Sinanation

As humans we are blessed with the luxury of imagination and trial. We form perfect little worlds in our heads, but don’t always have the guts to jump into them. We save them in the database with the comfort of being able to make mistakes, change our mind and, if need be, fail. If unsuccessful, we find the strength to get back up and look at life from a completely different point of view. As always we are aware of but amazed by this quality and can not imagine pulling it off again. Yet, before we know it we start the new cycle. We dream. We find the opportunity to reach for it. We succeed or fail.

I also have a dream. A fantasy stripped from all the complications of my life today. Stripped from the ambitions of the capitalist world. Stripped from the emotional dependence of the romantic world. Stripped from the gratitude and indebtedness towards tradition.

It starts with leaving the office work behind. Winter time I get into a tiny chalet on top of a mountain I love to ski. I become a ski instructor from 9am to 3pm. I ski the way I want afterwards until the slopes close off for the day. On the base, I start mixing music and DJing at a cozy bar. I also own a small sports shop, renting out ski gear to travelers. It is a business that handles itself without much maintenance. I have dinner with a few friends in front of a fireplace surrounded by trunks of wood with abundant red wine. Cheeks turn red confused by the cold, the snow, the sun, the fireplace and the wine. The day ends with an exhausting smile on my face around 10-11pm.

Spring and autumn time I am back in the city. I hang out with family and friends. I mingle with the necessities and luxuries of the urban life. I take care of all the administrative work for artandseek. I keep meeting new emerging artists.

Summer time I take the road to the south. South of Turkey, Italy or France. Living in a small shack close to the beach, I manage a water sports shop and a little restaurant with good food and music. From wakeboarding to surfing, I manage a small school of 5-10 instructors. I am on the beach from 9am to 6pm. I make the time to paint. I have the small corner of art always prepped up in one corner of the shack. Fresh seafood is the way to go for dinner with extra-chilled sparkling wine.

I imagine it to be an amazing experience. Wallpaper images currently on my computer screen become my actual scenery. Suited-up business meetings become cheers on the beach and in front of a fireplace. Foreign language comes close to mother-tongue. The unnatural gym time becomes the fun, natural part of daily life. The sea and the sun eats away all the skin problems. The constant fresh air cleans out the lungs. Calorie counting surrenders to the benefit of a truly active life.

I know I have the comfort of making a mistake, changing my mind and, if need be, failing, but, I am not ready take the plunge yet. I have this perfect world saved up in the database, hoping one day I can make it a reality (even if partially).

Sezen Aksu is one of the most successful and well-known pop singers in Turkey. She has been on stage since 1970s and has influenced generations with her funky but sometimes melodramatic songs. One of her widely-used nicknames is “Minik Serce” (Little Sparrow). Aksu also appeared in numerous movies.

This particular song is a duet with Ceza, a very famous Turkish rapper, and its titled “Gelsin Hayat Bildigi Gibi” (Let life flow as it would). I really like how they finally mix traditional voices with emerging talents. Gelsin Hayat Bildigi Gibi is a great example. The lyrics are also worth noting (but it would take me forever to translate). Enjoy.

Yasmin brought this quote to my attention yesterday. She says it is currently her most favorite and I think she has all the reasons to make it so. It summarizes all the things I wanted to say in Precious in one single sentence. Its author is Samuel Langhorne Clemens, also known by his pen name, Mark Twain.

Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option.

Location: Villa Victoria is located on a hilltop in Vitet overlooking multiple bays of the St. Barthélemy. The location is known as the highest peak (Mt. du Vitet) on the island with multiple luxury villas and is a few km away from the capital, Gustavia.

St. Barts is thought to be discovered by Christopher Columbus around 1490s. It has always been under the control of the French, but was traded to Sweden for a short period of time. The easiest route from New York to the island today is to fly to the Juliana Airport of St. Maarten and then either take a boat/ferry or a charter flight (known to be extremely adventurous with St. Barts’ famous airstrip).

