It is currently mid-morning in Istanbul. My friend who has just arrived reports that the weather is "pleasant." Though anything beats the air of an airplane. If I were to write the horoscope of this week for myself, I would include "turbulence." For today in Istanbul is March 30, the date of local elections. When locals vote for their mayors, and indirectly, cast their vote on current PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
As I rifle through my stack of papers, inability to obtain a travel visa, through no fault of my own, is covered by my cancellation insurance. Civil commotion is, however, a clear exclusion. A friend has a "theory" about my trips, as I have so far been spared in Syria, Mali, and Tunisia -- but Turkey? Spring is a time of change. However, in the context of Turkey right now, these elections "will possibly be one of the most defining moments of Turkish democracy." We await results. But who knows, there might not be any journalists left there to report anything.
Otherwise, I continue on this my personal mini-K2 of travel administration. Today's cherry on top was a posted letter to the Consulate requesting the return of my visa application documents. This is the sort of correspondence no-one should need to write, but would be a interesting exercise in "Office Procedures 101."
Big brunch for 10 here at home tomorrow, good times. Feta and olives, check!
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