thursdaysd

What a beautiful mosaic! Thanks for the photo. The world, on the other hand....

zebec

A few years ago during our long-awaited return to Provence (30 year absence), our landlady alluded to the fact that there continues to be local cases wherein construction crews and/or folks working on their own private renos, chance upon ancient Roman ruins in their basement. The bureaucratic hassles that inevitably follow are apparently so loathsome that on occasion, such finds have gone unreported to authorities, a huge risk one assumes.

About 20 years ago, a local renovating his basement in Lecce, Puglia came across different layers of historical items. He eventually turned his excavated home into a private museum. It is worth a visit.

While I was in Teachers College, one of my jobs was Head of Security at an archaeological dig here in Toronto. The University of Toronto was excavating the burnt remains of a former lakeside 18C fur trading fort. One midnight shift, I opted to bring along my pet, an extremely eccentric German Shepherd named Chimo. We stayed inside the portable construction-style building that served as the site HQ. Around 3 am, Chimo indicated to me that he had a full bladder, so I let him out. Twenty minutes later, the rascal scratched at the door to be let back in. To my horror, he was holding a sizable chunk of ceramic in his mouth, a lovely piece of dinner plate that would be considered a major find--he had clearly dug up the item himself from the adjoined dig site. This action on my dog's part could've got me fired.

I took said piece from his mouth then raced out to the pit to replace the item back into the ground, covering both of our tracks as best I could. Sunrise later arrived, along with my boss, the Head archaeologist professor. His student team were right behind. Within 15 minutes of their having begun to continue their digging work, one eager young grad student found the same ceramic piece---my design, I'd placed it near the surface.
For the next half-hour, she was congratulated by everyone present on her 'major find'. I shook her hand as well, while glancing over at Chimo as if to say, "One word, and I'll take you to the vet for the final time!"
He grinned back at me, as though to communicate, "Oh man, what a crazy scene!"

I am done. the ancient discoveries

otherchelebi

Zebec, good story. I have to admit that my daughters picked up some five centuries old human bone pieces from the Roman theatre in Iznik before the digs started.

This is a good article : https://www.al-monitor.com/originals...istanbul-promo

annhig

Zebec/OC - about a decade ago, on an Italian learning trip to Southern Tuscany, I was walking with my teacher through an area which was clearly rich with ancient buildings which were completely unguarded. What, i asked, did they do about thefts? Absolutely nothing she replied. They had tried using guards and fences, but there were far too many sites to guard or protect, and all they did was attract thieves' attention to the guarded area. So they decided to leave them alone and nobody bothers with them. Certainly there were no signs of recent activity that I could see,

OC - ref the video, if it's any comfort the Turkish government is not the only one to be ridden with hypocrisy and worse. ours is fast following yours down the same road.

tedgale

Now I'm going to spend several hours trying to remember WHO - in my neighbourhood, in my distant Ontario youth - had a dog named "Chimo".
For those who aren't Canadian: "Chimo" is a greeting in the Inuktitut language (and functions like "Ciao!"). It achieved a certain general popularity years ago - but I haven't heard that word for 40 years.....
Wikipedia informs me there was a 1960s Canadian rock band called "Chimo!". And a "Chimo" brand of bicycle.
(The best-known usage at that time was "Fort Chimo", a village built around a historic trading post on Ungava Bay in the extreme north of Quebec. That village now has a fully Indigenous name, Kujjuaq)

(Quote) While I was in Teachers College, one of my jobs was Head of Security at an archaeological dig here in Toronto. The University of Toronto was excavating the burnt remains of a former lakeside 18C fur trading fort. One midnight shift, I opted to bring along my pet, an extremely eccentric German Shepherd named Chimo. We stayed inside the portable construction-style building that served as the site HQ. Around 3 am, Chimo indicated to me that he had a full bladder, so I let him out.
[/QUOTE]

zebec

My canine archaeologist had quite the day/night then. After my shift was over, we wandered over to a sizable geodosic dome that was nearby. The dig site was on the grounds of the famed CNE (Canadian National Exhibition), a former World's Fair kinda place well-known to our Tedgale here, plus other Canucks. That dome was a temporary exhibit and the unique echoes that it created from our utterances irritated Chimo's sensitive hearing.
Chimo afterwards suggested that we get slobbering drunk while visiting a strip club continue our joint adventure, but I was too tired and took him home.

I am done. the Cem Karaca song

otherchelebi

Zebec, interesting that you know off Cem Karaca. Another cult singer/songwriter was Baris(h) Manc(h)o, who also became popular in Japan

zebec

Thx for this OC. Mrs Z and I had discovered Boris and Cem and others prior to departure for Turkey. We preferred Cem, as his music seemed a bit more accessible.
Did you ever hear the Greek equivalent rockers 'Socrates (drank the conium)? Our fellow poster and all-around Greek specialist 'brotherleelov', recommended them to me here years ago.
get better.
I am done. the tzaybec dance

kleeblatt

I have taught English to some Afghanis. Some of the stories they have told me are heartbreaking. Europe can expect to continue receiving large waves of Afghanis as the Taliban take over. Many young men manage to get out but the rest must somehow find a way to survive. One Afghani told me that women who travel on their own and are not guarded by another man are subject to rape, discrimination and other harrowing ordeals.

