I mentioned my interest in classic cars in previous posts. Today I add another beauty to my list of undeniable classics: the 1960 MG MGA.
Produced between 1955 and 1962, the MGA had 4 updates and was a great success story in exports for the British Motor Company. My favorite version is the MGA 1600 with a 78 bhp and a 900 kg weight. I have done some digging on the internet to find used ones on sale and as usual the best prices pop up in the American Market at USD 27K. Here is the link to my most favorite MGA (obviously with lots of mileage). Too bad it is almost a dream to bring it over to Turkey with the current customs rates.
It has been two years since I got into the world of cigars. All started during a California trip with my buddies. The delicious Napa wines, the flirtatious San Francisco girls and the happy West coast weather pushed me gently into a luxurious, carefree vibe, to which cigars were the most crucial accessory. I was the casual social smoker and I had no reason to be judgmental. Then I got back to reality and took a pause on the Cubans and the Dominicans until I got enough research to deserve a humidor at home. The cedar treasure chest came as a surprise birthday gift this year as my friends finally realized I didn’t have the guts to buy one myself and admit my interest in cigars.
A small paint brush, distilled water, a rectangle plastic box: I was prepped up to set up my very own humidor. I did everything the right way and it was the box itself that failed this time. The metal plates glued to the lid of the box were not strong enough to hold the sponge box in place and were found ripped only a day after.
Disappointed and a little angry at the manufacturer, I jumped online to find the best quality cigar humidors. Other than my father’s suggestion (which is obviously S.T. Dupont) and my own (Porsche Design and Christofle), I think I finally found the most reliable and coolest (and probably the most expensive) humidor brand out there. It is Elie Bleu from France. Established in 1976, Bleu started the business as a high quality wood-maker and then expanded into the boxing of cigars, watches and jewelry. Thanks to Russians and the Asians, the company already went through a huge expansion and now has shops in Moscow and Hong Kong. I am already a big fan of the Pirates, Medals and Che lines in humidors and might one day be too crazy to get one. According to online sources, an Elie Bleu humidor sells for USD 2,000 – 7,000.
Happiest Burrito moment since I got back from New York. A million thanks to Chef Eko! I will see if I can get the recipes for the amazing ingredients inside my baby burrito (probably still being digested even after a few days). Even the sour cream was homemade. Chipotle would be jealous.
Some might consider this post discourteous, but I can’t do without mentioning it. Since the start of the Muslims’ holy month, Ramadan, I have been to numerous convocations filled with family, irresistible food, great laughs and incredible sights around the Bosphorus. There can’t be a single complaint about these occasions, but the music. It is tough to describe but I will do my best. The journey begins in the time of the pyramids and the mummies and spans up until this day. It involves one skinny and unappealing instrument called the Ney, an en-blown flute (the great grandfather of the modern flute) dominating most of the Middle Eastern history. Dormant throughout the whole year, Ney becomes ever so popular and active during the holy month and makes one wish it never did.
Once played, this visually disappointing stick has the power to suck out all the energy stored in one’s body, condense it into a grey cloud and spit it out into the face. You will not remember what you have been eating, talking or contemplating about. You will see faces and mouths move but you will not be able to sum up the conversation. Ney’s breath will put you in a dormant phase and freeze all your senses with a constant scratching sound at the back of your head. And the worst part is that its presence will not be evident enough to force you to remove it from your system. It will work like the Pied Piper of Hamelin (Fareli Köyün Kavalcısı). You will follow it like those musically drugged rats until you will find the strength to push your chair out, run into the car and use the last bit of hope to turn on the radio.
