Side – Phillip Holt's World

The evening did not start well.

I walked down to the ferry terminal after a long day of training and having to cross the Bosphorus from Kadikoy to Beşitaş (Asian to European side of Istanbul), and saw the ferry at the quayside. I raced to the gate only to see it closing majestically with me on the wrong side, and I watched as the ferry glide out of the port.

Once back in Taxim Tunel, I brought a wrap from a little corner café, La Cantine, (now closed), run by a French couple, plus a freshly squeezed orange juice. I was to have a relaxing time, watching British TV on the computer internet through Slingbox.

Slingbox is a great device that plugs into the back of say a satellite or cable TV box, that is then connected to the inter net router at home. Through the inter net connection in whatever country I am in, I can access the Slingbox back home and watch British TV, not only that, I can control the channels I want to watch.

The apartment I am staying in is on the forth floor, with a spiral staircase. Now I am used to running up stairs, but these seem so steep, everyone that climbs those stairs, has to rest half way up. They are a killer.

I got to the door, gently holding my orange juice, my mouth watering at the prospect of eating my wrap. But the key would not turn.

Not three months earlier, I had returned back to the apartment to notice on the tough climb of the stairs, that there were pieces of metal laying by each flat door. I knew something was wrong.

On reaching my door, there was no point in trying to turn the key to open the door, there was no locking mechanism there, and the door was firmly shut and locked.

There was no-one in the whole building, I do not speak any Turkish. Oh Poo Poo. I called an ex employee who came to my aid, plus my translator Asu. We called a locksmith plus the police, only to find that yes we had been burgled. I had lost money, a camera.

Asuman Yildirim

Although I did not enjoy the experience, who would? I found the police here in Istanbul perhaps one of the most friendly I have encountered, even though we had to communicate via a translator.

The horror of that experience returned as I tried in vain to turn the key.

But I had Mustapha. I had the previous experience to draw upon. I called the same locksmith.

On his last visit he made sure that no-one would be able to break-in again. He was good, so good, that he took from 8:30 until 11:30pm to get in. That will teach him. Perfectionist. (Ho Ho). He had to used brute force.

Once in, it was realised that no-one had entered, it was the failure of the door locking gear. New door I think.

So by mid night I was in bed, knowing that 8am the next morning I would be picked up by car to get to the Eastern side to take the English language participants further along the process I do for easy learning.

8:10 am I get a phone call, asking if the car had arrived, as the person calling the General Manager of NLPGrup, Selva, could not reach the driver, his phone was off.

Only thing for it was to quickly catch the Tunel train and the ferry.

Walking down to the ferry terminal I passed under a bridge that crosses the water of the Golden Horn, and was amazed at the number of people standing on either side of the bridge fishing. There was not any spaces left. I would not like to sail a boat under that bridge. Looking around the Golden Horn, it seemed that the whole population of Istanbul had taken-up fishing.

Golden Horn Bridge

There must be some great memory skills in Turkey.

As we sailed across the Bosphorus I sat in the cold morning air on the outside deck, the sea was awash was quite a swell, and as we entered each trough, the ferry created a spray of salt sea water, refreshing my face, my mind.

As we moored the other side, I noticed how clam the water became, and realised that was the state I was in. Very calm, whilst all about me was in turmoil.

We need to learn this art.

It is still cold and raining here in Istanbul, with the high cold wind making “white horses” on the Bosphorus.

The TV crew arrived nearly two hours late, to film only a few minutes, I am very careful on what I say. A few months ago, an article appeared in a Turkish national magazine, which although not mentioning names, implied me as a trainer of NLP and a hypnotist could walk into a bank and robe them of their money.

Why am I so poor?

Also, they implied that women were easy pickings for me, so be careful. At 95, I do not have the energy to do such things, plus certain persons would murder me, and I do not like pain.

Some four years ago, I was approached by a TV production company. They asked if I could teach someone with no knowledge of hypnosis within two days to become a stage hypnotist (see http://www.c4stagehypnosis.com), and on the second night, that person would perform in front of a live audience a stage hypnosis show. Not only did I do it, but along with another twelve people. The course has been held twice a year since, producing many successful hypnotists.

Although I asked the TV production company what was the outcome they wanted from the program regarding stage hypnosis, the good points or the bad, they said an unbiased view. The program was broadcast with the title The Darker Side of Stage Hypnosis. With nearly twenty hours of filming captured, less than ten minutes was shown.

By editing, showing what is good for them, the press can bias the news to suit themselves. How was it that during the Gulf War, the British was for the invasions, yet that little stretch of water called the English Chanel gave the French a different view of being against the war. We are brainwashed.

So I was very careful what was said. Let us see the outcome next Sunday at 10am on Turkish Expo TV.