Istanbul : Four days after the rain came

It has been Four days

It is Saturday afternoon four days after the floods had wreaked havoc across parts of Istanbul , sitting here looking out the window from the north I see those familiar clouds again. Much of the afternoon the menacing clouds and lightning loomed over the Sariyer district which is some 5km from our home. Every hour I began to scan the TV news channels for information and up to date situation. Reports had been circulating around of more flash flooding arriving over the weekend.

By late afternoon I had seen my worst fears reports broadcasting pictures of severe flooding again, only this time it was only 5km from home . It makes you think sometimes how life can be regardless of location or circumstances. I am sitting here at home roof over my head , TV and internet access , cupboards and fridge full up with food yet in a moment of natures aggression my wife and I could lose it all. Has I sit watching the images flash on the TV , I see people with there homes demolished there belongings destroyed everything they have worked for is destroyed in moments.

Myself and my wife pondering the news reports switched our attention to the ferocious display of lightning in the distance across the Bosphorus . Turning out all the lights and for the next twenty minutes we stared in awe at the natural display , the only sound was the rumble of thunder echoing around the hillsides on both sides of the Bosphorus. Throughout Saturday evening it went on in the distance rarely coming close enough to be concerned unlike Tuesday’s event.During the previous days the full scale of this natural disaster emerged , real personal stories of suffering emerged and you got the big picture .

The reason I write about this is because I sympathize and it is a part my on going experience of living in Istanbul. It is fine to write about the sunshine the historical elements of this beautiful city . However there is people living a daily life there not tourists that come and go they are  people coping in this awful moment and tomorrow they will have to rebuild there livelihood.

Has for me I am still in awe of my on going experience and moving forward I am going to my first Turkish football match Besiktas versus Manchester United on Tuesday 15th September. I am relishing the evening and stand there with thousands of Turkish fans cheering on Besiktas. Tomorrow is another day and who knows what will happen , what ever it is I am sure  it can be written about in the near future.

Brian Underdown is an Englishman,living in Istanbul, Turkey. Born in England in 1965 and lived in Kent  until June 2009. His location in Istanbul Tarabya is situated near the Bosphorus . He has an appetite for Istanbul that grows everyday and thrives on the cities atmosphere and culture. 

“Istanbul was a place I vaguely new of and never really gave any focus on whilst I l lived and grew up in England and settled into the familiar daily life of living in England. Many things and my personal outlook had changed during my life in England and has I grew older I became more and more frustrated with England and its direction it was taking. Has an Englishmen I like to think I am a very patriotic person , I like traditional values , I like to see historical traditions around me in my daily life and that is one thing I began see disappear around me rapidly . I am not going to go into those reasons why because I am not a politically educated person to voice my opinion to the masses, however like anyone I have a view of what I see and dislike.

Also let me say this not a blog on how beautiful Istanbul is you already know that and there are hundreds of written books on how this city looks. This is about me and my getting to grips of living in a city of this magnitude. In one word (guzel) you could sum up Istanbul but there is more to experience you cant evaluate this city on the back of a 2 week vacation you will leave craving for more…Brian Underdown 18th June 2009“

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Istanbul : Then The Rain Came

  When the Rain (yağmur) came to Istanbul

Monday 7th September 2009 the sky is a dark blue mysterious angry looking picture this afternoon, having had around about three months of good solid sunshine weather mixed with the odd cloudy day. Today was looking different the dark clouds turning the Bosphorus into a dark mysterious channel of water and the sense of darkness crept over where I live in Tarabya , Sariyer district. That evening my wife and I were due to got for an evening out to an open top restaurant along the Bosphorus at the Sortie Nightclub with her work colleagues. Fortunately we decided not to attend that evening , a storm was brewing and not relishing an evening of soggy clothes and runny noses.

Back here in Tarabya we could see the lightning in the distance from the Asian side of the Bosphorus , soon after the Bosphorus was lit up by the streaks of lightning has the storm came closer to us on the European side. However no rain of any amount to give any concern. My wife sitting there engrossed in the Turkish version of Deal or No Deal which is a popular TV programme back in England though it is three hours long here and she does not batter an eyelid to what is going on outside has where me I’m in awe of the sky and the Bosphorus being lit up by the storm. Watching the skyline and the minarets light up in the storm is something beautiful yet scary at the same time. To me it is another event in this amazing city. Yes back in England we had storms but nothing has significant to match the scenery you get here in Istanbul.

