I arrived in Addis last night and I feel like I’m on another planet. There are no crosswalks here–so people just walk into on-coming traffic and hope they don’t get hit (LOL). Secondly, the drivers completely ignore the traffic laws–running red lights and stop signs is perfectly normal. Its always an adrenaline rush. On the plus side, though, people are very friendly and kind.

I will ship out to Debre Birhan on Monday, where I will spend the bulk of my time. They might set it up so I can travel all over the country with my IT skills. It’ll be a lot of work putting together a fiber optics network. Whatever happens though, I’m glad I finally have some stories to tell.

I’m not sure I will do the full 10 months, but I’m just going to see where it all leads and how I like it before I make a final decision.

Be a mate…. no more “Who’s driving?” Hire a Cheap Coach

We all know the scenario, everyone is getting convivial the night is just getting started and then some bright spark says “who’s driving?”…silence! your friends suddenly look less friendly and are suddenly struck deaf! A little voice in your head saying, “I’m sure I was one of the drivers last time”

Still, zero eye contact. The bottoms of your friend’s beer glasses’ seem to have become very interesting……!

Then those pesky doubts start to creep in. Oh god is it actually my turn? Now I stop to think about it, Barry drove us last time, surely it was me the time before that. I really can’t remember. Is this the start of alzheimers? Maybe I’d better stop drinking before I lose all my faculties. I was really looking forward to the music and a beer! How bad does the car smell……did I clear it out after last weeks’ takeaway?

Where can I put the car seat, the boots full of bags for the charity shop.

Where on earth is the O2? I’ve only ever gone there by train. I should know where it is….is there anywhere to park? Have I got cash? How much petrol have I got? This evening is suddenly turning into a stressful nightmare!

I’m so tired all of a sudden, what I could really do with is a quiet night in with a cup of cocoa and the telly.

Be Green… no more ‘Traffic jams, getting lost, driving around for a parking space.’ Hire a cheap minibus or coach

Now I’m driving in the dark in the rain without much clue as to how to get to my destination. Barry and Claire are taking the others, they drew the short staw too, I’m not sure how. I hate round-a-bouts, I’ve now lost Barry, who I was following. Now the pressure’s on my map reader, poor Susan’s struggling with the map and a lack of reading glasses. This fun evening is starting to go pair shaped!

Be on time. Hire a cheap coach

Great now I’m lost, we appear to be in some industrial estate. Why oh why can’t they put out more signs? Not ever body has the knowledge. I’ve not got a clue which way to turn, London just carries on forever, we haven’t even got there yet, let alone started finding our way home, god I’m depressed. The dial on the petrol gage is moving far too quickly I was sure I had a full tank, what if we run out and can’t find a garage? Oh great, we’re here, but the real funs only just starting. The traffic has stopped completely we are sitting in a queue of traffic, belching out fumes (including, my old Volvo), there’s the O2 in the distance, so near and yet so far. Shall I tell the others to just get out and leg it while I park? Please, please just let me out of here. I stopped wanting to see the gig any how back (a life time ago) iwhen the spark asked “Who’s driving?

Be safe. Hire a minibus or cheap coach

For MiniBus Hire visit @  www.gerrardbeacon.com

Article Source: www.articlesbase.com

Training

I love OASIS

Jeff is great!

Roni meanders in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova and takes a minibus to Tiraspol, Transnistria, a country that doesn’t officially exist. Another tale of never knowing where the road will take you. [6:13]

If you are planning a trip to London, then try a minibus hire London. A car rental is the only way you can really enjoy the beauty that is London. Everybody visits Buckingham Palace, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, and the Tower of London. But there a few places people tend to skip over. Don’t miss out on Thorpe Park, The London Eye, and the London Zoo.

#1 Thorpe Park

Thorpe Park isn’t technically in London. It is about a 20 minute drive in a rental car. Parking is free at Thorpe Park so hiring a minibus poses no problems.

Once there you can find extreme thrill rides like the Stealth and the Nemesis Inferno. The Stealth reaches speeds of 80 mph and the Nemesis Inferno soars 115 ft in the air.

Thorpe Park also has rides for smaller children, including a carousel and a railway.

#2 The London Eye

The London Eye is 135 meters tall. This wheel provides a breathtaking 360 degree view of London through a glass casing. On clear days, people can see 25 miles in all directions. The ride last approximately 30 minutes and is worth every second.

Purchasing a ticket online is highly recommended as the lines for tickets are often long. Purchasing a Fast Track ticket enables you to check in 15 minutes ahead of departure or get the added bonus of a guide riding with you.

#3 The London Zoo

The London Zoo plays host to over 650 different animals. If you go at the right time you can watch the zoo staff feed the animals. There are also special shows that provide an educational and fun experience.

If you are planning a visit to London it is highly recommended to hire a minibus to sightsee. To hire a minibus you only need to show a driver’s license and have a valid credit card. Prices are cheaper for those over 25 but rental car agencies will generally rent a car to people as young as 21.

