#EnSonNeOkudun What are you reading lately?

If one stays in a country long enough as an expat, it's easy to see places where one could contribute.

Turkey recently had its 90th anniversary and it got me to thinking about Turkish reading culture as Turkey approaches its centennial as a Republic. Reading culture here is still a flame in need of kindling, simply because of the incredibly interesting history of the Turkish language.

Turkey used to have an alphabet that looked like Arabic script. It was hard to read because it wasn't consistent, and it contained many loan words from Arabic, Persian, and French. Often court language and the language in the hinterlands wasn't the same.

Atatürk reformed the Turkish language by adopting the Latin alphabet. Think about what a gigantic change that was for Turkish people to absorb! And that was just one of the reforms he was undertaking at the time. When the Republic was formed, only 10% of the population was literate (it was an empire, after all).

I often tell my friends Atatürk and his generation changed the language so people could learn to read, the next generation did exactly that, and now the third generation's job is to learn to love to read.

I meet Turkish "reading role models" everywhere. As a librarian, I nurture, support, and help create reading communities. I thought that Turkey and the Turkish language needed a Twitter hash tag like the English-language one that celebrates reading culture called #Fridayreads. To use a Turkish hash tag that suggested #Fridayreads had religious connotations, so after another false start I finally settled on #EnSonNeOkudun.

I know people will be enthusiastic about something they just read and share it with this hashtag 24/7. But, because Friday is one of the heaviest volume days on Twitter, our beginning community of readers will concentrate their reading celebration all on one day, Friday, every week. Someone looking for a good read for the weekend is sure to find one. Weekly rituals become just that, rituals!

I hope to create conversations about books, blogs, magazine and newspaper articles and help readers discover reading culture and just plain help people find great things to read. People tweeting using this hashtag won't be only using Turkish because there's a sizeable population of Turks reading in multiple languages. Plus, there's a whole expat community in Turkey who also wants to get in on the fun. They'll be tweeting in their native languages.

One of my very favorite things about the idea is that it brings people together, rather than polarizes them. Turkish folks could use some of that right now.

I have messaged friends and my tweeps I've never even met "Can you help me launch #ensonneokudun? Let's celebrate Turkish reading culture - tweet your read each Friday in Turkish or English. Thank you."

The response has been so touching. People say things like, "What can I do to help? Thanks for asking me to participate. I will ask my friends to do it too." Truly, it makes me tear up. I think the phrase "what can I do to help?" maybe even more of a set of magic words than please and thank you.  It's fun to build something together with people.

So I ask you, Turks and the Turkophile community: #EnSonNeOkudun? What are you reading lately?

A Gift to the Future

The Sidewalk Along

Barbaros Boulevard in Istanbul

 

One of the pleasures of my daily life in Istanbul is this sidewalk. Every time I walk on it, I am filled with gratitude for the thoughtful planner and builders who created it. The width of it seems extraordinarily luxurious in a crowded city.

 

Trees were planted long ago by people who would never get to experience them grown the way I do everyday when I walk under them. These people created a gift to the future.

 

I always ask myself when I am walking here, "did I plant a gift to the future today?"

 

 

 

 

 

You might also enjoy these other posts with amazing walks:

 

It's Tulip Time at Istanbul's Emirgan Park

 

Topkapi Palace, Part One: Would This Environment Keep You Conquering?

 

The Best View in Cadenet, France is now Free to All

 

I Needed Some Cash in My New Neighborhood

 

 



Looking back at Cihangir in Gratitude Not to Be There

A very loud construction site

home to a new hotel

Too loud for me!

Last year, I moved to the neighborhood of Cihangir from the western part of Istanbul. I was very excited to live in a culturally vibrant neighborhood known for its cafes and hipsters. I made it all of a month-and-a-half before moving out of there.

 

It was so loud and dusty! I used to live down the street from that minaret, which seemed like a great location at the time, because it was so close to public transportation and the Bosphorus. Maybe someday it will be. For now, it has this gigantic multi-year construction project going on in the neighborhood. Plus, additional noise coming from Erasmus students coming home from a night of revelry at all hours of the night. Gosh, I'm glad I don't live there anymore. My new place has been a source of constant peace and joy.

An afternoon of nargile at Cırağan Palace Kempinski

 My friend Barb and I had planned to meet a bunch of friends in Istanbul's Yıldız Park for a fitness challenge this weekend. Unfortunately, none of them showed up! We lost our motivation to explore the park. "Let's go across the street to the fumoir in the Cırağan Palace and I'll teach you to smoke nargile," I said. So we did.

First, we wanted to explore the palace.

A view of the Palm Court

from the Grand Staircase.

Imaginative use of glass

creates an aesthetically-pleasing

 foyer within the grand stairwell.

The glass chandelier was unlit

but we could imagine its warm glow.

Cırağan Palace Kempinski artwork

of ladies like us

enjoying the Bosphorus

back in the day.

A view of the Bosphorus

from the Sultan's balcony.

