The Kinks - Tin soldier man
2. PLACES TO KNOW
Kusadasi, Turkey, from the air and on the ground
Museum of Innocence - Istambul
3. PEOPLE TO DISCOVER
Orhan Pamuk - "The Museum of Innocence uses his novel of lost love, The Museum of Innocence, as a departure point to explore the city of his youth. In The Innocence of Objects, Pamuk’s catalog of this remarkable museum, he writes about things that matter deeply to him: the psychology of the collector, the proper role of the museum, the photography of old Istanbul (illustrated with Pamuk’s superb collection of haunting photographs and movie stills), and of course the customs and traditions of his beloved city. The book’s imagery is equally evocative, ranging from the ephemera of everyday life to the superb photographs of Turkish photographer Ara Güler. Combining compelling art and writing, The Innocence of Objects is an original work of art and literature."
An interview with Mr. Pamuk explaining his love for his hometown.
Osman Sahin (student)
Toru Iwatani - game designer
4. QUESTION OF THE DAY
"He’s a tin soldier man
Living in a little tin wonderland
Very happy little tin soldier man
When you set him on your knee"
Movies on students and schools:
“Zero for Conduct,” a movie by Jean Vigo (1933).
6. FLOWERS FOR FRIENDS
Burgmansia. Be careful. It's poisonous.
But then...what a beautiful and misterious shape!
7. A thing I learned from my friends
What I have learned most from other members is that although I see things very differently to most of you, we need to find a common language. And that one of the first exercises we were given, to share flowers with each other, might be the best way to do that. I'm going to share a picture with you that I think you will all find beautiful, and try to explain why I find it beautiful. Then maybe the common language we are leaning to share will help to give a better glimpse into each others' worlds.
This is Cistus Ladanifer, a type of rock rose. The locals have a love/hate relationship with it and it's a fascinating plant. It will quickly colonise disturbed ground, so it grows like a weed anywhere that is ploughed up. Because of the fire risk on abandoned land here, lots of land gets ploughed up ('cleaned') and this stuff will then take over en masse. It grows quickly, the stems are woody, and the whole plant is full of a highly flammable oil, so they end up with an even bigger fire risk. That oil is amazing in its own right though. It smells gorgeous and can be used as a fixative in perfumes, and is a vegan alternative to ambergris, which is extracted from whales.
After a few days the ground looks like this. Today's petals are white, yesterday's are shrunken and yellowed. Each flower only lasts one day, and in the evening the petals fall littering the ground like snow. There is a steady stream of new buds and the following morning new flowers open.
There are loads of different species of wild bees around here, and they love Cistus. Unlike honey bees, they don't stuff their pollen sacs on their legs full of pollen, they roll around in it like a donkey in a sand-pit until they are coated with pollen and carry it back to their nests like that. Wild bees are actually better pollinators than honey bees because of this behaviour.
This is some abandoned land near my farm. It's basically a mass of cistus, and a huge fire risk. It does, however, shade the ground, which would otherwise bake solid in the crazy summer heat, and the leaves that fall create a protective, nourishing mulch. After a few years, pine seedlings will start to grow up through the cistus, and after about ten years, when the cistus is near the end of its life, oak trees will have got a foothold. Cistus has been described as a scab on the landscape, allowing the soil to heal. It's not a bad analogy.
The locals will collect the woody stems to burn in their bread ovens. Most villages have a community oven rather than over-heat individual houses, and cistus wood burns hot and fast, perfect for baking. So while you see the men of the villages out in their tractors ploughing up vast acres of land trying to get rid of the cistus, you'll see the women out cutting it by hand, tying it in bundles, and carrying it back to the village on their heads ready for a baking session.
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