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.