The following day Tuesday 8th September was  different and something else I wont forget . Never have I seen so much rain fall from the heavens has I had seen this day. Probably the closest Ill ever get to a monsoon , shortly after midday the sky changed to that dark mysterious feeling again however this time around , the lightning and the thunder was directly overhead. Has the rain started to fall the crashes of thunder became more frequent and louder ,the rain intensified even more and suddenly the apartment shook from an overhead clap of thunder. At that point I picked up the phone and called my wife to tell her exactly what I was experiencing , it was new to me and I wanted to share it . Figen my wife seems bemused and curious to all these new experiences for me and it is not that England does not offer natural experiences , it is a case that the experiences here are on a larger scale and it is all new to me . At times I feel sixteen all over again entering the big wide world after ten years of school life.

Having shared my excitement I went to the street side of our apartment , we are located at the middle of a street built on the hillside overlooking the Bosphorus . The rain still coming from from the heavens or back in England it is “raining cats and dogs” and from the top of the street the rainwater is running down like a powerful stream . The less  fortunate neighbours with apartments situated on the street level are emptying there porches ,scooping the flooding water out with buckets like a sinking raft at sea . The rain still intensifying after an hour the street is now like a running river , the thunderstorm still overhead and yet daily life still goes on in the street with people coming and going and just getting on with it.

By four o’clock  it had quietened down and the rain ceased , so I went out to meet my wife from work down by the Bosphorus at Mado in Tarabya , however walking down to the square I could see in the distance those menacing dark clouds coming towards the district again , I was not wrong by five thirty the heavens opened up once again . This time I was not a home in a cosy shelter I was sitting outside drinking Cay and the thunder and lightning was overhead and close enough for me to be concerned and take shelter inside the  Mado Cafe . Looking outside of the cafe across the Bosphorus the Asian side had disappeared again in the storm clouds,looking the other direction the chaos of taxis and commuters trying to make there way home in this storm was frightening. People driving with such inexperience of the conditions confronting them was scary and reckless ,Istanbul is chaotic enough at this time of the day anyway but add this storm to the equation it is a complete nightmare scene. But has ever you just have to get on with it and put up with it .

Later in the evening we watched the news channels and what I had seen today locally was nothing compared to what they were reporting from other districts in Istanbul and the north west of Turkey .If I thought this was bad well I am glad I was not elsewhere in other districts of Istanbul. There cars were floating , houses were flooded , farmland and cattle destroyed . Still it was another experience of this city , I have seen perfect sunsets from home, I have seen the Bosphorus shine in the sunshine from home , I have seen the minarets glow in the dark from home ,now I have seen Istanbul glow in the thunderstorms from home.Wonder what is next ?.

Overnight the storms and the intense rain returned  with a vengeance , in sporadic periods  the rain fell often termed has flash floods . The deafening sounds has it pelted against the windows echoed around the apartment,the apartment shook many times throughout the night. Having a sleepless night and knowing full well when dawn breaks the effects would be revealed . I even heard a faint drummer of Ramadan doing the rounds before dawn break , I was thinking that is dedication but the drummer never came close to us. My wife slept through the whole night and got up for work has normal , however she was to return home with joy with having a day off work has many roads were turned into rivers and streams. However that joy turned to concern has  the News channels were all screening unbelievable pictures of chaos and destruction. I had seen TV reports of flooding back in England frequently in the last few years with much farm land and housing estates being destroyed . But I had not seen the impact it had on the main transportation infrastructure system and routes has it did here in Istanbul . I am sure here there will be critics but what I see is not people moaning and complaining but again just getting on with it and dealing with it and I am sure has the day progresses we will hear more on this almost classified natural disaster.
So it did nearly every News agency across the world had a report on this chilling event, it was a natural disaster ,it took life’s , it destroyed the infrastructure and needless to say it cost money . The more I think about the previous night the more I think I was lucky ,my wife had experienced the tragedy of the event on the way to work that morning ,has she attempted to travel to work without making it . So has my twitter friend Berke said 09/09/09 was the date ,I will let you make the combination out of that date .
Brian Underdown is an Englishman,living in Istanbul, Turkey. Born in England in 1965 and lived in Kent  until June 2009. His location in Istanbul Tarabya is situated near the Bosphorus . He has an appetite for Istanbul that grows everyday and thrives on the cities atmosphere and culture.

Istanbul : A Wedding the Day after

A Wedding The Day after and the Shepherd….

Surprisingly I had slept very well after such an event full previous day, it is 8am and my friend Nick has a plane to catch to London Gatwick from the Asian side of Istanbul at Sabiha Gökçen Airport. We have got to get him to Taksim for 10am to meet the shuttle bus to get him there in time . Two hours seems a long time but it is Sunday morning and he his recovering from to many beers and myself I am now a married man but at this point in time the change of status has not really sank in.

