Lale March April 2017

MAGAZINE OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN OF ISTANBUL

04 MARCH-APRIL 2017

PRINTEMPS DES ARTISTES East meets West in the Istanbul art scene

A MICHELIN STAR IS BORN

An Interview with Chef Omar Mosquera Mallen

MAKE YOUR PASSION YOUR PAYCHECK Starting your own business

Inspire Action Making a Difference through Storytelling

CONTENTS MARCH-APRIL 2017

LALE NEWS

4 SOCIETY Ice Skating, Calligraphy, Chinese New Year

Lunch

11 EXPAT LIFE Read about Karen Yarnold’s musings on

life in Istanbul

12 LEGAL Love and Loss and Protecting Yourself 14 BUSINESS NETWORKING Starting Your Own Business

16 SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Storytelling for change 48 EVENTS Swing Into Spring with our new programmes

LALE REGULARS

3 LETTERS FROM THE EDITOR AND CHAIR 10 BOARD FOCUS 56 BOARD NEWS 57 NEWCOMERS 58 MUMS ’N KIDS 60 CLUBS, GROUPS AND ASSOCIATIONS 63 SPECIAL OFFERS

LALE FEATURES

22 INTERVIEW Alina Belhan was just looking to make new friends and ended up starting a women’s football club

28 GOURMET Chef sensation Omar Mosquera Mallen 30 ART Take a sneak peek at the 11th edition of Printemps

Des Artistes

46 NEIGHBOURHOOD TOUR Kuzguncuk is where

everyone knows your name

LALE LIFESTYLE

19 BOOKS Review of ‘The Bridge On the Drina’ 26 LIFE Veg out with a local Vegan Club 33 WELLNESS How to cope when you are feeling down 40 FASHION All eyes on the Istanbul Fashion Film Festival 42 MUMS ‘N KIDS Beginning a new chapter at Neda’s

Storyshop

44 TRAVEL Skiing in Palandöken and breaking the ice in Antarctica

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LALE BOARD INFORMATION IWI Office Hours: First Wednesday of the month, 10:30am to 1:00pm. Answering service available every working day Adres/ Address: Esentepe Mahallesi, Büyükdere Caddesi, Ecza Sokak. Pol Center No: 4, Levent, Istanbul – TURKEY Telephone: 0212 705 6215 www.iwi-tr.org Dergi Adı / Magazine Name: Lale, Monthly Programme of the International Women of İstanbul Yayını Yapan / Publisher: IWI International Women of İstanbul, Dernek Kod: 34-64/027 İrtibat Adresi / Address: Esentepe Mahallesi, Büyükdere Caddesi, Ecza Sokak. Pol Center No: 4, Levent, Istanbul – TURKEY İmtiyaz Sahibi / Licensee: Yasemin Kunze Adres/ Address: Piyalepaşa Bulvarı, Kastel İş Merkezi B-Blok Kat 5 Kasımpaşa-Istanbul Sorumlu Yazı İşleri Müdürü / Responsible Editor: Yasemin Kunze Adresi / Address: Piyalepaşa Bulvarı, Kastel İş Merkezi B-Blok Kat 5 Kasımpaşa-Istanbul Yayın Türü / Issue Type: Yerel Süreli Tasarım / Design: Marlet Corporate Publications www.marlet.com.tr +90 216 386 32 16 Matbaa / Printer: Marlet Print Solutions Fener Kalamış Caddesi: No:30 Kalamış / İstanbul www.marlet.com.tr +90 216 386 32 16 Basım Tarihi: 24.02.2017 Sayı: 85 Official Facebook page: facebook.com/istanbulwomen Instagram account @iwistanbul Cover Picture by: Hülya Özdemir

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IWI BOARD MEMBERS Chairwoman

Anna Ilhan

chairwoman@iwi-tr.org

Vice Chairwoman

Karen Yarnold

vicechair@iwi-tr.org

Treasurer

Leen Saket

treasury@iwi-tr.org

Secretary

Jeanette von AlvenslebenNiethammer

secretary@iwi-tr.org

Membership Coordinator

Elena Sklyarskaya membership@iwi-tr.org

Lale Editor

Monisha Kar

lale@iwi-tr.org

Advertising Coordinator

Leyla Stang

advertising@iwi-tr.org

Sponsorship Coordinator

Gülşen Şahin

sponsorship@iwi-tr.org

Neighbourhood Community Coordinator

Maria Eroğlu

ncm@iwi-tr.org

Newcomers Coordinator (European side)

Ayşe Yücel

newcomerseurope@iwi-tr. org

Newcomers Coordinator (Asian side)

Gabriele Sailer

newcomersasia@iwi-tr.org

Events Coordinator

Vacancy

events@iwi-tr.org

Social Responsibility Coordinator

Wendy Chan

charity@iwi-tr.org

Programmes Coordinator

Fiona Slay

programs@iwi-tr.org

Marketing Coordinator

Nadine Opitz

marketing@iwi-tr.org

Communications Coordinator Sibele Valsani

communications@iwi-tr.org

Business Networking Coordinator

Halima Hodzic

networking@iwi-tr.org

Schools Liaison Coordinator

Maria Eroğlu

schools@iwi-tr.org

Volunteers Coordinator

Anna Mozejko

volunteer@iwi-tr.org

Mums N’ Kids Coordinator

Lyubov Gürler

mumsnkids@iwi-tr.org

Venue Coordinator

Merle Klehn

venue@iwi-tr.org

Advertising Administrator

Vacancy

advertising@iwi-tr.org

Newsletter Administrator

Suzy Kaluti

newsletter@iwi-tr.org

OTHER IWI TEAM MEMBERS

Website Administrator

Marketing Team

website@iwi-tr.org

Social Media Administrator

Marketing Team

socialmedia@iwi-tr.org

Lale Deputy Editor

Erika Cisneros

lale@iwi-tr.org

Programmes Team Members

Olga Dundar, Kathleen di Giacomo, Alexis Harvey

programs@iwi-tr.org

Sponsor Support Administrator

Ginatare Nemanyte

sponsorsupport@iwi-tr.org

Social Responsibility Administrator

Vacancy

charity@iwi-tr.org

Business Networking Administrator

Vacancy

networking@iwi-tr.org

Further vacant positions can be found on page 56

LALE

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Bring on Spring! I don’t know about you, but there is no love lost between me and this wet, grey weather of the last several months. However, with the tail end of winter still upon us, the adrenaline junkies will appreciate our travel features. Ski season is still in full swing in Turkey, and you can head to Palandöken to swoosh down the slopes. For a more remote escape, Antarctica is on many people’s bucket list. Planning a trip from Istanbul can take up to a year, so it isn’t too early to kick-start your itinerary.

Personally, I am looking forward to diving into the upcoming programmes - especially the ones on baking French pastries and bread! I cannot for the life of me master my finicky oven and I am hoping to pick up some tips to compensate for my shortcomings in the kitchen. For those whose interests veer to the arts, you’ll have the chance to throw clay on a potter’s wheel to make your own creation, and try your hand at designing glass beads in our interactive workshops. Those skills will certainly come in handy as special occasions roll around. See what is in store on page 48.

Our interview this issue features Alina Belhan who while looking to make deep connections found herself going from participating in a casual pick-up game to becoming the manager of iTeam football club bringing foreign and Turkish women together to bond on and off the pitch. Whether you are a mum looking to connect with other parents, or an adult looking to improve your English, Neda’s Storyshop offers a unique space for all ages in which to relax and connect through the medium of books and stories. You can learn more about this charming place on page 42. Our home-grown craft group meets regularly and members find they all get something different from the group from learning a new skill, to tackling an unfinished project, to being part of a network of creative women. See what they have created on page 39. Whatever it is that brings you joy, we hope that being a part of IWI and the stories we share with you in Lale magazine help you find a place that you can call your own in this big city.

MONISHA KAR Lale Editor

A LETTER FROM THE CHAIR The International Women of Istanbul has a rich and diverse history of 40 years. During that time the organisation has seen a lot of changes in her members and Istanbul. As a community of predominately expat women living in Istanbul, it is only natural that we have members come and go. However, IWI has always provided a way for international women in Istanbul to share challenges and offer support long before there were online forums such as Facebook.

Additionally, over the years we have supported our community in a variety of ways including supporting the Children’s Leukaemia and Breast Cancer Units at the Okmeydani Hospital in the 1990’s; volunteering during the 1999 Izmit Earthquake; and in more recent years, providing funds for the various projects targeting the development of women and girls’ education, empowerment and equality.

I recognise that for IWI to continue to be a sustainable organisation we need to understand the requests of our members; and those requirements will be different from member to member. I want us to continue to support the international women living in Istanbul; and this is where I need your help.

We live in an ever-changing world and IWI must evolve to meet the needs of her members. How should IWI change to meet those needs? And how can you help?

Feel free to send me an email at chairwoman@iwi-tr.org and let me know your thoughts.

Warmest Regards, Anna ILHAN IWI Chairwoman

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LALE SOCIETY

PHOTOGRAPHY: ANNETTE FLECK

SKATING ON THIN ICE

Turkey’s first-ever fully qualified figure skating coach and IWI board member Gabriele Sailer led members on an ‘ice-capade’ at Levent’s MetroCity indoor ice skating rink. The group picked up tips and advice and learned some cool moves to improve their technique.

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LALE SOCIETY

PHOTOGRAPHY: ANNETTE FLECK

PUTTING PEN TO PAPER: CALLIGRAPHY WORKSHOP

In Turkey, calligraphy was a part of the Ottoman Book Arts together with the Ottoman miniature painting, illumination (tezhip), bookbinding (cilt) and paper marbling (ebru). Members had the opportunity to learn about calligraphy from a local artist and practice their penmanship in a workshop hosted by CIP (Cultural Interactions Point)

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Registration is now open for our new 5th Grade PREP CLASS in English or French.

Our Dual Program (MEB/Canadian Curriculum) is now accepting applications for new incoming students for the 2017-2018 school year. Özel Kilittaşı Okulları Preschool & Primary & Secondary School www.kilittasiokullari.k12.tr +90 (216) 370 49 51

LALE SOCIETY

PHOTOGRAPHY: KATHERINE BAKER

RINGING IN THE YEAR OF THE ROOSTER AT SHANG PALACE

The iconic Shangri-La Bosphorus hotel was the scene of a traditional celebration of the Chinese New Year. China’s most important annual festival is celebrated on the new moon day according to the lunar calendar, and this event welcomed in the Year of the Rooster. Guests were taken on an epic journey with flavours exclusive to China, combining Canton and Sichuan regions’ most delicious delicacies

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BOARD FOCUS

FEATURE: MARIA EROĞLU

Colour

Our Neighbourhood Community Meetup (NCM) groups got a makeover recently. IWI organises meet-ups through different coordinators depending on the area where your live. As a tribute to the Turkish culture and as a way to show our appreciation acknowledging the beauty of its language, we decided to change the NCM area codes to colours in their Turkish equivalent.

Read more about the creative process behind the new names EUROPEAN NCMs MACENTA AREA: Etiler, Levent The rationale behind renaming these areas is quite simple actually. During spring and summer, you can walk up or down the streets surrounded by the wonderful scent of the Erguvan ağacı (Judas tree) whose colours happen to range from lilac to violet to magenta SARI AREA: Sarıyer This choice is self-explanatory as sarı means yellow in Turkish. So Sarıyer (the yellow place) cannot be named otherwise!

PEMBE AREA: Bebek As we already have an area named ‘blue,’ it only seems fair to have one named ‘pink’ as well. Pembe is a happy baby colour symbolising acceptance and playfulness and if you have a chance to stroll down the Sahil road in Bebek, you'll be amazed by the cheerfulness of the diverse crowds in the parks BEYAZ AREA: Ortaköy, Ulus Beyaz was chosen intentionally. On one hand white symbolises peace, sincerity, serenity, tranquility and on the other hand, Ortaköy means the middle village (middle ground) and Ulus (nation/people). There is a quite nice fit between the colour and the meaning of the area MOR AREA: Nişantaşı, Beyoğlu Nişantaşı is a trendy hip and cool area, a favourite to many.

It is famous for its creative and inspiring venues from coffee shops and galleries to small artistic nooks. The purple colour has the symbolic meaning of something related to creativity, fantasy, mystery and inspiration. Therefore we selected ‘mor’ for that area

TURKUAZ AREA: İstinye İstinye has one of the most beautiful shore locations on the Bosphorus, where people walk around enjoying the gorgeous view of the turquoise waters. No wonder that this area had to be named Turkuaz MAVI AREA: Göktürk Of course the Turkish sky is as blue as it gets hence the choice for this wonderful area (Gök=sky, turk=Turkish) YEŞiL AREA: Yesilköy,Bakirköy The Yeşil area is a true representative of its spectral composition property with its gorgeous parks, lush gardens and all over greenery. No excuses or apologies needed for this intentional tautology

ASIAN NCMs TURUNCU AREA: Çengelköy This area is famous within our IWI circles for its awesome walks organised by its members. And since orange represents enthusiasm, happiness, determination and being active, ‘turuncu’ seems to fit perfectly for this neighbourhood LACIVERT AREA: Beykoz Dark blue or indigo is the colour of the deep midnight sky which is even more gorgeous and mysterious when observed from this area at night. Hence the name ‘Lacivert’ for Beykoz KIRMIZI AREA: Kadıköy Well, this explanation is a good one we have to admit; the logic behind the colour we chose is that there is a neighbourhood in that area whose name is comprised of the words cadde(street) and bostan(originally having the connotation of watermelon). Since many melons are red, we arrived at ‘kırmızı’ For more information refertotopage page5757 For more information refer

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FEATURE: KAREN YARNOLD; GRAPHIC: ANNA ILHAN

LALE EXPAT LIFE

!

HOŞGELDIN

TÜRKIYE’YE

In this issue we bid farewell to Karen Yarnold as she prepares to leave the shores of Istanbul, to return to life in the north of Scotland

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write this, my last Lale magazine column, with a huge mixture of emotions. It’s been a rollercoaster few months actually. Early on in 2017 I discovered two things: My husband isn’t ready to face retirement and wants to work for the next five years, until he is 65; and after six years and five Christmases away from my daughters and parents – I’m done with expat life. So the prospect of another five years in Istanbul really isn’t an option.

My drive into Aberdeen city will take me to imposing grey granite buildings (which are actually beautiful on the two days the sun comes out), rather than to a colourful mish-mash of architecture that only Istanbul can provide. The roads will be full of expensive cars driven by boring drivers too, not the battered taxis and dolmuş that are driven by capable lunatics (I have to believe they are capable – it’s what gets me through the ride home).

Being the planners we both are, and of the attitude that you don’t look back when you can look forward, we jumped into action with immediate effect. First task – obviously – work out how Barney Yarney the Superdog would get back into the UK, past their extremely strict pet import rules. I’m hoping it’s as easy as the answer was – he gets picked up from our apartment by a company in Bulgaria (PAWS), they do all the EU paperwork, and he gets dropped off at my parents in Wales about a week later. Keep your fingers crossed this all works out.

And the food. I’m neither a food expert nor a cook, I just tend to tuck in at meal time and enjoy what I eat, never remembering the names or the dishes for the next time. But I do know I will miss simit and çay, gözleme at the Wednesday Pazar, kahve, kahvalti, köfte, börek, meze and much more.

There is a Turkish restaurant (The Nargile) near our new home in Aberdeen but I supect that their Turkish food may now have the same effect as Chinese food after I lived in Singapore - I can’t eat the stuff in the UK any more. It just doesn’t taste the same.

So, with a new job secured (not me obviously!), house rental deposit paid, car purchases earmarked, furniture removal about to take place, and a small savings plan cashed in for any re-entry eventualities, I would say we are ready to go!

But I started by saying that I have a huge mixture of emotions going on. Whilst I am obviously excited at the prospect of going “home” to Aberdeen in Scotland (albeit that I am Welsh, not Scottish) and spending family time with my adult daughters and elderly parents (all of whom have their own lives and probably won’t find time for us), I am honestly very sad at the thought of leaving Istanbul.

Speaking of the Wednesday Pazar at Yeşilköy, if you haven’t been there yet I suggest you try it out. It’s all inside a massive covered area with around 15 long streets of clothes, house wares, bags, shoes, seasonal items, Turkish momentos and, above all, the best fruit and veg stalls I have ever encountered. Several visits are already planned before the removal company arrives to pack us off to Aberdeen.

All of this goes to show – six years as an expat has been an amazing experience, leaving me with so many memories which will stay with me forever. And perhaps it could be argued – as Welshwoman living in Scotland, I will always be an expat! Let the adventures continue.

It goes without saying that I will miss all my IWI friends here, and the friends we have made in Yeşilköy, but there are so many other quirky things we will miss too – things which are sadly lacking in British society these days. There’s the street sweeper in our road – we have to say “merhaba, günaydın” to him every morning, otherwise he blocks our path until we do. Same goes for the man who cleans our part of the beach on the dog walks – he even has a conversation with me each time. I wish I knew what we’ve been saying for the past year.

Then there’s “The Köy” with all its shops and restaurants.

It may be because I’m the “happy yabancı with the dog” that people recognize me, but I’m never short of cheery acknowledgements when I walk through the main street.

And never again will I pay about 20TL to get a suit cleaned, overnight too, within walking distance of my home. And we certainly won’t be living in a home with a view over the sea (Barney’s very own wide-screen TV) – if we try that in Aberdeen it will be on a cliff-top and we will be blown away as soon as we go outside.

So – that’s me - done. With all that said, I wish you all a fond farewell. I hope you enjoyed the column over the last 12 months. I certainly enjoyed writing it.

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LALE LEGAL

FEATURE: AYŞE ERGEN

LOVE & LOSS IN TURKEY: KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AS A MARRIED FOREIGNER, OR AS A FOREIGNER CO-HABITING Ahhhh…that moment when you first set eyes on the love of your life. Cupid has done his job! I do not think I need to go through how love makes us feel or act. We all know that the last thing on our minds at the time is the circumstances of how that bubble will burst!

I want to take you through what your rights are in a relationship, and how to protect yourself as a foreigner in Turkey. I will deal with subjects such as; Citizenship, Residency, Personal Assets, & Immovable Assets.

INTESTACY (PASSING AWAY WITHOUT A WILL)

Under the Turkish law of Succession, the Courts apply the Parental System.

If you are married at the time of passing, your assets in Turkey will be distributed along the following lines:

TURKISH CITIZENSHIP

In context, a foreigner can gain citizenship either after three years of marriage to a Turkish citizen or after five years of continuous residency in Turkey.

The matrimonial regime provided for by the Turkish Civil Code dated 22 November 2001 provides that all assets (except personal assets) and assets acquired during marriage are considered as jointly owned. If one of the spouses dies, the matrimonial regime will be liquidated before the estate is determined. The surviving spouse has the right to demand liquidation and determination of the assets and he/she is able to designate their share within the marriage.

If you are applying based on marriage, then you must still be married at the time of application regardless of how many years you have lived in Turkey. However, if your Turkish partner passes away, you keep your rights of application so long as you continue to live in Turkey.

As matrimonial assets are deemed to be owned equally, the surviving spouse will retain their 50% of the assets. Under this system, the first statutory heirs are the offspring of the deceased whom would receive the remaining 50% of the property in equal shares.

If you are unmarried, Turkish laws do not provide you with any rights in this area. However, if you have lived in Turkey for 5 years or more, you can apply in your own right.

