*A rare treat for Bodrum: Polish jazz singer Aga Zaryan is slated to sing at the Cabo Verde club venue of the Port Bodrum Yalikavak Marina on August 8, ’08 (see inset). You can get a preview of her velvet voice on her website www.zaryan.com. The talented singer who has charmed audiences from New York and Washington to Berlin and Stockholm will sing on Friday in Yalikavak (reservations highly recommended!), while Sezen Aksu, the wildly popular Turkish star takes the stage on Saturday, Aug. 9, ’08 in the Bodrum Antique Theater; her performance starts at 21:00 hrs. Since all of Turkey (and much of the world singing audience) knows Sezen Aksu’s face and voice, there’s no need to say more.

**Bodrum Offshore Yacht Club (B.A.Y.K.) continues its series of sailing racing events by playing host to the launch of the Shop&Miles Turgutreis Cup Sailing Races under the aegis of the Turkish Sailing Federation. The Skippers Briefing and the opening cocktail party are scheduled for 7 August at the Café Port by Kuba in Bodrum’s new Cruise Port, while the races will be held on 8-9 August ’08 in Bodrum bay and in the seas off Turgutreis. With BAYK, Milta Bodrum and D-Marin Turgutreis marinas organizing the events with Shop&Miles sponsorship the races should be a great success. For full info phone BAYK at (+90)252-313-3385 or go to www.bayk.net

***Water, water everywhere…but fresh water continues to be a problem for everyone on the Bodrum peninsula. Reports of cuts in water service are not exaggerated with some peninsula municipalities publishing details of scheduled “no water pumping” days, allowing homes and businesses to take precautions. In Yalikavak the cuts are two days per week, not consecutive but spaced apart. Check with your Municipal Council for schedule of waterless days. This is serious, must not be swept under the rug, but a solution must be arrived at before further expansion of housing and tourist facilities.**** The meeting last week of Bodrum entrepreneurs with new Mugla Province governor where extending the tourist season to 12 months by promoting camel wrestling seemed like a rehash of predicaments (water shortages, hassling of tourist by touts, price gouging, etc.) that have been identified for decades. Isn’t it time to DO something?