letters from past 2

Tuesday, October 28, 1997
Hello Canim Bebek,
It’s time to write to you again. I hope the Halloween party preparations are going well. The last time we spoke you sounded very excited about it.
I spoke to Ates yesterday (finally). He said they don’t have the fax line set up yet, but I told him about the party. He took your number and will call you. We had quite a long conversation. He told me about the market in general and also what they did and they are planning to do. In addition to video-film production they are also doing music organization (management of music groups, concerts, parties etc.). Sounds like fun, no? Apparently there is a big demand for this and not a lot of companies doing it. He said he already has a client who needs a foreign band every week. You should send Edinburgh guys over, he said English bands are popular here.
I’ll go to their office soon to meet them also I’ll go watch him play one night. He said we could talk about stuff more in details! Also he has Apo stories to tell me.
Remember I wrote to you about that all-news channel NTV that I wanted to work for? Apo pulled some of his dirty tricks and I did not get the job. I was so furious for a few days, now it’s gone. He’s still hoping that I will work for him. Not in this lifetime. Anyway, I try not to think about him.
12:08:51 PM Ü you won’t believe this but the mail guy just rang the bell and brought your cassette *! This always happens. When I call your # in NY, you call me back the same day (this happened twice) and the last time I was writing to you I received your letter!!! Now I will take a minute off to listen to my Bebekisssimo!
I’m back! It’s so cool to hear your voice BabyLo. I like the songs. What’s rough about them? I think they will be huge like this 3=======================8 and not like this 3===========8like you said¢
How are your days with Beau going? Is he at the background as you read the letter? (That’s a fun scene to imagine). J
I spoke to A the other day, he received your check. You sent him $175 instead of $270. I thought maybe you did not have money? By the time you receive this letter this month’s bill will be due too $1442. (I hate this monthly AMEX reminders of mine. Did you try to get a card from there?)
Yesterday, from the kitchen’s window, I saw four parrots on a tree! Bright green colored and big! It looked like a scene from Amazons. As you can imagine Turkey wouldn’t be considered a tropical country! It turns out a bunch of them ran away from a truck, on their way over to a pet shop. I hope they are doing fine now. Maybe I’ll get a parrot when I get my own place.
Speaking of which, I saw the apartment that my parents are planning to give me. A three bedroom, two bathroom, two balconies apartment with a lot of light. I liked it. But I still don’t know where my job will be, so I’ll wait. I think I much prefer to be near the office and avoid the traffic as much as I can. Some people spend up to four hours a day to commute to and from work. It’s outrageous.
Did I tell COK?
I had a couple of interviews last week. One is BBDO Advertising. The other is 3M, they are looking for a coordinator. The pay is about the same. I’ll have an interview with a network probably next week.
Ates tells me that networks are hard to work in because people stab each other’s back (Is there such a saying in English? I just realize that I am translating from Turkish word by word. I hope you understand the meaning.)

Thursday, October 30, 1997
Yesterday was a national holiday, (sort of 4th of July). Although it was chilly we went out for the fire works. The main streets were closed to traffic and people walked with torches, singed and danced, there were many open-air concerts around town, but the most fun thing was the world snowboard championship (Beau would have liked that). They made fake snow in one of the boulevards, people were snowboarding at night and the background was Ayasofya (the mosque that they put on every postcard) all lit up. A guy from Norway won.
I don’t think I will be able to come over for the New Year. It looks like from now on we will only be pen pals!!!! How about your plans?
- to me.
COOOOOK.

letters from the past 1

Istanbul
October 18, 1997

Hey Canim!
It’s me typing on my little Laptop (notice that I did not name it yet, … soon) and as you will see, I’m having a lot of fun.
I couldn’t get Lucy up and running yet, the monitor alone is $450 if you can believe that, and it’s not even a new one. So I decided to wait for a while and not spend the little money I have now.
Good thing the laptop works with both kind of electricity.
It’s been raining for a while, and quite a lot. I maybe growing branches and flowers if this continues. There is a hilarious thing I should tell you about. The major of Istanbul is from the radical religious party and when there was very little rain for a couple of years they first used rain bombs and then they went out for a rain pray! It must be working because it doesn’t stop raining now.
My parents are still in Bodrum and are going to be there for another week or so. This place is too big to be alone in it, so I spend a lot of time at my grandmother’s place. My uncle is here for a while which is great.
I am sorry about that infamous phone call Babylove. Believe me, I felt very bad afterwards and it did not go away until I spoke to you the last time (That always makes me feel good!©©©). It’s not true that I am not doing anything with myself, not at all. And I am so happy that you are enjoying yourself too.
I have been going out a lot (for a change). It’s strange to realize that I have this many friends. I think this was one of the missing things in New York.
Nightlife is incredible in Istanbul. I also listened to a few bands that I think you would have liked. (This was the Advertisements part of the letter)
NTV is the all news channel that I told you about. I had a sort of a brief interview there, the woman who was interviewing me told me that she heard my name from a few people (I wonder who) and basically told me that I can work in whatever department I want. She also said she needs a director urgently and will be happy if I’m interested. Me, director? I didn’t say that out loud. What she calls a director is someone who will create little news pieces about the current events like festivals, magazine news etc. The other option is foreign news, which I think is cooler except politics. So I can float around for a while until I decide which department I like most. If they give me decent money I’ll definitely give it a shot.
After I decide about where I am going to work, I’ll get a place. Preferably near work.
I already started going to a gym. It makes me feel really good and energetic. (You would be proud of me if you saw me there)
The other fun thing that I am working on is a TV series project about Sea, Sailing etc. It’s the idea of an old friend of mine. He is a serious sea person, he sails and participates to the competitions, he has several cups etc. He already has a few sponsors interested in the project, so we are trying to put a proposal (or whatever it is called) together. If it goes trough, it will be grand! We are not going to know for sure before February or so, but it’s all right. I thought you maybe interested in directing it, let me know if you would.
I am also writing a lot (as you can tell!!) and reading a lot. All these years that I didn’t write, I must have accumulated a ton of stuff inside me and they are all coming out (Kind of you and your music). It doesn’t look like anything now but I can eventually mold it to some kind of series of stories or essays.
I always forget to ask you: I have a bunch of your stuff, clothes I mean. Sweaters and shirts etc. that you might need. Let’s figure out a way to send it to you. I’m sure it gets cold over there too.
How is the loveless Sushi bandit doing? Such a cool name!
I just realized this is the first letter I ever wrote to you!
Did you ever get a chance to talk to Rafael? I hope he fixed the rent problem and paid the gas and cable bills. Also, don’t forget about AMEX bills. (I don’t know if you feel like this too, but New York and most things about it seem so far away).
Don’t forget to send me a cassette of your new stuff(, I can’t wait to listen to it. By the way the studios in Istanbul, if you are still interested in them, are rented for $25 to $60 per hour. But they said it’s negotiable.
The way you talk about Edinbourgh makes me very curious about it,
I wonder if it looks like the picture I created in my mind, I’d like to come and see it some time. When I get some money that is of course. You said something about spring being slow there, maybe I’ll come see you then, and you can come with me to Istanbul or something. Or maybe we can do something around the8 New Year4, if we both have money.
Speaking about money, are you still interested in directing at all? Shall I let you know if anything comes up?
That’s all Bebek. Keep on playing.
Yours till the cookie crumbles.