Having managed to get him to move his backside albeit I can hear him grumbling a few swear words and telling us he feels like crap and is not relishing the task of packing his suitcase in a rush. He is a man that takes his time but this is Istanbul and time does not wait for anyone here . Having finally got to Taksim with ten minutes to spare , we said our goodbyes and wished him a safe journey, me knowing full well having a hangover and a four hour no thrills flight to London is no fun , I only hope he lasted the flight without any hiccups if you know what I mean ! .

Taksim is always a place that has a few daily surprises and my first surprise of the day , has I turned away from the shuttle bus I saw a man walking a sheep yes a sheep , just has if he was walking a dog . He walked past  us into the park, stood there whilst the sheep munched away on the bushes absolutely amazing and so funny to see in a city environment .You would expect this in a remote countryside town or village but in a district like Taksim well I suppose anything can happen. That is why Istanbul is what it is never blink or you may miss a suprise.

Having seen the shepherd of Taksim go by , myself and my new wife decided to walk into Taksim Square and the military parades were in full swing , it is military day and the Turkish flag was dominating the skylines of every tall building. I love to see this patriotic show of  a nation that is proud of what it is and what it stands for, back in England everyone in the last few years seemed to be obsessed with this politically correct phrase ”it is not politically correct” . This prevented many from showing there patriotic beliefs ,which unfortunately is typically a English way of thinking  “do not want to upset the neighbours”. Try telling any Turkish person you can not do that , something drastic may happen in the response.

Heading of through Taksim towards Istiklal Street seeing the old Trams go by with children hanging on them for a free ride , suddenly it all hit me I was a married man and my beautiful wife was hanging on to my arm has we walked slowly along the Istiklal Street . A street that is normally congested with tourists and shoppers was relatively quiet on this Sunday morning. It was here and then we both suddenly started to walk at the slow pace and both realized everything going on around us was surreal , we were in our only little world both admiring each others rings we had exchanged the day before. Having slowly got to our destination MADO at the end of  Istiklal Street  we had the perfect turkish kahvalti (breakfast).

Taksim often gets a reputation of being a central point of tourists horror stories of theft,fighting,muggings , however I really believe just like any other city in the world you visit has a tourist you have to follow a really simple rule and fact. This applies to whether you are in London, New York, Istanbul or any other foreign city just simply do some homework , do not go off wandering alone in back streets , do not walk around flashing your money about, try and be conservative and do not walk alone at night!!. Simple has they may sound that is all you need to do to avoid the horror stories you read about. On the positive side which there are many ,Taksim is a unique district of Istanbul that offers a multi cultural trend of young and old traditions. Here the young students meet up in trendy bars and coffee outlets like Starbucks, Gloria Jeans, and so on and mix this with traditional Turkish food outlets it creates a positive central point of culture.

Heading back home on the metro from Taksim to Levent 4 the staring eyes raise there eyebrows again , by now after a year I am fully accustomed to this curiosity from commuters. However somehow the day after our wedding my wife Figen and I find it hard not to show our affection for each other. It is not polite here in Istanbul to be flirtatious  in public but even simply holding hands can raise eyebrows in an enclosed public enviroment like the metro , like any other metro or underground system in the world you can drift into a moment of thought . It is strange how the sounds of a moving train from inside can create a moment of deep thought and the surroundings and people just drift into the background. That morning I was deep in thought of the events from the previous day these were thoughts happiness and questions of was it real or I am going to wake up to the sound something different. Thankfully I have yet to be woken up .

Back home it was time to unwrap the wedding gifts , it felt like christmas morning back in England, all the gifts wrapped with ribbons and something new I was to discover. Gold a traditional turkish wedding gift a small but heavy coin in various sizes , on first look I was not to overjoyed however upon picking one up and handling the gift I soon realized it was Gold . The following fifteen minutes revealed gold after gold coins , I am not about to brag about the amount I just want to say how unique and different this type of gift is from my traditional style back in England . Back in England the traditional gifts of kitchen and cooking items is great but giving Gold is special . I now know why Turkish families like to see 300 or more people come to there weddings and this is positive thinking has newly weds from not such a wealthy family can use the gold and cash it in for money an ideal way to get a good comfortable start to a marriage in a modern day world..

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Istanbul : Our Wedding The Turkiye way

Our Wedding The Turkiye way…..

There are many written dark sides of Istanbul yet there are fonder memories in many people’s hearts after visiting Istanbul. But I wonder how many actually experience a wedding in Turkiye Istanbul style and tradition, this I was about to experience and believe me it is an experience you will never forget not because you just got married but the whole event .

