Taksim

Albeit I have not come around to taking many pictures yet I have taken thıs 2am opportunity to turn jetlag into the documenting of my thoughts. I am living in taksim which is essentially the time square of istanbul. The streets are loud and crowded with people who dont seem to ever rest. Taksim is located on the european side of istanbul and the view from my rooftop terrace reveals the other continent, asia, which coincidentally is where i will be working. Having said that i must take a ferry both ways to and from work every day to kadıköy which is on the other side. ive been lucky to meet some really cool people that will be sharing the building i live in and working at various locations that my school branches to.

istanbul is really quite lovely. i was told on the plane that the first sight of the town will humble you and that is precisely what it did. the city is an ancient and living organism that bears the mantle of much history. ive observed that the city exists on two levels both ground level and the rooftops. i watch from my terrace the people below playing backgammon and putting down countless cups of tea while smoking nargile. people young and old from all walks of life crowd the streets and they wear their cultures vebrantly. i am new here but i progress through the language barrier as best as possible. im learning fast and through osmosis and practice ive come to pick up a few useful roots of turkish. its exciting to learn a new language, especially one that is so beautifully different than the language i am native to.

i bought a guitar today. this is my tool to meet new people especially other musicians that hail from many different backgrounds. the music of the street is colorful and the sounds blend together among the distant sounds of call to prayer. the food is simply too good to describe and the beauty of the people is enchanting. istanbul is my new home. im lucky to be here and lucky to have the opportunity to see a culture from the inside out. i am a well traveled fish that has washed ashore in many far off lands and this next chapter is going to be a good one.. pics soon..