Lol

I dont want to speculate how hallow Orhan Pamuk is.  Obviously he is a hollow as all other nobel winners like Garcia Marquez, Ernest Hamingway etc..

I think Elif Safak should read more in my opinion and should spend more time with crafting the story. She seems like she HAS TO write a new book every 6 months!! The latest book I have read from her was Iskender and the plot seemed very obvious in the middle of the book!! I bet it was the same for many Turks. Because she did not spend enough time researching about the topic she is writing about, the life of a young man-Iskender- in London was quite superficial and almost imaginary. 

I think she is quite good at writing about religious and mystical part of our ´past culture´!!

I completely disagree with you about Elif Safak Orhan Pamuk comparison. Orhan Pamuk has more subtance and the stories are very well crafted. Simply because Orhan Pamuk is a hard worker. He spends huge amount of time crafting his novels. He said that he spent 10 years with masumiyet muzesi. He even had to research about history of museums to have a better knowledge about them. 

Elif Safak spent only 6 months with Iskender. I think she was much much better in Pinhan and Bastard of Istanbul. Infact, Pinhan was the best for me.

You have to be a book critic

Apart from challenging the previous opinions, Kemal is the character of everything in that love. Orhan Pamuk manages to make an extra twist in his book about Kemal: You pity him the entire book, you think how pathetic he is with his love. But in the last chapter, in the past page, he slaps people on the face: He was a happy person. Happier than many of us.  

gay-o-meter

Kuwait ‘gay-o-meter’? Clinical screenings to ‘detect’ and ban homosexuals from entry

"However, we will take stricter measures that will help us detect gays, who will be then barred from entering Kuwait or any of the GCC member states,” he added, quoted by a local daily Al Rai.

He did not indicate what measures - or how physically intrusive - these might be.

http://rt.com/news/homosexuals-kuwait-banned-gays-887/

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hmmm

I would go for the center of -old- universe: milion stone.

"It was the starting-place for measurement of distances for all the roads leading to the cities of the Byzantine Empire"

It is just across Hagia Sophia

I always thought I am a good guide especially for Istanbul actually. But I have missed many opportunities and I do not think missing another one is going to be a huge loss. But thank you anway

But I have to say the trip to the islands seems very intriguing and makes you think a little bit..

No, obviously NOT!!

http://www.izlesene.com/video/feryal-oney-aynali-koruk/4815765

Aynali Koruk- Feryal Oney

I feel rejected and unwanted

I disagree with you.

Hacivat and Karagoz is much better as it is. It is eastern, it is ours and  ´Karagoz and Hacivat´ has much more than just a visual 5 mins show. People wont remember x factor performances in 2 years time, but we will always remember Hacivat and Karagoz.