Longing for Istanbul: The Words I Haven’t Said Yet

Way back when I was studying behavioural sciences as a prerequisite to majoring in sociology in Sydney, Australia, we had to complete an observation exercise as part of our assessment. It involved going to a shopping centre to watch and record the behaviour of the people we saw around us. It really struck a chord with me because in many ways I’ve always preferred to observe people and life as an outsider, rather than diving in and trying things first hand. Taking risks emotionally and being vulnerable have long been anathema to me.

Initially, travelling and then moving to Turkey allowed me to resist change, because without the comprehension and personal interactions fluency allows, it’s hard to properly engage with the people and the culture. When you’re only meeting with English-speaking Turks, everything you do and learn is mediated by the size of your shared vocabulary, experience and understanding. The longer I’ve lived here however, the better my Turkish has become and the more cultural practices I’ve absorbed, making it less possible to distance myself from the world I now call my own. In so doing I’ve had to open myself up to all the euphoria, complications, excitement and compromises of a typical relationship, only with a place rather than a person.

Introduction

Crossing the Sacred/Secular Divide

Almost There

Cut from the Same Cloth (Or Not?)

The Language of Beauty

(Re)Setting the Christmas Table

Rising to the Challenge

A Turkish Wedding

In Turkey Dessert Comes with a Coup

Büyük Çamlıca Camii

Rakkas

A Love Letter to Istanbul