We all have had that experience where in life we are drifted aimlessly by the force of circumstances that hours turn into days, days turn into seasons and seasons turn into “Holy crap! I forgot to fulfill my resolutions!”

Everybody is busy having a given-life. During our daily routine, we simply answer by “I am fine.” when we are asked “How are you?” But in reality, we hide the fact; the bitter fact that most of us being unhappy. Another fact of this question is that nobody actually cares about how you are doing. It’s just for the sake of formality to ask “How are you?” and expect the “I am fine.” reply. Please do not spoil this idle loop by answering “I am NOT fine.” As I said nobody cares! hahahahah

Some days ago, I was talking with a relative of mine who is expecting a baby soon. She said “The birth is soon, I am expecting him in April.” I replied in a little bit surprise, “April? There is still more than a month!” I must have sounded stupid by saying this, because it was almost the end of March and I thought it was still February!

Why do this happen? Why cannot I chase the time? I beat my brains out long hours to find an answer, and I did find one! I came to the conclusion that my brain automatically deletes bad memories from my life as if they never happen. When this happens, the times I have them is gone, too! Trust me; I am damn serious about this.

Science says that during our evolution history, our primates evolved to keep bad memories more than good memories so that they could protect themselves from danger. I believe my ancestors who gave me their genes evolved inversely. I so easily forget bad memories. I keep good memories, but where the heck the bad memories go! Come on! I need them! I need them to fight with the people who give me them!

It seems that it’s been quite a long time since the last time I visited here. I think I gave my excuse for not being able to follow the time. Believe this and drop me your hints of being a scheduled-person whose day-to-day is tied to a program and remembers all.

If I am not here and asking about you, it doesn’t mean I am neglecting you. Somehow, I feel like we are together and we still stick around each other. It feels good to know you have great friends on MyEC. If I am back, who is there with me? 

To read the fourth part of the story click here.

It was the time to convince myself there wasn’t much left for I regarded this place, this very right time as the beginning and the end of my story. When I saw Asma standing in front of me with her eyes full of detestation, it was as if my tale had ended here. The “once upon a time” was now in a far country lived people who only aimed to take revenge. No one could escape from the fate. If this was my fate, I was going to live it…

She was limping, her foot was bandaged carelessly. I wasn’t feeling alone, nor was I scared. I was only expectant. I longed for her stopping all these. But, above all things I wanted nobody to get hurt. All their efforts to stop her, Charos, Syubi, and Ates, were in vain. She was listening to nobody; standing there like a scarecrow with the same axe, on which still was the blood of my Twin. Ates tried to get the axe from her hands; she pushed him back on the ground. It felt like I was in a deep water and the waves were playing a game with me. The waves were tossing in my face. I rushed out to give some support to Ates. Asma was as strong as her mother. Losing myself in this feeling of deep water, my feet stuck against a rock and there was a rush of water pushing me deep down. The firm earth was slipping from my feet, Asma was unstoppable; or the dizziness of water made me feel so. At last, however, the deep water threw me back on the firm earth. Everything seemed so cloudy and unreal. The waves hit angrily at unseen hills. I felt the mighty waves as the dreadful billows beat against a little ship in the middle of a sea; finally the waves took all my strength…

(Yesterday)

I held Ates’s hands tightly, and so did he. “Let’s leave here, I will take you to a safe place,” he said. “No, I can’t, my Twin,” was my words coming out with difficulty. “We don’t have time, we have to go before she wakes up,” said Ates pointing at Asma. That time I saw her lying on the ground wounded from her leg. Ates brought me to a bay. I couldn’t find something appropriate to say at the right time, but then he spoke. “I don’t know how to tell you, but I will do my best. I hope you will understand me for not telling you all this way long. I have – as if I suppose to have – a hesitation in lifting the veil that covers my life like a dark mist,” said Ates his eyes in a sorrowful cloud ready to pour down. Then, he went on. “My father was a sailor. He left my mother and me when I was too young, and he died somewhere overseas. I hardly remember his face. To be honest, I have never blamed my father for leaving us. Who knows? Maybe, I would do the same if I were him… My mother got married to another man in 1998 when I was 10. He was my mother’s second husband and many years younger. His name was Tawfeeq. He never liked my mother; sometimes they were arguing and I was hearing their arguments. As I could understand, my stepfather loved another woman – they loved each other very much, and my mother made him marry her forcibly. Once, I heard that woman’s name – she is your sister, Anele…” There was a moment of sinister silence. I couldn’t believe the words coming out of Ates’s mouth. A shiver ran through my body. I only wished this was a nightmare and soon everything would end. Then Ates broke the silence. “I shall continue… I have a sister from my stepfather. She is Asma!” I was shocked! I couldn’t believe in what I had heard! “Hold on!” I said unconsciously. If Asma is your sister, then Ni-da --- Nida is your mother!.. Is Nida your mother?” My ears were dying to hear a “no”! It was too hard to believe all these. Life had never been this cruel. The immense, travelling to the unknown encircled me. I remained still and wished time would stop. There was a silence, this time it was terrific, like before every storm. “Yes, she is my mother. And, I killed my own mother!” he said, wanting to revolt his fate.

