I’m writing this much too late, but October was a busy, bubbly month and I’ve spent so much time catching up from it!
Best of the Month
After six years away, my friend Julius finally came to visit Istanbul! It was so glorious; I’ve been waiting for him to come back ever since he left, and it was such a nice way to take stock of what has changed in the city and in ourselves since we became friends in 2016.
In the very beginning of October, I went to Cirali for a PROPER vacation, leaving my laptop behind in Istanbul. It was perfect— the south still had summer weather without being too hot, the sea was clear and comfortable, pomegranates spilled off the trees and we rode cheap little bikes all over. Plus the ruins of Olympos are right there!
A story I’ve been working on all year was finally published at the end of October, in the Atlantic! It’s about honey and fire, and I hope you have a chance to read it.
Worst Of The Month
There was some unnecessary stress that came up around the publishing of my article, but luckily it resolved itself after a few days.
What I’m Loving
Reads: I read The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan, and even though the book is nearly 20 years old, I thought it was an absolute gem. It looks at four crops (apples, tulips, cannabis, and potatoes) and the ways we have celebrated and changed them. It also continue my little potato obsession, which is great.
Music: I’ve love the song “Go Back” by Tony Allen and Damon Albarn, I seem to hear it everywhere!
Movies/TV: I saw a silly slip of a movie as part of the Filmekimi festival called See How They Run. It’s sort of a riff on Agatha Christie murder mysteries, and it was fun and light, though it’s hard not to compare it to the much much better Knives Out.
Podcasts: I finished the podcast One Year 1986, which was great, and now I’ve moved on to their next season!
The Film Files
Having Julius in town was encouragement to take my cameras out more. We shot some double exposures and it reminded me how much I enjoy shooting like that.
Ephemera
I’ve seen the rapper Aga B twice this year (in January and September) and one random night at a Kadikoy bar this month, I met him!
Upcoming
The one trip for November is a trip to the US for Thanksgiving, to spend time with my family.
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