The island has 17 beaches (only Anse du Grand Colombier is secluded enough to be inaccessible by car) and most are known to be blesses with white sandy beaches and posh but relaxed bay-side restaurants.

Type: The villa set on two floors with three bedrooms and bathrooms. The living room is blessed with high ceilings and a modern open kitchen. Numerous floor-to-ceiling windows bring in the light as well as amazing island scenery.

The villa might be a few km away from all the action in Gustavia and Baie de St. Jean and is not set right next to the beach. Yet, with a wrap-around infinity pool and an amazing center lounge right in the middle of it, it kind of makes up for the loss in location.

Price Tag: USD 5.8m

We headed out to finally see Shutter Island yesterday. Yet, thanks to the over-democratic no-reservations theater seating system in America the movie was already sold out by the time we got there. We ended up seeing She’s Out of My League and it turned out to be great. The plot is an average guy who is haunted by a failed relationship and a humiliating family ending up dating a very hot and popular girl. Lately there has been a great interest in such “goofy” comedies. They manage to appeal to both sexes because of their wide focus on relationships.  Wedding Crashers, Knocked Up, It’s Complicated, Hangover and The Ugly Truth are a few other amazingly funny movies that come to mind in the same category.

You need to see She’s Out of My League for two reasons:

• Guys, you will ask yourself “where has this amazingly hot Alice Eve been all this time?” You will be partially glad and a little depressed that this British, Oxford-graduate actress finally made it to Hollywood. (Especially during the bedroom scene)

• Although a fairy tale, the movie succeeds in giving an almost-real snapshot of how a relationship between what the society considers as the “average loser” (a number 5) and the “naturally hot & gifted” (a number 10) would work. A lot of awkward situations that will make you look away and a lot of hilarious moments that will make you burst into laughter.

Most of my readers would know by now that skiing is one of my favorite sports. Although my family took a long break from it after my mother’s back pain problems, I came back to it stronger and more motivated than ever. I put on my first skis when I was around 6 years old in Uludag, Turkey and have been to numerous resorts around Europe and the U.S. since then. On top of the contentment I get from skiing, I am a big supporter of the social package it comes with. Being able to ski all day and make your way down to a restaurant with great food, friends and music is one of the best activities I have ever been a part of. With the sun on top of you to keep you warm, the crisp mountain air to keep you fresh and the snow below to keep you cool you dive into amazing food and wash it down with a nice bottle of wine. You have been exercising all day and you have all the reason to mingle with the big calories. I dedicate Après-ski to those moments of great contentment and excitement.

Pay attention to the 3rd song in the line up. It is so far my favorite for 2010!

Hope you can make it…Call 212 751 3036 for reservations.

What to expect: Killington is one of the largest ski resorts on the East Coast. Looking over the mountain and the map from the Snowshed base, you will need at least a few minutes of route planning to figure out what peak you want to get to and how you want to get there. One distinction I noticed with Killington is the popularity of moguls. From blue to black, almost every slope here has a section decorated with moguls. Nevertheless, Killington has some of the most pleasant wide and long runs that let you warm up to the challenge and perfect your slalom with great speed.

Getting there: The drive takes approximately 5.5 hours from Manhattan.

Where to stay: Killington Grand Resort Hotel or (as we have done) renting a condo/cabin from the owners at www.homeaway.com

Recommended Slopes: Needle’s Eye, Superstar, Pipe Dream to Bear Trax to Bear Cub, Skyeburst

Where to eat:
Noel’s For lunch ski down to Noel’s. Below the Sunrise Mountain, located on the far left side of Killington Peak, lays this secluded all-American restaurant. I believe it is as close as you can get to a pleasant dining experience away from the French and Swiss Alps. Given that we took our own music there and the restaurant manager, Marsha, liked us so much that she agreed to make outside seating available, Noel’s comes with great environment and good (not so healthy) food. Get a bottle of the Merlot. Start with the chicken wings with a side of ranch dressing and then order the corned beef brisket sandwich, prepared with caramelized onions and a mayonnaise-like dressing. Save room for the cheesecake (recommended by the manager, Marsha) that comes with a thick crust, tasting similar to Turkish Baklava. Order a glass of warm Kahlua mixed with Baileys instead of coffee.

