Izmir Knows

 

dön dön bebeğim yanıyor içim
özledim çok özledim.
martılar süzülürken süzülür yaşlar
dökülür gözlerim.
grubun rengi boyarken bile sahili turuncuya
hiç tadım yok.
ne hilal ne çoban yıldızı teselli etmiyor.
acım çok ki düşün ne kadar severim meltemin
yüzünü öperek esişini.
ağlarım incecikten ayrılık ölümden çok.
izmir izmir yanıyor kara sevda hasretinden.
izmir izmir yanıyor kara sevda hasretinden....
 

<><><><>

turn back, turn back to me baby I am burning inside
 oh how I've missed, missed you so much.
while the seagulls are soaring my tears are running,
my eyes are falling apart.
even when the color of the sunset is painting the shore orange
I'm not really in the mood.
not even the new moon consoles me nor the lodestar.
my pain is too great to enjoy the way sea breeze that blows
against your face while kissing it.
I'm crying minutely because separation is harder than death.
izmir is burning because of your blind love longing.
izmir is burning because of your blind love longing.....

Collage Me Happy

Hello Hello!!!... soo after a long long contemplation I have opened myself a Society 6 page where I will have my photography and some of my artwork available. You can access my page via this link, or from the top right side bar of my blog.

What has driven me to do this was the discovery of Hugo Barros and the collection of photography I have culminated throughout the past few years. If it's decent work why not share it with everyone?

Hugo Barros is an artist from Lisbon who does hand made surreal collages. I love his style and compositions. His work has this vintage 60s vibe which is so unique. Today I made a piece inspired by his style and wanted to share here. For more of his work check him out here.

My Hugo Barros inspired collage, also available as a print in Society 6.

My new home

I can say that airports are my homes. The newest addition to my home collection is the new domestic terminal of Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport. I can get sick of flying, and hate airports when I am so frequently here and there... But this terminal is so beautiful that I had to write about it.

Normally I don't travel to the domestic airport, unless I am flying within Turkey which rarely happens. This year flying to Trabzon from Izmir I saw the interior of the new terminal. I was blown away by how grand, structural and light it was. All I can say is that it was worth the hassle of traveling combined with the domestic passengers in the international terminal for two years while the construction was underway.

Many Turks probably know this airport thanks to Kacak Gelinler (literally translated as 'Fleeing Brides'), where three brides running from their marriages due to various complications meet at the airport and start an adventure.

Get your sport on

I am not even over-exaggerating! This season's sports wear inspired collections are everywhere and they motivate everyone to get in motion! (me at least, anyway). Adidas looks like the winner with their new collabs with names such as Pharrell, Italian Independent, Rita Ora and Mary Katrantzou (no official sketches are released yet, unfortunately). DKNY x Cara has also been a long awaited capsule collection by the up and coming model Cara Delevigne; undoubtedly many people's role model. Launched a few days ago, the collection has been getting a lot of media attention. Did you know Cara selected the faces of her campaign personally?

AND THE HIT OF THE SEASON. Alexander Wang x H&M due to launch November 6th online & in selected H&M stores worldwide. Need I say more?

Rita Ora x Adidas

Parisian Day Time

Endless walking and discoveries. Sore feet but still smiling. Saturday was spent exploring the bohemian Montmartre located on a hill north of Paris, Notre Dame, Pompidou area, and Boulevard Haussmann-Lafayette. Sunday was a half day so it was declared the museum day exploring the Louvre and the Duchamp Retrospective @ Pompidou Centre.

Montmartre was definitely my favorite, not because of its current state but because of what it used to be and represent. If you have watched Moulin Rouge, you may know that during the turn of the 20th century this was the center of the 'Bohemian Revolution' - did this actually happen or not happen is another question. But it was certainly the heart of music, art and performance at that time. Renowned artists such as Dali, Monet, Mondrian, Picasso and van Gogh lived and worked here at one point in their life adding to the culture of the area. There is the Montmartre museum and the Salvador Dali museum in the area. This time I didn't have a chance to go, but next time it is going to be at the top of my to-do list.

 Streets of Montmartre.

Photo Credit - Josefine Sondergaard

Une Belle Histoire

Parisian adventure on the go - a collection of Instagram posts, follow @travelspaceandarchitecture



Window Shopping

Quick croissant, coffee to go... you find yourself looking at the window displays. Sound familiar?

