preparing for saturday all saturday

Kadiköy metro line opened yesterday. woohoo. 22km of metro! i was a bit skeptical as on thursday there was still construction going on around, but friday morning when i passed it was looking fancy. there was a big stage and police fences all around. ready for Recep Tayip Erdogan's speech. I was thinking the other day, if he was to be assassinated, there is no way that the suspect would make it out alive from police custody to trial. not possible. not that I'd wish assassination upon anyone... although Syria's stubborn quasi leader might benefit from some friendly fire, by seizing to exist...

this pedestrian crossing (i presume?)confused me. hey just painted these things near the port (which is barely showing in the upper part of the photo). i am wondering if pedestrian crossings always looked like this in istanbul (and i just didnt notice) or if this is special. and what is that wide red thing there? there are traffic lights too, here, but the same old rules apply; you cross when you feel its convenient.

there is this homeless mother & son team that lives in our neighborhood. "son" is not to be mixed with a child though, he looks 45 so perhaps 30+ in real years. they've probably been around forever. i once bought and offered food but the old lady politely but strictly turned me down, i guess they manage fine on their own?? since then we exchange greetings though. what intrigues me is that they live with some big luggage and few other bags and lead a very scheduled life with strict routines. in the mornings at 8:45 they are always at an exact spot finishing their packing after the night - which seems to be a ritual more than
necessity, they seem to spend a huge portion of the waking hours packing. seems like a precise job. saturday afternoons they are sitting and relaxing in a specific place. sunday's i see them in another location down the street, sitting with luggage and listening to radio. and for the night they return to a shop front near our flat (photo below). there is a bit of a shelter/roof in the front of a furniture shop, although its an open space. I can see them from our window. the feeling i get is that they choose to be homeless for some reason. they dont beg and dont seem especially unhappy. maybe the routine they have also gives an impression like they are doing ok. but who knows. i keep wondering where they go to toilet and shower. doctor suggested they probably use mosque toilets. shower is still a mystery. not that they look like they get shower very often... if at all. teeth brushing is probably out of the question. she is too old to have periods, i hope...   i wonder what their health concerns are. ive seen them eat sandwhich and things.

last night i met Zara in taksim along ith Senni and Ayla. the latter 2 introduced me to a nice cafe/bar/restaurant called Urban Cafe. nice place with a european/french feel. its still so warm the wall was open.




















this cat was observing drunks in Zincir bar a week ago.

the vest of this guy amused me.

this is a nice cafe nearby. spanish name i think, but i forgot it. actually im not sure if there is anything inside, as i was sitting at the terrace with Serkan, in search of a waiter we went in and the fancy big rooms were just empty. the kitchen was downstairs (cellar). weird. but a nice place!

Seven psychopaths seems interesting. theres Tom Waits with a bunny!!