Article Source: www.articlesbase.com

Otomobil, kamyon, kamyonet, minibüs, otobüs tüm araçlar için imalatımız mevcuttur.
Rent A Car Firmaları / Servis Şirketleri / Turizm Şirketleri / Şirket Filoları arayın size en uygun fiyatı verelim.

Mağazamızda ayrıca her çeşit paspas, jant kapağı, trafik seti ve oto branda bulabilirsiniz.
Minibüslere perde imalatı ve dilediğiniz renk ve kumaş seçenekleriyle size özel oto kılıf ve oto branda üretiyoruz.

lla Sea, la società di gestione degli aeroporti milanesi, sono convinti che l’abbandono di Malpensa da parte di Alitalia – deciso nell’autunno 2007 e attuato il 31 marzo 2008 – abbia avuto anche un lato positivo: quello di far affrontare la crisi economica prima che si verificasse, così che quando è arrivata ha fatto danni più contenuti. Il vero danno, all’epoca, lo ha fatto Alitalia, che ha trasferito a Fiumicino il proprio hub (aeroporto di interconnessione), decimando la presenza a Malpensa. Un paio di numeri: qui nell’estate 2007 erano 1.238 i voli settimanali della compagnia nazionale; un anno dopo sono crollati a 187, e l’emorragia non si è fermata: nell’orario invernale 2009 i collegamenti da Malpensa saranno 145. La Sea tratta Alitalia col rispetto che si deve a un cliente (che è il principale a Linate), ma chiarisce con esplicito distacco che non ha alcun ruolo nelle strategie sul futuro dell’aeroporto.
Un futuro che, in questo momento, viene guardato con un certo ottimismo: la Iata e l’Unione europea dicono che nei prossimi 10 anni in Europa ci saranno 60 aeroporti saturi, e Malpensa sarà avvantaggiata nell’acquisire quote di traffico: perché un hub – quello che Malpensa vuol tornare a essere – non importa dov’è collocato, quello che importa è che dia un servizio efficiente e che offra una rosa ampia di collegamenti. Poi, la prospettiva ormai prossima dell’Expo promette un aumento certo del traffico verso Milano.
Quando Alitalia ha lasciato Malpensa, il ruolo dello scalo è improvvisamente cambiato: da hub a intercontinentale. Un aeroporto hub è quello alimentato con altri voli, per via aerea; un intercontinentale è alimentato via terra dal solo bacino che vi gravita, e quindi può far calcolo su un numero inferiore di passeggeri. Così oggi Malpensa su 144 destinazioni ne offre 66 di lungo raggio (erano 71 nel 2007), ma sono solo quelle che si giustificano con la domanda della Lombardia e di parte del Nord Italia e della Svizzera. Il ruolo di hub ha un effetto moltiplicatore per l’aeroporto, perché se il servizio ha un buon rapporto costo-qualità, esso può attirare passeggeri da gran parte d’Europa per irradiarli ovunque, facendo concorrenza ad altri hub con caratteristiche più o meno equivalenti.
Così, quando Alitalia se n’è andata, il presidente della Sea Giuseppe Bonomi e i suoi manager si sono rimboccati le maniche e sono andati a promuovere l’aeroporto in giro per il mondo. Sono riusciti a fare un lavoro encomiabile: persi 1.093 voli settimanali di Alitalia, l’opera di ricostruzione ne ha fatti recuperare 793; i movimenti (decolli e atterraggi) quotidiani sono passati da 750 a 550; le compagnie clienti oggi sono 104, contro le 70 del 2007; molte sono anche piccole e low cost, ma all’aeroporto interessa «macinare» passeggeri. Questi tra il 2007 e il 2008 sono passati da 23,7 milioni a 19 milioni. Ma che, toccato il fondo, hanno ripreso una timida tendenza positiva. Un dato: nel periodo aprile-agosto 2009 il traffico di Malpensa è aumentato dello 0,6%. Pochino, si dirà. Invece no, perché il confronto è con il meno 10% di Barcellona, il meno 9,5% di Amsterdam, meno 8% di Monaco, meno 5% di Parigi, meno 4,9% di Francoforte, meno 4,8% di Madrid, meno 0,9% di Londra Heathrow. Tutte travolte dalla crisi economica e dal crollo del traffico aereo

Fonte “il giornale”

Commenta e prenota il tuo servzio di noleggio con conducente

www.bookinglimousine.com

www.bookinglimousine.it

Ayant toujours voyagé dans les pays de l’Europe, soit de l’ouest ou de l’est, je n’ai jamais vécu d’histoire particulière quant à la traversée d’un pays à un autre. C’est au Moyen Orient que j’ai pu expérimenter la chose à plusieurs reprises. Je me suis retrouvée dans des situations absurdes, comiques ou tout simplement impossibles.

