Donovan

"They were pushing a lot to try and score and we had to take some risks. Our guys at the back did a great job. I got the ball, gave it to Jozy and made a run. The ball came to me and time kind of stopped and I couldn't miss from there." -Landon Donovan.

Read the rest here.

Beach Blanket Backgammon

Outings: #2

For as long as I can remember the beach has been my nemesis. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy enough popular seaside activities to write a pretty decent e-harmony ad, but for my entire life no amount of SPF has proved sufficient to keep me from turning crimson by the end of the day.

Well yesterday when we visited Şile on our second summer outing I was resolved to bury the hatchet and try to make amends with with my old foe. Unfortunately the proverbial burning coals were heaped upon my head (and back, chest, legs, and tops of feet) as I am now the most sunburnt I have been in my life (and yes Mom, I put on sunblock... a lot of it).

Well even though almost every exposed skin cell is now crying out to me in pain, I can confidently say it was worth it. The beach was incredible. I love the Black Sea and being tossed about by its waves. I even love basking in the Anatolian sun. And I especially love how the beach imports new significance to activities I already loved, whether it be conversing with friends, playing frisbee and tavla, or reading a good book.

Pictures coming soon.

Akşam

This night as I was walking home I thought the evening sky was especially epic. Sadly my modest camera doesn't quite do it justice. Regardless, the cool breeze after a long, sweaty day was very soothing to my soul. It was one of those moments where thankfulness and contentment converge into a peace completely irrespective of circumstance.

Remodeling

For the first time in over three years I updated this blog's design. It was a difficult decision, but I realized that I was in danger of being that person who, having grown weary of keeping up with the times, settles on some archaic image... something like that creepy neighbor with sideburns or one earring.

Well the decision has turned into a bit of a Pandora's box as I've already used three different templates in the last 24 hours. Input and criticism would be appreciated.

Outings: #1

This summer the Dernek I work for is sponsoring a different outing every weekend. This weekend we went to Chora Church, which is considered one of the finest surviving Byzantine churches, and a cafe where the famed French novelist Pierre Loti once lived.

Of course I had to take a picture of my namesake.

The view of the Golden Horn from Pierre Loti.

The Museum of Innocence

Currently I am reading Orhan Pamuk's latest novel The Museum of Innocence. The following exert is a brilliant example of the poignancy of Pamuk's turn of phrase- even in translation.

"At times like this what matters is not our words but our demeanor, not the magnitude or elegance of our grief but the degree to which we can express fellowship with those around us. I sometimes think that our love of cigarettes owes nothing to the nicotine, and everything to their ability to fill the meaningless void and offer an easy way of feeling as if we are doing something purposeful. My father, my brother, and I each took a cigarettes from the packets of Maltepes offered to us by the elder son of the deceased, and once they were all lit with the same burning match that the teenager artfully offered us, there followed a strange moment when all three of us crossed out legs and set about puffing in unison, as if enacting a ritual of transcendental importance."

Gallery Opening

"Art is limitation. The essence of every picture is its frame."

- G.K. Chesterton

This last weekend my friend Brittany had a gallery opening displaying photos she has shot around Istanbul over the past year. I was quite impressed with her aesthetic vision, especially her reinterpretations of the iconic symbols of the city, as well as finding beauty and redemption in unexpected places.

Daedalus and Honey Nut Chex

Istanbul is an amazing city where you can get practically anything... with the exception of my beloved breakfast-cereal Honey Nut Chex. To make matter worse, all of the breakfast cereals available here (Corn Flakes, Cocoa Puffs) are glutenous. As a result the food group that used to represent the majority of my diet has simply disappeared, leaving a gaping whole in the areas of expedient breakfast and late night snack.

Needless to say, I was incredibly thankful that my friend Julie was kind enough to find room for a few boxes in her suitcase during a recent visit to the good ole U.S. of A, as after seven weeks without breakfast cereal I was starting to go through withdrawals.

However, yesterday morning when I opened up the box expecting to have some delicious breakfast I discovered that I'm not the only one who loves Chex in Istanbul.

Yep. Those black pixilated specks are ants, who with the ingenuity of Daedalus managed to weave their way inside my carefully sealed bag.

It's a good thing that ants float in milk.

The Tallest Man On Earth

I like this song.