mulled wine and candles

kadiköy has put up new years decorations, for the first time ever. its pretty impressive. i really like the look and feel. this illuminated globe where you can walk inside is cute.

i was watching trailers, i guess these ones are must see:
R100 wtf asia crazy s*it.....  ?! :D seems awesome
while we were young something about this hits close to home i guess :) i am interested at least
exmachina probably promises more than it can deliver, but nevertheless i always like AI stories
Inherent Vice Paul Thomas Anderson - need i say more? ok, yes, this traiker really seems promising


i was prompted a few times if i wanted any days off around christmas, and i was like "whaaat???!". partly of course because christmas does not "concern" me directly here (but neither does the local ramadan!)  but also maybe because im sort of in my freelance mode, although i work part time i often do stuff during the weekend, out of my own choice. anyway, now im like, hmm, it might have been a good idea. i know next week is quiet though, because everyone else is on holidays, so i can do my work when it suits me, and probably more less relax when i feel like it. unless i take something from uTest or elsewhere...which i have been doing lately. but yeah, i think i can still manage. i guess christmas atmosphere is around me in a way. people have parties, i too want to relax and enjoy good food with friends...   someone is hosting a christmas dinner, we are thinking of having one too... i am burning ikea's christmas scented candles...   mmyeah. 


we tried a new restaurant behind the corner, Siraz. they have a greek-turkish-iranian kitchen, and its a very tasty one. slitghly pricey but it was worth it to eat something slightly different... im desperate for anything different these days. 

ONION. with some annoying spice on top, turks and their spices...

me and Yusuf (my couchsurfing host from Hatay) met the other night to catch up and had a drink in this new bar nearby which i had not noticed. E6. they were playing 50's, 60's and 70's music, so it was kind of trendy in its own way. 

yesterday was a cooking day, meh. i spent a record 45 or so minutes in the kitchen because i wanted to try steaming veggies and had bought this sieve to make it possible. mashed potatoes ended up anything but potatoes cos i put in whatever i could find, from dill to cauliflower to onion to...     and the stuff on the pan was pretty varied too; some leftover turkey, the carrots that i steamed and broccoli and so on...    not great but probably semi healthy. we had chinese for lunch, so. 

an elite sex club in the UK for straight women. hmm, ok...