Just finished uploading the last of the Istanbul pictures I’m going to upload to flickr. There is one picture that I decided not to upload, though there was a process of heavy internal debate beforehand. It is a picture of me naked, on a bed, with a fez on my head and a mini-fez on my penis. You are welcome, world, for having the tact to not share that picture in my old age. It’s not pretty.
In the picture I DID post today, you can see me trying my best to look Turkish. If you haven’t been to Turkey, trust me – I’m doing a great job. I shaved the beard down to mustache, I’m standing in front of a mosque, and I am refusing to smile for a picture, so that’s 3 for 3 right there.
In fact, even without the mustache, my look was so generically Mediterranean, I kept getting accosted, but in different languages. Like walking through the Grand Bazaar, people were trying to sell me stuff in Spanish, Greek, Italian, Turkish – you name it. I’m the Generic Mediterranean Man (new business cards coming soon.)