La première histoire de frontières d’une série sera la première de mon voyage, le passage de la Turquie à l’Iran

Drapeau de la Turquie

Le 17 Avril 2008 j’atterris à Istanbul, terre connue puisqu’il s’agit de ma deuxième visite. Je me rends à l’appartement de l’ami d’un ami turc rencontré au mois de juin de l’année précédente. J’y passe quelques jours question de me laisser le temps d’arriver et de me préparer mentalement à l’idée d’un voyage différent dans le monde arabe. Puis, je prends un avion charter pour me rendre à l’est du pays où je serai hébergée pour deux jours chez des couchsurfers turcs très gentils. De là, je me rendrai en Iran. Je n’ai pas le choix de prendre les transports terrestres, puisque ne sachant pas longtemps d’avance si oui ou non, j’obtiendrai mon visa iranien, je ne pouvais malheureusement pas réserver un billet d’avion. De plus, il est beaucoup moins cher de faire le trajet par autobus ou train que par avion.  Je compris, par la suite, que vaux mieux payer pour acheter la paix que de se donner du trouble pour sauver des sous.

Après avoir parlé avec plusieurs Turcs et cherché l’information dans mon guide qui n’est pas tout à fait à jour par manque d’intérêt pour la région, je

chemin de Erzurum à Doğubeyazıt en Turquie

me rends compte que je dois me rendre de Erzurum, la ville turque où je me trouve, à une autre ville près de la frontière nommée Doğubeyazıt. De là, je devrai prendre un minibus, un genre de van collective, jusqu’à la frontière iranienne.

Drapeau de la République islamique de l'Iran

Dimanche matin, le 20 avril 2008, mon couchsurfer turc me conduit à la station de bus assez tôt le matin afin que je prenne le premier bus de neuf heures pour Doğubeyazıt. Au début, je pensais peut-être m’arrêter dans la ville, mais je constatai que cette ville frontalière kurde, plutôt sale et pauvre ne m’inspirait pas trop la sécurité. Je préférais faire tout le chemin en une journée et en finir avec ce stresse que me causait mon entrée dans un pays si méconnu. Une genre de boule à l’estomac dont je veux me débarraser tel un oral au secondaire. Je me portais toujours volontaire pour passer dans les premières et me soulager. Le trajet fût de plus ou moins quatre heures où nous sommes évidemment partis trente minutes en retard. Bienvenu au Moyen Orient où seul Dieu sait tout!

J’arrive en pleine chaleur vers les une heure de l’après-midi et on m’indique le minibus qui me conduira à la frontière. Le chauffeur me dit de m’asseoir et d’attendre que le minibus soit plein. Ceci n’est pas un concept excusivement moyen oriental, mais qui se retrouve aussi en Europe de l’est. Je patiente donc jusqu’à ce que j’aperçoive un jeune homme en sac à dos s’approcher du minibus. Il s’agit d’un Norvégien de dix-neuf ans qui se rend également en Iran dans la même ville que moi. Me voilà ravie! Nous allons faire le trajet ensemble. Une fois le minibus rempli de locaux ainsi que de nous deux, nous partons en direction de la frontière. Je suis sur la banquette avant entre le conducteur et cette fillette de moins de douze ans qui fait ses devoirs de mathématiques. Tous nous parlent et s’informent sur nos pays natals respectifs. Il s’agit d’un trajet plutôt sympathique. Puis, j’aperçois la frontière au loin, les barrières et le terrain vague. Mon estomac se noue pendant que le conducteur ralentit et m’indique de me couvrir mes cheveux puisque nous entrons bientôt sur la terre de la République islamique de l’Iran. Ça y est, je me répète que je m’apprête à aller en Iran et je le réalise seulement à cet instant. Je sors mon pashmina bleu en guise de hijab qu’une amie m’a offert à Montréal. Je boutonne mon long manteau et tente de placer mon foulard sur ma tête. Mes mains tremblent légèrement par nervosité et j’essaie maladroitement de cacher tous mes cheveux avec difficulté. Je ne comprends pas trop comment je me sens, mais une chose est sûre, ce sentiment m’est indescriptible. .J’ai chaud et je me sens ridicule. La fillette me regarde et m’ajuste mon hijab. Les rôles furent renversés. En sortant du minibus, celle-ci me regarde avec un joli sourire mi amusé, mi maternel et me pince une joue en nous disant bon voyage.

