Day 4 of 30 Day Writing Challenge
Photo by Ibrahim Uzun on Unsplash
Istanbul!
For someone like me who grew up in an island nation, entering another country, seeing another culture and hearing another language would occur only after long hours of flight or voyage. The concept of a national border that can be crossed by walking was simply foreign.
No wonder my biggest fascination after moving to Seattle was to visit Vancouver, BC. Not so much as to see the city, although it is a beautiful place, but to drive across the national border to enter a different country was the primary attraction to me. I wanted to examine myself how I would feel the exact moment when crossing the border.
Even after having crossed the US/Canadian boarder many times and having visited several countries in Europe in one trip, this fascination hasn’t faded in me.
And the biggest fascination I have yet to experience… Byzantium, Constantinople, and Istanbul… The same place that has changed its name in the course of its long history. The city where the two major civilization, the West and the East, have always collided.
How narrow is Bosporus Strait? What does it feel like when entering from one civilization to the other? How had the people always perceived the people living on the other side?
Until I get lost meandering in this city, my fascination continues.