Four Birthdays and a Funeral (IV)
What is Worse: California or Globalism?
What is worse: California or Globalism? Actually, it is not a fair question. It sounds like offering a choice between an Opioid Death or an Alcohol Poisoning. On another thought, maybe, they both deserve the analogy. Since they both have something to do with my mother’s passing on 26 August 2020. Having said this, the fourth episode in a “Four Birthdays and a Funeral” chapter is not about her passing. Rather, it is about her last birthday, celebrated here.
SEVIM GUNASTI
3 September 1934 is my mother’s birthday. That’s two weeks after her passing to be exact. Other than that there is a life well lived and full of good examples to follow. She did not live to set them for others, rather she lived in private and with her family. She left her marks both where she was born and where she now rests in peace.
Her two cities are my two cities. They are exemplary of two countries we are both citizens of. The comparacense between them makes all the socio-economic points that need to be made, reflecting divided societies we live in, there and here and impacts on our lives, good and bad.
Four Birthdays and a Funeral
Birthdays for us took place in Tarsus.
Mom and dad now rest in peace at the Palm Springs Memorial Park.
The journey from Turkiye to America is a story of migration.
Tarsus, Turkiye
Tarsus is a biblical city. From Saint Paul to Cleopatra, it has been a center of civilization. Excavated ruins are immense but they are yet to be noticed by masses like in the other parts of Turkiye.
Europe’s top ten capacity airport soon to be opened in Tarsus. It will accomodate 30 million passengers per year. It will be the second biggest after Istanbul Airport which is the world's biggest.
As a result, in this decade, it should find its place in modern history as well: It has constant Mediterranean sun. There is plenty of water from the Berdan River and rich soil with alluvion good for agriculture.
Palm Springs
Palm Springs is a historical city. It has a strong connection to Hollywood. Briefly, according to 10best.com:
“During Hollywood’s golden age, actors were contractually bound to stay within 100 miles of the studio for last-minute shoots. As a result of this “two-hour rule,” stars including Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin traded the hustle and bustle of Hollywood for palm trees and poolside cocktails in Palm Springs, exactly 100 miles from Hollywood. Today, A-list stars continue to flock to the desert for the Palm Springs International Film Festival, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the Stagecoach Country Music Festival.”
Four Birthdays and a Funeral
As for her birthdays, we celebrated every one of them. Too many photos to post here. In respect to what we do, however, there is no celebrity singing a Happy BDay song for my mother. Yet, she was part of the life we lived.
As to the question, what is worse: California or Globalism? They have both been good for mom and us. However, since we became politically active in 2015, both also became legacy of mom.
California or Globalism
What is worse is a very valid question. However, the answer will come on another post. Surely, mom will have her input then.