"Remind me"

It's no secret that I'm a troubled sleeper. Even though it was 6:20 when I woke up this -well technically speaking last-morning, still no sign of tiredness. So, I put some music on; poured myself a glass of milk and decided to go through some of my favorite books. I took "Crime and Punishment" from the shelf and without any hesitation opened Part I, Chapter II to read my favoritre line;

"There are chance meetings with strangers that interest us from the first moment, before a word is spoken."

Then I wrote an email to S, who of all people would appreciate this very line most.

I guess it's time to go to bed now.

"And everywhere I go,
There's always something to remind me
Of another place and time
Where love that travelled far had found me"

Stockholms Filmfestival

Somewhere between ongoing discussions concerning kitchen countertops and tiles, C and I managed to have a brief conversation about Stockholm International Film Festival. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the Festival will take place between 18th and 29th November.

As a cinephile to the core, I do enjoy following international film festivals and getting excited about the new films of my favorite directors, and this year Stockholm Film Festival manages to bring quite a few them together. Without any doubt, Wes Anderson’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is on top my list. For those of us who are familiar with this marvelous story of Roald Dahl –the legendary author of Charlie and Chocolate Factory, Jack & the Beanstalk, Goldilocks, Snow White and Cinderalla to name the few- it will be a pleasure to watch Fantastic Mr. Fox through the camera of extraordinary Wes Anderson. 

Fantastic Mr. Fox is followed by lovely Lone Scherfig’s “An Education”, who is renowned for her “Italian for Beginners” and “Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself”. Latest films of Jim Jarmush and Francis Ford Coppola, both of which have bypassed Filmekimi, are definitely not to miss as well.

Most of us might have to wait until Istanbul Film Festival in order to be able to watch it, but the lucky ones can see Bahman Ghobadi’s “No One Knows about Persian Cats” during Stockholm Film Festival. Always witty and daring, Ghobadi portrays Tehran as a city with a vibrant underground indie rock scene.

In case you want to catch the screenings you've been longing for, hurry up as the tickets will be out tomorrow.

New kid in town

Lounge o2 –formerly known as Lounge 102 & Oxi-gen- cordially invites you to celebrate the birth of their first offspring on Saturday, the seventh of November at eight o’clock in Refresh the Venue, Maslak.
It has been announced that the couple will name their child “Urban Festival Istanbul”. I don’t want to sound like Gossip Girl but rumor has it that it was an arranged marriage between the two rather than love. However, it’s time to give credit to Lounge o2 and congratulate them for being able to get Nightmares on Wax perform in Istanbul for the first for this occasion. The beloved Brooklyn Funk Essentials, Kauran and Skeewiff will accompany the legendary British band on that particular Saturday. 

If you ask me, Urban Festival Istanbul will be a wonderful sibling for Chill-Out Festival who’s been feeling a little lonely, especially during winter.
Unfortunately, I won’t be able to attend this event as I will be singing along with Phoenix at Debaser, Stockholm the very same night. Though, wouldn’t miss the chance to see Nightmares on Wax on stage and meet the newborn if I would have been in town.

The Talented Ms. Bengtsson

It was sheer coincidence that we met. I was having coffee by myself in Moderna Museet’s restaurant when she was looking for a place to sit. Trying to carry a tray and several books in her arms, she seemed as if she could use some help. So, I decided to give her a hand; pull the empty chair opposite to mine and invited her to join me. Glad that I did; otherwise I wouldn’t be able to meet this talented pattern designer.

“Design for me is about communicating a certain feeling to other people” says Lisa, “The day I realized I could communicate that feeling through my own creative ability I decided I wanted to become a designer.” Lisa Bengtsson’s work does indeed communicate an array of feelings. Showing up on everything from wallpaper to plates and scarves, her designs decorate the lives of daydreamers and time travelers.

 

 

"Just a perfect day"

Who doesn’t love a fall like this – or höst as they say in Swedish- I thought to myself while I was walking to Skeppsholmen to see the “Dali Dali Featuring Francesco Vezzoli” exhibition at Moderna Museet. It was so beautiful outside that I couldn’t enter the museum right away. So, I took a walk; sat on one of the benches and read for a while; watched people walk their dogs, sit by themselves.

 

As of day one, Moderna Museet has always been one my favorite spots in town. Elegant yet humble; witty and refreshing, it is more than just another museum of modern art. Once I entered the museum, I welcomed by the smell of freshly brewed coffee from the espresso bar on the corner and the huge poster of the current exhibition.

