Sinanation

There are some instances in life when you freeze with the fear of having to describe your feelings. You desperately go through the past to find the right moments and words. That is how I felt before I got into writing this short memoir of how special this family is for me. To be able to stand before this blank page and pass on my blessings for one of the most important couples  in my life is an experience non-comparable to any other.

Back in college, the setting wasn’t as glamorous. No tuxedos, dresses or a palace, my best friends were getting ready for their big wedding night without even knowing about it. Some claimed I was their annoying over-grown son. At times I was the immature third wheel of the relationship, but mostly I was the not so quiet observer. I was there to see this family form and its love grow. Bit by bit. Step by step.

The kitchen was filled with cooking gadgets I have never seen in my life. The oven was puffing the most amazing scents in culinary art. Tight jeans were the enemy and sweatpants were the best friends of our enormous appetite. The common clumsy food stains on the couch were the biggest nightmare, giving  Mrs. P enough motivation to turn into Mrs. Hyde until each was successfully removed.

The study room was full of creativity, providing Mr. P the best environment to create some of the most ridiculous art pieces in the world. From acrylic paintings to tiny sculptures made from strings of steel, each were waiting to be proudly displayed on the walls of apartment 815.

One lucky extra pillow, comfortably laid right next to Mrs. P in bed was there to witness one of the most absurd, yet creative moments in its puffy life. It was being dressed as Mr. P with a large gray t-shirt and a baseball cap until the real one returned from his business trip.

The DVD of Pride & Prejudice was playing yet again on the TV, making the visitors question their presence  in the 21st century. The Pamukcus’ eyes were about to meet again in celebration of a romantic scene, followed by the words “Awwww little one” with a smudgy kiss at the very end.

I am so happy I was there to see this family form and its love grow. Bit by bit. Step by step.

Among all the hilarious, happy and sad stories, I was there to witness how these two amazing people perfected their best talents to be better for one another and how they complimented the people around them with all the positive energy one can ever get. It is impossible for me to let go of an amazing past, but unbelievably addictive to hold onto a future that has so much more to offer.

So, as many of our elders might now be whispering “May God keep the evil eye away from them”, I raise my gratitude, my love and my respect to say “May we all have friends like Ekin Carmikli Pamukcu and Fuat Pamukcu and families like this new little Pamukcu Family”.

I wish them a happy and healthy life (obviously with me in the picture).

Name: Orhan Ihsanoglu

Nickname: Bonus Kafa

Notable Apperarance: Curly puffy black hair.

Can’t do without: Superga shoes, Converse, red and black checkered shirts, jeans, medium size travel bags, deep house music, knitted scarves and hats, weird necklaces, tuxedos, The Doors Group Istanbul

Notable Hobbies: Jumping up and down in front of DJ booths, playing billiard, lifting arms to look like an eagle while a deep house song is building up to climax, organizing events, traveling

Favorite Quote: Doktor naber?

Last seen: Anjelique Istanbul, Kitchentte Bebek, Istanbul, Sardinia

Name: Ahmet Berkman

Nickname: Amo, Zerkman

Notable Appearance: Dark, built up and tall.

Can’t do without: Bright-colored comfy socks, checkered PJ pants, hoodies,  Kirmizi Pul Biber (red pepper flakes), wrist watches, vodka, 1 Oak NYC, working out, Kol Boregi, soccer games, Sony Playstation, clubbing, karaoke, Avrupa Yakasi, weird t-shirts, peas cooked with a stick of cinnamon

Notable Hobbies: Leaving his apartment door unlocked, slumbering, clubbing, singing Hip Hop, imitating famous TV series characters, planning to open a restaurant called “Benjamen” in Istanbul, Turkey, playing the guitar, mixing weird food together, having no order in the flow of courses, securing entrance to clubs, being fashionably late to any social engagement

Notable Weakness: Filthy food, St. Germain Liquor, Turkish Food

Favorite Quote: Abbbbbauww, Canim Kardesim

Last Seen: 1 Oak NYC, Cipriani Downtown NYC, Bagatelle NYC, Angelique Istanbul, Mykonos

Name: Gizem Arguden

Nickname: Gizo

Notable Appearance: Long blond hair, puffy cheeks and tiny feet.

Can’t do without: Ray-Ban Aviators, Christian Louboutin pumps, leather jackets, leggings, light yellow converse shoes, Amazon Kindle, evening purses, chequered shirts, long cotton beach dresses, reading glasses, large bags, portable cameras, kitchen gadgets, Versace, cashmere

Notable Hobbies: Cooking, traveling to NYC, hosting parties, shopping, sleeping in any environment if tired

Notable Weakness: Mosquitos

Favorite Quote: Naber canim?