Second in line to be heirs are the parents of the deceased and their offspring, and the third in line to be heirs are grandparents and their offspring.

RESIDENCY PERMIT

If you and your partner are not married, then unfortunately you will not be entitled to any property that does not bear your name on the deed poll (tapu).

Whether you are married or not, if your partner had been your sponsor on your residency application, it will technically be deemed invalid in the event of your relationship breaking down. In this case, you will then need to re-new your residency application. The onus is always on you to update the authorities of any changes to your circumstances.

PERSONAL ASSETS (SUCH AS MONEY AND JEWELLERY)

Law of Succession Where the Subject is a Foreigner: Article 43 of the Law of International Private Law and Procedure (IPLP). IPLP - The Law No. 5718 titled “International Private Law and Procedure” was adopted on 27 November, 2007, and provides that lawsuits of foreigners concerning succession should be resolved by the Court in the last place of domicile of the deceased.

In reality, the above is referring to your home country.

Therefore, in the event of a foreigner passing away in Turkey, the Turkish authorities will ask the deceased’s home country to deal with the administration of their personal assets.

However, the case is different when it comes to immovable goods.

IMMOVABLE ASSETS

Article 54/1b of IPLP however, provides limitations in regards to immoveable goods.

If you are a foreigner and you own immovable goods, which is likely to be property, and or land then, only the succession laws of Turkey apply. This is when things get really tricky if you and your partner are not married at the time of passing.

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LAST WILL & TESTAMENT

A Last Will & Testament is a legal document that records and communicates a person’s final wishes, as pertaining to possessions and dependents. This is a legal declaration by which the testator (the person creating the Last Will & Testament), names one or more persons to manage their estate and provide the distribution of their property upon their death.

As an expat in Turkey you may have already administer a will in your home country. Unfortunately, this may not cover you for any property which you own in Turkey. If you have not created a valid will, upon your passing the Turkish Government will decide how your property in Turkey is distributed.

If you would like further information or assistance, please contact us at info@askayse.com or visit our website at www.askayse.com.

LALE NETWORKING

FEATURE AND PHOTOGRAPHY: SKAIDRITE DZENE

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO START A NEW BUSINESS?

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f you have the opportunity to live between countries and cultures, it is a real treasure to observe the differences between them. You can feel what is missing in one place or another more acutely. And if you have that entrepreneurial spirit and you are crazy enough to take the risk, it is a wonderful time to turn your experience and knowledge into a business.

pregnant, she had a moment of clarity; organic living is not optional – it is a must. We were on the same wavelength and the process of creating our own product line began. We worked for two years from the birth of the idea until finally taking the baby in our hands. Anne Nature is the name of our brand; it is an ECOCERT certified skincare line, created especially for the Turkish market.

I had been thinking about, studying and working in various areas of food and environment for the last decade. A degree in Food Science began my intense curiosity about the source of food, the path it’s taken, and the post-production impact.

What’s it leaving behind in our bodies, on our skin, in the environment? The skin is the largest organ; what we feed it should be considered food. To nourish the body inside and out with healthy food is vital. I was missing the organic products and lifestyle I had in Latvia. It was completely nonexistent in my new big city life and I wanted to do something about it.

With simplicity, sustainable consumption and cross-cultural values at its core, Anne Nature reconsiders what is necessary in skin care. We have a total of 6 products which cover a wide range of needs. They are suitable for both men and women, for all skin & hair types, and they are gentle enough for babies. The responsibility we feel for our environment, and care we take in how we live and what we consume inspired us to make just 6 products which cover basic body and skincare needs. With this line, we are hoping it is a step in creating a simpler life, and a happier life.

TEAM IS EVERYTHING

While I was on my academic path and my children were small, I was challenged and motivated by all of the opportunities I saw. At that time, I could only dream of starting my own business. But it happened that I met likeminded friends at the right time and place and we started to work on my own organic skin care line. I had a team in Latvia but since I was alone in Turkey, I needed a partner to help me enter the great Turkish market.

And then happily, I met another crazy Latvian living in Istanbul who was ready to take a leap with me into the wild and unknown ocean of Turkish business.

My partner Julia Bayram, is an adventure junkie (official photographer for Expedition Trophy, Trans-Continental Off Road Rally) and was CEO for an International corporation prior to her current incarnation as mother and wife. While

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BE BRAVE AND MAINTAIN CONTROL OVER THE PROCESS

My original plan was to produce in Latvia and find a partner who could import the products to Turkey. This was my first disappointment: I could not find a company who would invest money to buy all the products from a newly established brand. Then we had the added challenge of the high cost of customs. We also had a lot of negative chatter from people telling us it was ‘better not to start at all,’ that ‘it is almost impossible to register,’ that ‘it takes such a long time,’ ‘to start a company ‘is very costly,’ ‘it is very difficult,’ and ‘the present market conditions are very bad.’

To start a business on your own requires passion, courage and determination. As with any venture, there will be highs and lows, and therefore, it is important surround yourself with positive and supportive people to get you through the rough patches. As circumstances can change, stay optimistic, but be cautious: do not overestimate the market. Initially it seemed like our business would ‘fly to the sky,’ however you need to have a lot of patience and dedication, especially if finances are limited.

Despite the reservations and doubts, we didn’t let fear stop us. I established the company in Turkey in my husband’s name to be able to import the goods and maintain 100% control over the entire process – from the factory to the bathroom our customers use. On the positive side, we are in personal touch with our sales points which are mainly organic shops. We choose the marketing communication instruments, and we know our clients. As far as challenges, currently all the work is done by just two of us, and compared to a company with a more established network, it has taken more time to enter the market.

FIND A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY

Life in Istanbul is very fast-paced. It is hard to stay current on what all is happening in the city. Therefore, it is very helpful to be socially active and be a part of a supportive community.

For us IWI, our Latvian society and Russian-speaking community are very important. There, we meet intelligent people, exchange our experiences and make contacts who help us solve some business issues as well. We donate our time and energy to social activities and it always comes back to us in different and unexpected ways as a new opportunity to grow and develop both personally and professionally.

We love doing business in Turkey! Despite some of the unsuccessful business deals and unpredictable political and economic situation in the country, we get lots of positive energy from our “organic family.”

Skaidrite Dzene is a scientist and strong advocate of the environment and sustainable living. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Science and a PhD in Agrarian Economics.

Skaidrite, a native of Latvia, moved to Istanbul seven years ago. She is married to a Turkish doctor, and is mother to three boys. She considers pregnancy, maternity and childcare as one of the most beautiful and responsible times in any woman’s life. It is a time when women must evaluate consumption habits critically to safeguard the new life in their hands. Her business - Anne Nature skincare- is her fourth child, created for children and family.

But most importantly – we did it! We got all the necessary approvals, registered the patent of the brand name, organised all the necessary documentation and exactly a year ago, we started our journey in the Turkish market.

BEING A FOREIGNER HAS ITS ADVANTAGES

We introduced our products in an international expo in Istanbul, and we received a lot of positive feedback and made many contacts. Surprisingly, in this “female” sector of skincare and organic products, the main actors are men. We were encouraged by the outpouring of offers of assistance and support, but we quickly learned these were empty promises. When it came time to commit, half of the people who said they would help disappeared. For those who did work with us, they carried our products, but they didn’t deliver what they owed us. But happily, there is still a quarter left and these people are our partners: they are serious, precise and trust-worthy. They do business in the organic sector because of their beliefs and passion about living a healthier life and promoting a greener environment.

Initially, we believed we needed a Turkish sales person to move the business forward, but then we discovered that as foreigners and owners of the brand, people did like to deal with us, and we were considered credible businesswomen.

However, we realised it is vital to have a local partner to support the business in place. One of the main reasons being to understand and to behave in accordance with the local business culture. The specific ways of working and communicating are better learned from someone who has been through it. We still learn new things every day.

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LALE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FEATURE: MONISHA KAR. PHOTOGRAPHY:COURTESY OF LINDA CALDWELL, DELIZIA FLACCAVENTO AND AYŞEGÜL TAŞKENT

STORYTELLING FOR CHANGE We all have a story to tell, and photographer Delizia Flaccavento and filmmaker Ayşegül Selenga Taşkent have collaborated to bring these stories to a larger audience. Featured previously in Lale in 2013 when they launched the ‘Girls of Hope’ film and Book ‘Thanks to My Mother,’ Monisha Kar followed up with them to talk about what they have been up to since the movie and book launched and how they are inspiring a new wave of changemakers to make an impact Well-known in the Istanbul arts community, I just recently heard of and met Delizia and Ayşegül through a series of classes and events sponsored by members of the Photo Club of Istanbul (PCI). I was taking an event photography class at the same time that we were in the midst of planning a screening of Aysegül’s film ‘Girls of Hope’ and to discuss Delizia’s book, ‘Thanks to My Mother’. Several PCI members were also trying to coordinate another course with Delizia on storytelling for change. It seemed inevitable that our paths would cross, not realizing that this dynamic duo has been working together for over 16 years. Their passion for sharing stories of disenfranchised people is an important lesson in recognising the humanity in everyone, and I wanted to talk to them about their journey.

Tell me about your backgrounds AT: All during my school years, I knew I had a talent to write and tell stories, to visualize things and put them into some sort of audio/visual medium. Turkey has an interesting educational system where they don’t celebrate what you produce artistically or creatively – they say ‘OK, you can do that later when you become an engineer.’ I had no interest in

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going into business – my mother was a banker and my family has an officer background/government/banking. But, I did not have the right education to tell stories, so I went to England to complete a Master’s Degree, and then I got a scholarship to study in the United States. Here is where I learned about visual storytelling with a small budget, how to tell a story from your heart, independent cinema, and Cinéma vérité, which is what I mastered in. Cinéma vérité is about telling a story by letting the camera roll in circumstances that you cannot manipulate.

But Cinéma vérité is not just documenting real life, it is also creating stories by concentrating on real life in small institutions – a high school, hospital, a rehab center, an old folks’ home. If you focus your story there, I think the community will learn. I wanted to tell stories to create awareness in everyday society to give them a jolt. It is not always possible to observe these stories with the naked eye, and I think the camera helps do this.

DF: I come from a small town in Sicily. I have always been interested in human rights. I started taking photos quite

LALE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY late, but I was always interested in photojournalism and social documentary photography. At university, I studied Philosophy with a focus on Ethics. Often people tell me I studied the most useless subject in the world, and I say, of course it might be for some people but it is the subject that helps you live the most, and teaches you how to approach life not in terms of skills or tools for a practical job, but it is a mental approach of always questioning and always seeing how things should be better. Why should you say ‘yes’ to something you are not convinced of, how can you make other people think more critically?

My graduation present was a camera and that is where I started taking photos. I worked as a written journalist and my office was in Rome next to a photo agency, so I would see all these people coming and going and I got more interested in photography. I got into photojournalism when I did the European voluntary service in the UK. I was in Wales for 6 months so I quit my job and helped a man suffering from muscular dystrophy. You could also receive money to do a project with the European voluntary service, so my very first project afterwards was a photo reportage on volunteers like me. After that, I got a scholarship and I studied in England at the National Council for Training Journalists and received a Press Photography Certificate. Then I received another scholarship and studied photojournalism at Ohio University. In the meantime, I was always studying, working and doing projects.

How did you come to work together?

AT: My first project was about Turkish immigrants who lived in Germany. I was especially interested in showing the female perspective. Some of these women had grown up in Germany, they were second generation Turks, but were confined to the house and had to do all the household work, while their German peers went out at night and they couldn’t. I always had an issue with equal opportunity, whether cultural or economic. Why do some people have the right to something and others don’t? I have a brother

who suffers from schizophrenia and I have been exposed to this life since I was 5 years old, so it comes very naturally to me to see what the system labels as the ‘other’ in society.

But one way or another we are all ‘others.’ We were at the same university at some point and then Delizia moved to Sheffield, and I had moved to Germany to film contemporary generation German Turks.

DF: I was working in a summer school in Oxford, and she called me and said ‘Delizia, I am doing a project on German Turks, would you like to join forces and help me?’ and I said ‘I am in.’ That is how we started.

AT: We go way back, and have been working together for over 16 years. The priority in this has always been the project. Delizia and I think alike. Anytime I ask her, ‘Delizia there is this one project, what do you think?’, her response is ‘I am in, let’s do it.’ I have never gotten this type of reaction from anybody. I can tell her let’s go to Afghanistan to film the Taliban and she will say ‘Let’s do it.’

How do you complement each other and how do you differ?

DF: She is the more creative one and the stronger storyteller, and I am someone who could work 24 hours a day. I really love working so much – it is a passion I have developed – I don’t tire easily. While working, she might have a great idea, but you also need a point of view, and that is where I come in handy. I was there for the entire shooting, but when it comes to editing, she is the one who puts the story together, but there may be some turns, maybe some other things, and this is where we discuss, and from a clashing of opinions, something else emerges.

AT: She is being humble. People don’t understand the word Producer in Turkish. They think it is someone who funds projects. Actually, the producer is a co-pilot. She does all the visibility for the project, provides encouragement, advice, psychological support, problem solving, and tries to find a way to make the project successful. She helps solidify ideas and provide alternatives. As human beings, we have ups and downs, and with projects, we have ups and down, and they are the closers - the ones who say ‘let’s focus on finishing.’

Saying this with a Turkish lens, there are many beautiful Turkish projects, that can touch the heart, but they stay home-based, and don’t really strike an international chord.

For ‘Girls of Hope’ – I could have worked on my own, but it

LALE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY has such an international appeal and perspective, thanks to working with a foreign partner/producer.

What has happened since ‘Girls of Hope’ and ‘Thanks to My Mother’?

DF: The project is a call to action. The situation has not changed much and there is the chance that in the near future it may get worse, so we have kept doing screenings, because for us filmmakers and storytellers, it is important for us to spread the word as much as we can. We always

hope that in the audience, there is someone who comes from a think tank or civil society organisations that work on education policy. We love doing screenings at schools. The questions from small children were the best I received – especially for children who come from privileged backgrounds to see this. It is important for them not to take for granted what they have, that those who are well off have a duty to society to help others. Society is not just the small reality around us.

Illiteracy rates in Turkey are between 12-18% in the 21st century. The film created some momentum where people wanted to do something, but there was no follow up. We can help tell stories for the recognition and funding for civil society, but it is a totally different job to collect funds and deploy resources to help. You need to employ people to do all these things.

Recently, Impact Hub Istanbul organised a screening of ‘Girls of Hope’ for other NGOs and members. Together with us, there were lawyers, members from civil society, a man from Van who studied at Bosphorus University and created the e-bursu app(e-scholarship). He wants to give back, so now girls can find scholarships through his application. A lady who is 27 years old is teaching in a remote school in Central Anatolia and she finished her education and practical training. Most people who finish their practical training want to run away from these remote areas. Of course, if you run away after six months you can’t give much to the kids. She decided to stay two more years because she wanted the 50 kids that she taught to graduate from secondary school. She doesn’t do it for the money, she does it from the heart because she wants to do good for society.

AT: It has been a while since we finished the film, but I love that the younger generation find it a personal duty of their conscience to screen it to show the inequality that exists in society. There were high school students who watched my film and wanted to go to the village to help teach these students. Then two years later, a student from that high school who was studying at Bilgi University had access to film production. She wanted to create a short, 10-minute television show and she put ‘Girls of Hope’ on TV to create

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more awareness. It lives on through individual efforts. When people ask ‘what can we do?’ it could be sponsoring our screening outside of Istanbul in universities in Diyarbakir.

People think we need 1 million TL, but no just donate funds for a screening in Mardin University, or let’s collaborate with some women’s organisations in Istanbul – maybe they have contacts with people in some of the more remote places in Turkey so we can all go for the screening. Screening this film is a civil act on its own.

What is keeping you busy these days?

AT: One and a half years ago, we started our third documentary about the first elected mayor from a Communist party in Turkey. He lives in the heart of Anatolia in an Alevite town. Most residents are immigrants/ asylum seekers/refugees. They are people of unbelievable education – both mental and spiritual. Many of them had quit secondary school, but they have read Dostoyevsky, Neruda, Shakespeare, and can talk about Marx and Spinoza. I didn’t know people like this existed in my country outside of the cities.

This man is in charge of a belediye (municipality) with a 1M TL/year budget, which he posts outside the building so that people can see how the money is being spent. Yet, he has managed to sustain organic farming and agriculture, and it is another story of hope in this smallest area, where politically and culturally people are stigmatized, but they are just producing with the halk (people). It is a beautiful story – another story of hope.

DF: He has the right to have a driver and a car, but he waived that right, to make sure instead they have a town bus which is free for everybody. He also put up the fees for the community to grow different types of beans which they sell all over Turkey. With the money they collect, they

LALE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY give scholarships to local students. I find this very timely.

I think crucial to getting out of tough times in the world is production. We can’t do much by fighting on Twitter or Facebook; just produce whatever you can and put it out there. I know millions cannot watch or film movies, but the 10 who do might be changemakers themselves. In producing, whatever it is - an article, a cake, a film - there is a joy in that itself, and satisfaction that in tough times helps you go on and gives you motivation.

This comes to the storytelling workshop. Not everybody can do this professionally, it takes a lot out of you personally and people have other priorities, but you can still be sensitive to these societal challenges. So the idea we are offering, storytelling for social change, is that one learns something technical and to tell stories and help an NGO that they like.

AT: They (NGOs) really don’t have money which is one problem, but I think there are individuals who can do projects – even a 5- minute multimedia project to create awareness.

We gave a course on social projects and a few people did personal stories, but some people went to Fikirtepe to film gentrification. Istanbul is such a hyper city, but there are so many stories to tell to start social change. I always believe one can make a change in their own community. In my experience, I learn about so many stories from my students, and they are so interesting. I think it is always wonderful to join forces.

DF: I think whatever project you work on it changes you.

The process makes you grow as a human being and at the same time you do something good for others. We want to do projects to create consciousness in society. The whole idea of this type of storytelling is that we eliminate the “other,” the other is us.

FEATURE: KAREN VAN DRIE

LALE BOOK REVIEW

'THE BRIDGE ON THE DRINA'

BY IVO ANDRIĆ About ten years ago, an American friend of mine, whose book taste I completely respected, told me about this book. He was so enthusiastic I knew someday I would read it, even though I had never heard of the author, never heard of the book, and knew nothing about Bosnia.

I never suspected then, that I would eventually be living in Istanbul someday, be familiar with Ottoman history up close, and have walked a historic Mimar Sinan stone bridge in Büyükçekmece, outside of Istanbul, with my very own feet.

What a book! What an author! And what a translator! This book is a haunting wonderful novel exquisitely rendered in time and place. A young Christian boy is taken to the Ottoman capital to serve the Ottoman Empire. He converts.

Eventually, he rises to a position of advisor to the Sultan. The Balkan native decides to use his position to build a stone bridge designed by the

great Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan to commemorate the land he came from and to glorify God. The book "The Bridge on the Drina" is a fictionalized history of all that happened on that bridge.

We often assign metaphysical powers to grand urban assets like the Eiffel Tower, but this book made the reader cherish a rural stone bridge as a precious jewel that made life grander and more meaningful for all the villagers who come in contact with it. Could a man-made creation serve a nobler purpose?