Indeed, I could scarcely see what I was doing, or what was being done to me. But, I knew that all I wanted to do was to help Ates. I splashed, waded and struggled in the deep water, fought back with the waves; but the spirit of resistance was stronger. I felt hot blood pouring down from me and felt as if invisible hands were holding me. I didn’t make any effort to make myself understood nor to free myself. After a while, the need of being in a safe lap was so intense that at the time I could only see Ates. I could hear him shouting, or saying something I couldn’t understand; I could only see great sorrow in his eyes. Maybe I fancied, I didn’t know but I heard him calling for me, to the dream world where he always promised to take me to. Nothing could spoil the joy of being clasped in Ates’s arms. Oh, the comfort of the tender embrace!

I could hear him telling me to go with him to the unknown world, the world only we both knew. “Come with me, I will take you to our dream world where nobody can find us. It will be only me and you. Come and sit in front of me, on my flying horse.” I followed him to find comfort and leant my face against his chest. His chest was so cool, just like the grass and leaves of my paradise of my childhood. What joy this was to lose myself in this garden, to smell the peace, until, coming upon a gate. Never have I found such a heart-satisfying, beautiful place with its tranquil melody and fragrance. There, at the edge of the gate, I saw my Twin, Anele and behind them my parents waving to me. So soft, so pure… I couldn’t help myself running towards them. I cannot recall what Ates was saying to me after that, but I know I clung to him more tightly while I was running towards my family. This living feeling awakened my soul, gave it light, hope and peace. It would be difficult to find a happier person than I was. I lived over the joy this moment had brought me, and for the first time longed this moment lasted forever. Finally, I was with the people I loved, at the gate; we turned back walking inside, and the huge door closed behind us…

- THE END -

* All the characters in this story are members of English Club. They have no real relations with the facts told in the story.

She greeted me with a friendly gesture. “I am an acquaintance of Ates’s family and I know Nida very well. I am here to tell you the story I know.” she said without waiting for me to ask questions. My desire to listen to the story grew. The few signs I used became less and less adequate. “Your father – God bless his soul – after his graduation, worked as a newspaper columnist and there, he met your mother. They loved each other and decided to marry. Nida was their head. She never wanted him to marry your mother because she also loved your father, in a platonic way. Despite Nida, they married, but she became insane and broke down in hostile tears. She promised to harm them. If they had children, she promised she would destroy them, too. After the fire, her eyes were always on the children - you. She made Tawfeeq leave Anele and marry her; otherwise, she threatened him to kill all of you. She never broke her promise...” I was shocked after all what I heard, perplexed, wholly unconscious of this anguish. Anger and bitterness preyed upon me; a deep languor succeeded to cover my body while the mid-afternoon sun fell on my face.

(8 days ago)

I came to the house behind the small hills. The house had two floors; it looked very old and was almost completely covered with vines. From the bare garden it looked like a big arbor with the veranda surrounding it. The front door was left half-open. I rolled my eyes across the long and dark hall. It was frightening to walk along this hall but I had to. Straight away was the kitchen. The furniture was old fashioned. There were many doors leading to different rooms. Suddenly, I felt a bee stinging me on my right shoulder, behind my back. When I saw Nida with a syringe in her hand, I understood that it hadn’t been a bee; she had given me an injection. But what had she ---?

When I woke up from my drugged sleep, I found myself in a room. One corner of the room was in a mess as if some people had a fight there. The two windows were high and they were shut with boards from inside. There was also a smell of rotten food. Sometime later, I heard footsteps coming closer from the hall. The door opened and a dim light accompanied it. At the edge, I saw Nida holding Anele from her arm. She seemed very exhausted. Nida brought her inside the room. “Now, you two will be quiet here, deal? You wouldn’t want to make me angry, would you?” said Nida with a wicked grin on her face. Her last sentence was spoken with terrible sarcasm.

After all what I have learnt from Charos, I could know how much Nida was dangerous and what, actually, happened to my parents. A strange feeling came out inside me. I knew that it was a feeling that preceded a thunderstorm; and a nameless anger wrapped up in my heart. I hardly remember my childhood. I fancy I still have recollections which I come to understand now. I remember my parents often used to move to new places. My fleeting memories, if, indeed, they be memories, they all seem distinct now, like a nightmare…

(One week and some hours ago)

Even though the situation we were in was frightening, I was happy to see Anele. We had been in the room for hours, and every 2 hours Nida was coming to check up on us. We knew we had to escape from here, but how? If we could find something to help us escape from this room maybe we could get out of the house that way. We searched the room in the hope of finding something. In the drawer of the console next to the door was an album. We were curious to see photographs of Nida’s family and of Nida herself. When we opened the album, however, we found that it was full of stories cut from newspapers. A feeling of chilling terror thrilled us. “We have to leave here right now! Can you see all this news cut from newspapers? She is a consummate psycho!” I shouted my blood beginning to run cold. We had found Nida’s hidden album, full of news from different newspapers, all news about different people, at different places, on different dates. There was news about a fire of a house, dated 1998; 2 people had died in the fire – husband and wife, their names were defaced in black completely. Another news was about the death of a man. The man had fallen down from the stairs and got broken his neck badly. The newspaper called it a “curious accident”. Who was this man and what was his relationship with Nida, I thought to myself. So many murder news, they were either accident or unsolved cases. “She is killing people and never been caught!” said Anele, her voice shaking and grabbing that man’s murdering news from my hand. “I think I know this man! Oh my God!” she screamed. I heard Nida’s voice echoing in my mind. “I killed him because he gave me an ugly look on the street. I killed him because he kissed his girlfriend in front of my eyes. I killed him because he was listening to the music loudly. Why does the reason matter? He was just annoying - so I killed him! ”

to be continued… 

To read the second part of the story click here.

