Melissa Maples

We seem to be getting a lot of shot bars cropping up everywhere. Shots is the only one I’ve tried so far, and it’s pretty great. Good drinks, good selection, great prices… well worth a visit.

The old school

Melissa — Fri, 24 May 2013 18:07:19 +0000

I’m slowly getting back into the world of film. It’s been ten years since I shot film seriously; it’s time to come back to it.

Check-in benefits

Melissa — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:06:12 +0000

Burger House gave us free onion rings with our Foursquare check-in. That’s the first time I’ve ever actually redeemed a Foursquare special. It was pretty great, and the onion rings were fantastic.

The morning after the storm

Melissa — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:05:44 +0000

Gorgeous clouds and beautiful, breezy mornings.

Early summer continues

Melissa — Sun, 12 May 2013 20:53:00 +0000

Unreal, this weather.

More new currency

Melissa — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:52:48 +0000

I got my first purple fiver a few days ago. They changed the colour because many people complained that the old one looked too much like the 50TL note.

Surprise summer

Melissa — Fri, 03 May 2013 18:52:59 +0000

We’ve had a sudden, unexpected heat wave this week – usually these sorts of temperatures wouldn’t come until the end of June, but apparently summer has decided to start now.

May Wallpaper – Download Now!

Melissa — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:33:48 +0000

Enjoy! You can get the previous monthly wallpapers here.

16:9
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16:10
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4:3
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5:4
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iOS
2048 x 2048 (3rd gen iPad)
1024 x 1024 (1st and 2nd gen iPad)
640 x 1136 (iPhone 5)
640 x 960 (iPhone 4/4s)
320 x 480 (iPhone 3)

Android
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Blackberry
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Kindle Fire
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Windows Phone
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Springtime sports

Melissa — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 22:50:04 +0000

The weather has been perfect for this sort of thing.

More retail on its way

Melissa — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 18:10:34 +0000

MarkAntalya is coming, at long last… this thing has been under construction forever, so it’s at least nice to see them finally turning it into something. No word yet on the names of the shops— hopefully there will be some new outlets.

Seasonal confusion

Melissa — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:09:41 +0000

After some very springlike weather, today it got back down into single digits and hailed and flooded, lots of thunder and lightning, and so forth. Welcome to April in Antalya, business as usual.

Radio Silence

Melissa — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 19:39:32 +0000

After nearly a week with no internet, it’s finally been sorted out. The culprit? Natural gas lines being laid in my neighbourhood. Technology abounds.

Erasta grand opening

Melissa — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 13:48:16 +0000

This past weekend I went to the grand opening of the new Erasta shopping centre.

There was the usual array of opening celebrations.

I was surprised to discover that Erasta is an outdoor shopping centre. This seems to be a particularly bad idea in Antalya, where the weather swings between horizontal freezing rain in the winter, and blistering heat and humidity in the summer. The whole point of going to a shopping centre is to escape the extreme weather, so I’m not sure who thought having it outdoors would be smart. There is an H&M there (Antalya’s first), but other than that the shops are all repeats of things that can be found elsewhere in Antalya, so I’m not sure what Erasta’s unique selling point is supposed to be (certainly it can’t just be H&M).

They do have beautiful fountains, though— an Antalya staple.

April Wallpaper – Download Now!

Melissa — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 06:54:44 +0000

Happy April! No tricks from me today, just the monthly wallpaper.

You can get previous wallpapers here. Collect ‘em all!

16:9
3840 x 2160
2880 x 1620
2560 x 1440
1920 x 1080
1600 x 900
1366 x 768
1280 x 720

16:10
3840 x 2400
2880 x 1800
2560 x 1600
1920 x 1200
1680 x 1050
1440 x 900
1280 x 800
1024 x 640

4:3
1600 x 1200
1400 x 1050
1280 x 960
1024 x 768

5:4
1280 x 1024

iOS
2048 x 2048 (3rd gen iPad)
1024 x 1024 (1st and 2nd gen iPad)
640 x 1136 (iPhone 5)
640 x 960 (iPhone 4/4s)
320 x 480 (iPhone 3)

Android
1280 x 800
720 x 1280
540 x 960
480 x 854
480 x 800
320 x 480

Blackberry
360 x 480
320 x 240

Kindle Fire
600 x 1024
1024 x 600

Windows Phone
768 x 1280
720 x 1280
480 x 800

Seasonal overlap

Melissa — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 19:11:10 +0000

There’s still snow on the mountains, but it’s warm enough to swim in the sea… sort of.

Egg of a Phoenix

Melissa — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 20:08:45 +0000

I never thought I’d see the day when one could buy Oreos in Antalya, but it looks like that day has arrived. So much has changed in this city over the past nine years, it’s amazing.

2013 5×50 Challenge

Melissa — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:57:44 +0000

At the end of January I suffered a back injury that lasted several weeks. The pain often kept me in bed and affected every aspect of my life. As an athlete, street photographer, and generally active person, not being able to move because of back pain is incredibly frustrating. Although I have been lucky with my recovery and am nearly pain-free again, the experience has prompted me to think more about what life must be like for those who have chronic or permanent back injuries.

Before my injury, I had already signed up to take part in the 5×50 Challenge, an annual international fitness event where participants cover a distance of five kilometres every day for fifty consecutive days. This year the Challenge starts on 31 March and continues through 19 May. Initially it had not occurred to me to combine fundraising with my Challenge participation, but given my renewed gratitude at what a gift it is even to be able to get out of bed every morning to participate, I’ve decided to use my efforts to help others who suffer from back injuries.

I’d love to have your support! You can learn more about my fundraiser at my 5×50 event page. There’s no minimum donation, you can donate anonymously if you wish, and you can donate with PayPal or a credit card from anywhere in the world. I reached my first-tier goal of £250 rather quickly (thanks to all who donated!) and now I’m just trying to get the donation amount as high as possible.

Thanks in advance to anyone who makes a donation, no matter how small. Every penny counts!