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Antalya State Opera and Ballet

If you’re staying in Antalya, or just visiting, make sure to check out Antalya Devlet Opera ve Balesi (Antalya State Opera & Ballet). We have seen a ballet (Romeo & Juliet) and an opera (Carmen) in the past month and both were phenomenal. The musicians and performers are excellent. It’s nice to see the government supports the arts here.

Check out their programs below:

https://www.operabale.gov.tr/tr-tr/Sayfalar/program.aspx?startDate=05.12.2018&sehirkodu=5&sahnekodu=0&eseroyunturukodu=0&esergrupturkodu=-2

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In pictures:

- went to the ballet (Romeo & Juliet)

- Mag found a new position

- family time

Not in pictures:

- found that the bazaar is closer to us on Sundays, near TerraCity mall

- got carsick on the bus multiple times

- Goiter is still healing from his infection. He has a severe open wound under his jaw that could only be partly stitched. He is such a cuddly, loving boy despite this.

- mulberry fruit leather cooked with eggs is surprisingly amazing

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Thanksgiving in Turkey 🇹🇷

Although I couldn’t find ingredients for all of the usual staples, we had a nice Thanksgiving abroad.

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👍

While Mustafa was away for work, I....

- went to the bazaar by myself and successfully bought groceries! Needed to get ready for Thanksgiving (side note: we do have way too many tomatoes now because I could not figure out how to say I wanted a half kilo. Hello tomatoes for every meal!)

- ordered food

- worked with vets for a sick kitty

- said Türkçe bilmiyorum 10,000x

....I really need to learn Turkish. I think I have the vocabulary of a 1 1/2 year old. But I’m proud of my progress!

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A Tough Day

This morning I woke up to my first cold, rainy day in Antalya. After breakfast and some cleaning the rain let up a bit, I went out to the park to feed the kitties. They need food more than usual on days like this, as they need that energy to help them keep warm. I knew I wouldn’t see many since it was raining, but I managed to feed 6 or 7. On my way out of the park, I spotted a tiny white and grey tabby near some bushes. As I approached, I realized he wasn’t moving and was just about frozen. I knew my chances were slim, as he looked like he had recently passed, but I walked him to the animal hospital just in case. As I suspected, he was gone. I cried on my walk back, wishing I could have done something sooner. I know it’s survival of the fittest, but I wish he could have found a warm, safe place nearby. It’s been a tough start to the day. I hope I can figure out how to help more soon. 

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Konya: The City of Hearts

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Helping friends

While feeding my buddies at the park yesterday, I realized one of my regular friends had a huge abscess on his jaw. After running around all over, I managed to wrangle him into a carrier and walk him to the animal hospital (I don’t have a car here). He got there right on time, as he didn’t have much longer before the infection took him away from us. They drained the abscess and he’s already looking much better. He’ll stay at the animal hospital for a few days while he gets better, as he’ll need monitoring and medication. I worried about him last night after leaving him there. I’ll stop by today to visit and see how he is doing today. I wish I could find a nice home for him, but I don’t have that kind of network here. He’s such a sweet boy.

Hopefully he’ll be all better within the week and I’ll be able to get him back to his home at Düden Park.

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A great evening with my favorite guy at my favorite place with my favorite friends 💛👫🐈🐈🐈🌊

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A List

Meditated at Düden Falls

Fed 9 cats (3 kitties) and a dog with a beard — not including Magdalena

Ate ezo gelin çorba, which is no different than every other day, but still tastes wonderful

Played uno

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A List

Today I:  - made friends with a one-eyed cat - found a park near the mall (TerraCity) where young lovers hide away to sit on the benches where they can cuddle and chat - drank ayran (after making the cashier annoyed with my only bill - a 100) - saw a “Gucci” sweater that said “Guccy”

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First Concert in Turkey: Gaye Su Akyol

Before moving to Turkey, and now, there are only a few Turkish groups/artists that are on my radar. Among them are Palmiyeler, Baris Manco, and Son Feci Bisiklet. But my favorite, hands down, is Gaye Su Akyol. Her music transcends East or West, new or old, pop or punk. Her music is completely her own, and her influences can be seen across the world and throughout time. Her Turkish roots dance with a dark electronic, new-wave influence. There is no genre I can put her in comfortably, and that’s what makes her music so great. 

We were walking through Hadrian’s Gate in the Old City one day, and happened upon a poster for a performance of hers coming up. I couldn’t believe it. What was the chance of getting to see my favorite Turkish artist perform within the first month of us moving to Turkey? We bought tickets right away, and I anxiously awaited the day. 