I remember the tenderness with which Anele tried to soothe my Twin and me all my life. We had lost our parents after a fire incident and since then Anele, she was older than us, was like a mother to us. Now, I have the agony which I awoke with after all these years, and turned my eyes, so tearful and dull, to the walls, all over stone cold, away from making a home, with the dim light, which is pallid to me, and yet more pallid each day. Gradually, I got used to the silence and to the dim light which surrounded me and forgot that if time had ever been running until she, whom I have been waiting for, arrived – Charos.

(Yesterday)

Vaguely, there were flames growing bigger that we could see through the window. Was the house on fire? But -- how? “Oh no!” my Twin shouted, her voice full of pain. I could see her through the window behind the flames, her face a cold grin on. Asma had found us! She set fire to the house! “We have to leave here!” I said. But, the front door was locked. “The windows! Quickly!” We broke one window, pieces of glass spread everywhere. Through the flames, I rushed out and jumped on to the bare ground. I tried to help my Twin come out; she was pinned to a piece of glass and at a sudden fell down, her right foot with a deep cutting. She neither screamed nor shouted. I helped her to get up, but I could see that she was in pain, an awful pain. The sky was full of clouds, dark clouds – wanting to pour down but sober enough not to rain just like my Twin eyes, needed to cry but had the clouds’ soberness.

“It’s a pity that you think you can slip out of my hands,” said Asma walking over us. As soon as she came closer, I picked up a piece of glass and turned to her. She had a small axe in her hands. I gripped the glass more tightly ready to fight. “You will never win Asma! Never! Your end will be just like your mother’s!” I shouted. She became black in anger and threw the axe towards me. The axe flew from right beside me. But, there was a sound of a sudden cry behind. It was my Twin! The axe hit her! She was there, lying in blood… The clouds were darker and thicker now. There was an unpleasant weather. A feeling of floating seized inside me as if I was given drug and my soul wasn’t there; only a body – a body staring at what had happened. My face clouded over. The clouds were so cold. “Take me to the dream world, to the peaceful world, where my Twin is…” I wanted to say. What brought me out of the clouds to the real world, I didn’t know. But, I chose to live.

Asma was standing there as if she had been there for hours, wearing her ugly clothes. Numbness encircled all my body, my body was too dull to feel strongly. There was nothing except nothing. This is the end, I thought. The end of my story… I realized that this feeling made me happy somehow. I felt two hands grabbing my throat and throttling me. “Say hi to your sisters there! Maybe we can write to each other sometimes,” she said with a vicious laugh. “Stop it Asma!” a voice shouted from the gate side. “Don’t do this!” the voice went on. Then, I saw Ates with a gun in his hand pointing at Asma. “You’d better leave this Ates!” said Asma in an annoyed way like a spoiled child.  “Don’t make me kill you Asma! I don’t want to do that. Release her!” I could never forget this face, I thought. He was, without a doubt, Ates who rescued me from Nida, that silhouette standing at the gate. Asma released her hands off me. “Why the hell are you here? Don’t you know I hate intruders!” she said going at him angrily. “Don’t come at me! Leave here! Don’t make me kill you!” Asma was snickering. “Can you? Can you really kill me?” I felt a misty consciousness covering me. Light, give us light, was the wordless cry of my soul. I was left numb and blind by my brain. I couldn’t see what was happening anymore. Have you ever been at a boundless marsh in an intense fog, when it seemed the deep mud was sucking you in itself? I was like that and the ground was my foggy marsh. Then, there was a gun sound. Sometime later, I felt approaching footsteps. I reached out my hand to the voices. Someone took it; I was uplifted and held close in the arms. He was Ates…

to be continued…

To read the fourth part of the story click here.

To read the first part of the story click here...

This country is hot, I thought. It isn’t like the place where I come from. The sun is about to set from the clear sky and it is warm enough to take the thunderstorms from my heart away. “How are you?” she asked without turning round. “Are you all right?” “No,” I said carelessly and turned to face her in a dull way. Indefiniteness is a true killer. It makes us impatient and causes more troubles. We both know we have to move forward, and come up with better ideas. Maybe, we need a miracle. We helplessly need somebody to tell us all these what happened were a joke. I seriously wish there was a go-back button on my brain because, I keep thinking there is no way out from this. Where is this road taking me to?

(Six days ago)

I saw my rescuer’s silhouette in the darkness. Suddenly, a hole opened up inside me, the hole became wider and wider. Who was this man and why did he save me? Just as suddenly as it had opened, the hole inside me closed up when I saw a smile on my rescuer’s face. There were plenty of questions I wanted to ask, but all I remember was when I woke up, I was in another place and right beside me was my Twin. I gradually found out that I was brought here. I was surrounded by a bright light now. The place and being with a person I love made me feel secure and peaceful.

It had been some days since we were waiting in this house. Why waiting rather than taking an action? Weren’t we supposed to take revenge for Anele? Time was running and waiting was the true killer itself. But, what to do?