Le Norvégien, un Iranien et moi dans une "taverne" réservé pour les hommes à Tabriz, Iran

Le Norvégien et moi marchons sur le terrain vague vers le guichet afin de se faire étamper pour désigner notre sortie de la Turquie. Tous marchent à leur rythme parmi les camions de marchandise. Une fois étampés, nous nous avançons vers la grille pour entrer dans cette zone où nous ne sommes officiellement dans aucun pays. Nous marchons encore jusqu’à l’autre grille. Un garde examine nos passeports et nous questionne sur nos nationalités avant de nous faire entrer dans un mini couloir de grillage afin de pouvoir se rendre aux douanes. Évidemment, faisant le trajet avec un Norvégien aux cheveux long blond et yeux bleus attire énormément l’attention et tous les gardes nous parlent et trouvent ça bizarre, presque à la limite drôle qu’une Canadienne et un Norvégien sans lien voyagent ensemble.  Nous pénétrons dans cette bâtisse où les douaniers prennent nos passeports et nous font une mini entrevue même si nous avons déjà le visa et ce, depuis nos pays d’origine. Pendant l’attente, car tout se fait très lentement, nous rencontrons deux Allemands qui voyagent en roulotte depuis l’Allemagne avec qui nous passons le temps. Après avoir passé les douanes, nous voilà dehors, nous voilà officiellement en Iran.

Ça y est, le moment tant attendu depuis des mois est arrivé. Je pourrai dire que moi, j’aurai marché de la Turquie à l’Iran!

Dans notre fameux guide, il y a le trajet pour se rendre à plus grande ville du Nord, Tabriz. Il s’agit de prendre un taxi au premier village et de là, un

Entrée d'un marché/souq lors de ma première journée à Tabriz, Iran

autobus nous conduira à cette ville. Petit hic, il y a un décalage d’une heure trente avec la Turquie, donc neuf heure trente au total avec Montréal et le temps a filé rapidement, il est déjà tard. Encore une fois on se fait dire qu’il n’y a plus de bus de là bas, de prendre un taxi! Tabriz est à quelque chose comme quatre heures de route. Nous revoyons les Allemands qui nous proposent de nous amener si nous attendons avec eux que leur roulotte soit vérifiée, puisqu’ils veulent également se rendre à Tabriz. Ils sont tombés du ciel. Il est rendu autour des huit heures du soir et tout semble si compliqué que nous acceptons avec plaisir. De toute façon, ce sera plus agréable et nous sauverons temps et frustrations.

Je dois vous avouer que j’étais plus qu’heureuse de me retrouver entre touriste et de pouvoir déconner un peu sur cette expérience étrange. Nous partageons nos souvenirs et anecdotes de voyage, moi, seule femme à bord d’un motorisé d’hommes, bague au doigt en tenue islamique. La roulotte est vieille et fait du bruit, ce qui attire e regard des Iraniens dans les rues. Le temps passe et nous avons tous faim. Grâce à leur GPS, les Allemands ont conduit tour à tour sans se perdre en faisant une halte dans une ville pour manger. Chaque fois qu’on sort de la caravane, les gens nous observent et se parlent entre eux. Je me sens totalement extraterrestre de plus que je porte un costume d’une culture qui n’est pas mienne. Nous sommes affamés et nous trouvons tant bien que mal une petite place encore ouverte à cette heure

Première soirée à Tabriz, Iran

tardive. Nous pointons au comptoir ce que nous voulons, puisque personne ne parle anglais et notre farsi est encore très minime. Sur le trajet, nous nous étions pratiqués, à l’aide de nos fameux guides, à dire les quelques mots de politesse en Farsi. Pour deux trois dollars chaque, nous mangeons comme des rois et reprenons la route pour Tabriz.

Il est deux heures du matin quand nous arrivons à notre hôtel où le Norvégien et moi, partageront une chambre. C’est à ce moment que je suis vraiment confrontée aux règles du pays. Le monsieur de la réception nous demande si nous sommes mariés. En Iran,  pour qu’un homme et une femme puissent partager une chambre d’hôtel, ils doivent être mariés. Le Norvégien répond non et moi oui en même temps. J’avais fait mes lectures avant le départ! En riant et voulant réchapper son erreur je dis que nous sommes fiancés et qu’il me mariera à notre retour au Canada. Je montre ma fausse bague de mariage achetée chez Ardène à la dernière minute et il accepte. Normalement, dans les établissements plus stricts, nous aurions dû montrer un papier qui certifie notre mariage  J’imagine qu’en tant que touriste, nous avons bénéficié d’une certaine tolérance.

Dès lors, nous avons pris plaisir à nous inventer une vie commune malgré que nous provenions de deux pays situés loin l’un de l’autre. Nous passâmes deux jours ensemble avant que nos chemins se séparent, juste le temps de m’habituer ou plutôt me familiariser avec ce pays si différent.

فانيسا

vanes

Ni l’inquiétude n’enrichit, Ni la générosité n’appauvrit.(proverbe algérien)

Stop Clone Music is back with two heavy remixes which must be released on Vinyl. Hot Abnormal boyz (Globox, Splitsound, Style Rockets) Remix Treatments from EMERSON (Micro.fon, Spinclub Records, Kiddaz) and
SIMON STOKES (Rekluse, Minibus, Sleaze Records).

