5th. Istanbul tulip festival

Yes i`m not there but i`d like to be for a while just to enjoy this splendid festival;)
I`m posting an old photo of mine here;)

As far as i read from internet , this year 9.300.000 tulips of 82 different types have been planted.
This costed around 750.000 euro.
Since the year 2004 when this festival started 45.475.000 tulips have been planted.

for more infos click here:

http://www.ibb.gov.tr/en-US/Pages/Haber.aspx?NewsID=348

http://istanbulstreets.wordpress.com/2010/04/08/5th-tulip-festival-istanbul-emirgan/

http://www.ftnnews.com/content/view/9049/33/

4th tulip festival in Istanbul

© Eni Turkeshi Photography

One of the things i miss more of Istanbul is also the lovely tulip festival organised each april in Istanbul.
This year was the 4th time but i wasn`t present :(
Actually the photo of this post is shot last year .

The tulip festival is getting each year bigger and more magnificient with more tulips everywhere the city (the number of tulips raised to 16 million this year !! ) and different activities , such as `tulip photography contest and exhibition ` , organized by the municipality.

The main place of this festival is the beautiful Emirgan Park (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emirgan_Park).

for more cool photos and infos you might visit this page :
http://istanbulstreets.wordpress.com/category/tulip-festival/

also you might check from here my old posts regarding last festivals:

http://albtranslator.blogspot.com/2008/04/serish-me-tulipanet-ne-stamboll.html
http://albtranslator.blogspot.com/2007/04/back-again-with-tulips.html
http://albtranslator.blogspot.com/2007/03/istanbul-city-of-3-million-tulips.html

a touch of spice

This is the name of a lovely greek-turkish movie i run across 3 nights before as i was carelessly zapping on tv.
Bthw i have to say that as far as i have noticed , telenorba,ufo tv,koha tv are the best movie showing tv`s in Albania, at least in my opinion.I like their different choices.I watched the movie at Telenorba .
Regarding the movie, if i was to describe it in 2 words i`d say : heartwarming & colorful.
The movie is the story of a greek family living in Istanbul , forced to leave the city during the Cypriot conflict.
The most powerful bond on the movie is the spiritual bond between Fanis and his grandpa , a culinary philosopher and mentor.
He learns a lot from his grandpa`s special way of seeing the world and of course from his culinary skills and miracles.He learns to perceive things in a different way , spicing his vision and mastering his soul using the power of colors,odors of cuisine spices.
He becomes a fantastic cook , a talent which of course does astonish many persons including here his first love and the love of his life , the beautiful Saime.
He persuades her to dance for him and in exchange for that he`d cook.
The moment Saime dances is such a perfect , beautiful prelude to their naive love relationship.
This relationship is never mentioned but everyone is aware of the fact.

When Fanis and his family are forced to leave to Athens, he is separated from the 2 most beloved persons : his grandpa and Saime.
It`s a hard time for all the family to leave their life in Istanbul and their memories (i so much sympathize with them here bthw, since i`m experiencing the same thing) , but the merry family unions and the joyful meals makethe reality more easy to be accepted and it prevents the movie itself to become a melodrama.
I`m not going to tell you the whole movie here , but i wanna mention what i liked best of it of course:)
The dialogues , the quotes on cuisine, habits,spices and dishes raises the optimistic spirit on the movie.

Some of the cool quotes of the movie on cuisine and spices were:

1.Spice is used to spice up your life as well.
2.Cinnamon is bitter and sweet.Just like a woman.
3.I also liked what Fanis tells about appetizers:They play the role of preparing the people for difficult situations.They are just like intermediary steps.

I found it really cool.I had never thought of appetizers this way before.

Well, what amazed me most of course was the amazing Istanbul visuality, so masterfully shown.
As a person that has been living there for almost 11 years , and now has left that lovely city , it was like a promenade of infinite longing.
To conclude : This movie may be well called a hymn of longing , love,compassion,passion and life as ambiance.
To me it was like a very cool combination of Tornatore, Jean Pierre Jeunet,Nabaki style.

I would highly recommend you this movie.
More info here : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0378897/

imdb point : 7,5 from 10

Lezete Stambolli

© Eni Turkeshi Photography

Ajo ç'ka e ben te veçante Stambollin, kete qytet te madh te njohur me bukurite dhe problemet e çdo qyteti metropolitan, nuk eshte vetem madheshtia e tij kulturore,natyrore,historike , por disa zakone apo menyra jetese te veçanta per kete qytet.