We came to a cottage. It was left in total darkness. Inside was in a worse situation. It seemed like we were those first people who came here after a very long time. “Now we must rest,” Syubi said, picking up the sheets on the furniture. “We will think of what to do tomorrow. Are you hungry?”

The pain. This pain is not like anything else. Since the incident, time has passed so slowly for me. Tears of anger began to flow down my cheeks. They were murdered. I was saved though I wish I wasn’t. I couldn’t do anything for them. I feel so desperate. “Maybe I will have to kill myself eventually, but I will kill her first. I promise on Anele’s and my Twin’s memories that I will kill Asma first!” I was drifting into a deep sleep and those were my last conscious thoughts. I remember I repeated it even in my dream.

(One week and some hours ago)

“Here you are, you ugly birds!” said Nida suddenly appearing behind us. Have you found my album? I suppose I wanted you to read it; otherwise, why would I have left it out? I wanted you to know what I can do when I am angry!” Nida went on, shouting angrily. Her face was as dark as the sky without any stars. Evil terror rose up in her. It wasn’t at all surprising that she lost her temper and made the situation threatening for us. The console next to the wall was quaking under her hands and it made a frame fall onto the floor and break into pieces. She looked at it, then at us, and her face twisted. Her wrinkles seemed frightening more than ever. She grasped the knife and threw it into the air as if there she was fighting with people trying to pull her back. It took some seconds she carelessly caught Anele and stabbed her from the throat. Anele fell onto the floor barely breathing, lying there motionlessly. “Now look what you’ve made me do!” Nida yelled. There was a pause, a terrible silence for a few seconds, then she sighed. “I suppose I’ll kill you, too. I don’t want to leave anybody left.”

The morning is, however, breezy and dull. There is a disquieting feeling inside me. Yesterday, however, I have managed to keep it at the bay, now this bedeviled feeling is with me again. I wonder if I have left anything else to accomplish in this life. Where I am doesn’t really matter now. What matters is that all my beloveds are far away now – too far. I keep thinking, and it makes me misled. Maybe, I should just stop this for a while and listen to them. Today, we are going to meet an important person as he said yesterday. I hope to find some answers – finally, today…

to be continued…

To read the third part of the story click here...

My body aches. My mind is numb. Memory quick as a flash. The madness in my head is slowly building again. What is this cushion? Is it made of wool? It smelled of stale humidity the whole night. A voice spoiled the madness in my head. “Everybody wake up. We’re at the bay.” Everybody? Damn! I could only see an old man - a pitiful, old man like the ship’s berth itself.

I was still left dumbfounded by what happened yesterday. I wish my subconscious would explain it for me. There was a question I wanted to ask myself, but my mind was not clear enough to form the question. Why was I here? 

(One week ago)

She came into the room with a rope in her hand. My head was in great pain. Immense pain. The last memory I had was of her hitting my head with a heavy object. Everyone in the world has a crazy side, and hers was deceptive. All her qualities went with her craziness. It was as if a hole had opened up inside her and swallowed every part of her brains. In contrast, however, her body was strong, especially for an old lady like her.

She quickly tied me up. I imagined I was in a lucid dream*, so I tried to change the situation, but I wasn’t in a lucid dream. I watched her as she walked out of the room, locking the door.

She returned maybe 20 hours later. “Water… please,” I gasped. “No,” she said, her voice a haggard growl. I knew she had come back to watch what she did to me. I, lying on the ground helplessly, wasn’t satisfying enough for her. She then approached me to finish the job that she had started. I thought to myself “I am going to kill you! You old lady Nida!”

It’s baffling to have the dichotomy of different groups of friends. I am bushed and lost in thoughts. There is no place for me to go, and now I am at this bay waiting for the rescue. I know that this bay is my final destination. I'm falling off the wagon here, yet here I am. Having thought about what happened till now, I don’t care about what happens next. I hope I have the fortitude to pick myself up and keep moving forward. This seems to be a dream now. Nothing will ever be the same again. And, everybody knows it.

Sitting and thinking, I am playing with some pebbles in my hand, at a corner of the bay behind a small fishing raft. The bay is silent; there are only some other rafts and shipmen. The yellow-colored sun is right across me. I can see its long-lined reflection on the sea. Then I heard her voice, “You are late. I have been waiting for you since the morning.”

(One week ago)

I saw the knife in her hand. Her hand was bleeding. I remembered a movie I had watched long ago. The psycho main character was giving harm to herself before she killed her prisoners. I thought of her being that psycho woman. I tried to free myself from the rope. It was tied very tightly. It was also impossible to slip out of the big sofa she tied me to. If I shouted, could anybody hear me? Maybe, we were at a place nobody lived around. Now, she was a breath away from me. I made a mistake coming here even though my other half, my Twin who has been my source of smiling insisted on my not going. She raised her knife to stab me from the heart before my wide-opened eyes. Suddenly, there was a sound of a gun and she fell onto me. I heard her deadening breath in pain. This time, it must have been a miracle if I wasn’t dreaming. Then, I saw the face of my rescuer.