Well minus the croissant and coffee that was me walking through Avenue Montaigne. For those who don't know this is the 'it' street off of Champ Elysees featuring all the biggest designer, mainly couture names you can think of. We aren't talking designer, we are talking pure luxury.

Night time glam in the City of Love

Paris for the first weekend of October? Paris is always a good idea, so why not?

A weekend in Paris felt like an eternity because it was packed with so much to do. For my luck it was also Nuit Blanche, a whole night filled with cultural activities ranging from performances, installations, videos and art. I also had no idea the museums were free the first Sunday of every month, which meant a free trip to the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa (as much as we could anyway thanks to the people trying to take selfies with it!).

The little details

Alaroof Boutique Hotel is an amazing place for relaxing with its beautifully kept garden, swimmingpool and friendly staff with great service. What has been particularly interesting for me is the details of this place. The little details often result in big architectural impacts. Interior design, just as much as the exterior of a place carries a vast importance. More often than not, we spend time indoors, hence the need to create a cozy, lived-in atmosphere. In Alaroof, the garden has been organized such that it gives the feel of an interior while being outside with the lounges, the trees, lamps and tables. Below are some images of the place, special attention paid to the small details. 

                    

Favorite Turkish Clothing Brands 1

Turkey has come a very long way in terms of fashion and textile. Cotton is widely grown in Turkey, making the country one of the top producers of clothing and various textiles. The labor in Turkey is also cheap, can be comparable to China, which means, world wide known fashion brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and many more produce their items in Turkey. You can also find the infamous 'Made in Turkey' stamp in more affordable clothing brands such as H&M, Zara, Bershka, Pull & Bear to name a few.

My favorite brand I will talk about here is Twist. It is under the same umbrella of clothing as Ipekyol which also does a more couture line called Machka. Ipekyol produces clothing for ages 30-35+ with the emphasis on clean lines mainly for the modern working women. Twist is the younger line for teens, and young adults (of course also for those 35+s who love to feel young). 

A fun fact is also that the main Ipekyol Textiles Building has won the Aga Khan Prize for architecture in the year 2010. Lucky to note here that the clothes are just as beautifully designed and created as the building. 

Here I want to include some of my favorite looks from the Spring-Summer 2014 line. Conveniently the line is now on sale with reductions up to 70%. One of the reasons why I am looking forward to going to Turkey! Shopping is always a good therapy when done correctly. If you want to purchase any of the items, the online store is now open! All the prices are written in Turkish, however to translate it to euros use the ratio 1:2 and to pound 1:3, you will find the items are actually of very decent price! I can also guarantee you will be getting good quality products worth your investment. 

                

The Balkan Winds

Hello from Macedonia, a beautiful country with many natural riches and cultural activity. It is a historically significant piece of land during the Ottoman rule. There has been many cultural exchanges over the centuries in the Balkan area. Ottomans brought their own culture and customs which were then taken in by the locals and spread, also vice versa. 

Lake Ohrid is especially beautiful earning the title of the Balkan region's largest (covers a 358km squared) and deepest lake. Considering the lake can be as deep as 300m, one should be cautious when swimming, surfing or being adventurous. Since it is a lake with no direct connection to the sea, the water is sweet and drinkable. For someone who usually spends time by the sea, dippig into the lake and not tasting salt was a memorable experience. Another interesting fact about the lake is that 1/3 is shared by the neighboring country, Albania. Throughout the history there has been a struggle between Macedonia and Albania. This is still true in the country. Recent news report a protest in the capital Skopje regarding protests over slayings, where Ethnic Albanians carried out a demonstration. I find it unbelievable how human kind cannot except each other, especially if you are neighboring countries with a shared history. The lake is so pure. Such a pure border between the tension. 

Vevchani is probably the most breath taking place to visit. It is known for its natural springs. On top of the mountain amongst the green with clear water streaming. The water here is cold and drinkable. The atmosphere is so nostalgic. Mountains and streams of water. However, it is severely lacking efforts of conservation. Some of the houses can be better kept. It is important to take care of culture and conserve it so that tourism benefits from it even more. With the way it is right now, however, it is a winner. 

