Thursday, July 10, 2008

In my hood...Bozkurt Mahallesi

I am staying with my friend here in Istanbul, and she tells me her neighborhood is a mish-mosh of long-established Armenian families & Christians, trendy students and Transgendered folks. This makes for a very lively environment here on Eşref Efendi Sokak, sometimes at all hours of the day and night. At first I was a little sad that I can only hear one muezzin at prayer times, but I am not missing out on the Aygaz song (maybe you can find an example on youtube- it's banned here! x-( ).
On my daily walk up the street to the main intersection, I have come to know the shops, grocers, kuaförü, decayed buildings, and the various sleeping dogs and cats and the order in which I'll encounter them. The animals are more predictable than the construction wreckage or the games and hijinks of the children. Anyway, Burcu explained to me how the Armenian families living up on the upper floors often call down to the shop owners from their windows to get such and such, lowering baskets. With their accents, as a whole it is free entertainment.

2 comments:

Sara said...

Now I wish I lived on the second story somewhere, so I could get that basket service!

juek said...

"a Kilo of Koka Kola!"