“ - Give him a room...”

Every country and every society create own culture. But culture is not only food or tradition or history. It's also everything what a man (a representative of his society) can make as a knowledge about his point of view and everyday life. Today I want to recommend one Turkish movie I watched 3 days ago but still I'm impressed. Enjoy!

An intelligent combination of laughter and tears in "Babam ve Oğlum" (My father and my son) - the movie directed in 2005 by Çagan Irmak. Protest, love, loneliness, problems, death - only few words to describe a plot but so important words! The director takes us to 1980, the time of Turkish coup d'état. 

PLOT

Sadık's father, Huseyin, (Çetin Tekindor) tries to force him to study Agricultural Engineering and marry a girl from their village but boy doesn't want that kind of life. Father's plan is clear - he needs somebody to menage his farm. Unfortunatelly, Sadık's brother is mentally ill and has own family so father can't count on him. Sadık (Fikret Kuşkan) doesn't want to give up  his dreams and in the 70's he leaves a small village and goes to study journalism at Istanbul University. 

But jail is only a small part of his life and the smallest trouble he has ever had. The worst day of his life will be September 12, 1980, then he will lose his beloved wife. In the early hours of that day she starts having contractions but couple can't find anyone who could take them to hospital. The woman births son (Deniz) in a park, near the home but she bleeds. 

After this tragedy, Sadık goes to jail because of his political supporting for the left. The man, beaten and tortured there, is released after 3 years. Again life isn't easy because some time after he learns he will die soon. The illness becomes a reason for coming back hometown and giving his son chances for normal life without father. 

The man prepares Deniz (Ege Tanman) for the hard situation and complicated relations with grandfather. The clever boy who falls in love with the comics books and lives in a world of imagination becomes a favourite of all family. Actually, Deniz's imagination world is some fake. I can understand that if I say that it was kid's world and his point of view. However, main problem is still unsolved. 

What will happen in village? I'll not say. You have to watch. Great movie, great music, great plot which will make you smile and cry. This is really good movie because of one reason more. You can learn a lot about Turkish culture and family. You can realize it's so different but same so similar to your family - not important from where you are. You can watch it here (version with English subtitles):

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2287383019795315085

Babam ve Oğlum, 2005, Turkey

"A cup of coffee will be remembered for 40 years."

Turks can say millions words about coffee: "Coffee should be black as hell, strong as death, and as sweet as love", "Coffee and tobacco; pleasure is complete", "Sleep cannot be without blanket, coffee without foam" and more. But why Turkish coffee is the most sentimental and romantic drink? Why is so original and irreplaceable? And last but not least, why I like Turkish coffee more than "modern" coffees from the coffee machine? Today something about second best drink in Turkey.

"Turkish coffee" doesn't mean that prepared coffee comes from Turkey because coffee doesn't grow here. It's rather a style or fashion, maybe  we can say "method" of preparing and serving this black drink (Türk Kahvesi). Exactly Turks introduced coffee to West Civilization in XVI century. Big thanks! All people addicted to morning coffee should be grateful! :)

Yesterday in Kadıköy, on the street, I saw a man who was making traditional Turkish coffee on the fire. Smell was awesome and so fresh, also sweet. I don't know this street but for me it'll be Coffee Street forever! It looked like that:

Actually I don't like coffee at all. I love smell but not taste... it's too bitter for me. Maybe I didn't know how to make good one, but really - Turkish was so sweet and thick. Delicious. You can know absolutely nothing about this country, but when you drink a cup of coffee you'll feel like you spent all life in Istanbul or another Turkish city. All Oriental world will seem to be familiar and well-known. Magic... 

English people have their "5 o'clock", Turks have "11 o'clock". This hour is mostly coffee hour. In traditional houses, housewives serve "morning coffee" - it's impossible to drink coffee here with breakfast or before breakfast! You can forget about that!

What you need to prepare Turkish coffee?

1. cezve - a small boiling pot with a handle; 

2. teaspon - to stir coffee with water and sugar before boiling and to take the foam - the most important thing; Turkish coffee without the foam isn't Turkish coffee; all ingredients are  heated together and when the liquid boils, you can serve!

3. coffee; 

4. COLD water; always, always, always use cold water!

5. sugar; there are 4 levels of sweetness: sade (no sugar), az şekerli (a little sugar), orta (medium sugar) and şekerli (really sweet); 

6. cardamon or cinnamon (if you wish);

7. fincan - to serve coffee in a traditional way; it's so small cup, similar to espresso cups but so pretty painted; modern cups (like this one) have handles but they aren't traditional cups; if you be really serious about customs you should use cup without handle but with zarf - metal thing for catching cup;

What can you serve with Turkish coffee?

1. cold water - to fresh your mouth and make better coffee taste;

2. Turkish delight;

After drinking you will find somebody who will tell you from the left grounds everything about your future! Then you have to turn over your cup and wait until cup will be cold. The pattern of the coffee grounds will show what will happen to you soon. This fortune telling is so famous tradition in Turkey and calls here kahve falı. 

Every important family meeting or friends meeting finishes with cup of coffee, but not only... Drinking coffee or rather preparing it is the part of wedding ceremony. Future husband's family visits future wife's family to talk and ask blessing and permission for wedding. Then, the bride must make Turkish coffee and serve it for the groom's family. But not so easy!!! :)  This day's last test for a boyfriend. If the boy really wants his lovely girl he has to drink coffee with salt. He can say nothing but must drink all without complaining. Only then he can be sure she will be his woman forever. 

I'll try to find Turkish coffee in my country. I think I have to learn how to do that. Now it's only theory. Who knows maybe someday I'll have to prepare this drink for my future husband... :)

So now, greetings and... enjoy your coffee. :)