almost perfect day

Almost Perfect Day means having coffee at the Kumquat and discovering cool jewelry in Ortakoy and going back to Yesim's for snacks and drinks; the terrace and us in sarongs, the breathtaking view of the Bosphorus under afternoon and evening ligthing, respectively.

to myself

i have an urge to run but i'm walking
and somebody said walk don't run

Headphones: A Draft

Sharing headphones is not an easy task.
You've got to want to listen to the same kind of music.
You've got to prefer the volume at the same certain level.
Your share of music coming through the headphones has to satisfy you; missing, at times, the lead vocals.
Your body movements have to be in tune. So that, when you're standing in the corner of the classroom and dancing to the Beatles, your half of the headphones should stay fixed in your ear while you make sure you're not pulling out your best friend's half.

My best friend through high school was Sena. I met her in primary school, when we both were 7. Primary school is the place that you think you have left far behind, but is so close that you fail to recognize. I always like to think I assembled my parts in high school, or changed my ways drastically in college years, but I'm wrong: I'm scared of arguing with women, because I subconsciously fear they are going to attack me or pull my ears. I'll sing in front of so many people and yet no one will understand how nervous I am. Life without Sena is just not right. It's basically primary school.
I'm scared of arguing with women, because our primary school teacher was this middle-aged, disciplinary-minded lady, who pulled our ears and gave us looks like lightnings flashing in our brains. Even my dad had his share of her dress-downs. She had never been married.
The singing in front of so many people and not looking nervous comes from primary school as well, as every music class I had assumed the duty of going up and performing songs selected from national charts and world charts, oldies and Eurovision pieces.
Sena and I were like two sticks walking around, usually bent with incessant laughter.

this lady stands right next to my refrigerator, and i see her every morning and every evening, always so embedded in thoughts. the painter is sena basoz, my lifelong friend. 

kirik

Bir insan gittigi zaman hep onunla ilgili kücük anilari düsünürüm. kücük, komik anlari. ve onlar birden kücük, kirik anlar olurlar. hepsinin biraraya toplamaya calisirim. bazen teker teker, bazen üstüste gözümün önünden geciririm. sonra da ya gülümserim, ya da gözlerim dolar. sonra birakirim, kalir öyle.

ben harper

time to ask for ben's help to put it into black and white:
yes indeed i'm alone again

well there's the rest of the song as well but i don't know how that applies to me, as i don't know how i feel, nor what to say.
but it goes like,
and here comes emptiness crashing in
it's either love or hate i can't find in between
cos i've been with witches and i've been with a queen

it wouldn't have worked out anyway
so now it's just another lonely day-
seems like the right thing to say.

yesim

she came on the 21st and we first met on friday at the modern art museum (sorry i was unmistakably late). the view was spectacular that day when we were having lunch. i still can't get over the color of the sky. we shared a creme brulee which was really nice. the artworks were notable too. i loved what Louise Bourgeois did with those vintage-looking fabrics, understandable, considering how much time i spend with fabrics. and Ghada Amer: she made me realize what i had forgotten; how art can get through to that secret little crevice in you and drop a bomb of colors and threads and images.
saturday night we were at taps, we met harvey, they drank beer, we danced a little. sunday was karin's christmas brunch and yesim came with me. karin provided an awful lot of food, which we consumed in a wintery feeling of indulgence and happiness.
wednesday night we went to derin's parents' christmas party (yeah the oreo truffles). thursday we met at bebek, had breakfast and headed for markiz for tea and cake (my apple pie was not that significant but her chocolate cake melted into perfection). thursday night she packed and we watched her pack, and we also went through lots of almonds, chocolate, diet coke and cookies. so much for consumption though.
so this trip was satisfactory in terms of spending quality time together and getting things done (if gaining weight has ever been a to-do list item). i can even go ahead and say it was as good as our ankara and ayvalik trips. except that i haven't really travelled -but small distances covered within istanbul can be as fun sometimes. especially with someone with a foreigner's eye to point at the different and beautiful aspects of the city we usually take for granted, and also, with someone as nice and cool as yesim.