I put the pebbles on the stone I was sitting. She came to the bay as she promised me yesterday. When I saw her face, I felt like the whole thing what happened till now was so far in the past and we’ve slipped back into being us, Yasemin and Syubi that is just so used to be real that I don't really think about anything anymore. Have you ever felt like you are with a person for the first time and you find yourself saying "Somehow I trust this person.” Finally, you come to believe about the person is he/she directs your actions, has influence on you, or something like that. Trust is the foundational stone of any relationship. And, the relationship depends on the other person knowing what’s going on. Syubi knew what happened till now, what Nida did, what happened to my Twin and why I was here. Still, I feel like there is something I am missing. I'm so stuck on the idea that making a wrong move will have a significant impact on my life. Well, which life? It all changed yesterday, didn’t it?

to be continued…

* Lucid dreaming is knowing you're in a dream, and being able to control it to a certain degree.

To read the second part of the story click here...

Dear Raj,

I have had the happiness of receiving my first letter from EC’s sweet member, you. You know I wasn’t here for a while, that’s why I asked one of my neighbor’s to keep it till I came. I almost lost my hope in getting it in my hands and reading it. But, thank God now I have it.

So, when are you coming here? When you come to Turkey, I will take you to a very beautiful place called Amasra, in the west forests of the Black Sea in the north of Turkey. There, the greatest charm of foliage is never lost, the flowers never look withered in all the seasons. It is spectacular specially in June. All around Amasra, you can feel the history. To my taste, Amasra is a little, open library; but for the most, it is pure nature.

I have been to Amasra before; the place I stayed was a little, cute house just like their owners, the old couple. The house was conventionally furnished, with a beautiful garden and ground. Almost all the inhabitants of Amasra rent a room from their home to tourists, so you can never have difficulty in finding a place to stay.

You will admire the colorful reflection of the houses on the sea at the sunset. The little, historical Byzantine Bridge connecting two main islands together will make it more adorable that you won’t be able to take your eyes off it. Ohh, I remembered when I said adorable, there is one more island called Rabbit Island, and there lives adorable rabbits. :) I hope you will like the trip to the ruins of Bedesten (castle), to Amasra Museum in which you can see archeological monuments and to the interesting, natural caves. Last but not least, in the narrow streets of Amasra, there are many traditional gift shops. You must not despise me if I confess to enjoy the shops exceedingly. They are so alike the shops of the Grand Bazaar, Historical Peninsula of Istanbul.

I must finish this letter for it became to be a tourist guide! (lol) There are many more things in Amasra waiting for you to be seen. ;)

PS. The photos that I sent you are from the net. When I was there, I took lots of beautiful photos; but they all were deleted. :(  Now, when I miss Amasra, I have to google it. 

I know that I am one of those who feel unlucky about anything. We always complain about how unlucky we are. If the weather is sunny, when we go out, it suddenly starts to rain heavily. But, I also know that I am extremely lucky to have great friends whom I believe would do anything for me. I thank God for giving me great friends in all those rainy days in both offline and online life. Offline life? Yes. You read it right.

Offline life is completely a part of your real life. Maybe, you are not aware of this, but by sharing your ideas/ culture/ knowledge with others and learning theirs, with the relationships you form, you are changed. And, that’s simply the reality of real life. All over the internet, you see people making this distinction between online life and real life, as if reality is something happens offline, and online is not real simply like it doesn’t belong to them. It was disappointing when I, for the first time, saw “I.R.L.” which means “In Real Life”. Those people who make this distinction don’t count the things they do online. Let’s leave the reality of they can be influenced by the things online, but what about the time they spend online? Can they stop it and then continue their ‘real life’?

My offline life is intertwined with my online life, and both are all the same for me. It’s same when I form my relationships online and offline. My best online friends are the ones who call me every day even though there is nothing to talk to, yet we stare at the window; it feels homey to know that they are there. Junko-chan is one of them. I really don’t know how we find so many topics to talk to everyday. We've become so close that she's considered part of my life and I am considered part of hers. The best part of this friendship is that we manage to hang onto it no matter how far away we are from each other, no matter we’re born in different cultures, no matter how different we both are.

Now, as most of you know, she, Junko-chan visited Istanbul (of course the main reason was to visit me) a few months ago. I was really happy when I heard the news. I knew we would meet someday, but I couldn’t imagine it would be so early. It seems she was more curious than me. I wanted her to come in the summer, but she said she wanted to see her dear friend as soon as possible. lol

Now, I am neither going to tell you tales about friendship to let you understand the true meaning of friendship nor the story of what we did during our meeting. My tales will be boring and you may fall asleep, and our story is very private that I can’t share. (This part is supposed to be funny, so just laugh and go on.) :P

Friendship is a multi-faceted relationship. You all know it very well that friends cry together, share happiness, empathize each other's agony and so on. For me, I want to have those times which would be cherished for the lifetime, like funny memories that bring a broad smile on our face. After all, what are friends for, if we can't pull their legs, laugh uproariously and get away with it!

Lastly, just for your information, we enjoyed the trip very much. I wish the weather was better so that we could enjoy it more. On the first day, we were freezing and on the last day, it rained a lot. We sent cards to MyEC friends. Actually, sending cards and making “hand tower” were Junko-chan’s ideas. She is really thoughtful. I sincerely want to thank those who trusted us and gave their addresses. Also, while we were going to Princes’ Islands, she took a poster and two flags (Turkey & Japan) out of her bag, which was surprising for me, too.

