time stealing so many things from humans and everhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-6eYeuXC8c&feature=relatedythings>>

and i think its not posible to find same warm on this great city as on the old times on todays >>>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbzf_IKqz5Q&feature=related

Thank you for the links .

If I understand your last post correctly, you feel Istanbul has lost it's warm character?

I can't make a judgement on this because I haven't lived in it's past but I can make a general comment. So to give an example . . . some years ago I was in a seminar and the tutor displayed some quotations and the exercise was to try and place the quotes on a time line. One quote was basically lamenting a past era and commenting on how the youth of today were not the same as they once were. During the discussion, it was revealed that the quote had been made by . . . now I can't remember exactly who, but it may have been Aristotle or someone similar. The point is, as we grow older we do start to lament the past in some way and it is something that humans have probably done for centuries.

Life will never be the same as it was when any one of us was young. Many of us grow up hoping we won't ever say what our parents and grandparents said eg. "Life ws never like that in my day . . ."

We can all make judgements about the direction our world seems to be taking but we mustn't lose hope or, dare I say it, faith.

When I visit Istanbul I meet with lots of examples of warmth and all of it the non "du-du" type. Yes, Istanbul has wonderful sites but it is the passion with which it's inhabitants share them that enriches the experience. A young man, giving up his seat for a woman on public transport is not a rare sight in Turkey. You may not see this as a native, but I see it as a visitor. There are gems in all aspects of Turkish life, if you look for them.

Progress is inevitable and it's not all bad, just different. What to do about the "bad" aspects is a huge topic and could be, and is, discussed ad infinitum. We can all make a contribution to making a difference. An individual's small contribution may seem futile to that person and so "hardly worth the bother" but when it is added to other small contributions, it can make a difference. The analogy of reducing carbon footprints springs to mind, if we all stop using standby buttons on electrical equipment, it will make a significant contribution to saving energy. We ordinary people can start by ensuring our children learn about all that is good in life and how to tackle the rot.

I looked at the link you gave on your profile. Some may say it's cheesy but cheese or no cheese, it has relevance.

Thank you

I tend to agree with you on this one PT. People tend to remember the past with rose tinted glasses and forget the bad things. We all think summers were hotter when we were children .

Incidently I love the way "dudu" has become universal on this site. I predict it will be added to the Oxford English dictionary in 2008