The evening of the show, we strolled back to the Old City to Holly Stone Performance Hall. It is a relatively small venue, and is set up to where even the people in the back of the crowd are close enough to the stage to enjoy the show. With walls of stone and seated in an ancient building, the environment is perfect for a concert like Akyol’s. Groups are filed in and given a small table to stand at, so there is no pushing and shoving deciding who goes where, and no one spilling their beer on your head as they try to shove their way closer to the front. They even gave us popcorn. What hospitality! 

You can leave a concert one of two ways - a bigger fan or realizing the group isn’t nearly as good as you thought they were. The performance and music were hauntingly beautiful, and I was relieved to hear the music sound as great live as it does on her records. Her latest album came out October 26th, and we were able to preview some of her new music ahead of the release. The new album, İstikrarlı Hayal Hakikattir, lives up to the standards and style I have grown to expect from her music, but is by far her best album released to date. For fans of international music, rockabilly, surf rock, psychedelic, or electronic - she is all of the above and more. This music is for you. 

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Bazaar: Fresh Food & Finds

I look forward to Friday every week. Friday is the day the bazaar comes to our part of town (Lara/Muratpasa). The bazaar supplies us with the freshest fruits and vegetables, along with eggs, fish, meat, and cheese. Lining the bazaar are clothing stands, that sell anything from “Louis Vuitton” bags and leggings to baby clothes and slippers. Last Friday I even saw lingerie hanging up, although I don’t know who would want to buy lingerie from the open bazaar. 

Each week we bring our cart and small list. Despite our best efforts to stick to our list, we trudge back home with an overflowing cart and bags in each hand, looking forward to the fresh meal ahead of us.

The bazaar itself is within a covered structure, but the streets are lined with sellers to and from the bazaar, as well. We try to buy from these sellers more often, as they usually only sell one or two products, and are often less prosperous than the sellers within the bazaar.

Living in Turkey, it is easy and affordable to access fresh, organic produce. The bazaar supplies us with a bounty each week, and at a very good price. The sellers often offer produce at a lower price than the local grocery stores, as the stores are purchasing from many of the same sellers. In the US, I loved going to the farmer’s market, but could usually only afford to purchase a small amount. It feels great knowing I am handing money straight to the hands that worked so hard to produce the food - and knowing I’m eating food that isn’t filled with chemicals.

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Am I Dreaming? Cats and Dogs Everywhere

The stray cat and dog population in the city of Antalya is huge. Walk anywhere in the city and pass dogs napping on the sidewalk and cats basking in the sun. You may imagine unkempt mutts looking depressed (cue Sarah McLachlan music). Instead, you see Black Labs, Kangals (native shepherd dogs), and other mixed-breed beauties, along with sweet kitties of every color combination. Mind you – these are not starving, sickly animals. Most look – and are – well-fed and are pretty well taken care of by the locals. Outside of many apartments, businesses, and at bus stops you will find plastic containers filled with water. Several local restaurants or markets give the animals leftovers, and many locals give the animals their scraps or pet food. We recently ate at a local fish restaurant with outdoor seating, and trust me when I say the cats there eat much better than my own pampered kitty.

Parks are also a safe-haven for the cats and dogs of the streets. Several parks feature cat and dog houses, along with food and water bowls. Additionally, there are several signs and posters to make people aware of the consequences of doing anything to damage the well-being of these animals, and the legal actions that can be taken against any individual violating these animals rights.

The Turkish government has chosen to regulate the dog population the best it can by using catch-and-release techniques, as opposed to the common practice of euthanasia of unwanted or unclaimed dogs in the United States. Of course, any city budget only allows for so much, but dogs that are caught are spayed or neutered, receive vaccines, are treated for any illnesses or infections, and receive ear-tags for identification before being re-released to the neighborhood where they were originally found. Several localities attempt to re-home the animals if possible. Others offer the option of giving the animal a “protective family”, who can provide care, but cannot keep the animal in their home.

Unfortunately, from what I can tell, the campaign that seems to be containing the dog population is not in effect, or at least not as effective, for the stray cats. Several of the cats I see on the street are pregnant, and I have come across several new kitten friends at parks and bus stops. I’m going to look further into this, and hopefully can spend some of my time here figuring out a way to help, even in a small way. As much as I adore making new kitty friends, it is important to keep the population at bay in order to continue to take good care of the babes that do live on the streets.

It has been common to have roaming cats and dogs in Turkish culture for hundreds of years. Maybe this is what stems the compassion the animals receive, or maybe it is just our nature to step up when we see a pup or kitty in need. Maybe other countries could consider Antalya, and create – what I consider to be – a much more humane policy for our cat and dog friends living on the streets.  

Check out @sarperduman on Instagram - great pianist from Istanbul who rescues injured street cats