I got up early to finish a story I got stuck with yesterday. Around 6 I was already busy typing. Now and then I got up to enjoy some fresh morning breeze at the open window. And then I saw one of my neighbours sitting on the threshold between her living room and her balcony. She was silently mending …
I was the guest of a Turkish family for a few days. The mother of the family sometimes likes to watch Roj TV, the Kurdish channel that broadcasts from Denmark and has for ages been a pain in the ass for Turkish citizens and the government, which labels it as a PKK propaganda channel. The mother watches …
For many people, this is what Turkey is like: dancing in outdoor restaurants, walking on the street practically naked, eating pork wherever you like, beer available everywhere. For me, it’s the first time ever in a typical tourist resort and it feels like a different world. I adapted quickly. As soon as I got to my hotel, I changed from …
It’s good business in a hot city, of course, selling soğuk su (cold water) on the street. Soğuk su soğuk su soğuk suuuuuu!, you hear everywhere. The vendors either sit in the shade with a bucket of ice containing ten bottles, or they wander around looking for a sale at the bus stops or to drivers stuck in traffic jams.
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I read a lot of newspapers, but the local rag is not one of them. Probably it’s called ‘Our Istanbul’ or something like that. I’m told this rag publishes a list of which days the water will be cut off in which parts of the city – that’s how the municipality tries to make the water supplies last for …
I packed my towel and swimsuit. I checked the swimming time for women. So what could stand between me and my first ‘training’ for this event next month which I really want to take part in? Only the entrance fee to the brand new municipal swimming pool, I thought. So there I was, telling the guy at …
You want to adjust a bit in a society that is not yours. Also waste wise. But I just can’t do it, throwing waste on the street. I try sometimes, really. For example when I have an empty water bottle in my hand. I’m walking, or waiting for a bus or a boat. I’m about to throw the empty …
I started level 5 of my Turkish lessons. There are six levels and each one takes two months to complete. So in about four months I will be speaking Turkish! I’m so much looking forward to it, really. Truth is, of course, learning a language is so much more frustrating than I ever thought. When Turks see the book we
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It’s a pity that I didn’t really closely observe people before the smoking ban in public places was introduced, on Monday of last week. It’s now forbidden to light up even on the outside deck of the ferry. The ferry ride I take regulary lasts only ten minutes, but for smokers, that can be too long. I know, I’ve been …
Next to the truck a boy is polishing lemons with a cloth. Then he puts them in a plastic bag. For his mother I suppose. A bit further on an elderly man bites into a lemon. Whether his face grimaces or not, I can’t see very well from a distance, but actually I don’t think so. These few lemons …
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