The hospitable and lovely Barçak

at the Hendrick's gin cart

Nargile pipes at rest

The eye-catching array of nargile water pipes

and the pots of fruit flavors

waiting for us to choose.

I suggested apple flavoring

because it is most popular.

Our drinks arrived

and rested on cloth coasters.

They were served alongside Mediterranean treats

of olives, hazelnuts, and cashews.

An Istanbul still life!

The drinks were so quenching!

A refreshing slice of cucumber

set off a glittering gin and tonic.

The drink on the right was gin
infused with rose flavoring.
It was called the Sebestian Vettel
(named for a famous Formula 1 driver).
We selected it from the part of the beverage menu
that showcased drinks
celebrities chose when they stayed there.

Barb said Hendrick's gin was especially known for the

herbaceousness of its flavor.

Naruttin primed the coals

and showed us where the flavoring

went in the pipe.

I'm always struck how by deeply

nargile staff breathe in the smoke.

They prime the pump

by getting the coals burning.

Barb about to try her first puff.

Each smoker uses a disposable tip

that they remove every time they pass the pipe.

It is the yellow part at the top of the pipe.

Barb's first puff of nargile.

Not a bad spot for a relaxing

afternoon conversation.

The expat life!

With typical American attitudes about smoking (we're both against it and find it unattractive), neither of us thought we'd ever try nargile. Yet living in Istanbul makes one appreciate the joy of slowing down, breathing deep, and engaging in conversation with a fellow human being in an unhurried, almost meditative manner.

 

I like this tradition better than the American tradition of staring at a screen in a sports bar and not talking to each other much. Sharing nargile seems very intimate and close. Besides, it was fun to watch the staff set up for a wedding happening later that night under the palms.

 

You May Also Enjoy:

 

Dinner on the Bosphorus at the Çırağan Palace Kempinski's Bosphorus Grill

 

My first Hammam in Istanbul at the Çirağan Palace Kempinski Hotel, Part One

 

Part Two of My First Istanbul Hammam Adventure at Çirağan Palace Kempinski Hotel  

Yıldız Park Bridal Beauty

An exquisitely dressed bride

smiles on her way to her photo shoot

Every weekend in Yıldız Park in Beşiktaş, brides come to have their photos taken amidst the greenery of the park. It is so fun to see the variety of head coverings and dresses. This bride's beauty stopped me cold.

Istanbul finds out today if it will host the 2020 Olympics

Istanbul's promotional video

for the 2020 Olympics

Today the citizens of Turkey find out if their Olympic bid for the 2020 Olympics will be awarded to them. I wish all Turkish citizens "Iyi şanslar!" on their bid. Turkey would be the first Muslim country to ever be awarded the Olympic Games. As a country with a young, growing population, it would be a terrific fit. Yes, there would be all kinds of problems to be solved, such as smooth traffic flow, but I believe Turkey is up to the task!

Five Minutes of Magic

I saw the man first.
He was in a long royal purple tunic with white pants.
A cult member, surely, I thought.

Then I rounded the corner
and saw another man in the same dress.
Ha! A cult convention.

Then I came up against the limits of my knowledge.
It couldn't be a cult.
There were so many of them.
Not just men. Whole families.
And so many beautiful women.

 

 Her sandals.

Those "I Dream of Jeannie" sandals!

 

Happy.
Joyous.
Crackling with energy.

I laughed at myself, recognizing my own American parochialness.
Don't we always compare new information to our old information?
I understood instantly these were a people I had never seen or met before.

One

exquisitely dressed woman

after another

poured out of the hotel.

"Where are you from?" I asked.
"Pakistan, he said. "We are here for a wedding."

The island of Jamaica

sent spectacular sunshine.

"Are you from Pakistan too?"
I asked a gorgeous young woman
dressed differently than the others.
"No, I'm from Jamaica." she said.

"Of course you are!" I thought,
marveling at Istanbul's constant ability
to make the ordinary encounter extraordinary.
I'm sure Jamaicans at Pakistani weddings are a common sight,
don't you think?

Do they have ring bearers

at Pakistani weddings?

I wondered.

A tween

in all of her finery.

I'll picture these lovely people

when I read a story about Pakistan

in the future.

 

I'll picture this little girl

in all of her bracelets

and veils.

The beautiful Pakistani women

blew me kisses

from the bus

as they left.

 

I hope they had a wonderful time.

The Woman in White

Twilight beckons on the Bosphorus

But the Woman in White is unmoved.

Dinner on the Bosphorus at the Çırağan Palace Kempinski's Bosphorus Grill

I love experiences that heighten the senses. It was with great anticipation that I accepted an invitation to dine at the Çırağan Palace Kempinski's Bosphorus Grill. It's not everyday that one is invited to dine where sultans did, in an Ottoman palace setting, no less.

Earlier this year, I had had my first hammam in Istanbul at the Çırağan Palace Kempinski. Knowing the excellence that the Kempinski Hotel group brought to the operation of their properties, I knew that dinner at the Çırağan Palace Kempinski would be just as divine.

Outside the actual palace,

the gates for arriving water craft

gave a hint of the Bosphorus beauty to come.

