Illusions at the Sabanci Museum

Spent a few hours today wandering around the grounds of the Sakip Sabanci Museum, located in a mansion along the Bosphorus in the suburban Istanbul neighborhood Emirgan.  The mansion was designed in 1925 by an Italian architect by the order of an Egyptian prince.  Haci Omer Sabanci bought the mansion in 1951.  He bought the bronze horse statue at an auction in 1952 and had it placed in the mansion's garden.  Since then the mansion is called Atli Kosk- the mansion with a horse.

In 1998 Atli Kosk and all the collections and furnishings were allocated to Sabanci University to be converted to a museum.  It opened to the public in 2002 and the exhibition halls just opened in 2005.  The current exhibition is by the artist Anish Kapoor who is regarded as a pioneer in the development of contemporary sculpture.  I had seen Cloud Gate in Chicago often referred to as 'the bean.'  It is kind of like a giant high end fun mirror.  Walking around his work at the Sabanci Museum made me realize what an illusionist he is.  He uses incredibly large natural materials such as marble or alabaster or granite and works them in such a way that the viewer isn't always sure whether the surfaces are complete or not.

 

Painting Protest

Last week while I was waiting for the bus I noticed that the cement planters in the middle of the sidewalk in front of my apartment building were painted in neon pink, green, blue, and yellow.  They hold weeds and I wondered who have have spent energy painting these- why wouldn't they plant pretty flowers to make them attractive rather than paint the planters, thus calling more attention to the weeds.  Saturday I walked down the 120+ stairs between my apartment building and the one next to it.  They lead down to the Saturday market I like to go to for fresh fruits and vegetables.  I discovered that all of the steps leading down to the street were painted bright rainbow colors and in fact, there were handprints and various other decor painted on the cement walls along the stairs.  How beautiful I thought.  There must be a school in the neighborhood and this was a back to school project...  Flash forward to dinner last night with friends whose children promptly asked me, 'Hey Michelle, are those stairs near your house painted?'  How did they know?  Apparently it is another form of protesting here.  It started recently when a retired artist painted the stairs near his home in the neighborhood of Cihangir for the simple purpose of beautifying them.  The day after he finished municipality workers painted them gray.  Word spread and now, even stairways in neighborhoods in the east of Turkey are painted the colors of the rainbow.  Read more in the New York Times or the Hurriyet Daily News.

I am amazed at the ways people protest here.  In April, at the height of the Gezi Park protests I went to see for myself what it was all about.  It was like a carnival.  People in tents with borders of flowers planted around them, vendors selling watermelon and grilling kebaps, a makeshift library set up so protestors who were there for long hours could exchange books, and people from all walks of life and of all ages.  Those who didn't want to be out in the crowds supported the cause by flashing their lights on and off at a certain time and banging pots and pans at another.  Some may see this as passive aggressive protesting.  I think that no where in the US could you coordinate such 'protesting.'

Batik meets Greece

I was in Mykonos for a long weekend and picked up this fabulous batik pareo.  I know, I know, hardly a very 'Greek' souvenir.  Who goes to Greece and buys something imported from Indonesia?  Well I did. I fell in love with the colors- bright energizing red with calming blues and purples in a slightly Greek-like pattern.  And you can't go to the beach in Mykonos without a pareo (a Tahitian word for a wrap around skirt).

I bought mine at a little boutique called El Pareo where the owner claims not to have changed his prices in five years.  And says he is so close to retirement he hopes not to change them before then.

El Pareo's pareos are either screen prints or batiks like the one I bought. Batik is an Indonesian art of designing cloth using a wax-resistant dyeing technique.  Traditionally the cloth was dipped in wax and then the design 'scratched' onto it.  

Fabulous figs (Incir)

Although dried figs are available all year long, nothing hits the spot like a fresh fig-a perfectly ripe fig is succulently sweet with a slightly crunchy seedy inside texture.  And they are good for you too!  Figs are rich in potassium, calcium, and dietary fiber.

Figs are first thought to be cultivated in Egypt and then introduced to other parts of the Mediterranean such as Turkey, Greece, Portugal, and Spain.

I bought a half kilo (yarum kilo) of fresh mission figs from the man on the corner who sells fresh seasonal fruits from a cart.  I found this fabulous recipe in the New York Times for a Fig and Almond Cake.  Read the article and find the recipe here. Mmmm... love the moist yet crunchy texture of the cake with the sweet baked figs!

And if you enjoy a good international mystery novel, I highly recommend The Fig Eater by Jody Shields.

Viva Mexico!

Off on a recruitment trip to Latin America my first stop is Mexico City.  I have not been here in about 7 years and am loving every minute so far.  Well, probably not every minute as my luggage did not arrive with me.  I saw it at JFK where I dropped it at the Lufthansa transfer desk but apparently 5 hours was not long enough for it to make it to my Aeromexico flight.  I am not sure whose at fault but was very happy when it showed up at the W Hotel 24 hours after I did.  Thank goodness I had planned to arrive a day early and enjoy a Sunday in the city. 