Jane keto te fundit disa gjera qe çdokush i di se mund te behen vetem ketu , ose se paku njerezve i pelqen me shume ti perjetojne ketu.

Njera prej ketyre eshte dhe zakoni i te ngrenes "buke me peshk" prane barkave qe ndodhen prane bregut te detit Marmara.
Me te njohura per kete dhe me nje histori 60 vjeçare jane barkat qe ndodhen ne lagjen Emineny(Eminönü) nje nga lagjet me te vjetra te Stambollit prane ures se Gallates.
Ky ritual u ndalua para disa vitesh nga bashkia e Stambollit per arsye ndotje te ambientit por u rihap serish pas 3 vitesh pushim ne veren e vitit 2007.

Sigurisht , ndonese ky zakon nuk perjeton me lavdine e dikurshme , pasi se pari barkat nuk jane ato barkat historike qe kane qene me pare, qyteti eshte me i zhurmshem , trafiku dhe kallaballeku ben te veten , por prapese prape eshte diçka qe duhet provuar patjeter.

Çfare e ben kete ritual kaq interesant do te thoni?
Por ja vendondodhja , barkat interesante, sherbimi nga persona te veshur ne menyre tradicionale , çmimi i lire (2 € nje sandviç me nje peshk te madh shumicen e rasteve koce ose levrek+ sallate) , gjalleria e ambjentit ku ndodheni .

Ata qe gatuajne peshkun ne zgara qe ndodhen brenda barkes , duhet te kene nje ekuiliber te shkelqyer besoj , pasi barkat ka raste tunden e shkunden per qejf te vet.Shpesh duken sikur jane duke marre pjese ne nje maratone me pengesa.

Sandviçi pregatitet shpejt e shpejt dhe vjen ne duart tuaja midis nje "korrieri" te shkathet qe e kalon tere diten e tij me gjysmen e trupit te anashkaluar keqazi sa qe trembeni shpesh se mos do te bjere ne uje.
Shqetesim i kote ky , per njerez te tille qe kane perfituar nje zhdervjelltesi te çuditshme nder vite.

Per kete arsye nuk eshte fare çudi qe ky lloj ushqimi "fast food" eshte mjaft i preferuar si nga turqit edhe nga turistet.

Nese do t'ju keshillonin te vizitoni patjeter aksh muze dhe filan vendi historik , kijeni parasysh se do t'ua thone edhe kete.
Sigurisht, kjo vlen per ata qe duan ta ndjejne veten sa me prane vendit dhe jo te futen thjesht ne profilin e nje turisti qe i ka vene vetes detyre mos ti leje pa shpetuar asnje grimce muzeu;)

I'm listening to Istanbul

© Eni Turkeshi Photography

I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed;
At first there blows a gentle breeze
And the leaves on the trees
Softly flutter or sway;
Out there, far away,
The bells of water carriers incessantly ring;
I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.

I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed;
Then suddenly birds fly by,
Flocks of birds, high up, in a hue and cry
While nets are drawn in the fishing grounds
And a woman's feet begin to dabble in the water.
I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.

I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.
The Grand Bazaar is serene and cool,
A hubbub at the hub of the market,
Mosque yards are brimful of pigeons,
At the docks while hammers bang and clang
Spring winds bear the smell of sweat;
I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.

I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed;
Still giddy since bygone bacchanals,
A seaside mansion with dingy boathouses is fast asleep,
Amid the din and drone of southern winds, reposed,
I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.

I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.
Now a dainty girl walks by on the sidewalk:
Cusswords, tunes and songs, malapert remarks;
Something falls on the ground out of her hand,
It's a rose I guess.
I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.

I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed;
A bird flutters round your skirt;
I know your brow is moist with sweat
And your lips are wet.
A silver moon rises beyond the pine trees:
I can sense it all in your heart's throbbing.
I am listening to Istanbul, intent, my eyes closed.

-- Orhan Veli

Stambolli- me te apo pa te?

 

© Eni Turkeshi Photography

Shkak per kete shkrim u be serish mikja ime Tena.

