Skyline

The girl who showed me many special things about Montreal asked me what is the difference between our two skylines. From the lookout at Mount Royal, I listed a whole bunch of things.

 

“Also, you have a bridge,” I said.

“What do you mean?” she asked. 

“A bridge is always important,” I replied, “it reminds me of the Bosphorus Bridge… of the connection of two continents. Whatever the distance between them…” 

How about a coffee?

You know I am not a Starbucks person. I only started going for the free Wifi, and I wasn’t buying anything most of the time, I was just going with my laptop and sitting on a table for more than a couple of hours. Eventually, I started to drink some coffee as well on occasion. When I first came to Montreal, I looked for Starbucks, this time not for the free Wifi, but for the same coffee, the same couches, tables, lamps and floor tiles.

It was only with time that I started looking for my kind of cafés, the “Markizes”, the “Kafe Kafkas” of Montreal. Now Pikolo is one of them.

Markiz, Istanbul

Pikolo, Montreal

Warm Colours

One day last April, a friend asked me if I knew about “Jean Talon.” As soon as I replied that I didn’t, the plan was settled. When we got to the Jean Talon Market on a summer’s day, I was just so happy to find the same setup as back home. That is, being able to taste delicious things out in the sweet-smelling air.

Another wonderful market was the St Lawrence Market in Toronto, a must-stop before a picnic in the port. What makes markets that interesting is definitely about warmth. Well, also freshness and relatively cheapness counts. Most importantly, I didn’t know real markets exist here.

Mot à mot

Turkish saying: “Çocuk oyuncağı!”


Direct Translation: “Kid’s toy!”


What it really means: “Easy as a pie!”

Mot à mot translations are fun, especially if you see me translating my Turkish proverbs and sayings into English.

My keen interest in proverbs and sayings comes from two facts: First, each one is, in itself, a short story. Second, their impact is instant; a cartoon cloud pops up containing a colourful image to tell that story.

"Trick-or-Treat?"

One of my favourite things about Montreal is its cultural diversity. The Montrealer's identity is the admiration for and often the harmony of a myriad of cultures' food, languages, and arts. Montreal synergizes the many nationalities which call it home because it is a place where the citizens can relate to what is beautiful and poignant yet totally different about other traditions. Walking the streets tonight, the "foule" that was small children dressed up as batmans, witches, dinosaurs and basketball players was one of those customs: it was totally familiar yet totally exotic.

While eating dinner at a friend's house, I got the opportunity to engage in a Halloween rite; answering the doorbell and giving precious candy to eager trick-or-treaters. What struck me was how each child pronounced those magic words with excitement, indifference, or courage but no matter how many times I heard them, I wasn't able to grasp their meaning.  It was only later, when a neighbour I had never spoken to offered me the remnants of her candy bowl, that I understood. It's not the words that matter but the action of giving and receiving a gift to and from a stranger.  

Just Walk

I lived in Istiklal for five years. Taking long walks already has so much meaning to anyone, but, in Istiklal, with its diversity, complexity, and its crowd, just walking is a more special and enjoyable experience.

In Montreal there are many special, "walkable" streets but I believe that St Catherine is just as diverse, crowded, and unique as my street back home.

Walking completes the city in your mind. When you raise your head a little bit more, you take in the Art Deco architecture of a depanneur, or you discover a quint cafe, or you learn from some classy Montrealers the best place to have a midnight snack and the more you interact with the city landscape, the more it belongs to you.

As it gets a little colder, it is worthwhile to mention something called the “St Catherine effect” which is the phenomena that it is less windy and warmer than most of the other streets, just saying.

Familiar Aromas

The foreigner always searches for things which are familiar. One of the first similarities I discovered between Istanbul and Montreal was in the form of a culinary icon--The Montreal Bagel.

A girl sitting in my Econ class saw me eating a Tim Horton's bagel, made some sardonic remark about them not being the "real deal," and later sent me this email:

Hi Oguzhan, 

This is what you're missing:

....doughy, sesame-sprinkled goodness.

enjoy,

M

I responded:

Marisa, thank you. Here is the Turk-style bagel, Simit. 

Take care,

Oguzhan

I don't eat Tim Horton's bagels anymore. It's not really about the taste, but about the nostalgia.