We Are In The Grandstand

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So sad to say we could not make the cut after unbelievable Euro run! In October we tried for the final 2-matches and the scores realized like these:

Oct 10~ Belgium vs Turkey: 2 - 0

Oct 14~ Turkey vs Armenia: 2 - 0

The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the first time in history that an African country hosts the competition. South Africa will be after beating out other African countries like Egypt and Morocco. Therefore for four weeks next year South Africa will be the centre of the world. It's too frustrating and hard to believe that a team demonstrating such high-quality games was disqualified from WC 2010: oh my country's, Turkish team!

Seen in the last standings table above, Spain stays perfect in the qualifiers and goes into the South Africa as one of my favorites.

Other than Spain as qualified teams?

Well. Speaking about Europe, they are:

Denmark (Gr 1)
Switzerland (Gr 2)
Slovakia (Gr 3)
Germany (Gr 4)
Spain (Gr 5)
England (Gr 6)
Serbia (Gr 7)
Italy (Gr 8)
Netherlands (Gr 9)

Even though the results will be impossible to predict the only thing I could say is that there will be excitement and chaos in the biggest tournament in football.

Nothing more to reportage after today, at least for our team. You know where you can find us:

Tribündeyiz.

L'acqua I Humanity I Gladness

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Built in neo-Byzantine style in Germany,


Decorated with gorgeous gold-mosaics the dome's interior,


Constructed in 1898 autumn,


Placed in the entrance of old Hippodrome (Sultanahmet Square) of Istanbul in 1900.

This beautiful fountain stood at eight marble columns with the octagonal dome was the gift from the German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II (1859 - 1941) to Sultan Abdulhamid II (1842 - 1918) who was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and the City Istanbul.

The German Fountain
(or as we call Alman Çeşmesi in turkish)

was a gratitude remembrance
for his Istanbul visit to Ottoman Sultan.

I can not think of any best present eternally dedicated in the world of humanity: a fountain.

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You can reach to more articles of this week's Corner View theme that's about our only drink 'water' at Dana's {Lumignano: Home Base}

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PS- Enjoy my photos as they are clickable for a larger size.

Green-Chic Ideas Cost Up To $2

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A very good summation of eco-and-green-chic ideas for our homes! I've been a fan of his work!

Danny Seo, green style guru and also author of the Simply Green book series shows us how to create one-of-a-kind items out of things you might consider disposable. So far so good. His blog is also worth to bookmark. I think you will be fascinated to see how his ideas helping recreate the green chicness at our homes:

You can find new purpose for mismatched dinnerware sets in the form of a tiered serving tray for hors d'oeuvres or desserts, or use as a catch-all jewelery, keys and other small knicknacks. But how?

1-Gather three plates and two cups.
2-Alternating between plates of descending size, using teacups as spacers between the tiers, glue the dishes together with a strong epoxy.
3-Allow the glue to dry overnight.

Cost ~$2 and here what you'll have: Tiered Tray



You can turn those winter scarves collecting dust in the back of your closet into one-of-a-kind blankets. But how?

1-Pair up six or seven scarves with complementary colors and a variety of textures.
2-Cut them to equal length and sew together, edge to edge. For extra warmth, you can sew on a fabric backing in a similar shade.

Cost ~$0 and here what you'll have: Scarf Quilt



You can melt down the dregs burned-out candles to make new ones in old flowerpots. But how?

1-Scrub the inside of the pot only, leaving the outside aged.
2-Use a coin to cover the drainage hole in.
3-Insert a ready-made stiff cotton wick, or make your own wick out of cotton twine. To hold the wick upright, tie one end loosely to a pencil laid across the top of the pot.
4-Melt chunks of old candles in a pot set over a low flame or in a double boiler. Pour the liquid wax into the flowerpots.
5-Let set overnight and then trim the wick.

Cost ~$2 and here what you'll have: Rustic Candles



Examples like these are quite valuable. Being a part of healthy eco-green system means that you will save today for a greener future, for a beautiful future. It made me happy to apply above three this past Sunday, I liked the ideas very much. You'll also never regret the time you put into it. Note that you can find other useful great ideas on eco-chic ideas

Access To The Digital Marketing

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Ads from the 30's to 63's Turkey, depicting the distant past... check out these ads published across the country:





top 4:

} cuff-link,
} first Turkish commercial Ziraat Bank,
} Turkish lemon cologne -if you visit a Turkish house the first thing you are offered cologne and candy,
} came Anadol -industry producing the first Turkish automobile,

and, Harley-Davidson motorbikes arrived in 1936 in Turkey!


below 4:

} Coca cola,
} British Harrison footwear knit-machine,
} flour for the kids,
} gasworks for public health





Moi(me) and about three other people got to talk early this morning about design thinking, industry, power of visual thinking, marketing in digital age and messages to the experience.

I love experiencing this stuff because I spend most of my time thinking on screen. Being able to observe, to be understandable, connect strategies, be a visual thinker and have enough ability to evaluate that all seem to be the skills most people are striving in today's marketing world.

