Sinanation

Simply the best work of Hovannes K. Finally found a way to post the song here. (You might have to click on the link below twice to start the song)

Hovannes K. – Disc’oriental

Coming soon…

The dominating chant of roosters is a common complimentary wake-up call in Istanbul. I promise not to complain about it since it feels like the soft voice of a famous singer after the ear-ripping fire-truck sirens and farting bus sounds of Manhattan. I welcome the sound of nature with my arms wide open.

After years of struggling, Tarkan is back with a great hit called “Sevdanin son vurusu” (The final punch of passion). Sertab Erener is also out with an equally well done album including her popular song “Koparilan cicekler” (Plucked flowers). It was time I blended all into a groovy mix that welcomes the summer to Istanbul. Enjoy…

I have been biased about Seal. He has a great voice and I have been a fan of some of his hits, but… The unfortunate skin problems on his face distanced the eyes from his album covers. His sparkling suit at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was too flashy even for a world famous singer.

His thick legs and unstable walk was a barrier to the smoothness of his performance on stage. His constant appearance next to his wife, Heidi Klum seemed like an undeserved publicity. I have been wrong about Seal.

His performance in Istanbul on July 19th during the Garanti Bank’s Jazz Festival was exceptional. We made the decision to go to the concert 2 hours before with Aydin. Questions like “what were his most popular songs?” and “will Heidi show up?” kept popping out on the way to the Cemil Topuzlu Concert Hall. Confused, clueless and unorganized we took our seats, waiting for a singer we were both not very impressed with. The huge legs were still unproportional. The pants were unnecessarily y tight. The walk was still sloppy. Yet, such details were only there to mislead us.

An incredible voice filled our ears. A perfectly motivated spirit recharged our batteries. A well-versed and humorous personality touched our hearts. We clapped until our palms hurt. We sang out loud any lyric we were familiar with. We cheered whenever we were prompted to. We have been blown away.

I have been wrong about Seal.

P.S.: I am also equally content to meet someone who can sweat a little more than I do on the stage/dance floor.

I have never been a big fan of the creamy personalized birthday cakes at Pelit, one of the oldest and most popular bakeries in Turkey. Its Pogacas are the best in Istanbul. Its teatime cookies are the most popular. Yet, similar to all the other generic famous bakeries around the world, Pelit’s celebratory cakes lack the creativity and the diversity of the ingredients to make the desert a surprising flavorful experience. Despite this fact, I recently tested one cake from this place that beats all my expectations. Named after one of the most famous mountains and skiing resorts in Turkey, the Uludag cake is a chocolate, creme and nut wonder topped with a savory chocolate sauce. You need to forget about calories and try it out!

If you complain about traffic in Manhattan during rush hour, come see Istanbul. You will be able to tell the level of traffic ahead from the amount of street peddlers wondering in between cars on the highway. Sometimes you will be stuck for hours. From savory rolls topped with sesame seeds (Simit) to baby dolls with freaky eyes, you can find anything to keep you busy and full while you pray for the traffic to open up.

I would like to thank all the readers for their continued interest, support and loyalty. The analysis below shows that people from all around the world take the time to visit Sinanation and gather information on their interests. I hope we will see more comments on the posts in the near future. Those (positive or negative) are always the best source of motivation!

Coins are unavoidable in Istanbul. The major and one of the most common Turkish currencies, 1 TL is designed as a metal coin instead of paper bills. You will certainly end up with a pocket of “Jingle Bells” if you make your purchases in cash. It sucks big time. Where have the good old days of the 1 Dollar bill gone?

If you are ever in upstate New York around Hyde Park for some mansion hopping (the Vanderbilt and the Roosevelt mansions are up here) or kayaking, you need to stop by this tiny sushi joint found on one side of Route 9. You will never be able to tell how good the food is here until you try it.

I had my doubts following Aksana into a dining room painted in purple decorated with a fish tank too big for the fish inside. Yet, I soon found out that the looks do not matter here.

The shredded crab stick salad is delicious. The miso glazed oven-baked eggplant (Eggplant miso yaki) is incredible. There is nothing extraordinary about the sushi, but it is still really good. Do not leave the table without trying the fried ice cream for desert.

EDO Sushi is located at 4254 Albany Post Rd., Hyde Park, NY (845 229 9099)