Last Seen: UPenn, New York, Bianca NYC, Istanbul, Gocek, Mykonos

Name: Gorkem Guler

Nickname: Gorko

Notable appearance: Curly hair, dark scruffy beard, tiny eyes on a flour-white face

Can’t do without: Wrist watches, water on the bedside, scarves, multiple-screen computers, chequered shirts, light coats, Jaeger LeCoultre, Crystal Champagne, blackberry, Tod’s, John Varvatos

Notable Hobbies: Walking around the apartment without taking a break on any seat, printing directions to every destination even though a fellow traveler knows the way, traveling, snowboarding, sailing

Notable Weakness: Most popular tables at nightclubs, Redbull, locating train stations, negotiating with bouncers/promoters, walking long distances

Favorite Quote: Johnny

Last Seen: Sunda Chicago, Underground Club Chicago, Cuve’e Chicago, Avec Chicago, New York, Istanbul, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Aspen CO, Mykonos, South of Turkey

Name: Yagmur Uslu

Nickname: Yaramaz, Cilgin Sofor

Notable Appearance: Puffy dark hair and cheeks

Can’t do without: BCBG platform shoes, huge professional printers, large cotton trainers, vests, dark jeans, Labrador, Shazam, sarcasm, Milano’s double chocolate cookies, large amounts of water, twitter, BlackBerry, iPhone, black, Ed Westwick, small evening purses with chains, huge rings and earrings, blazers

Notable Hobbies: Traveling, watching Gossip Girl, celebrity hunting, downloading music, attending socialite parties, crashing celebrity parties

Notable Weakness: Cabs, horror movies, demons, iPhone vs. BlackBerry

Favorite Quote: Dostum, “Adamim yaaa”

Last seen: Southside NYC, Los Angeles, Montreal, Anjelique Istanbul, Via Qudronno NYC, The Box NYC, Bar Bouloud NYC

Name: Ahmet Keyman

Nickname: Amo, Anahtar Cocuk (Key kid)

Notable Appearance: Huge feet, hairless face with a naturally unnatural-looking nose and shiny white teeth. A unique walking style resembling the letter V, leading the watchers to think he could be a street rapper getting ready to dance to an incredible beat

Can’t do without: Money clips, fur hoodies, Audemars Piguet, Rolex, wrist watches, cuff links, large cigars, Winning 11, Fenerbahce, soccer, sushi, Blackberry, white Adidas sneakers, hip hop, sunglasses, foot massage, American Apparel, Gucci, the gym, Entourage, Casa Aurelio, Chinese Contemporary Art focused on scary men portraits, Fogo de Chao Chicago, Shanghai Tang

Hobbies: Clubbing, celebrity hunting, working out, traveling

Notable Weakness: Minimal music, spelling in Turkish, eating healthy, Cine5 Cable Network

Favorite Quote: “Ummmmmm”

Last Seen: The Box NYC, Anjelique Istanbul, Nobu Uptown NYC, Avenue NYC, Zurich, South of France, South of Turkey, London, Casa Aurelio Zurich, Ulus 29, Chicago, Lest Ottomans Istanbul

Name: Elif Bayoglu

Nickname: Elo

Notable appearance: Red puffy cheeks, small colored eyes,  sincere laughs,  pearl white teeth, tiny ears and wavy brown hair

Can’t do without: Club Monaco, sushi, sashimi, Miso soup, Bottega Veneta, cashmere, scarves, large and comfortable lounge wear, chicks, decorative pieces from Ikea, collectible books, pillows, bandanas, DVDs, purple, Italian food, truffles, green

Notable Hobbies: Shopping, traveling, eating, watching movies

Weakness: Horror movies, driving and food

Favorite Quote: Sapsal, sefkilim, popo

Last Seen: London, Istanbul, Zurich, Bodrum, Greece, New York

Name: Greg Gliner

Nickname: GG, Gregmaster

Notable appearance: Short blond hair, shaved face

Can’t do without: The game theory, Facebook, Blackberry, Prada shoes, white t-shirts, jeans, PC laptop, Microsoft Excel, Rolex watches, using napkins at notepads, Gmail, Redbull, coffee, seafood, French Toast, Finance

Notable Hobbies: Ironing, making crepes, cooking, networking, peeling tomatoes, playing poker, visiting friends around the world, bargaining, enfolding clothes, fishing, clubbing, taking power naps in crowded public areas, playing backgammon, teaching, listening to trance music

Notable Weakness: Supermodels,  Yom Kippur

Favorite Quote: “Beshlangich”, “Sorry”, “My Friend, can you please…?”

Last Seen: Cipriani SOHO, Lower West Side, Ditch Plains New York, Columbia University, Ohio

Name: Asli Baysan

Nickname: Beysan

Notable Appearance: Shiny long platinum gold hair with colored eye and a milk white face

Can’t do without: Flats, leggings, large leather bags, plaid, interior design, Patrick Dempsey, Puff Diddy, Sangria, Mojito, house music, chillout music, dimmed lights, candles, scarves, gloves, yellow, headbands, Chanel, wall mirrors, candles

Notable Hobbies: Downloading Windows to Mac, painting, shopping, cooking, mastering the Mercimek Corbasi, interior design

Notable Weakness: Little Jennie from the Gossip Girl, tickling, NYC Cabs, technology, the Internet

Favorite Quote: “Bici Bici”

Last seen: Reina Istanbul, Felix NYC, Anjelique Istanbul, Adana, Mykonos, London, Paris, Wall St. NYC