Spectacular flowers

greet guests on entry to the hotel:

roses, orchids, lilies, and my favorite:

hydrangeas

I glanced up above the reception desk

to appreciate for a moment

the way one would arrive

at the Çırağan Palace

back in Ottoman times.

 The stately Laledan restaurant

where the weekly Sunday brunch is held.

I would pass through Laledan on my way to the

outdoor Bosphorus grill.

Every inch of the grounds

contribute to relaxing guests.

 

Palm trees and salvia create a

destination entrance

to the Bosphorus Grill.

My hostesses:

Lara and Ciler,

two dynamic young professional

Turkish women who are

superb stewards of the hotel's legacy.

 Lara and Ciler

recommended we try

a Turkish wine from

Bozcadda Island.

 

Corvus Corvus

came from

a high-tech boutique winery

started by an Istanbul architect

and his wife.

They had left everything

to move to the island

and had begun to make wine.

 How romantic.

Children would love the Bosphorus Grill

because the boats come extra close

to see the Palace and the property.

Sezai Erdoğan

is the first Turkish

Executive Chef

at Çırağan Palace Kempinski

in Istanbul,

a pioneering achievement.

Aferin!

 

He is in charge of all the restaurant

and banquet kitchens

within the hotel.

 

Soon after Chef Erdoğan

came by to wish us a good meal,

 Mother Nature added to the evening's enjoyment

by rolling in a mighty thunderstorm

 from the Black Sea:

The storm was so much fun to experience!

The storm came quickly

from the Black Sea,

changed the skies over the Bosphorus

and poured down rain,

and just as quickly,

moved on to the Marmara Sea

at the other end of the Bosphorus.

When the rain stopped,

we went to the banquet area to peek

at what was on offer.

Turkey has extraordinary fruits

during the summer season,

especially Adana watermelon,

fresh melons, apricots, and pears.

 

Notice too, the large Medjool dates

which are

traditionally used to break

a Ramazan fast

due to the amount of sweet, filling, flesh

found in a single date.

That's important for those who have been fasting

since before sunrise.

Eating one date immediately

upon the end of a day's fast

removes the edge of hunger.

 There was a beautiful salad bar.

I resisted.

When in Turkey,

why have salad,

when Turkish chefs

prepare sumptuous mezes

to offer a bit of this and a bit of that?

Oh, and here they are.

Choices upon choices.

Green chicken curry with bamboo shoot

and cashew nut

Sautéed oyster mushrooms with fresh herbs

Grilled baby fennel with carrots

Ratatouille with basil

My final selection of mezes.

Believe me, it was hard to choose.

Looking at the bottom left,

have you even seen smoked salmon and strawberries

paired like that?

That was an idea new to me -

and what a delicious combination.

It was Smoked salmon and avocado salad

with strawberry and balsamic sauce.

 

An eggplant meze up front

because Turkish chefs

know how to make eggplant sing.

This was a Soya marinated,

baked eggplant salad with and fried onions.

 

Fennel comfit with root vegetables,

cinnamon, and star anise

because somehow the Europeans have kept the secret

of how delicious fennel is to themselves.

America has yet to discover fennel

in a big way.

 

Purslane salad with yogurt, garlic and peanuts

(not only is it a delicious salad green,

purslane is a very healthy super food),

also sweet potato salad

 with beef bacon and fresh herbs.

 

Potatoes gratin with truffles -

what satisfying comfort food.

 

The star of the plate was that tiny oven-roasted pear

with ricotta cheese and balsamic dressing.

Wow, it was fantastic.

 After our meze course,

we went back to the grill.

There were roasted lambs and chickens

and vegetables.

Chef d'parti Ibrahim Ünalan demonstrated

how he puts the naan on the side of the oven wall

with his naan mitt -

a detail kids would love

to watch performed

while they peer into the naan oven.

I had never seen this before.

So this is how naan is cooked!

There were so many meats

to choose from for a custom grill.

I choose two delicate lamb chops.

It was a hard choice, because the

pistachio-marinated beef tenderloin

also called out to me.

For those who preferred fish for their grill course,

there was mackerel, and salmon, and prawns

and many other fresh, top-quality choices.

Beef tenderloin

I can get back home,

but lamb done Ottoman-style

is not so easily found

in America.

I made the right choice!

 

 

Our final selection of the evening

was dessert.

What choices!

 Chef Ibrahim shows off

five different kinds of

homemade baklava.

 I think I'll have to try one

 of those small chocolate mousses

in the bottom right corner.

More tortes, cakes, and puddings.

Homemade mango sorbet

accompanied with chocolate mousse

and seasonal summer fruits.

What a beautiful finish to

a lovely dinner

at Çırağan Palace Kempinski's

Bosphorus Grill.

 

To see the entire menu

and price list,

click here.

 

 

 

You may also be interested in:

 

My first Hammam at the Çırağan Palace Kempinski Hotel, Part One

 

My first Hammam at the Çırağan Palace Kempenski Hotel, Part Two

 

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