Happy 2008 to you all!

This will be my last posting for this year (even if I have both photos and links lying around to share - a christmas computer crash has delayed postings) and I want to wish you all a very Happy New Year! As usual our world is undeservedly troubled and we can only hope for a better future.

See you again in 2008!

A holiday greeting from us!

This is in the intermission of a concert with the Swedish radio symphony orchestra, earlier this month, here in Abu Dhabi.

Gearing up for Christmas

Christmas preparations are underway also here in the Gulf, even if this week is more for the Eid. The weekend will contain a lot of baking and cooking for the holidays!

Eid Mubarak!

Slightly late, but still - I would like to wish all believers a happy peaceful Eid al-Adha.

Middle East reading

This is a Dagens Nyheter-review of Joseph Massad's book Desiring Arabs, posing the question of why the West has a repeated problem with Arab sexuality! The question pinpoints the sexualized view of the Arab world, regardless of where on the scale this "otherness" is perceived to be.

Not only on the Middle East, but very useful reading also on this can be found on this Swedish foreign policy-blogg "Utrikesbloggen". It is more of a magazine, actually, than a blog, and very newsworthy. It both has it's own columnists and republishes and links internationally pulished other articles.

Here is former German foreign minister Joschka Fischer on the Middle East, circuling around the Annapolis meeting. Swedish Foreign Minister Bildt comments here and writes himself here on the same topic (both before the meeting).

A controversial Iranian visitor has been to Sweden, here in an article from Dagens Nyheter.

Barry Rubin has published a new book on democracy issues in the Arab world - the publisher's description can be read here.

BBC here interviews Tom Segev, on a number of issues controversial to his native Israel. Here prime minister Olmert comments on related issues in the context of Annapolis on BBC.

A Svenska Dagbladet-editorial on potential developments in Saudi-Arabia, set in the context of European developments on the views of the rights of women.

Iranian women are in dire straits, and no more so than those extra vulnerable for social and economic reasons. Here is Layla, a child prostitute, highlighted by the BBC.

Women in Iraq are also facing difficult times, now highlighted especially in Basra.

Bitte Hammargren here writes on Internet-censorship in Syria, now directed against Facebook. The same topic is discussed here by English Al-Jazeera.

The emigration of Iraqis and their impact on the region and neighbours is discussed in this report.

Market streets

These are from the markets streets leading from Eminönü and the Yeni Camii up towards tha Grand Bazaar. Most of the streets are clothes, like in the photos.

And again we see how Klas has a store of his own in Turkey!!! ;-)

Arabic literature

I read about a UK foundation dedicated to presenting Arabic literature in English - a praise-worthy initiative, I must say! A number of Arab writers have met Western audiences successfully in recent years, but some encouragement to bring forth more is well-needer. There are few better ways than a good novel to get under the skin of characters one could not expect to meet in real life and gain a better understanding for their ways.

Initiatives are underway to promote translation also into Arabic, which is even less frequent today.

2 years of travel

Last week, this blog's second anniversary passed quietly. Right now, my photography is unfortunately not top priority, but I'll come back on that! Life is a bit busy with other things.... and very few trips are planned. But I will go on, and give you regular reading tips too!

Istanbul view

Some Istanbul panoramas. Taken from Beyoglu, with the Golden Horn on the left, and Kasimpasha below...