Ivo Andrić is almost like a Balkan "Mark Twain" so great were his powers of observation about human nature, sometimes wryly so. You can not read this book without feeling he has an enormous love for humanity because he can describe people at their worst, their weakest, and best with such

compassion and grace, it's impossible not to love his writing for that fact alone.

I found myself writing down sentences within the book just to savor their genius later. After I finished the book, I looked the author up on Wikipedia and I realized I had no idea while reading the book what faith he was because he wrote about the Christian and Muslim villagers with such insight you could almost think he had both faiths in his family. Ah, such is the Balkans.

What a patriot this man was. He had an ability to make the whole world care about his little corner and love it as he did. I am not the only person who thinks so. Even the Nobel Literature committee thought so and awarded Ivo Andrić the Nobel Prize for literature in 1961. I want to read everything else he has written.

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The body metabolizes certain vitamins faster

THE FIVE VITAMINS WHICH THE BODY NEEDS THE MOST

It is not possible to have a healthy life without vitamins. This is because vitamins are elements which trigger and maintain most of the bodily activities. The precursors of some of these vitamins are already present in the body and these are used after being converted into active vitamins. Some, on the other hand, can be synthesized in our body, even if in small amounts. However, natural production of vitamins in the body is not sufficient to meet the needs of the human metabolism and it is essential for the metabolism to be supplied with vitamins from the outside. Therefore, vitamin intake with food has vital importance. Nutrition and Diet Specialist Ayça Kaplan of Acıbadem Fulya Hospital points out that it is critical for the daily vitamin requirements to be met in order to preserve bodily functions and says, “The said vitamin requirements vary according to age, gender and other factors such as pregnancy. Deficiency of certain essential vitamins, in particular, may lead to an increase in the rate of incidence for common diseases. Dietician Ayça Kaplan shares with us the 5 vitamins which the body needs the most, as well as the sources they can be acquired from: VITAMIN A Signs of deficiency: Vitamin A is stored in the liver and when its intake is insufficient, the stores in the liver are depleted first.

This is followed by a decrease in the vitamin levels in the blood.

The deficiency of vitamin A is frequently accompanied with vision problems. Night blindness, drying and loss of brightness in the eyes, inadequate tear production are some of the said problems.

Furthermore, since vitamin A also plays a role in the immune system, its deficiency may cause weakness and increase the risk of infection. Prolonged vitamin A deficiency, on the other hand, can cause irreversible health issues.

Sources: Vitamin A can be found in foods of animal origin such as liver, egg yolk and butter, as well as dark green leafy vegetables and yellow and orange vegetables. Having 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day is enough to provide the body with a sufficient supply of vitamin A. Excessive intake of vitamin A can lead to results such as enlargement of the liver, flaking of the skin, nervous system disorders, nausea and color changes in the palms and soles.

Improving absorption: Since vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin which is also transported with fat, the amount of fat in the diet is very important in respect to its absorption. Unless there are problems in the pancreatic enzymes released by the pancreas, as well as the bile acid, the absorption rate of the vitamin A which is taken through one’s diet is around 80-90%. On the other hand, zinc and vitamin E deficiencies can both disrupt the metabolism processes for vitamin A because they play an important role in absorption, transfer and actions of vitamin A. 20

FOLIC ACID Signs of deficiency: When the folic acid in the body decreases, the maturation process of blood cells is disrupted. Furthermore, the importance of folic acid for the body increases by 50% during pregnancy. Its deficiency can cause problems in the structure of the fetus which starts from the brain tissue, extends down along the spinal cord and is referred to as the “neural tube”. It can also lead to weakness, excessive restlessness, growth retardation and a lowered resistance to infectious diseases.

Sources: Main sources of folic acid are liver and dark green leafy vegetables. Artichoke, broccoli, beet, okra, yeast and legumes are also among natural sources for folic acid.

Improving absorption: Folic acid is sensitive to high temperatures.

Therefore, in order to maximize the benefits acquired from this vitamin, it is essential not to cook vegetables with high temperatures and for prolonged periods.

+90 216 544 46 64 www.acibademinternational.com international@acibadem.com.tr

VITAMIN C Signs of deficiency: Its deficiency can be accompanied with symptoms such as gingival bleeding, swelling of joints, anemia and decrease in iron absorption.

VITAMIN B12 Signs of deficiency: Since the symptoms that accompany vitamin B12 deficiency can also be encountered with many other conditions, it may not be possible to understand whether they arise due to vitamin deficiency right away. Therefore, usually blood tests are required to confirm any diagnosis. Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to severe and irreversible damages in the brain and the nervous system. Furthermore, it can can also appear with symptoms such as anemia, swelling or inflammation of the tongue, yellowing or paling of the skin, numbness and tingling in arms and legs, weakness, forgetfulness, memory loss and distractibility.

Sources: Foods of animal origin such as meat, dairy products, fish and shellfish are among the foods that are richest in vitamin B12.

Improving absorption: Alcohol consumption and smoking, as well as use of birth control pills and certain other drugs, can reduce the absorption of vitamin B12 even if the individual’s diet contains a sufficient amount of the vitamin. Vitamin B12 can be used most efficiently in the body by eating healthy and avoiding use of medications without supervision of a doctor.

Sources: Citrus fruits, rose hip, kiwi, strawberry, broccoli, red and green peppers, melon, green leafy vegetables, tomato, cauliflower and potato are among foods that are richest in vitamin C. Picking the 2 or 3 servings of fruit that should be consumed during winter from citrus fruits that have high contents of vitamin C, such as oranges and tangerines, particularly enhances the strength of the immune system.

Improving absorption: Vitamin C is highly sensitive to heat and light. Therefore, storing vegetables in a cool place helps reduce loss of vitamin C. However, freezing vegetables or storing them at temperatures close to freezing can also lead to vitamin loss. Slicing or chopping the vegetables very thinly or mincing them are among the processes that increase vitamin C loss considerably. This is because such processes increase the surfaces of the fruits and vegetables that are exposed to air, light and, in case of boiling, water. In order to reduce this type of exposure at maximum level, fruits and vegetables should not be brought into contact with metals and they should be picked by hand and consumed as soon as possible. Removing the skins of fruits is also a process that causes vitamin loss. In addition to all of these, vitamin C levels are also known to decrease due to smoking, severe stress and traumas.

VITAMIN D Signs of deficiency: The first to be affected by vitamin D deficiency is bone tissue. Recent studies indicate that there is an important correlation between emergence of diabetes and vitamin D. Furthermore, the rates of incidence of prostate, breast cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune diseases (immune system diseases) such as MS can also increase in association with vitamin D deficiency.

Sources: The best sources for vitamin D, which is present in only limited amounts in foods, are fish oil, liver, egg yolk, milk, seaweed and mushrooms. Excessive intake of vitamin D can cause the calcium levels in blood to escalate by a great deal. Contrary to popular belief, this does not prevent osteoporosis and may even cause it to progress further.

Improving absorption: The precursors of vitamin D are synthesized in the body and activated with the effect of sunlight on skin. However, dietary vitamin D supplements are essential in countries where daylight is insufficient and large cities in which indoor business activities have become a dominant aspect of life. In order for sunlight to have the necessary effect on the body, the skin should be free from protective creams. It is required for individuals to expose themselves to sunlight 2 days a week for 5 to 30 minutes with their faces, arms and legs uncovered.

Vitamins that are excreted from the body in urine are quicker to be depleted Dietician Ayça Kaplan notes that vitamin deficiencies vary according to the type of vitamin at hand and says, “Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble. In other words, these vitamins make use of the fats that are acquired via the individual’s diet during absorption and are also stored in the fat tissue in considerable amounts. Therefore, deficiency of such vitamins does not usually occur and the diseases that develop due to their deficiency can be very late to show symptoms. On the other hand, vitamins B and C are water-soluble and excess amounts of these vitamins are excreted from the body in urine. This causes for their deficiency to be detected much quicker”.

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LALE INTERVIEW

FEATURE: CAITLIN DIEBLER PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF DELIZIA FLACCAVENTO & CİHAN SONÜSTÜN

ALIVE AND

KICKING

ALINA BELHAN

Alina Belhan is the founder of iTeam, an international women’s football club in Istanbul. In just two years, this Russian native has created a community of women who cultivate friendships while scoring goals. Caitlin Diebler talked to her about how participating in sports has fueled camaraderie on and off the field 22

LALE INTERVIEW As I sat down with Alina, I listened to her unique but strikingly familiar storyline. A similar theme has resounded from numerous expats before us: The first few months of life in a new country mirror a sabbatical, only for one to wake up in desperate need to plant emotional roots in her new home. Alina got the football rolling and established a place for women all over Istanbul to do the same What brought you to Istanbul?

Two years ago, I was living in suburban Latvia, working and owning my own business. I didn’t have holidays and the hours were long. By nature, I’m very much a people person and managing my business didn’t give me a chance to have the social lifestyle I desired. It was also a time when many of my friends and family had moved away for jobs or life outside Latvia. I was ready for a change.

As destiny would have it, I met my now husband right around that time. I’m 40 and we were both ready to get married. It all happened so quickly. I sold my business, married my husband Mehmet and moved to Istanbul.

What was it like moving from Latvia to Turkey?

Moving to Istanbul wasn’t too much of a shock for me. I had visited many times before and I adore this city. Like I said, I love people. Istanbul is full of people and crowds, which Latvia doesn’t have. Even in recent times, I love taking the metro and metro-bus and just being around people. For me, the change in culture was a wonderful thing.

The first few months living in Istanbul were like a fairytale. I was newly married, living in a city that I love and free from work. I actually gained 10 kilos! I was just relaxing and eating delicious Turkish food.

After my ‘Istanbul honeymoon’ period, I craved emotional connection. I joined several online forums, got involved with different international groups and went on their excursions.

It was nice to be around people and fill my time but it was hard to develop deep friendships.

On an online Russian forum, some girls asked me to play in a friendly football match against another group of women.

I don’t consider myself a sports woman but in Latvia I grew up trying all kinds of sports. With those 10 kilos I gained it seemed like a perfect fit! I played in the game and our team lost 1-6. We were absolutely horrible but it was fun.

Is that how iTeam started?

That’s definitely where it all started. It was nice to exercise and play football but it was great to have fun with other girls. We went to restaurants together and had coffee after games. We made fast friendships. There’s something about running together, sweating together and working toward a common goal that helps move you beyond small talk and surface friendships.

After those games ended, some of the girls and I decided to keep up with regular trainings and participate in more friendly games. My husband, Mehmet came to watch us one night and he said, “Alina, this isn’t football. I can’t watch this any longer.” I guess we were really bad! Mehmet suggested he could teach us basic skills and rules at our trainings.

I started to spread news about the team in the springtime and early summer of last year, 2016, and it really took off.

The weather was nice and lots of international girls joined the club. I named our football club, iTeam. The ‘I’ stands for ‘International’ and ‘Istanbul.’ I created our logo, which when written looks a bit like ‘iPhone.’ Some of the women said they chose to play with my team because of this similarity.

They saw the logo, and because they like technology and new gadgets, they felt they could relate to the style! We made a training program with Mehmet as our coach to prepare for a fall tournament. That’s really when iTeam was born.

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Has iTeam continued to grow from that point?

Unfortunately, the coup last summer and the following events in Istanbul took away a number of players. Many international women moved back to their home countries or elsewhere.

It scared a lot of people. Even the international women that remained in Istanbul didn’t want to travel far outside their neighborhoods for trainings. The team really fell apart during that time.

It was also a blessing in disguise.

Because iTeam lost so many players, we invited Turkish women to join our team also. This was an incredible change for our club. All women crave deep, meaningful friendships.

Expat women especially need this connection but I think we forget about the women around us. Turkish women are also looking for connection even in their home country. It’s been a great atmosphere to combine those two worlds, but it unveils the progress Turkey has yet to make in their view of women. Ladies who come from Western countries such as U.S.A., England, Australia, Germany or Canada, play freely and with strength.

Other girls have grown up in a culture where playing football is considered unfeminine and a male- only sport.

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Turkish men frequently reiterate that statement and in general, I think women in this country cower to the stereotype. iTeam is lucky enough to have Turkish girls who want to fight this social barrier.

come back day after day and week after week. People can be flaky, and I realise different priorities can take precedence in our daily lives but it’s my job to encourage commitment to the team.

What does it take to run iTeam?

I’m in search for sponsors but we don’t have any at this point so our rent for training facilities, friendly games and tournaments is a shared cost among the team. It can also be difficult to negotiate with training hall administrators because as a women’s

I organise our trainings and friendly games. I get a lot of help from our captain, Alis, who is a Turk and helps immensely with any language barrier on the team. I’m always trying to bring energy and keep our team inspired to

welcome. iTeam will always work toward improving skills, doing our best in tournaments while creating friendships and having fun!

Member Information: oo Some have left Istanbul but so far we have had members from USA, France, Moldova, Germany, Iran, Iraq, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Egypt, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Tunisia, Poland, Sweden, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, Slovenia, Syria, Latvia, UK, Ireland, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, Italy oo iTeam would love to have you! We are currently training on Wednesday evenings from 20:0022:00 on the Asian side in Acıbadem. We are training indoors until March or April. oo We will be participating in a tournament in May called the Istanbul Cup, organised by Kızlar Sahada team, we’re not always taken seriously. Men’s teams often take priority over our requests. My husband, Mehmet, helps me make arrangements. His male presence and native Turkish tongue help get things done. All of the women on iTeam have great partners who want to see us succeed.

They support us at our games, offer advice and even take part in our trainings if we’re short a few ladies. We’re lucky because many men in Turkey won’t play football with women.

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/iTeamFootball/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/iteamfootball/ For more information on Kızlar Sahada visit: www.kizlarsahada.com

What are your future ‘goals’ for iTeam?

We’re going to continue our trainings in preparation for the Kızlar Sahada League in early May. It’s Turkey’s first private women’s football tournament. We have participated previously and we love Kızlar Sahada’s values of kindness and friendship. They design an atmosphere that empowers women on the football field and in their lives.

Creating this football team wasn’t my goal. Developing deep friendships and creating emotional connection was my priority and it will always be the first value of iTeam.

That’s what makes us different from other football clubs in Istanbul. We welcome members to our team with either zero football experience or years of organised play. All ages are

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LALE LIFE

FEATURE: MONISHA KAR PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF EMILY GRAY AND THOMAS BAYLEM

BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH FOOD A new assignment with the British Consulate brought native Scot Emily Gray and her partner, British-born Thomas Baylem to Istanbul recently. Looking to meet people and make new friends, they were navigating the various forums and groups in social media and had the idea of starting a vegan club here.

“Coming from London, the community for vegans is very vibrant. There are loads of restaurants. There are loads of people you meet who are pre-disposed to veganism and understand your ideas,’ Emily said.

‘Coming here was more challenging. There were fewer restaurants available and it was definitely going against the grain in your decision making, so every time you sat down to have dinner with friends someone would make you justify your reasoning for not eating a particular thing. While it is good to talk and educate people, sometimes you just want to be around people who understand where you are coming from and want to share the same type of food. We were new and wanted to make friends and meet like-minded people, and we thought ‘what do we do well?’ We really like cooking, and have this lovely flat so we thought – ‘why don’t we make tasty things and invite people to share them?’ Emily added.

When one thinks of iconic food of Istanbul and Turkey, baklava, lahmacun, köfte, döner are usually top of mind. While the city is not necessarily known for their vegetarian or vegan offerings, Emily Gray, 26 and Thomas Baylem, 28 are doing their part to build a vibrant vegan community, one plate at a time.

Through their group V Club, they host monthly brunches, as well as book discussions and movie viewings for those interested in learning more about veganism, or for those just interested in good food and company.

Monisha Kar dropped by their place for brunch and a chat

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And that is how the brunch club was born. They held their first brunch club on a Sunday in August at their apartment in Bomonti, and attendance has grown ever since. They have now had seven brunches and hope to continue monthly while adding books clubs, discussions and movie nights to their list of events.

“The brunch club is possibly the event we get the biggest attendance from. It is intended to be very welcoming and relaxing. Anyone can come, whether you are vegan or not.

There is no pressure to talk about veganism if you don’t want to. You can just come for the social occasion, eat some tasty food and meet some nice people. The other events we are having – discussion nights and movie nights, and book clubs are more intended for serious discussion and debate about vegan issues. Again, you don’t have to be vegan to attend,” said Thomas.

LALE LIFE

For those who are considering making the switch to veganism, some people think that they suddenly need to find seitan, tofu, and have avocados with every meal.

However, there is such a wide variety of plants and legumes that the combinations are limitless with a bit of research and resourcefulness.

“We have a little market nearby, and we try to eat seasonally, and adapt what we make so that it is affordable. I love Pinterest – I sit on the sofa with my tea, and I will search whatever vegetable is in season and it broadens your experience because you will find blogs and books that you like. We have a favourite cookbook by Anna Jones.

Her photographs are beautiful and she layers textures and flavours in her recipes, and she will also say how to make this stir fry, and on the next page there will be a flowchart that shows you how to make the same recipe 10 other ways,” Emily said.

Emily and Thomas are hoping that through opening the doors to their home and breaking bread, that they are helping make an impact on people’s lives.

“I think the great misconception about vegan food is that you need really specialized ingredients. Actually, the spectrum of stuff you have here is amazing - amazing fresh fruit and vegetables, and huge bunches of fresh herbs at low cost, rather than shriveled stuff in some UK supermarkets. Thomas has found a little Asian supermarket just off of Taksim where you can get tofu much cheaper than the extortionate prices at supermarkets,” Emily noted.

“I would like to spread veganism to as many people as I can – and that doesn’t involve advocacy in the traditional sense. But I really like spreading veganism through inviting people to dinner, cooking them tasty food. I don’t expect to convert many people, but if you can just make a slightly more favourable to veganism, that might ripple out and you never know where that might go. Veganism is a very linked issue, and linked to many issues of social justice,” said Thomas.

To learn more, get inspired, or to join their upcoming events, you can find information at V Club on Facebook.

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LALE GOURMET

FEATURE AND PHOTOGRAPHY: CIGDEM DUYSAL

MEET OMAR MOSQUERA MALLEN, EXECUTIVE CHEF, RAFFLES ISTANBUL

For those lucky enough to snag a seat at one of his Chef’s Table dinners, Chef Omar Mosquera Mallen creates a sensory journey you won’t soon forget.

Read why he is the talk of the town A Michelin-starred executive chef is considered a rock star in the culinary world, and Chef Omar looks the part. The dynamic Catalonian chef from Barcelona stands tall, and radiates his Spanish heritage as he expresses his deep passion and discipline for his job. Cigdem Duysal recently met with Chef Omar, at the Raffles Hotel Private Dining Room (PDR).

WHERE DID YOUR JOURNEY BEGIN?

“At the age of 16, I was accepted into Escuela Hofmann. This is the first, and only culinary school to have a Michelin star restaurant. Getting into the school is extremely competitive.

Once you overcome the barrier to entry, they are extremely tough on you. The program is balanced between science, theory and practice in a Michelin star kitchen. During the second term, each student is given the responsibility of one plate at the Michelin star restaurant lunch service. One plate is a big world to that student. Imagine, just one plate.

Believe me, it’s not easy to coordinate timing of service, size, shape, and taste all at once for such a young student. In the second year, leadership in the kitchen is brought into the equation. As we ventured on to dinner service, leaders were given responsibility for a brigade of three chefs, each having responsibility for two plates. We served the King of Spain and many high dignitaries.

work and not shying from taking four steps back, in order to get ten steps ahead. It’s the people that work hard, no matter what their career, that are the luckier ones. But, of course, I consider myself a lucky person.”

