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.