Ne kete shkrim gjeta shume gjera te peraferta me veten time dhe Stambollin kete qytet qe banoj prej 10 vitesh dhe qe sigurisht e dua shume.

Stambolli eshte nje qytet shume i veçante.Nuk eshte vetem bukuria e ketij qyteti te vjeter ajo qe te mberthen.Eshte dhe melankolia qe karaterizon qytete te tilla, nje melankoli e lashte kjo.

Kete mund ta ndjesh ne çdo cep muri,ne çdo qoshe rruge,ne çdo ballkon me vazo me lule shumengjyreshe,mund ta ndjesh ne kinemate e vjetra dhe jo dhe aq popullore tashme,ne nje bakall te vjeter qe ende shet produkte karakteristike te rrallegjendura (tashme te sjellura keto te fundit me perkushtim nga vendlindja) dhe kudo..

Te rralle jane ata qe nuk behen "addict" pas Stambollit nese jetojne per nje kohe ketu.Eshte pothuaj e pamundur.
Dhe me çudit fort per faktin se sa e pandryshuar qendron ky fakt me tere mundimet qe ka jeta ne Stamboll.

Çdo gje e bukur e ka nje çmim,por Stambolli e ka shume te larte mund te them.
Nga te filloj perpara?

1.Nga ulja e dukshme e sigurise se jetes?
Si nje qytet metropolitan dhe sinteze e qyteterimeve perendimore dhe lindore,Stambolli eshte nje qytet ne qender te vemendjes dhe sulmeve terroriste , si te huaja dhe vendase.
Kjo ishte nga ana politike.Per te mos permendur dhe rastet e brendshme te hajdutllekut te theksuar,si dhe sa e sa bandave te rrezikshme qe qarkullojne si legjenda me tere bemat e tyre.

2.Popullsia e madhe (afro 20 milion banore)dhe e racave e kombeve te ndryshme (nuk e kam fjalen vetem per turistet ketu por dhe shume te huaj qe banojne prej vitesh) ul raportet e mundshme te tolerances dhe mirekuptimit.

3.Trafiku eshte nje nga problemet me te medha dhe me efekt me ftohes ndaj ketij qyteti.Humbja totale e kohes nga ngecja e trafikut dhe zgjatja pa fund e rruges ,kerkon nerva te forta per tu perballuar ose kembe te palodhura per t'ja futur ne kembe:) [une e praktikoj shpesh kete te fundit,per ti kursyer vetes historine e ngecjes ne trafik:)]

4.Ndotja e ambientit .Ndonese jo sa ne Shqiperi , fundja edhe Turqia eshte pjese ballkani edhe njerezit deri diku e shohin krejt normale abuzimin me pastertine.Nuk mund ti fus te tere ne nje kallep por ne pergjithesi eshte nje fakt i ndeshur shume.

5.Humbje te shkaktuara nga padituria apo neglizhimi.Ketu mund te perfshij shperdorimet e natyres , si psh uji .Panvaresisht nga reklamimet dhe propagandat e shumta , ka shume njerez qe nuk e vene aspak ujin ne zjarr per kete.Dhe eshte e frikshme sidomos kur mendon se Turqia rrezikon te kthehet ne shkretetire ne vitin 2050 per shkak te ngrohjes globale dhe sabotimit ndaj natyres.

6.Shtrenjtesia e qytetit.Sipas nje statistike te bere kete vit, Stambolli eshte qyteti i 18-te me i shtrenjte ne bote.

7.Por ajo qe te pezmaton me shume ne kete qytet eshte ndjenja e pasigurise dhe e mosperkitjes si dhe te "ndjesia e te qenit i huaj" qe mbizoteron.

Duke i vene ne balance anet e mira dhe te keqija , e shoh se e kam te veshtire te vendos por he per he duket se ka anuar me shume nga anet e mira.Ndryshe nuk do isha me ketu.
Po ju shqiptare te tjere qe jetoni jashte shtetit ose dhe ju qe jetoni ne atdhe , si mendoni per qytetet ku banoni?

istanbul's old,narrow,secret streets

 

photo (c) Eni Turkeshi

 If there's a thing I loveeeeeeeee about Istanbul , a detail that makes me addicted to thic city and I miss whenever I'm not there are the old,narrow,hidden streets of this big city.
They are always gravid with surprises.