I am wondering.. We are wondering what visions of the future being made today will be true in 2025... Whether we will see another access different than digital?

My House With A Rainbow

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I have been noticing a rainbow in the nature lately!

XXX

XXX

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October looks like a vase of gorgeous flowers, pumpkins that making their orange debut, vintage things like changing leaves... As I was touring around the home yesterday I realized there were certainly much more but these flowers stood out for me and my camera.

An old Chinese proverb says that ''Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand''. Thinking refers to ''show me''. And that makes a bridge between (my)telling and (your)understanding. So will you let me understand you and your thoughts about my question:

Do you have any idea why I published this post? In other words, what message I wanted to give?

Extending The Life Of A Strawberry

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it has flowers that look like blueberry flowers..

it has red globose fruits that look like round strawberries..

but I talk about something different than strawberry that we knew..

Maybe you could ask me what's that strawberry talking right now in autumn?




Olmaz demeyin, oluyor. Ben de yeni öğrendim!

Yes, we can talk about it!

Because of its fruits, it is called Strawberry Tree; but not produces strawberry of course! As you see in my photos, they are .75 in (=2 cm) large, edible, velvet touch of a surface and pretty nice red colored.

It's native to Ireland, southern Europe like France, and the western Mediterranean countries like Turkey, Greece, Lebanon. You think, it does best in hot climates, with cool, wet winters and also mild, dry summers. It grows in rocky and well-drained soils. However, it doesn't do as well in continental climates with hot, humid summers and cold winters.

With its little pinkish flowers, this pretty reddish fruits through its shiny greenery, strawberry tree is now blooming and fruiting in these days of autumn! When I was visiting my aunt in her village Gönen, I could not leave them on the trees but picked, and brought a big bag of freshly picked strawberries to the home in Istanbul. Then photographed. It was my first time to meet such an interesting fruit:)

In turkish language, we call it Yaban dağ çileği, Davulga, or Kocayemiş as most of the locals do. In some places of the country people used to call Ayı yemişi (English: Bear fruit) because the bears like it very much, so named like that, so funny:)

Let's go some botanical?

Comes from Ericaceae family, having a scientific name of Arbutus Unedo. Botany lovers can read more about it here. The Latin "un edo" that means "I eat only once" Does not mean that this fruit has an awfull taste, but lacks the acidity and fragrant flesh that would make it very popular and be seen in the markets ever so often.

I have to say I enjoyed this fruit, ate more than once, many many I forgot to count... and they are delicious.

I still eat strawberries in autumn,
how about you?

God, Give Us More Light

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This time of year, when the sky has been too cloudy, crazy rainy and the trees have just begun to show a way to winter, my hands holding a warm cup of coffee and a red cashmere shawl on my shoulders,

...we need light to see our way around.


Click on the photo to brighten up your place if you need light:)

~one of the Istanbul's
most bright and bustling attractions;
Egyptian Bazaar
with lamps, candles and colorful dancing lights~

That's Amore

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Dig up your heart and sow the seeds of future today itself, because what you sow now, so shall you reap later.


I recently had the honor to attend two day extravaganza nuptials of my cousin Deha. The two families and ~200 guests from different parts of the country, together, share the experience. We were then down to the cocktail place where champagne and hors d'oeuvres were served. The highlight of the evening for me was the Henna Party, and the traditional music and songs that the bride's family hosted.

With fireworks exploding overhead, we dined and danced in celebration of the love for my cousin Deha (groom) and Gökçe (bride), for a wedding that I will never forget.

simple l elegance l love

Attention!

You might read more l-o-v-e related stories because today is again Corner View at Jane's

Sunday Wrap Up

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Coming

together
is

a

beginning.

marcella; could not resist buying lots of Istanbul postcards and several guidebooks from the street sellers. loved my accessories like earring and necklaces. luisa; less-concentrated one in the group because she was the youngest one, so very keen on her beauty and physical aspect. paola; from the very first minute meeting each other, she loved me very much, and chatted too long as if we were old friends from the past. antonio; a wonderfully talented cool photographer. busy with details taking with his Nikon. i liked the color of his tee-shirt, a glaring purple. michele; eaten, eaten, eaten full up but not satisfied about the delicious turkish food! bought turkish delights in boxes:)

lawyer, academic employee, gynecologist, student, high school teacher as their professions.

In short, these so friendly, warm-hearted, 'cheerful' people come together from the Southern Italy; la regione Puglia. Their intention was to live and feel Istanbul. Marcella, Luisa, Antonio, Paola, Michele,... totally it was a group of 10 ppl in the group, if you don't count me and dear friend of mine, Mario, our guide but lives here.

Fabulous vistas, delicious turkish food...

This past Sunday we had a lovely time together touring and rediscovering the City, and our guests were too.

... if keeping together, a progress then learning together should be a success. Truth be told, we learnt together. "Too much" success is done for our Pugliese guests.

In Istanbul.

More soon.

Name Of The Season: Turkey

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...115 m of the foot bathed in red, and 209 m of the top in white...


Standing at 324 metres in tall, one of the global landmarks in the world, the Eiffel Tower sparkles for Turkey!