Artist: Abnormal Boyz

Title: Unlucky Day

Label: Stop Clone Music

Catno: SCM006

Style: Minimal Tech House

Format: 12″ Vinyl only

Release Date: mid October 2009

Tracklist

A1 Unlucky Day (DJ Emerson Funky Remix)

A2 Unlucky Day (Simon Stokes Remix)

||| Prelistening all tracks | full Releaseinfo (PDF) |||

Many first year students (who begin their university careers tomorrow by the way) live in student halls of residence at either Murano Street, Cairncross House, Kelvinhaugh Street, Kelvinhaugh Gate, Winton Drive, and Wolfson Halls, all of which are between 10 and 45 minute walks away. Mercifully, the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) offers a free minibus service to the student halls  Monday to Friday from 5.45pm to 10.55pm, as well as some morning runs to and from Wolfson Halls which is 45 minutes away by foot at the Garscube Campus.

This is extra handy for the students new to Glasgow who aren’t well acquinted with the area between their halls and the campus and especially those who don’t wish to brave the cold and dark autumn nights by foot. The buses run from behind the John McIntyre Building by the Main Gate. For schedules see the SRC website at glasgowstudent.net.

ABC Sundae is a fortnightly theme day, occurring every other Sunday, one letter of the alphabet at a time. Click here for more ABC Sundae.

[Poll #4: Which Student Union(s) do you belong to (or use to belong to)?]
Click on the photo above for a larger version. Please rate the photo below!
© 2009 GlasgowUniPhoto.com

Ülkemizde en çok sevilen ticari araçlardan Transporter yeni yüzüyle geliyor.

 Temel tasarımı aynı kalan Volkswagen Transporter’in dış görünümünde en büyük değişim ön bölümde gözleniyor. Sivrileşip, Golf ve Polo’nun karışımı gibi duran farlar, krom şeritli ön ızgarayla bütünleşirken, tampon tasarımında da küçük değişiklikler yapılmış. Arka bölümde stopların tasarımı değişirken, kokpitte de tıpkı ön bölümde olduğu gibi Golf ve Polo’dan esintiler hissediliyor. Kokpitin temel yerleşimi korunsa da, yeni göstergeler ve kumanda elemanları  iç mekana çok şık ve değerli bir görünüm kazandırmışlar. Kompakt otomobilleri hatırlatan kokpitle birlikte ikizlerin donanımlarında da önemli iyileştirmeler yapılmış. Yakıt ekonomisi için vites değişim göstergesi tüm Transporter modellerinde standart donanımdayken, üst sınıf otomobillerden tanıdığımız kör nokta uyarı sistemi, lastik basınç göstergesi ve navigasyon sistemi gibi donanımlar model ve pazara göre sunulacak.
Gerek iç, gerekse dış tasarımda küçük ancak çok etkili değişimlerin görüldüğü Transporter’larda asıl büyük yenilikler karoserin altına saklanmış. Seleflerinde 1.9 ve 2.5 lt’lik pompa-meme enjeksiyonlu dizel motorlarla satılan araçlarda, artık hepsi 2.0 lt hacimli 84 HP, 102 HP, 140 HP ve 180 HP güçlerinde olan modern common-rail enjeksiyonlu dizel motorlar kullanılacak. Motorlar arasında 180 HP ile güç zirvesini oluşturan ünitede çift turbo besleme kullanılırken, motor bu yönüyle Volkswagen’in bu silindir hacmindeki ilk çift turbo beslemeli dizeli unvanını taşıyor. Eski TDI motorlara göre daha fazla yakıt ekonomisi ve daha düşük emisyon değerleri sunan yeni dizellerin aynı zamanda daha sessiz oldukları iddia ediliyor. Halen satılan Transporter ve Caravelle modellerinde sunulan 4 telerlekten çekiş sistemi 4 Motion’u elden geçiren Volkswagen mühendisleri, yeni modellerde sistemin işleyişini geliştirmişler. Bununla birlikte güncel modellerde sunulan 6 kademeli otomatik şanzımanın yerini alacak olan 7 kademeli DSG şanzıman da bu sınıfta yine bir olacak.

Dünya prömiyeri Frankfurt Otomobil Fuarı’nda gerçekleştirilecek olan yeni Volkswagen Caravelle ve Transporter, ekim ayında Almanya’da satışa sunulurken, araçlar kısa bir süre sonra Türkiye’ye de ithal edilecekler.