WHERE DID YOU WORK BEFORE MOVING TO ISTANBUL?

“My first job out of Hofmann Culinary School was at Restaurant Gaig, where I worked with Michelin star Chef, Carles Gaig. From there, I transferred to El Racó d’en Freixa, another Michelin star restaurant where I became Sous Chef within two years of graduating. I was on an upward career trajectory in Spain, but my goal was to relocate to the heart of gastronomy, Paris. I achieved this goal with the help of Ramon Freixa, who helped me transfer directly to the 3 Michelin star kitchen of Chef Alain Ducasse at Plaza Athénée.

It was tough being the only Spaniard in a sea of 40 French

YOUR CAREER TRACK HAS BEEN IN THE COMPANY OF THE MOST CELEBRATED CHEFS IN THE WORLD. HOW DID YOU GET THIS EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITY?

“I believe in determination, hard work, setting goals, curiosity, respect and passion. I have been setting goals for myself, and working towards them since I was 16. It’s been an upward journey indeed, but believe me, this industry is tough. It is extremely difficult and competitive. Often I hear the words ‘lucky’ and ‘glamorous’ tied to being an Executive Chef.

But, I can honestly tell you it takes hard work every day, and every ounce of sweat and tears that you have to make a successful career in this industry. Success comes from hard

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chefs. But, I stayed focused and worked harder than ever.

Then, Pierre Gagnaire hired me away from Ducasse and I continued to work in Paris, at the 2 Michelin star Gaya, and the 3 Michelin star restaurant, Balzac. From there, I was asked to take on the Chef role at Gagnaire’s 3 Michelin star restaurant, Sketch in London. It wasn’t until Sergi Arola asked me to work at his restaurant in Singapore that my journey with Arola began. The trend is to have gastronomy

LALE GOURMET

restaurants within hotels.This works well both for customers and chefs. I have been happy working at Raffles Hotel, where we have the opportunity to bring true gastronomy to our customers.”

WHAT MAKES YOUR RAFFLES CHEF’S TABLE EXPERIENCE UNIQUE?

“The Chef Table at Raffles is ‘my space’ and it’s a very important part of where I can create an experience exclusive for my customers. I like to create magic here. Raffles has created the Bentley of all kitchens with modern equipment and sophisticated design. This is where I can let my creativity flow and just be myself. Our PDR at Raffles seats 12-14 guests adjacent to my open kitchen. Guests get to interact and watch as each dish is prepared just for them. This is a sensory experience – the sights, the smells, and the tastes, even the Pordamsa sublime plates we serve on make the experience unique. I have influences from Paris, Barcelona, Brazil and Singapore, so what you taste in my kitchen is a harmony of a lifetime of culinary experience. Each Chef Table menu I create is unique. A typical menu includes 1216 plates for a true gastronomic experience. I create the menu according to what I love, and my guests will taste this emotion in their food. The influences of my international experience will come through on each plate. And there’s the element of surprise. I prefer to keep an unanticipated element to my Chef’s Table, sharing the menu only with the organiser.

The remaining guests will receive a signed menu at the end of the dinner. I believe this adds to the experience of a Chef’s Table. It creates a foundation for customers to keep an open mind to a full gastronomic experience.”

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU NOTICED ABOUT ISTANBUL WHEN YOU FIRST MOVED HERE?

“As a chef, I immediately noticed the farm-to table healthy quality of produce here. The quality of farm-fresh eggs for example is something extraordinary here. You can go to the markets and see the same farmers. Breads are made fresh, daily. There are no chemicals in the bread. Most items are fresh and not pre-packaged. This is a luxury. What we have to seek hard and pay much for in Europe is abundantly available here. This is part of the Turkish food culture. I hope Turkey never loses this quality. We are very lucky here.”

WHAT CAN ISTANBULITES EXPECT FROM YOUR RAFFLES HOTEL KITCHEN(S) IN THE COMING MONTHS?

“We have to remain enthusiastic for what’s coming up in the next season. Spring is almost here, so we have lot to look forward to: flowers, citrus, almonds, artichokes, peas, herbs and many aromas. Everything will be fresh and fragrant. You will see that reflected in my kitchens. I will always be at the helm of the PDR and this is the place to experience and enjoy the seasons. At Raffles Hotel, we are always up to something new. We believe in constantly learning and improving the experience for our customers. Stay tuned for exciting news from us coming in September.”

For those interested in more information about the Raffles Hotel and private dining options, please contact nergis. sevim@raffles.com and mention IWI.

DO YOU ENJOY LIVING IN TURKEY?

“I fell in love with Turkey very quickly. People are nice and kind, something rare in other parts of the world. I find Turks to be open minded and they are always willing to help foreigners. There’s a trust that we don’t see in some parts of Europe. I hope Turkey doesn’t lose that. I also notice how respect is a big part of the culture, and I like that. I met my wife here. So Turkey will always be a special place for me.

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LALE ART

FEATURE AND PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF PDA

Printemps des Artistes, (PDA), is a charitable art exhibition and sale, which takes place every spring in Istanbul. Now in its 11th year, the aim of this event is twofold: unveiling new Istanbul artists to the public, and raising funds to support charity initiatives. The exhibition launches in April, but you can take a sneak peek at the selected artists and their work here

F

ollowing the success of the previous exhibitions, this year, the Printemps Des Artistes’ selection committee has chosen works from 11 confirmed or up-and-coming, Turkish and foreignborn artists; Curated to be a crossroads between the East and the West, it is a rendezvous where new artists, charity projects, life experiences and different cultures meet and converge.

All the pieces of art exhibited in PDA are for sale, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated by the artists to two charities: The Lape Hospital and Yusra Community Centre in Balat.

Lape Hospital has been operating in Istanbul since 1857, and was donated to the Sisters of Saint Vincent in 1902

by Sultan Abdul Hamid II. It is still run by the Sisters of Charity and operates solely thanks to private donations.

Yusra is a reception, resource and support centre for refugee women and children living in the Balat district. Amongst other services, it provides a venue for socialising and teaching children. It also aims to provides refugee women with support, information and training to help them regain confidence and become financially independent. The Spring Art Fair 2017 intends to help finance a project for a catering service started by the women in the Centre.

WHEN AND WHERE TO CATCH THE EXHIBIT This year’s exhibition opens at Sainte Pulchérie Fransız Lisesi; Çukurluçesme Sok.7, Parmakkapı, 34433 Beyoğlu – İstanbul with a launch party and auction, on Friday, April 7 from 6:30pm-10pm.

The exhibition will run April 8-16 from 2pm-7pm. There will also be an evening cocktail party on Thursday, April 13.

For more information visit: www.istanbulaccueil.org and Facebook: Le Printemps des Artistes – Istanbul.

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LALE ART

TOYGAN EREN

VALERIE ÇELEBİ

TİMURTAŞ ONAN

Toygan graduated from the University Eskisehir Anadolu in 1998 with a Master’s degree in Sculpture. Since then, he has exhibited his works in Turkey and abroad. He also teaches his craft in various universities. He specialises in the Japanese glazing technique called Raku, which was a preferred method of Zen Masters due to its simplicity and sophistication; as indicative of all his works. He has received two prestigious awards for this technique

Valérie is an artist faithful to the PDA. She joins us once again with a selection of her cargo ships and tankers, a sight common to all Istanbulites. She offers an ever-changing palette of colours, compositions, atmosphere, sounds, inspiration and radiance, as she follows the cycle of maritime traffic and the four seasons

Timurtaş, an Istanbul-based photographer, is well-known for his photographs of Istanbul, Paris, Belgrade and Zagreb. He shares his passion with his students and owns one of the few galleries entirely dedicated to photography in Istanbul. A very committed artist, he has directed several short films and documentaries for which he has received numerous international awards

ALEV ARASLI

GÜLSÜN- ÖYKÜ DOĞAN

IMAD HABBAB

Alev left the field of Finance to dedicate herself to her passion for ceramics. She no longer handles the gold and silver associated with financial markets, but in her hands, these precious metals are blended and suffused through her ceramics to adorn objects both useful and decorative

Turkish artist and ardent feminist Gülsün-Öykü invites viewers to examine her paintings closely. She defies all the feminine taboos, liberates herself with ink and allows us to penetrate the core of her characters

Imad is a young Syrian artist who arrived in Istanbul a mere two years ago. A city-dweller above all else, he astounds audiences with his paintings and their vertical nature. Viewers are immersed in the city, but rapidly the facades dissolve to reveal human faces

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LALE ART HÜLYA ÖZDEMİR

ADNAN JETTO

SÜZET HAKLI

A little gypsy-like, every woman that Hülya paints is a figment of her imagination. Yet, upon closer inspection, each portrait resembles the artist herself - with tumbling hair, colourful clothes and a cheerful countenance. Renowned as an illustrator, Hülya uses water colours with finesse and precision

Adnan, who was driven out by war, left Syria with only his family and a few paintings. Since then, he has altered his course and switched to cinema and video. For this edition of PDA, he gives visitors an exclusive look at the few colourful paintings and engravings he was able to save

Süzet came to painting quite late in life. Since 2010, she has exhibited her works in Turkey, Paris, Barcelona and Cologne. Through her paintings, Süzet seeks to make us aware of the need to preserve nature by putting animals in the forefront and giving them a habitat.

Timeless, colourful and with a myriad of details, her paintings give pride of place to animals deprived of their natural habitats

ÖZLEM ACAROĞLU

İRFAN YAVRU

Özlem was gifted a passion for photography by her father. The effect of light and shadow on her work conveys another vision of Turkey. The aim of her art is to create her own ideal world. Through her minimalist approach, she revisits the passing of time and loneliness

The striking characters depicted by İrfan Yavru seem to come straight from an illustrated book revealing to viewers a world of adventures. Each detail such as a turban, moustache or colourful clothes make us travel to a timeless Turkey

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FEATURE: BURÇİN ÜNLÜ İNCE, PH.D.

LALE WELLNESS

WHEN LIVING ABROAD LEAVES YOU FEELING BLUE Culture shock can come in waves and can strike unexpectedly. Even those who have successfully transitioned to life away from their home country can experience an onset of depression. Dr. Burçin Ünlü İnce explains how to administer self-care whether the honeymoon period is over, or has yet to arrive

M

oving to another country is a major event in one’s life.

Migration occurs for various reasons - some under favourable conditions such as taking on a new work assignment or choosing to be closer to family, but some move under duress, due to political tensions, or even worse, war. Whatever the reason is for moving to a new environment, one must settle and acclimate to their new surroundings in order to start a new life. The hope is that it is a life full of hope, wishes, goals and positive vibes to write a new chapter.

However, migration is not always an easy transition to make. Living in an unknown place, dealing with a different culture, and trying to learn a new language are examples of challenges that are hard to achieve in a short period of time. Taking root in Turkey can be overwhelming, in so much that it stresses people out mentally. According to research, migrants are therefore more likely to develop depressive symptoms compared to native populations.

Depression is nowadays one of the most disabling disorders

worldwide. This mood disorder impairs the quality of life and has serious consequences for how we see the world. It affects how we react and think on a daily basis. Depressed people are likely to have problems with sleeping; eating and concentrating at work. Feelings such as emptiness, a persistent sadness or depressed mood, a loss of interest in activities, feeling irritable or decreased energy are common symptoms of depression.

Not every depressed person experiences these symptoms and not every migrant feels depressed. But as a newcomer (or even a long-time transplant) to Turkey, starting a new life in such a despondent mood can leave you feeling desperate and alone. What to do then? Here are some tips to boost your mood: 1. Step outside: Fresh air and sunlight are miracle workers for your mood.

Just taking a walk for at least 20 minutes a day can be enough to give you some energy. If you can do more, even better 2.

Enhance your social circle: Making new friendships can be difficult if you do not know anyone. Try to find interesting places, meet-ups, and associations to make new connections. Don’t be afraid to say ‘hi’ to someone.

Invest time and energy to let friendships grow and deepen 3. Stay healthy: Nutrition based on vegetables, proteins, fruit and water are important cornerstones of a healthy body and mind. Try to eat a balanced and varied diet 4. Get organised: Sleeping and waking up on time will have a positive influence on your mood.

Try to sleep and rest well. During the day, stay active and try to schedule activities to be productive 5. Stay positive: It sounds easy, but practising gratitude may not be.

Write down at least three positive things you’ve encountered today.

This can be about yourself or something general. If these tips aren’t helpful and you are struggling with symptoms of depression that extend beyond two weeks, then it might be a good indicator to seek professional help. The good news is that depression is a treatable disorder. Psychotherapy (combined with or without pharmacotherapy) has been showed to be effective in the treatment of depression. There are several options in hospitals; clinics and private practices to get evidence-based help for depression The complexity of migration and culture shock is understandable and normal but it can be mentally painful. If you recognise these conditions in yourself or others, don’t delay in seeking or recommending help in a timely manner.

Burçin Ünlü İnce, Ph.D. studied Clinical Psychology at the VU University in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology by studying online psychotherapy for ethnic minorities. She has been living in Istanbul since 2012 and set up an online counseling centre for mental health (Interapia). Furthermore, she received a research grant from TÜBITAK to conduct research as a postdoctoral researcher at the METU University in Ankara. She can be reached at: burcin.ince@interapia.com.tr

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PUPPET MASTER OF PERA Yusuf Franko Kusa used brush and pen and position to lampoon and pull the strings of Ottoman high society. His caricatures are now the subject of a fascinating exhibition in Istanbul, writes K Mehmet Kentel

S

ixty years ago, a rug dealer in the Grand Bazaar made a lucrative deal with an American diplomat who was on vacation in Istanbul with his wife.

What he sold the American was not a rug, nor a carpet, and was quite unlike anything traded before or since in the bazaar. It was an 86-page album of unpublished caricatures from the Ottoman period, all dated to a span of 12 years from 1884 to 1896. That itself made it very interesting – but there was more to this album of curiosity. Titled Types et Charges, it was full of exceptionally well-crafted satirical drawings of members of the elite in fin-de-siècle Pera (today’s Beyoğlu). The artist himself was an aspiring member of this society with good connections in Ottoman bureaucracy as well as in Pera’s business circles. His name was Yusuf Franko Kusa.

Yusuf Bey was from a Melkite family (belonging to the Greek Catholic Church) who emigrated from Lebanon at the end of the

CORNUCOPIA 55

18th century. Nasrî Franko, his father, had climbed the ranks of the Ottoman bureaucracy. Thanks to the roles he played in the busy diplomatic scene and to family connections, Yusuf enjoyed rare access to the private world of Pera’s crème de la crème. Among his entourage were ambassadors and chargés d’affaires.

As the French diplomat Gabriel Hanotaux, related, “Youssouf was an amiable man, an excellent dispatch writer, a skilled draughtsman, a witty cartoonist, a man about town, an enthusiastic bridge player who used to soundly beat the secretary of the Greek legation.” He also enjoyed the company of the most influential figures in Ottoman society and the patronage of two grand viziers, as well as the friendship of the Levantine bankers of Galata.

Above Virginia Zucchi, 1888 Opposite İzzet Fuad Bey, 1885 Below Yusuf Franko Kusa (1856–1933), by Roberto Preziosi

‘Yusuf Franko’s Characters: An Ottoman Bureaucrat’s Caricatures’ is at ANAMED, İstiklal Cad 181, Beyoğlu, until June 1; +90 212 393 6000, anamed.ku.edu.tr

CORNUCOPIA Cornucopia Issue 55 2017

Turkey for Connoisseurs

OTTOMAN CARICATURES . ERZURUM . ANATOLIA IN BLACK AND WHITE . LYCIAN BULBS . CHICKPEAS

PARODIES LOST OTTOMAN CARICATURES COME HOME TO PERA

ISSUE FIFTY-FIVE 2017

BEAUTY AND THE EAST ENIGMATIC ERZURUM THE GENTLE EYE A PHOTOGRAPHER’S HYMN TO ANATOLIA IN LYCIAN FIELDS THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH FLOWERS

CORN 55 KAPAK 1 OFS SN.indd 3

2 34 IWI layout Feb 2017.indd 2-3

This article is extracted from Cornucopia No 55, available from Robinson Crusoe, Denizler, Patika, Homer, Eren, Pandora, D&R and other good bookshops (TL40). For special Cornucopia offers for IWI members, including books and post-free gift subscriptions, worldwide, visit cornucopia.net/iwi-offer

20/01/17 08:45

March–April 2017

images courtesy of the ömer m koç collection

LALE SPECIAL OFFER

March–April 2017

3 35 20/01/17 08:58

LALE NEIGHBOURHOOD

FEATURE AND PHOTOGRAPHY: CAITLIN DIEBLER

LOVELY KUZGUNCUK Kuzguncuk is a well-preserved gem of old Istanbul, in the district of Üsküdar. With a waterfront location and streets lined with antique architecture, the neighbourhood is more than just aesthetically pleasing to the eye of the nostalgic Istanbulite

T

hough there are few non-Turks living there today, the boundaries of Kuzguncuk were home to a multicultural society for hundreds of years. Exiled Jews from Spain and Portugal began settling in the area as early as the 15th century. It’s estimated that around 10,000 Jews lived in Kuzguncuk at one point. Armenians and Greeks followed suit in the 18th century. The small community was a melting pot of nationalities and cultures, resulting in synagogues, churches and much later, mosques, arranged side by side. Historically, Kuzguncuk was chiefly a non-Muslim neighbourhood and the first mosque wasn’t established within the neighbourhood limits until 1952.

The establishment of Israel in 1948 initiated an exodus of Jews from Istanbul, and the infamous Istanbul riots of 1955 swallowed the Greek population. Though the fleshly infrastructure of Kuzguncuk has inordinately changed, current residents take pride in being home to historic churches and synagogues that remain in service today. It’s rich in history but there’s so much that modern Kuzguncuk possesses. I spent some time exploring the village and conversing with local residents to discover what it currently has to offer.

The easiest way to reach the area is to arrive by ferry

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in Üsküdar. Before a ten-minute walk or minibus ride to Kuzguncuk, visit Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, designed by Mimar Sinan, architect of the well-known Sultan Ahmet Camii.

LALE NEIGHBOURHOOD traditions. For example, neighbours will bring me a hot plate of food when they cook and the butcher knows me and their other customers by name. If I see someone I know, I always stop and talk to them on street.”

Greek Orthodox Church of Hagios Panteleimon constructed in 1821 takes precedence on the main street. Rumoured to have been built upon the site of a church that dated back to 550, the holy dwelling has the reputation of being one of the oldest churches in Istanbul that’s still in use. The beautiful bell tower, finished in 1911, gives it a charming look.

Today, there’s a picture that comes to mind when one mentions Kuzguncuk. Turkish television programmes can be credited for the visual of colorful 19th century wooden houses.

There’s a beautiful row of them behind Kuzguncuk Bostani, directly off of Icadiye Caddesi. Tour the inside of one of the wooden houses as Islamic Art Gallery, DemArt, finds display space on all three floors of the historic yellow building.

You won’t find big name grocers, franchised restaurants or chain stores in Kuzguncuk. Instead, there are options like Ismet Baba, a three-generation fish house exquisitely located on the Bosphorus. The restaurant sits at the intersection of Kuzguncuk Çarşısı Caddesi and Icadiye Caddesi.

