It was a gorgeous summer afternoon in Istanbul, Turkey. Pedestrian walkways on both sides of city’s historic Goleta Bridge were packed with citizens, catching fish by lowering their fishing-rods to the water below and tourists crossing the bridge. The bridge spans over a bay, naturally curved out from the famous Bosporus Strait, separating Europe and Asia. Ms. Sydney Walker, an American foreign-exchange student in city’s university was crossing the bridge, when she would decide to take an evening leisure-cruise in the Strait. She came down the staircases, went to the counter, bought a ticket, and boarded the next available ferry, already getting filled up with the foreigners and the locals.
Soon, the ferry began its northwards journey. A voice came over the ferry’s loudspeaker system, welcoming the guests and initiating the descriptions of the historic landmarks on both banks of the Strait. Sydney left her seat, went to the nearest balcony, and began taking selfies with some of those landmarks as backgrounds. Soon she felt a tap on her shoulder, looked around, and found a gorgeous young lady, head covered with a traditional Islamic head-scarf requesting Sydney to snap a few shots offering her own camera. She was traveling with an equally gorgeous friend. Both of them wanted to be in the same series of shots, thus the request. Sydney happily fulfilled their request while striking out a conversation. She learned that they were Saira and Karisma, both university students in Tehran, Iran. They were touring a few neighboring countries during their summer-break. All three soon became engaged in discussing Istanbul’s attractions, food, arts, and culture voicing over the surrounding cacophony.
After an hour, the ferry began its return journey. The onboard TV-monitor was broadcasting CNN International that suddenly stopped to display a “Breaking News”. The anchor announced that the current US administration unilaterally decided to honor no more the nuclear treaty with Iran that was signed by an international community after several years of negotiation. A silence descended on the ferry.
Saira stood up and went to the ferry’s entertainment personnel. She would request him to play American hip-hop artist Pharrell William’s recent hit “Because I’m Happy”. Karisma intimated to Sydney that past year Saira was arrested for publicly dancing to the tune of the song in the streets of Tehran. Sydney remembered that the singer had created a website for his worldwide fans to upload their dancing videos. Now Sydney, Saira, and Karisma, all began dancing to the tune. Soon all the passengers on both upper and lower decks joined them with their own impromptu dance moves to the music.
As the sun set in the west, evening lights on both European and Asian sides of the Bosporus Strait began to flicker. The captain of the ferry thanked his guests for such a spontaneous performance act. Three newly minted friends exchanged their identities on social networks with the promise of “staying in touch”.
Soon, the ferry began its northwards journey. A voice came over the ferry’s loudspeaker system, welcoming the guests and initiating the descriptions of the historic landmarks on both banks of the Strait. Sydney left her seat, went to the nearest balcony, and began taking selfies with some of those landmarks as backgrounds. Soon she felt a tap on her shoulder, looked around, and found a gorgeous young lady, head covered with a traditional Islamic head-scarf requesting Sydney to snap a few shots offering her own camera. She was traveling with an equally gorgeous friend. Both of them wanted to be in the same series of shots, thus the request. Sydney happily fulfilled their request while striking out a conversation. She learned that they were Saira and Karisma, both university students in Tehran, Iran. They were touring a few neighboring countries during their summer-break. All three soon became engaged in discussing Istanbul’s attractions, food, arts, and culture voicing over the surrounding cacophony.
After an hour, the ferry began its return journey. The onboard TV-monitor was broadcasting CNN International that suddenly stopped to display a “Breaking News”. The anchor announced that the current US administration unilaterally decided to honor no more the nuclear treaty with Iran that was signed by an international community after several years of negotiation. A silence descended on the ferry.
Saira stood up and went to the ferry’s entertainment personnel. She would request him to play American hip-hop artist Pharrell William’s recent hit “Because I’m Happy”. Karisma intimated to Sydney that past year Saira was arrested for publicly dancing to the tune of the song in the streets of Tehran. Sydney remembered that the singer had created a website for his worldwide fans to upload their dancing videos. Now Sydney, Saira, and Karisma, all began dancing to the tune. Soon all the passengers on both upper and lower decks joined them with their own impromptu dance moves to the music.
As the sun set in the west, evening lights on both European and Asian sides of the Bosporus Strait began to flicker. The captain of the ferry thanked his guests for such a spontaneous performance act. Three newly minted friends exchanged their identities on social networks with the promise of “staying in touch”.
