Umayyad Mosque, Damascus, Syria

January 20, 2008
Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey. This past November a friend and I took the 36-hour Taurus Express train from Istanbul to Aleppo, in northern Syria. We cut a too quick meander in two weeks through Lonely Planet Syria, dipping quickly into Lebanon for a weekend and finishing up meeting my brother and his wife back in Istanbul. As well as gathering with good old friends for Thanksgiving in Turkey, if only for the irony. Although it would've been nice to have had more time to kill time, we saw a lot in a short period, kept moving, and I highly recommend any trip to Syria, even if a navy dude who works with deep sea explosives tries to dissuade you while spotting you drinks in a Canadian frigate.

The view out the window from one of East Broad Top's small-gauge steam trains, Orbisonia, PA

November 4, 2007
Not long ago my friend Katey and I made a pilgrimage to the East Broad Top narrow-gauge railroad in Orbisonia, Pennsylvania. It seemed like something to do if only for the road trip but we were impressed to find ourselves thoroughly entertained for several hours. So if you're looking for a roadtrip next summer and can access southern central Pennsylvania, think trains. Think steam trains. Think narrow-gauge. Actually, don't think so much, just google East Broad Top Railroad and find a way to get out there.

October 22, 2007
A friend I've known since I was wee, a little friend I met in Tbilisi, a tall friend who once had the comfiest spare bed in Tbilisi, a fine photographer friend whose floor I slept on in Afghanistan, baby people, dog people, and fun new people who make me laugh and helped make a quick weekend in New York well worth the wonder of the Chinatown express bus from DC.

Skopec goes goofy

August 8, 2007
Skopec led an excellent mix of folk out to the Chesapeake this past weekend for wakeboarding, tubing, 23 skidooing, dinner, swimming, and swilling. Despite the appetizer-size jellyfish and razorblade barnacles, we left with at least as many people as we came with. And there was plov. All you need is plov.

Grave of a 20-year-old soldier killed in Iraq

July 23, 2007
Arlington National Cemetery. Section 60 is the final resting place of, among others, soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Personal touches of trinkets, photos, mementos, and flowers interrupt the sea of iconic, monochromatic gravestones. Personally, what struck me more than anything else is to see so many gravestones with birthdates in years I vividly remember. Also in this gallery are various images of other scenes throughout the cemetery.

With Annie on the mound, the Totalitarians were, quite simply, unstoppable

July 16, 2007
Oh, the sweet, sweetness of softball. On a day of both derring do and distracted decisions, the Tashkent Totalitarians triumphed over the elegantly intrepid democratic representatives of IIE. Hoorah for softball. Hoorah for softball indeed.

Urn of Grrr on the Lincoln Memorial steps

June 15, 2007
Happy birthday to me. I turned 34 with Abe Lincoln Sunday night. We didn't really talk about it, but he knew the deal (he always does somehow, I guess that's why he was president and stuff). In any case, a few photos of DC at night came out of the midnight memorial meandering.

Benton takes in the blissful aroma of marriage. And the greater Cleveland area.

June 5, 2007
A belated posting of photos from Benton and Laura's April 28 wedding.

Portland ninja punk band Fist of Dishonor's lead singer gives samurai and other insolent lost souls a clear warning

January 31, 2007
Portland, Poles, Ninja Punks, a Panda, Nuptials, Monuments, Mountains, Monticello, Borat with the Corps, Big Apple, Turkey Day, Reunited (and it feels so good), and a cold Virginia day many trees would die. Almost five months since my last posting. In October, the chickens finally edged me out of my house in Portland, I accepted an international development communications job back in DC, and then I had all my camera equipment, my computer, and my bike stolen three days before Christmas. But I still have the photos (as well as new camera and computer) from those quick autumn months. So here's a hacked up horde of images hatched between October and early December 2006.

"Change to Republican Here"

September 9, 2006
Okay, so these photos are posted out of order, but they're from the road trip down through California that ultimately led to Colleen and Sam's wedding in mid-August. Also are photos from my week in Ventura county visiting my cousin and his man about town Sebastian.