“Dali Dali Featuring Francesco Vezzoli “brings together works of both artists who focused on the impact of (mass) media on society and culture in general. Though the way they experienced –hence the way they express- the power of advertising and consumerism differs in various ways, the exhibition highlights the common components of their work and plays with the concept of time. For those who might be interested in seeing such a blend, the exhibition can be visited until January, 17.

"Wallace: […] Tell me this, what do you think will happen to you when you die?
Dali: I myself do not belive in my death.
Wallace: You will not die?

Dali: No, no believe in general in death but in the death of Dali absolutely not.
Believe in my death becoming very – almost impossible."

The Mike Wallace Interniew, TV interview, 19 April 1958
ww.modernamuseet.se

"I shop therefore I am"

Staying in all Sunday, watching football and sleeping almost 11 hours -yes, I know, I couldn’t believe it either- I woke up feeling bright and shiny. After having coffee with C and sending him off to work, I found myself cleaning the apartment. It only occurred to me to stop -yes, I am a hygiene freak- when I realized it was almost noon and soon C was going to be pick me up for lunch.

After several unsuccessful attempts to find a parking place, which is always a challenge in Stockholm, we found a semi-legal one and went to a cozy Italian restaurant in Gamla Stan. Since I wasn’t the one who had to drive back to work, I had the luxury of having a glass of red wine with my insalata caprese. As I was already in the neighborhood, I decided to have coffee with an old friend, HGE. It was March when I first met him. He sort of saved my life – I was staying put out in the cold amazed by the window display of his gallery- from freezing to death by opening the door and inviting me in. Having coffee and chocolates from Chokladfabriken, we talked about his upcoming exhibitions and visits to Istanbul.

The euphoria of not being in the office on a Monday combined with the joy provided by red wine, coffee and chocolate put me in the perfect mood for shopping. So, I decided to have a look at some of my favorite shops. I started with Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair and Tjalamalla which happen to be conveniently located next to each other. Paying a visit to Grandpa and managing to control the urge to buy yet another dress, I called it a day and head off to the Nespresso boutique on Biblioteksgatan to get some capsules. However, passing by Urban Outfitters, I couldn’t help going in to have a look. From Permanent Vacation to Luella and Silence + Noise, Urban Outfitters Stockholm definitely brought together a fine selection of fall collections.

 

  

  

Later on as I was having a drink at East, I thought about Barbara Kruger's well-known work and wished that S was there with me. 

 

Conveniently lovable

“You’re not taking it seriously” said C in disbelief on Saturday evening as he watched me get dressed and fix my makeup. It’s neither our relationship nor my career he was talking about. It’s the cold. A short sleeved cardigan over my jumper, leggings, and knee high boots? Trying not to think of the newspaper headlines about the extreme cold waves approaching we saw earlier, I took my trench coat and was ready to head off to the Kings of Convenience concert at Nalen.

Consisting of multiple stages and a bar, Nalen offers good music and a cozy atmosphere to its guests. As we were waiting in the queue to get into the main hall, I looked around and couldn’t help thinking of Paradiso. Two different cities, two different places, a nice and easygoing crowd of the same kind. Music is universal indeed.

Somewhere between the coat check hassle and ice cold Heinekens, it was time for the conveniently lovable Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambæk Bøe. Even though both C and I were not familiar with their latest album –which was still yet to be released by then- we got carried away with the refreshing tunes of “Boat Behind”. Then it was a blend of flashing lights in different colors in a Sureyya Opera House like interior , the sound of the double bass, Erlend dancing on stage and the amazing cover of Lesley Gore’s “It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to”. The boys were very talkative, incredibly charming and funny on the stage. So, they’re definitely invited to my imaginary dinner party along with Beirut and Vampire Weekend. 

 

Favorite week of October

The memories are still fresh. Chelsea on the Rocks, Opening Party at Ghetto, a furious S in her fancy blazer by Banu Bora, too many vodka tonics followed by a massive food poisoning –thanks to the pear & blue cheese salad I had at Urban. But when it comes to film festivals, I’ll take Filmekimi every time.

Filmekimi has always been a great opportunity to see festival favorites, latest masterpieces and international award winners. Even though I am a little disappointed by this year’s selection -blame it on London and Venice Film Festivals for raising the bar- I already have my shortlist of six films. It’s just that I was looking forward to see Tom Ford’s “A Single Man”, Jim Jarmush’s “Limits of Control” and Bahman Ghobadi’s “No One Knows about Persian Cats”.

For those cinephiles who do not want to miss the latest films of Allen, Haneke and Loach, Filmekimi tickets will be available as of October 3.

