Bayram Blah

The beginning of the Bayram holiday started yesterday to mark the end of Ramadan (here it's called Ramazan) but instead of participating in the revelry all I did was stay under a comforter and drink soup. The weather in Istanbul has officially gone from super great fun time to total bummer. Where are the cloudless sapphire skies and almost punishing sunshine of 2 weeks ago? Now it's rainy, drab, dreary, and cold.

There was a rather violent storm yesterday that had me a little freaked. It didn't help that I live on the top floor of a tall apartment building so not only did the wind sound more dramatic, but I had a clear view of the architectural jihad the storm inflicted on the surrounding buildings. After I saw that the wind had blown off one of our terrace roof tiles and rain water was somehow blowing through our closed windows, I ran around gathering all of our possessions and stuffing them back into suitcases ready to make a quick escape in case the roof of our apartment blew off.


Good-bye tile! Hope you blew away to a better place.


The storm had a different opinion on where the terrace furniture should be.



I was overreacting I know, but ever since the fire my panic button has been permanently switched to stand by. These days it takes very little for me to assume complete disaster is waiting just around the corner. Fortunately my friend Werner, who lives on the second floor, was home so I went down there to calm down and get my sense of reality back. He had just put on a pot of Turkish tea so after about 3 cups of it I felt jittery but in a good way. I returned to my apartment still intact and unpacked the suitcases.

But it wasn't all just mayhem and fear. I witnessed a couple really beautiful things during the storm as well. The storm started just as the mosque across the street was starting its midday prayers. As the wind was howling and the rain was beating down, about 100 men were outside in the courtyard, knelt over in prayer, withstanding the storm, until it their prayer time was over. Then they ran for anything with a roof. Wish I could be that devoted to something, willing to take a meteorological pummeling for a higher purpose.



The sky also put on quite a show later that evening as if to say, "Sorry for sending you into a panic Kho. Let these glowy clouds set you at ease." I'm glad to say it worked.

T.G.I.T.F.F: Midye Dolma!

This week I would like to share one of my favorite foods I have eaten in Istanbul, Midye Dolma (MEED-ye DOL-ma). It literally translates to "mussels stuffed", which are cooked, stuffed with a spiced rice pilaf and then flavored with fresh lemon juice just before you pop them into your mouth. While I'm not ready to proclaim it as my most favorite food EVER, it's very high up on the list. As a post drinking food, it's definitely above the Sweet Potato quesadillas at Earwax but below the Carne Asada tacos at La Pasadita (both Chicago references). A common street food, there is man standing pretty much on every street corner with a tray full of these bad boys. You can also get them at restaurants but often they end up just going to the closest seller on the street and bringing them back to you for a slightly higher price.







I have not seen this myself but was told you could see some of the sellers (or their brother/cousin) actually dive into the Bosphorus themselves to collect the mussels before taking them back to the women of the family to stuff for the following day's inventory. Pretty smart since all you have to spend money on is rice, spices, and lemon. The rest of the money they make is pure profit.

At first glance, it's intimidating and even a little scary to try them. Aside from the sheer number of people selling them, the food inspector is definitely not around checking each stand for health code violations. The description in one Lonely Planet guidebook claims them to be teeming with bacteria and that you should eat them at your own risk. I think that description is overly dramatic but there is definitely reason to pause before trying one on the Galata Bridge after it's been sitting out in the hot sun for who knows how long. And if there's one thing you do not want to eat, it's a bad mussel.

Luckily, after a night of much beer consumption, we were taken to a favorite stand by some of our Turkish friends (the best way to find anything here). This is common practice by Turks after a night of drinking. You gather round the tray as the man shucks the mussel for you. You then eat it and deposit the shells back onto the tray. You can also take them pack et (to go) but it's definitely more fun to eat them right then and there. And the man will keep shucking until you ask him to stop, even if you tell him a set number to begin with, because once you start, it's really hard to stop and he knows this. Our friend told us her record was 25 mussels in one sitting. For her brother it was 55. I don't recommend eating that many but can understand it. My record so far is 10. Exactly why they're so delicious is hard to describe, but its mixture of salty, (black pepper) spicy, savory rice with the mussel flavor is perfect after drinking beer. And the lemon juice gives them such a perfect refreshing finish that you're ready for another one as soon as you've swallowed the one you just had.



The place we were taken to is in the heart of Balik Pasarı, the fish market district of Beyoğlu, called Midyeçi. I think it's the best place in the city. They were a family that started out as just a stand on the street but because of the popularity of their mussels, were able to open up an entire restaurant. I love stories like that.



