Unobstructed View

Not long ago, work took me to the main Istanbul City office. I had heard from my coworkers that the view from the office building's cafeteria was amazing - and they were right! It was a fantastic vantage point to see some of the mosques, the aqueduct, the Bosphorus and a large part of the central city.

One thing I've loved about working here is that most offices have a cafeteria and lunch is served to everyone free of charge. I love not having to worry about packing a lunch, or finding time to go out. But I also love sampling some of the local food and have gotten to know the server in our small office well enough that even though we don't speak the same language, he's figured out I don't eat meat - and always want smaller portions.

But the thing I like most is that everyone: from the head of the office, to the receptionist, to the cleaning crew all eat together. It breaks down walls in a unique way. It is a custom I think would work well in more places. Of course, it would be best if all office cafeterias' had a view like the one from the City office.

The project I'm working on Istanbul is still taking up all of my time - including my blog commenting time - I miss checking in with my blogging friends so I can't wait til life gets back to a somewhat normal schedule.

Death Cab for Cutie: Unobstructed View


Pin It

Friday Bliss

Are you as ready for Friday as I am? Even though we are working through the weekends right now, there is something about the arrival of Friday which makes me happy. What is your favorite way to unwind at the end of a long week? Do you like to go out on Fridays? Or do you like to spend them at home planning how you'll spend your weekend?

Lately Friday has been an evening for me to take a breath and catch up on a bit of entertainment from home, maybe one of my favorite TV shows, a book - or even just a bit of music. Is it possible my Friday night preferences are a sign of my age.

Just when I start to feel homesick, I'll walk by something like this, and remember our world is smaller that it used to be.

A song to carry you into the weekend, Fink: This is the Thing.

Pin It

Local Color

Spending so much time over the past 6 years traveling and exploring new countries has given me a greater love for color, pattern and design. As I walk through the streets I find myself seeking out those sites that are not only unique to the local but that showcase the color, pattern and texture of each city. India was so rich in this way that it sparked my interest in photography. Until I started spending large amounts of time there, I routinely said I was a terrible photographer and had given up trying. But in India I became determined to improve - I so badly wanted to create the kind of photos that would capture the amazing things I saw every day.


I still have so much to learn, but I love knowing that Istanbul is a city full of inspiration that will encourage me to keep trying.

What motivates you to keep creating - even when you aren't improving at the rate you thought/hoped you would?

I heard this song on a TV show last week and it drove me nuts until I tracked it down. I knew it was a cover, but for the life of me I couldn't remember who had released the original - maybe because the two sounded so very different, which for me is a sign of a great cover. Lissie with a cover of Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters." Pin It

Turkish Delight

I had heard of Turkish Delight before arriving here - but honestly I had no idea what it was. I've now learned it is a sweet gel made of starch and sugar. It comes in what seems to be endless varieties, some that I like more than others. My favorite so far is a variety filled with nuts and covered in dark chocolate (because let's be honest, pretty much everything involving dark chocolate, or chocolate of any kind, is delicious.)

You can buy it everywhere - the grocery store, the corner market and in sweet shops - I'm convinced the Turkish have a bit of a sweet tooth judging simply by the number of Turkish Delight and Baklava shops I see.

Since it is January, and like everyone else, I'm focussed on eating healthy, I'm avoiding making purchases as these shops. Wish me luck.

Have you tried Turkish Delight? Do you have a favorite variety or brand I should try (when I give up my January healthy ways?)

Just for fun, here's what I listened to while I wrote this post: Lykke Li, I Know Places.


Pin It

Ankara

A few weeks ago I spent a few days in Ankara, the national capitol of Turkey. I was there for work meetings so I had very little time to explore, but here are a few shots I managed to get. This first one was a winding street next to a restaurant where we stopped for lunch. It reminded me of streets in India and Nepal for some reason.

Dried fruit and nuts at a local market. I'm still trying to find time to visit the spice market here in Istanbul, I hear it is amazing.

This may be the best meal I've had here in Turkey yet - an amazing veggie plate. (Yes, Mom, your kid who hated vegetables has finally grown up.)

Looking up - I loved the grid lines and circles, with just a hint of the sky above.

I've been reading through the best of 2011 music lists and I've loved how much attention The Civil Wars is getting, one of my favorite discoveries this year, here's their  Poison & Wine.


Pin It

New Year's Decorations - Istanbul Style

In my normal life I live in the suburbs where opportunities for night photography are limited, but thanks to Kat and her frequent posts and tips on night photography, I've been looking for more opportunities to experiment. The short days that go along with this time of year - and living a little closer to Istanbul's center means I've had more opportunities than usual to test my skills. It is clear I still have a lot to learn, but I've enjoyed the process.