<<<<<<<Şöför bey mübarek bi yerde inebilir miyim?
>>>>>> >>>-Şu ilerdeki caminin önünde bırakayım teyze seni…
>>>>>> >>>………………….
>>>>>> >>>Kaç vericem?
>>>>>> >>>- 800.
>>>>>> >>>Şöför:
>>>>>> >>>- Arkadan vermeyen var mı?
>>>>>> >>>Yolcu:
>>>>>> >>>-Az önce eline verdik ya kardeşim..
>>>>>> >>>……………………
>>>>>> >>>Oğlum bu eminönü’nden geçer mi?
>>>>>> >>>- Yok teyze biz taksime çıkıyoruz – Hah tamam oğlum siz gidin ben
>>>>>> >>>gelmeyeceğim.
>>>>>> >>>Yolcu:
>>>>>> >>>- Abi heykel’e çıkıyo mu? Şoför:
>>>>>> >>>-Yok abi, yanından geçiyo.

>>>>>> >>>
>>>>>> >>>Arkadaki aksi teyze öndeki uzun saçlı delikanlıya seslenir:
>>>>>> >>>-Kızım şurdan bir kişi uzatır
>>>>>>mısın? – Ben kız değilim!!!
>>>>>> >>>-Amaaaan ne bileyim kızmısın dulmusun, uzat işte!!
>>>>>> >>>
>>>>>> >>>……………………..
>>>>>> >>>Eve gitmek üzere Bakırköy dolmuşu bekliyordum. Sigaramın kalmadığı
>>>>>> >>>aklıma
>>>>>> >>>gelince önünde durduğum Tekel bayiine girecekken minibüs geldi.
>>>>>> >>>Apar topar bindim. Şoföre parayı uzatıp,
>>>>>> >>>- ‘Bir Monte Carlo’ dedim! Adam birkaç saniye yüzüme bakıp, ‘Abi
>>>>>> >>>bu
>>>>>> >>>Bakırköy’e gider’ diye cevap verdi!
>>>>>> >>>İşte o an benimve şoförün bittiği andı
>>>>>> >>>
>>>>>> >>>……………….
>>>>>> >>>
>>>>>> >>>Mükemmel bir yerde inebilir miyim? Yolcunun kafası karşıksanırım,
>>>>>> >>>kendisi de dolmuştakilerle güler söylediine
>>>>>> >>>Şöför kadını indirirken:
>>>>>> >>>- Buyrun size layık
>>>>>>değil ama!
>>>>>> >>>
>>>>>> >>>………………..
>>>>>> >>> Yolcu musait bi yerde inmek ister ama dili surcer;
>>>>>> >>>Musait bi yerde iner misiniz?
>>>>>> >>>-Şöför :
>>>>>> >>>- Niye senmi kullancan
>>>>>> >>>
>>>>>> >>>……………………..
>>>>>> >>>Rumeli-Hisarüstü otobüsüyle taksim’e dogru gidiyoruz. Adamın biri
>>>>>> >>>Besiktas
>>>>>> >>>dolaylarında gayet aceleci bir tavirla Kaptan orta kapıyı rica
>>>>>> >>>edebilir
>>>>>> >>>miyim?? Bizim soför olaya hakim:
>>>>>> >>>- Tabi abi ayıp ettin. al götür senden kıymetli mi
>>>>>> >>>
>>>>>> >>>………………………
>>>>>> >>>İstanbul’ da, cok sıcak bir gunde,dolmuştaki bir
>>>>>> >>>kokonayelpazesiyle
>>>>>> >>>-”Şöfeer bey klimayı acar mısınız cok sıcak olduu” demisti.
>>>>>> >>>Pala bıyıkl
>>>>>>şöfer amca teyzeyi bi sure suzdukten sonra, kapıyı
>>>>>> >>>acıp
>>>>>> >>>acıp
>>>>>> >>>kapatmaya basladı
>>>>>> >>>……………………..
>>>>>> >>>
>>>>>> >>>Istanbul’dayiz ..Dolmuşa bindik, dolmuş doldu,tam kalkicak,
>>>>>> >>>elemanın
>>>>>> >>>biri
>>>>>> >>>açtı kapıyı,
>>>>>> >>>içerde tıkış tıkış oturmuşuz, önde 3 kişi arkada 4 … Eleman
>>>>>> >>>hala
>>>>>> >>>bir umut sordu: – “Kaptan, yer var mi?”.
>>>>>> >>>Şöför de arkasını dönüp cevap verdi:
>>>>>> >>>- “Bilmiyorum, üst kata bi bak bakalım”
>>>>>> >>>………………………..
>>>>>> >>>
>>>>>> >>>Pek dolu olmamasına rağmen minibüs hareket etmek üzereydi.
>>>>>> >>>Tam o anda kavga ettikleri her hallerinden belli olan iki arkadaş
>>>>>> >>>minibüse
>>>>>> >>>bindi. Birbirlerinin yüzüne
>>>>>>bile bakmıyorlardı
>>>>>> >>>Çocuklardan biri şoföre parayı uzattı:
>>>>>> >>>- Abi bir öğrenci bir de hayvan alır mısın?????

As promised yesterday, my post on the waterfront.

