Turkish teenage zombies
Last weekend I was traveling from one side of Istanbul to another. That takes a few hours. I know the mainstream thing to do is to be armed with one of Steve Job's IPods for company, but for heaven sakes, I'm in Istanbul! If I just keep my eyes and ears open, entertainment will present itself.
Henry James said we should aspire to be "one of those on whom nothing is lost.” You can't very well do that with earbuds blaring. If you look around at bus passengers quite a few of them will have silenced the world deliberately with their earbuds. Yet, the average bus is full of people bursting with their stories. Somehow, I usually sit next to someone who tells me an interesting tale.
There was the pretty 17-year-old Turkish girl, dressed in a tutu, coming home from volunteering at Istanbul Fashion Week and dreaming of being "Carrie" in New York City. Then there was the Turkish man whose wife had left him. He told me all about the Russian woman he was in love with and showed me pictures of her and her friends. There was a young woman who served as a translator for her father's Turkish business. The parent in me easily imagined his pride hearing her describe how she translated for him as he pursued international contracts. There was a young architect wanting to try out his ideas about public spaces on a Westerner. A college student, inquiring where I was from, soon to interview with an American company for a work/study program and nervous about his English, gratefully accepting my offer of practice interview questions as we rode along our route. What is one CD of music on an IPod compared to this fascinating parade of my fellow human beings and their hopes and dreams?
Walking through the Metro last weekend, I was taken aback to see a young person with rivulets of blood running down his face coming right toward me. I drew back shocked. Then I saw another equally bloody. I realized this wasn't people who were actually injured. "Hey Zombies?" I called out, "are you Turkish? Can I take your picture?"
"Of course." Their whole contingent appeared, splattered in blood, dripping expertly-placed eyeballs and pieces of fake flesh. They stopped, posed, and were off. I wouldn't even have had my earbuds out had I been wearing them before they passed by. It is way more fun to keep my eyes, my ears, and my mind open to the city to see and hear the people, and zombies, out enjoying their weekend.
12 comments:
Great fun! You never know what you'll see when you keep your eyes and ears open. I love walking around new places. I was in Turkey myself last week, but in a small coastal town. No zombies, but a woman in bloomers pulling a cow on a rope through the street. Not as exciting as zombies though ;)
Miss Footloose, I followed your travels! I was hoping you'd make it up to Istanbul so we could tell each other's fortunes over Turkish coffee :-)
Now, that is something you just don't see in Istanbul every day! How fun and random! The city is always full of photography opportunities and stories. Thanks for sharing!
Joy, I agree. Istanbul is such a wonderfully photographable city!
I just came across your blog and I just love the way you look at being an empty nester. I am almost coming to an end of my first year of being an empty nester, and I agree that it opens doors to opportunity! You should check out my blog.
Hi Karen - I'm with you. I don't understand why people have to travel with their ears blocked listening to something rather enjoying their surroundings & interacting with people. And I love your Turkish teenage zombies picture!
Welcome to my blog Shirley! Keep coming back. Ricky, I'm saving TV and Ipods for when I'm over 80 and can't move.
Karen - if there was a 'Like' button to click on as on Facebook, then I would have clicked it several times for your last comment!
I 'm in my first week of empty nesting in so was taken with your title. I'll catch up with your older posts with pleasure, now that I don't have a 19 year old to run about after.
Hoşgeldiniz (welcome) Back to Bodrum! Congratulations on raising your child to age 19. I'm glad you're here and hope to see you again.
Especially so when you're in Istanbul. We get so much more from our visits here just by people watching - and observing and conversing, too. Never come across any zombies though!
I think we're all going to have to be more careful around zombies now given the recent news out of Miami! Geeez.
Post a Comment