Series, audiobooks and blogs

Besides the fact work is it its peak of boring season, I am forced to browse internet basically nine hours a day - highlight of yesterday certainly happened to be the Season 10 of Project Runway, to which I have a slight addiction. "I must stay true to my own point of view"-times are back! I even discovered Dallas of 2012 made it to whole season, so it may (might, so far I have seen first ten minutes) fulfill some of my evenings as well. Right, addictive big time! 

Walking to work - I daily walk about one hour, as I find it being the only training thought I still didn't manage to subscribe for any gym, mostly due to money-wise approach for now - I have started my next audiobook. This time it felt more up-to-date for me than ever: Sister Carrie of T. Dreiser moves to Chicago and seeks for a job, has to struggle even though she knows she is used to better standards and dreams about a bright future. What does that reminds me of? Hah, lovin' when any piece of art reminds me of myself. Will see where will Carrie end up. Could Dreiser become my Woody Allen no.2? Any idea on good audiobook after this one?

Besides books, audiobook, some TV (right, BBC is the only one I can watch in here so far), at work I read a lot online. This post was supposed to be dedicated primarily to fashion blogs that I personally like or fallow or from time to time get an inspiration from. So just few hints:

• Certainly inspiring teenager with a slight suicidal fashion style is Tavi Gevinson. Besides fashion, she inspires by whole visual concept of vintage middle-class American meets Lollita meets rally of witches. I admire her talent to capture usual, adding old style plastic momentum.

• Eccentric Bryan Boy - following rather high fashion, he has his point of view as well, able to inspire and pick what is chick in that world. 

• I don't really read much of what Carrie posts in her blog Wish Wish, Wish, but her vintage inspired fashion and pictures she makes are grazing for eyes. Very French/UK!

• And being in Istanbul, I need to mention also Burcu and her blog Istanbul fashion addict. I don't particularly admire her own fashion or clothing style - as it often reminds just of any Turkish mall's creation. I mention her rather to point out Istanbul has its bloggers as well, although I would welcome much more Turkish influences and Istanbulian tips from her. But so far, I haven't found any other in English. Will seek more...

moodboard - Istanbul I.

Vintage Istanbul

During last weekend I visited several places around Cihangir - pretty bohemian quarter of Istanbul with a lot of internationals, where I could finally hear mostly English (note: will have to hang around there much more!). 

My classy heart full of 40s, 50s and 60s emotions that would love to owe a nostalgia shop, just as Gil Pender, was flitting. Even overpriced old  craps (as one of my Turkish friends named it) those shops of Cihangir offer, they are eyes pleasing and next time, i certainly need to spend there more time, possibly money and (note no.:2!) to bring a good camera.

Yeah, vintage! I just wanna become a Bond's girl of Istanbul... will look for aqua turtleneck, I already have some Russian features anyway.

So what is vintage in my new house? Unfortunately, nothing yet. But I plan and want. Besides cardboard box of my new fridge that became a temporary coffee table, noting more hipster-ish. Need to progress in relations, need to progress at work, need to progress in my wardrobe and in my flat-decoration. Credit caaaard, where are you when I need you?! I know where - waiting for a working permit to be issued by Ankara's I-donno-whom. Oh, if those people know how much I need it now... 

Vintage, will be posting about it certainly much more!

How to settle down in Istanbul

One of houses in Princesses Islands

… hmmm, if I have known, I would create a seminar about it. But so far, I am just learning. Though, I can give some tips.

• check out visa, residence permit and possibly working permit options. As law for foreigners changed recently, it is possible to apply (firstly) for a year lasting touristic visa, which enable you to travel abroad even though you have no resident permit. That option will give you time to apply for all permits you need. Whole procedure is pretty much time consuming and frustrating. My company fixed all that so I can't say much about each step, unfortunately (fortunately for me).
• find a flat, best way through hurriyetemlak or sahibden. 
• decide on districts where you would like to live as first. But even a trendy district doesn't guarantee a nice location - every street is different, literally. Usually, nice districts in European side, not far from metro are Nisantasi (more expensive), Sisli - Ferikoy, maybe Mecidiyekoy, Fulya (pretty hilly), some streets of spooky Harbyie, noisy and full-of-life Taksim, student-full and cozy district of Cihangir, and one a bit far from metro Besiktas - I might have spelled them wrongly, sorry. But there are many more obviously.
• decide on a size and positioning. Istanbul has mostly big flats that are older. And smaller places aren't that usual, thus kinda new and more expensive. Count with it!. Similarly, there are many places offered, which are so called zemin floor: in my perception, pure wet basement. To my opinion, avoid them not to catch a mold or something.
• you will need quite a cash at the beginning as EMLAKs, local real estate agencies, charge you to pay one month rent extra just to them. I literally hated that idea but you might be lucky as I was: through Hurriyetemlak.tr I found a flat promoted directly by owner, so I didn't need to pay that ugly contribution to their fluffy offices. (Most of Emlak promoters were simply too mean and unhelpful that I would be willing to give them a kurus.) Similarly, one month rent is a standard payment for a deposit.

