Hairdresser phobia and lockdown

Is it normal that a visit to the hairdresser should trigger anxiety and apprehension? Can it be worse than a visit to the dentist?… Read on to find out.

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A very biased review of five Orhan Pamuk books – part 1

A very biased review of the novel ‘A strangeness in my mind’ by Nobel prize laureate, Turkish author Orhan Pamuk. Plus, some observations concerning the Istanbul street sellers from today.

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Reflections on Turkish breakfast + poem

Do you know how big breakfast is in Turkey? A strange breakfast situation analysed and poeticised. It was tasty, and pink, and ripe. But that day, it was hidden on a kitchen counter, almost out of sight…

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The film “The husband factor”: the ever more confusing “rules” of modern dating

Thought on the dating “rules” spelled out in this film: “Don’t answer his calls right away, or you’ll seem too keen. Say you’re busy if he invites you out, even when all you’re busy with is thinking how much you’d like to spend that time with him. A man likes a bird on the wire a lot more than he likes a bird in his hand.” Make yourself too available and he’ll instantly lose interest and move on to a more mysterious woman.

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Ancient wonders of water engineering in Istanbul

Fresh water. What would we do without it? In the Aegean, the cradle of western civilisations, water springs were sacred. To pollute the water was a mortal sin. Ever since the beginning of humanity, people have chosen to settle near life-giving sources of fresh water; with one notable exception: Byznatium. The beginnings of the city later named Constantinople, today’s Istanbul, were rather dry, despite its numerous waterways.

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