christmas in harlem (istanbul)

This past weekend was Christmas. In a country where less than one percent of the population celebrates the holiday, it passed as just another day. A few friends and I did our best to commemorate the holiday, though. Church service, brunch, family puzzles....typical things.

Lights in Taksim Square on Christmas Eve

Violinist on Istiklal Caddesi on Christmas Eve

Saint Anthony of Padua on Christmas Eve

60-piece Christmas puzzle: 2 YTL. Finishing in under 5 minutes: priceless. Photo by Kim Didra.

This time away from 'home' has made me realize two things: holidays are, at the root, derived from something specific (usually not gift-getting); and home is where the heart is (I am aware of the cheesiness here). With those things in mind, the passage of another holiday away from home was not depressing or sad, but a good opportunity to reevaluate where I am and where I'm headed. Mutlu Noeller...

planning an unplanned day

I woke up last Saturday with a loose plan. I was to meet some people in Taksim and check out some stuff still on the "Things to see while you're studying in Istanbul" list.

"Do you want to check out Pera Palace Hotel? It's where Agatha Christie stayed," said a trusty companion.
"Sure, why not?" I responded.

The hotel's history was shrouded in it's new modern veneer, but you could tell it had stories. A bellhop gave us a quick tour guided by the few English sentences he could muster.

The hotel was just a brief stop on our way to the Pera Museum. Russian art from the 18th and 19th Centuries was on display and it was the type of stuff I remember seeing in my history books in high school. This stuff was mind blowing. Emotionally-moving, evocative, explicit - like all the feelings you felt when your first dog died. It was serious.

Needless to say, we spent a bit more time there than we had planned for. We rushed to the Military Museum. Unfortunately, we got there as the place was closing up. We were given a few moments inside before the lights began turning off, and from the looks of the place, a return would definitely be justified. By the time we were leaving, the sun was retiring and we decided it was a good time for a beverage break. You ever heard of sahlep? You should really look into. It's like warm milk, but good, and sweet, but not too sweet, and filling, but not too filling...Anyways, it's good. Try it. Seated, we were able to loosely plan the rest of our unplanned evening.

"Are you interested in seeing Whirling Dervishes?" a trusty companion asked.
"Sure, why not?" I responded.

Phones began to fly and numerous numbers were dialed. We were in. We began the trek to Hodjapasha, an old hamam converted to a cultural center. Our seats were in the front (which made our slightly late arrival that much more embarrassing) and the view was amazing. Five men gone from this world into another and expressing it through their bodies. It was entrancing to say the least. When the show was over, we retreated to the lobby to come back down to Earth.

"Are you interested in seeing traditional Turkish folk dances?" a trusty companion asked.
"Sure, why not?" I responded.

Thirty minutes later we were back in the converted hamam watching Turks dressed in region-historical-tradition-specific garb dance in ways that made us (maybe I should just speak for myself) want to get up there with them.

It was an amazingly planned, unplanned day. If you find yourself in Istanbul with some trusty companions, I would urge you to just say "Sure, why not?"

holiday season. really?

It's that time of year. But you wouldn't know it if you looked out my window. Istanbul has been warmer than I ever anticipated, and to be quite honest with you, I'm not too stoked about it. Fall is about a chill in the air, leaves falling, hot soups, and other tangential autumnal things. What is going on outside my window is entirely not fall. Let me give you the rundown.

Football: Fall is about college football. Specifically Big 10 or SEC (let's be real, the others don't matter). You've spent the end of summer watching SportsCenter and catching preseason games in preparation to spend every Saturday during the fall watching your team's potential manifested on the field.

In Turkey, though, not much football watching is going on (unless we're talking about soccer, or futbol, not American football, what?). At any rate, my relationship with the Spartans and D'antonio has been suffering because of the distance between us - that and my lack of tailgating, which no doubt adds to a team's ability on the field.

Goooo GREEN!

Autumnal Gastronomy: Tell me one thing: what screams 'fall' more than a hot beverage? During (at least) three months of the year, it's guaranteed that you can find me walking the streets with one of the following glued to my paw: peppermint tea, pumpkin spiced lattee, hot cocoa. There's nothing that can make your day better. Except, perhaps, a hot meal for those days when you weren't able to find your mug before you left the house and have now been cold all day because of it (it happens more often than you think, what of it?). Tell me a tuna melt doesn't sound appetizing? Eh? What about some squash? Maybe some steaming sweet potatoes? That's right. Salivate.

I'm in Istanbul. It hasn't been cold enough to wear a jacket most days, let alone warrant wrapping my knobby fingers around a piping hot drink.

Obviously pumpkin spice.

General Holiday Sentiment: The holidays are coming (Thanksgiving may have already passed, but I'm still dreaming about it) and they should be all that's on your mind. Holidays are a break from the regular, whether that be good or bad is irrelevant, but they're a break, nonetheless. I'm always for some distraction to pull me from reality.

Did I mention that Turkey's not America and also an Islamic country? So...no Thanksgiving. Those Christmas tree decals in your neighbor's window? Ya, also not there.

Small trees in unexpected places. Surprise!