 

Saturday 29th August 2009 I woke up around 8.30am,  then soon after drinking a large cup of Cay having my first cigarette of the day it suddenly became a stark reality that this was the day . The day myself and Figen had been counting down religiously on a daily basis. My friend had come over from England for the event himself looking calm and still in awe of the view our home offers across the Bosphorus. Myself I was beginning or nerves were starting to get the better of me , by 9:30am I had covered every spot there was to walk on in the apartment at the same time thinking I should be doing something. Shall I cook breakfast , shall I take a shower , shall I jump of the balcony.Each time I could not do any of the things that came to mind all I could do was smoke and drink Cay.

By 10:30am I had managed to have a shave. Nick my friend was still staring out across balcony towards the Bosphorus, me I was at that point a complete bag of nerves and starting to think Vowels,procedures it just made me worse because I had could not even add up 2+2 (4) at this time. Figen flew out the apartment at 9:00am to have her hair done by now she been gone two hours and was due back soon. I thought if I dont get my act together and get ready it is not going to happen in the way I had imagined . What ever I had imagined anyway was lost in my nerves somewhere .

Back in England the morning tradition for many of my friends was a visit to the pub for a few beers or the hair of the dog from the night before . Yet here in Istanbul beer or alcohol was far from my needs I just wanted to keep a clear head and remember this day in detail and not only that Ramadan is in full flow so alcohol was not widely available at that time of day.  So there I was putting on my wedding suit for the first time since I had bought it ,to my shock I had piled on a few pounds around the waist since , not a good sign has I was going to spend a good deal of time throughout the day in it . By  1:15pm I was done albeit feeling a bit awkward but ready I was  but if you had asked me anything I would not of heard you, I was so nervous and totally unaware of what was happening around me . Until suddenly for the first time  I had seen Figen in her wedding dress ,until now I had deliberately kept my eyes from seeing it until today . Has I turned round I was brought back down to earth an angel was standing in front of me ,she was so beautiful , so elegant ,  was this a dream yet still today has I write this I think I am dreaming.

By 2pm we were all ready to go to the Besiktas  Evlendirme Dairesi the venue for official wedding , however Istanbul being the city it is the traffic was to become a major obstacle . Saturday afternoon in Besiktas is a nightmare what normally is a 30 minute journey on a Dolmus turned into an hour , really not what you need on this day. After some 15 minutes of not really moving anywhere nearer the temperature starts to rise and the frustration and nerves just crack at the seams . I just wanted to get out and walk but how can you make your bride walk in a wedding dress along the streets of Besiktas you can not so you just has always have to get on with it but we ended up walking a short distance.

On arriving we were both still very worked up and frustrated remember it is a day we had both been looking forward to so much so any little incident was bound to kick off the nerves. Sometimes everything happens in three’s the traffic,walking to the venue, and our chosen music CD would not play , how funny the little things in life can turn you into a raging bull in the heat of the moment.

Having got over the minor problems what was to come next was a moment I will never forget , up to this day I had really taken a back seat in the organisation and with that I really was not ready for the next moment. Walking through the curtain admiring my beautiful bride I looked up and could have just have turned round and crawled under the carpet. In front of me there were sitting so many people I have no idea how many I really had not expected that many for this formal official part of the wedding. I really was so overwhelmed and speechless , I could not focus on anyone , I could not move . Suddenly  I just went numb but comfortably numb . If heaven exists I think I had found it at that moment it was an amazing feeling .

Myself still sitting up there on cloud nine or in cuckoo land , I looked at my friend Nick  I think he was has shocked has I was ,I could here people cheering and clapping , I could hear faintly the registrar reading out the ceremony and suddenly I heard my name ,it was at that point reality came flooding back with a bang . Sitting there listening Figen translating it all to me in English what would I do without her . Then the simple but most meaningful word “EVET” yes not I do  but “EVET” . This took all of five minutes to complete but sitting up there in front of those guests it seemed forever ,with that next came the formal official signing and I thought wow thank god that is over . How wrong I was even more unawareness was to follow shortly.

Having done all the posing for the photographer we all headed off for some more group photography outside and this is something else  I was not expecting . All the guests cueing up to give us there wishes and love ,to have there picture taken with us (that is such a flattering moment) . It was another tremendous feeling ,Tebrikler,Cok Guzel the words I was to hear for the next 20-30 minutes it was wonderful. Turkish people let me say it are the most friendliest ,caring, appreciative people I have ever known. They are proud people and know how to make you feel proud. Something else going on at this point I was not aware off until the following day was the gifts ,no not kettles and toasters like back in England.Traditional Turkish wedding gift is GOLD and lots of it ,I really was not aware of just how much of it there was until the following day it was last thing on my mind but I will talk about the gifts later.

