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Its been a real long time since I last wrote on here, so i will not go into the details of what went on in these months but I will write an overview. So I was in Pakistan for a month and unlike my previous trip which had its ups and downs this one was just one big adrenaline rush. I started off in Karachi where I hung out with my friends from Knox and celebrated the Independence Day. For the first time I felt like doing what a tourist would do in my own country, so I set out to visit the Mohatta Palace, the Quaid-e-Azam Mazar, the Flag Staff house, Fraire Hall etc. This was not a bad idea as my friend had to do some photography for her honors project and so we both kinda got something out of it.Went to some amazing house parties at night, saw some really unique sea view apartments. Although the city was flooded with the rains, we managed to be as crazy as we would be at college. Then I left for Islamabad where life was still kicking even though the summer was coming to an end and all my friends who are studying abroad were getting ready to leave. Islamabad has become bigger than I would have ever imagined and I saw how the dynamics have changed yet still the F7 hotspot, civil junction, and gellato are common hang outs for the youngsters. It still amazes me that even after not living in Islamabad for over five years now I can go to hotspot one day and still manage to find some familiar faces. Either old schoolmates or younger siblings of friends who have now become the Islamabad scene. Just when things were getting slow my friends and I decided to take a trip to Lahore where we spent 3 days and 2 nights in rapture. I began laughing when we were getting ready for our Daewoo journey and laughed all the way back. I dont think anyone on that bus would ever think about sleeping on the way to Lahore. We were loud and we made fun of everyone on the bus including ourselves. This is what I really miss about Pakistan, its all about what defect you can find in someone and how you manage to express it. In Lahore we set out to experience Papu Dholi. It was amazing to see how the sufi culture is still alive in our country. If there was a heaven for stonners in Pakistan that would be the place. Not only did I experience a world of its own within Lahore, I saw how noone inside the four walls of the Dholi cared about anything else but Papu Saeen who was playing the Dhol (Pakistani drums), noone bothered to stare at the girls or to touch them or anything and everyone seemed to share the same passion of reaching the state of oneness with a supernatural being. This kind of spirituality is what I crave for when I am in the west. I also went some great punjabi restaraunts where the food was just finger licking. Soon after I got back from Lahore my friend forced me to go with him to Naran and Saifullmuluk. His Australian friend was over and he needed some more company while they camped up there. It was very cold and since I did not have any winter clothes with me I froze to death. However there was nothing like having my own horse to go where ever and whenever I felt like. Horse riding on mountain ranges is definitly a breath taking experience, you realize how high you are when you are controling something that is finding it just as scarey as you are. I had a great time there but I would like to go to such places in a big group because in a place where you have nothing but each other, people tend to get on your nerves after a while. 

So now I am back in Istanbul and life is just as crazy as I had left it minus the weather. I really miss Istanbul summer weather since now its cold, grey and rainy all the time. But this doesnt stop the pumping night life of Istanbul. I used to think, maybe it was just the summer since during ramazan things had become a little slow but now i realize that the ramazan was the only thing stopping most of the turks from going out. Now that this is over the clubs are packed like old times again. I visited Ankara for Bayram with a friend, where I got to experience the lifestyle of a typical anatolian Turkish family. I visited AnitKabir (Ataturks new grave site) and got my share of nationalism. I came back and soon had the chance to see one of my favourite Turkish singers Mustafa Sandal live in Taksim square on Republic day. I managed my way to the front row center where he entered with fireworks, the whole city was nothing but Turkish flags and one could see the torches brought up from Ortakoy by people who participated in the Annual parade. He sung all the songs that I love and I just couldnt stop making videos. Now that I am back on track, I will keep you people posted with other updates.     

I am sitting in my room right on a hill looking into the Bosphorus. Every morning I wake up and read my washington post subscription. Even though I know that there is continuous bombing East of Istanbul among the neighbors Israel and Lebanon I still dance the night away on the Bosphorus. I go to a class titled Issues in Turkish Foreign Policy where we discuss recent developments in world politics trying to relate it to Turkey and then try to simulate an advisory committee for Erdogan. The recent issue regarding Lebanese crisis comes up everyday and everyday we advise Erdogan to keep a distance from the issue and try to work with the EU on its discisions. Everytime I am forced to advise this to Erdogan I feel guilty. Turkey a major player in this region continues to elude itself from the East. For over 50 years the EU has mistreated and humiliated Turkey by changing admission criterias and admitting other nations before its negotiations on Turkey. Even with this Turkey finds itself stuck among the 30 something negotiation files trying to hide the internal issues and speeding up reforms in the country. Turkey trapped in this dream of entering the Union finds itself as a very weak nation, one that almost ignores its geographical region. Granted the country has good relations with Israel there is no excuse for state sponsored terrorism. Israel is a violent state that continues to spread poison in the region. With America and Great Britain as its strong allies Israel is excused for bombing even a UN post that had been there for 20 years. Kofi Anan has no power in world politics and it is disgusting. The time has come for a new power to emerge from the mess and havac Bush has created in the Middle East. As Condelezza says "time for a New Middle East", I would say time for power to shift to Asia with China as the emerging power. And do not underestimate the Lebanese, they will fight till the last Lebanese.