Icadiye Street is where a lot of the action is in Kuzguncuk.

Betty Blue serves home-style meals with a one-room kitchen and dining area. Cats may sit by your side as you eat and chat with Sibel, the affable restaurant owner.

Continue your walk away from the shore and you’ll have no trouble spotting Nail Kitabevi Kafe on the corner of Icadiye and Bereketli Sokağı. The two-story bookshop and café has a triangular frame, appearing to mimic NYC’s Flatiron building, thus hosting a popular photo spot for tourists. You can sit at a table and chairs along the street and be served coffee through the window.

Kuzguncuk isn’t all old traditions and ideas. I stopped for lunch at Pakarana Vegan Kafe and practiced my broken Turkish with owner Asli. She prepared my falafel and house salad in front of me while singing praises of Kuzguncuk.

“We’re really new. My café is only three months old but I love so many things about Kuzguncuk. For me, it’s important to live in an area that’s pet friendly. People here are animal lovers and we have so much green space in this neighborhood, which is rare in Istanbul.”

A short walk away on Üryanizade Sokak is another upand-coming wellness trend. Homemade Aromaterapi sells additive-free and non-chemically processed products.

The aromatherapy boutique creates their products in their household laboratory.

Take a few steps down the sidewalk and you’ll run into Olive and beyond, a specialty shop selling olive oil produced in the Ayvalik region, and an array of handmade items. I spoke with owner, Ekin, about her store and the community in which it resides. “As a small business owner we are dependent on tourists and our loyal local customers. Olive and beyond has only been here a short time compared to other neighbourhood stores but we feel so welcome by the residents’ warm hospitality. In Kuzguncuk, people really stay true to old

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LALE NEIGHBOURHOOD

One famous resident is food writer and television presenter, Refika BirgĂźl. Her workshop is in a building originally constructed by Greek architect Simotas on Bican Efendi Sokak. Refika undertook renovations to create her own dream kitchen studio and the building is now shared with other professionals who span multiple disciplines, along with their furry, four-legged friends. The popular chef has several published cookbooks and writes a weekly food column for HĂźrriyet newspaper. A true Kuzguncuk inhabitant, Refika preserves and promotes traditional Turkish recipes and food preparation with a modern twist for her TV shows. Not one to remain idle, she recently launched a line of spice blends and enamel cookware.

A stroll through the Jewish cemetery is the proper way to end the neighborhood tour. Worth a walk up the hill, away from Kuzguncuk center, the grounds hold a tombstone from 1562, the earliest recorded evidence of Jewish habitation here.

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FEATURE: ANNA MOZEJKO. PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF IWI CRAFT GROUP

IWI CLUB

GETTING KNOTTY WITH THE IWI CRAFT GROUP

If you are looking for a creative outlet, our very own IWI Craft group invites you to join their regularly-scheduled meet-ups. Experienced crafters or those who want to learn a new skill are all welcome. There is only one rule in the group – you must bring a project with you!

In recent years, the interest in creating handmade products and reviving traditional arts has been on the rise. From food to clothing to housing, people are finding ways to pursue these trades either for pleasure or for profit. While there is satisfaction from creating something with your hands, there are other incremental benefits in taking up a hobby. In a fast-paced world, pursuing a hobby is a great way to relieve stress. If you are looking to challenge yourself, learning to craft can open your mind to new ways of seeing the world or tackling problems. For many women crafting is a way to form connections in the community based on a common interest.

This brings us to the IWI Craft Group, which was established in March 2016 by Gaye Hiçdönmez and Pauline Phillips.

The group started because a number of IWI women felt they wanted to support each other and share experiences through craft.

Since the group is newly formed, it has been evolving over the year and changes with each meeting depending on the ladies attending that week. The craft group is not specific to any particular craft. All crafts are welcome, especially the unfinished projects (my speciality), that are hanging around in the cupboards waiting to be finished. Unfinished projects are usually the most interesting and sometimes the most challenging. These projects have a story and history to them which are shared during our meetings.

These stories need to be told whether funny or sad. But once brought out of the cupboard, inspiration and creative desire follows closely by a need to finish it with pride. We have a number of ladies who are very experienced and will inspire you. We can offer tuition and gently encourage you to increase your skill level.

If you like homework, we can give you homework too! There is no set expertise just a want to be part of a network of creative women. Just recently, a new lady joined the group and started off knitting a scarf and then her next project was a knitted jacket.

“Wow,” I say “impressive.” In general conversation one day she mentioned that before doing any knitting, it bothered her that her husband would watch sport on TV all the time. Now she doesn’t mind the sport on TV because she is creative, productive and still sharing the time with her husband.

Currently the group has eight regular members and we meet each Thursday from 11am to 4pm on both Asian and European sides of Istanbul. Most of the time we meet at ladies’ homes close to public transport. The craft group can still function with as few as two ladies. The hostess provides a light lunch. Some ladies like to bring a plate to share or we have a system where a donation is left in a tin by the door to cover lunch expenses. The donated cash goes towards materials for charity projects like making hats and gloves for children to be distributed in local schools or tangible items to donate for the less fortunate in our community. In fact, at the recent IWI Christmas Bazaar, members sold some of their finished products, and the proceeds of those sales went towards our Social Responsibility fund.

The craft group has only one rule, that is, you must attempt to do something to your skill level whether you are an absolute beginner or absolute know- it-all! Sometimes we sit and do our craft and sometimes we sit and chat. Getting together as a group is about the friendship, the social network, the sharing, the caring, the need to be productive, creative and supporting each other while living in a wonderfully amazing place, Istanbul.

For more information about the IWI Craft Group, contact Gaye Hiçdönmez at gayehicdonmez@gmail.com

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LALE FASHION

PHOTOGRAPHY: CAITLIN DIEBLER COURTESY OF FFFI

ISTANBUL FASHION FILM FESTIVAL

I

n recent years, Istanbul has evolved into a hotspot for artistic endeavours. The city plays host to a collection of historic museums, modern galleries and cutting-edge events, all infiltrated with international art. Located at the gorgeous Zorlu Performing Arts Center, I attended Istanbul’s second annual International Fashion Film Festival.

The two-day event was organized into a program consisting of award winning fashion film viewings and informative lectures from world-renowned names in fashion and film.

Entirely new to the concept, I listened intently to Saturday afternoon’s lecture, including a panel of several international directors debating the definition of a ‘fashion film’. One director, based in Germany, insisted fashion film must be a short video showcasing clothing and/or accessories, leaving the viewer with a clear understanding of the brand’s tangible items. On the opposite end, an Istanbul born director stood firm in his abstract ideology of a fashion film being an overall expression of the brand’s message, or the collection’s mood.

He stated, “Fashion Film is new and you can do anything. It’s a playground.”

The festival offered event attenders several viewings of award nominated fashion films. An international jury chose winners in various categories. I attended two different viewings to see what fashion films really encompassed. Ranging from just under one minute to almost eleven minutes, the artistic motion pictures had as much variety in their content as they did their length. The festival’s winner of Best Fashion Film, NOWNESS’ “In and Out of Control”, included an older man under the spell of a mysterious external force, constantly changing in and out of attire. The film highlighted many different combinations of products and designs, without

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LALE FASHION

a single spoken word. In the same competing category, a young woman narrated Longchamp’s fashion film. The actress and two strikingly similar girls showcased various fashionable looks while storyline themes of friendship and jealousy played out. In contrast, Carusa’s six-and-a-halfminute fashion film presented a proud Italian prince on a mission to create a meal so extraordinary, it would persuade his American niece to make Italy home. The film left me with a desire to satisfy my stomach with an Italian dish, rather than fill my closet with Carusa’s Italian thread.

After chatting with Serdar, I scored a coveted one on one interview with Runway Manhattan’s Nicolas Gregorieff, head of one of the world’s biggest fashion media agencies. In his thick French accent, Nicolas assured me we are only seeing the birth of fashion films. “Many big brands are investing a lot of money in fashion films. This day in age, it’s not enough for an Italian brand to simply appeal to their local market. Brands have to globalize; the films appeal to a broad audience, different countries and languages.”

Short and chic, the fashion film viewing left me hungry for interpretation. I caught up with Turkish designer, Serdar Uzuntas of Serdar London, “Every season is a different message. A fashion film shows the mood of the next season; it shows colours, textures, fabrics and the overall feeling of the collection. Video can show more than a static photo or look-book. The movement of the models or actors can show people how to understand the style, how they can wear the clothes, even how to feel in them.”

In a society that ingests media at light speed, its no wonder fashion is taking to film to create a fantasy, declare a message or set a mood. Fashion films often present a narrative, appealing to a general population who is hardwired to crave story. Much like we sit down to watch a Hollywood movie and imagine ourselves in the leading lady’s life, fashion films provide us opportunity to visualize ourselves in the brand, in only minutes.

The up and coming trend appears to attract all parties; directors are given a creative outlet, fashion is entrusted an entirely new platform and consumers are handed a front row seat to a viewing of two empires merging. In the words of Coco Chanel, “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” And now, fashion is in film.

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LALE MUMS ‘N KIDS

FEATURE AND PHOTOGRAPHY: MONISHA KAR

ONCE UPON A TIME AT NEDA’S...

Once upon a time, there were two friends who decided they wanted to create a haven for both children and adults; a place to share the magic of storytelling, for who doesn’t love a good tale? They searched high and low for the perfect place. And if you go over the hills, and through the winding, tree-lined lanes, you will come upon a charming house surrounded by an enchanting garden. This is Neda’s Storyshop. Monisha Kar spoke to the owners Neda Pisirir and Tuğba Fırat about this new concept

T

ucked away in the leafy backstreets of Levent, is the home of one of Neda’s Storyshop, which specialises in storytelling for children and adults. Having worked as librarians, teachers and managers in the educational sector in Istanbul for over twenty years, owners and long-time friends Neda and Tuğba tapped into their wealth of experience using storytelling and books to enhance social and emotional learning and development, as well as conversational English language skills.

For Tuğba, opening the storyshop with Neda was a dream come true. “Over the last 20 years, I worked at very well-established schools and it was a good opportunity for me to learn about teaching kids. During that time, I was always thinking, ‘wouldn’t it be nice to have a place which just does storytelling, and you teach English using only storybooks. There is no stress of management or following a curriculum.’ Last year Neda told me her idea, and she asked if I would join her, and I was more than happy to!”

The shop is in a beautifully renovated multi-story house, situated on an expansive garden. When you walk in, you immediately feel at home. On the main floor is a cosy sitting room with a fireplace and behind it is a reading nook with shelves of books, a table and chairs. The upper floors include a kid-friendly sitting room for storytelling, outfitted with floor cushions and plush pillows. A few steps up, there are two play areas where children can participate in different activities.

They also have a café which serves drinks, and for catered events, work with an independent pastry shop which provides fresh, home-made baked goods.

“We wanted to make a place where everyone could come to enjoy books, improve their language skills, play and have fun with books. We wanted to create a warm and inviting environment where our members would bond with loved ones and friends to make lasting connections - somewhere with a nice garden and that has the atmosphere of an English home,” Neda said of the space.

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TAKING LITTLE PEOPLE ON BIG ADVENTURES

​ or children as young as 18 -24 months, and 2-3 years old, F the storyshop has regularly-scheduled playgroups throughout the week. Parents and children work together to help develop their independence, learn the structure of routine, enhance their social skills and prepare them for when they are ready to move on to a bigger nursery environment.

For older children, the storytelling studios take an innovative, instructive approach to learning. Books and storytelling enrich childhood. Knowing that somebody else is experiencing similar struggles soothes them and helps them develop socially and emotionally. Reading about these characters help them think, transform, create and solve

LALE MUMS ‘N KIDS problems. Depending on the theme or topic being discussed, Neda and Tuğba organise related activities that may incorporate cooking, gardening, painting, music, dance, or drama.

“The idea is that the more children hear and use their new vocabulary through storytelling and associated activities, the more enthusiastic they will be to use the language they have learned,” said Neda of the approach they use.

“Through years of experience being in schools and knowing topics and

have fun – we have different activities with stories, but it they want to improve their English or pronunciation we pick different stories and activities that correspond with that theme. It depends what the parents ask of us,” Tuğba added.

storytelling, it can be like a small theatre production. So, it is personal, and nice,” said Neda.

For those who prefer to socialise in a smaller group, guests can call ahead to book a private playgroup. For larger events, such as school field trips or birthday parties, they will customise the activities and themes per the age and interests of the group.

NOT JUST FOR CHILDREN

curriculum on how children learn language, there are many books that we have known and used over the years that are fantastic, and they become classics. We can even take a child’s book and adapt it for a child of two, and even for an adult - adapting the story and vocabulary is important for learning a language,” she added.

While the focus is on English language storytelling, they hope to incorporate French as well in the future.

​ he storyshop is also a visually and T emotionally inspiring place for young adults and grown-ups alike. As many people who have studied a foreign language can attest, even with the best schooling and theoretical knowledge, speaking fluently and with confidence can prove challenging. For example, if university students want to come and improve their English, they can use this space to learn how to effectively communicate in English and improve their conversational language skills. The storyshop also hosts businesses and corporations for teambuilding activities.

“We have lots of fun things we can do with books, and when you experience

Currently, they have 2 evenings reserved for adult-focused events such as storyshop studios, but depending on availability, the space also is available for private events, whether you have a book club that wants to meet there, or if you want to rent the space for an engagement party, as one of Tuğba’s friends requested recently!

For more information, please visit www.nedasstoryshop.com

“We cater to the children’s needs. If their English is good, and they want to

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LALE TRAVEL

FEATURE AND PHOTOGRAPHY: ERIKA CISNEROS

PALANDÖKEN

No matter if your objective is to burn calories only to replace them with chocolate and wine, or experience the adrenaline getting down the slopes, winter skiing has a special magic. Erika Cisneros reports from the peaks in Palandöken Pristine powder on the slopes of Palandöken Okay, one must confess that when you are packing prior to a ski trip, you need to make an extra effort to remind yourself why you like the sport in the first place: layers upon layers of clothing, special gear for socks, boots, hats, gloves, masks, jackets and extra gadgets multiplied by the number of your family members ending up buried in suitcases…. I know, it sounds overwhelming, but after so many trips over the course of my life, I really can say this is one of my favourite vacations of the year.

ERZURUM

Turkey has different regions to enjoy winter skiing, this time we had the opportunity to discover Palandöken. This is the name of the biggest mountain around the city of Erzurum. (only 4 km to the base of the mountain). The city has always been a point of collision of forces coming from various directions and served as a base of military operations. In the 19th century it became the main Ottoman fortress against the Russians who occupied it three times.

The modern city, with wide tree-lined boulevards and university buildings, is intertwined with the historical district. The Seljuk buildings in the town are remarkable.

The “Ulu Mosque” built in 1179 is interesting, with its many columns and seven wide naves. Next door to “Ulu Mosque” is the “Cifte Minareli Medrese” (theological school), which is the most famous feature of the city. It is a perfect example of Seljuk architecture: the carved portal being particularly fine. We had the opportunity to visit the “Yakutiye Medresesi” which is one of the most important historical monuments of Erzurum, it has a beautiful portal and a richly tiled minaret; it dates back to the 14th century and served as an educational institution. Now transformed into a museum, it has very

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Tiled Minaret of Yakutiye Medresesi

interesting displays of wardrobe, currency, arms and everyday items from that time. Also it was in this city where Atatürk resigned from the Ottoman Army and was declared a freeman of the city, which meant the first citizenship registration and certificate of the new Turkish Republic (I didn´t know that).

Back to winter sports, Erzurum has leveraged the natural beauty and climate of the mountains to establish a high-

LALE TRAVEL Snow sleigh as an alternative to skiing

quality winter sports centre. It has hosted many important competitions, both local and international, and offers all types of disciplines from ski jumping to curling. This past February, they hosted the 2017 European Youth Olympic Festival, and if you are lucky you can catch the national ski team practising here.

PALANDÖKEN

This place is covered in snow 150 days out of the year. At a starting elevation of 2,200 meters above sea level, rising to 3,140 meters at its mountain peak, it is possible to ski here from December to May on 22 runs that range from easy to advanced. From an altitude of 3,140 meters, you not only see the city but enjoy looking at Allahuekber Mountains that stretch all the way to Kars. It is a paradise for competitive skiers who are searching for early outdoor runs. Also, it has three ski areas (along with Konaklı, and Kandıllı) that in total can handle all kinds of winter activities such as freestyle, half pipes, snowboards parks and heliski. There is even a new winter sport called Zantır offered at the Dadak Nature Sports Club which combines biking with snowboarding.

Zantır is used like a snowboard and features no braking system, so skiers must stop the ski board in the same way a snowboarder would. It started when a group of mountain enthusiasts would ride up on their bike with their skis in tow and then ski down the slope. The new concept allows users to enjoy the thrill of skiing downhill while seated.

Some hotels have access to runs which open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Thanks to longer daylight hours compared to the western part of the country and illuminated slopes, you have 12 long hours to perfect your technique. Also, most of them have snowmaking machines (snow guns) to supplement natural snow assuring your perfect descent.

For people like myself who enjoy skiing but becoming a pro is not on their bucket list, you can also find entertainment off the slopes. Adrenaline junkies can still get their fix watching the various competitions that are held here. It is easy to get swept up by the energy in the air, and the excitement is contagious.

Suppose you are not into the outdoors, but other family members have dragged you here. The spa is always a delicious alternative to relieve stress. If you are travelling with kids, besides considering ski classes as a group or individual, there are other amenities, like having access to a swimming pool.There are several 4 and 5-star hotels to choose from at Palandöken, and we stayed at the Sway Hotel. It provided all of these conveniences and it also has designated areas to

take the little ones to play in the snow. It has a Lounge area where they can enjoy a snack (at 5:00 pm) and play a board game like the traditional backgammon.

Food was included in our stay, and we had many quality options to choose from including chocolate fountains and all those Turkish desserts and pastries which are worth trying more than once. The Apres ski area has a lovely view, and is the perfect place to savour a well-deserved glass of wine after a hard day of working out.

Whatever your reason for coming to Palandöken, there is something for everyone!

GETTING THERE There are flights from Ankara and Istanbul to Erzurum every day. Palandöken Ski Centre is 5km away from Erzurum City centre. Palandöken Ski Centre is only 10 minutes away from the airport. There are bus trips for the public to Palandöken Ski Centre from the city centre during the winter.

WHERE TO STAY There are 5 hotels in Palandöken, each has their own restaurants, nightlife and access to their private ski runs: Dedeman Palandöken Hotel Polat Renaissance Otel Palan Otel Dedeman Ski Lodge Hotel Sway Hotel Deluxe

LALE TRAVEL

FEATURE AND PHOTOGRAPHY: CIGDEM DUYSAL

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW ANTARCTICA: THE LAST FRONTIER Few people get to venture through the polar waters of Antarctica armed with an ice-crushing ship and an experienced polar captain. Getting into these remote pockets requires an adventurous spirit and a willingness to admire this frozen continent with all its unpredictable wilderness. Antarctica is magical. While living in Istanbul, go visit As soon as you land in Antarctica, nature envelopes you.

It is a unique experience: the ocean swells; the wind is catabolic; hurricane-force winds can come out over the glaciers in an instant; the ice snaps, crackles, pops. The solitude and the emptiness will envelop you and bring you down to scale. There will be days when you will feel as if you have woken up in an Ansel Adams photograph: everything black and white, and other days that will be filled with hues of blue like you’ve never seen before. (the green colour is only a reflection in the water).

