasts. It provides us a gently evolving network of interested people. And, fortunately we have blogs. We can publish what we really think.

Although I'm now just over 15-days that I have been into blogging thing, it's been really exciting, challenging and fun all at the same time for me. Blogging is great! Doing incredible things with the technology, and it is still due to advancing in so many ways. I am NOT a material girl but I am a tech-girl:) I love technology!


Today I wanted to take this opportunity to state that I appreciate all of you who are visiting my Blog. This is truly the dialogue decade and the result of the miracle of the technology that I can TALK with YOU. I have been reading through the comments you all have been making, even lots of incoming (e-mail) messages -many of them encouraging! Here is the one as an example:


Some of you are going to announce me in your own blogs, o-oooh my pleasure! Here is another example:


Thank you everybody, for reading all of my posts, and also sending off your kind e-mails till today. I am looking forward to hear from you all in the future as well. Almost every day I find more than one e-mails in my box which is enough to inspire me. I can't answer them all just-in-time, but I appreciate very much.

So, thanks again for all the support, very kind compliments and the wonderful welcoming comments/private e-mails about my blogging work. I will continue exploring and sharing, I promise:)