Day 3 - Don't be afraid

Saturday was a busy day for my hosts – their older son graduated from the 8^th grade. Many schools here have a prom for their students – a combination cotillion and graduation. Dinner jacketed boys and girls dressed in white perform the waltz for their proud parents. Afterwards the school gives out graduation gifts and caps & gowns. Saturday night was prom night.

In the afternoon we went to Kadikoy to pick up Yunus' tuxedo. Kadikoy is a commercial center and main ferry terminal for boats going to the European side of the city. We ate simit, a delicious sesame-covered bread ring, and went to look for Baylan, the famous ice cream shop. Baylan is known for kup griye, sort of a caramel and coffee ice cream sundae with crunchy caramel bits inside. I ordered one, and it is every bit as good as I remembered. The usual mix of shoppers, vendors and idlers crowded the sidewalks. We passed a family of Syrian refugees – mother, father and two children – the first of many I would see this week. Nothing hinted at the drama building just across the water in Taksim.

Back home, while parents and graduate prepared for their big evening, I settled in with TV and Twitter to watch the events unfold in Taksim Square.

Saturday was the first anniversary of the Gezi Park protest, in which citizens gathered to stop the redevelopment of Taksim's park into a shopping mall. Officials were very determined to keep protesters out of the Square. The action was scheduled to start at 7 pm, by which time a reported 25,000 police were deployed, along with tear gas and water cannons. Promptly at 7, while people were still just standing about, the police let loose with the tear gas and water. It was hard to believe that the scenes broadcast on TV were happening only a few miles away.  

Around 9 pm, I began to notice a rhythmic knocking. The protesters had called on people at home to bang pots and pans in solidarity. They called it "the people's orchestra." I opened a window and exuberant noise poured in. It was exciting to witness (in safety) this display of civic engagement and solidarity.

On Sunday morning, the household slept in – it was a late night for everyone. After a delicious breakfast - Fried cheese! Cucumbers! Toast and honey! Scrambled eggs! Coffee! - we went to watch the younger son play basketball. Kerem is on a club team, and they are very good! Lots of slick moves for such little kids. Afterwards we all went for lunch "downtown" - on Bagdat Caddesi (Bagdad Avenue), the main shopping street on the Asian side. I lived on Bagdat Caddesi when I first came to Istanbul, and it is mostly the same. On the drive from Umraniye to the cadde, we passed block after block of low-rise apartment buildings fronted by giant signs proclaiming "Coming soon! A new project by Big Construction Group." Acres of old buildings waiting to be bulldozed and replaced with shiny high rises. The scale of development is breath-taking.

As we walked along the avenue, we spotted a sticker on a light pole. It said "Don't Be Afraid." Above the words was a tree made up of little policemen, a reference to the lovely old trees in Gezi Park. It is a lovely image. Underneath the strife here runs a current of optimism that I hope people won't lose.

In the evening we ate dinner with friends and their sweet little dog. It was the perfect end to the day, and to the Asian portion of my visit. Tomorrow, on to European Istanbul!