Bill and Jaymie

September 7, 2006
Ah, another wedding. On September 2, industrious industrial hygenist cum luthier Bill Beadie married naturopath extraordinaire Jaymie Mackler at Abbey Road Farms in Carlton, Oregon. Officating the ceremony was Bill's friend Dan, who delivered a lovely ceremony, despite his decision to omit a song-and-dance routine and refusing to perform the service in a clown suit. In addition to the wedding photos are shots of the weekend, including a trip to the Evergreen Aviation Museum, home to Howard Hughes wooden monstrosity, the Spruce Goose.

Sam and the ever elusive Colleen

August 26, 2006
On August 19, against all odds, Sam Berg married Colleen Rau in Santa Barbara, among friends, family, railroad cars, strangers, spies, and the Pacific Ocean. There was much rejoicing.

Face painting in Portland on Alberta Street's Last Thursday

August 13, 2006
Three galleries from Oregon: fun with comical, captivated audience fauna at the Portland Zoo, miscellaneous photos from my first monthish in Oregon , and images from Portland's monthly Alberta-streetside showcasing of alternative art scene talent and, well, sometimes not-so-much talent: Last Thursday.

This cat is going to need a lot of freakin' therapy

July 10, 2006
My triumphant return to the States. I arrived home to Concord, MA, on May 5 with much fanfare and moved to Portland, OR, July 2. In between I was primarily in the Boston area (with many visitors in Mini Coopers) but also partook in adventures to Las Vegas and Nashua, NH (the Las Vegas of southeastern New Hampshire). Included here are photos of those trips, Concord, Boston, Teddy Dog, the Visitors, a Red Sox game, and a visit to Boston's Museum of Fine Arts with that guy Scott everyone's been talking about. I probably would've taken more photos or at least posted sooner but I was busy with all of my charity work.

Expats raise their glasses in support of Georgian winemakers and international peace

April 29, 2006
Let them drink wine. Following the Russian government's import ban on Georgian wine, a group of expats led a Georgian feast on April 27 across the street from the Russian Embassy in Tbilisi. Georgians, Russians, and all were invited to take part in local wine and dishes in support of Georgian culture and peace between nations. The event received national media coverage. As an interesting side note, by placing themselves across the street from the Russian embassy, the diners had in fact had set up their alcohol endorsement on the doorstep of the Iranian Embassy.

Syrian plain—Mardin, Southeastern Turkey

April 16, 2006
Belgrade, Bulgaria, and Tofurkey. Booyah. Ten new galleries from a month-long loop from the Georgian border to Belgrade, then back through Bulgaria, Istanbul, and Southeastern Turkey. There's a 20-photo slideshow highlight summary as well.

BONUS! Belated posting of some Tbilisi photos!

Intrigue is always on tap in Baku's escapist cantina culture

February 21, 2006
39 Mysterious Baku Exiles Expats. A few days, a few years, it doesn't really matter how long they stayed. Many stopped counting when their burnt-out Soviet train first crawled, then screamed its way across the border in the checkered darkness of a Caucasian night. When the hammer crash of a lula-scented customs official's entry stamp rang out their destiny like a falling gavel. Each came with a public persona and sketchy backstory. In Baku, you don't go looking for skeletons in your neighbor's closet until you've checked the locks on your own. This Baku expat photo gallery is far from comprehensive, but it's a passing glance at the foreign-born souls that meander the boulevards of a seaside outpost; men and women done wrong by booze, bad luck, and democracy. Some call it a paradise, some call it a prison. Most just call it Baku, focus on the job at hand, and let it ride.

Sebastian keeps vigilant for trouble on the horizon

February 11, 2006
West Coast East Coast. 1800 miles in two weeks up the West Coast, from Los Angeles to Portland, December 29 to January 13. A few days in New York City, a few days back in Concord, and a few days in Boston. Is this the battle we've all been fearing between the factions of West Coast and East Coast photography? No, actually. Not at all. That's still to come...

Demonstrators wave orange flags in reference to Ukraine's Orange Revolution, as police in riot gear watch patiently

November 10, 2005
Following Azerbaijan's widely criticized parliamentary elections on November 6, a rally was scheduled in Baku for November 9 to protest the results and demand resignations. Roughly 15,000 people showed up for some part of the three-hour demonstration, which was watched over by vast police forces in riot gear. At six pm (the approved conclusion time for the event), citizens cleared out and police swept through the square and up the street, ensuring that the evening did not escalate and reminding the public of the power of the current administration.