Rush of Nostalgia

It all started on Saturday when I was walking through the artures of Yüksel Arslan at santralistanbul. Tracing what has influenced his way of thinking and inspired his work, Arslan’s ever-most comprehensive retrospective exhibition made me recall people and places that have influenced me for better and worse.

Looking at his work, especially Arture Rature (1964) and Arture 175 – Circulation of the Capital (1974) which by the way should be an essential to every macroeconomics class being taught -, I couldn’t help but think of our high school days. Luckily, I had the perfect company to share my feelings of nostalgia over several bottles of wine at Tamirane.

Though, I was a fool to think that I could leave those feelings behind on the table with the check and the tip. I was grocery shopping on Monday when I saw them on the shelves; first tangerines of the season. Call me a weirdo, but they always make me remember my childhood, the time we spent in Ankara and my grandma. So, peeling one and being completely sentimental, I made myself comfortable on the sofa later that night and turned on the TV. There it was; The English Patient, not only one of my all time favorite movies, but also the movie C took me on our first date. 

Watching it for the zillionth time, I couldn’t help but think that in love there are no boundaries indeed. So, I guess it’s about time that I take that plane.

Legendary Mr. Pamuk

I’m not talking about the one with the Nobel Prize, not that he’s not legendary as well. The one I’m talking about is an Al Pacino look-alike photograph guru who owns a shop in Sirkeci. If you’re interested in photography or just in meeting interesting people, you should definitely pay a visit to Pamuk Ticaret.

It was late March when I met first him, right after I came back from Stockholm with a Holga 120 CFN. Sahabettin Pamuk not only provided me with an excellent variety of medium format films – you name it, he has it- but also taught me some new and exciting techniques to try with my new camera. It didn’t take me long to figure out the real reason why I was always saying “No, thank you. I’ll just stop by to take them” whenever Mr. Pamuk offered to have my pictures delivered once they’re developed. It’s the conversation I have with him and his lovely wife over the cup of tea they always offer.

My good, old neighborhood

My whole family being out of town, this time I didn’t get my share of the holiday spirit. No gifts to shop, no carrot cake for holiday breakfast to bake and no relatives to visit; hence, no need to rush. So, I decided to spend some quality time in the city. And when it comes to that, there is nothing better than good, old Cihangir.

Friday, dinner at Demeti with beloved friends. Listening to Ayten Alpman, while chatting with Demet Hanim –the owner- who’s again being nothing but her lovely self. It’s always a pleasure to dine at Demeti, not only because of the view and delicious food, but also because of the atmosphere that accompanies them. This time we’re having two bottles of Efe – one of each color-, grilled octopus, shrimp casserole on special recipe and sea bass en papilotte to name a few.  Despite all the raki I had, I managed to notice the refreshing touch in the décor; a new antique liquor cabinet and matching serving cart. Happy to see semolina return to the menu, we couldn’t pass on desert and called it a night with semolina, chocolate soufflé and coffee.

Saturday, breakfast at Cuppa with the newly weds. My favorite international couple just returned from their beautiful wedding in Sicily and they’ve been so kind to meet me for breakfast. Their wedding pictures and videos totally outshined Cuppa’s breakfast, even though everything was yummy to say the least.

Sunday, happy hour at Baykuş. After a two and a half hours visit to Antrepo 3 –accompanied by Holga this time- and walk through Galata and Istiklal Street, I could finally invest some time in my latest love affair; the one with Haruki Murakami and his latest novel, Norwegian Wood.

Walking back home, I’ve been thinking about S’ theory of Galata becoming the new Cihangir. Well, even though I tend to agree with her most of the time, I might have to skip on this one. As I said before, there’s nothing like the good, old Cihangir with its furry, little inhabiters. 

Pipedreams

Rushing out of the office sharp at 17:00 on Tuesday, I headed to Antrepo 3. After collecting my 11B Unlimited and Biennial Guide, I was ready to enter the world assembled by What, How and For Whom/WHW. As I only had less than 2 hours –the venue closes at 19:00- , I knew that it was going to be a prescreening this time. However, I didn’t know that I was going to be introduced to the works of an extraordinary social documentary photographer.

Being a graduate of International Relations and International Political Economy, I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard and read about the Baku–Tiblisi-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline. Being the second longest pipeline in the world after Druzhba, BTC created a huge turmoil not only in the region but also in the global arena. Yet, the discussions I was involved never went beyond the political and socioeconomic effects of the project. Rena Effendi on the other hand, followed 1,700 km oil pipeline through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey for 6 years and collected stories. Stories of people who have been neglected, who have been experiencing the invisible effects of the project on their daily routines, hopes and dreams...