Hemingway’s (www.hemingwaysrestaurant.com) Having been to multiple ski resorts in the U.S., I now know that each resort has at least one gourmet location known for its delicious food and hospitality. That place was the Pitcher Inn in Sugarbush, Vt., which is still one of the best restaurants I have been to outside of Manhattan.

Pitcher Inn’s companion is Hemingway’s in Killington. This refined cottage casually placed on one side of the highway comes with good surprises. The interior reminds one of a luxurious winter cottage that was not renovated by grandparents since the 1980s. The wooden bar and the large fireplace welcome patrons with warmth. The journey a great dining experience starts once seated in the high-ceiling main dining room colored in salmon. Choosing the wine among an extensive list of the greats takes a long time. Out choice, the 2002 Roda from the Rioja region in Spain   is the perfect intro. Like the Italian Chianti, Roda is a blend of the Tempranillo grape, known to produce wines with a dusty, leathery edge to its raspberry and blackberry fruit tones. Dinner starts with incredibly delicious finger food: tiny warm profiteroles filled with Vermont Cheddar and herbs, compliments of the chef. Then we carry onto mushroom risotto marinated with truffles and an impeccable quail served with caramelized apricots. Although the risotto can do much better with a little more truffle, the quail consumes all of out attention and contentment. Next is the Angus beef served with steamed spinach, carrots and potato. As expected, it is flawless but lacks the creativity necessary to make it stand out among all the other specials found in steakhouses.

Among the three deserts we order, the almond cake served with a scoop of vanilla & elderflower ice-cream takes the fist place. The complimentary white Belgian truffles with nuts sprinkled on top are the most delicious ending to an extraordinary and expensive meal.

I have been looking to replace my Oakley mountain sunglasses for a long time. Although they are light, comfortable and sleek, they failed to protect my eyes from watering in the presence of strong wind. The wind getting through the sides of the glasses with each slalom turn would water my eyes so much that I would be forced to stop numerous times to wipe them and clear my vision.  Similar to my Oakleys, I have never been comfortable with goggles. I believe they narrow a skier’s visibility. Once worn the goggles take away the opportunity to see the sides and the tips of one’s skis without physically moving the head towards the designated area.

With the Oakleys failing in wind and the goggles saved up only for stormy weather, I was forced to search new glasses that would cut the wind and the strength of the mountain sun without taking away from visibility. Recalling on the use of sunglasses with protected sides by mountain climbers on the Discovery Channel and in movies such as the Vertical Limit, I got onto Amazon. That is how I came across Julbo (www.julbousa.com), a French company dedicated to manufacturing extreme weather mountain glasses & goggles since 1881. After reading the reviews on the Sherpa model, and the extra information found on the company’s site, I ordered it through Amazon (as they were much cheaper there).

Buy Sherpa by Julbo at Amazon for USD 44

I used the new glasses through my skiing trip in Killington, Vermont. Disregarding the snowy/stormy days, these glasses are the best mountain glasses I have ever used. Their flexible wrap-around ear pieces are extremely comfortable and convenient. The leather cloth covering the sides of the glass blocks the wind efficiently. The lenses are so good that I never wanted to take the glasses off, risking a funny tan around my eyes and face.

One thing I could complain about is how my cheeks lift up the Sherpa whenever I smile. Yet, I would rather be serious than letting go of this great ski accessory.

Thanks to a great talk I had with a veteran restaurant manager, I can reflect on some of the points he made to have a successful restaurant business in the U.S. I was amazed by this person’s knowledge and enthusiasm in the industry. He was clearly into food and he knew how to deal with the financials behind it to make it taste better both for the customers and the owners of a restaurant. According to him:

• The fixed-costs (food, labor, etc.) of a restaurant should not be above 65% of sales
• The rent of the location should be below 6% of sales
• It has to have great food because that is the only reason that makes patrons come back
• It needs at least USD 900K in annual sales to stay afloat