In one of them you can find a cozy cafe , in another some avantgarde garment shops.In some others book sellers with their very special old books or tzigans selling flowers.In some other streets , especially the ones in Beyoglu (one of the biggest,most popular areas in Istanbul) ,you can run across to some very special antiquarian shops.

The cafes are especially good.Their decoration is very cozy and the general atmosphere is very cool.The music played is different though.You can find jazz cafes, pop cafes or cafes playing just turkish folk music.The pop cafes are well known for their turkish coffe service ,because of their bonus fortune telling;)

Some other streets are so narrow that you can hardly walk from there, but I don't like them less.
On the contrary , you can enjoy here the nice feeling of nostalgia of the old surrounding Pera palaces and the weird sense of a little isolation:)

It's 10 years I'm living here and I still have so many streets , so many places to discover .Just this idea makes you eager to live in this city and to get amazed every new day!
If you ever visit Istanbul nowadays , don't forget to try to visit as many as these lovely , secret streets..You'll get your excitement reward for sure;)

p.s: this is the link of a book named "101 streets of Istanbul" written by different turkish artists.strongly recommended!
http://www.haber34.com/101-yazardan-istanbulun-100-sokagi-3089-haberi.html

The magic of light and shadows

I called this photo of mine "an unusual moment in a usual day"..

It was just a normal day.Just a normal park , maybe there were more birds than usual.But especially the sunlight and the shadows created so originally and the birds shadows made the atmosphere so cinematic and enchanting.

It's incredible what light and shadows can do ain't it?

Blue Mornings!

I'm not a big morning fan.I'm not one of the enthusiasts that just can't wait to start a new day.
I don't mean to be ironical , in fact I wish I was different.But I just can't find the slightest energy to do anything in the morning.
Mornings are quite always getting my nerves on, especially that waking up alarm of my mobile. Brrr, I totally hate it..

But there are some special mornings too , you know?
The one at the photo is one of them.

It was a cold day and everything looked like surrounded with a blue-greyish texture..It made everything look even colder and frozen.The pigeons and the cannons, the bleak trees, the lonely people passing there, the lamp and the sky...Everything in this natural tableau seemed so perfectly harmonized with blue and melancholy.

But it wasn't sad at all..It was such a magic moment to experience , such a lovely, poetic emotion.
You could breathe the fresh , cold air and feel the nose-ferocious , odour of the sea vaporize the whole platitudinous,brain disturbing granules .
I stayed there for half an hour watching the sea and engorging this peerless view.Left the place with a feeling of enrichment.

If there was any way to help the mornings pass perfectly , this one would be my definite number one!

Yerebatan Cistern- A 1500 years old beauty!

Yerebatan[a.k.a the cistern sunken on the ground] Cistern (also known as Basilica Cistern) was constructed on 542 due to the Byzantine Imparator Justinian's order..The reason of its built , was providing enough water to the Big Palace that was located nearby.
After Istanbul's conquire , this cistern's existence remained unknown for other 100 years, until the day it was re-discovered because of the water remainings in the basements and of the people who used to go fishing towards the open holes.
After it , the cistern has been reused again.
During the '80, the cistern has passed through a whole reconstruction.
The cistern is measured to be 145 m long and 65 m wide.It's surface is 9800

m².Cistern consists of a total of 360 columns , whose view and perspective also adding here the successful lighting and the wonderful reflection on the water , makes a magic contrast with the general darkness and pushes your general dimensions thoughts further , thrilling you more and more.The pedestal with two Medusa heads at the end of the cistern, is another stunning and evocative detail of this unique building.One of the heads is positioned on it's side and the other inverted.There is still water under the columns (app.12 inches long) and some lovely fishes floating.According to a legend; the origin of the water of this cistern are the Medusa's tears!

There is also a corner , where you can say a wish and throw any coin money.It's so very interesting to see how this place shines , with differents countries coins!
Seems like the whole world is united there wishing for her wish to come true:)

Another stunning detail is a very special column of the cistern named "The column of the tears".This very special column is filled with misks and is much greener than the others .Also , the cravings in "tear shape" , give this column a mesmerising aura.

In case you want to enjoy this place longer, you can have a coffee at the cafeteria found inside.If you're lucky and in time , you might also enjoy the beautiful poetic or musical nights that are often organised here.
The only problem in this lovely cistern , is the non-stop odour and the hard air caused by the high humidity.But one has to survive this for such a beauty ain't it?