It's an unfair world.

zebec

Our fave Cem song. Gotta admit that I haven't got a clue what he is ranting on about, but like it just the same.
I am done. the peribacalar

zebec

And not to skim past what Kleeblat said above: just horrific what is happening, and about to happen, in that troubled country.
I too have taught Afghani immigrants. Tough people. Twin sisters from Helmand played on our school basketball team and fouled out many a time, not being wallflowers!
Also, once our mute Afghani student's adult bro secretly took him away from the schoolbus lineup @ 3:30 without informing any of us. Nearly had a heart attack searching every nook and cranny in our school for the boy afterwards, with visions of lawsuits floating thru my head.

My boss principal and I then drove over to the family's home (see 'hyperventilating'), only to be there given the explanation that a domestic situation had just occurred involving the hulking, 6' 9" father and my student's much smaller mother (see 'possible psychological reasons for selective muteness'). Older bro had taken it upon himself to fetch his little bro away from school then take him home.
Wizout telling us and also wizout telling the bus driver!!!

I am done. the other parts of the globe

otherchelebi

Zebec; the song is a very timely reminder. The words reflect the world and especially the Turkish situation
sung in a redneck accent.
He says, we are riding an omen, moving towards apocalypse., not realizing that we have taken the same route before
with other politicians, prime ministers and presidents.

Baris on trees and forests:

otherchelebi

The heat wave has not abated yet,
Corona cases on the rise, but among the unvaccinated, although the original two dozes of the Chinese Sinovac vaccine does not protect against the newer variants, and older people who were given the shots almost a year ago are now contacting the virus but not hospitalized.
had the two Sinovacs, then I had two Pfeizer . The first one was a breeze but the second one continues to have some side effects; dull headache, queasy stomach, and sleepiness.

People are getting worried about the influx (actual and expected) of Afghan refugees, We even have a documented case of a Taliban gang member who registered at a Turkish university and proudly showed his papers to a journalist in Kabul.

When American university professors argued with me on the advantages of "moderate Islam". as part of American policy for the Middle East, in 2010, after I gave a conference on its risks, all the apprehension I disclosed is on the way to becoming reality.;
Turkey has religious Madrasah schools for all ages, Islamic Hodjas as deans and presidents of previously secular universities, with only very few exceptions, A legal system which gives just too many judgements based on Islamic Shariat laws, and recently the Turkish supreme court has come under political islam control. Criticism and even mild curses of current and former, and even historic figures are considered as insults punishable with up to five years in prison. All TVs, newspapers and media are almost fully censored with those who will not keep quiet, punished with hefty fines and blackouts, while their writers, cartoonists, editors are frequently also fined and jailed.
The Turkish president announced last week that Turkey and the Taliban have similar beliefs. I am hoping Turkey has not yet reached that state. or the point of no return.
The question of the decade is, "Why do the US and EU and UK like and support this state of affairs and try to cash in?, especially since it has been so many years since the end of the Cold War.

A warning to tourists coming to Turkey: "Make sure you keep away from any and all people wearing traditional Islamic garb and with the requisite beard and skull cap. Remember that the head of Taliban said, at a very recent press conference, " our men are not used to conversing with women, so I have ordered all women to stay in their homes."

annhig

So, so sad, OC. Nothing good can come of this for anyone.

bilboburgler

In three countries I've been embarrassed by touching historical things. In Damacus I've stood on the hill where the Romans buried their dead on all kinds of pot shards, in Libya I've stood on a mountain of shards lefts by Mussalini's troops trying to prove that Italians were Romans and in Italy I've been shown ruins which, in the UK would be the main roman site in the country, but in Italy is only partially surrounded by fencing as the budget couldn't stretch the whole way around, so thieves just back a truck up to the gap.

What to us are ancient wonders to others are just dirt.

Meanwhile I understand the British Museum does not have enough shelf space to show off more than 10% of their holdings

annhig

I've not had exactly those experiences, Bilbo, but I do remember on a trip to a language school in southern Tuscany seeing numerous ruins completely unguarded. When I asked our teacher about thefts she said that they had tried guarding the sites but there were so many of them it was prohibitively expensive. And when they took the guards away they had fewer thefts because the criminals weren't so aware that there was something to steal. Whether that was true or not I don't know.

otherchelebi

I am sorry that I cannot quite kep track of all the meals, trips and heath news, but have a general idea that it all seems fine.
My best wishes for all the past and future holy days and lots of great tasting meals with ho undesirable calories.

Here's a photo from yesterday at Pera Palas Hotel. Ceylan joined from far away by ordering a bottle of good champagne.
GD was very well- behaved, eating all properly with knife and fork and drinking Darjeeling tea (he said it was the best tea he ever had)

zebec

Yo OC, glad to see that you enjoyed a wonderful family get-together in a special setting. Very important to do nowadays, yeah?
Did you buy that stylish walking stick yourself or was it a gift?
We too enjoyed Pera Palas tea in '90. Actor Dustin Hoffman was just leaving with his family then, having spent a few nights.
Grandson to our OC: "Grandpa, how come they built that mosque thing so far from the MacDonalds?"

I am done. the imam bayaldi

thursdaysd

Looks yummy! Also glad to see the three of you looking healthy.

annhig

Goodness, OC. I'm not sure if calling it "tea" quite does it justice. Looks as if you are all having a wonderful time and no wonder in those surroundings. What a treat!