As a part of the ongoing "Turkish Season" events in France, the Eiffel Tower was lit up with the colors of the Turkish flag red and white for 5-days began from Monday, Oct 5.

Breathtaking view of sparkling can be watched in this video*:




Amazing illumination will be ended up by tomorrow Sunday night, Oct 11th. Turkish Season (Turkish: Türkiye Mevsimi) will last through next March 2010 with various activities around the country if/when you happen into France for any reason.

Worth to mention.

The exhibition "De Byzance A Istanbul / From Byzantium to Istanbul: The Port of Two Continents" opens today at the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais, and will stay open for three months, until 25 Jan 2010. Interested in seeing the programme in full? Click here

While nine-month Turkish Season makes easier the culturally understanding and bringing people closer, I appreciate France's this gesture, a bearer of peace and friendship with all.



(*) Video comes from one of our tv channels, holds the related news, speaks in turkish.

The Language Of Gönen Women

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If I am asked what's the souvenir(s) from your corner, I think I would leave that question with no exact reply!


Because Turkey is a non-stop experience filled with exciting and uniqueness in its every corner. Along every street, down every lane, you would surely encounter Turkey's living and breathing cultural experience like no other in any land, or indeed in the world.

With the arrival of cooler temperatures, as it's known autumn is the perfect time to discover Turkey's great outdoors. Where to go, where.... I knew where I head to.


So I was in for a "screamingly" good time in a town called Gönen, located in the southern part of Marmara Region; let me say it's a district of Balikesir province. This town is famous for hot springs, leather processing and rice production. During my short trip I paid to visit my aunt, I was especially in love with its fantastic green side of the town and also all natural beauties, hearty smiles, sincere hospitality and undying optimisim:







Oh one fact that I understood very good: how much I enjoyed the village life! Besides the upcoming stories from my trip, that I think each chapter would be an interesting valued as a souvenir:) so I thought I shall talk about a bit "real" souvenir of this very lovely town:

Now.

This village of about 20,000 people, famous also for handmade needlelaces decked with gorgeous scarfs in flamboyant colours. Here are the most beautiful examples of "oya" in the headscarves that is decorated with layers of oya:


The history of this decorative edging called as Turkish lace is to date back as far as the 8th century B.C. to the Phyrgians of Anatolia. Some sources say that needlework spread from 12th century Anatolia to Greece and from there via Italy to Europe.

Traditions in this region are quite interesting!

Young women, new brides and maidens traditionally convey their loves -either hopeful or hopeless-, their expectations, their good intentions, their happiness or unhappiness, their sensations, and their incompatibility with their husbands to those around of them through the "oya" they wear. In the Marmara region inc Gönen village and Aegean regions, floral oya is phenomenon in and itself. Every flower symbolizes a different meaning. For example,...

*brides choose roses, carnations, jasmine, violets, daffodils, hyacinths, chrysanthemums and fuchsia in their oya.

*girls engaged to marry the man they like to wear oya of pink hyacinths and almond blossoms.

*if a woman bound to red pepper oya, it is a sign that her relationship with her husband was as spicy as red hot pepper.


For more Corner View "souvenir" as this week theme can be found at Jane's Spain Daily. You would also enjoy glimpses of life in this great Mediterranean country like me!

My World Is Not So Lonely

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Be it your first time, or any Xth time. It does not matter.

Maybe you had a sleepless evening flight. It does not matter.

If it is Istanbul, nothing beats the excitement and the adrenaline rush as you drop your suitcases at the hotel, freshen up and then hit, hit, hit the ground running! Simply rush, rush, rush to do the 'obligatory' sights in the historical peninsula of the city and its greatest monuments like t h e m:

faithful guardsmen, piegons, in front of:
the New Mosque

fresh supply of world's all varieties of spices and herbs
in the City's (second big market):
Egyptian Bazaar

priceless beautiful gift of the Kaiser Wilhelm
to the Ottoman Sultan:
the Fountain of Wilhelm II (installed in 1898)

impatient walking around the heart of civil activities
as well as gathering place of the people
during the Byzantine Era:
ancient Hippodrome (built in 203)

curious eyes wanting to see
the oldest monument in the City,
and has always been considered magical:
the Obelisque of Theodosius I (in 390)

Justinian's great project, a prominent place of
in the history of art and architecture,
the 4th largest church building in the world today,
one of the world's eight wonders:
Haghia Sophia (537 AD)

It is early October. You could think that it's almost the official end of tourism season? No. Not yet for Istanbul.

Most lunch breaks, I try to take a couple minutes to walk around seeing what's going on. I noticed certain patterns of people hanging outside of the coffee shops, eating foods in the squares. It was also fun to pick out things that have been in front of me for quite a while, yet took irregular days to notice. Yes, summer is back:) So I thought it was worth pointing out.

Many tourists were enjoying this period of sunny, very warm weather autumn wandering the town seen above. Of course, famous Istanbul cats are also having pleasant time to sunbathing;)

Hope you like the Indian Summer Look in Istanbul through my lens.