Serish me tulipanet ne Stamboll

Edhe kete vit si shume vite rrjesht, Stambolli u zbukurua nga tulipanet.
Siç dihet sasia e tulipaneve te mbjellur shtohet nga viti ne vit.Ky eshte viti i trete i organizimit.
Vitin e pare u mbollen 3 milione,vjet 8 dhe kete vit numri i tyre arriti shifren 12 milione!!!
Po ashtu kete vit , ju shperndane popullsise rreth 1 milione rrenje tulipanesh!Po ashtu,prane aeroportit u hap nje qender shitjesh tulipanesh per turistat.

Tulipanet e mbjella kryesisht neper rruget,parqet e qytetit dhe me shumice neper disa parqe te medha , i sollen Stambollit krejtesisht atmosferen aq te shumepritur te pranveres si dhe freskine e saj.
Kjo nisme e bukur , u shoqerua dhe me ekspozita te ndryshme pikture dhe arti rreth kultures se tulipaneve dhe rendesise se tyre ne historine e artit osman.
Nuk ka ngekur dhe shume kohe per ti shijuar ato , keshtu qe u mundova ti fotografoj me sa pata mundesi.

Pasazhi Hazzo Pulo

Sot dua t'ju flas pak per nje pasazh te Stambollit te cilin e dua shume dhe e vizitoj shpesh.
Pasazhi Hazzo Pulo , gjendet ne Taksim(rrugen Istiklal) pra nje nga rruget me te populluara dhe vizituara te qytetit.
Pas punimeve 21 vjeçare , ky pasazh i hapur ne vitin 1871, nga tregtari grek me te njejtin emer, si fillim u perdor nga Turqit e Rinj (grup militant qe ri-ndezi levizjen e monarkise gjate periudhes se perandorise Osmane).Ne fillim te diteve te tij , katet e siperme te banesave perdoreshin si shtepi ndersa te poshtmet si vende pune.
Pasazhi ka 3 dyer te ndryshme dhe banesa me 5 kate.
Ajo qe e ben ate te veçante eshte se e ruan ende atmosferen e diteve te kaluara , se bashku me shtepite dhe dyqanet e ruajtura ne menyre perfekte.
Vlen te veçohet ketu dyqani i kapeleve vintage i zonjes Katja i cili i reziston kohes me tere forcen dhe bukurine nostalgjike te tij.
Une per vete sa here kaloj andej me mbesin syte tek kapelet ,tek te cilat kushdo qe mund ti hedhe nje veshtrim me pakez fantazi mund te gjalleroje ne syte e tij , Rita Hayworth,Vivien Leigh dhe sa e sa heroina te tjera te ekranit dhe karakteret e tyre te paharrueshme.
Po ashtu nje ndertese e rendesishme e pasazhit ka qene dhe salla e operas-teatrit Çuhayciyan, nje ndertese e rendesishme e shekullit te kaluar.
Si dhe pjese e njohur e pasazhit eshte dhe shtepia e veres qe mban te njejtin titull me pasazhin.
Ndersa ne ditet e sotme pasazhi eshte i populluar nga dyqane te zanatçinjve te ndryshem si rrobaqepes,shites arturinash,argjendare,librashites etj.Pasazhi hapet ne 7.30 te mengjesit dhe mbyllet ne 20.30 te darkes.
Nuk eshte shume i madh por ka nje atmosfere shume te veçante ne kete pasazh, mbase thjesht nga ideja se eshte nje nga vendet e pakta ku mund ta ndjesh , prekesh , marresh eren e se shkuares.
Qe kur futesh nga dera e tij nostalgjike , te mirepret nje oborr i kendshem, i shtruar me kalldrem , me disa stola ne mes te tij , te vendosur me qellim uljeje dhe jo vetem shplodhjeje por dhe soditjetjeje sepse nuk mund te kalosh pa e soditur e qemtuar çdo skaj te ketij pasazhi.
Ne te djathte ndodhet dhe nje çajtore me tavolina dhe stola te ulet , stacion ky i paevitueshem dhe i detyrueshem do te thoja per t'ja nxjerre zine :) pasazhit.
Nje kafe apo çaj i zi, nje loje tavell,bisedim me miqte, apo dhe nje shfletim i ndonje libri te vjeter ,faqezverdhur e eremire (qe mund ta gjeni ne ndonje nga librashitesit e pasazhit) i bejne vertet te paharrueshme ato momente qe do kaloni aty.
Eh pa harruar te shkrepni dhe ndonje fotografi apo te bleni diçka te vogel qofte dhe si kujtim prej ketij pasazhi te paharruar.