The W Hotel- I have not stayed in one before and not convinced I will again.  I do love the neighborhood I'm in- Polanco.  It is a very chic neighborhood with high end shops and lots of restaurants and cafes and quaint parks.  It is also close to the main street Paseo la Reforma which is parallel to the Bosque de Chapultepec (it means hill of the grasshoppers) and is Mexico City's largest park with a zoo and museums and botanical gardens as well as the residence of the President until 1939 when the building was converted into the Museum of National History.  Anyway, back to the W.  My room is red- not so soothing to look at though it is quite modern and sleek.  The interesting feature though is the round bathtub and the hammock that hangs over it.  My father thought maybe I was mistaking the closeline for a hammock... I don't think so!

Despite the loss of my luggage I was determined to make the most of my first day out in the real world after 30 hours of travel time.  The weather is absolutely gorgeous.  A bit on the chilly side but so much crisper than the desert.  And so green!  I set out to find a church and was successful.  It was packed and although the mass wasn't in English I enjoyed the old organ music and people watching.

The families spilled out into the Parque America and then two blocks further the parque Rosedal and Parqu Lincoln for a green leafy pedestrian mall.

Remote control boats- not quite the Jardin de Tuileries



I made my way over to Paseo la Reforma past the Simon Bolivar Obelisk and National Auditorium which is massive. Similar to the walk of fame in Hollywood, the winners of the Latin Awards have golden squares in the sidewalk in front of the auditorium. 

And then walked and walked and walked through the Bosque de Chapultepec until I reached the Monumento a los Ninos Heroes.  There are six marble columns that commemorate the 'boy heroes' or six cadets who died in battle.  On September 13, 1847 more than 8000 American troops stormed Chapultepec Castle which at the time housed the national military academy.  The Mexican General Santa Ana retreated before the onslaught, excusing the cadets from fighting.  But the boys, aged 13-20 chose to defend the castle.

I LOVED these garbage cans made from recycled bottles.

Checked out the Museum of Modern Art



Today I worked but did manage to go out for Mexican Food tonight at Casa Hevia.  It is in a beautifully decorated old Spanish style home with a courtyard and lots of plants and Mexican art.  They had a big sign out front that said,  'Chiles en Nogada' which is why I went in.  This is my most favorite Mexican dish and it is only prepared in the fall season.  The story behind it is that the recipe was created in the city of Puebla who were giving a banquet in honor of Don Augustin de Iturbide who led the final revolt against the Spanish and had just signed the Treaty of Cordoba.  Nogada is a walnut sauce.  Poblano chiles are stuffed with a mixture of meat, raisins, pine nuts, pears, peaches, cinnamon and tomatoes.  The walnut sauce has walnuts of course, white cheese, and pomegranate seeds.  Notice it is the colors of the Mexican flag- green, white and red.  As a starter I had another favorite Mexican dish- Tortilla Soup!

The soup is typically served with the fixings on the side so you can add what you want.

Off to sleep-- early flight to Monterrey for the day tomorrow!

Boy Scouts come to Saudi Arabia

The excitement on campus this week was the hosting of the international scout camp (0ver 200 scouts from 75 countries) as part of the Messangers of Peace Program launched by King Abdullah in 2001 when he declared international scouts should be messangers of peace. 
A limited number of community members were invited to attend the opening ceremony where Prince Faisal, Education Minister and Head Scout in Saudi Arabia was joined by King Carl XVI Gustav, President of the World Scout Fund and Queen Silvia of Sweden.  It was held at the stadium on campus (my first time there) and security was very tight.  We had special passes and were required to take a shuttle bus from the center of campus an hour before the program was scheduled to start.  It was well worth the heat  and humidity though.  What a fabulous initiative and moving ceremony. 

Break dancers

Saudi performers

Prince Faisal presenting King Carl XVI Gustav with a nice check.

white balloons being released (guess they couldn't get doves) to which a young scout behind me exclaimed, 'That's so bad for the environment!'

Scouts in Saudi Arabia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xIXLlrEcts

Here is an article about the program from the Arab News:

By P.K. ABDUL GHAFOUR | ARAB NEWS

Published: Sep 29, 2011 00:08 Updated: Sep 29, 2011 00:09

JEDDAH: The international scouts camp at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Thuwal, northwest of Jeddah, aims at promoting cultural dialogue and world peace, said Education Minister Prince Faisal bin Abdullah.

