July is thick summer in Istanbul, and for the first time since the pandemic began, I actually had a lot of work to do this month. It kept me in Istanbul and (mostly) off the beach, but it was wonderful to feel like the normal swing of things was back. Istanbul summer is such a thrill.
Best of the Month
This month I finally started swimming at the Fenerbahce Club pool, an outdoor saltwater half Olympic pool that I joined the club just to access. So worth it! I want to swim there every single free day, it’s a perfect way to start a day.
July also saw the kickoff of the Kalamis Summer Fest, which goes through the end of August and with concerts and movies almost every night. It’s been nice to stroll down and listen to whatever the concert is while hanging out on the rocks.
I loved being in Istanbul for Bayram, a holiday where nearly everyone travels and the city gets so blissfully quiet. We got a big booth at our favorite bar on a Saturday night and it felt like a Tuesday, it was perfect. Definitely my favorite holiday to spend in Istanbul.
I spent a couple days on the beach in Ekincik after a work trip, and though it wasn’t strictly vacation (I alternated between work on my laptop and the sea), it was still blissful to be in the south and swim in the Mediterranean.
At the very end of July, we had a family reunion in Stowe, VT, and it was great fun.
Worst of the Month
To make a tedious and long story short, I somehow ended up hanging out with a friend-of-a-friend who made it very clear that he was anti-abortion in terribly offensive terms, and I got very angry. Fuck that guy.
Ekincik was great, but there was one guy working at the hotel Ozge and I stayed at who became really fixated on the two of us, and always seemed to be creeping up behind us to mumble something or other at us. Everyone else there was lovely, this guy was a creep.
I got my fourth Covid shot this month, which was great and easy, but it absolutely knocked me out the day after– the first time I’ve had any sort of reaction to any of the shots. I had so much to do and it was so hot that day, it was pretty miserable. I felt totally fine by the day after, luckily.
At the very end of July, I flew to Boston, but Turkish Airlines tried to put me on standby and I absolutely lost it in the airport. I had a ticket! I bought a seat! Apparently they oversell all their flights by 10%, which is an absolute scam. I was furious, but thank goodness, I got on the plane.
What I’m Loving
Reads: My friend Durrie lent me the novel The Silence of Scheherazade by Defne Shuman, which I loved much more than I was expecting. It takes place in the years and days leading up the burning of Smyrna in 1922 and had a twist that I genuinely didn’t see coming… I can’t recommend this book enough.
I also read The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean, which was as bewitching as a nonfiction book can be. I love her writing and I love orchids and there were so many phrases I underlined and highlighted in this lovely book.
Music: Hillary makes me mixes whenever we’re going to see each other, and I love the Harry Styles song she put on it, “Music For A Sushi Restaurant”. As she knew I would.
Movies/TV: I didn’t really watch any new movies in July, but I did go to an outdoor screening of The Wizard of Oz, which was terrific. I love outdoor films in the summer, even if I’ve seen them before.
Podcasts: I fell behind on Hit Parade but it meant I got to catch up with it on the plane ride to the US, and it maintains its status as the only podcast I actually pay for, it’s that good. The Kate Bush episode was particularly interesting.
The Film Files
This was a month where I shot a lot but didn’t manage to get any of my film developed— that means more treats for August!
Ephemera
I had an interesting assignment this month that involved fortune telling— a bit different than my usual best but definitely fun.
I also got back to figure sketching and remembered just how much I missed it.
Upcoming
August sees the rest of my US trip, and then I’ll stay in Istanbul and work! My goal for this summer is to take a proper vacation. (ie, without my laptop) as soon as possible.
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