Category: Travels

Today I am traveling to Gaziantep, but being that construction work is being undertaken at night at the airport of Gaziantep I am having to fly to Adana, some two hours drive from the Gaziantep. I could have caught an earlier flight, especially as I have been sitting in the airport in Istanbul for about four hours.

It has been good just to relax, as I am still suffering from my head cold, streaming nose and light head. As a frequent flyer with Turkish Airlines, I can use their exec’ lounge, which means free food and drink.

So here I sit watching all the “important” business men in their suits, strutting around like peacocks, “oh look at me”.

Me? I can catch up on my emails, if they would only work, Norton 360 security system is a load of rubbish, it does not always allow me access to the internet, reload and sometimes it allows me in, but today in the airport nothing, so I type this blog being venerable to others hacking into my computer. But I must do something to keep me sane.

I have heard so many stories about me today, people shifting blame onto my shoulders for others not doing their jobs, people hearing information from others and putting their cat on the mat, their interpretation on what they heard, and getting it wrong. So much more, that it is not worth bothering about. I have work to do.

Ah, my flight is called. A change of environment will do me good.

Traveling as I do to so many places in the world, delivering courses for the Society of NLP, in hypnosis, PhotoReading , Memory plus many more, it seems I never spend more than a few nights in the same bed. It seems that I never speak to the same person two days running, apart from the course participants, translator, or those close to me by telephone.

It tends to be a lonely existence.

It seems nobody loves me.

Breakfast is especially lonely. No one to talk to, no one to share the dreams had in the night, so they slip away into the forgotten memory bank.

Today I had a companion over breakfast.

I had been staying in the Taxim Square Hotel, right in Taxim Square, and the receptionist asked on arrival would I like a view overlooking the Square or a view of the Bosphorus?

I have seen Taxim Square nearly every day, and know it as a noisy lively place all hours of the day. There seem to be as many people walking in Taxim Square at 4am as there is at 4pm, so over looking the Square was a no.

Getting to my room on the 7th floor on my arrival late at night, the view of the Bosphorus could not be appreciated as it was dark. So, the next morning, I pull the curtains apart to get a view.

A mile away in the distance I could see a bright light, as the strong sun reflected on the waters of the Bosphorus, in fact I could not see anything, I was blinded. So much for the view in the distance of the Bosphorus.

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NO WAY seagull, I have work to do, and need my food. 

I have been asked, what is a Phoenix I mentioned in my blog, New Dates, New Trainings, New Beginnings.

I met a friend and fellow NLPer Charles Moore with his wife Janice and their new baby Zoe, in Starbugs for my hot chocolate.

A number of my blog readers have met Charles, so here is their picture.

                                            

I had made a trip to Rochester to see a client and it gave me the idea to walk up to the Royal Richmond Park which is about ten minutes from my home here in Kingston upon Thames.

To see my client in Rochester, east of London, I took the train.

It was wonderful to sit in the warm carriage, looking at the changing colours of the leaves, going from their summer green to their autumn browns and oranges, eventually falling to be recycled into food for the plants take in the next growth. It reminded me of train journey from Athens to my then home in the UK, Peterborough. I had ended my long 5-6 year job as software manager for Texas Instruments in Saudi Arabia, and visited a friend in Athens for a weeks rest, and rather than fly back from Greece, I took the train. 

It was autumn, and as I slid through the valleys of Yugoslavia on the slow train, with the fast flowing rivers down in the valley floor, the sides of the narrow valleys were covered by trees, all going through the change, from summer to winter. The colours were fantastic, yellows, oranges, browns and greens of the evergreens, all made a patchwork of beauty that will forever stay in my mind. 

I had met my friend Charles Moore for a hot chocolate, and on my walk home, I could not get the memory of my train trips out of my mind, so I changed my shoes and off I went for a walk in Richmond Park. (Read about Isabella Plantation, click here).

It was refreshingly cold, and the sun was slowly falling in the sky, with a slight drizzle of rain in the air.

On reaching the park, the colours of the changing seasons were there, but perhaps I was a week too late to have seen it in all its’ glory, especially as here in the UK we had had storms the previous week, blowing the leaves from the trees. But, I was not disappointed.

Once in the park, and walking away from the road that rings the outer perimeters, I walked up a steep climb towards trees, the traffic noise disappeared and I began to hear some strange bird sounds. Searching the trees I saw parakeets, green, totally out of place in the UK, but they have made a strong hold, and are breeding. Last night, now being aware of them, I saw a whole flock of them squawking their way back to their night roost.

   /images/71606-62901/parrots.JPG” width=219 border=0>  Close-up
 
On top of the steep climb I followed the tree line, and just walked, seeing in the distance, planes descending into Heathrow airport, dark clouds with ribbons of rain very visible falling in the far distance, and the smell of fresh air, the smell of the different types of trees, and the decaying leaves laying on the grass.

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Further to my blog on the 28th October 2007, (click to read), where I described my experience of my brown sludge shower in the Peradoor Hotel in Istanbul, I mentioned the Istanbul marathon.

From my vantage point of the fifth floor of NLPGrup’s offices where I was giving an NLP and presentation skills course, I could look down on the runners far below.

        /images/71606-62901/runners_Istabul_07_2.JPG” width=282 border=0>    More runners, enjoying the day. Istanbul 2007

Although the pictures do not show the vast numbers of runners, I had to work and train the participants, that is what they paid NLPGrup for, you can see the Turkish flags everywhere. As I have written before, I find the Turkish people a very nationalistic people, (click too read) proud of their country, (click too read) and founder Ataturk (click too read).

They will often have demonstrations in the streets, it seems every day there is one in Taxim Square, calling for change, waving and carrying their national flag. These pictures were taken as they demonstrated against the PKK and the loss of Turkish soldiers lives.

    /images/71606-62901/Demo_PKK_2.JPG” width=282 border=0>  loss of Turkish soldiers lives. October 2007.


A further demonstration of their pride in their country, was shown in the National Day celebrations on the founding of the Turkish nation to follow.

Travel has allowed me to taste many varieties of food, some I like, fish and chips from England, some I cannot take, sambal from South East Asia. Some food likes me, fish and chips, some foods do not like me, red and green peppers.

It is when I find a restaurant that serves real authentic food, provide good quality in their food, staff and facilities, and give value for money, that I am happy.

I me it does not matter if it is the best hotel like the Ritz in London, or the little corner café, Kevilcim Cafe ev Yemekleri in Kadikoy, Istanbul, if I enjoy the experience, I am happy.

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I found one such restaurant in my home town Kingston upon Thames (click to watch a small video of my town), here in the UK, called The Basil Restaurant.

                                           NLP-Time (Istanbul), and Gap Consultancy (Gaziantep). I hope to see old and new participants soon in my courses.

See my web site NLPNOW (www.nlpnow.net).