And, the stench of penguins will follow you everywhere.

But, most importantly, don’t look for a tree, as you won’t find one. The entire continent is truly white ice. So, oxygen is derived from seaweed - mostly krill.

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DRAKE PASSAGE

Getting to the most remote and forbidding stretch of wilderness in the world is not easy, as you will need to cross Drake Passage, which is the stretch of water between Tierra del Fuego and the Antarctic Peninsula.

You’ll need a permit to set foot on Antarctica, a 14-page health report signed by a cardiologist within a month of your landing date, and you’ll have to follow the Antarctic Conservation Act, which prohibits tampering with the ecosystem in any way. If you move a rock, pick up a pebble, or remove anything, your name will be placed on a list, and you will not be allowed back.

wait. Penguins are curious animals, and they seem to like humans. They came up by my feet and tried to communicate.

I discovered they react to music, and the song, ‘Over the Rainbow,’ was a good choice to interact with them.

HOW TO GET THERE:

You can reach Antarctica from South Africa, Australia or South America. Istanbul has daily direct flights to Argentina and South Africa with Turkish Airlines. We travelled to Buenos Aires, Argentina and then took a 3.5 hr flight to Ushuaia, which is the last point of departure from the South American

Seasoned Antarctic cruisers will often warn that the Drake Passage has two temperaments: Drake Shake or Drake Lake.

Most often, it’s the former, as it was during both legs of our journey. But, Drake Shake was worth every moment, once we landed on the Last Frontier. After experiencing the red glow of the horizon, which led to an incredible Antarctic sunrise, we took a RIB ride (rubberized inflatable boat). Weather conditions often dictate whether a scheduled stop is made or bypassed for somewhere with better landing conditions. That is why our experienced Captain often chooses “Half Moon Bay,” with its constant westerly winds, for the first landing on the continent. mainland. We chose Hurtigruten’s MS Fram, because we wanted to travel below the 66’33’ S Antarctic Circle. They even allowed us to swim in Antarctica at the southernmost point we travelled to, which was 68’14S.

When you step into this breath-taking paradise, the first thing you notice are the icebergs. The glassy world of the Weddell Sea is a surreal panorama of icy skyscrapers stretching to the horizon. Some are whipped by wind and water into fantastical shapes and in others you can glimpse arches and grottos of such intense blue they look as though they’re lined with topaz or aquamarine. Large colonies of penguins are scattered along the shoreline. The Antarctic treaty states that a human cannot approach a penguin and must leave a 5-meter distance. However, if they approach you, it’s OK. So, the trick is to find a nice spot away from people, sit and

Tour Operators: www.hurtigruten.com www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com/expeditions/ antarctica-cruise/detail www.expeditions.com travelwild.com/cruises/search/7/3

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LALE EVENTS WORKSHOP: TRADITIONAL POTTERY ON A POTTER’S WHEEL

Highlights oo Hands-on instructions on how to make your own pottery object oo Interact with the local artist to learn about his/her life involving his/her art oo Become familiar with the history and tradition of this art

This workshop is for all levels of enthusiasts of varying abilities, and is led by an expert local artist Discover the artist within!

Included: oo All equipment and materials needed. oo Commentary and translation services in English by IWI partner Şerif Yenen oo Tea or coffee The art of Turkish ceramic-making developed over the centuries incorporating many different techniques and styles.

The history of pottery making goes as early as the Bronze Age in Anatolia. When you look at the pots that they make in Cappadocia, you see a lot of similarities with the Bronze Age ones that you would see at the museums. The artist will teach participants how to shape the clay while it is turning on the wheel. Each participant will have a chance to work on the potter’s wheel to try making their own vase, bowl or desk pen holder. These can have designs added while the object is still turning on the wheel, or they can be painted on the workbench.

Date

Wednesday, March 15

Time

10:30am – 1:00pm

Location

Cihangir

Cost

Basic members:130 TL; Classic, Business and Honorary Members:120 TL; Guests:140 TL

Participants

Minimum: 8; Maximum: 12

Registration Online at iwi-tr.org by Sunday, March 12 Contact

programs@iwi-tr.org

CIP will glaze and fire your work after the event. Once your artwork is ready (in about two weeks), you can pick it up from their location at any time.

INTERNATIONS - İSTANBUL BUSINESS NETWORKING / SPEED NETWORKING Istanbul Business Networking group is pleased to invite you to the March Networking Event to gain from some networking hints, to do some networking and create new contacts.

There will be a presentation on 'How to introduce yourself efficiently in 1 minute' starting @ 8:30 and the Speed Networking session will follow. Late comers will not be able to participate to Speed Networking but can do free Networking.

Please bring 50 business cards in order to register to the event and exchange them with attendees!

Tuesday, March 21 Date Time

7:30pm - 10:30pm

Location

La Sagrada Hotel Halaskargazi Caddesi No: 96 Osmanbey | Şişli Istanbul

Cost Instead of Speed Dating, why not try Speed Networking? IWI Business Networking event is being hosted by Internations Business Networking of Istanbul. Please join us for the next Speed Networking event moderated by E. Gizem Meral.

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40 TL (including 1 welcome drink!

Participants

No limit

Registration

Online at iwi-tr.org by Sunday, March 20

Contact

networking@iwi-tr.org

LALE EVENTS BEAD MAKING WORKSHOP AT THE GLASS FURNACE Each student will shape molten glass into round, square, triangle, and swooshy bead shapes. You will have the chance to make about a dozen beads of your own personal design.

Not all beads will survive your first class, but you’ll get some you can be proud of!

All materials, tools, and safety equipment used in class will be provided.

The event will also include a demonstration of glass blowing by professionals in the Hotshop and light lunch in the studio’s cafeteria.

IWI members are invited to join a one-day introduction course to glass bead making. Learn to melt colourful rods of glass into beautiful beads at The Glass Furnace, the biggest and most well equipped glass and art centre in Turkey. Located in Beykoz, The Glass Furnace started as a glass studio but quickly became one of the world’s leading glass schools and regularly hosts workshops by renowned artists for professionals and amateurs.

Date

Wednesday, March 22

Time

10:15am – 4:15pm

Location

Transportation will be provided. Pick-up in front of Kanyon shopping mall

Cost

Basic members:180 TL; Classic, Business and Honorary Members:175 TL; Guests:185 TL

Participants

Minimum: 10; Maximum: 15

Registration

Online at iwi-tr.org by Sunday, March 19

Contact

programs@iwi-tr.org

A professional, English-speaking instructor will guide you on studio safety and the proper use of a glass torch, and introduce you to the different types of glass and colour mixing.

COFFEE AND CULTURE: KANLICA

Springtime in Istanbul is beautiful, and our April volunteer member-led walk is designed with that in mind. We will explore the lovely Asian side neighbourhood of Kanlıca, an upscale Ottoman area where the nobility and wealthy constructed waterfront mansions, and combine this with visiting Hidiv Kasrı and its tulip gardens.

Kanlıca, a pretty area with some beautiful and historic wooden mansions, has the Bülbül (Nightingale) Creek running into the Bosphorus at Kanlıca Bay, and a small nature park to the south. Across the Kanlıca Pier lies the İskender Pasha Mosque, built by master architect Mimar Sinan in 1559–60.

Kanlıca is famous in Istanbul for its yogurt, which we

will sample in a local café. We will then stroll through the picturesque main street and up the hill to Hidiv Kasrı, passing attractive old houses, some of which have been renovated.

Hidiv Kasrı belonged to the last ruler of the autonomous vassal of Egypt and Sudan, who sought good relations with the Ottoman Empire. He visited Istanbul several times, and appointed an Italian architect to build him a residence here. We too can enjoy its magnificent view over the upper Bosphorus by climbing up the little tower, and on the upper floor we can gain an insight into the way of life of a Hidiv, a high-ranking official in the Ottoman Empire.

The mini-palace’s large, landscaped park is beautifully and planted (a favourite place for wedding photos!), and our visit should hopefully enable us to see the tulip gardens at their best.

Inside the Hidiv Kasrı we have opportunity for tea or lunch to celebrate the Lale Bayram together.

Date

Tuesday, March 28

Time

10:30am – 1:00pm

Location

Kanlıca

Cost

Basic members; Classic, Business and Honorary Members; Guests:10 TL

Participants

Minimum: 5; Maximum: 15

Registration

Online at iwi-tr.org by Saturday, March 25

Contact

programs@iwi-tr.org

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LALE EVENTS CREATING AN ONLINE IMAGE - WORKSHOP BY NOEMIE DEVEAUX It takes a lot of thinking and preparation to create the right image for yourself and to send the right message. Everything needs to be thought out carefully, from how you describe yourself, to your outfits, to poses and location. Noemie will describe the ‘dos & don’ts'’ and give you tips to help you take the first steps toward your best online images.

Date

Tuesday, March 28

Time

6:30pm - 8:30pm

Location

Marriott Sisli Hotel, Abide-i Hurriyet Caddesi No 142, Sisli, İstanbul

Cost

IWI Business Networking would like to invite you to join a workshop on how to ‘’Create an Online Image’’ by Noemie Deveaux (www.noemie-deveaux.com), a French-born freelance photographer based in İstanbul.

Including coffee, tea, water, crackers Basic members:70 TL; Classic members:60 TL, Business and Honorary Members:50 TL; Guests:80 TL

Participants

Minimum: 6 - Maximum: 15

Registration

Online at iwi-tr.org by Sunday, March 26

Contact

networking@iwi-tr.org

You almost never get a second chance to make a good first impression and these days the first impression is online.

This first impression could be reflected on your LinkedIn profile, on your online CV, on your website and even on your social media pages. Your image is a major element and it needs to be attractive and professional.

FRENCH BAKING CLASS

You will produce and be able to take home, some of each of the following oo Paris-Brest: French specialty made of vanilla cream and homemade pralines inside a choux pastry oo Nutella Brioche: kind of sweet and soft bread perfect for breakfast or tea time oo Cannelés - French specialty from Bordeaux: crunchy outside and soft inside with a pinch of brown rum

You can check out Sylvie’s work on Facebook (“Symphonie BySylvie”) There will be tea and coffee served whilst you work. Sylvie will also prepare us a light lunch of mint and feta quiche, served with a salad (and homemade French dressing, of course!).

We are very pleased to introduce Sylvie, a French free-lance baker, and to give our members a wonderful opportunity to try out some French baking in the cosy home environment of a professional baker.

Sylvie has lived and worked in several countries, supplying restaurants and private clients with the beautiful, traditional French pastries, celebration cakes, speciality breads and salty aperitif bites. You might even have come across her work in some of the well-known restaurants in Istanbul! For the last seven years, she has also been enjoying sharing her talents with others through running baking classes.

France is famous for its delicious, and stunning, patisserie offerings and Sylvie will be very happy to share her secrets, and her passion, to let you find your way to making some wonderful creations of your own.

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Date

Thursday, March 30

Time

10:00am – 3:00pm

Location

Istinye Park – details to be provided to registrants

Cost

Basic members:110 TL; Classic, Business and Honorary Members:100 TL; Guests:120 TL

Participants

Minimum: 6; Maximum: 8

Registration Online at iwi-tr.org by Monday, March 27 Contact

programs@iwi-tr.org

LALE EVENTS COFFEE AND CULTURE – CONTRASTING CEMETERIES years it is the oldest in Istanbul, and covering an area of 3 sq. km it is the largest in Turkey, believed to hold the remains of over a million people. Its twelve separate areas are dedicated to different religious groups, a great variety of headstones commemorating lives lived in different cultures. Tall cypress trees add to the atmosphere.

Our volunteer member-led Coffee and Culture tour this month celebrates the cultural diversity of our city through two large and impressive, but completely contrasting, cemeteries. It is a reflective and insightful experience to visit these special places, and no one can claim to ‘know’ Istanbul without having been to them.

We will start by seeing Şakırın Mosque, which was only completed in 2009, and is the first mosque to have had its interior designed by a woman, Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu. It has interesting modern features and is well worth a look around.

After visiting the mosque, we will stroll through the surrounding historic Karacaahmet Cemetery. Dating back 700

We will move on to the Haydarpaşa Cemetery, established by the British for the victims of the Crimean War, most of whom died from the Cholera epidemic at the famous nearby hospital run by Florence Nightingale. Gravestones are highly regimented, as you would expect, and also include First and Second World War burials. There is an impressive memorial to Florence Nightingale, overlooking the Bosphorous.

We will find a cosy spot for a coffee along the way!

Date

Tuesday, April 4

Time

10:30am – 1:00pm

Location

Üsküdar

Cost

Basic members; Classic, Business and Honorary Members; Guests: 10 TL

Participants Minimum: 5; Maximum: 15 Registration Online at iwi-tr.org by Saturday, April 1 Contact

programs@iwi-tr.org

AN EVENING OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY of Eminönü and, as the sun sets, head uphill to a terrace cafe with spectacular views - Mimar Sinan’s masterpiece Suleymaniye mosque complex to one side, and the meeting of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn to the other. Relax, enjoy the unusual perspectives, and try to capture some memorable images.

After refreshment, we head to bustling Küçük Pazar - filled with small lokantas and barbershops, 100-year old sweet shops, soap sellers, caravansaries and one of the last cologne shops in the city.

The IWI is delighted to bring you another evening event – to benefit our working members, allow spouses to join in the fun and, in this case, to take advantage of the soft evening light.

Guided by professional photographer and IWI partner Monica Fritz, a seasoned explorer of special places in the city, you will have the chance to discover memorable corners and unique views, as well as get some tips on your photography!

No need for special photographic equipment or skills - a smartphone can nowadays do justice to most views - a tripod could be useful if you are after high standards.

We will use a staircase at the entrance to the Spice market to gain height to admire the courtyard of the exquisite Yeni Camii mosque. We’ll browse the spice and wood markets

Worn, traditional wooden houses of Cibali are set in a lively and colourful, well-lit atmosphere. Entering the trendy Fener neighbourhood, moving from old Anatolia to the more gentrified and hip Fener, makes for a lovely photo ‘document’.

Along the way we will stop to eat in a selected local eatery.

Date

Thursday, April 6

Time

10:30am – 1:00pm

Location

Eminönü, details provided to registrants

Cost

Basic members: 70 TL; Classic, Business and Honorary Members: 65 TL; Guests: 80 TL

Participants

Minimum: 5; Maximum: 12

Registration

Online at iwi-tr.org by Monday, April 3

Contact

programs@iwi-tr.org

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LALE EVENTS BUSINESS STUDIO - CULTURAL CHALLENGES IN BUSINESS IN TURKEY

encompasses more than etiquette, manners assume heightened importance on the international stage.

Marketing Implications: Being well-versed in a country's culture goes a long way in preventing expensive marketing errors. Consumption patterns and buyer behaviour reflect cultural influences and attitudes that differ country by country. They must be considered when interpreting market research used to make decisions on design, color, packaging, distribution and promotion. The act of naming a product, service or company could, if language implications are ignored, derail a promising business venture.

Negotiating: Negotiating challenges a business person's communication skills at home. The process becomes more complex when dealing with parties from a different country.

Gifts: The practice of gift-giving varies from country to country. Executives can enhance their business-building diplomacy by knowing the proper gift-giving protocol.

Culture influences how people interact with each other. In the business world, culture guides decision-making, behaviour, thinking patterns and values. Each country has distinguishing national and regional cultural characteristics. The success of any prospective foreign business partnership hinges on awareness of and respect for those distinctions.

Please join our Business Studio on Tuesday, April 25 to for an informal panel discussion on Cultural Challenges in Business, in Turkey.

Some of the key topics of the discussion, Business Networking and Relationships: Although culture

Date

Tuesday, April 11

Time

6:30pm - 8:30pm

Location

Marriott Şişli Hotel, Abide-i Hurriyet Caddesi No 142, Şişli, İstanbul

Cost

Basic members:70 TL; Classic members:60 TL, Business and Honorary Members:50 TL; Guests:80 TL

Participants

Minimum: 10

Registration

Online at iwi-tr.org by Sunday, April 9

Contact

networking@iwi-tr.org

CALLIGRAPHY WORKSHOP with an angular character, Sülüs, a cursive flowing script written with rounded letters, These scripts are also classified in themselves according to the places that they are used or their sizes.

Led by a local expert artist, for all levels of interest and experience, this workshop will provide oo Hands-on instruction on how to write in calligraphy oo An opportunity to experience calligraphy writing, a spiritual geometry produced with materials. oo Interaction with the local artist to learn about his/her life involving his art oo Familiarity with the history and tradition of this art

Calligraphy (from Greek, meaning “beautiful writing”) is the art of fine handwriting. The term may refer to letters, words, pages, or even whole documents to which aesthetic principles and skilled penmanship have been applied.

Following an over-subscribed first Calligraphy Workshop earlier this year, we are pleased to be able to offer a new updated session!

Calligraphy was a part of the Ottoman Book Arts together with the Ottoman miniature painting, illumination (tezhip), bookbinding (cilt) and paper marbling (ebru).

The copying of the Koran is considered a religious act and Islamic calligraphy is much esteemed because of its religious associations. Major styles of script are Kufi, a formal style

52

The workshop price includes all equipment and materials needed to make your own artwork, as well as complementary tea and coffee. Commentary and English translation services will be provided by our IWI partner by Şerif Yenen.

Date

Wednesday, April 12

Time

10:30am – 12:30pm

Location

Cihangir, location details to be provide to registrants

Cost

Basic members: 80 TL; Classic, Business and Honorary members: 70 TL; Guests: 90 TL

Participants Minimum: 6; Maximum: 12 Registration Online at iwi-tr.org by Saturday, April 8 Contact

programs@iwi-tr.org

LALE EVENTS GOOD FRIDAY ON THE GOLDEN HORN together with the few Rum (Greeks born in Turkey) who are still left in Istanbul. Our IWI partner, the local insider and photographer Monica Fritz, will help us to fully experience a very special day in our city.

First, we will visit the Russian Orthodox church hidden away on the top floor of an apartment building in Karaköy - with its much more austere feeling. We go by ferry up the Golden Horn to visit the Sacred Springs of the church of the Virgin of Blachernae, built by the Empress Pulcherie in 450. Up and down through the small, hilly streets of Fener and Balat, we will enter secret gardens and courtyards, where places and people are seemingly touched by time and ancient traditions are held dear.

Istanbul’s old city along the Golden Horn was for many years the center of the Greek community, and still today it remains the home of the spiritual leader of the worldwide Orthodox Church. Each year, the small community celebrates Good Friday by opening its churches’ doors to worshippers and to guests, giving us the opportunity to enter the small, dearlyloved churches on an important festival when they are filled with atmosphere, flowers and ancient icons. Each church in the area is visited in person by Patriarch Barthlomew during Holy Week; he scatters symbolic Laurel leaves and blesses this ancient community remaining here from the days of Constantinople We will get an early start to capture the morning’s celebrations. Walking through the picturesque neighborhoods during this high holiday, we will observe the ancient rituals

We will take every opportunity we can to observe Good Friday celebrations, and hopefully observe and photograph some unique moments.

