Traveling into the pain

• Aug 1, 2024
• 4

A day before traveling to Denmark back in April. I seriously injured my back while trying the sit-start on the slackline. Through this experience, I got to see how physical and emotional pain was intertwined. The time when my back was hurt, not only the physical pain was hurting me but the stories attached to my pain were hurting even more and perhaps more so than the real pain. Then suddenly I had the idea to travel into the pain. I imagined what the pain looked like. It’s shape, color, and texture. I closed my eyes and imagined being inside of that pain. I found it interesting, it was like grief. It would spread, slow down, and dissolve. As I would think I have achieved. I moved on. My grief is over. It would strike me in the most unimaginable places. These past days felt like traveling into the pain again. But this time without a choice.

In Search Of A Tribe

• Jul 11, 2024
• Travel
• 9

It’s been such a wild journey in these past two years. Many things changed, and many things stayed the same. I am still in Antalya. I am still a journalist. I don’t have any concrete plans to move abroad at the moment. My ultimate goal of having a more enjoyable life abroad like having a nearby walking trail or forest close to my home is on rest now. Instead, I am now living pretty far from nature and the sea but still have the beautiful mountain view from my window coupled with a view of a mosque. I hear people pray from time to time and that gives me an ease and a sense of surrender.

The Gift of Receptivity: Hygge

• Jan 29, 2024
• 4

Visiting Denmark two years ago and having this visit to be around Christmas was enchanting. Warm houses and even warmer people were welcoming me into their cozy and festive meal tables. As I learned hygge was not just about the cozy lights, delicious food and drinks but family and friends to enjoy all together. I thought I had never seen a cozy place like this before. This was my first time being introduced to the Danish concept of hygge. But was it the first time I experienced hygge? Perhaps I was recalling my old childhood friend. Or my childhood friend was making its way back to me. I couldn’t tell. I thought hygge was something to be found. Something outside of me since my encounter with it was in a far foreign country. I thought it didn't exist in the country that I was coming from. As I returned to the feeling of hygge, I needed to recall who I was exactly.

Sarajevo, the city where sorrow and hope meet

• Apr 7, 2023
• 5

In Sarajevo, I was exposed to Sevdalinka, a traditional Bosnian-Herzegovinian folk song as well as gypsy songs. Gypsy songs seem to have a magical quality that captivates everyone and compels people to dance whereas the sensuality of Sevdalinka can make listeners feel like the main character of some sort of love novel as my Kosovian friend described her feelings caused by these songs. Wandering through the city I couldn’t help but notice the bullet marks on the buildings and the gravestones near parks. every corner of this city was pushing me to learn more about its history. Despite the city's scars, I felt like music stands for hope here. The music connected people in different settings.

Cozy time of the year: my impression of Christmas

• Jan 23, 2023
• Travel
• 4

I experience Christmas for the first time in Lisbon and for the second time in Denmark. And recently, when I got to experience Christmas in Germany, I felt like I got introduced to it even more. Just as in Denmark, celebrations for Christmas in Germany start early on. Starting from the first day of December I could see the cute decorations, advent candles, and stars on the windows of German houses. Although the sun was setting very early, the streets were colorful and full of cozy lightning.

Interview with Efe Sembol: Stepping into the painting to comprehend abstract art

• Jul 26, 2022
• Art, Interviews
• 8

Have you ever thought about why abstract painting is considered by many to be incomprehensible? Shapes we cannot make sense of, paint that drips down almost accidentally. So how we can appreciate abstract art? The answer is, you must enter the world of this painting and see where it takes you. I often think that prejudices against abstract painting often come from the difficulty in interpreting them, most of the visual content we consume often has precise meaning and conveys a message to the target audience.

7 things to do in Kaş

• Jul 26, 2022
• Travel
• 7

The best way to catch the rhythm and spirit of a city is to walk. While walking in the streets of Kaş you are going to feel yourself surrounded by great history. In ancient times Kaş was ruled by Lycian and Roman empires. The most fascinating highlight of my trip to Kaş was the astonishing landscapes of Lycian and Roman ancient settlements.