Trade clx | Month 22 | Spring
The Guide [ Istanbul ]
One of the first things The Guide, Istanbul said over Skype was ‘...to experience Istanbul you need to eat your way through it...’ This statement was like hearing the finest jazz music in a smokey brick bar with pickles on the table. Total perfection.
The Pixel Trade was exactly this. I spent a few days exploring Istanbul, photographing the food carts and a select few restaurants spread across different pockets of the city. There is certainly a reason why they’re called The Guide, because they know where to go to find the best flavours, colours and atmosphere in an extremely dense and vast city. Chopping boards with craters caused by an ever falling butcher knife, sour, salty drinks with a tint of beetroot red and then of course the fresh seafood, slapped with spice mixes handed down for generations. A little bonus fact, for the first time in my life I enjoyed a coffee; a proper, sludgy, Turkish coffee.
| note: if the images don't fit on your screen, don't be frightened to click on them |
Interview with Nina
Fashion Editor and Writer ⎜ Moda Editörü ve Yazar
Describe your most memorable adventure as a child.
I find it hard to limit myself to one incident or adventure. Looking back I have lots of vivid moments from different periods of my childhood and adolescence. Traveling across the inner-German border to the German Democratic Republic with my grandparents is one of them. Everything there seemed rather exotic and adventurous to me, from the empty shelves in the supermarket to the dark woods that surrounded our relatives' house. I imagined them full of foxes, wolves, and owls, and the local huntsmen's tales only encouraged this perception.
What is currently the most interesting part of Istanbul to you and why?
Kadıköy, the area I live in is located on the Asian side of Istanbul, traditionally a bit more laid back, alternative and 'local' than the buzzing European side's districts. Since a year or two, the district has caught up with international urban trends such as restoring spaces for communal use, DIY initiatives, social entrepreneurship etc. This process is very interesting to witness.
What has changed about Istanbul over the years?
Being a frequent visitor since a little over three years, and a resident since roughly one and a half years, I have only a short span of time to look back upon. The construction boom, the accelerated gentrification, soaring real estate prices, and the growing segregation of 'modern' and 'conservative' communities are some changes I noticed. On the other hand, I see more and more people, businesses, and initiatives working against these trends, trying to maintain or create livable public spaces within the city.
If you could recommend one place to eat or one thing to taste, what would it be?
Impossible, sorry. Too many good things going on here...
What is one of the most dangerous times of your life?
I hope I understood this question correctly. I tend to forget bad moments faster than good moments, so I have probably been through more dangerous situations than I can recall now. I guess the situation when I feared for my safety the most was when a stranger tried to drag 14-year-old me off into the woods. I ran like hell and escaped the guy, probably because he decided not to follow me.
When you feel defeated by something, what do you try to do?
Breathing is always a start. Looking for silver linings would be the next step, and if that doesn't help, self-comfort in indulgence or procrastination (if the incident or task is still ahead of me.)
What is something you haven’t told someone in a long time?
That would probably be 'I need your help.' I tend to fight things through by myself usually.
If you could teach humanity one thing, what would it be?
Either mindfulness or empathy. I am not really an expert for either of them, but I imagine it would make our interactions with the world a lot smoother.
Describe your most memorable adventure as an adult.
I hope it is still to come. After all, I have about 50+ years of adulthood ahead of me.
If you had to recommend a favourite music album, what would it be?
Astral Weeks by Van Morrison, timeless classic for road-tripping and daydreaming.