p.s: dhe nje foto shtepie ne kete pasazh:http://www.flickr.com/photos/eni/404581143/in/set-72157594493824308

All is full of snow:)

It was 2 years we haven't had any snow here in Istanbul.
As a person grown up in Tirana , Albania , a city with a mild mediterranean climate, I remember always myself missing snow and looking forward to see the snowing days.
In fact, after coming to Istanbul I have seen snow several times, but as I told you it was 2 years we hadn't any snow.



This year was better , because we have had snow twice on the previous months, but not anything serious anyway.
When I got out today to go to work, hundreds of snow crystals blowed to my face.It was cold , but I loved that refreshing feeling.So I just walked , ignoring the cold and the snow melting in my coat.
And when I was at work everything was wonderfully covered, under this splendid whitish cotton like surface.



So I just got some pics , trying to show you how great Istanbul looks today:) Hope you enjoy...

Who knows if the moon's?

who knows if the moon's a baloon,
coming out of a keen city in the sky-
-filled with pretty people?
(and if you and i should get into it,
if they should take me and take you into their baloon,
why then we'd go up higher with all the pretty people
than houses and steeples and clouds:
go sailing away and away sailing into a keen city
which nobody's ever visited,
where always it's Spring)
and everyone's in love and flowers pick themselves

Courtesy of E.E.Cummings (1925)

BUJRUN:)

Vintage : Zhytja e kendshme ne te shkuaren

Vintage , kuptimi i mirefillte i se ciles eshte "koha e vjeljes se rrushit per te prodhuar vere", ka disa vite qe ka perfituar dhe kuptime te tjera ne shume fusha si ajo e modes, mobiljeve, ndriçimit,dekorimit te brendshem, fotografise etj.
Sidomos pas viteve '80 u shfaq dukshem dukuria e "vintage" ne fushen e modes.Firma te ndryshme e paraqiten kete sakaq ne koleksionet e tyre.
Çfare do te kuptojme me vintage?Vintage eshte riperdorimi apo rifutja ne perdorim e shume veshjeve apo objekteve te perdorura me pare dhe qe deri para disa vitesh ishin lene ne harrese te plote.Produktet Vintage i perkasin periudhes kohore midis viteve 1920-1950, çdo gje perpara saj eshte antike dhe çdo gje pas saj deri ne vitet 1970 hyn ne sferen e retros.
Cili qe shkaku i bumit te kesaj mode?Pas egstravagancave joelegante te viteve '80 dhe gjendjes spirale (rrotullim i pafrytshem dhe paskajshem rreth vetvetes, kete e shpika vete -, tha-, nuk egziston gjekundi ky term:) te modes se viteve '90, nje kthim ne te shkuaren u pa si i pashmangshem, nje kthim ne gjenialitetin spontan te viteve te kaluar u be serish muze per vitet e sotme.
Gilles Lipovetsky, filozof dhe profesor ne universitetin e Grenoble, e ka pershkruar shume bukur kete fenomen ne librin e tij "Les Temps Hypermodern" , duke thene se : Fenomeni Vintage , shpreh hezitimin e njerezve ndaj te ardhmes duke i kthyer ata kesisoj, tek e shkuara e tyre.
E kaluara duket shume me e kapshme dhe e sigurt, thjeshtesia dhe çiltersia e gjithçkaje ne te kaluaren eshte e bukur, e besueshme, e kapshme, e mundshme dhe mbi te gjitha e riprodhueshme ne kohen tone ndaj sigurisht qe do te kishte nje shperthim ne tregtimin e saj.
Sigurisht , duke i shtuar dhe disa nuanca te kohes qe jetojme dhe duke i veshur kesaj here dhe nje term me politik, me social , duke e kthyer kete te fundit ne nje forme propagande dhe levizjeje. Levizje e cila e pare si kryengritje ndaj çdogjeje jo te veçante, masive,te rendomte u perqafua nga shume veta.
Dhe sigurisht qe me ne fund u be dhe ajo shume popullore, dhe serish ne mode.Duke qene e tille , ju rrit dhe vlera e tregut dhe çmimet e produkteve te saj sigurisht qe u kripen.
Rroba,mobilje,fotografi ,aparate, objekte dikur te destinuara per tu perplasur ne valixhe apo maksimumi per te pare driten e diellit vetem ne tregjet e dores se dyte, u kthyen tashme ne nje objekt prestigji dhe luksi.U bene houte-couture. Megjithate , meqenese jetojme ne nje kohe , ku kerkesat e shtresave te ndryshme te shoqerise nuk ka asnje lloj limiti dhe rivaliteti midis firmave te ndryshme eshte nxehur paq, sigurisht dhe fatmiresht :) Vintage krijoi nje treg elastik nga i cili perfitoi dhe perfitojne ende te gjithe te apasionuarit e saj.
Sot nje produkt vintage mund ta gjesh dhe ne Avenune e 5-te , por dhe ne shume dyqane e tregje te tjera margjinale anembane globit.
Nga keto dyqane dhe tregje ketu vlejne per tu veçuar:
1.Portobello Road Market (Londer)
2.Bricklane Market (Londer)
3.Kiliwatch (Paris)
4.Tregu i sendeve te ricikluara ne Amsterdam i hapur 6 dite te javes
5.Mjaft dyqane vintage ketu ne Stamboll.Une per vete do te veçoja By-Retro, fotografite e se cilit jane vendosur dhe ne kete post.E vizitova para disa ditesh dhe me thene te drejten me beri shume pershtypje.I vendosur ne Taksim, ne rrugen Istiklal, rruga e cila eshte vete nje monument vintage, ne nje nga pasazhet e vjetra te kesaj zone , me nje siperfaqe prej rreth 700 metra katrore, eshte vertete nje vend mjaft pikant per tere adhuruesit e ketij stili.Çdo veshje, mobilje eshte e veçante dhe nuk e ka as edhe nje te dyte te ngjashme.Kur shetita neper dyqan dhe kapa foton qe shihni poshte nuk e di sepse por mu duk vetja sikur isha ne nje nga zone filmi (te Fellinit) aq artistike dhe e vertete qe atmosfera.
per te pare fotot e disa rrobave (sepse fatkeqsisht faqja eshte vetem ne turqisht) te By-Retro klikoni ketu: http://www.avantgardeast.com.tr/?ref=jakeandjustin.com