When the holiday lights and decorations started to go up here I was a bit confused. I knew Christmas wasn't widely celebrated so I couldn't figure out why there were holiday decorations everywhere we went. A few questions later I knew it was for the New Year's celebration - which over the years has adopted more and more of the customs that I typically think of belonging to Christmas.

Are you picking a word for the year? Setting some resolutions? I felt like picking a word for 2011 (present) worked well for me - it stayed in the back of my mind and guided my decisions and actions in a positive way. I wasn't even sure I was going to pick a word this year, and then last week as I was doing my daily round of blog reading I found my word - deliberate.

I'm an easy going person, which works well for me since work requires me to move frequently and to adapt to new places, cultures and projects. But it also means that I can get into the habit of letting life just flow along. This year I want to be more deliberate in my choice and see if I can guide my life in the direction I want it to go instead of just coasting along with life.

How about you? Have you picked a word? Set some resolutions?

Here's a little Death Cab, "The New Year."


Pin It

New Year's Eve 2012 - Istanbul

I celebrated the new year with part of my work family in Istanbul at a great restaurant with an incredible view of the Bosphorus. Two Australians, an Indian, a Brazilian, an American and a Swiss all celebrating together in Turkey, a great way to ring in the new year. We joked that looking through our photos this morning might make us feel like we were in the movie "The Hangover." Luckily it wasn't quite that bad.....

At the beginning of the night, nice and normal.

I hope you had as much fun celebrating as we did.

The song that played at midnight for us, that had us all singing along: The Black Eye Peas: The Time.

Pin It

Taksim Trolley

There is an amazing photo in the lobby of my hotel in Istanbul of the Taksim Trolley - I've even attempted to talk them into giving it to me (only half jokingly.) The photo appears to have been taken on a quiet morning with just a hint of fog, every time I walk past it, I feel myself stopping and wondering about the photographer and the mood he/she was in that day. My first glimpse of the trolley happened on a Saturday evening outing to Taksim. By the time we crossed paths with the trolley it was already dark - which made capturing a photo of something moving that much more difficult.

Every time it passed by I started snapping - at one point I think I stood on the middle of the tracks in a modified version of chicken trying to get a clear shot. I'm nowhere near capturing the mood and beauty of the photo in my hotel - which just gives me an excuse to keep trying.

Do you have a subject or photo you keep going back to in an attempt to make the result match your vision?

I hope you all have a wonderful New Year's this weekend. I'm looking forward to greeting the new year a few hours earlier this year - and discovering how it is celebrated in Istanbul.

I have to share a new discovery to my every growing list of bearded singer/songwriters, Robin Pecknold, here's his: "I'm Losing Myself."

Pin It

Street Food

I was raised in a small town - so street food wasn't really something I was familiar with - but now after living a few more places, I find I'm fascinated by the variety that pops up around the world. The simitci carts seem to be the most common in Istanbul so far. They remind me a bit of bagels, a round shaped bread, but these come with toasted sesame seeds, I'm guessing they are a food that is eaten at any time of day, because the carts can be seen throughout the day. I haven't tried them yet, have any of you?

The second most common cart I see around town is the one for roasted chestnuts - which given that I spent the month of December in Istanbul meant that every time I saw one the old Christmas song, "chestnuts roasting on an open fire...." popped into my head.

All of these photos were taken on a Saturday evening in the Beyoglu area - one of the most vibrant and fun parts of town.  We spent a couple of hours exploring the main street before going out to dinner.  Some were taken just after the sunset, and some quite late. If nothing else it gave me some much needed practice with night photography - and made me wish for a tripod, or at least steadier hands.

I haven't tried the chestnuts yet, either. I think I'm hesitant to give street food a try after a bad experience in India. I'm sure I'll work up the nerve soon. Do you love street food? Or are you a bit hesitant to give it a go for some reason?

Speaking of streets, it's been a while since I shared anything by Joshua Radin, here's his "Streetlight."

Pin It

A Glimpse of Istanbul

I had an amazing holiday weekend with my family - my only complaint is over already. I hope you had an equally wonderful weekend.  I'm rushing around today trying to fit in a day of work, packing and running a few errands as today is my last day home before I head back to Istanbul.

Work in Turkey has been manic, full of stress, long hours and no weekends. But I've tried to keep a camera with me at all times to capture a few shots here and then - mostly taken as I criss-cross the city for meetings with various groups or on a rare Saturday evening off.  Here are a couple of glimpses of the city I've captured on my way to meetings. I hope to start sharing more of Istanbul in the coming weeks, it is an incredible city - with something new each day to capture my interest.

The pigeons at Taksim Square.

The New Mosque, which just happens to have been built from 1597 to 1663.

A VW bug, found on a Sunday walk through my neighborhood.

In music news, I'm seriously loving the new Florence and the Machine album, have you had a chance to check it out yet? Here's their "Breaking Down."

Pin It