UmAy Home Gathering with Three Special Smart Women

 Fatma N, Sueda, Gunsu... A much anticipated weekend where we planned weeks ago. 

All three mildly suffering and secretly resisting against the system that they are in now (a recent return to their native country after their MA is over and some work experience in EU) in Istanbul. Yet, they all live very close to each other, support each other, keep their sense of humor, and justify quitting academia despite being bright and curious minds. 

Grandmothers: Prof. Eser Koker agreed to have a zoom session with us (a total of 80 minutes) where she shared genuine thoughts and impressions, showing us all once again that personal is political. Her own daughter was no exception with her PhD in N.America and all that. White collar-corporate world sucks most of these people in because they want the usual, the norm (family and stuff) not any hippie or artsy lives on the road (wink-wink!) They are more grounded on the one hand, but lacking the utopian and colorful dreams on the other. Eser Hoca was understanding yet shared disappointment as well from different perspectives. 

One book that I added to my list is Lea Ypi's latest: Indignity: A Life Reimagined (Albanian) 

LSE faculty, thanks to some of the recommendations by Prof. Koker. 

Her book back in the day was: https://www.pandora.com.tr/kitap/anneanne-sirlarini-eskitmis-aynalar/81811

As we used to do in the past during all UmAy gatherings, we enjoyed our time together, cooked, walked, talked, made ceremonial matcha (yeap!) along with the typical Turkish breakfast for a Sunday:) Everything felt good and right even for 27 hours. I was so impressed by these women, their communication, bonding, smartness...

I wish they dropped everything and run this house as a women's safe space as they are SO capable of doing it! Fatma N. in particular took a decision thanks to this weekend that made us all move, teared up, no less.

Until the next time in Istanbul!