Segovia, Spain
Though summer often stretches into September in Istanbul, August always feels like the beginning of the end, when the humidity reaches it apex and bursts into autumn. It’s still hot here, and I’m still swimming, but I feel the change coming.
Istanbul, Turkey
Best Of The Month
I went on a trip to Madrid and Berlin that I thought would be exhausting, but instead was incredibly rejuvenating. In Madrid, I stayed with Nacho and his family, eating his mother’s wonderful food, swimming in the pool, and exploring the city on electric bikes. It was joyful. Berlin brought a reunion with a dear friend who only recently arrived there, and finally I realized: Berlin is much lovelier in the summer! This was my fourth trip to that city, but the first one that I thoroughly enjoyed, with no caveats.
A friend came to visit from Boston and we had a glorious dinner on my terrace with two friends I knew he would love meeting; watching these three beautiful souls interact and get to know each other and bond over wine and art just filled me with joy.
At the very end of the month, a friend of mine had a marriage celebration that was beautiful and full of such terrific people from all over the world. I danced in high shoes all night and it was completely worth the next day’s pain.
Istanbul, Turkey
Worst Of The Month
We had a massive flooding rainstorm this month, which isn’t so common in August, and I discovered every place in my house that still leaks.
A complicated situation mid-month launched me into a blue mood for a while, and though I have pulled out of that headspace, it feels like the episode broke the spell of this carefree, lighthearted summer. It’s still hot and sticky here, but autumn is on its way, and I feel that so clearly and completely. There’s a quiver of melancholy in the air.
Buyukada, Istanbul, Turkey
What I’m Loving
Reads: I read two books that I absolutely devoured this month. One was Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, a novel about four generations of a Korean family that mostly lives in Japan, and the complicated injustices they face. Maybe that sounds dry but the book was an absolute delight. I didn’t want to put it down.
The second book was On The Move by Oliver Sacks; I really love him and his writing, and this book is his memoir that he published before he died in 2015. He’s so warm and witty and curious, reading the book felt like hearing stories from an old friend.
Music: The song Where Did You Sleep Last Night by Lead Belly came up on my Spotify shuffle and I just love it.
Berlin, Germany
Film/TV: Um, it’s totally possible I didn’t watch anything of note this month. How is that possible? I guess busy summer months are not so conducive to sitting down and watching a movie.
Podcasts: The NYT Magazine put out its special 1619 edition and I’ve so desperately wanted to read it, so I was incredibly pleased when I saw that there would be a podcast accompanying the project. I only listened to the first episode in August, but it’s excellent.
The podcast Power Corrupts has been consistently great, but the two episodes about the death penalty were just absolutely devastating. The host approaches complex topics in such a measured and intelligent way, and has such an intellectually curious way of listening without sacrificing his point of view.
The episode from Switched On Pop called “The Unbearable Sameness of Restaurant Playlists” explored something I’ve noticed, especially in the US— there’s often a homogeneity of songs I hear in restaurants. The reasons why, and how, are interesting. Plus, there’s a Spotify playlist!
Istanbul, Turkey
The Film Files
I got a roll of film developed that took me two months to finish shooting— from the end of May to the end of July. It was such a glorious little time capsule of some of this summer’s nicest moments. Film is great.
Madrid, Spain
Ephemera
The figs are in season and I just want to put them in every meal. Figs were always such a luxury when I was growing up, the fact that they are luscious and abundant here never ceases to amaze me.
In Spain they sell cartons of gazpacho like it’s juice, and there is literally no better way to hydrate in Madrid’s intense dry heat than to drink endless glasses of cold gazpacho. Why can’t we have this in Turkey?!
Segovia, Spain
Upcoming
I’ll go on a short beach vacation for a few days (and attempt to read as many books as possible), but otherwise I plan to stay in Istanbul in September— there’s so much art to see!
No Comments