Turkiye'ye geliyorum!

I have been living in San Francisco for the last 5 years and find it a really great city, but it is finally time to make that journey around the globe to begin a new life in Turkiye! I am very excited about it. I am moving to Istanbul (Cihangir specifically) permanently on 1 August 2005, yet initially plan on spending much time chilling out down south: Cesme, Gocek, Ayvalik, etc. -- smaller coastal towns where I can escape the jungle for a while, before taking on Istanbul.

Istanbul. What can I say? The place is a fantasticly wondrous hive. I find it amazing in it's beauty, history and people. I have been to many great cities in this world such as Paris, London, Barcelona, NYC, Prague, etc... but find Istanbul to be the most intriguing. It has the most potential. You can feel it everywhere.

While in SF, a group of us established a fun art/nightlife non-profit that featured many aspects of local and international art and music culture as well as raising funds for good causes.
http://www.altruity.com/index.shtml

On the Turkish front, some friends and I are collaborating on a project that will hopefully take the form of a regular event similar in theme to the events held in SF, where elements of nightlife, art, food and international culture will converge.

The Istanbul Biennale is later this year and we hope to have some fun with that as well.
http://www.iksv.org/bienal/
http://www.iksv.org/bienal/english/

Some of the things that I miss and really look forward to returning to:
Raki Sofrasi, the Bosphorus, Mavi Yolculuk, the Ezan, BJK, 1000 Kebaps & Ayran, Kumru & cold Efes and tabii hepsi Turk arkadaslerim!

Hi Dano!

You're really...um...looking forward to ayran?? Blimey! Are you insane?

I have a few SF friends here - one of whom always takes me to the most delightful places!

Sounds like you really love Istanbul - perhaps you'll be surprised by Istanbul Modern.

Whats wrong with ayran? Had some with my lunch yesterday and usually have 1 everyday.

Welcome to the forum Dano and feel free to add your thoughts to any of the threads. could do with a bit of sanity in here.

Thumbs up for both Dano and for ayran!

What can I say?

how about 'long live ayran' for starters?

Vive l'ayran! (This is supposed to be a multi-lingual site, you know.)

Evet, ayran can be tasty stuff... especially at 5am after being out all night. I've attempted to make it myself here in SF just for a fix; a simple task but never quite the same as in Anatolia.

I heard that Istanbul Modern recently opened it's doors and it sounds really great. I didn't get a chance to visit it last time I was there (NYE'05 mutlu yillar!) but will have to check that out sometime next summer or fall.
http://www.dexigner.com/art/news-g3414.html
http://www.istanbulmodern.org/engl.aspx

Thanks for the intros! Memnun oldum!
This looks like a fun forum.
I'll have to post in some other areas of it as well...

* Also -- here is a very keen blog/news/forum site with lots of interesting tidbits:
http://istanbul.metblogs.com/
Enjoy!

Hi Dano,
Welcome to the forum and thanks for the links they are really useful.
Hope we can meet you when you get here.....would love to hear more about your plans

Thank you so much! Yes, it will be quite an adventure!

Also, a freind of mine in the design industry sent me this yesterday.
It has some great pics that of course also make me reallly wish I was there...
http://corporate.gettyimages.com/edit/s ... e=1&bhcp=1

Ciao 4 now!
~Dano