So the waterfront is pretty nice looking, that is about the only good thing I can say about it. But even this is only on account of the nice modern buildings that have been built their on tourist dollars. These are the buildings which ruined what ever beautiful natural view of the bay that there might have been at one point, which would have made my time there a whole bunch nicer. The waterfront is just a large upscale shopping area.  Tourists flock there to spend money on marked up consumer goods to take home. I was ecstatic when I realized this. Two of my favorite things in the world, touristy attractions AND a giant mall. It was not just a giant mall, it was a giant mall that I was being pull around by two female housemates. Yippee.  My favorite part was the minibus ride there.

I had no plans for the day and one of my roommates and a girl from next door were going to the waterfront, so being that I had not seen it yet I would go along.  Like I said the best part was the 15 minute minibus ride there.  Minibus taxies are one of the more interesting parts of the cape town area. There are one of the first things that you notice when you are here, mostly because they have a person who yells out the window the destination.  These taxis operate in two man teams out of vans that hold about 15 people. You have the driver and then you have the guardtjie. (pronounced “gaar-chee” which means little guard. Also of note I have never heard anyone use the term, I just found it in the official cape town visitors guide for 2009)  The guardtjie sits in the second row of seats and is the one who opens the door, tells people where to sit, and he is the person you pay.  These guys are the ones who also do all of the yelling and many of the times they are pretty persistent going to the extent of getting out of the minibus to come up to you and try to convince you to take the taxi. These taxis are one of the better ways to get around just because they are cheep.  From Rondebosch to cape town it is seven rand (approx.. $1). For a real taxi you would be paying in the vicinity of 100 rand (about $14). So the minibuses are the best way to get around if you want to get there cheaply, not so if you want to get to your destination safely or quickly. The drivers don’t seem to be particularly good, and they go all over the place including and not limited to going backwards and coming to a complete stop in the middle of the road in the attempt to pick up people. They must be fairly profitable because there are just tons of them going down main road, so you are constantly hearing “Claremont- Wynburg” or  “Mowbray Cape Town” the whole time you are walking along main road.

We arrive in cape town and walk to the waterfront, and Jessica, my neighbor, is in a sad state of disarray from the reggae show and needs a bloody mary to begin to function again like a normal human being. So we stop at this Ale house called Mitchell’s for her. They are also a microbrewery, which I have heard is quite good, but it was pretty early so I decided to pass. Then we went and met up with some other friends who were having lunch, and then another group were to meet up with all of us. There was a lot of sitting at restaurants waiting.

I was growing impatient, we had been at the waterfront for an hour and a half and I had not seen anything.  Finally we got moving and then I realized there was not much to see. It was just overpriced shopping centers.  There was absolutely nothing there I couldn’t find at home. I was fairly bummed out. It was nice, modern looking, there was quite a nice view of table mountain from outside.  But it was just a mall.

Eventually we split up with one group staying to get dinner and the other heading back to Rondebosche. Needless to say I went with the group going back.

Today was a much better day.  It was the first day that it had been really nice out in about a week. So my roommate Laurenda and I walked from our place into Cape Town heading out into some of the suburbs outside of Cape Town to look around. Once we got to cape town we wondered around long street, which is much different during the day then at night.  Over all cape town is really dead on Sunday.  There is no one around. It really reminds me of Albany, you can walk around and not see anyone. Plus everything is closed on Sunday, so the entire area is just desolate.

Today was much better then yesterday. As for the rest of today I will be working on a paper for my politics class. (which is exactly why I am writing this now) Do you know how hard it is to do class work when you are abroad? And it is even harder when you know all of the grades you get here are not really worth anything back home.  SUNY Albany counts the classes here as either pass or fail. I could get all Cs at UCT and none of that would effect the 3.9 that I have at home. It is an easy paper, it will get done.

By Rory Reynolds

A TAXI driver and his three passengers had narrow escapes after yobs hurled a wheelie bin from a bridge onto the roof of his cab.

The driver and his terrified passengers looked on in horror as the bin hurtled towards them in Glenrothes, Fife.

After bouncing on the road in front of the vehicle the bin careered into the mini-bus, cracking and denting the bodywork before landing on the road behind it.

The driver was travelling in the town’s Western Avenue at around 1am on Saturday morning when the bin was thrown from the Collydean pedestrian bridge above the 50moph road.One passenger was left in shock but nobody required medical attention.

Police raced to the incident and are now hunting the culprits – they say the incident could have been “disastrous” and are appealing for witnesses.

A spokeswoman said they were treating the incident as culpable and reckless conduct.

She said: “One of the passengers – who was sitting in the front seat next to the driver – said he got a ‘definite shock’ and was sure that the wheelie bin came from the bridge above.

“The bin bounced on the road, hit the bumper and cracked the grill. It then went over the bonnet, left a dent on the roof and landed on the road behind the taxi.

“This could easily have had disastrous consequences had the driver not been able to take avoiding action.