So some two hours later after taking a rest back at the apartment ,yet trying to digest what had just happened .I myself and my new wife headed off to the Hisar Campus Rumelihisari a location high upon the hills alongside the Bosphorus. To have an outdoor ceremony in the climate of Istanbul is something else,and here I was still feeling shell shocked from the events earlier, it was time to eat and dance Turkish style. But I could not do any eating or drinking I was so mesmerised by the location and the feeling.There was no curiosity going on ,there was laughter,there was happiness, and there was me totally floating on air by the sense of the next moment. Has the song started Jonathan Cain Bridal March my beautiful wife walked the aisle of the gardens , she was so beautiful and natural so elegant, the moment and  the scene was like something created for a Love Story film . I was absolutely stunned , has we exchanged vowels ,myself had nothing planned or written down , I just wanted to say what ever I was feeling at that moment in time and thankfully I think I got it right .

Figen,Canim,Askim I give you this ring and I really can not remember the rest but I heard cheers and laughter has I put the ring on her finger and looked up at her . It was another moment you can not explain you really have to experience the feeling to understand, there are some feelings you can just not explain or share with words . Once again I looked round to everyone but I could not focus , I attempted a speech of  gratitude to everyone but I had a lump in my throat and my  male pride takes over preventing me from  showing any feelings inside. It is no doubt it is a unique feeling to marry someone you love so much in such a romantic city as Istanbul , the city , the location, the climate , the people made this day a very special day I will remember and I really do hope many more overseas people experience the same feeling.

There are times has one lady told (Jennifer) me “Being not in control is Istanbul in one word” and that is why Istanbul is so unique you really never know what is around the corner, a city of surprises, a city of chaos, a city of beauty , and lastly a city that is alive that leaves you wanting more…..Time to Digest more to come ….

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Istanbul The drums sound before dawn Ramadan

Ramadan and the drums sounds before dawn

It is 8pm the end of August is approaching , the evenings draw in earlier every day from now on . Looking out over the balcony across the district of Tarabya and the Bosphorus I notice something different about tonight . All the mosques minarets are lit up like beacons or lighthouses I had seen at sea, I had noticed this one night a few weeks ago but never gave it much thought and it had not reoccurred until this evening (Thursday 20th August 2009). I pestered Figen for a reason and got a full explanation of Ramadan and was rather curious about the various practices associated with it.

I had heard of Ramadan back in England but it was never something I was that curious about all , I knew it was related to food and I had no friends socially I could recall practiced the Ramadan. I had heard of staff at my previous place of work back in England would celebrate the event but I never new them or worked with them , so perhaps I was ignorant back then . So here I am in Istanbul now and Ramadan is a significant event here and curiosity is getting the better of me on this subject.

So I was curious and also I was getting married in 8 days time in Istanbul smack bang in the middle of this event and eager not to offend but respect and value followers of Ramadan. Something else bothered me though , Istanbul is a city thriving on food outlets off every imaginable kind and I have a friend Nick coming from England for my wedding and I know he is  looking forward to the food delights of Istanbul.

Again I sit here restless it is 3:30am the minarets are still lit up but now I hear the sound of drums from the streets ,the dogs are barking in the background but I want to know about the drums , I can not wake Figen up for more explanations but I know it is related to the Ramadan. Some 30 minutes later the drum sound enters our street a booming repetitive sound echoing loudly ,for its reason is to awake those who are fasting before dawn to allow them to have a meal (suhoor). It works suddenly I hear movements downstairs in the apartment below me , not sure it is because of the sound has disturbed there sleep or that actually having suhoor . However regardless of whether you practice or not you will certainly here the drums before dawn each morning and shortly afterwards the morning call to prayer will sound. The drumming is from an old Ottoman tradition remember there were no alarm clocks in those times , moreover that it is again another historical traditional element that Istanbul manages to keep in this modern day upbringing.

Ramadan happens on a cycle each year, I learnt the start of the event happens 10 days earlier each year ,so next year it would be 10th August following year 2011 August 1st and so on. So the length of time each day can vary from year to year , with winter times having less hours of fasting each day yet summer months have longer fasting hours each day. In a lifetime you would expect to experience the short day and long day periods of fasting. But Ramadan is not all about food there are many  other purposes which Im sure has been written thoroughly from experienced sources , so I wont attempt to explain.