“What I witnessed in this journey is that initial promises and expectations of trickle-down wealth still remain unfulfilled. This is simply the game of power…”
Rena Effendi - http://corporate.gettyimages.com/

 “Pipedreams: A Chronicle of Lives along the Oil Pipeline” is a compilation of Rena’s work of six years. As opposed to the media coverage of the BTC Oil Pipeline, the photographs reflect the cold, naked and disturbing truth in the most aesthetic way possible. In case you’re interested in energy politics, do your self a favour and pay a visit to Antrepo 3. I guarantee you that this Baku born photographer will provide you with a different point of view.

 

All photographs are from http://corporate.gettyimages.com/

What are you having for lunch?

Despite the ridiculous amount of money you pay for the
salad you have for lunch, working in Nisantasi has it
benefits. Daily visits to Topshop & Beymen Blender,
coffee breaks at Caffé Nero and being able to see S
almost anytime of the day are to name a few. Yesterday 
instead of having lunch, I went to see the Maksut
Aşkar's "Art 4 Appetite" Exhibition at Gallery 44A. 
Founded in January 2009, the Gallery has been housing
Works of both Turkish and international artist, and 
supporting emerging artists as well.

Redefining the food/drink culture, Maksut Askar makes
one think -rather out of the box- about the concept of
eating and food. I might have skipped lunch in order to
be able to see Askar's exhibition; however, I got the
opportunity to paint my own dish -using actual food
puree- and taste the other visitors' as well. So, I
decided to make use of the sun finally shining and painted
"Sunny Monday Stew, with beet salad and mint sauce".

In case you want to have some food for thought as well,
the exhibition will be open until September 20.

Who is your rock star crush?

All those teenage years I never had a crush on any kind of celebrity. Maybe it was because I was way too preoccupied having a crush on C, whose sheer existence made it impossible for me to breathe when I was 16. It took me more than a decade to catch up with my friends and have a crush on someone famous. Apart from the considerably short fling I had with Wentworth Miller aka David Scofield, Alex Turner is my first rock star crush.

 The vocalist and lead guitarist as well as main songwriter for Arctic Monkeys and The Last Shadow Puppets, Alex Turner has been on the stage, on the screen and in the magazines since 2002. I’ve been repeatedly listening to “I Bet You Look Good on the Dance floor” and “My Mistakes were made for you” while googling him. Seeing him in flesh and blood –from a distance of course- didn’t help my situation either. Having the coolest stage outfit – a grey t-shirt combined with a black biker jacket-, adorable hair, the most charming accent and modest manners, this Monkey is definitely something to die for.

Ex East-Londoner Alex has followed his longtime girlfriend Alexa Chung to NYC and killed my hopes and dreams of running into him on a rainy Sunday afternoon in Brick Lane. Well, at least my rock star crush is happily coupled with my style crush.

"Look outside the raincoats coming, say oh"

It hasn’t been long since C and I were singing along with Vampire Weekend in our ridiculous rain ponchos at Way Out West, in Gothenburg. Even though I’m not a fan of my hair getting wet, I enjoyed the rain, the mud –a festival fashion must have- and the smell of fall in the air. Walking down the streets of Sofo on a Tuesday evening, I realized how much I missed feeling chilly and wearing a scarf. C, who is already accustomed to Swedish weather, on the other hand heavily protested both my scarf –well, it was his actually- and rubber boots.

Coming back to Istanbul, I started to complain about the everlasting heat and repeatedly talked about how I missed my leggings, even more about how I longed for having a glass of Malbec instead of yet another pint of cold Efes. And then suddenly there it was. First it was the blanket I cuddled up with while sleeping, then the trench coat I wore walking to the office, and finally it was the 11th International Istanbul Biennial along with various exhibition openings including Micheal Craig-Martin in Galerist. I welcomed the new season in the city with open arms.

Those who know me also know that September marks the beginning of my favorite time of year in Istanbul. While reading the legendary September issue of British Vogue and preparing myself for the new season, I always get excited about the upcoming events. This year it starts with the 11th International Istanbul Biennial, followed by Filmekimi, Phonem by Miller and finally Contemporary Istanbul. Luckily, I have S –bff- to share my seasonal euphoria. Being organization freaks of the same kind, we’ve already planned exhibitions to visit, films to watch, places to be seen and parties to attend. Tickets, invitations and accreditations in hand, we’re more than ready to make a good start to fall.