Kevin and I have eaten there a couple of times now and while all of their other food is excellent, my heart will always beat fastest for their Midye Dolma. I've also tried other stands, but somehow Midyeçi's flavor is the best and their mussels the freshest. And even though they are a full fledged restaurant now, they still know where their bread is buttered. The humble stand is still planted in front of the restaurant ready to receive devoted fans.


A hungry audience awaits


Their appetite is insatiable!

Their website is also pretty awesome but in a different kind of way (I don't know what stuffed mussels have to do with "Mississippi Queen" but I'm sure it's important). Just writing about them makes me want to run over there and eat 10 right now. In fact, I think I'll do just that. Yum!



Final ratings (based on my patented 5 ∆ system):
Cost: about .50 each
Taste: ∆∆∆∆∆
Texture:∆∆∆∆∆
Overall Experience: ∆∆∆∆∆
Future Potential: ∆∆∆∆∆

Tourist Guilt

Today my friend/neighbor Darrin and I walked all over Istanbul taking care of various errands and sightseeing, killing two birds with one stone. We both agreed we have been terrible tourists even though I have more hang ups about it than he does. Although I have seen many an amazing sight here, I still feel like I am being a lame traveler.

I know this is in part due to the fact that I'm not necessarily here to just "visit". I'm here to be with Kevin, here because I love to travel, and here because what else was I going to do? The fire left us homeless. We were very lucky to have amazing family and friends who let us stay with them, but crashing on people's couches a week at a time just leaves you feeling unsettled to say the least. So the irony is, even though Istanbul is this new exotic place, it also feels like home. And even though the apartment we're renting isn't ours forever, it's the first place in a while that we've been able to make our own. I feel less compelled to leave it.

With that said though, I do savor every new experience and adventure I have here. And today was really good. We started our excursion by heading to the Spice Bazaar across the Golden Horn in the Sultanahmet district so I could pick up some gifts. Normally I just walk there but Darrin suggested we take the Tünel train, one of the oldest underground subway systems in the world. Calling it a "subway" is rather generous since really it's a train car on a pulley that takes you one stop down the hill or back up it. And here I was walking that hill like a sucker all this time. It's pretty great. Once we got to the bottom of the hill, you can cross the bridge by walking it or taking the tram. Darrin showed me an even cooler way though, by going down along the water and taking one of the various "ferries" across the Golden Horn. "Ferry" is also a generous term since it's usually some guy's rowboat with a motor attached and little else. For the locals, it costs about 1.50 to ride. For us, 2.50. And that was only because Darrin had done this before and was able to talk him down from the original 10 lira EACH asking price. Oh to be a tourist.




Fun ride!

Once we got to the Spice Bazaar, I was pleasantly surprised to find everything I needed fairly quickly so we decided to head to the Grand Bazaar where we sort of meandered around doing our best not to make eye contact with the sellers. God forbid they mistake an eye twitch for a hello and then they're all over you, asking you where you're from, telling you you're their friend, how much they love you, and oh yes, please buy my rug/hookah/dish/scarf/belly dancing costume. Happily tourist season is winding down now and I think their pushiness is too. It was almost pleasant walking around its labyrinth-esque corridors.


The Spice Bazaar, smaller than the Grand Bazaar and much more fun.

After that we headed to Sultanahmet Square where the top tourist sights are. I'd already been there but it was still fun to go with someone new and I hadn't seen the Hippodrome obelisks yet. Needless to say, they are hilariously unkempt. They're old and important, but they are pretty disappointing to look at.
Exactly how I imagine meeting Bob Dylan today would be like.


The Serpentine Column that was topped by 3 entwined snake heads that were decapitated. Um, impressive.


The Column of Constantine, once covered in gold-plated bronze that was stolen by the Fourth Crusaders. Now it's just looks like a really old Jenga tower.


Mr. Dylan.

Afterwards we walked through the amazing Topkapi Palace gardens. It was so grand and peaceful and shut out the noise of the rest of the city. The Ottomans really knew how to keep their distance from their people.



It was nearing dinnertime by this point so we headed back to Beyoğlu for some çay (tea). There I saw some of my people, filming a scene at a bookstore turned cafe. I wasn't able to compare how the set was in comparison to American film & tv sets I've been on, but it seemed pretty much the same. A few people running around like mad with everyone else standing around scratching their asses.



