Anastasia M Ashman's Blog

• The twinge of heritage

  November 23, 2009

  • Mirror in Topkapı harem by A. AshmanBy ANASTASIA ASHMANSince the Ottoman royal harems were filled with women from the Mediterranean and the Baltic -- Italian families even casting their daughters on the Adriatic to be picked up by the sultan's sailors -- my Turkish husband jokes he finally brought me back to Istanbul where I belong.I don’t know, anything's possible. The Turks were also laying ...
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• Does expat lit deserve its own shelf?

  November 19, 2009

  • I asked that question during a week of live #litchat on Twitter when I guest hosted this spring. Here are highlights from three hours of conversation with 40 readers, writers, travelers, expats, Third Culture Kids and emigrees weighing in from around the globe:WHAT'S EXPAT LIT?The interpretation of another culture by someone of our own. -- M. Dominique BenoitAn expat writer draws on a ...
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• Social media as self actualization

  November 10, 2009

  • This week I'll be speaking with creative entrepreneur Tara Agacayak on a panel about social media for the International Professional Women of Istanbul Network (IPWIN). The happy trends of Web 2.0 online networking, collaborating, and user-generated content seem tailor-made for pro women like us who often face a more difficult career path abroad. Whether "trailing spouses" lacking a ...
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