Beckie Loewenstein

I just translated a short article about Cyprus from Turkish to English, learning some new vocabulary along the way: amacıyla with the purpose of bağımsızlık independence baskı kurmak to pressure bayrak flag Bilincinde olduğumuz diğer bir konu Another issue to be aware of Bu memleketin gerçek sahibi   this country's real owners cumhuriyet republic elimizden alınmıştır it is taken from our hands göç yasalar immigration laws halkların kardeşlik the people's brotherhood hükümetler the governments illegal yerleşikler illegal residents inşa etmek to build işgalin ardından following the invasion of kabul etmek to agree kendi kaderlerini tayin etmek to determine their own destiny kimlik identity Kıbrıs milliyetçiliği Cypriot nationalism Kıbrıs’ın kuzeyinde

6 saat yürüp koştum. Bitap düşmüştum. I walked and ran for 6 hours. I fell exhausted. akıl etmek to mind Arkadaşım her zaman çok misafirperver. Haftasonları o evine ben davet ediyor. Geceler ben onun kapıyı çalabilirim. My friend is always very welcoming. At weekends he invites me to his house. At night I can knock on his door. bestelemek compose birikmek pile up bitap düşmüş worn-out Çalışma birikiyor. Work is piling up. çalmak knock, play, steal çekil withdrawn çıkılmak to exit cırcır böceği cricket dağlar mountains Dağlar, ovalar ve tarlalar çok güzel. Mountains, plains and fields are very nice. Dans onların doğası Dancing is in their nature davet etmek invite Deniz derinlikler çok. Sea depth is a lot. derinlikler depth dışarıda kimsecikler yoktu There was nobody outside d

Animals evoke strong emotions from Turkish people in Istanbul. Street cats and dogs reside on the sidewalks, corners, doorsteps, and entrances of Cihangir, a neighborhood in Beyoglu. Homeowners go to pet stores just to buy cat food to leave out for the street cats. Restaurants like Miss Pizza and the Pizza Factory leave leftover slices of pizza out for the street dogs. At closing time, the butchers put leftover meaty bones out on the streets for the street cats and dogs in the evenings. Walking a dog reveals even more about the locals. Walking an energetic Pomerranian quickly reveals the dog lovers and haters around Beyoglu. As I walk the dog on Istiklal, the main promenade from Taksim Square to Tunel in Beyoglu, we get an entire spectrum of reactions. Turkish people call out, asking for the dog’s name, breed, and age. Some look at the friendly dog and see a wild animal with giant teeth; they act afraid and back up in fear of an attack. Others are simply not used to seeing a pampered p

More than any other public transport option, the ferryboat rides across the Bosphorus give Istanbul its grandeur. Find the timetables at the Sehir Hatlari website. The first ride starts as early as 6 am and ends as late as 11 pm. Interested in a short joy ride? The Kabatas to Uskudar line goes straight across the Bosphorus in just ten minutes. Sometimes the captain does not mind, and you can stay on the boat without even getting off. For a full day’s outing, follow this enjoyable circuit on both sides of the Bosphorus. Start the morning with Turkish breakfast at Namli, tea at Dem, or coffee at Karabatak in Karakoy, the rapidly gentrifying blue collar neighborhood near the docks. Buy an Istanbul card at the newspaper stand outside the ferry turnstiles. Next, ride the ferryboat from Karakoy to Kadikoy. Feed the seagulls with some of the bread you wrapped in a napkin and put in your pocket after breakfast. Feel free to have a cup of hot tea on the boat. Use your beginner’s luck to scan th

Istiklal avenue leads to places that inspire and fulfill the senses. The stretch between Galata tower and Galatasaray highschool provide many places to explore. The view at the top of Galata tower gives a great orientation to all of the bustling streets below, the geography of the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus, and the magnificent skyline of all of the mosque minarets and towers of Istanbul. After taking in the breathtaking view, you could either get a cup of coffee at the Cherry Bean on Camekan street, just opposite from the tower, or grab a cup of freshly squeeze orange or pomegranate juice on your walk up the hill to Tunel, the square with the tunnel train stop to Karakoy and the Sishane metro. A cat may welcome you at the entrance to the Galata Mevlevihanesi, a museum on Sufi Islam. Green grass grows at the peaceful cemetery. Take a close look at the tomb inscriptions for Ottoman Turkish in Arabic script. Imagine spinning at the wooden whirling dervish hall. Read about the Ottoman