There are many friends I want to thank. But, each name deserves to be mentioned in one blog. I am lucky to have all of you. :)

Thanks for your time…

You can see Junko-chan’s album of Trip to Istanbul here.

The Story of Emily & Tomy

Some English Club members don’t use the chatroom often; some don’t use it at all. The reason why some members prefer to stay away from the chatroom is that they don’t feel comfortable there. Why? Because they are always pestered by people they don’t want to talk to. It is more common for female members to experience this than for male members. Consequently, I rarely use chatroom (maybe just to say 'hi' to some close friends) even though the chatroom is for all English Club members.

Though I began by writing about chatroom issues, the point of this blog is not only the chatroom but the whole English Club. Nonetheless, the chatroom acts as a mirror for English Club.

In this blog, I tried to prove something about English Club. Lately, we have been discussing if English Club is seen as a flirting site or not. We are confused with some members' attitudes. It is easy to understand one’s intention by the comment he/she leaves. You can read what’s going on in his/her mind.

Emily. She joined English Club on a Friday on February 10th, at 11.30 am, excited, in the hope of making good friends while learning English.

The following day, Tomy also joined English Club with the same hope as Emily’s.

Who could know Emily was going to be luckier than Tomy? Just 15 minutes later, someone said 'hi' to Emily. Following that person another one, and another one… In the first hour, Emily made 10 friends; 9 males, 1 female. Tomy, in his first hour, could make only one buddy. After their first chat in English Club, Emily and Tomy joined chatroom in the afternoon, evening and night each for one hour. At the end of the day, Emily made 28 friends (27 males, 1 female) while Tomy made only 2 friends (both males).

Though many of Emily’s friends want to improve their English, there are some who just want to flirt with her. That’s unfortunately possible since society is made up of a variety of people. Even though English Club is a great site to learn English, share ideas and meet friends quickly, maybe, we are not able to prevent all the bad eggs from abusing this site. We can, however, decide who is a good friend and who is here to learn English without any other intentions.

It’s difficult to differentiate if someone is flirting with you or just being nice. As you can see from the result of my experiment, there aren't too many guys who just “want to be friends”, I don't care what they say. “You are female, and I am interested in you. So let’s be friends!” I view flirting on a site where people want to learn English, and flirting with someone whom you have never met a selfish, malevolent game, and I find it unacceptable.

Virtually anything you can do in the offline world you can do in the virtual world. And, that includes flirting with those you meet through online learning sites. For some, it becomes easier if the other person is receptive too. Lots of us might not realize this since we’ve all come to know learning here as being friendly.

Let’s stand up against those who think that they are flirting with other people without their knowledge. Well, we know what you are doing. Can you just find another site for yourself? English Club is and will always be for learning English!

Thank you very much teacher Francois Oosthuizen for correcting my mistakes.

My Dear Syubi!

I got your letter, and it made me happy very much. I laughed a lot while I was reading your sentences. You are one of the lucky ones to get a love letter from a little chubby guy! I would want to tell a story like this, but unfortunately, I don’t have one. I told you, you are lucky! :)

Don’t you think so it will be weird if I write a Valentine’s letter to you! haha :)) That’s why, I decided to predict your love life instead of being your lover! *_* Predicting is my art.

First of all, let me say that I am delighted to be able to accompany you during this romantic month, because I know that it is going to be very romantic for you with many opportunities. I want to reveal what I have discovered from my first calculations that you are one of those few people for whom English Club will mark a decisive turning point. This is because there is evidence you left behind, and I am one of your followers. (kekeke)

I want to tell you how hard I worked on your tracks, because I am used to being very accurate in my predictions and do not take my work lightly. Hey! Don’t laugh! I am serious!

Syubi, you really make the most of everything, and I'm so pleased to give you the exciting news I have for you. Now, you must be wondering about this news. Well, before telling it, let me ask you a question. Will my letter be read by others before it reaches you? I guess so. So, I had better give you the news privately. I promise I will find a way to tell you it! :)

Forget about the news now, and let’s focus on something else! I know you are really looking forward to February 14^th, and so do am I. Hey! Don’t forget to send me a Valentine’s Day card! I will be waiting for it. Anyway, last night I suddenly thought of you and I somehow managed to see you and felt your sincerity. This may sound strange but it is a quite natural phenomenon of long distance perception. This is an alert Syubi! As I perceived, you will get another Valentine’s Day card from another chubby guy!

Unfortunately, I cannot go any further with my predictions unless you give me some more information. You should let me know about your feelings so that I can do my research better. My prediction for you is very indispensable, and with the knowledge I get, I will immediately get to work! Hey! Why are you laughing again! Is it funny? :/

I am so happy that we have been able to get in contact together. I know that you have a heart like gold (in which there are many chubby guys)! You can anytime demand my advice. I will be willing to help you to take all your confusion away linked to your complicated love life! :p

PS. Sorry for my late letter. Here, in my place, it is snowing a lot. That’s why, the post office is working lazily!

You can read Syubi's letter to me here.

This blog is about how to stay safe in EC and make people be aware of the danger of social networking.

I just want to remind people that the internet is not a place to expect privacy. I am not talking about hackers, viruses, spywares or websites. What I am talking about is US, each individual person. It is you and me.

Everyday lots of people sign up EC. You and I have many friends. We only have the chance to communicate through the blogs, photos, videos etc., etc. We become friends, but do we know each other well enough?