Village on the road between Herat and Jam

November 3, 2005
Four new galleries from three recent weeks in western Afghanistan. The main gallery is 53 Afghan portraits, but there are also pictures from around Herat province, a 36-hour road trip to the remote, gravity defying, Minaret of Jam (also known as the Leaning Tower of Smuckers) in Ghor, and a few miscellaneous shots of Kabul.

Trogir, Croatia

October 31, 2005
Two new galleries: Croatia and Vienna. The first is a ten-day journey in September with my mother, from Zagreb down the Dalmatian coast to Dubrovnik, making illegal turns and enjoying good food and wine. 72 hours in Austria to pick up an Afghan visa are responsible for the second gallery.

Chris and Tamara head into the church

October 5, 2005
Peace Corps Volunteer, student, activist, cosmonaut, Nobel laureate. Few men can boast the diverse successes and global stardom as Chris Skopec. And on October 1, he gave it all up for a life of marital bliss. Wedding photos available now.

Posing for a photo in Kashan, Iran

August 31, 2005
Dominating impressions from our two weeks in Iran: the shocking lack of Evil, the incredible hospitality and friendliness toward Americans, and what should have been a given--that Iran is a modern, developed, hip country with a well educated (and may I add quite stylish) population. I've broken down pictures into several galleries.

July 3, 2005
Midnight train to Georgia on my mind. Photos are up of our weekend road-trip escape to the Georgian destinations of Vardzia and Borjomi, the curious cave condominium complex and the source of so much of the Soviet's bottled water. While there are no photos of monkeys in this gallery, there is a ferocious forest cow, a muppet-like squirrel, and more fowl than you can shake a stick at.

A shopping cart with a baby, a stroller with a baby, and a shopping cart with groceries. A stroller with groceries would really make this photo complete.

March 17, 2005
Dubai. 24 Starbucks. The Gap, Banana Republic, Applebee's, Chili's. One of the richest horseraces on the globe. Plans for the tallest tower in the world. A water park with the highest drop outside North America and what may be the fastest, most invasive aqua freefall on seven continents. Construction of a series of islands in the shape of a world map and another series the shape of a palm tree. 34 years of independence. Ten national holidays. 2.6 people per telephone. The only seven-star hotel in the galaxy. See it. Love it. Shake it. Dubai.

The ubiquitous image of Turkmenbashi

March 11, 2005
Recently, Turkmenistan's President Niyazov, aka Turkmenbashi (father of all Turkmen), announced the closure of all hospitals outside of the capital, stating that "If people are sick, they can come to Ashgabad." Additionally, he shut down regional libraries, insisting that they were a waste of money, as people don't read in the regions anyway. Meanwhile, tens of millions of dollars continue to be poured into Ashgabad's flashy apartment buildings, an eight-lane highway downtown, extravagant fountains and monuments, and other ostentatious projects that do little to aid the country's welfare. With only three days in the country, Laura Hruby and I made it briefly through downtown Ashgabad, the ancient city of Merv, and the thriving bazaar of Tolkuchka.

Off Route 2 in Concord

January 15, 2005
A few photos from a few days back in the States to celebrate the winter holidays and stock up on pharmaceuticals. Besides photographs of family and Christmas, there's a stunning tour of the Boston Globe's underbelly and several shots of All-American southern New Hampshire.

November 20, 2004
Photos from a delightful and random Sunday with friends in Tbilisi, from arrival by train through dinner, including a walk through the overgrown Mzuri park, to a miserable Soviet-era zoo, to tea and homemade liquor with a local sculptor who invited us into his home to discuss politics, banter about artistic philosophies, and praise George W. Bush and the war on terrorism. How exciting!

Dan and Vil prepare for fun

And, to boot, long overdue photos of our toast to Dan Foster in Las Vegas, from this past October. Additionally there are a few photos from my clever escape from Vegas to the glorious mecca of Barstow, California, where I caught up with the elusive Colleen Rau and enjoyed the famous scenes of the town and its notorious, paved Calico ghost village.

August 31, 2004
A quick trip across Armenia from the northern border almost down to Iran gave me a chance to take lots of photos. Like a kid at Christmas more fascinated by wrapping paper than toys though, I seem to have posted many shots that look like they could've been taken anywhere.