There we decided it would more thrifty AND delicious to cook up our own fish that we got from the local market. The fish markets are excellent here with very fresh fish sold daily. Since they clean and fillet the fish for you, it's very easy to have a delicious fresh fish dinner at home. That and a friseé, parsley, beet, carrot salad pretty much capped off an awesome day. I think I'm too tired to feel tourist guilt now.

Mosque Madness

Here's the thing about visiting the mosques around here. Yes, they're beautiful, sacred, awe-inspiring, other worldly. Everything the guide books say.







But what they don't tell you? Since everyone has to remove their shoes before entering, it's a little stinky from all the ripe, sweaty, tourist feet. Especially in the warmer weather. Kind of takes away from the experience.





Also, not a fan of the clear delineated doctrine of mosque gender worship, men praying in the beautiful open prayer area under the lit candles and magical domes, women and children in the back, separated by wooden screens. P-U!

YouTube-less

The other day Kevin went online to watch the most recent video of Sarah Palin aka Hockey Pit bull with Lipstick. When he typed in "youtube.com", he was dismayed to find this page pop up instead:



Translated it means:
Access to this web site is banned by "TELEKOMÜNİKASYON İLETİŞİM BAŞKANLIĞI" according to the order of: Ankara 1. Sulh Ceza Mahkemesi, 05/05/2008 of 2008/402.

Upon further investigation we found out that the reason the Turkish government had enacted such a swift and resolute ban was due to some Greek person posting a video making fun of Ataturk and calling out his homosexuality (which may or may not be true). But even though some Turk shot back with a video accusing Greece for inventing homosexuality (burn!), Istanbul's prosecuter had had enough and ordered the site banned despite YouTube agreeing to take down the videos.

Mustafa Kemal 'Ataturk' (father of the Turks) was president of Turkey from 1923-1938. He transformed all things Ottoman into what modern Turkey is today from the language to the European calendar to requiring last names for all families. Until recently, anyone who spoke ill of him went to prison. So to accuse Ataturk of the love that dare not speak its name, well one can imagine how unhappy the government might be. But to ban YouTube entirely is something I just can't wrap my head around.

As a spoiled information junkie American, it was quite a slap in the face to be denied something that I take for granted almost as much as the air I breathe. From oohing over floating otters holding paws to tearing up over Barack Obama's Reverend Wright race speech , YouTube's presence has informed my daily life. And I nor anyone else should be denied such exposure no matter how questionable or extreme. And the clichéd silliness of this whole situation is almost a joke. A socially awkward Greek video nerd brought down YouTube in Turkey! And as much as the Turkish government was hoping to prevent people from seeing the illicit video, all I want to do now is see what that video was. Had they just let it alone, far fewer people would've cared what this video was about.

But what was ultimately most disappointing was how despite all of Istanbul's rapid modern growth, how comfortable I feel here, it's not home. Sure America is falling apart, our financial system is collapsing, civil rights are being rolled back hundreds of years. But you never question your right to deliver and receive honest points of view, however controversial or juvenile they might be. Not yet anyways.

One woman I spoke to about it hopes we do not judge Turkish people based on these actions of a few. She too is outraged by the censorship. But ultimately, the government is in control of the information and there is very little anyone can do about it. Of course, there are ways to get around the ban. It's just too bad that I have spend all this time sneaking around it just to watch MC Hammer's "Can't Touch This" video again.

T.G.I. (Turkey Food) F.

I have decided to devote Fridays to my Turkish adventures in food, my favorite part of getting to know a new country. It gives us all something delicious to look forward to!


Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

This week is dedicated to the Turkish ice cream, Dondurma, or Maraş, or whatever they call it. Different places seem to call it different things. I'm actually a little confused as to what the definitive name is. This article explains it further in depth. Basically it's an ice cream made of goat's milk, orchid root flour, and mastic resin and is sold in many flavors. On paper, it's kind of genius. The flour and resin help slow down the melting process which is good in a hot climate. They sell it everywhere but it's a bigger show in the more touristy parts of town, especially on the Istiklal Cadessi. You see these guys with long metal poles sort of churning the ice cream in their freezer to keep it soft. I think you have to pass a special test to wear the vest and the hat.





In practice though, I just don't know. I tried the "karamel" flavor and didn't really like it. The texture is SO CHEWY. It's like eating a weird combination of ice cream, saltwater taffy, and a gumball. It's disconcerting to have to bite into it and chew. Licking just results in these unsatisfying chewy strings of ice cream that don't quite make it into your mouth but just dangle there, taunting you. The actual flavor was also severely lacking in the kind of caramel taste I am used to.


I learn the hard way that my "lips only" strategy is the wrong way to eat this ice cream. Biting into it is a must.