The local handcrafts of Istanbul find inspiration in art, design, jewelry, and fashion. Tophane and Cihangir provide a rich cornucopia of locally handcrafted products such as tailored clothes, earrings, necklaces, bags, wooden kitchen utensils, lamps, and furniture. Window shoppers are entirely welcome so feel free to daydream about interior design and architecture. Start the exploration at Bogazkesen Street. Tar Tar, a new arrival at 66 Bogazkesen, sells quartz necklaces and mono bangles with round, fabric-covered bands, leather pouches with wooden balls, felt hats with chin straps and snap buttons. The classic simplicity of this jewelry suits both casual and formal occasions. Next up, LaBoratuvar of the laB design studio at 72 Bogazkesen sells wooden furniture, leather wallets, vintage carpet footstools, beetle print fabric cases, wrap table lamps, and limited edition necklaces. Hane 78 sells wooden furniture crafted through excellent carpentry. Sit in the wooden chairs and imagine e

The Tophane art walk maps the local art galleries and museums of Tophane, Karakoy, and Cihangir. A walk through these exhibits vividly portrays Istanbul’s local art scene. Istanbul Modern opens on Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm, opens on Thursday from 10 am to 8 pm, closes on Mondays, and gives free admission to residents of Turkey on Thursdays. The museum currently exhibits the contact sheets of Magnum photographers until August 2015. In addition, its outdoor restaurant balcony gives an excellent view of the Bosphorus. Continue to the art galleries in Tophane and Cihangir. Most of these galleries usually close by 7 pm so plan to only stay at the museum for a couple of hours. Exiting Istanbul Modern, turn left, cross the street at the Tophane tram station, and walk up Bogazkesen street , which means ‘cut throat’ in Turkish because the street starts at the seaside and continues all the way up the hill to Istiklal. First, visit Mixer, an art gallery that hosts the most entertaining

Karakoy, which means dark village in Turkish, occupies a corner of Istanbul’s memory of the Ottoman Empire. The banks and fish market recall commerce and merchants. Just uphill from the Tunel train entrance, Bankalar street leads you to a mix of historical and modern banks with tall facades and columns. Salt Galata, an art space converted from a bank, is located at 11 Bankalar street. The main entrance floor has a library with mostly reference art, architecture, and history books. The free Internet, televisions and headsets to watch the art DVDs, comfortable chairs, and desks allow for a quiet place to study and work. The Ottoman bank vaults are located in the basement. It includes glass panels with photographs and postcards of banks from the Ottoman Empire. Go deeper within the vault through the green, heavy metal doors to view the stacks of cash bills and the variety of currencies printed in French and Ottoman Turkish. In addition to art exhibits and film screenings, Salt Galata also

A morning in Ortakoy perfectly blends tourist and local pursuits. Recently renovated, the pearly white Ortakoy mosque gleams radiant in the light bouncing off the Bosphorus waters. Ships passing by leave a wide wake. The waves pick up speed until they crash against the dock, splashing anyone standing too close to the edge. The nearby row of food stands sells kumpir, which are hot baked potatoes stuffed with toppings like butter, cheese, mayonnaise, ketchup, olives, sausage, and corn, and waffles with toppings like sugared red and green dyed cherries, nutella, hazel nut spread, chocolate sauce, and fresh bananas and strawberries. A more local option is to walk a bit into Ortakoy for kahvalti, a Turkish breakfast. Cross and take a left at the main street. Then, take a right at Osmanzade street, where you can also buy and top up Istanbul metro cards, and a left at Eski Bahce street, which has a corner shop that sells helva, a sesame seed paste dessert. Especially popular with local Tu

I read one of the Turkish books about Elmer the Patchwork Elephant. rengarenk colorful yürürken walking yürüyüşe walk çalı bush gülerek laughing gülümseyerek smiling dal branch Bir yarığa sıkışmıştı He got stuck. Dalı kaldırıp kurtardı onu He lifted the branch and rescued him bu iyiliğinin karşılığını ödeyebilirim I can repay this kindness yürüyüşüne devam ederken while continuing on his walk bu daracık patikada on the narrow path mağara cave Patikanın bir böiümü yok olmuştu A piece was missing from the path. Ben gidip yardım getiririm I will go and get help Tasalanma Don't worry. sarmaşı vine Yakala Hold on çok sağlam bir sarmaşığı sürükleyerek dragging a very robust vine Merak etme! Do not worry! Kurtulacaksın You will be saved!

I like to compare the Turkish and English translations on cards from art exhibits in Istanbul. kayıp loss söyleyecek sözlerin kaybı loss for words samimiyet intimacy sevgi love iştah appetite bilinç conscience muhakeme judgement algı sense aklı mind hafıza memory kendilik self zaman time fırsat opportunity şans luck söz promise görüş prospect kapasite capacity itibar dignity irade will umu hope hakk right tercih choice hoşgörü tolerance mantık reason kan blood can life barış peace dürüstlük integrity adalet justice güven trust saygı respect inanç belief itibar esteem meşruluk legitimacy gücü power