Being concerned and uneducated about this bothered me so the following day I was looking for answers at the food outlets and bars along the Bosphorus near home. With also the non-smoking ban introduced earlier in the month has caused much expected concerns amongst many bars and cafe’s , just like back in the UK I believe the impact will really kick in the winter months here . Most people enjoy sitting outside and on rooftop restaurants and cafes obviously for the fresh breezes and sunshine .Smoking and drinking cay is almost a classed has a past time here

  …Time for Cay and venture along the Bosphorus too see what more I can learn…

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Istanbul history along to Besiktas

Ortakoy walking with history along to Besiktas

Ortakoy is another place myself and Figen often go when she is not working and has not planned anything, she has a bad habit of planning things and forgetting . We often say to ourselves “probably the most disorganised couple in the world” we both have have a bad habit of leaving things to the last minute but what the heck we always make it. Ortakoy a place I like to go and mingle in the crowds of the small Bazaar ,sometimes taking a boat trip along the Bosphorus and look back at just how the skyline of Istanbul is unique. A blend of history and modern architecture works exceptionally well here unlike back in London where the modern towers and skyscrapers just do not work with the historical architecture unfortunately. Yet there are still places of history of great interest in London but its just not viewable at many street levels probably why they built the London Eye.

At Ortakoy after having one those delicious (Kumpir) Jacket Potatoes filled with delights and sauces and Figen always makes sure we get it from the Besiktas lads ,why because she supports Besiktas unlike me I have began to follow Fernabache . So after leaving this small port of the Bosphorus  we always head along to Besiktas and it is here I became curious of the stunning black and white portraits lined all along the road leading to Besiktas.

The portraits are of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk a former president of Turkey who died in 1938 but yet still today he is idolised by millions of Turkish people ,even the younger generation acknowledge his importance of modern day Turkey. Back in England I struggle to think of someone we idolised and is symbolic to us and can be found in our everyday thoughts and life. I look back at modern UK history and idols of importance are war related, the name Winston Churchill is a frequent thought of someone symbolic to the United Kingdom but I do not see the patriotic displays of his image throughout the UK aligned like I do here with Ataturk  . Modern idols in England to me the last was Lady Diana who presented an image of beauty yet destroyed by modern day demands on life.

The image of Ataturk found along this road to Besiktas is a reminder and appreciation for what he stood for and what he achieved , it is not for me to write and voice an opinion or try to educate  because I have no real understanding of what he did for individuals , but I know from talking with Figen perhaps today life may not be has free . I think the quote “Turkish Youth! Your first duty is to preserve and to defend Turkish Independence and the Turkish Republic forever” sums up why there is a very strong patriotic feeling of Turkish people.


SO MUCH TO WRITE ABOUT “CAY BREAK”…

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Istanbul : Is it rude to stare

Is it rude to stare and why I admire Turkish people.

Something I had to get used to was the long following stares , frequent daytime walks along the Bosphorus alone is where I first began to feel the eyes following me. I obviously have a something that attracts there attention a full arm sleeve Polynesian Tattoo ,it is not your normal goth or traditional tattoo . A completely hand drawn symbolic design by a friend back in England .Whilst it is nothing new here and if you venture into Taksim you will see a wide variety of tattooed people with bold designs . But take an afternoon stroll along the Bosphorus which is completely dominated by fishermen and men just enjoying the fresh air drinking cay and diving into the Bosphorus. It is where I began to understand there not staring in any detrimental way they are curious and I find many Turkish men are curious and often I hear cok cok guzel with a waving gesture towards my tattooed arm .


Also of Turkish people in general is the ability to get on with daily life regardless of the situations surrounding them. It is hard to believe that in 1999 this city was devastated by an earthquake ,destroying many people life’s and there welfare. But today there is nothing to indicate that a such an event had happened it is only by delving into recent history you find out what really happened. Having found this it makes me full admiration for the people in this city and being from the UK where life is pampered and almost laid on plate for you to take at will.


In my neighbourhood here in Tarabya , daily street life is always alive with children playing games ,young lads playing football, unlike back in the UK where most districts provide recreation grounds and all streets are line with pavements. Here no such luxuries are widespread , the streets once you are of the main roads are the playground for the young kids. In our neighbourhood there are two deaf teenagers , a girl and a boy , I often think of these young people and realize that a mobile phone, an Ipod which we all take for granted and must have now are just of no use to these two young deaf people.


The boy often greets me with a smile and gestures to me for a game of football I always obliged when I can ,his eyes beaming and face full of happiness regardless of the disability to exchange any talking . He always points to my tattoos and then gesturing that one day he will have one on his arm , he cant speak , he cant hear but he knows how to tell me what he wants .Strange two people from different countries but to him I am not a foreigner to him I may be different but Im not a foreigner . Has for his sister she is the boss often keeping an eye on the kids in the street guarding them from any mischief or dangers , she is not a woman you want mess with , I often see her gesturing and waving her arms to people , just because she is deaf and unable to speak does not mean she is disabled to live a daily life like the rest of us.


