Like many young ex-pats, living in Istanbul means living in Beyoğlu. This uber-hip, mecca to commercialism is the heartbeat of modern Istanbul with eons of trendy cafes, bars and boutiques. The main thoroughfare, Istiklal Caddesi, runs straight down the middle and is lined with thousands of high street shops and kebab restaurants. This part of the city - a simple walk across the Galata bridge, doesn't seem at first glance to offer much to sightseers looking for the more traditional sites. However, if you look a little closer you will get a feel for Istanbul's present and future. The best way to do this in Beyoğlu is to people watch.
I decided I wanted to play a game while out walking around the area. My friend, Anna, needed to go shopping for some clothes and with autumn now here, I had to pick up some new things too. As shopping is not something I particularly enjoy, the incentive of a game to play kept me interested. I've always had a soft spot for Treasure Hunts - an activity I like to play in the classes I teach, so I drew up a list of 'treasures' to find while we were out and about. These so-called prizes varied from the simple to the not so easy. The good thing about this game is the requirement to keep your eyes peeled on everything going on around you.
As with everything in life, context is everything so the list you'll see below may not be as you think at first sight. The game was simple. I had 10 things to find and Anna had a different 10. Whoever could complete their lists (or found the most by the end of the day) would be the winner. We numbered the 'treasures' and drew them from a hat to ensure fairness. Unfortunately, I never have the best luck in these matters and I found myself needing to spot some fairly tough things.
Mike's Bounty - 1. a veiled woman 2. someone eating fruit 3. a ginger cat 4. a middle-aged man's hairy chest 5. someone wearing a football top 6. someone carrying a Turkey flag 7. an 'I Heart Istanbul' T-shirt 8. a big moustache 9. some old British tourists 10. someone wearing a school uniform.
Anna's Bounty - 1. someone's knees 2. an American family 3. a trendy mohawk/mullet haircut 4. a transvestite 5. an old woman in traditional attire 6. an old man wearing a hat 7. a black person 8. someone using prayer beads 9. someone with a facial piercing 10. a street performer.
Now, as I said, context is everything. What is so strange about seeing a black person, for example? Three years in China and Central Asia, I admit, played a big part in this. Being in such a cosmopolitan place after so long away was a shock to see people of many different nationalities and race. Similarly, seeing a person being open with their sexuality or sexual orientation was not something that was common in those regions either.
The game got off to a pretty horrendous start for yours truly, as Anna ticked off treasure after treasure in quick succession. It took almost an hour for me to find anything on my list, but the big handle-bar moustache I spotted marching down the street at least kept my tally respectable. I was hopeful of reeling in my rival as she had crossed off the easy pickings, but I was confident that glimpsing some knees in autumn was unlikely. My biggest problem was spying anyone eating fruit. In a country where the kebab is king, fruit eaters generally restrict themselves to enjoying their five portions at home. Surprisingly, it also took a long time to see a middle-aged guy with his shirt buttons undone enough to show off his chest hair. Just like the buses, however, I was rewarded for my patience. I even saw a couple of clowns, though, they didn't get me any bonus points. :-(
In the end, however, there can be only one winner and that wasn't me. The game did liven up a shopping expedition, though, and checking out my fellow co-habitants to discover the modern Istanbullus was fun. This is an international city rooted in its traditions; a city proud of its muslim heritage, but also its secularity; a city filled with spectacular architecture and equally fantastic people.