Of all the places my personal favorite was the St. Naum Monestary above a hill, overlooking the lake. So perfect and well organized. St. Noum is believed to be one of the saints who has started the Slavic culture and spread it across the land. 

                 

The playground of a restaurant in the Vevchani city center. 

University in Retrospective Part 1

*drum roll please*

The time has come. Graduation is in a month and 6 days (being absurdly precise). This calls for some serious looking back at my time in Kent University. I have had a spectacular 3 years to say the least. My photos are the proof :)

 

Just a link and a poem.

Have a read through this - http://www.viralnova.com/regret-when-older/

What you do on a seemingly Good Friday - the Book of Mormon

I am not going to try to make myself look like the angel by saying I did not laugh and kept my composure the whole time. If anything I was told by my mom to keep it under control when I was laughing, or more like crackling like a witch. Before you ask, no, I did not listen to her.

But, the Book of Mormon, was actually a lot more worthy of tears than laughter. The story line, in the simplest form, was about missionaries who were sent out to destinations to convert people to this new religion laid out by the Book of Mormon.
 
                                                  

Throwback post

London called and I came to say hello. Would have been rude not to.

First stop? Pinkberry - standard. The second and perhaps the best? Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

It was like yesterday.... in Canterbury late july/ early august getting my apartment sorted  when all of a sudden the Olympics were the big thing. Had to be a part of this experience. Because who wants to miss out on history in the making? So I did.

Almost two years later now and the buildings are still there with all their glory. The stadium, the copper box.... the velodrome... the orbit, my love to hate aquatic center. All have gone through slight tweaks and maintenance, but they are there.

What has changed though are people. I have changed. Relationships changed, friendships... what I thought was significant back then is so meaningless now. And vice versa.Two years can change a person's perspective on everything and anything so much. It is part of growing up and learning life.

Looking back at 'then' and evaluating 'now' I shall leave you with the photos of London2012 and 2014.

When the Snow Queen returns back to her castle

What an amazing day at Leeds Castle! The return of the Snow Queen back to her natural habitat of sun. It is extraordinary how good weather can have such an impact on everyone.

 

No fear, spring is here!

Maybe because it is spring time (although the British weather is definitely not reflecting this) that everything seems a lot better than usual. I have this theory that when it's spring, not only do the days get longer, the sun shines brighter, the grass is greener but people shine in a different way. No I am not on crack I mean what I say - we shine.

Laughter buzzes through the luke warm air and swirls down to the grass and higher towards the trees... goes higher and higher to reach the birds. Before you know it nature is in this great symphony and you are its conductor. What a great feeling?! (Naaaah you really should be writing that essay and studying for that exam... *soz buzz kill*)

I mean what I say. I say what I mean (I try to anyway). The spring is here, I don't care if there is still the occasional hail or the wind of death. We have to make spring happen. Because let's face it - we all live an excessive 200 something days for the only days that make us happy. So let's start them days early.

A humble poem: Late night heart spilling

Don't say that there is nothing,

If they asked, you would give it up.

Open your eyes and soul 

But everything is about possessions and wealth...

Search for friendship and love, 

Let me know what you find.

Honestly though,

Take a moment and appreciate 

This life you have been given

To make a change

All about the good vibes...

Or am I really?

What is the worst lie you ever told yourself?

Did you end up believing it like I have?

Maybe this is the easy way.

What is a hard life anyway?

All about making yourself believe

There is a heaven or hell 

Praying every night to secure your place above the clouds

Is there really enough room for all of us?

As the spring time rolls around

*drum roll please* it's about that time.

Instagram happenings

A leftover summer day.

Welcome to my winter wonder land. This is as cold as it will get. 

A beautiful sunny day today in Foca, a small Aegean village, located about an hour away from the city.

The colors, the people, the flowers, the dogs, the food... everything is amazing. 

Yet another instagram post

I think it is safe to say that the past week I have had way too much cake than I can actually manage :)

So 2014 came with all of its sweetness.

Once again Happy New Year to everyone! 

 

A year in retrospective

HELLO 2014, dear friend welcome!

GOODBYE 2013, you've been a long, interesting year with all of the happiness, sadness, lessons learnt and lessons you pointed out that I should learn. Now with the new year and new hopes, let's take a moment and have a look back at what happened in 2013.

Welcome to my year in retrospective, let's see what happened in Gulce's life in 2013 shall we?