Throughout the day the street has numerous trucks turning up selling fresh vegetables and produce a man will walk in front or at the rear of the truck yelling out “domates, biber,patlican”tomatoes,green pepper,egg plant. A tradition that faded away back in England decades ago , but it reminds me of local communities supporting each other , real traditional values , real culture of earning a living not just being dormant in front of a computer all day , not getting ripped off by the large superstores ,feeding money back into the community. At some stage a man and a barrow will turn up yelling “ eskici” very loudly and distinctively collecting any scrap metals and broken goods , again this is his means of income pushing a barrow up and down hilly streets all day long . Would I see this in England the answer is no , even if people are penniless and complaining of a recession they would not contemplate this has a means of income due to the pampered life they all have become accustom to. You see Istanbul is not just a tourist haven for architecture it has a estimated population of 12 million or more and there are real people hard working people getting on with it everyday.

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Istanbul : 1000 people and one boat

1000 people and one boat to Princes Island

Has the title states I was in the midst of approximately 1000 people queuing up for a boat trip to one of the Princes Islands located in the shadows of the city Istanbul . Once again it is all new to me , standing there in a terminal with a 1000 people and no air conditioning ,again the armpits rear the heads again and temperatures start to rise . Impatiently waiting for the doors to open I am thinking what the heck I am doing , Figen is this real ? Yes !! .


Thats the way it is no point in complaining because no one is going to listen and what more do you want from a boat ride that cost a mere 3 ytl (£1.20) to one of the most eco friendly Islands . Yes that is right ECO friendly it is hard to believe but there are no motorcars, no Dolmus, just Horse and Carts or you can hire a bicycle to move around the Island for the day.


What really opened my eyes to this trip is here I am taking a boat trip from Kabatas which is about 1 and half hours for 3 ytl !! 3 ytl would get me about 100 yards back in England . Whilst it is not a 5 star comfort journey it gives you the chance to mix into the way of life here . I m sitting there and eyes are staring at me from a small group of lads in there early teens . Looking bewildered at me for many reasons one was I smoke rolling tobacco instead of tailored made cigarettes.These young lads looking bemused and curious and eager to talk or perhaps try one of my rolled cigarettes (Golden Virginia) . So I offered and one lad took the bait ,within in a few minutes he probably thought he was smoking some dried cay from the bottom of the teapot because he had that pale gaunt look of what the heck is that.


Like it or not football is a universal point of conversation and being from England you could see it bursting out of them wanting to talk about Chelsea or Manchester United but what about Gillingham I wanted to ask sarcastically but I did not so we had a brief conversation with the help of Figen about Ronaldo . However what I did enjoy is how they perceive England and wanting Turkey to join the EU so they have a better life which I think the motive lies in a better job and wage overseas .These young lads spent 10 hours a day making leather wallets for a living , I did not ask how much they earnt a month but i guess it was less than a 1000 ytl per month (£400) .


But regardless of there income or my income we are no different so they do not need to stare at me curiously, we are sitting on the same boat having paid the same amount and what I really like about this city and young turkish people is there fashion sense . I would say regardless of there income young turkish people make the effort to look casually smart in the current trends of fashion . It doesnt matter whether there G-STAR RAW t-shirt is a fake what matters it looks good and I love that everyone likes to wear Levi’s albeit 95% are fake but again they look the business and cost a third of what I would have paid back in England.

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Istanbul : Sir let me rip you off

Sir let me rip you off….

When I first visited Istanbul back in the summer of 2008 Figen took me to many places which I will write about in the near future. However one place sticks to my mind and now I have lost count of how many times I have visited the Grand Bazaar . I had no idea where Figen was taking me or what to expect , a bazaar back in England always related to me has an art fair of home made ornaments and garments that looked pretty on the day but stayed in the box in the garage when you got home . How wrong I was the Grand Bazaar located in a district full of Ottoman architecture is the perfect setting for this unique market and research tells me between 250,000 to 500,000 (half a million) people visit this place everyday obviously peaking during the tourist season during the summer.


Once inside you soon come across the vasts amount of gold jewellery all lit up and shining like a christmas tree .Has you venture deeper into the maze of shops and miniature outlets selling carpets,watches,clothes,home decor in the flavour of traditional turkish style you soon become stunned and blinded without being able to focus on anything you would consider buying . It is like a city inside a city there must be some 1500 stalls and thats not counting your street sellers with a pitch in the middle of a walkway selling dodgy t-shirts .


After a few more visits to this extraordinary place I began to distinguish the good stuff and the bad stuff. The place is full of fake garments , fake watches , just about anything that can be replicated you could find here. However there are good fakes to be found and really bad fakes has I was to learn , but I did not learn quickly but I learnt .


