Often August is a hard month for me, so I was happy to get through this one relatively unscathed. Not too shabby for a pandemic year.
Best Of The Month
When the pandemic hit earlier this year, one thing I mourned was my yearly trip to Kabak— I thought there was no way I would make it there this year. I was wrong! I went with my friend Claire for a few days, and it was dreamy, mostly because it was Claire’s first time and seeing her delight reminded me why I love that place so much. It’s gentle on my mind and good for my soul.
This is also the month Nacho finally returned to Istanbul. He came back in mid-March originally, but then immediately left again because of the pandemic, and we had no way of knowing when he’d be able to return to Turkey again. So now he’s back and I am pleased as punch about it.
I went to a Gatsby-themed party on a breezy Istanbul terrace with some of my friends, and it was so exciting to get dressed up and dance even if we had to stay distant from each other. A taste of normal Istanbul life.
Worst Of The Month
Early in the month I found out that a friend of mine had died, which was very unexpected for me and really, really sad. I spent a lot of time talking to my best friend Kelly and reminiscing, which was a good way to cope. But yeah, it was hard.
What I’m Loving
Reads: I read quite a few books this month, but there were two I enjoyed the most. One was Joan Didion’s grief memoir The Year of Magical Thinking, about the death of her husband and the year that followed. It was gorgeous and moving and sort of a strange choice to read in the middle of a pandemic, but I recommend it.
The other book I read and loved was Dune, by Frank Herbert. I guess I haven’t read much full-on sci-fi/fantasy since I was a teenager, but maybe I should— it was a thrill to live in this futuristic world for a few days. It’s a classic for a reason I guess.
Music: I’ve been listening to a lot of 90’s hip hop (including Spotify’s I Love My 90’s Hip Hop playlist which, ugh fine, is very good) and the song “Bsslama Hbibti” by Fadoul.
TV/Movies: After I read Dune this month, of course I had to watch the David Lynch film. Which isn’t very good! But is still enjoyably weird. First of all, the cast includes a young (hot) Kyle McLachlan, Patrick Stewart, various future Twin Peaks cast members, and Sting (and there should have been MUCH MORE Sting in the movie, in my opinion). The music is by Toto! And Brian Eno! And there were so many visuals and themes that pop up in later (better) David Lynch films, even the most recent Twin Peaks series. I actually really enjoyed watching the movie, even though I imagine it’s completely incomprehensible if you haven’t read the book.
Podcasts: I listened to the series Nice White Parents, which dives into the idea that the worst enemies of public schools are the well-meaning white parents who want integration.
Some episodes I enjoyed this month were “90s Music Canon” from Switched On Pop, “Fosse and Verdon” from Outlook, and the return of The Missing Cryptoqueen, which only gave us one new episode so far! I want more!!
The Film Files
I got some film back from my July travels (as well as some from June) and it’s always a treat to revisit a trip through the strange analog images that come from it.
Ephemera
There’s a fabulous cocktail bar in my neighborhood called Fahri Konsolos and it’s been a treat to stay out late and drink cocktails that are actually good.
Upcoming
Hopefully my annual September vineyard trip will still happen, but I anticipate spending most of the month in Istanbul. After a rollicking summer, that’s a good thing.
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