Close up of the frustrating tendrils

But after reading the nutrition facts on it, I may have to try it again. It's actually great for the lactose intolerant cursed such as myself and has all these vitamins. Just marvel at all its hidden power. And the fact that I was able to spare Kevin and myself the usual dairy strife my bowels experience when I eat ice cream, I am downright grateful it exists at all.

Final ratings (based on my patented 5 ∆ system):
Taste: ∆∆
Texture:∆∆
Overall Experience: ∆∆∆
Future Potential: ∆∆∆∆

The Bargain Artist

I bought these sandals yesterday! After seeing hundreds of beautiful leather sandals grace the feet of Istanbul women everyday, my feel were itching to join their army of fashionable, well aerated toes. I really like the subtle detailing of the front with the supportive ankle strap in the back so I can navigate the insane hills of this city without screaming, "I'm Russell Crowe fighting at the Coliseum!"

But while I'm happy I bought them I am agonizing over the fact that I paid too much for them. I did talk the seller 15 lira down from his asking price but my starting price should have been much lower to begin with, at least half off. I know that price is merely a contract of faith and as long as I'm happy with my purchase that is what matters the most. But this is Istanbul, home of the Grand Bazaar, birthplace of the ART of bargaining! If you don't try to talk down the price, the sellers will all point and laugh at what a stupid American you are behind your back. This is the thing I fear the most.

So I gotta get better. I'm the worst kind of bargainer because I think I'm really good and then I'll be at home relishing in my spoils when I realize I've paid way too much. I was a disaster when I tried to buy my first car. I would go test drive a car and if the seller was nice enough, I'd try to buy it at full price even though I knew it was a lemon. It was like some out-of-body experience where I could see myself being an idiot but couldn't stop it. Because my instinct under pressure is to be nice, fair and trust that the seller has the same intent. Stupid instinct.

Some people are true artists when it comes to bargaining. I've seen them in action and they are not nice or fair. They are ruthless, firm, almost unscrupulous. But they are also very charming and likable, which is where their almost mystical virtuosity comes in. They smile as they push the knife in further and by the time they're done, the seller is thanking them for the privilege of bleeding. That's the kind of bargainer I hope to be by the time I leave Istanbul. Until then though, I will wear my sandals as a reminder that next time, even if I don't want to look like Russell Crowe, I gotta think like him, to go for blood. But in a subtler, more sophisticated way. And at least these sandals were cheaper than a car.

TRT TV Test Pattern

Beautiful, isn't it?

The Teleferik

It's how Kevin gets to school everyday. It only exists to cross Maçka Park and it's a VERY leisurely ride. But pretty fun. We were told it gets a little hairy in the winter when the wind picks up. Good luck Kevin. I will be walking then.

Grilled Meat Santa

Last night we hosted a farewell BBQ for our new friends and neighbors of 2 weeks, Cem and Buket (pronounced jem and boo-KETT). The plan started off as a low key dinner to thank them for all of their help and wonderful hospitality but in typical Turkish style, swelled into a big barbecue on our terrace with Cem leading the way. While I was mildly panicking over how to last minute shop for such a feast, Cem's friend Atila (like the Hun) appeared out of nowhere with a hookah pipe and a bag of chicken, some veggies and skewers. He was like a Grilled Meat Santa Claus. Kevin and I (wisely) chose to stay out of his way while he took over our kitchen preparing the food with his girlfriend. Then he disappeared for 2 hours before reemerging to man the grill while we and several hungry Germans waited.

Menu included:
Grilled Chicken (in a paprika, chili pepper, thyme rub)
Beğendi (100% YUM. Like baba ghanoush but 50x better)
Grilled Tomatoes, Onions, Peppers
Watermelon (the only thing I actually provided)
Plenty of Efes and Raki
Hazelnut Vodka!

The food was some of the best I've ever had. In my life. And I eat a lot. Other noteworthy hilarities included Kevin carrying out the "Body" Ikea light onto a 4' wide balcony, Cem stripping and jerry rigging some wires so we could actually plug the thing in, and the BBQ being a pit of fire that shot flames at us. I wish I could have taken pictures of these things but I was too busy stuffing my face!

the turkish take over our kitchen


the barbecue fairies


the hungry germans


the spread aka total deliciousness

(before)


(after)

the hookah (of course)


The Turks really know how to have a good time and their hospitality knows no bounds. I've met people for 5 seconds before they are offering me tea and 2 hour conversations. I am continually delighted and humbled by this fact. Last night yet again proved this.

the view from the terrace ain't half bad either...