Many of Istanbul's problems have their roots in the Ottoman era. The Ottomans decorated the city with great mosques and monuments but they simply did not have the first idea about how to run a mega city like Istanbul. From this point of view, Istanbul was a first time experience for the Ottomans hence all the careless disregard of infrastructure needs.

We Turks laughed at the idea of knocking on every door and enumerating the household. As there was no sound statical data to base city's administration on, no plans were ever made to get the city ready for next generations.

Having said this, Istanbul had a legendary beauty under Ottomans. It was smaller, greener and cleaner. Countless stories of dreamlike childhoods spent in the water-front mansions of Bosporus went into hundreds of books. Each one of those stories were depicting a heavenly city that gave joy to those who lived in it. Many poets dedicated some of their best poems to Istanbul. One of them goes like this:

"If my heart did not belong to Istanbul
How would it know what love is"

Today, we are talking about Istanbul as a city... It has long lost its magic... If you filled the Bosporus with 100 bridges that wouldn't make the slightest difference to its people.

The real problem is that the people living in Istanbul do not belong to Istanbul nor does Istanbul to them.

Presently, I am not aware of what's happening to me. Maybe the angel of death has already started keeping an eye on me.

As a matter of fact I am a bit used to the idea of ageing as I went through a similar transformation when I turned 30.

A friend of mine has recently given me an anti-wrinkle cream as a gift. At that time, I did not think that would be an indicator but now I realize, why I didn't receive a book or something else.

I detest raki but love red wine...
I have always liked Aenigma, Catwoman, Femme Fatal, Roswitha, Alameda and everyone else here; I just get mad at them sometimes and it is only temporary...

Wisdom speaks; when you find someone who listens to you and answers you, you should value that person... People around us are not endless; if we keep breaking hearts, someday we may find ourselves with no one around us.

Thanks. Thinking of not celebrating my birthdays anymore

Thanks Aenigma...

There is a misunderstanding...

Just read a couple of messages and you will be back on the track with who is stuck with which cliché.

For my own part, I am happy, I can stretch my legs in front of a fireplace taking a sip from my wine and forget about all these futile, cultural sorties.

Punchline is: learn to love people for who they are regardless of their faith, culture and color.

Today is my 40th birthday, I hope I have so far been able to add something to this world with my existence.

I wish for God to give a chance to all those slaughtered animals to take revenge in after life.

Thanks femme. Among the historians whose books I read there are Jewish, British and Ottoman authors. I do much more reading than you assume and I am quite old to remain as a school boy (soon turning 40 ).

Let me go on by saying however that you will have to mind your p's and q's. Targeting Muslims as a community, accusing me of parroting them etc. certainly won't do justice to a mature personality.

I dub thee the gang of the "Three Wise Monkeys"

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

So, enjoy the song.

Oye como va mi ritmo
Bueno pa gosar mulata

Oye como va mi ritmo
Bueno pa gosar mulata

If you are looking for a gang, all you have to do is monitoring East-West quarrels and side up with your comrades at war. Assign one of them the duty of monitoring the activities of your opponents e.g. what PM's they send to one another and what pictures they are looking at, at the moment. You don't have to declare her an admin nor do you have to do that for yourself.

You are welcome to feel indifferent to the malicious deeds of Christian crusaders because they were also on your gang. Keep cursing Ottomans ridiculing the way they supported you during troubled times in Europe.

To be a gang member, you need to put on a special garment, wear spectacles of a certain hue and act with your think alikes. You should be thinking of getting yourself a Harley Davidson featuring the skull of a Dudu on its gas tank.

But then why can't you still get over that gang member thing?