Date

Friday, April 14

Time

9:30am – 2:30pm

Location

Karaköy

Cost

Basic members: 70 TL; Classic, Business and Honorary Members: 65 TL; Guests: 80 TL

Participants Minimum: 7; Maximum: 12 Registration Online at iwi-tr.org by Tuesday, April 11 Contact

programs@iwi-tr.org

BREAD MAKING CLASS Ercan, the master of flour blending, will teach us the specialised skills required to produce bread, and we will make three very different products today. oo Sour Dough ‘German’ bread, high in fibre, made with half rye (“çavdar”) and half white flour, and very little yeast oo Dinkel Bread – made from spelt, or dinkel, a wheat which has been cultivated since around 5000BC and is now considered to be a health food. oo Pretzels

All ingredients, and specialised equipment, will be available for us to create and bake our own breads for taking home to enjoy.

May the flour be with you!

Whether you’re new or a long-timer here in Istanbul, you probably love the fact that warm, fresh, wonderful-tasting bread, in endless varieties, can be bought at any time of day throughout our city.

But if you’d like to learn to make it yourself, back home, or just know more about the skills utilised to make our daily bread for us, get ready for some flour magic in the “Bakery of Istanbul.” We have persuaded them to share some of their secrets with IWI members in a special class, requiring no prior knowledge in the art of bread-making.

Date

Tuesday, April 25

Time

11:00am – 1:00pm

Location

Marriott Hotel, Şişli

Cost

Basic members:90 TL; Classic, Business and Honorary Members: 80 TL; Guests:100 TL

Participants

Minimum: 5; Maximum: 15

Registration

Online at iwi-tr.org by Saturday, April 22

Contact

programs@iwi-tr.org

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LALE EVENTS FATIH MOSQUE COMPLEX AND LITTLE SYRIA Next up is the famous local antique market of Hor Hor, 6 floors’ worth of Ottoman delights to hunt through for that unique bargain buy. We will try to manage our time carefully – you can come back another day! Continuing on, we come to the wonderful Fatih mosque, one of the largest complexes in the city. Its interior open space gives a sense of lightness, despite its size. The courtyard is always filled with families, Istanbul’s new Syrian community, and groups of teens enjoying time together.

We are off to discover one of the liveliest areas of the city; with multi-coloured lights, street vendors, children playing, the smell of cardamom coffee. A wonderful place for street photography, or just for taking the time to observe and absorb the atmosphere. In the experienced hands of our IWI partner Monica Fritz, we can immerse ourselves in a fascinating and complex neighbourhood which few of us might otherwise explore. This religiously conservative neighbourhood is filled with contrasts - it’s a delight to slow down the pace and notice the subtleties. We start in Aksaray at the impressive and unusual 19th century mosque built by an Italian architect, still in its original state with a large chandelier and light pouring in through the windows creating interesting graphic streaks on the soft grey carpet.

Exiting from the mosque, we’ll have fun negotiating our way through the great Carşamba (Wednesday) Bazaar, and then head down to the back streets to encounter an array of Syrian shops and eateries. We can visit the lesser known Hirka Serif mosque, a small 19th century mosque known for its Ramadan display of the Prophet Mohammed’s cloak.

A very different lunch stop will be taken – Syrian, or perhaps Yemeni?!

Date

Wednesday, April 26

Time

10:00am – 3:00pm

Location

Starting in Karaköy, details to be provided to registrants

Cost

Basic members:70 TL; Classic, Business and Honorary Members:65 TL; Guests:80 TL

Participants

Minimum: 5; Maximum: 12

Registration

Online at iwi-tr.org by Sunday, April 23

Contact

programs@iwi-tr.org

54 www.bipschool.net

LALE CALENDAR Shed those winter clothes and swing into Spring with a new crop of IWI workshops and excursions

March 2017 Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

1

2

3

4

5

8

9

10

11

12

13 Coffee Morning 14 Pottery Workshop 15 Coffee Morning 16

17

18

19

20 Speed Networking21 Bead Making

22

23

24

25

26

27

29 French Baking

30

31

6

7 Women’s Day

Walkathon

European Side

Asian Side

Workshop

28

Kanlıca Coffee and Culture

Class

Creating an Online Image

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

3 Contrasting

Cemeteries Coffee and Culture

4

Thursday

5

10 Coffee Morning 11 Calligraphy

Workshop

Asian Side

April 2017

Saturday

Sunday

1

2

7

8

9

13 Golden Horn

14

15

16

20

21

22

23

27

28

29

30

Street Photography

12

Friday

6

Business Culture in Turkey 17

18

24 Bread Making

Workshop

19 Coffee Morning

European Side

25 Fatih Mosque and 26

Little Syria

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IWI BOARD

JOIN THE IWI BOARD & TEAMS

ALL ROLES ARE VOLUNTARY

Have you got vital skills you could be sharing with us? If so, we want to hear from you. We have the following positions available on the board or supporting the board. All enquiries to chairwoman@iwi-tr.org Events Coordinator Lead teams to coordinate fun, fund-raising events (approximately four per year, including the Christmas Festival). You need proven experience in Event or Project Management and be able to manage events from initiation through to lessons learned

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Business Networking Administrator

Works with the Business Networking Coordinator to provide support to IWI Business Member, and attract new ones, and organise Business Workshops and Business Studios (around 6 per year).

You will need to be able to attend some of these events and liaise with participants and members. Good administration and people skills required

Advertising Administrator

Works with the Advertising Coordinator and Lale Editor to attract new advertisers, and ensure that current advertisers are receiving the promotional support they signed up to. Good administration and people skills required

Programs (Monthly Events) Administrator

Works with the Programs Coordinator and team to create and deploy the monthly events as advertised in the Lale magazine and on the website (around 1 event per team member per month). Must be able to generate ideas for new events that will entice members to participate

BOARD FOCUS

BOARD FOCUS

We hold European-side coffee mornings every third Thursday of the month at “The House Café” in Istinye Park shopping mall from 10:00 am-12:00 pm. For more information, please contact Ayşe Yücel at newcomerseurope@iwi-tr.org Also, your local Neigbourhood Community Meetup (NCM) Coordinator will arrange a meet-up in your area. This is a chance to connect with people and discover what the IWI has to offer.

Here is a list of the different areas and who to contact: MACENTA AREA: Etiler, Levent. Leen Saket (macenta@iwi-tr.org) SARI AREA: Sarıyer. Szilvia Nagy (sari@iwi-tr.org) PEMBE AREA: Bebek. Olga Treve (pembe@yahoo.com) BEYAZ AREA: Ortaköy, Ulus.

Ulu Wendy Serter (beyaz@iwi-tr.org) MOR AREA: Nişantaşı, Beyoğlu. Anna Mozejko (mor@iwi-tr.org) TURKUAZ AREA: İstinye. Szilvia Nagy (turkuaz@iwi-tr.org) MAVI AREA: Göktürk. Anke Tamer (mavi@iwi-tr.org) YEŞiL AREA: Yesilköy,Bakirköy. Lida Rowhani (yesil@iwi-tr.org) We hold Asian-side coffee mornings every second Tuesday of the month at “Zamane Kahvesi”, Bağdat Cad. No 403, Suadiye (behind Derishow and opposite Turkcell) from 11:00am-1:30pm.

For more information, please contact Gabriele Sailer at newcomersasia@iwi-tr.org TURUNCU AREA: Çengelköy. Gaye Hiçdönmez (turuncu@iwi-tr.org) LACIVERT AREA: Beykoz. Skaidrite Dzene (lacivert@iwi-tr.org) KIRMIZI AREA: Kadıköy. Gabriele Sailer (kirmizi@iwi-tr.org) 57

MUMS ’N KIDS

MEETINGS AND PLAYGROUPS IWI has weekly playgroups organised according to children’s ages.

These are usually hosted by our members at their homes, meet-ups at parks or walks along the Bosphorus coast IWI GROUPS These playgroups are free of charge for IWI members.

This is an opportunity to meet other parents of infants or toddlers, as well as share the joys and trials of motherhood while creating a support network.

Please contact the Mums ‘n Kids Coordinator Lyubov Gürler at mumsnkids@iwi-tr.org if you have any questions or suggestions.

The coordinators will add you to the group’s mailing list to keep you updated about future events.

Pregnant and infants (0-12 months) Coordinator: Ayşe Walkers – Younger Toddlers (1-2 years) Coordinator: Merle Toddlers (2+) Coordinator: Joanna Asian Side Playgroup (for all ages) Coordinator: Aida

PLAYGROUPS AT SCHOOLS Bosphorus International PreSchool, Emirgan Teacher-organised activity, song and circle time, garden play (weatherpermitting).

Coffee, tea, milk and cookies provided.

When: Fridays Time: 10am-11:30am Cost: FREE Age group: 0-3 years Please contact Ms Collette LaffanPersembe at preschool@bipschool.net or telephone at 0212 277 8444. *Note: please call on Thursdays to reserve. There are only 10 openings every week. Please only ONE known adult per child. www.bipschool.net.

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British International School, Zekeriyaköy

Eden’s Garden International Preschool, Yeniköy, Istanbul

Indoor and outdoor play (weatherpermitting), followed by snack and music time. A known adult must stay and supervise the child.

Baby Playgroup for Boys and Girls

Zekeriyaköy (Tuesdays and Fridays) / Etiler (Wednesdays and Fridays) Time: 9am-11am (both campuses) Cost: 10TL per session Age: 0-2.5 years of age Please contact Mrs Amanda Ilhan, Preschool and Primary Deputy Director at amandailhan@bis.k12.tr or telephone at 0212 202 7027 ext 116 www.bis.k12.tr.

When: Thursdays Time: 9:30am-11:30am Cost: 50TL per session, (no blockbooking required) Age: 0-3 years Where: Ballet Studio, Eden’s Garden International Preschool, Güzelce Ali Paşa Cad. No. 50, Yeniköy, İstanbul Bring: Soft slippers for little feet Please contact Karen Holyoak Çiftçi, Director at director@ edensgardenpreschool.com or telephone 0212 262 4302 www.edensgardenpreschool.com.

MUMS ’N KIDS Woodsview International Nursery and Preschool, Tarabya, Istanbul Mother and Toddler Music and Movement Class. Parents and guardians can come along for fun singing and dancing with their little ones.

When: Tuesdays and Thursdays Time: 9:30-12:00 Cost: 30TL per class or 50TL for two classes per week Age: 6-23 months Where: Woodsview International Nursery and Preschool, Sumer Korusu, Altuncu Sk, No 5, Tarabya, Istanbul Please contact Maresa Shahnooshi, Teacher and Preschool Coordinator at maresa@woodsviewpreschool.com or by telephone on 0212 299 3906. www.woodsviewpreschool.com

Kindermusik at Play to Learn Pre-School

KidsAloud British Culture International Preschool

On the European side in Akatlar, Nişantaşı and Koç University Rumelifeneri Campus and on the Asian side in Ataşehir, offering different music classes.

Summer School Age 2-6 and playgroup activitiıes Emirgan, Istanbul, www. ingilizceanaokulu/sariyer Song & Circle Time, Daytime Activities (art, dance, drama, sport, outdoor play) An adult to stay and supervise child

My Time Programme: 18-30 months ABC, Music and Me Programme: 2-4 years of age Please contact Ms Ozlem Hun at info@ playtolearn.com.tr or telephone at 0212 352 3031 or 0532 237 2272. www.playtolearn.com.tr

Time: 10:30am - 12:00pm Wednesdays Cost: FREE for IWI members Bring: soft slippers Where: Kids Aloud British Culture Preschool, Emirgan Mah. Şirin Sok. No. 32, Emirgan, Istanbul Please contact Mrs Sevgi Doğan or Carroll Ibramihov Tan Telephone: 0532 361 4427 / 212 229 3776, or sariyer@ingilizceanakoulu.com *Note: please call on Fridays or Mondays to reserve (within the quota) We offer a 50% discount for IWI members for the summer school and 2016 September term. www.ingilizceanaokulu/sariyer

The Mums ’n Kids Team is a volunteer group that organises activities for you and your children to enjoy. Please take responsibility for your own child’s safety. IWI is not liable for any injury or loss incurred

OTHER ACTIVITIES AND PROVIDERS Fotini Café - Arnavutkoy, Besiktas

Full Circle Healing Doula List

IWI members enjoy a waiver on the 8TL entrance fee to the playroom. Please present your IWI membership card to claim your discount. Please contact Lena at fotinicafe@gmail.com or telephone 0533 093 9992. Francalaci Cd. No.26, Arnavutkoy, 34345 Istanbul, Turkey www.fotinicafe.com

Do’um

Gymboree Play and Music

LOLA (Lots of Lovely Art)

Gymboree Play and Music has been fostering creativity and confidence in children aged 0-5 for over 30 years. Today there are over 550 locations in 30 countries, making Gymboree the global leader in early childhood development programmes.

Designed by experts, the age-appropriate activities help develop the cognitive, physical and social skills of children as they play. The programmes are also recognised for their unique approach to parent involvement, which encourages participation in and understanding of each child’s development.

Cost: 1,020TL for 12 classes (after IWI discount applied) Gymboree members can also enjoy complimentary free-play times during the week. For non-Gymboree members, IWI members these cost 30TL per hour. School Skills programme (drop-off) for the 2-3 year olds or 3-4 year olds. 10% discount on full-year School Skills programme for IWI members.

Music and Art classes are also available. Limited offer for IWI members: 12 classes for the price of eight. Birthday parties for 1-7 year olds (20% discount for weekday bookings) Please contact Esra Taşar at esratasar@gymboreeturkey.com or telephone 212 275 8787. www.gymboreeturkey.com

Our House

A café with a playroom dedicated to babies and toddlers up to three years old, Fotini Café is located along the Bosphorus coast and offers a comfortable area for you and your child to unwind and have fun at the same time.

15% discount for IWI members on Play and Learn classes in the Ortaköy branch. Please present your IWI membership card to claim your discount.

Hotpot Café - Şişli, Istanbul

Merkez Mah. Perihan Sk. Erbil Apt. No 71-73B, Şişli – Istanbul Located centrally in Şişli, with just a short walk from the metro station, Hotpot café offers playgroups (baby/toddler), yoga (prenatal, yoga, adults), dance and drama classes and other fun activities for both kids and mums. There is a 10% discount for IWI members. Please present your IWI membership card to claim. Please contact Melissa at info@hotpot.web.tr or telephone 0212 343 5353. www.hotpot.web.tr

There are doulas on both the European and Asian side. Doulas may be willing to travel to your location. For more detailed information about each doula, and on how a doula can support you, visit www.fullcirclehealing.org.

Specialising in pregnancy and childbirth, providing education and counselling services to expecting parents and bringing together experts who believe in a natural approach. www.do-um.com After-school workshops, toddler art, kinder art, weekend workshops, holiday camps, themed birthday parties. www.lotsoflovelyart.com Our House is located in Cihangir as a center for children and families. The aim of the organisation is to generate curiosity, creativity ad awareness for children at all stages of development. www.ourhouse.club

Atölye Hippo - Your Art Studio in Yenikoy

A brand new kids’ space in Yeniköy – Istanbul!

Arts & crafts workshops (ages 6-14), walk-in studio alternatives, mommy & me groups, play groups, movies nights, karaoke parties, Go sessions, Zumba dance…

At Atölye Hippo, we want your kids to spend quality time, discovering, creating and designing. Whether you want to exploit those after school idle times, or schedule your weekends with exciting countless workshop alternatives, Atölye Hippo is the right place. Alternatively, Atölye Hippo workshops may also be offered at your premises, be it a special corporate event, a compound gathering, special parties, birthdays or celebrations at your homes…

We are proud to announce that, we very recently started going to schools as an after-school club...you may run into us at your school:) Contacts us at: info@atolye-hippo.com 0542 521 21 30 www.atolye-hippo.com

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GROUPS & ASSOCIATIONS Have a particular passion or want to learn one? IWI has various social clubs and affiliated groups in which to get involved. It is a great way to expand your community and make new friends!

Alcoholics Anonymous/Al-Anon Open AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) meetings in English are held in the Union Han building on Istiklal Caddesi, Tünel, next to the Swedish Consulate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 6.45pm (contact 0533 626 5724 ).

There is an Alanon meeting at 6.30pm on Thursdays in the same location. On Sundays, there is an open AA meeting at 4,15pm in Harbiye (contact 0539 606 0123). On the Asian side in Kadikoy, there are meetings at 6pm on Thursdays and at 5.30pm on Saturdays (contact 0537 433 8368). A full listing of all English-speaking AA meetings in Turkey with local contacts can be found on the AA Europe website: www.aa-europe.net Asian Ladies of Istanbul The Asian Ladies of Istanbul is a non-profit social group established over 20 years ago for ladies from East Asia living in Istanbul to come together. A members-only Facebook page provıdes news of the monthly lunches, news, events, photographs and useful information. Please contact Kim Cakirkaya at kim.cakirkaya@gmail.com or 0533 463 6930 for further information.

ARIT (American Research Institute of Turkey) The Friends of ARIT Istanbul, with branches in North America and Ankara, was established to support the ARIT in Turkey. The Istanbul Friends run a yearround programme of tours and lectures for members and guests. Membership is open to all interested residents of Istanbul. For further information call 0212 257 8111.

AWl (American Women of Istanbul) AWI is a social network open to Americans, Canadians and spouses of US or Canadian citizens in Istanbul.

AWI offers social programmes from special-interest groups to charities. If you’re a newcomer to Istanbul please contact our newcomers committee.

Email Monisha Kar or Sia Israfil at awiistanbul@gmail.com.

Belgian Friends of Istanbul The Belgian Friends of Istanbul gathers every month for drinks, brunch, dinner, a walk or a cultural activity. We also offer activities such as the annual St Nicholas party for children or New Year’s dinner.

Our Facebook page allows members to exchange information about job opportunities, housing, babysitting, Belgian cultural events in Istanbul, where to find Belgian products, etc.

Email bfistanbul@gmail.com.

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Book Club There are two IWI book clubs. Book Club 1 is currently over-subscribed, but Book Club 2 is open to new members.

Contact: Mary Akgüner (Book Club 2) mary.akguner@gmail.com Boy Scouts/Cub Scouts The Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of America is a youth programme for character development and valuesbased leadership training. All boys in grades one to five (ages six to 10) holding a foreign passport are welcome to join Cubs. Older boys (ages 1118) are welcome to join Boy Scouts.

Activities include hiking and camping.

Email Vicki Gunay graygunay@gmail. com or 0532 314 11 34.

Bridge Group Our bridge group meets on Fridays at 10.30am - all levels welcome. Playing bridge in our group is a way to spend a pleasant Friday. Please contact Sandra on 212 257 9781 or 0532 483 5319.

C@rma C@rma is a social initiative promoting dialogue between professionals and NGOs. We have opportunities to volunteer with your specific skills on a pro-bono basis through our platform, www.4carma.com, and we also organise events every two months at which NGOs can present their activites or brainstorm around their problem with professional volunteers. Our website and activities are in Turkish and English. For more information, contact info@4carma.com.

CHICAS Spanish Speaking Women of Istanbul Today with more than 200 members, this group was created 36 years ago by women who lived, live and will live in Istanbul. Created to unite Latin American, Spaniards and others who know our language and want to practice, know each other, help each other, learn, have fun and share in this, our life in Istanbul.

Email: chicasestambul2016@gmail.com Facebook: Chicas Estambul CIRCOLO ROMA (Comunità italiana) The Italian Association organises activities, such as cooking classes, dinners, parties, Italian and Turkish conversation classes, piano lessons, zumba, tamurriata, Italian cinema, medieval fencing, painting on porcelain, capoiera, singing and activities for children. The wonderful liberty hall can also be hired for private parties and conferences. Email Armanda Campaner armandacampaner@ttmail.com or Elsa Zambonini elsazambonini@yahoo.com, tel 0212 244 17 59 or visit our website info@circoloroma.com.

