Thursday, March 29, 2007

Iyi Ki Dogdun!* Silk Road Takes Detour through the Former Soviet Union

By the 5th century BCE, the Persian Royal Road ran some 2,857 km from the city of Susa on the lower Tigris to the port of Smyrna on the Aegean Sea. This route, which eventually became part of the larger Silk Road, was the staging arena of inter-regional trade and cross-cultural integration spanning from Eurasia to East Asia.

Although this thoroughfare has long since become defunct, and overland voyaging has been replaced by train and air travel, Chloe, a JDC volunteer in Izmir, Turkey, formerly Smyrna on the Aegean, decided to revive her city’s ancient heritage of cultural exchange through the trading of goods.

A surprised Eritchka received a package with a scarf, Turkish candies, an assortment of balloons, including a Turkish-flag-balloon, and a mind-blowing birthday card from Swimmy the fish.

What Belarusian goods will take the return JDC-silk-route back to Smyrna? Stay tuned till May when Swimmy celebrates her own special day.



Above Photos: first photo: Donning her new Turkish scarf, Eritchka plans on starting a new trend in Minsk. second photo: birthday balloons!


*Iyi ki Dogdun is Turkish for "Happy Birthday"



4 comments:

BEING HAD said...

This is a really cool style post Erica. But do you think Belarus' new interest in the Muslim/Arab world is a healthy thing for the recovering Jewish population? I understand that this interest is purely economical on the part of the state. But nevertheless, as there is an inherent animosity between Jews and Arabs, don't you think these relationships could lead to potential problems?
Oh, and happy birthday.

Miss Adventures said...

I am so honored!

Miss Adventures said...

I just realized how provincial my post was looking at the previous post. My ego goes owweee

Unknown said...

Swimmy ay? Written by the Kno....what?? ;)