One of Istanbul's poor districts but to me,
still somehow beautiful

• register for utilities: gas, electricity and water. Pretty much a simple procedure, where you go to the office of your supplier - ask your landlord or locals - pick a number and sign a paper. Remember that once again, there is a deposit to be payed per each of those items. I guess gas was the most expensive, about 600 TRY. Count with a half day off. People from gas company also came to restart my gas-meter or anyhow it is called. Even it took him about three minutes, guy was late so I get late to work.
• get internet, possibly TV and a phone line. I am still dealing with that but generally, the best options should be Turkcell, Turknet, TTnet, and some others. Can't say which is the best, I haven't decided yet myself.

• furnish your place. Obviously, IKEA was the first and cheapest option for me for many items, but still, furniture itself isn't inexpensive in IKEA. Try web, second hand shops or so called spots with slightly cracked stuffs in half prices.
• bargain, bargain, bargain. While furnishing, from sofa, through tables, even electronics, every shop (maybe except IKEA) you may save hundreds, even thousands liras. I was quite shocked you may even bargain on fixed cataloged prices of fridge.
• most of shops will deliver furniture for free. Even IKEA offers very cheap option (about 15 TRY per item) although shop is far.
• for each of those actions, bring a Turkish friend. English speaking with no Turkish language just as me can't do anything.

Soon I will continue with another steps, as I will be passing through them myself. By that time, I hope this may be useful. 

Cheers, its Friday!

Why? Why? Why?

So why did I move in here? Well... Telling a story, people from West said they admire my braveness. People from East asked if I have a man here. I moved to Istanbul from my previous destination – Brussels - mostly because I have been offered an interesting job that seems challenging – but so far, over summer season, it is more than chilling. Similarly I founded challenging Turkey. 

I have been in Turkey before several times, once for whole summer traineeship. But this time it had to be for real. Even though I have couple of friends in town, obviously, I will need to get more people what will be nice, but the same time… maybe its coz of my mid-twenty age crisis or the fact I always go somewhere and superficially make more and more light friendships – I might get easily frustrated of not being surrounded by many people but same time being lazy and pro-active to get to know them. So this is what I will be challenged by here, as I see it now…

Anyhow, I love adventures! Being from a little city, I seek for every opportunity to travel and most of the time, I managed so mostly through variety of projects and scholarships, what made me to work my ass off. 


And it shaped my personality: I can’t simply sit on my butt and do nothing. Relax? I am not familiar with that term. Action, action, action! So I left all behind, packed three big baggage and all things I have learnt and had within myself all the time... Sound a bit pathetic... It wasn't :)

First two months I stayed with a friend(s) of mine I have known since two years and in a few days I will finally move to my own place – as soon as I get a bed. My place is at the same street as my friend’s so it will be fine. However, being together so much, I feel like after two months we need some little breaks to breathe, both. And I need to meet more variety of new people. I feel excited and will be writing about it.


Optum ya….

Settling down in a new flat

Just a week ago I finally managed to rent a place, I have been searching in Istanbul for about two months. Finally, place is not too big, not a basement - what seemed impossible, not in a spooky area. 

My new apartment seems perfect. However, it is empty, so empty... and I will have to furnish it so that I will feel amazingly cozy. But, no savings - all I spent on travelling, so it will take time. But - another but, I am no patient... hmmm... hard times ahead :)

So far, I managed just to get some little things and a sofa. See? Amazing deal on handmade couch constructed of items I particularly selected. As here is Ramadan, meaning also no weddings, furniture business go slow and I could bargain a lot! 400 $! 

Thus, I need to go further. I am impressed by that English and French country style housing with a lot of old pink-turquoise-white combinations. On budget, it will be a long race. Fortunately, IKEA has some stuffs inexpensive and I wanna go for my own ideas as well. 

Show room at one of malls

But where should I get such clear and nice pallets I could play with? 

Delighted fragrance

...and a bit of old, unfortunately not my own pics I admire.

Istanbul has and had an atmosphere, particular in every corner of the city. Does every city smells differently to you? Brussels smells like a mixture of caramel on waffles and French/Belgium fries. Helsinki does simply, as a white color - as white color must have a certain smell. Istanbul has a fragrance of cay and burned kebab meat with a dab of strong unfiltered coffee and breeze from a sea.