I guess huge shopping centers are one of the least exciting parts of Istanbul, but since I tend to end up in them quite often (due to their plain practicality) I often ponder over them anyway. And you know, the cities I have previously lived in had smaller economies than Cevahir.

But to be honest: Cevahir is big and stupid. In addition some of the floors in Cevahir are among the only places in Istanbul I have ever seen empty. Huge stores without a single costumer, I really can’t remember seeing that elsewhere ever in this city. I really like Koç Taş and Burger King during a sudden rain is as liveable as anywhere, but otherwise it’s just huge and dull.

Kanyon is the extreme opposite. Much smaller in size and filled with places that at least to us from lutheran countries have the affect of making us feel that we are probably doing something immoral (TV-screens in the bathroom, just have to be immoral, right?). As late as last Friday I finally confessed to myself that I actually enjoy being in Kanyon. I didn’t like the movie, though.

The street was extremely crowded with both cars and pedestrians., but it was one of those moments when Istanbul feels more like an enormous village than metropolis.

Pera Museum is always a pleasure to visit. In additon to the permanent collection there are now two temporary ones. Three whole floors are covered by graduation projects from Marmara University, Faculty of Fine Arts. Much modern art bores me and I can never understand why movies in art galleries are supposed to be crappy beyond sanity, while we expect quality from all other forms of film. But ignore the boring and enjoy the beautiful things. There is a fantastic fantasy piece on Taksim and on one of the floors there is this robot lying on his back, lit by a spotlight. His metal hands are over his chest in a pondering gesture. His backbone is a thick, multilayered chain. I really love this piece!

My real reason for going to Pera museum, though, was to see “Mehmed the hunter’s Imperial procession - Paintings commissioned by the 17th century Swedish Ambassador Claes Rålamb.” It’s a small exhibition showing the dresses of important people in the old days. All explained in 17th century Swedish! I guess the best thing for me during the whole day was reading those old lines in old Swedish, quite readable actually.

Wagamama takes good care of modern fast food aestathics, which is something I really enjoy. The menues looked like something made by a Google web designer. The air condition was wonderful in the heat and personell were very professional. An hour after the dinner i realized that I had forgotten something valuable there. When I got there again they handed me my stuff and told me that shouldn’t have worried - not a chance that anything forgotten would be lost there. That was a nice touch.

But the food was definitely a bit awkward for us. My fried noodles we ok, but my friends boiled noodles were a bit too strange for someone who hasn’t grown up with noodles. But I guess I will give the one more chance, someday.

But the weekend one week earlier my beautiful home vicinity of Sariyer will give you all the Barışa Rock Festival, featuring thirt Turkish band of all sorts during two days. For free. According to what people have told me the two festivals have earlier years been at the same days, to really underline that the Sariyer festival is a counter happening.

What will you choose? Personally I will probably visit the Barışa festival for one day, while not going to Rock’n Coke at all, even if old Mercury Rev really tugs at my soul. Just listen to their old wise words:

holes, dug by little moles
angry jealous spies
got telephones for eyes
come to you as friends
all those endless ends
that can’t be tied

I will not at all talk about politics, but I will talk about mass transit. And I should also be quik to note that my above statement isn’t negative. Rather; as long as the roads are open the mass transit here is a realy easy way of going almost anywhere almost anytime. And, pleasantly enough, during the summer the roads in Istanbul have been much emptier than usually.

But everything go bu bus here. The central parts of the city are starting to get other means of transport, but as soon as you going a bit further bus is the only alternative. Also when going to other cities. Sure, there are som intercity railway, but they are always mych slower than the busses, (!) but of course cheaper (!!).

On the other hand are the intercity bustrips much nicer than what I am used to from home. The service (you actually get food on busses here on intercity trips and if you get thirsty you can ask for water) as well as the busses themselves are of much higher standard than we are used to up in the north.

During the last week and a half I first went to Bursa for my third Turkish wedding and then after a few days of work to beautiful Gökçeada. And not only did I enjoy the destinations; I actually enjoyed the trips themselves. And I really used to hate busses.

Outside it’s full moon and the insects and the tranformator station outside competes in making the most noise (the insects are winning).

I know locales might have a different view on constant expansion of the city, but for me it’s absolutely fascinating to see how fast the shape of the city actually is changing. New transports, new huge malls (that some, hrm, people don’t like) and this never ending stream of more or less illegal buildings out in the forrest where I live.

When I first moved here, in early spring this year, I really lived at the edge. Since then intensive building have taken place and I can actually observe how we are being immersed in the city. The dirt outside the house has been replaced with gravel and, after a long struggle, our waterlines have been connected to the city water.

Call me a man of simple pleasures if you want.

To find it was made more difficult by the fact that it had recently moved. When I was going there a second time, early this year, it had just moved and expanded once more. It is still the only place I have found in this city that sells role playing games, but that part is still hardly noticable in the store. The most important claim of fame should be their large range of comics, both in Turkish and English, but the available goods is expanded also to boardgames, different cultural items, hugely expensive toys and more.

The same people that are behind Gerekli Şeyler are also behind Arkabahçe, which seems to make quite good business selling translations of American comics and fantasy books. They have also made a Turkish translation of Dungeons and Dragons, making it the only published role playing game in Turkish. But as a couple of them told me over a dinner back in Januray, this hardly sell anything.

I won’t try to convince anyone to go there, you will all know after reading this if you would fit there or not.