A PICASSO EXHIBITION

Yesterday we headed to Beyoğlu, one of oldest neighborhoods of Istanbul, to visit few exhibitions. One of them was Engravings and Ceramics from the House of Birth of Pablo Picasso exhibition at Pera Museum.

We are delighted to visit this exhibition. Not only for having the chance to see one more time this master’s brilliant art work, also to see an impressive selection of his engravings and ceramics to observe his stylistic and artistic transitions, how he combine the styles in his work especially in engravings.

Exhibition is open until 20 of April 2014 at Pera Museum, Istanbul. You can also find the book of this small but impressive exhibition at museum shop.

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Dün birkaç sergi gezmek üzere Beyoğlu’na yollandık. Bunlardan bir tanesi Pera Müzesi’ndeki Pablo Picasso’nun Doğduğu Evden Gravürler ve Seramikler sergisiydi.

Küçücük turşucuk bir sergiydi ama bayıldık. Sadece bu usta ressamın eserlerini bir kez daha görme şansını yakalamış olduğumuz için mutlu olmadık, aynı zamanda sanatçının özellikle gravürlerindeki üslûpsal ve sanatsal geçişleri, çalışmalarında değişik tarzları nasıl harmanladığını gözlemlememize olanak sunan eser seçimi ve sergileme şeklini de çok sevdik.

Sergi 20 Nisan 2014 tarihine kadar İstanbul’da, Pera Müzesi’nde açık. Ayrıca bu küçük ama etkileyici serginin kitabını da müze dükkânında bulabilirsiniz.

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A TATAVLA STORY

Yesterday evening in a theatre in Istanbul, Alkışlar Tiyatrosu players performed a story taking place in one of old neighborhoods of Istanbul, in Tatavla (actual name Kurtuluş). It was about Tatavla, it was about Turks, it was about “us”. It was about muslim, Greek orthodox, Armenian people of this country living together, sharing happiness and pain. Before the play, actors and audience shared a minute of silence for Berkin. He was a 15 years old boy, shot by police with a gas canister from his head last summer, during the protests against islamist government.

Yesterday, we farewelled him after 269 days of coma. Yesterday we felt ashamed for not being able to protect him. Yesterday, people talking of being religious but trying to divide this country as muslim, christian, jewish didn’t feel ashamed…

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Dün akşam Profilo Alışveriş Merkezi tiyatro salonunda, Alkışlar Tiyatrosu oyuncuları Bir Tatavla Masalı’nı sahneye koydular. İstanbul’un eski semtlerinden Tatavla’nın (şimdiki adıyla Kurtuluş), Türklerin, “bizim” öykümüzdü anlatılan. Bu ülkenin birarada yaşayan, acıyı ve mutluğu paylaşan müslüman, Rum, Ermeni halkıydı anlatılan. Oyundan önce oyuncular ve seyirciler Berkin için bir dakika saygı duruşunda bulundu, hep birlikte “Berkin Elvan ölümsüzdür” diye haykırdı.

Dün, 15 yaşındaki kara gözlü çocuğa veda ettik. Dün, onu koruyamamış olduğumuz için utandık. Dün, dindar olmaktan söz eden ama bu ülkeyi müslüman, hristiyan, yahudi diye bölmeye kalkışanlar utanmadılar…

Berkin Elvan illustration source / Berkin Elvan çizimi kaynak: Twitter @ Sinan Güler

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STRANGERS ON A TRAIN

Yesterday evening after few pints at The Dog&Duck, our favorite small pub in Soho, we went to Gielgud Theatre for Strangers on a Train, a play written by Craig Warner based on the same name novel by American crime writer Patricia Highsmith.

We didn’t watch the film of the novel directed by Alfred Hitchcock but we can say that the theatre version was brilliant and it was another London theatre production show. The projections they used in the play were impressive. The only actor we knew from before was Laurence Fox from tv series Lewis and we were excited to watch him in a live performance.  All cast was really successful and we are very pleased to have a chance to watch the play. Definitely recommended.

“A seemingly innocent conversation soon turns into a nightmarish and dangerous reality for Guy Haines when he meets Charles Bruno on a train journey, ahead lies a lethal nightmare of blackmail and psycological torment that threatens to cost Guy his career, his marriage and his sanity. His choice: to kill or to be framed for a murder he didn’t commit…”

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LIFE IS SHORT

Enjoy the moment, drink and dance! Life is short…

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THE LADYKILLERS

1955 dated The Ladykillers is a British black comedy we watched last year. The film is based on the story of five gangsters who rent a room at the house of an old lady and pretend to be musicians while they are planning a bank robbery.