He said the camp which is held as part of the "Messengers of Peace" program launched by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah would be attended by 200 international personalities from 97 countries.
The 10-year program aims at mobilizing 30 million scouts across the globe to work for world peace.
Swedish King Carl Gustav, who visited the camp on Wednesday, commended the "Messengers of Peace" program initiated by King Abdullah, adding that it would encourage youths to work for world peace.
"The world scout movement plays a significant role in enhancing the skills and capabilities of young men and women as it trains them to depend on themselves and work for changing the world to the better," Gustav said.
King Abdullah launched the program as part of his endeavors to promote world peace. "He selected the World Organization of the Scout Movement, an organization that takes care of the youth to promote his message," Prince Faisal said. In November 2001, King Abdullah declared that the World Scouts should be the messengers of peace. "The initiative reflected his farsightedness," he added.
Within six years, about 10 million young men and women in 110 countries responded to his call favorably and worked for establishing peace, by working together for security, development and helping others.
"King Abdullah's selection of World Scouts to carry his message is a great beginning, as the principles of volunteer work conforms with the language of dialogue he selected to address his fellow humans in order to build the bridges of understanding and interaction and promote world peace and prosperity," he added.
"Messengers of Peace" is a simple concept. Every scout doing good deeds and giving services to others will be part of that collective process aiming at changing the world - your single act multiplied by 20 million - that is its real dynamic, organizers said.
"Imagine 20 million young people, just like you, being active in their communities worldwide undertaking simple but important work to change their world. After the launch in Jeddah, we expect many more scouts will want to join us in our quest to change the world," one official associated with the program said.

Happy Saudi National Day!!

Today is the 79th Anniversary of the founding of Saudi Arabia by King Abdul Aziz in 1932.  It is the only public holiday in the country other than the two religious Eid celebrations.    I sometimes find it hard to believe that the United States is older than Saudi Arabia. But then I think that some of the laws and customs are similar to those of the US in 1855 so perhaps in 2167 the Kingdom will be just like the US is today. 

There is green green everywhere.  People even spray paint their cars green.  They had a celebration here on campus with typical foods and camel rides, singing of the national anthem, speeches, handicrafts and antiques.  I went to this for a little while and then headed to Jeddah for dinner.  Unfortunately we never got to the restaurant we wanted to go to on the Corniche (seaside road) because the traffic was soooo bad.  Lots of celebrating- kids waving flags out of car windows and young boys driving around sitting on top of the cars- really not very safe.  I was thinking it is probably a good thing they don't allow alcohol here.  When traffic was stopped boys would get out and dance around the cars.  So instead of going to a nice Saudi restaurant and sitting outside we ended up at a cafe that advertises as a Greek restaurant but really the only Greek item on the menu was a Greek salad.  Which I had with some buffalo chicken tenders and a brownie sundae.

The event on campus was at the Marina.

The Saudi version of dress up and have your picture taken in a typical Bedouin tent.

Nourel and Emin

Hoteit family (Aida, Ibrahim, Iyad, and Selma)

Camel rides!!

This is actually a Lebanese woman who makes these little pizzas that were the best food at the event.

Flags and music arrive.

Women wrapped in flags.

Out in Jeddah with the girls from the office-- from left- Merhan, Wareef's sister-in-law whose name I missed, Anita, Me, and Wareef.  Nora was missing because her youngest son was sick :(

This summer I discovered a fantastic art gallery in Jeddah: http://athrart.com/  It is a contemporary art gallery that exhibits the work of Saudi and Arab artists.  It's location is a little off the beaten path as art is not widely accepted in Saudi Arabia.  I went with several of my female colleagues so thank goodness two of them are from Saudi Arabia.  Otherwise I don't think I would have ever found it.  Although now I can find it on my own.  It is in a mall- and not an upscale mall like the Copley Mall.  More like in the Corner Mall at Downtown Crossing in Boston.  And you have to walk through the mall to the upper parking lot to an office building.  It is on the 5th floor above the Danube (KMartesque) offices. 

The first exhibit I went to was a show by Haji Noor Deen (http://www.hajinoordeen.com/), who combines Chinese and Arab calligraphy.  What I love about his work is that he combines two very different cultures and illustrates them in a way that speaks to their ability to exist together in the same space and complement each other.  There were a lot of really great pieces in the show and the prices were actually very reasonable.  When I saw the piece titled Peace be Upon You I knew immediately that I wanted it.  It was only opening night so I just picked my new artwork up this week when I went to the opening of another show.  I hung it just as you come in the door and think it really compliments the space of the front hall. 

The other really exciting news is that a Pottery Barn opened at the Red Sea Mall: http://www.redseamall.com/    I went to check it out yesterday and really it was such a fabulous time.  It was like I was in heaven.  As I slowly strolled through the dining and living displays I inhaled the familiar scents of PB candles and linens.  As I was giddily selecting new towels one of the store employees as where I was from.  When I answered America his reply was, 'Welcome home!'  It was like I was at the immigration counter at John F Kennedy Airport.  My new friend at PB is only in Jeddah for a few weeks to train staff at this store and the other they are opening in the Mall of Arabia. He is from Lebanon but has lived in Kuwait and worked at the PB there for 7 years.  He complemented me on my selection of colors and held them aside while I continued to browse. 

I picked out an outdoor chair cushion for my patio as well and did a little planting now that the temperatures have dropped below 100 most days.  Hopefully I'll be sitting on my patio and enjoying fresh herbs in no time.

I also purchased a couple of decorative items for my front hall way and stair landing- a stool and tall candle.  I was sweating it out on the stool because they only had one of three different shades of wood on display and wanted me to come back in three days to pick it up.  When I explained I lived an hour away and the stool was the same price as a taxi to Jeddah my new friend said he would check with the manager.  I went to get lunch and he called to let me know I could take the stool-- my lucky day!