the worst thing about Istanbul

This isn’t quite so relevant now, considering all that’s happening right now in Istanbul. The worst thing about Istanbul is the unnecessary use of force by the police against protestors. But during more peaceful times, this is what made me seethe with rage during my time in Istanbul. The costumed ice cream servers. I have …

Kyrgyz Music Friday

Kyrgyz Music Friday is a (sometimes) weekly feature in which I post a pop music video from an artist in Kyrgyzstan. It could be catchy, annoying, funny, insightful, brilliant, awful, or anything in between. It’s what’s playing on the radio, what all the cool kids are listening to these days. Kyrgyz Music Friday is not …

Soviet architecture exhibit

When I was in Istanbul, I had the opportunity to check out a photography exhibit on Soviet architecture at Salt Galata. It was a really interesting exhibit and was displayed in a creative way. I loved looking at the retro photographs and hunting for references to Kyrgyzstan (although it seems that Georgia, Ukraine, and [duh] …

searching for poppy fields

Convinced that it would most certainly be my last chance to photograph a giant field of blooming poppies, a friend and I made plans that we absolutely had to find them last weekend. The weather had been volatile all week, cold and rainy one day, blazing sunshine the next. Every weather website or app we …