Transsexual sex workers in an islamic society are attracting the interest of western artists. To be honest, I am quite angry about how this issue is shown. just on the surface. some words, which just reflects some stereotypes of the “other” society and photoswhich show nothing, but the ladies as objects, without any setting, any interaction or background. Sorry, but I do not get the impression, that the artist shared anything with his models, not even the money, he got for the project. (at least I know about a project, funded by European Union, the artist was complaining that the ladies wanted to be paid for the shooting).
Way is it so much special to make pictures of sex workers. Is there anything different to the usual voyeurisms, prostitutes are confronted with? At least the text seems to me more like an excuse, the words seem to be partly from lambda istanbul, where transsexuals are some kind of victimized clients, at least not those, who represent the organization to the public. The rest is constructing a cultural difference, where there isn’t really. Or do you really think those queers would be accepted in any “western” city.

was the slogan of a rally in berlin yesterday, where about 15.000 people gathered to protest against the policy to restrict freedom of information and the right of privacy in the name of “security”. Mainly the law, which orders providers of communication services to file any data, who is communicating with whom, which will be used in some month, was criticized.
The rally was kind of extraordinary, an alliance between liberal groups, parties and leftist organizations was formed. And it seemed, both found a way of common articulation, those on an abstract understanding of civil rights and freedoms, the others confronted with repression due to their political activities. Evrybody seemed to be content, as there hasn’t been any protest of more than a few hundred people in teh last, maybe 20 years, whereas critics had to observe new laws on security and surveillance constantly, even before 9/11.
But, the alliance did not stand its crucial test. One leftist block was attacked by police hard, several dozen were injured by pepper spray and sticks, several times. This situation led to the consequence, that about half of the protesters decided to leave the demonstration, as it was not possible to go on without risking more injured. It’s not the first time, I saw police violence, not even the hardest, but probably the most clearest example, how police decided to use violence for the goal to split protest. And definitely it worked. All those, who could be sure, not to be goal of the attacks just passed by to finish the rally just like nothing happened. Many even complained the “black block” destroyed the image of the peaceful protest, Those who abstractly criticized the logic to construct a concept of an enemy, easily used it to stay on the side of the good citizen. who has not to hide anything, does not have to fear, not even the police.

there have been complaints, I didn’t write any more. well, my life changed. and yet I don’t really know, what to think about. usually i get up at 7:30 in the morning to head for my course, I’m not decided, wether i’d like to join the small talk there or I’d rather feel like staying by myself. I feel like not being in my world there, even if i guess, others have more to tell, than they show at the surface of being young urban professional.
Ok, this is just 3 hours of my day, but its horrible regular. Beside that, I miss Istanbul, the lively streets, the feelings of not evrything is secured up. but yet, all these thoughts seem to be stereotypes. I will need some time to evaluate this issue a little bit more.

i started my internship. that means i hadto sit three hours ith 180 others. I didn’t feellike talkingto anyone. The president of the court had a speech, quite symptomatic for the german way of dealing with its history. She spoke much about the “dark sides” ofthe history, but nothing,which would question the legal system. All was about the “Volksgerichtshof” which was extraordinary and was not working like a normal court. What about the ordanary courts? didn’t they also execute NS law? Shouldn’t we speak about maybe how the nuernberg race laws influenced family law, how judges where doingthis job, in patterns of the `rule of law`. shouldn’t we ask the question, way the rule of law is seen as something in contradiction to NS. But to speakabout ONE court, which was extraordinary and not acting in the patterns of process, is easier and demands less self-reflection.
beside that i feel fine in berlin, my new flat (with an open wireless lan available) and are expecting a time with not too much work and oportunuties for good party. Thanks for the comment, my dear friends in istanbul, i miss you, too.

i have a flat. i have not seen it yet, but saw my flatmates and we will all move in together. the flat is big and stylish (art nouveau) and in neukölln and the flatmates are not this kind of bureaucracy-like as all others. I’m thinking about blaming the national character. all these people who made such a problem about somebody is moving in, wanting to do the procedure perfect and even are perfect in saying no after a one weeks period of deciding. this time it was much more spontanous, about 4 hours after the meeting I got the message … by the way, I am the token german in this flat.

finally I arrived in Berlin and after some hassle to find a base, I started to look for a shared flat. Oh it’s complicated. all I do is search for announcements, call and try to get a date to visit. all that can only be done in th evening. so yesterday I run through three flats to have a meeting with people fed up of seeing masses of people, who move in.
It’s a very strange conversation evry time, what am i doing, how do they share things. I am bored. in the end i leave a contact and say see you. People seem to collect about ten contacts befoere making a decission. Why? If there is somebody interested and not totally wrong for the other people, you just could say, ok, lets try. but like this evryone seem to head for the perfect solution, like they would decide for marriage.
up to now, there are three flats i could imagine to live in, now i am waiting and i will collect another 7, just to be sure, that in the end i will find something, its a gamble game in a way, but I did not say definitly no to anyone, either, just in case i am not the one and only for someone. Why the hell it is complicated like this …

gosh - what a journey, after about 2 weeks seaside, we stepped into the east of turkey, and as I exspected, it really gave me some new point of views. 3 years in istanbul didn`t really show me “turkey”, live in diyarbakır is different even to “kurdish” quarters of the big city.
we had several days we just where discussing, social situation, civil war, the matter of speaking a language, which isn`t accepted, terrorism and ways out of it, ot the option of going to northern irak and start a new kurdistan.
For sure, to sepparate information and propaganda was not easy, but one thing can be sure: nobody, who is stepping east of mersin, can ignore the conflict, and all the idea of a monocultural turkey is illusion.
And I got some idea, why AKP is as strong as it is: While all the “old elite”, the army, CHP …, is considering at least 1/3 of turkey just as an area of “terrorists”, AKP gouvernment is building highways, and being muslim is more important than being turk. That might be an offer to many people, even if it isn`t a democratic in a kind of liberal sense.
beside all these impressions, I had to handle quite a lot of bureaucracy, getting a document to an office, where 3 different offices where involved and all that with internet cafes and public phones. it worked out, but was one of the most difficult adventures, and yes, gouvernment offices do answer to e-mail, sometimes.
now I am in istanbul and it is a little bit strange to be visitor, where I lived for so long time. the next adventure, I have to let a tooth pulled out. oh poor me …