18 June, 2020
Lilac Fragrance On A Rainy Day
18 June, 2020
Lilac Fragrance On A Rainy Day
“Andre, let’s go outside! We will smell raindrop touches on lilac flowers.” I dug my nose into the mosquito net of the wide-open window. The rain that was whipping the soil for the last three hours almost stopped. I looked as thin sunrays tried to break through clouds and couldn’t hold the buzz inside my body. Trees and grass bathing in soft lights were emerald green. The apple tree we recently planted in the backyard half lost its blooming flowers and seemed to be someone who just ran away from a barber, without completing its haircut. I didn’t mind. The tree represented the transition between ended spring and the upcoming summer.
14 April, 2020
When Geese Came Back: Spring's Arrival Handbook
14 April, 2020
When Geese Came Back: Spring's Arrival Handbook
The day of the first spring rain was marked with a third cup of “no cream no sugar” Americano, and strong wind, that made me close my wool camel coat tighter.
The same day, opening the window in my home office to let the fresh rainy air in, I noticed that snow on our backyard was lowering down. The air that flew into the open window was chilly and made me put on a warm sweater, but it was as fresh and natural as only April’s air can be. Spring finally arrived. It started blooming on my floral dresses. It was waking me up earlier, and sending me for long walks in the afternoon. It was bringing up memories and creating new ones. What can I say; spring was so committed to its work; energizing, and always full of contrasts. However, the way I was marking the arrival of the blooming season, would fall at the same time I would see Canadian geese for the first time again after a long winter.
The same day, opening the window in my home office to let the fresh rainy air in, I noticed that snow on our backyard was lowering down. The air that flew into the open window was chilly and made me put on a warm sweater, but it was as fresh and natural as only April’s air can be. Spring finally arrived. It started blooming on my floral dresses. It was waking me up earlier, and sending me for long walks in the afternoon. It was bringing up memories and creating new ones. What can I say; spring was so committed to its work; energizing, and always full of contrasts. However, the way I was marking the arrival of the blooming season, would fall at the same time I would see Canadian geese for the first time again after a long winter.
7 April, 2020
The Telegram: The Message of the Coming Spring
7 April, 2020
The Telegram: The Message of the Coming Spring
That cold April morning something incredibly unusual happened. I was exhausted, as nights and days gathered in one thick, dark and cold ball. Winter, that this year didn't end with February, not even with March, and continued its determined actions had always been severe. I was desperately searching for energy, inspiration and an extra hour of sleep. I couldn't wait for longer days and fresh spring mornings. However, that morning, leaving the car, being in the most bitter spirit condition, I felt something unusual. The snow was falling as light as a few days ago. The temperature was 20 degrees below zero. There was no sign for an earlier sunset, but a lonely Morning Star on the East side of the sky. Everything was exactly the same as yesterday, and the day before, yet the air changed.
1 April, 2020
Personal Essay: Rubber Boots of My Childhood
1 April, 2020
Personal Essay: Rubber Boots of My Childhood
The feeling that touches my heart every time my glance falls on the rubber boots that modestly stand under the bench in my hallway is comparable to the feeling that a bicycle ride brings, or pistachio ice cream on a hot Sunday afternoon. Don’t ask, as I am not aware of where the feeling and comparison come from. All I know, rubber boots, pistachios ice cream and bicycles rides take roots from golden childhood days. Days when as soon as snow would start melting, my feet in rubber boots would show up on the street, measuring the depth of puddles. Pistachio ice cream would always be my number one choice on a hot summer day. Days, when the delight of a whistling wind in my ears was mixed with the fear of speed while I was riding a new shiny bicycle through city streets. Time stood still. While my relationship with pistachio ice cream and biking were positive from the beginning, there was not a chance for me to accept rubber boots into my wardrobe when I had to wear them for the first time. Allow me to start from the beginning, however.