“Any person who witnessed the incident or can identify any individual or individuals involved is asked to contact Fife Police.”

Padangbai: Lavando al gallo para que pelee guapo.

Desde Ubud, elegi nuevamente una opcion cruelmente madrugadora para ir a Lombok. Tome, junto a Sabine, un minibus hasta Padangbai. Alli hicimos una innecesariamente larga pausa para desayunar. Curiosa escena: se sentaron en nuestra mesa dos daneses de ojos azulgrana cual granota, producto de la combinacion de su azul natural y su etilica conjuntivitis.
Su pregunta: “¿Vosotros sabeis donde estamos?”
Respuesta mental: “¿Estais resacosos, o todavia borrachos?”
Respuesta oral: “En Padangbai.”
Pregunta retorica por mi parte: “¿Venis de Kuta?”
Siguen preguntando como quien se despierta de un coma y trata de situarse: “¿Aun estamos en Bali? ¿Donde vamos?… Ah, si, a las islas Gili. ¿Y vosotros?”
Poco a poco los vamos situando, y cuentan que han venido todo el trayecto en minibus desde Kuta durmiendo (algo de facil deduccion a la vista de sus rostros). Al llegar el conductor a su hotel, les han despertado y les han recordado que tenian contratado un viaje, e incluso les han tenido que ayudar a hacer las mochilas. Parecian recobrar ligeramente la lucidez mientras desayunabamos juntos.

Despues nos embarcamos en el ferry que nos llevaba de Padangbai (Bali) hasta Lembar (Lombok). La duracion estimada del trayecto en un transbordador denominado oficialmente “barco lento”, es de entre 3 y 5 horas, dependiendo de las condiciones del mar, para un trayecto de 25 kilometros. La duracion real, sin contar embarque, desembarque ni esperas a bordo, fue de 4 horas y media. Ejemplo autobiografico paralelo: Yo calculo que vuelvo a Europa en otoño de 2009, aproximadamente. Con ese amplio intervalo, y la coletilla “aproximadamente” es dificil equivocarse.

Nos incomodamos (imposible acomodarse) en unos bancos de madera, cuyos listones nos dejaron el cuerpo como la camiseta ddel C.D. Javea. Es tiempo de lectura, de comer por aburrimiento e infructuosos intentos de siesta, mientras eramos mecidos por unas olas que invitaban a alimentar la fauna marina desde la borda a base de dieta regurgitada.

Tras desembarcar en Lombok, tomamos un minibus que debia llevarnos a Senggigi. En algun lugar del camino, que intuyo podria ser Mataram, el conductor paro el vehiculo y dijo “un momento, por favor”. Se bajo y se puso a hablar por el telefono movil.
Momento de elaborar teorias: “habra parado para saludar a su cuñado”, “estara el minibus estropeado”, “cambiaremos de conductor”…
Aparece alguien que parece saber ingles y … tampoco habla ingles.
Nuestro conductor agarra una moto, salida de no sabemos donde, y se marcha sin dar explicacion.
Se acerca un nuevo curioso para ayudar, saludando en ingles. Le pedimos que nos traduzca lo que dice el anterior, y le preguntamos “¿hay algun problema?”
Nos responde a la gallega: “¿hay algun problema?”
Mi respuesta mental: “Esa pregunta la he hecho yo primero”. “Y a mi no me vas a ganar a responder preguntas con otra pregunta, que, con la pinta que tienes, yo tengo muchos mas genes gallegos que tu”.
Preguntamos: “¿Cuando viene el conductor?”
Respuesta evasiva multiusos: “no inglis“. Esta respuesta es infalible a la hora de finalizar una conversacion. Para facilitar la comprension, pondre un ejemplo mas cercano. En un centro comercial cualquiera en Europa, el equivalente seria “yo no soy de este departamento”.
El conductor aparecio milagrosamente poco despues con otro vehiculo, y nos llevo a nuestro destino final. Finalmente solo fueron 9 horas de hotel a hotel.

Pescador en Senggigi.

Estoy alojado en un hotel junto a la carretera y a la playa, como casi todos los de Senggigi y que excede con creces mis necesidades. Son los inconvenientes de la temporada alta. Tiene servicios y amenities “no tan basicos” como piscina, papel higienico, toalla, television (por primera vez desde que llegue a Indonesia), un panel indicativo de la direccion en que se encuentra La Meca e incluso limpieza de habitacion. A mi me gusta aprovechar todos los servicios del hotel incluidos en el precio, pero lo de ponerme mirando a La Meca he decidido posponerlo sine die.

Por el momento Senggigi ofrece bellos atardeceres sobre el mar, en una playa de arenas oscuras, muy buena para nadar. Pese a las apariencias tranquilas de las aguas, observo donde se mete la gente y no me adentro mucho, ya que aqui el mar tiene fama de tener mas resaca que nuestros amigos daneses.

Salut.

Atardecer en Senggigi.