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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