Dear restauranteurs, hoteliers and other dinner hosts celebrating Ramadan, I hate to break it to you but Ney has been outdated centuries ago. It has been used and abused in every corner of the Ottoman Empire because there was nothing better and the sultans like it. We are now in the era of lounge, chill-out and spiritual music. Modern musicians work day and night to grab our attention and sell their instrumental genius. They have been all around India, Africa, China, Thailand, Japan, Korea. They have been up the mountains and down the rivers to extract the music that fuels meditation and enhances senses. So I beg you to reconsider Ney at next year’s Ramadan. If necessary I can be of great assistance in your quest to find appropriate melodies for the spiritual crowd. Yet, I am afraid I will be attending all the future convocations with my iPod unless we can find a solution to the current hypnosis undeniably apparent at the Ramadan tables.
I attended a family dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel Bosphorus last night. In addition to amazing food there was something else equally impressive at our table: the cordless portable lights. These egg shaped lamps grabbed my attention at the end of my main course as I became aware of how satisfied I was with the amount of light around my spot. Not too bright or too gloomy, my eyes were not dazzled and I could easily identify every dish on my plate. So I grabbed the egg of wonder, played with its settings a little and noted the manufacturer. Neoz is an Australian Lightening company active since 1983. It turns out this company a genius when it comes to cordless rechargeable lights and started applying its bright ideas also to furniture (illuminated stools, chairs, etc.) in 1995. Neoz’s eggs from last night are the ones that officially retired the candle from work for me. I will surely try to grab a few to be used at future outside entertainments at home.
Fairy tales always end with happy thoughts but the reality of life is usually not so positive and predictable. We become more and more aware of this cruel fact as we get older. Granny O’Grimm is the movie version of an Irish novel character and she is the living example of how age usually takes away from a person’s circle of friends, social agenda and general purpose in life. This funky looking, shortened and stretched woman hidden behind huge reading glasses, depicts us her anger to the gloomy changes in her life through her version of the famous fairy tale “Sleeping Beauty”, told as a bedtime story to her granddaughter. The sour theme of this movie is flushed out with the presence of the granny’s little one: she is terrified to hear her grandmother’s “Sleeping Beauty” again, but can’t find the strength to turn down her kind offer. Watch out especially for the fairies in the tale. Granny’s version of them made me laugh real hard.
Watch the movie and see how a harmless globally popular fairy tale can turn into a satirical nightmare.
All of us ask awkward questions beyond our age when we are young. “Where do babies come from?” must be the most popular one. At that point, no parent in the right mind can jump into the world of sex, condoms, penises, vaginas and sperm. So they stick to the urban fantasy: the story of a stork flying in their “precious” in a white cloth from somewhere beyond the clouds. Although it sounds like one of the worst made-up explanations to the world’s most essential cycle of life, we all cling onto it in despair once we become parents and keep the real facts inside the pandora’s box until the teenage years. So we should all be glad to know that this well-known story of the storks is no longer an urban legend. The genius minds at Pixar took the tale onto the white screen with an incredible short film: Partly Cloudy. The 6 min. movie is based on the heartwarming and hilarious partnership between Gus, an insecure, lonely grey cloud with a big heart famous for creating “dangerous” babies and his dedicated stork, Peck.
For the cartoon fans, this movie is simply a must see. Below is a short teaser. You can download the rest on iTunes.
This corner steak bistro is within walking distance to my office and one of the quickest and most delicious lunch spots around Nişantaşı. If you are around the neighborhood, I say stop by for a light bite. I recommend the selection of Köfte (Turkish meatball) (even the chicken one is great), the 200 gr. Bonfile (sirloin) and the walnut & roasted pepper salad. Everything is served with a small side of delicious homemade spicy tomato paste. Walk-ins are welcome and the prices are well below average.
You can easily make up for it! My friend Aslı sent this over yesterday. I found it hilarious and had to share with you. The idea deserves recognition, but I still wish they didn’t make it public. Talk about overdoing creativity…
Give it up for Gary Fico and Leo Rispal. Gary is 25 years old and Leo an eye popping 10! They managed to come together for a duet after Leo’s appearance at L’Ecole des Stars in 2009 got huge success with the public. These two fresh singers have managed to put up a French pop song in my personal summer top 10 chart. The song is about two brothers talking about their relationship and revealing the differences in their point of view. Hope you like it as much as I do.