Internet friendships are like any other friendship in the fact that to be maintained you have to work on them; though, meeting friends online is easier than making friends by seeing them. Many of them are friendly, some aren't. You never know the identity of the person you talk to everyday online. Many people are not who they reveal themselves to be. It's okay to keep trust in online friends, but don't make yourself vulnerable to attack. Be safe about how you're choosing your friends. Giving out your information may be dangerous, like your photos, address, etc. One day, you may be stabbed in the back.

We use the internet without understanding what information we leave behind. I can see that many of us use their real photos in their profile, surnames with names and other information leading to their private life. Well, this is the internet. There is no such thing as privacy around here. It may seem like you are pretty much safe, but smart nerds are watching us, waiting for the right moment to attack the “target”.

Here are two basic rules to be safe online in EC.

1 - Do not give out your full name, address, or phone number to anyone online that you don't trust or don't know in person. They might not be who they claim to be. If you can, abbreviate your last name, or just use your first name.

2- Be careful with your details. Always be careful what you say on the internet. Some stuff can get you into trouble with people you have never even met before. Remember, once you put your information on the internet, you don't know whose hands it will fall into.

You will now understand what I mean. Be aware! People who you think to be your friends and whom you share your information with may use your photo with your full name and your comments and expose you in the public, humiliating you. You can never imagine how. Why do they do that? Because they simply are bad. I want to say something to those who enjoy exposing their friends in the public. It’s fun to spy on your friends and use the information against them, isn’t it? You can have fun, but never forget no one believes you. It is you who is bad, not the person you smear his/her reputation with your ugly attack.

We are here to be connected, to collaborate, inform, help, learn, teach, enjoy and be friends. While there is a way to open your heart to the world and shout your beliefs out that you could never able to do, why use this fantastic innovation and communication tool to harm others?

Well, to begin with, I was forced to write this blog by Ultimate. Though being forced I love talking about this kind of things. In this writing, I will share a personality test which is quite interesting. What we are going to do is a ColorQuiz test. ColorQuiz is a personality test prepared by respectable psychologists around the world. Well, at least the site says this…

In the test, there are no complicated questions, which is great! There are two steps. In the first step, you choose your favorite colors beginning with the first one you like most until none of them are left and wait 110 seconds for the most accurate results to move on to the step two. Then, in the step two, you will choose colors again but in a different serial. Try to choose your second favorite ones.

Your results will be displayed as soon as you finish the test.

* Please note that every test is provided as a fun way to examine your personality. These tests cannot be considered as exact descriptions.

Take this psychology test to find out about your personality!

Here, I am sharing my results. I must admit that it was surprisingly accurate for how little time it consumed, but still doesn’t fit me very well!

(You don’t have to read this part if you find it long.)

Your Existing Situation

Constantly moving forward in her life and career in order to gain a higher position and more recognition. Unhappy with current circumstances and needs to constantly make changes to herself in order to become a better person.

Your Stress Sources

Wants the freedom to follow her own heart, goals, and dreams and to earn the respect as a unique individual. Desires to pursue every possible opportunity without limitations or things standing in her way.

Your Restrained Characteristics

Tries to participate and involve herself in things going on around her; however, avoids conflict and arguments to reduce stress and tension.

Emotionally distant even from those closest to her.

Is bothered when her needs and desires are misunderstood and she feels there is no one to turn to or rely on, her self-centered attitude can cause her to be easily offended.

Current events have her feelings forced to make bargains and put aside her own desires for now. She is able to find satisfaction and happiness through sexual activity.

Your Desired Objective

Alert and very observant. Always looking for new opportunities which offer freedom and the hope of making the most of them. Looking to prove herself and be recognized for her achievements. Feels separated from others and constantly trying to bridge that gap.

Your Actual Problem

Prefers to be left in peace and avoids arguments, confrontation, and conflicts.

If you share your own results or a piece of it or just your opinions, I will be the happiest one!

Thanks for joining…

Hi to all EC members...

Usually around this time is when everyone starts making plans and promises for a change in the New Year. We all experience something new every day and as a result of those experiences we’re changing willingly or unwillingly. With this basic thought, I focus on the very last hours of 365 days for the change. How do I do that? Well… I have a superstition. I believe that how you enter the New Year, your all year mostly continues doing that. For instance, if you enter the New Year watching TV, probably for the whole year you will spend your time in front of TV. Or, if you enter the New Year studying, you will be a hardworking student :) Now, lots of you find this superstition of mine crazy. But, I have experienced this many times. Studying, watching TV with my family, reading a book, going out with my friends… And, they all almost worked.

Now seriously talking, these superstitions are just a way to feel better for the coming year. If we do need something new or want the New Year run as we wish, we shouldn’t tie strictly to the last hours of the year. Actually, I don’t believe New Year’s Day is any different than any other day. The concept of believing in such things is telling myself that I have entered a new year and I want to change the lazy and lame parts of my life.

