RHCP Concert Attendees in Three Countries, Serendipity and Generosity

Mad Cool Festival (July 6-8) takes place in Madrid, an alternative music festival for the ones who take live concerts seriously. My brother and his lifelong friends from Turkey are among them. Exactly a week ago, I received a text from my brother with a name and phone number along with fun and funny photos from the concert area. The phone belonged to the wonderful Leslie, a SF-based yoga instructor who invited me for her lesson in San Francisco as a gesture and kindness in return as she was deeply touched by the space-sharing system that my brother and his friends created in the front rows. I took the invitation as I thought it was such a cool thing to offer and it has been ages since my in-person yoga class. In fact, it has been exactly 9 years since my first free yoga class in the cool gray summer of San Francisco.  Aylin accompanied me during and after the class, which was a delight as always. She is funny, transparent and very unique in her own ways. One of the reliable adopted SF family members, a sister with a fire sign. On the way to my temporary home, I felt very relieved and content in a way that I missed a lot (I miss that feeling!) watching the world through pink lenses. Matcha latte, blue matcha, and a smelly and expensive grilled cheese sandwich at Epicurean Trader on Union St. (Cow Hollow)

The yoga class began with Leslie's anecdote on space-sharing and how she gets to meet the two siblings in the same week across the world (Madrid and SF!) She had given me a big hug, thanks, and asked for consent to share the anecdote before that. The yoga studio is called Yoga Flow &  her class took place in the Union St. branch, a spacious one with light colors and large ceiling windows, which I adore in any building. I was soaking with sweat and had to commute two hours from Berkeley (round trip) and spent around 40$ for the occasion but it was worth it. I'm in transition (still) and I can't even diagnose myself whether I'm now an introvert or people's person, or a small-town hippie type who is high sensitive and cannot deal with crowds. 

It turned out that Aylin too attended RHCP concert in LA in the early nineties.  I saw them in Istanbul (September 2012) with my cousin, and Leslie a week ago in Madrid. What brought three of us yesterday was more than serendipity or the love of music: It was the willingness to invest in the time and the good intention towards the Other. This requires a newly defined generosity and sharing that goes beyond money-sharing or charity. It began with my brother's space-sharing which Leslie connected to self-confidence of the space-sharer, and continued with meeting a new person, a new yoga studio, and making an old friend happy! 

AylinCan, happy 9th Anniversary of a -inshallah- much Longer Friendship/Sisterhood! 

July Blues and Silvers

Reading Rebecca Solnit's essays are inspiring for revisiting one's own writing skills as a woman who likes non-fiction. Plus, I still get some nudges from friends who live in other countries or states, asking me "Why don't you continue your blog at least?" So here I am after 9 months of break with my first 2023 entry in the midst of July in Berkeley. 

I have had very good excuses for not writing, at least I convinced myself that I have:

1. People don't read much and they are more distracted than ever. I have several friends who wouldn't even remember that I got a new book out in January 2023. Brain fog is the new fancy excuse that not only bohemian arty types are using, It's post-pandemic officially and everyone is using it, including myself. 

2. The biggest earthquake recorded in the history of Turkish Republic hit the 10 provinces on February 6th 2023. It was pretty traumatic to say the least. My parents' city is no longer there. I've been involved in the efforts of reconstruction and will be.

3. My mom had two major surgeries (knee and hip) and a serious and longterm care-taking process began, which I thought marked the end of my precious freedom. I spent several months in the city of my nightmares and at my parents home. I met too many doctors and healthcare providers than I ever wanted to. 

4. The election results weighed me down, feeling me paralyzed for some days. Sometimes the positive-energy generator in me that I've been blessed with (and shared generously with others) is feeling down too even if it's functioning. It is a generator after all!

There is always something valuable in the trials of life and for me it was the solidarity and unconditional support that I received from friends and family on top of perfect strangers' whose generosity always moves me more than the expected forms. 

Finally, my friend Patricia supports my dad's encouragement on a new book that I should be writing about "how to live a decent life with under 500$ per month in the Bay Area" but I will keep it for my retirement or as a lifelong secret. True, a self-help book for the Californian lovers who are digital nomads with no strings attached might actually bring me some money unlike the books that I spent months researching and writing. However, I value privacy more than than money. Everyone's journey is different, and I am hesitant to give "advice" to people and act like I figured out something that they haven't even if I have:)

However, I will continue getting inspired by Rebecca Solnit so it's likely that the frequency of my entries may increase in the coming months. The title? Well, if you know of the Bay Area weather, especially of SF in summer time and my age, then you can figure it out:)