Yesterday evening we headed to Strand, to Vaudeville Theatre, for watching The Ladykillers at the theatre this time. We arrived little bit earlier and popped up at The George for few pints, a lovely old British pub established in 1723. Then continued with coctails at the bar of the theatre. As a dessert, we had The “spectacular” Ladykillers. We really loved the play, the performance of the players, specially Angela Thorne as Mrs. Wilberforce and John Gordon Sinclair as Professor Marcus but our special respects are for the set designer Michael Taylor and special effects designer Scott Penrose. What a wonderfull scenery they created in such a little place. It was just: impressive!

If you still didn’t watch The Ladykillers at the scene, last days to have the chance. Don’t miss it.

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FISH HARVEST SERVICE

When we visit new places, new cultures, we try to pop-up in their temples and observe the rituals and sometimes we find ourselves in the middle of these events like Buddha’s birthday celebration in a small, no touristic temple in Shanghai where we saw impressive scenes and at the end shared noodle soup with chinese community. It was one of most unforgettable moments of our travels.

Also we like special events in special temples like blessing of cars in a church in Coppacabana, Bolivia or a monastery in Symi Island, Greece visited by sailors for blessing.

This morning we enjoyed a very special service at St. Mary-at-Hill Church near Old Billingsgate Fish Market: Fish Harvest Service. When we arrived there, the nartex of the church decorated with fresh fishes and other richeness of the sea by fishmongers of Billingsgate Fish Market  welcomed us.

Everybody prayed and shared their good wishes for seafarers, listened the church choir in company with the St. Mary-at-Hill Church’s organ which is described as one of the ten most important organs in the history of British organ building. Following the service, we joined the white wine and sushies (yes sushies) shared as a courtesy of the church. And we recorded another good memory to our London days.

From the prayers of seafarers:

“…we pray to thee for all seafarers and those who serve their needs; for keepers of lighthouses and the pilots of our ports; for all who man the lifeboats and guard our coasts; for the men of the fishing fleets and those who carry out the services of docks and harbours; for the guilds and societies which care for the wellbeing of fishermen and their families…”

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CLASSIC CAR BOOT SALE

Today was a  perfect, sunny day in our little kingdom. After a nice breakfast at home we walked to Southbank for a special car boot sale: Classic Car Boot Sale.

It was a very special car boot sale because all sellers came there with their vintage cars and motorcycles, even the food vans were vintage style. It was a real heaven for vintage lovers, classic car and motorcycle fans and there was also some little treats for foodies. We tried lobster rolls of Bob’s Lobster which they were serving from a vintage VW van and it was just “delicious”.

After the car boot sale we walked through Gerrard Street and filled our stomacs with chinese food. Then a little grocery shopping in our favorite Turkish supermarket and finally washing down the chinese food we ate, in our pub with few pints.

Now it’s time for some cups of good tea with homemade peanut butter cookies and enjoy British crime dramas!

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THE WOMAN IN BLACK

Yesterday evening we were at Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden for The Woman in Black, a play adapted by Stephen Mallatratt from the novel of  British writer Susan Hill and performed by actors Crawford Logan and Tim Delap.

It was our first time in Fortune Theatre and we loved this old theatre opened to the public in 1924. We are not very big fan of novel adaptations in cinema except some brilliant examples but we love to see them in theatre -specially novels we read- and The Woman in Black was a very successful adaptation from the novel. Also it was very effective usage of only two persons in cast and the simple scenery to interpret the whole story and different locations.

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MOTO GP 2013 SILVERSTONE

When we were in Turkey, we were riding in every possible occasion but since we came to London we are away from our bikes and our riding joy and we miss to be on the way again. Normally we are not very big fans of racing bikes or watching the races from tv but we definitely enjoy to watch the Moto GP on the track.

Last four days we were in Silverstone for British Grand Prix 2013 and we came back home with lots of beautiful photos and big smiles in our faces. We watched with big pleasure big boys leaning in the curves just in front of us, heard the amazing voice of the engines during three days.

Three Spanish riders Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa crossed the checkered flag first, second and third but we supported as always our number 46, Valentino “The Doctor” Rossi. Our Italian boy finished fourth the race but still number one in our hearths.

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LOWRY AND THE PAINTING OF MODERN LIFE

We met with Lowry and his art last year in Manchester when we visited Lowry Collection in  Salford Quays and we loved his colors, his way to paint the life in industrial towns. We enjoyed the 20 minutes film about his life in the gallery and we bought a Lowry book to bring to our home the fascinating colors of his paintings.

LS Lowry (1887-1976) who painted the modern life, daily life of working class, crowds, industrial landscapes during all his life, now is in Tate Britain in London until 20 October 2013.

It was a big pleasure to see your beautiful paintings again Mr. Lowry.

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