Rryma Vintage eshte po aq popullore tashme dhe ne dekorimin e brendshem (duke perfshire ketu mobilimin,perdet,letrat e murit,letrat e ndriçimit, ornamentet etj) , si dhe ne fushen e fotografise ka fituar nje fluks te rendesishem, duke luajtur sidomos me teksturen e fotove per ti dhene atyre nje tipar vintage.

Si per fundim po shkruaj disa faqe interneti ku mund te gjeni elemente interesante rreth ketij fenomeni:
1.www.vintageswank.com
2.www.retro-housewife.com
3.www.gloriousvintage.com
4.www.vintagevixen.com
5.www.flickr.com (per te pare foto me tag vintage)
6.www.vintagelooks.com
7.www.antiquemystique.com

Istanbul Voyeurism:)

I shot this one yesterday from the Galata Tower! Had the strange feeling I was controlling all the city:)

Istanbul book fair

Last week , thanks to the Republic holiday (on 29th of October) I found time to visit the "Istanbul Book Fair".One needs courage to go there, since is located in the "far far away "kingdom:)
This fair has been organised in Taksim, but since 2001 because of the lack of place in an all-time growing fair , it was removed to one of the biggest fair centres in Beylikduzu.
The fair is getting bigger and more exciting each passing year.
This year , this 10 days lasting fair , hospited 500 different publishing houses and different civil foundations.Of course not to mention 800 many wellknown national and international writers,scientists,politicians,journalists and literates participation in different workshops , cultural activities .
This years fair was approximately visited by more than 300.000 bookphilos.
The main fair theme was "Mediterranean in Literature and Literature in Mediterranean", consisting of different subjects related to this warm zone of the globe such as : Sea Literature,Mediterranean Kitchen,Mediterranean Women etc etc.

