This has been a month for both speeding up and staying still. I haven’t left Istanbul for the whole month, and yet I’ve been three times as busy as I usually am. I took advantage of my July stillness to leap into intensive Turkish lessons (finally), spending four hours every weekday in a classroom on the European side of the city before rushing back to Asia to do my actual work. All that, combined with welcome but unexpected freelance assignments, social engagements, and this blog, has meant that a full month in one city has been anything but restful.
Moda Seaside
Best Of The Month
The monthly Ramadan fast at the beginning of July paired with the holiday immediately following meant that Istanbul has been unusually quiet this month. And yet, there’s been much to do. For the Fourth of July, a college friend was passing through the city and we went to a free jazz show in Fenerbahce Park; on the sunset seaside stroll back, we saw dolphins leaping out of the water! It was truly magical.
I also attended an outdoor screening of “Finding Vivian Maier” at a photography bookstore/cafe that a friend of mine designed. The film was great and the bookstore was better: there are swings hanging from the ceiling! (And they also have some dangerously delicious-looking cakes…)
During the holiday weekend, when most of the city left for the beaches, a friend and I instead headed into Istanbul’s Belgrad forest for a sweaty hike. It’s so green and quiet and unlike everywhere else in Istanbul; I can’t believe I waited so long to visit.
Belgrad Forest
Worst Of The Month
There hasn’t been much bad this month, except for the exhaustion that comes from running myself ragged. I love being busy, but I am looking forward to having more time to breathe. Also I am looking forward to Istanbul’s heat finally breaking. It’s HOT here.
What I’m Loving
Reads: Because I’ve been so busy this month (and am saving novels for my imminent vacation), I haven’t read many books this month– mostly, I’ve been reading back-issues of the New Yorker that I nicked from my dad when I was in the U.S. But I did read a short novel my sister lent me: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. I guess it was sci-fi, but those aspects were so understated and subtle that it felt less fantastical and more like a melancholy memoir.
Music: This month has been full of excellent music (happy summer!). I’ve been obsessed with the song “Malukayi” by Mbongawa Star, which doesn’t really have a typical song structure at all: it drones, it grooves, and I end up listening to it on repeat. I’ve also been really into Oddisee’s new album The Good Fight. It’s hip-hop and it’s exuberant.
FiL Bookstore in Karakoy
The Film Files
Because this month has been so busy, I haven’t been shooting as much as I’ve wanted to. After watching the Vivian Maier documentary, I felt inspired to take my Yashica TLR out for a spin, but have had no time. I had a chance to shoot during the Bayram weekend, but otherwise my cameras have been quiet. This will change. I don’t feel right when I don’t have a chance to shoot.
Ephemera
This article and accompanying playlist is so delightful: David Bowie spinning records at the BBC in 1979. The old radio show is two hours long, but every minute is worth your time. Obviously Bowie likes great music, and his droll and occasionally non-sequiturial commentary made me laugh.
File this one under the “travel dreams” category: I found these pictures of a pink lake in Senegal and now I desperately want to go there.
Istanbul Modern
Upcoming
I’m heading on a much-needed and well-deserved vacation to one of my favorite places in Turkey: Kabak! I’m looking forward to a week of swimming, reading, napping in hammocks, and not using my computer.
Also, I am hoping to squeeze in a weekend bike trip with my friend Nacho before the end of August. It’s been over a year since our Lake Iznik trip , which seems crazy.
So, how was your month?
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