Conversations I had in Istanbul
Derek Sive.rs, one of my fav. authors
We had a beautiful panoramic view of Constantinople, cats, and the other café customers. The café owner took the saz, and he and two ladies were singing a song about the soulsearching and desire.
Me: “Did you like it?”
Derek: “I loved it! Nobody is clapping?”
I start clapping, and the rest of the café joins in.
Me: “They probably didn’t want to clap because the lyrics were sad, but Turkish people love bopping to the saddest track.”
Derek: “John Lennon said that’s the definition of rock and roll: sad music that makes you happy. I am in love with how the singer changes her voice in between the notes.”
Middle-aged guy taking pictures of mosques, smiling
Me: “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
Him: “I am in love with it. I happened to visit Selimiye uphill and just had to come down here and take pictures. Look, this is my favorite angle of Tahir Efendi Camii.”
Me: “I went to big Selimiye for the night prayer yesterday. I was surprised how empty it was for such a legendary mosque.”
Him: “God will ask not why we built so many mosques here in Istanbul, but why we left them so empty.”
Although my economics brain protested that this means we still built too many mosques, I let my spiritual side take it in. I was just standing there, smiling like he was.
Him: “Do you know Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi and his mosque? There is Sufi dhikr in the mornings. You seem like a good fellow. Join us tomorrow.”
Café worker, after I had a sandwich there
Worker: “My friend, what’s wrong? You seem to be lost in thought.”
Me: “Yeah, I have a lot on my mind right now.”
Worker: “My friend, everything will work out in the end. Here, I’ll bring you some çay.”
Me: “It’s too late for me to drink çay.”
Worker: “You are Turkish! Of course you drink çay!”
He brought me çay, on the house, of course.
Supermarket worker and a Korean guy at the metro station
Me: “Hey, may I ask you, are you from Korea?”
Korean guy: “Yes! Wow!”
Me: “Girls are into K-pop here. You will have a good time.”
Korean guy: “Istanbul people are so nice! Yes!”
The middle-aged supermarket worker to my left:
Supermarket worker: “You speak English well. What country is he from?”
Me: “Korea. They are our old allies. We fought alongside them in a war.”
Supermarket worker: “I don’t even know the country he is from. You seem well educated.”
Me: “I live in Switzerland. English is day-to-day there.”
Supermarket worker: “Is Switzerland cleaner than Istanbul?”
Me: “Yes.”
Supermarket worker: “You see, nephew, Istanbul has become so dirty. There’s no law and order. People will scam you here. I can’t pay my rent. I have to take out a loan. When I pay my rent, there is no money left to eat.”
Me: “Can you say one good thing about Istanbul?”
Supermarket worker: “The only good thing is the view. There is no law and order. All people here are thieves.”
ICU doctor, mid-30s, appreciating the ocean and the boats before I approached him
Me: “What do you think about Turkey’s youth?”
Him: “The young people are smarter. They are watching YouTube documentaries, listening to smart podcasts. There’s an enlightenment.”
Me: “Are you optimistic?”
Him: “Optimistic about Turkey, pessimistic about the Middle East.”
Assyrian wealth manager who sat next to me on the flight back
Me: “Hey, do you want a coffee? I will get you one.”
Him: “No, no, I have to make a big order. I will buy you one! What do you want?”
Me: “Coke Zero.”
Me: “What do you do professionally?”
Him: “I am a Zurich-based wealth manager. I invest with my clients.”
Me: “Would you invest in Gulf countries? They have a data center boom and their regulations are pretty lax.”
Him: “I wouldn’t invest in Gulf countries. I’d invest in Turkey. I look at the people. They are hardworking and persevering. I don’t see that in Gulf countries.”
Side note: It was the first time more people spoke to me in honorific and “abi” terms, am I officially an adult?