For a good beginning or for the scenario how we want our New Year to go on, we don’t need any superstitions. We just need to plan new things and believe in ourselves. Just ask these questions to yourself and find your own answers: “How did last year go? What do I want to do differently this year? Will everything be the same as it used to be?” It is always important to take time at the beginning of the year to reflect on what has been accomplished, learn lessons from our failures or faults and list out our goals as we look forward into the New Year. At first, we might fail in what we set out to do. But, failure is not the end for the person who determines to learn from it. For this person, failure is an experience… Failure is his friend…

In the last year, if things didn’t go as you wanted, there is no time like the present to make a new start. Every second of life is precious. Why not start doing something right now? Just believe in this, genuinely “I want the New Year to be different for me.” And, finally, “If you focus on results, you will never change. If you focus on change, you will get results.” ~Jack Dixon

I hope, 2012 is laying up a good change for you...

photos' source: http://likeabirdblog.com

So, here we are… A few days into the New Year. It is the time we hear people making plans and think maybe if we do too, it is no harm. Or, feel like must do, or maybe not…

In order to start doing something, making a to-do-list is always better. At least, according to doing nothing… Moreover, every year brings about a thoughtful look at the past. As the year comes to an end everybody makes plans to change the deleterious or lazy parts of their lives. Why not start with new year’s resolutions? "New year’s resolutions depend on a list containing one or more lasting personal goals, projects, or the reforming of a habit."*

Some people deny making new year’s resolutions and some just do not prefer it. That is not the main discussion of this writing. What I want to say is people deny making resolutions because resolutions seem to have become an excuse not to achieve things. Everybody knows that everybody breaks their resolutions, so making the promise of studying hard, watching TV less, losing weight become pretty much deceptions. Starting with good intentions, but disappointed after a couple of months… A statistics: "80% of people who make new year's resolutions give up within the first 45 days."** Scary, isn’t it?"

To say the truth, new year’s resolutions are something that we should have done earlier if we were enough stronger or determined. What makes fail our resolutions is the weakness of our purposes.

This year, I am not going to make new year’s resolutions. But, I will not let myself not to achieve the things I want to do. I will hold on to them tightly and this is my resolution... In fact, this is not a resolution at all. This is the thing I will achieve...

Since I didn’t share my resolutions, I will share “Most Popular New Year’s Resolutions of 2012”*** voted at a site by hundreds of people:

1. Lose weight! 330 people
2. Read at least one book each month! 266 people
3. Keep a notepad of awesome moments! 252 people
4. Eat, drink, learn or try something new! 224 people
5. Get enough sleep! 216 people
6. Take charge of your own financial life! 214 people
7. Sing a song at the top of your lungs at least once a week! 211 people
8. Set an attainable athletic goal, like running a 5 or 10k! 204 people
9. Embrace your personal style and beauty! 203 people
10. Take time to read! 190 people

As you see, the top resolutions are behavioral commitments related to improving one’s health like losing weight. When reading the list, it makes you say “how nice it is to see those intellectual people!”. Lastly, I was surprised by not seeing anything related to love-life, then everybody must be happy with it :)

Hope, all will achieve their goals...

* wikipedia

** http://www.43things.com

*** http://www.43things.com

Interesting cases are being held in all over the world. To cope with these cases, courts sometimes take historical decisions or just dismiss it.

In the United States, it is rather different. According to the researches, by reason of the most bizarre and the most interesting cases are being held in this country, every year, a competition called “the most interesting case of the year” is being held. The most interesting case is being rewarded.

Here, I am giving you a list of bizarre cases decided by the Supreme Courts all over the world (most of them are from the USA) - some dealing with personal injury court cases, some are psychotic and others with cases so weird that they lack a category entirely. And, keep this in your mind: these cases aren’t predicated on the idea that a dispute will be fairly resolved.

My emotional trauma!

A man living in San Diego files a $5.4 million lawsuit against the Municipality by reason of the “emotional trauma” he suffered after seeing a woman in the men’s toilet at a concert held in the City Hall.

Why didn’t they give me!

A prisoner convicted in a single cell gets angry at the prison administration due to he wasn’t given free deodorant and sues the administration.

Again! A woman!

A woman driver collides with a man riding a snowmobile on the icy road. The snowmobile’s driver dies. The woman driver sues the man’s widowed wife due to she is psychologically shocked by witnessing the death of the man.

I am depressed!

Terrence Dickson tries to leave the house he has just broken into by way of the garage. Since the garage door is malfunctioning he turns back to use the house door. But, the door connecting the garage and house gets locked when he pulled it shut and he stucks in the garage. Because the houseowners are on a vacation, Mr. Dickson survives in the garage for 8 days eating dry dog food and a case of Pepsi he finds. He sues the houseowners claiming he was upset and the situation caused him a depression and he gets $500.000 for his mental damage.

God! You didn’t save me!

A Romanian prisoner Pavel M., who is serving 20 years in Prison for murder, sues God for failing to keep him from the Devil. The case is dismissed because the defendant is neither an individual nor a company.

Everything is free!

Kara Walton tries to enter the night club from the toilet window just because not to pay the $3.5 entrance fee. She falls down to the floor and knocks out her 2 front teeth. She sues the night club owner for this. She is awarded $12.000 and dental expenses.

You are a thief!

Peter Wellis, divorcing his wife, doesn’t want to pay compensation. He claims his wife didn’t tell him that she was using birth control pills and he accuses his wife of sperm theft.

I searched for this list, containing the bizarre court cases, on the net, found interesting and translated into English. If you know any other court cases like these please share with us.

Thanks…