After ceremony we dinner, a food done by Çanan andme. We talked a lot. For example, Meral said she is from the side where the boms was last days, an area formerly belonged to Siria, and thats why she speak arab. Aylin said she is student of last year in the University. She studies Farsi (Iranian mengiage and culture) and she will be Farsi translator. Caner talked about his brohter, who did a travel to Nepal looking for spiritual experiences and now is a theatre teacher.
After dinner we went for a walk to Moda and to have an icecream and çay.
On Sunday Nacho and me went to an Alevian center in Uskedar, because it was their celebration day. It is the same place where we was last week, then only inthe garden/cementery. the pace is a 3 floors building (like almost here) close to a Musk. In the first floor was open, with small shops, a place for different things, in the second floor a palce for celebrations, with carpet on the floor and speakers, and in the thirth a open place with big tables for eating. When we arrived there was a celebration in the second floor, with music, and many times all people toghether sing sentences, almost talking about Alah, and also fromtime to time thay change the rythm and the people started to dance: Men and women was separated.
I was surprised about some things. There was few people, and almost no youths, what it means that also here people are losing their vocation. Also that esthetic was similar to cristian, both holly alevian persons and the ambient in general. You can see that alevian ar before islam, and they are incorporated it as a ligth layer of paint, but if you scratch it it easily felt down.
THe first floor is with many posters, among them you can see for example one of Einstein with his famous senteces, pictures of open minded thinkers, etc..and also posters of their parks. In this posters, apart of bank acount for colaboration, a picture of what a park will be, with what it looks like a Sala and a Multiusos. I atachd photos from this poster and the Alevian holly man with cristian appearance.
One evening I was in Betsikas, European side, to have a çay with 2 people knowed by intenet. One was more interested on Silo´s message then the other, but what I like from this visit i that we walked and I knew little Betsikas neigborhood, and we wnet to a park, democracy park, where there are many scultures of people victims of the religious fanatism. I atach a pic. It is like an alegory of wht it is happening here, a permenent pressure between two sides, one the religiosity and the integrism and to go back on rigths, and the other lacity, diversity and openmind.
They also talked to me about Ortakoy, in European side, like the more open mind neigborhood of European Istanbul, just like Kadikoy (where the salita is, Asian side) and a posible place to do things if in one moment a comunity is growing in this side of Istanbul.
On Tusday we was in Bursa, we liked this city very much, old Turkish Empire capital, while they could not take Istanbul. We traveled in a very confortable Ferry, only 1 hour and half to Bursa coast, 2 million citizen in a land that you can see from a mountain whre the old city is. Itis similar to Granada (Spain) a city with pany university students and with snow on winter to practice sky and sonw sports. Peopleis very much calm than in Istanbul. We saw a very beautiful musk, one of the first done in the city, with deep asian influences and even budist. Part of the trip we had Multu as guide. He is Jonturk´s friend. With Jonturk we planned the trip, but he cannot travel because of his back problems, but everytime he called to check that everuthing is fine. So his friend was our guide. Multu is a very nice guy, theater actor, he trated us very well, but he couldnt talk to him to much as he only speak Turkish with some words in English.
Two curiosities from Bursa, one is that all the trees has a plac, a little plac staddled. And all the trees has a very well cared, with concrete supporting the olders trees, and even old trees in the tourist guides as importants thing to see. They have many things with the trees. Another interesting thing is that they again place cementeries in any place. If you walk in a neigborhood, yuo can see buildings, and in a small square of 15x15 meters, where you image a place for the people, there is a tree with the plac and 5 or 6 tumbs.
On Wednesday we had a goodbye dinner, as the Thursday we had fligth to Rome for the European gathering of the message. Çanan y Aylin y Caner couldnt come becase just this day they had a very close friend operation and they went to hospital. They called by phone to say goodbye. Same than Meral, who was in the European side, who also called. Hussein came but short time as he had to prepare plenty job for next day. So finally we was Ana, Gonça, OScar (Nacho´s friends currently in Istanbul) Jonturk and me. We had "tortilla" made by Ana, "garbanzos" made by Nacho and meat pie done by Gonça´s mother. With many laugthers and a goob ambient we was sayinggoodby untill next trip.
Carlos
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