Monthly Archives: January 2012

Puppets on vacation – Writer’s block sets in

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See the massively talented artist who created this cardboard typewriter over at Etsy (the puppets had it delivered in order to usher in the current era of writer's block)

After a truly lovely gourmet anniversary dinner at a tiny (and tony) local-food fancy restaurant, the puppets decided to take a vacation – and they sent me a gift – it is called “writer’s block.”

They are all in the upstairs “mango room” – so named for its wall color – revelling in the sunshine and playing hide and seek in between dust-bunnies behind my desk. It’s been a couple of really busy and intense days in the non-puppet world – and I really miss their presence. It’s hard to live without Rumi quotes, rebellious tricksters, flower-emitting hippies and manners-minded mavens.

Several times, I have sat down to write the stories knocking about in my head – and what happens is that my laptop begins to look about like the photo here, of a cardboard typewriter, that, need I say, does not produce written words. So, it looks like there are EVEN writer’s block moments on the cross-cultural journey that is my Turkish-American marriage – even though there is so much going on that my brain is akin to a massive hotel stove with 6 pots simultaneously simmering, boiling, poaching and braising various topics. From being black-and-white in arguments to the merits of bacon to the surprise of a tiny Eritrean girl upon seeing our faces walk into her father’s social club – there will be some good stories coming along as soon as my puppets come downstairs from the mango room and rejoin me again. Will it to be so, folks.

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The puppets throw a poetry party (for our anniversary)

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Our feet, eloping 3 years ago on a sunny beach, far far away...

Today is the anniversary of meeting M for the first time.  We also eloped on this same day, 3 years ago. 8 years of knowing each other and 3 years hitched. The puppets were up all night – I could hear them rumbling around the place – clearly up to no good in preparation for today.

While ups and downs follow us wherever we go as a couple, and while Turkey is embroiled in debates about new health care coverage laws and the impending death of French-Turkish relations (more on that soon – the puppets are in a mad debate about it all) there is never a better day for some inspirational poetry about love and partnership – framed here as marriage – or so says Hacivad Bey says.  He woke us at dawn with these words…followed by champagne, courtesy of the Karagöz puppet troupe…

This Marriage

May these vows and this marriage be blessed.
May it be sweet milk,
this marriage, like wine and halvah.
May this marriage offer fruit and shade
like the date palm.
May this marriage be full of laughter,
our every day a day in paradise.
May this marriage be a sign of compassion,
a seal of happiness here and hereafter.
May this marriage have a fair face and a good name,
an omen as welcomes the moon in a clear blue sky.
I am out of words to describe
how spirit mingles in this marriage.

Kulliyat-i-Shams 2667


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The Karagoz Shadow Puppets Invade A Smartphone

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Yes....there is such a thing as iKaragöz (click here for image and info)

Today, I woke up at about 3 a.m.

There was a blue light coming from the dining room.  I figured that M. had left his phone plugged in for the night.  The light was bugging me – but as I walked in to turn off the light, I realized puppets were all gathered around our guest’s smartphone – screaming with glee as well as doing a victory dance full of vim and vigor.

“Well,” I thought, sleepily, “what in the heck are they up to now?”

Hacivad Bey turned to me – none of his ancient-minded stance or mellifluous, peaceful Rumi-reading-induced self anywhere present.  “Our shadow selves live on the smartphone!”

Not knowing what to do, I joined in back of the circle of flat wax papery puppets, all aglow with the blue of the smartphone screen…and there they were – the iKaragöz shadow puppet troupe – on our houseguest’s phone.

And the addiction begins.

If you want to become addicted to the iKaragöz tribe – go to your Apps button (I presume it works like an iphone) and:

For Turkish edition (with voice) search for: iKaragoz
Özel Türk edisyonumuz(sesli)”iKaragöz” olarak geçmektedir.