Asians on the Asian side

Popped over to Kadikoy the other day

Took the ferry from the Besiktas-Kadikoy pier: 2 turkish lira for a 20 minute ride

Brunch at my favourite restaurant, Ciya (collage#1)

Had Turkish coffee and tea at the bestest cafe around the area, Fazil Bey Kahvesi

Ate the awesomest Lahmacun for snacks at Borsam Tasfirin (collage#2)

Walked a lot and tried the nostalgic tram

And did what we Asians do best in Asia or anywhere else in the world: camwhore.

Sunday: Jalan, Jalan cari makan

Today's weather: Perfect. Breezy, and approximately 23°c

Today's mood: Buoyant and very very very happy

We had a lovely Sunday enjoying a beautiful walk along the Bosphorus in Bebek - Must do

Ate a very hearty Turkish Breakfast for brunch at Gunaydin Rumeli Hisari - Highly recommended

Bought ice creams from Bebek mini dondurma for dessert - Highly recommended

Stopped for coffee at Bodrum Manti Cafe - Didn't try the food, so can't recommend, but it was nice

Talked, laughed and relaxed with my awesome family - Best thing ever

 

Spring Styling

Nautical overload. But I like. 

Bag: Isaac Mizrahi for Target (from a million years ago)/ Skirt: SONIA by Sonia Rykiel/ Shoes: Lacoste (for men) - yes, yes, I have big feet. Thank god men have become so much more fashionable and effeminate (I say this with love and affection) these days. And oh! What I'd do to get my hands on a pair of spiky Loubi-dudes.

365 #39 Dali in Istanbul

The weather has been incredible this past week. I've been out gallivanting and soaking up the fresh air and bright sunshine every single day, and have been a very, very, happy bunny.

I also managed to make it to the last few days of the Salvador Dali exhibition here in Istanbul, and was enraptured for hours. The exhibition was set in a gorgeous 16th century building, the Tophane i-Amir, (which used to be a cannon factory), and showcased 121 pieces of Dali's works: the "Divine Comedy" prints, and two series of color lithographs: “Memories of Surrealism,” and the “Gala” series. I was most excited by "Divine Comedy" - which is to me, Dali's most inspired work.

Here are some shots that I took with my Iphone. I didn't make an effort to take better pictures because there were so many lines to see the pieces, and when I finally got to them, I didn't want to waste my time framing a good shot.

I love that Istanbul has so many good art exhibitions. Still on is Van Gogh Alive, and recently opened Rembrandt. Average entrance prices are 10 turkish lira.

365 #29 Best foot forward

If you plan on walking a lot when you're in Istanbul, and you should, because there are so many small streets and alleys to discover, save your luggage space, and don't bring your pretty shoes. Practicality is key. I made the mistake of wearing my favorite sandals when I first arrived (before winter), and after a day of intense walking, the soles of my shoes and feet were begging for mercy. Istanbul streets are rough and best traversed with rugged, comfortable shoes. I'm glad it's winter now, because I can still look cool with riding boots. Make no mistake, I am all about being glamorous et all whilst traveling, but there are days when you just want to go where the wind brings you and stay out all day. Days like these, sneakers (with socks padding your precious feet) are the best bet.

 The sandals that need to be resoled.

365 #22 Of snow, jobs and fine dining in Istanbul

I have a confession to make. I am a snow-bringer.

When we were in Luxembourg for our first winter the year before, the country (and Europe as a whole) experienced the craziest and heaviest snowfall that has never been seen for more than 30 years.

This year, in Istanbul, our turkish friends are shocked at how bad the snow has been. I mean, I have literally been cooped up in the house for almost four days now. Six, if you don't count 'going out' as just running out to get some water and milk and bread. The 'being cooped up' doesn't reflect the state of the city being at a standstill, of course. Though I wouldn't know for sure. Just my general laziness and unwillingness to get all dressed up and made up only to have blasts of snow blowing in my face. This state of being stuck has seen a lot of activity in my (e)mailbox, and I have officially exhausted my list of contacts (and random email addresses found off the internet) to send my resume to. The good news? To stop myself from clicking the 'refresh' button on my mailbox every 2 seconds 5 minutes, I may force myself to brave the snow and make some snowballs to throw at random passersby in hopes to ease my frustration tomorrow. Which may lead to an exciting blog entry about being thrown in a Turkish jail. Who knows?

A note of caution to every person who has ideas of giving up their career for a year or two and going back again after: DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!

Anyway. I'm gonna make good on my promise to dear M of Chocolate, Cookies and Candies, to write a bit more about life in Istanbul. She is, by the way, an extremely kind and wonderful soul, who, from all the way in the UK (and despite never having met her before), sent me a care package when I had just moved to Istanbul. She knew how much I missed Malaysian food, and how there are no Asian supermarkets in Istanbul and got me a bunch of curries and tomyam goodies so I could satisfy my very very very intense cravings. Thanks to her, my first few meals at our new house were all things Malaysian, and I ate with such a happy smile on my face. Thank you again, M. You have no idea how happy you made me. :))

In that vein (erm, food, that is), let's talk about food in Istanbul. Today, we'll talk about fine dining.

