TRAVELLIVE 04-2016
Istanbul, the first days of spring… I’m warming myself in the sun on a café’s balcony in the Old Town. The sunbeams are as stunning as the fine strands of newly reeled silk. Meanwhile the old oak trees give their morning greeting to the glossy stone road as their red-brown leaves gently fall. The Old Town is still half-asleep, like a lazy girl who’s turned off her alarm after ringing the first time. Sunlight visits each street, dancing happily on passers-by’s shoulders, making the atmosphere more intimate to me – the traveler’s first time here. I feel more amorous in Istanbul. I’m enchanted by everything, from sweet lokum to the light sour ice-cream with ground ice on top, or from the gorgeous domes of hundreds of mosques and palaces to their uniquely designed windows, and from the discreet eyes of Muslim girls to the multitude of boards and posters with the images of Besiktas – the city’s legendary football team. I have fallen in love with Bosphorus Bay since the first time seeing the seagulls hovering in the open sky, creating invisible strings that connect the two continents – Asia and Europe. The clear blue sky is reflected on the deep blue sea, giving me tranquility. I drop my last Lira into the water of the Bosphorus, not to make a wish, but in hopes that they will preserve my memories here. And somehow, the water currents might bring them somewhere else to be found by me again, or might accidentally be stumbled upon by a boy who is playing with sand on a sunny beach. Tomorrow, I will go to Grand Bazzar, buy some postcards, and write something to leave beneath the sun near a mosque before sending them to some friends of mine. I do hope that these postcards, together with the coins, will inspire and attract more visitors to this land. Uhm… will you come there?
Istanbul, the first days of spring…
I’m warming myself in the sun on a café’s balcony in the Old Town. The sunbeams are as stunning as the fine strands of newly reeled silk. Meanwhile the old oak trees give their morning greeting to the glossy stone road as their red-brown leaves gently fall. The Old Town is still half-asleep, like a lazy girl who’s turned off her alarm after ringing the first time. Sunlight visits each street, dancing happily on passers-by’s shoulders, making the atmosphere more intimate to me – the traveler’s first time here.
I feel more amorous in Istanbul. I’m enchanted by everything, from sweet lokum to the light sour ice-cream with ground ice on top, or from the gorgeous domes of hundreds of mosques and palaces to their uniquely designed windows, and from the discreet eyes of Muslim girls to the multitude of boards and posters with the images of Besiktas – the city’s legendary football team.
I have fallen in love with Bosphorus Bay since the first time seeing the seagulls hovering in the open sky, creating invisible strings that connect the two continents – Asia and Europe. The clear blue sky is reflected on the deep blue sea, giving me tranquility. I drop my last Lira into the water of the Bosphorus, not to make a wish, but in hopes that they will preserve my memories here. And somehow, the water currents might bring them somewhere else to be found by me again, or might accidentally be stumbled upon by a boy who is playing with sand on a sunny beach.
Tomorrow, I will go to Grand Bazzar, buy some postcards, and write something to leave beneath the sun near a mosque before sending them to some friends of mine. I do hope that these postcards, together with the coins, will inspire and attract more visitors to this land. Uhm… will you come there?
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slowliving<br />
+ C§NG TH`C [ SˇNG CHÜM ] TH GIÇN ++<br />
FORMULA [ SLOW LIVING ] RELAX +<br />
"Khu v≠Ín" mÔa hπ<br />
SUMMER "GARDEN"<br />
Text: Annie<br />
Photos: Le Giang (Pixel Photography)<br />
Kh´ng c«n m†t qu∏ nhi“u thÍi gian vµ c´ng s¯c<br />
tÿ mÿ ch®m s„c, mÈt b◊nh thÒy tinh nho nh· ch¯a<br />
vµi ba cµnh sen Æ∏ cÔng m†y nh∏nh sen phÀt bµ<br />
lµ ÆÒ Æ” bπn tπo nn mÈt "khu v≠Ín" xinh xæn.<br />
Ch¯a Æ˘ng trong Æ„ lµ c´ng th¯c sËng xanh gi∂n<br />
ƨn cho chËn v®n phng k›n b≠ng vÌi Æi“u ha<br />
vµ m∏y t›nh.<br />
Don't worry if you don't have the time and<br />
energy to invest in taking care trees and plants.<br />
All you need is a glass vase, some succulents,<br />
and echeverias, and you've got yourself a lovely<br />
"garden". This simple formula can lend your office,<br />
which is otherwise a bit stifling with the computers<br />
and air-conditioners, a little bit of green life.<br />
R†t ƨn gi∂n Æ” tπo ta mÈt "khu v≠Ín" trong<br />
b◊nh thÒy tinh: tr∂i mÈt lÌp s·i vµo chi’c b◊nh,<br />
sau Æ„ lµ c∏t mn, Ɔt mÔn, thm vµi ba loπi c©y<br />
bæt mæt. Nghe c„ vŒ ƨn gi∂n, nh≠ng nh˜ng nh∏nh c©y<br />
trong "khu v≠Ín" t› hon †y chæc chæn sœ th´i thÛc bπn<br />
t◊m hi”u xem chÛng Æ’n tı Æ©u, chÛng ra hoa ƨm nÙ<br />
nh≠ th’ nµo.<br />
Tuy c„ ti’ng lµ nh˜ng loµi c©y c„ s¯c sËng b“n bÿ, nh≠ng<br />
nh˜ng "ng≠Íi bπn bä nh·" nµy cÚng Æi h·i Î bπn mÈt<br />
kho∂ng thÍi gian nh†t Ænh Æ” hi”u rªng, kh´ng ph∂i<br />
c©y nµo cÚng c„ th” Æ∆t cπnh nhau vµ kh´ng ph∂i ngµy<br />
nµo t≠Ìi n≠Ìc cÚng tËt. Thÿnh tho∂ng, h∑y gπt c´ng<br />
vi÷c sang mÈt bn, dµnh thÍi gian tr chuy÷n cÔng<br />
m†y nh∏nh c©y vµ nhÌ k‹ "sÎ th›ch" cÒa chÛng. N’u<br />
kh´ng c©y sœ b· bπn mµ Æi v◊ nhÌ nh˜ng gi‰t n≠Ìc m∏t<br />
trong nh˜ng ngµy hà n„ng n˘c.<br />
It's quite easy to create a "garden" in the glass vase:<br />
put some gravel in the vase. Then add a layer of sand,<br />
loamy soil, and a couple eye-catching plants. But your<br />
work hasn't finished yet, as the tiny plants in your<br />
"garden" demand that you do a little research about<br />
where they come from and how they bloom.<br />
However hearty they may be, these little friends will<br />
require bit of time as not all plants are compatible and<br />
require different watering regimens. Sometimes it's<br />
nice to put your tasks aside to check in on them from<br />
time to time see what they might need. Otherwise,<br />
they will leave for want of cool water during the hot<br />
summer days.<br />
<strong>TRAVELLIVE</strong> 103
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