August 8, 2004
Some photos posted of Nargin Island, a former Soviet military base in Baku Bay.

Nakchivan, Azerbaijan

August 1, 2004
I've had no time to update but wanted to throw up some assorted photos of Azerbaijan from June and July to quash the rumors that I'd been abducted again.

April 11, 2004 — Three exciting new additions from Afghanistan!
Afghanistan is the size of Texas. Having learned that, I feel better about the fact that we only made it to Kabul, Jalalabad, Bamiyan, and the Panjshir Valley. I also recently learned that Texas is the same size as France. That's not a very helpful fact for me.

Benton and I were forced to find our own means of transportation around Afghanistan

I know nobody will actually go through all 150 photos that I posted, so I also threw together a 20-photo slideshow for those with dial-up, ADD, or lives of their own. And last but not least, with three different people's cameras shooting on much of this trip, there are now several photos of me which I've egotistically inserted into a special 'Behind the Monkey' page.

Hopefully I'll soon have an article up on the trip, but having scribbled numerous pages that made sense only at the time (presumably), it may be a little while.

As most people know, Coolio and I grew up together in Compton

April 7, 2004
On March 31 I got back from 12 days in Afghanistan, but since weeding through the 3,000+ photos is a significantly more daunting task than filtering those from Coolio's visit to Baku on April 3, Coolio came first. But then, when doesn't Coolio take priority?

March 7, 2004
I've just gotten back to Tbilisi after five weeks in Azerbaijan. In addition to the photos of Imishli and Lahij that I've already posted, I've now put up some shots around Baku, including some positively thrilling frisbee photos (how could frisbee not be thrilling?), several provocative pictures of Mars the cat, and a snapshot of another deft feline playing poker.

February 18, 2004
This past weekend in Imishli, Nick, Lainie, Alice, and Eliot hosted a fantastic gathering of NGO and embassy folk and Peace Corps volunteers for a Valentine's bash. I returned to Baku with photos and lentils.

February 10, 2004
There are no monkeys (that I know of) in Lahij, Azerbaijan. But it's still a nice place to visit.

A recipe for fun

January 10, 2004
A trip home to friends and family now and then is a good thing. Home is where the heart is, where you hang your hat, where when you have to go there they have to take you in, and, of course, where you can hide during the winter holidays until statutes of limitation expire.

December 3, 2003
The first annual unoffical IREXers expat Thanksgiving was held in Azerbaijan this year, split between Baku and the mountains north of Guba. Many lessons were learned and best practices discussed.

Day 2 of Georgia's Rose Revolution

November 24, 2003
Revolution? I'm at the train station in Tbilisi, heading to Baku. I just rushed up Tbilisi photos from November 22 and 23, as well as a short description of the first day of the revolution. A friend just called to tell me that Shevardnadze has resigned, after 30 years in Georgian politics. The conductors are watching Georgian television coverage in the dining car, as are several people on the platform poking their heads into the car's windows.

September 18, 2003
Many of you will notice that the photos section from the Caucasus is being further broken down by individual trips. Don't be alarmed, it's for everyone's own good. In other news, I think I've injured my ribs. With a little luck I'll survive. I'd like to thank everyone who offered their emergency technician skills. If you are looking for action, read the short blog on the repercussions of my undiagnosed Bad Ribs.

September 5, 2003 8pm
Following several hours of buffoonish baboonery, Expat Monkey is back up and running. The bastard baboon responsible has been brutally beaten for his bad behavior.

September 2, 2003
Today Expat Monkey was finally launched, with the help of Sarah Tricha and Deep Tree design's original template and a team of over 40 macaques, gibbons, langurs, tamarins, grivets, vervets, and miscellaneous other Old World monkeys working around the clock. There are already inconsistencies I'm working on and there are bound to be errors (blame those slender little gibbons), so if you find any broken links, spelling mistakes, or cunningly inserted monkey porn, please let me know at monkey@expatmonkey.com.

Currently the site is predominantly travel photos. Hopefully there will soon be fascinating text, mindblowing graphics, video, and, of course, more monkeys. Suggestions are welcome.

-Keith.the

www.keithmellnick.com

www.deeptree.com