This years fair was also a premiere for Korean literature.
Children were not forgotten as well.They had their special corner of workshops.
I left the fair with 7 books this time..Not that much compared to other times:)
I got Susan Sontag's "Slave of dreams", Hesse's "Knulp" , a short story book from Rilke and some classics .
I noticed that the classic books were really much cheaper from the previous years.I found this very positive.Everybody should read the classics, this is a good start for every book-worm-to-be and still a muse for each of us..
Now , all I wish is to find the time to read all of these books immediately:) Hope I will in all this mess:(

FOR MORE INFOS CLICK: www.istanbulbookfair.com

Istanbul Design Week 2007

On the past days I had the chance to visit Istanbul Design Week .In fact this was the third time it was being organised and I felt myself so bad and lazy for not visiting the previous exhibitions as well.Anyway, better later than never isn't it?
The exhibition was held as always under the Golden Horn Bridge , which is the very first bridge ever constructed in Ottoman Empire .
It was a cool feeling visiting an exhibition under the bridge.This bridge constructed by Machinebau Ausburg Nürnberg on 1912 , connected the both parts of Golden Horn until 1992 when it became unsable because of the fire.It was reastored in 2005 for the first ıstanbul Design Week and it's in use of arts since then.I think a bridge located exhibition is a brilliant idea ,as it offers you tremendous chanches for fancy,vintage and very different interior decorations.Also it was really weird , yet so cool to visit the exhibition under the mechanisms of such an old and historic bridge.This combined with the surrounding atmosphere of Halic and Balat ,these very well known Istanbul old zones made it really unforgettable.
The mission of this exhibition is gathering designers,creative producers,young talents ,fresh ideas of different design disciplines under the same roof .Different , well -known interior designer producer companies and designers last works were displayed alongside with brand new ideas from young talents and interior design students.
The main ideas of this year's exhibiton were : comfort, environmental conscience , nature friendly designs, trendy and minimalist ,colorful interiors, cultural symbols inspired creations, human rights (different works against homophobia) , differently explicated sexy creationss etc.
Istanbul was amazingly transmited through different designs.
Also Hüseyin Çaglayan's Swarowski Led (light diffusing diode) dress was there .It was really magic to see and perceive the fast motion of light and colors.
But one of the best parts of this exhibition were the cozy net sittings arranged over the bridges bottom parts..nor you could feel the sea closer , neither you could feel that liberty feeling better!
I'm just looking forward to the next year's exhibition!

for more infos on this event:http://www.istanbuldesignweek.com

Sexy Cows..and not only!

I bet you've never seen sexier cows before.They are stylish,colorful, three-dimentional , trendy and funny.

I kinda hear you saying: What's a sexy cow? :) What do you mean?

No , I'm not ironizing at all:) There are such ones:) You may find them everywhere in Istanbul actually:)

CowParade Istanbul it's the largest open air art exhibition in Istanbul organised 'till now.It's an international exhibition , open for all audiences who want to share their art .Different works of different artists and people not dealing with art are present in this exhibition.This exhibition aims to mix all of these conmpositions and create so a very special , warm , cozy atmosphere for an unforgettable event.

These awesome cows are emplaced in some of the most popular Istanbul districts.I've seen some of them and are truly amazing and genuine , each of them bearing a different message .

The Cow Parade is very popular and has been organised in different areas of the world such as :1998 Zurich ,1999 Chicago ,2000 New York ,2001 Houston, Kansas ,2002 Las Vegas,London, Sydney ,2003 Atlanta, Auckland, Dublin, Tokyo ,2004 Cape Town, Johannesburg, Manchester, Prague, Stockholm, Buenos Aires, Harrisburg ,2005 Barcelona, Bratislava, Bucharest, Geneva, Florence, Monaco, Moscow, Sao Paolo, Warsaw, 2006 Paris, Edinburgh, Athens, Lisbon, Budapest, Norway, Boston, Denver, Curitiba , 2007 İstanbul , 2008 Pekin .

A sum of 10.000.000 $ , earned until know in the held exhibitions and auctions has been deposited to different charity organisations.The profits from the auction that'll be held in Istanbul Cow Parade will be deposited to Rehabilitation Centre for Homeless Children , AÇEV (Foundation for Children with Leukamia) and TEMA (enviromental foundation)...

For more infos on this cool project have a look here: http://cowparade-istanbul.com