things to come

I keep on receiving complaints that it has been ages since my last blog entry. I really haven’t got hold of the rhythm of this thing yet and don’t know if I should (or for that matter could) be writing every two days or once a week or whenever I feel like it.
This week, at least, the answer is: whenever I can find a quiet moment to myself. The week started of with a day of meetings. On Monday I had my first meeting at nine and went from one meeting to the next until 18.30. The week will end with the opening of the lambda (the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual organization in Istanbul) exhibition, followed by, the opening gala of the Istanbul Film Festival.
The week doesn’t end there and there is yet another exhibition opening I need to attend to on Saturday, since this exhibition, entitled “L’aventura Reedited” bears the signature of two of my friends Selim Eyuboglu and Esen Karol.
On Sunday I have to go on stage before a screening at the festival to present the films director ask him a few questions, do all this in English AND translate the dialogue to Turkish for the benefit of those who do not know English.
I do not believe in doing a job that should have been done by an expert and translation is certainly an expertise. However this festival, which is huge – too huge for its own good, really – prefers to get the most out of you whenever possible. I remember distinctly how back in 1999 I was one of the jury members for the national competition and had to translate the entire jury session as well as participate in, what turned out to be, one of the most heated jury debates I have ever encountered. This is what we call “ala Turca” and no doubt I am contributing to this by periodically accepting to do it. When I refuse, this doesn’t get my point across, at all. Whatever I might say, they simply decide, “I am being difficult”. So I alternate between years when I am being “difficult” and years when I finally relent and nothing changes because this how things are done in this country.
In any case the weekend promises many blog entries if only I have the time to write.