Sinanation

Name: Janos Papai

Nickname: Papa, Papai

Notable Appearance: Thick, gelled hair with a goatee. Heavy Hungarian accent

Can’t do without: Light blue jeans, plaid lumberjack shirts, glasses to protect the eyes from the rays of computer screens, heavy breakfasts, scarfs

Notable Hobbies: Travelling, going to bars, test driving cars, fixing and building stuff, quick workouts

Weakness: Sadwiches, India, Indian food

Favorite Quote: “Bastas!”

Last Seen: London, New York, Mumbai, Budapest, Latin America

Name: Andrea Favale

Nickname: Fava, the Italian Stallion

Notable Appearance: On the brink of being built up. Failure to do so would make him chubby. Loaded with Italian Merino body hair.

Can’t do without: Black cotton t-shirts, black shirts, jeans, Argentinian Malbec red wine, Red wine from Puglia, Las Vegas, California, entrepreneurship, Porsche Carrera, fiery Latin women, big breasts, curvy buttocks, Brazil, the Internet, Patrick Bateman’s vision of life, steakhouses, coffee in the morning, the afternoon and the evening, mineral water, tomatoes, funk & soul music, Rustico, Ford Con-Fusion

Notable Hobbies: Investing in real estate, starting companies, reading about the progress in the media and technology, traveling, contemplating, diversifying, watching action movies, blogging, taking a shower each time before leaving the apartment, speeding, afternoon Siestas

Weakness: Peas, Vintage Italian Songs, Sunscreen

Favorite Quote: “What’s up SinanBa?”, Gringo

Last Seen: London, Istanbul, Lecce, New York, Cambridge, Trancoso/Brazil, www.artandseek.com, TheWaterRat, Old Homestead Steakhouse NYC, CityandOut

Sinanation thanks Fuat Pamukcu, Yusuf Ruso and Selim Aykut for their contribution to this post.

Name: Osman Can Ongun

Nickname: Oshmo, Osho

Notable Appearance: Tall, muscular built. Short hair with long sideburns featuring organic hair gel.

Can’t do without: Eating like there is no tomorrow, rowing, safe boxes, jogging, plaid shirts, blazers, knitted sweaters over the shoulders, networking, wrestling

Notable Hobbies: Introducing himself with a faux British accent, wearing a female-fedora, naming his chest muscles “Edi” and “Budu” and flexing them one at a time, enjoying life in frat parties, becoming a member of exclusive gentleman’s clubs

Weakness: Business cards

Last seen: Burdur, 58. Piyade Alay Komutanligi, in camouflage, enjoying is faux-military career for 21 days, Anjelique Istanbul, London

Name: Ayşe Baştaş Aytek

Nickname: Çıtır, Kendra

Notable Appearance: Nicely done hair and nails, dark eyelashes and a small beauty mark on the top of her upper lip

Can’t do without: Hairdressers, numerous perfumes, vampire movies, Digiturk, the Girls Next Door, the E! Channel, Domino’s Pizza, huge handbags, Norah Jones, FG Music Radio, iPhone, large sunglasses, horror movies, Twilight, fresh juices, puppies, makeup, UGGs, funny home slippers, DVDs, high heels, Miu Mui, large earrings, popcorn, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, BCBG

Notable Hobbies: Chatting on the Internet, spending time in bed, nibbling food from the refrigerator, being extremely indecisive on what to wear when getting ready to go out, watching movies, misplacing the DVDs and their covers, cooking, changing her hair color

Notable Weakness: Ghosts, bugs, chocolate, junk food, phone calls and recovering from jet lag

Favorite Quote: “Tiyzeee naber?”, “Hadi beee”

Last Seen: Istinye Park, Kanyon, Anjelique Istanbul, New York, Bodrum

Name: Defne Gunay

Nickname: Avukat

Notable Appearance: Hello ta-tas, curly hair and slim hands

Can’t do without: Blazers, high heels, belts

Notable Hobbies: Clubbing, traveling, drinking wine, contemplating

Notable Weakness: Demons, retrieving lost belongings, legal work

Last seen: Anjelique Istanbul, Southside NYC, Le Bilboquet NYC, Miami, Montreal, London

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, Olay Anti-Aging moisturizing face cream (for day & night)

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: “Can I have scrambled eggs with tomatoes and eggs?”, “Can I get a singular shot of espresso?”, 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