IWI Craft Group Contact Gaye Hiçdönmez at gayehicdonmez@gmail.com or 0532 700 0693.

Die Bruecke Die Bruecke, founded ın 1989, is a platform for the German-speaking community. It is open to everyone who speaks German. Die Bruecke issues a monthly newsletter. Different gatherings, charities, information concerning everyday life, bi-national education, help with bureaucracy and immigration laws in Turkey are covered. Website www.bruecke-istanbul.com, email info@ bruecke-istanbul.com.

DNSI - The Dutch School of Istanbul We provide Dutch language and cultural lessons to students aged between three and 16 with at least one parent with Dutch nationality. We also provide lessons to students aged three to 13, who would like to learn Dutch as a foreign language. We also offer a oneweek Dutch summer school. Please check our website www.dnsi.nu or email secretaris@dnsi.nu.

Fransız Fakirhanesi – Little Sisters of the Poor Email Mother Mary psdptr@gmail.com or phone 0212 296 4608.

Friends of India Association (FOIA) The Friends of India Association (FOIA) aims to connect Indians in Istanbul through social events. Our aim is to keep the spirit of India and Indian culture alive by organising festivals and activities. If you would like to know more, email any of the following: Jugnu Saglik: jugnusaglik@yahoo.com, Diya: khera.diya@gmail.com. We are also on Facebook as Istanbul Indian community (FOIA).

Girl Scouts The Girl Scouts is dedicated to helping girls everywhere build character and gain skills for success. İn a nurturing environment, and in with committed volunteers, girls develop strong values, leadership skills, social conscience and conviction about their own potential and self-worth. Girls aged fıve and up are welcome. Email Kat Bekham usagsoistanbul@gmail.com or phone 054 2300 24 92.

InterNations InterNations is an organisation where globally minded people have the opportunity to network and exchange valuable tips and topics regarding expatriate subjects. We organise events and provide opportunities for our members to meet and network twice a month. For further information please see our website internations.org.

GROUPS & ASSOCIATIONS

International Women’s Bible Study This group meets Tuesdays from 10am until 12.30pm. Contact Vicki Günay on 0532 314 1134.

Besiktas (directions available at www. ottomansrugby.com). Players of all ages (17+) and all levels of fitness are welcome.

Istanbul Accueil Welcomes French speaking newcomers in Istanbul. We publish a weekly newsletter listing many events and activities. All French-speaking people are welcome! Email istaccueil@ gmail.com or visit our website www. istanbulaccueil.org.

Mahjong Club Our Mahjong group meets every Monday at 10.30am in each others’ home where we are served a light lunch.

We usually finish by 4pm

iTeam You are invited to the Expat Football Community. We are amateurs who enjoy playing and learning football. Age, skills and experience do not matter. All that matters is that you wish to play. We offer special training just for ladies and co-ed matches with men. We use Turkish (our Coach, Mehmet Sabri is Turkish).

In Europe, Şişli - Ferikoy every Monday from 20:00 till 22:00.

On Asian side - in Bostanci on Thursdays, from 20:00 till 21:00.

If you have any questions, please contact us on our FB Page www.facebook.com/iTeamFootball/

IWI Tennis Group If you enjoy playing tennis please join our group. The IWI Tennis Group takes place at Istanbul Tennis Academy (ISTA) in Istinye. We welcome all players from beginners to advanced. Please contact Kenan Dundar at 0535 390 4983 or email kenandundar911@hotmail.com.

You can also contact IWI Sports Events Coordinator Olga at 0531 945 2588 or email pautova@hotmail.com Luso Brasileiro Portuguese speaking group. Contact Isabel Ponte Gulpan 0212 669 4943 or 0532 274 1653.

Istanbul International Rugby Center Founded in 2007, this is the only Rugby Club in Istanbul with coaching for children and teenagers. Turkish, English, French and Spanish all spoken. The club has coached over 400 international children aged fıve to 16. Rugby training is every Saturday 12.30 - 2pm at Dilikitaş Sport Club in Beşiktaş. Contact Club President Gülseren Gomez or Technical Director Mr Luis Gomez on 0538 642 4513 or see our website: www.istanbulrugbycenter.com Istanbul Ottomans Rugby Football Club We practise every Saturday afternoon between 4pm and 6pm, except on days when there are official fixtures, at the Dikilitaş Spor Kulübü in

Mahjong is a Chinese game played in different ways, but our group plays the international way. It is a brick game, quite easy to learn. Previous experience is not required, and we will teach you how to play. If you are interested please contact Tuya Cooke: 05385551528; tcooke2006@yahoo.com

NVI – Dutch speaking people of Istanbul The Dutch Club Istanbul aıms to keep typical Dutch festivities alive, for people who have a connection to Holland, who like to meet up with Dutch-speaking people. For further information check our website (www.nv-istanbul.org) or contact Lisette Ruygrok at secretariaat@ nv-istanbul.org.

PAWI The Professional American Women of Istanbul is a network of American/ Canadian women and spouses of Americans/Canadians living in Istanbul.

PAWI strives to empower and support members by promoting personal and professional growth. Each monthly PAWI meeting features a guest speaker, and locations alternate between the European and Asian sides. Contact pawimembership@gmail.com or visit www.pawistanbul.wordpress.com.

Photography Club The photo club is a group of international members whose skill levels vary from very basic to semiprofessional – but who all share the desire to capture the world in a photograph and to explore Istanbul while doing so. The group discussion includes all current event information, bi-weekly photo challenges, tips and tricks, and general photography topics. Contact: Katherıne Baker at photoclubofistanbul@gmail.com.

IWI Rollerblading Biking Group Asian-side meetup. Bikes can be rented, bring your own rollerblades. Contact Gabriele Sailer for more information gsailer@paradisefruit.eu.

IWI Running Group The programme will run on a rolling basis, with membership renewable every month. If members need to travel, members may rejoin the group upon return. New members can join anytime.

Thursdays at 7pm, Sundays at 8am Caddebostan sahil. 120 USD per month.

Contact Marina Khonina at marina.khonina@gmail.com or 0534 9828307

Speech Bubbles Speech Bubbles Theatre is a drama group established in 1988 aiming to perform high-quality English language musical theatre and donating proceeds to charities supporting children and education. Speech Bubbles is composed of amateur and professional dancers, singers and musicians from the international community. We also run a part-time school of performing arts for young people over 10 years of age and adults for three hours on Saturday mornings. Email tom@speechbubbles. org or www.speechbubbles.org.

South Africans in Istanbul Please contact esbie@hotmail.com if you are interested in forming an informal group of expatriate South Africans.

SWEA (Swedish Women Educational Association) SWEA is a world-wide network for Swedish-speaking women with a chapter in Istanbul. We organise events and activities and welcome everyone who speaks Swedish. If you would like to know more, please contact istanbul@ swea.org.

Support Group for Parents of Children with Special Needs Looking for the support of other parents of children with special needs and additional resources for your child?

Please contact Carol Crous for more information on 0533 730 7148 or 0212 223 9700.

Toastmasters International – Istanbul Chapter The English speaking Istanbul Toastmasters Club is the first Istanbul branch of Toastmasters International, an organisation that helps its members improve their communication and leadership skills in a supportive environment.

ITM meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month from 7.30pm to 9.30pm at the Gönen Hotel in Taksim.

Guests are welcome to attend two meetings free of charge. Email vpmembership@istanbultoastmasters.org or president@istanbultoastmasters.org.

Union Church of Istanbul We are an international, interdenominational church that offers services in English. Please visit ucistanbul.org for more information.

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IWI DIRECTORY / CLASSIFIEDS HOUSE FOR RENT Building Bridges between Countries & Cultures

MEF INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Ulus Mah. Öztopuz Cad. Leylak Sok. 34340 Ulus - Beşiktaş / Istanbul Phone: +90 (212) 362 26 33 • Fax: +90 (0212) 287 38 70 E-mail: contact@mefis.k12.tr · www.mefis.k12.tr

Long-term rental available August 2017. Semi-detached, two-level furnished house in central Istanbul, close to public transport. Features spacious living room, dining room with garden entrance, double bedroom, a garret attic double bedroom and a single bedroom. Front and rear gardens and driveway parking for one car. Ganime Donmez ganimedonmez@yahoo.com +9005322577608.

PIANO LESSONS

I give private piano lessons starting 4 years old. Our lessons can be in English or Turkish. I live in Ortakoy/Ulus area. Lessons can take place in my house as well as in the student’s house. I organise a piano recital at the end of the school year. I can prepare kids for London College of Music exams where they receive an internationally recognised certificate. Hope to meet you!

Sandra 0532 422 0413

PROFESSIONAL MASSAGE

I can come to your house... Pregnancy massage, cellulite massage, relaxing massage, full body massage, osho rebalancing, massage or wax. Call me for more information: Hatice Yildrim Tirli 0532 260 4118 or 0542 434 1932.

THERAPIST IN ETİLER

Selin is an IWI Member, TV-Personality and public figure She can help you with: relationship problems, break-ups, divorce, helping to find the ideal spouse, family issues, jealousy, dealing with difficult relatives, getting your kids to listen. Call to make an appointment/or order her book: 0212 257 3617

TURKISH LESSONS

PRIVATE AND CONVERSATIONAL For ladies and men, group or one to one lessons, at your home or workplace, from an experienced native teacher fluent in English and French. Adjustable to your needs and time schedule.

Please call 0530 310 21 32 or email rbensan@superonline.com for full information.

DIGITAL CONSULTANCY

Information technology coach ( Apple and Social Media) - Strategy consulting of digital information, social media strategy, optimization of communication - Consulting and training on Apple computers - Repair, maintain, installation, for individual and society - Installation Apple and PC compatible networks - Community management and social media strategy specialist Please call : 05394838469 Mail: bejihamida@hotmail.com

PERSONAL LIFE COACHING

With 15 years’ experience in expat living, I am ready to assist you during your transition period. I am a certified Life Coach, Intercultural Trainer and MBTI Specialist. I speak German and English fluently.

I would be happy to offer a 20% discount to IWI members. Ozlem Hersek: 0532 616 5045 ozlemhersek@gmail.com

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IWI PARTNER OFFERS In order to take advantage of these offers, you must show your IWI membership card HILTON ISTANBUL BOSPHORUS SPECIAL OFFERS

Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus, Turkey’s first 5-star International hotel, is pleased to offer a 15% special discount to IWI members for several services at their hotel, including breakfast, lunch and dinner at one of their many restaurants; High Tea at the Lobby Lounge; and on their spa treatments. They also offer different family-friendly packages with special access to children’s pools and playgrounds. For IWI members, they can also organise special weekend children’s activities in the hotel.

For more information or a reservation, you may call 0090 212 315 6000 or email sales.istanbul@hilton.com.

CONCEPT LANGUAGES

Located in the heart of Etiler, Concept Languages is offering free Turkish conversation classes to any IWI member presenting their card. Classes will take place twice a month between 14:30-15:30. For information and reservations, please contact: Başak Toksoy 0212 351 1840 or basak.toksoy@conceptlanguages.com

TIME OUT SUBSCRIPTIONS

Time Out Istanbul in English is offering a 25% discount on subscriptions for IWI members. Make Time Out your monthly go-to guide for the city.

Find out how you may get your free issue by contacting: Omer Karanis, omer@ajansmedya.com. www.timeoutistanbul.com

MOMMA ZEN/ANNEZEN

Momma Zen & Annezen is a centre which specialises in yoga, massage and aromatherapy. We offer many types of services, classes and workshops for all women, especially expectant mothers, babies and children.

We also offer a doula service and breastfeeding workshops, as well as massage and yoga for non-pregnant women. Momma Zen also teaches HypnoBirthing classes in English and runs workshops on making natural skincare products. For IWI members we are pleased to offer a 20% discount on the full price of prenatal yoga and birthing classes, workshops, massages and mother-baby yoga classes. Momma Zen/ Annezen, Kordon Yolu Sokak 8/1, Kordon Apt, Kalamiş, Istanbul. Tel: 0216 345 0866. www.momma-zen.com or www.annezen.com/program

SWISS CENTERDENT DENTAL CLINIC ZORLU CENTER

Swiss Centerdent Dental Clinic is located in Zorlu Center Shopping Mall, Istanbul and Sihlcity Shopping Mall Zürich, Switzerland. Our experienced team of specialists offers you Swiss excellence and standards in dental health care. Our clinic offers the entire spectrum of dentistry, with the use of state of the art technology. We strive to create a practice climate that is beneficial, soothing and inviting. Our services: Implantology, Orthodontics, Paediatric Dentristry, Prostethics and much more: We offer a 20% discount on all services for IWI members.

Swiss CENTERDENT, Zorlu Center, Teras Evler, T0, Daire 35, Beşiktaş, Istanbul, 0212 353 6383 www.swisscenterdent.com

BOYNUZ STEAK HOUSE & KASAP

Boynuz Steak House is offering IWI members a 10% discount.

Poligon Mah. Poligon Cd. Fevzi Cakmak Sk. No:2 Istinye Phone: 0212 229 1910. www.boynuzet.com

ISTANBUL UNIVERSITY LANGUAGE CENTER

Istanbul University Language Center is a department of Istanbul University offering foreign languages education (English, French, German, Russian, Arabic, Spanish, Greek, Portuguese etc.) in addition to Turkish as a Foreign Language, in the light of up-todate developments in education and with the help of the academic background of Istanbul University.

IULC is offering a discount on language lessons to members of IWI. For more information, visit: http://dilmerkezi.istanbul.edu.tr/en/ or call: 0212 243 6729.

MARRİOTT ŞİŞLİ SPA & HEALTH CLUB

Indulge in a day of relaxation and pampering at our luxury spa. We offer a wide range of massage and beauty treatments, guaranteed to refresh and renew you. IWI members receive a 20% discount. Appointments are required, Phone: 0212 375 0100 ext. 3695

SHANDRA SPA DENTIST BURÇIN GOFF

Located in Çengelköy - Anatolian Side. We offer IWI members a 25% discount on all treatments. Address: Albay Hüsamettin Ertürk Cad. No: 4 D: 23, Çengelköy-Üsküdar. Mobile: 0536 357 9808. Email: bhtgoff@ yahoo.com

C.C.C. -CHRISTINE COTTON CLUB

The established PLUS SIZE BRAND for Women in Turkey since 1985 – C.C.C. is happy to offer a special 10% discount on all purchases by IWI Members. The discount is valid in the C.C.C. Shops in Kadıköy, Profilo AVM and Bağdat Caddesi. Please check our website for our new collection: www.cccshopping.com C.C.C. Kadıköy: Osmanağa Mah. Süleymanpaşa Sk. No:5, Kadıköy, Phone: 0216 450 5939, C.C.C. Profilo AVM: B Kapısı Girişi Zemin Kat No:04 Mecidiyeköy, Phone: 0212 212 5752, C.C.C. Saskinbakkal: Bağdat Caddesi No: 372 Suadiye, Phone: 0216 411 7596

FOTINI CAFÉ

Have you been looking for somewhere to have a relaxing and holistic facial?

Try the Skincare Specialists at Shandra Spa, Bebek. Friendly, experienced and results-oriented. For more details and to book an appointment visit: https://shandra-spa.salonized.com

CHILL OUT SPA NIŞANTAŞI

British salon owner, Ann Marie Sabuncu is offering IWI members a 15% discount on all treatments and package programs. Chill Out Spa is a small boutique spa using quality products from Decleor and the latest in technology. LPG body treatments and reflexology are just some of the treatments available. For more information, please contact Ann Marie at 0212 231 1159. www.chilloutspa.com.tr

PRIVATE TENNIS LESSONS

For kids and adults. Located in Istanbul, we specialize in coaching all skill levels. We’ve got you covered. Our classes focus on rapid development while being affordable and fun. We offer a 20% discount to IWI members.

Mert Ozgenc: Certified tennis trainer with more than 12 years coaching experience. Mobile: 0532 602 3883, Email: mert_ozgenc@yahoo.com

Fotini Cafe is offering IWI Members a 10% discount.

Francalacı cad. 26/1, Arnavutköy/Istanbul.Tel: 0533 093 99 92: www. fotinicafe.com

ADA SUITES CONRAD ISTANBUL BOSPHORUS

Make Wednesday night jazz night at Summit Bar & Terrace at the at Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus. Savour the smooth sounds, trio performances and breath-taking views of the Bosphorus every Wednesday between 8:30 pm and 11:30 pm. IWI Members receive a 15% discount for Wednesday Vibes until May 31, 2017. For further information or a reservation, you may call 0090 212 310 2525 or email Conrad_Istanbul@conradhotels.com.

Ada Suites believes that each guest has unique needs and expectations, and we know our hospitality will make you feel special.

Located in the heart of Nişantaşı, you are minutes away from the hippest luxury shopping in İstanbul, and the best restaurants and cafes in the city. Ada Suites is also walking distance from major health centers like American Hospital and Acıbadem Hospital.

We are happy to offer a 20% discount to IWI Members, and wish you a peaceful stay (Code number is IWIADA20). www.adasuites.com

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IWI POLICIES Membership Directory Membership information is only available online in the members only area of the website at present, but depending on sponsorship availability, may again be printed in the future as it was in the past. Whether online or in print, any and all member information is provided to IWI members in strictest confidentiality. Provision of member information to third parties contravenes IWI policy

MEMBERSHIP

Membership is open to all women who hold a Non-Turkish passport. For application details, please visit our website www.iwi-tr.org.

Membership registration is also available at our Newcomers meetings, held each month on both the European and Asian sides. Please refer to the Newcomers page in this Lale magazine for details of timing and location.

Changing Address?

Don’t forget to give us your new address (postal and/or e-mail) to avoid delays to the delivery of Lale magazine or for up-to-date IWI member information. Contact our Membership Coordinator by e-mail at membership@iwi-tr.org.

If your Lale magazine doesn’t arrive, please contact the Membership Coordinator membership@iwi-tr.org

ADVERTISING

To place an advertisement please contact us at advertising@iwi-tr.org. Advertisements must be confirmed through signed contract before any payment is accepted.

Classified ads: Restricted to 50 words.

Member cost: 1-3 FREE in our online publications (Non-Commercial Ads) Non-Member cost: $60 plus 18% VAT. All advertising costs are payable by bank transfer.

No cash payments accepted. A copy of the payment transfer (dekont) should be sent via email: advertising@iwi-tr.org. Only paid advertisements can be included in Lale.

DISCLAIMER Lale Content The IWI as an organisation and the IWI Board members act within the laws of Turkey pertaining to publishing but they do not accept any liability regarding the accuracy or content of the contributions supplied by our advertisers or members’ articles. In order to comply with these laws or publishing standards the IWI reserve the right to reject or edit any submission to Lale. Furthermore, the IWI does not accept any responsibility for any of the services rendered by any of our advertisers.

Programmes Cancellation of a programme reservation after the deadline remains fully payable. Please refer to our website www.iwi-tr.org for up to date details, last minute additions or programme changes. The IWI reserves the right to cancel programmes due to insufficient numbers. You are responsible for both you and your child’s safety and the IWI cannot accept responsibility for injury or extra cost incurred during any activity organised by the IWI, or advertised in Lale.

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