The selling method can be aggressive and to some extent insulting , many sellers try to coax you into there shops or stalls with really poor english . Has example I was confronted with this whilst admiring the many impressive fake watches Ive become besotted with. “Hello Sir how can I rip you off today ?” this guy was totally sincere there was no laughter in his voice he was genuinely trying to talk to me in english, I admire many of them for that but sometimes they get it so wrong and I just want to tell them so but for the fear of confrontation I dont . Moreover that Figen just cant hack it she just wants to stand there and tell them and off load her frustration of hearing poor interpreted english . I dont blame her but in these places the sellers are friends and you could end up dealing with 10 or 20 of them at once . At this point I often drag her off for some Cay (tea) or some dondurma (ice cream) finished off with a sigara.


I do understand the benefits of pressure selling in this type of environment and the sellers are not fools by a long way. They can spot me and a tourist from some 50 yards before you even get near there stall, we stand out like a sore thumbs , with our pasty looking sun factor 60 pale skin and our sun-burnt noses blistering from the previous days sunbathing . So what is my defense when entering a place like this , it is YOK SAGOL (“YOK SAL”) a local phrase of no thank you .This frequent quote I use normally 99% of the time causes a startled look and I often get the respect from then on and I can browse there stall without the constant selling banter.


It is easy to be offended by the constant agressiveness of these sellers but it is there livelihood ,it puts food on the table , it pays the rent , and lets them keep up with the ever changing demands of a modern Istanbul. If you walk around with a pair of bold sunglasses and wearing a t-shirt I LOVE TURKEY and wearing a white sun hat full of badges from places you have visited, you are an easy target for these guys. There not ruthless but often the pressure of constant sales banter can reel you in like a fish on the end of a line . It is not a frightening has many written guides may make out , however you have to be vigilant because like anywhere in the world there will be people who will the exploit criminal element.

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Istanbul : OMG what is that ?

OMG what is that ?

Oh my god the DOLMUS what an experience but have learnt I cant travel about without them . The Dolmus a small bus and basically you need to understand how the Dolmus network works and learn the etiquette of using this form of transport.

Has I soon learnt whilst standing up on the Dolmus or in fact any other bus transport strangers just hand you money (the fare) .When it first happened to me I look bewildered and totally not amused until Figen explained I have to hand it to the person in front of me who then in turn they forward it the bus driver then it reverses and the change if any comes back the same route. It is a very trusting situation once you understand and experience it.

The Dolmus can be a nightmare journey especially rush hour times and summer temperatures with body odours very apparent. You can feel the cramped situation getting worse has the journey goes through a busy area and before you know it you will end up with someones armpit rammed in your face. What i do admire is the admiration and consideration for elderly or pregnant women , it is polite and correct to offer your seat regardless of the conditions , however again I soon learnt certain women think it is there right to sit . You can spot these people a mile away , they approach you with a look of no respect , these people I just ignore and play on my English speaking language.

Another situation whilst travelling to Kabatas en route to Grand Bazaar , the bus which was a larger green bus (not a Dolmus) was very crowded I gave up my seat to a elderly gentlemen which did not amuse Figen at all but im english and polite. However some minutes later trying hang on without falling into the overcrowded gangway I accidentally lost my balance and my leg ended up rubbing a womans leg , totally unaware has i was concentrating on not falling over , her husband or relative abrubtly tapped me on the shoulder to move back or away . Now easily due to the cramped conditions I could have told him to papa oscar and told him to look at the situation before making a gesture. I didnt I look down at this 60 year old woman in a full headscarf dress and long coat and thought is he joking though now I look at it think he was being protective and many Turkish men are that way in fact are we not all protective of our loved ones. The experience was a lesson for me and gave me another understanding of the culture I was in and soon to live in.

The Dolmus is still to me a unique method of public transport you do not need to be at a bus stop and you do not need to specifically get off at a bus stop. To me that is just excellent , it is like being in London and waving down a black cab it is the same here for getting a Dolmus. Without the Dolmus I would be confined to more expensives means of public transport. Lastly travelling to Besiktas to catch a boat to Kadikoy on my own , i needed to get off so I stood up and said Durak Lutfen and wow thirty people turn to look at me. I was not sure if totally got my words wrong or if I suddenly developed a stutter nevertheless the bus stopped and calmly made my way to Iskelesi.

I think Figen enjoys watching me take on the new challenges of everyday life here in Istanbul, she often laughs at me and I often give her some crap excuse of why I got it wrong. But I know what she is doing and I know she is there if I do stumble beyond my capabilities. Istanbul is all about commuting and there are many ways to do it and it is all affordable and there is no reason to just stay at home .

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