In general, Istanbul (expensive) dining (notice I don't say 'fine') is more of a social thing. You go to see and be seen, you go for the view, and you go just to say, in everyday conversations with so and so, that you've been. I go every now and then, because I have a social life to keep up with here, and because I like the atmosphere. I call it 'fun dining'. For the tourist with very refined tastes, you will probably need to redial your gastronomical expectations when dining in a few spots that I will not mention here. But! It's not all that bad. I have my favorite, which serves the amazingly beautiful and awesomely tasty food on the pictures I have shown here, but you can email me if you want to know which restaurant it is. I do not want to be accused of being biased. :p.

That aside, and taking a point of 'the views' that I just mentioned in the previous paragraph, I must say that what many high-end restaurants here lack in delicate and fine taste, they more than make up for in lush, plush, creative, delightful restaurant design and in their views. These restaurants have the absolute best views in the entire city that no hole in the wall place can lay claim to. I've been to at least 6, and they're all situated at the rooftops of buildings or at the edges of cliffs, where you can see different and breathtaking perspectives of the city. And those views are money-views. With the sun setting slowly, watching houses being lit up one by one, a gorgeous city with no end, old and new, against the azure blue of the Marmara sea. Sitting at one of those restaurants can literally make you feel like the luckiest person in the world at that point in time. So, if you do happen to be here in summer and get a chance to get a place on the terraces of Istanbul's 'best restaurants', do it. And for one night, dress up, and dine in Istanbul in style.

Hope you enjoyed this, and tomorrow, we will continue with local eats.

Living in Istanbul: Nisantasi, Part 1 (and 365 #18)

I've purposely held off on writing this till I had more of a feel of what it was like to live in this city. Today, we mark our four month-sary in Istanbul. And it's also been two months since we've moved into our new digs and lived a 'real life' instead of a 'holiday life', so I think I've got a teeny tiny bit of credibility at this point.

So, here goes. The first (of many) of my perspective of life in Istanbul, the city of crazy contrasts. Today, I'll take you on a journey nearest to my home, which is where I spend most of my time.

I live in Nisantasi. It is one of, if not the most, upmarket quarter in the entire Istanbul. The streets are lined with Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Hugo Boss, Escada, Kenzo, Prada, Cartier, Hermes, Chanel, DKNY, Max Mara, Alexander McQueen, Burberry, Salvatore Ferragamo, Bulgari, Dolce & Gabbana, Roberto Cavalli, Gianfranco Ferre, Tod's, Guiseppe Zanotti. Almost every international luxury brand you can think of is found right here. I liken it to the Avenue de Champs Elysees. The shopping, the cars, the glamorati. The biggest difference is in that you can't detect any tourists here. I'm sure there are some, because some of the best hotels of Istanbul are in the area, but you certainly don't see busloads of dudes and dudettes (with strange fashion sensibilities) following a colored flag all over the place.

When I first arrived and started to live here, I thought to myself, 'God! This is so sterile! It's just like any other city!' and 'I MUST see the REAL Istanbul'. Yet after turns around the very popular Sultahnahmet area (where the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar and the annoying touts and peddlers and millions of tourists are) and the Taksim area (where the Galata Tower and the touts and peddlers and the millions of tourists are) and the Bebek area (the other upmarket area where the cool bars and restaurants and the millions of tourists are), I've come to see that this place is as real as it can get.

After all, the best way to see the heart and ambitions of a city is to see where and how their wealthy live.

On the main street of Nisantasi is where you'll see the regal old Turkish ladies descending from their apartments which can cost anything from 10,000 - 30,000 USD per month if it were to be rented (yes, we looked and are still dreaming), and which have been in their families for generations. These are the 70 year old ladies who speak perfect German and French, who have lived through opulence, then war and poverty, and who are now still graceful and strong. They continue to walk along the streets they've walked on since they were young girls eons ago, and shop at little grocery stores that have been passed along from generation to generation. They also sit at the modern cafes, sipping on strong and sweetened Turkish teas and coffees.

This is also where you see countless glamorous Istanbul chicas tottering about in 5-inch shimmering Louboutins and Miu Mius, wearing little Chanel cardigans being dropped off right at the doorstep of the restaurant they want to go to by their drivers or obliging (and disgustingly rich) Turkish boyfriends driving Panameras while the rest of us are (desperately) trying to look chic walking in -2 degree weather, braving the snow, bundled-up in down feather coats and comfy riding boots.

Here is also where the Nobel Prize in Literature author Orhan Pamuk lives, in the apartment that he wrote about in "Museum of Innocence", overlooking the same Mosque that still sees the faithful pray five times a day. (I am a huge fan of his, and have been trying to see if I could bump into him accidentally on purpose, but to no avail. I am appeased to know we are walking on the same streets everyday, though :p) 

Here, it's safe. It's clean. It's like a dream. It's bustling. It's alive. It may not be rowdy and what we've imagined Istanbul to be, but I like it.

Tomorrow, we'll continue with things to do as a tourist in Nisantasi, and I might even have some handy tips and foodie recommendations.

Talk then!