Anjelika Akbar, in her book “İçimdeki Türkiyem” published by Türkiye İş Bankası Culture Publishing, narrates Turkey -where she first came as an UNESCO representer while being pregnant and at where thought about staying only for a while for the birth of her son; however; where felt more like home as time passed- from point of view of a foreigner who could not speak a word of Turkish.
Akbar, born to a family of musicians in Kazakhistan, shares the story of how she bounded to Istanbul to Turkey where she first came on 4 December 1990 as a composer for an international documentary film through warm and intimate expressions. In her 14-chapter book which she wrote in Turkish, Akbar conveys her experiences since she came to Turkey, her observations, Istanbul, Turkish people, her quietness lasted for two years while she tried to learn and understand a new language, her friendships that she made in Turkey with sincerity to readers.
Akbar tells about how she came up with the idea of the book which she describes as “experimental amateur memories” in the preface:
“It’s been years since I came to Turkey and became a Turkish citizen... I decided to write a book about this country long time ago. I could not help expressing how warmth of Turkish people embraced me, how I communicated in a language I did not speak and in a culture I did not know, why I stayed here, why I loved Turkey that much... In my veins there is blood from different cultures... This colourfulness resulted from diversity of nations in my family always made me feel like a world citizen. But there is a room or a corner at our homes that we feel the most comfortable,the most peaceful; in which we choose to read, to think, to be on our own. For me Turkey became this corner of peace in World Home...”
In the book, you can find the letters Akbar wrote to her family, her firsts, her projects with Turkish musicians, her relationships with her musician friends and press, unforgettable concerts in Turkey, her writings and her poems in Turkish.
Akbar, who did not lose her good intentions and thoughts despite of all the hardships she had been through, shares her Turkey advanture which started when she was pregnant to her first son. In this 20 year-long adventure, that she became a public servant, that she was sometimes perceived as “Natasha”; she shares all these with readers in a fun and fluent way.
You can find photographs of significant memories in the book. Akbar’s photograph on the cover which was taken in front of the first place where she stayed in Turkey in “Susam Sokak” is by Ara Güler.
From the book...
“The day I came to Turkey is 4th of December.
This is a holiday for me!
At home, between friends, on the tour, at the studio, at the concert, -does not matter whatever I have been doing- I celebrate that day as a holiday! It is an urge to celebrate the moment I stepped in Turkey with people around me, my beloved ones. Seeing the family I found here getting bigger and bigger, seeing and feeling that family is not only about blood relations but also about bounds between hearts; hearing whishes of “a happy year in Turkey”.
Outline and Some Headlines
Outline:
“My answer to those who asked me “are you a pianist or composer?”:
First of all, I am a composer who became one with the piano and knows it very well!..
The only dinstiction in my piano is this: In stead of ten fingerson my hands, have I ten hearts; I play notes with them... “
Some Headlines
- Streets of Istanbul
- Bazaar
- “Seventy Two Nations”
- Turkish woman
- Turkih man
- “T” for traffic,”s” for swearing
- Pressletter
- “Tweet”letter
- To eat
- Rose-pink, rose-blue
- Bus Stop
- The words made a monkey out of me!
- Why did imam faint? (There is meal called ‘imambayıldı’ in Turkey which literary means ‘imam fainted’)
- Husband of the chicken...
- New Year in Russia
- Janitors-gentlemen
- Magic of azan...
- Television programmes
- Do selfcooking, share with others!
- A BABY IN THE MEETING POINT OF CIVILIZATIONS
- Curtain made of “iron” also outwear.
- Ankara of my greenrooms.
- Süleyman Demirel and chitchat after the concert
- “Requiem on a Broken Bow”
- Kaaaaliiiinka-Kaliiinka
- Surprise wonder of wisky bottles
- Grin behind passifier
- Nazım Hikmet – Lonely Sycamore
- My Way
- My haikus in Turkish
- Holiday of 4th of December
It’s been years since I came to Turkey and became a Turkish citizen... I decided to write a book about this country long time ago. I could not help expressing how warmth of Turkish people embraced me, how I communicated in a language I did not speak and in a culture I did not know, why I stayed here, why I loved Turkey that much... In my veins there is blood from different cultures... This colourfulness resulted from diversity of nations in my family always made me feel like world citizen. But there is a room or a corner at our homes that we feel the most comfortable,the most peaceful; in which we choose to read, to think, to be on our own. For me Turkey became this corner of peace in World Home...
There is only one moment between past and future:
“That” is called “life”!
When I think back about Turkey, there are some “memories” never to be erased from my memory, like a movie scene. Time to time I live these moments again and again.
A fifteen-year-old girl approaches me while I wander around Harran. She hugs me and looks at me with amazed eyes. Then, she asks tells me “Big sister, are you a terrorist?” and keeps smiling. Because of this question, at first I feel shaken. Later I understand that she actually wanted to ask “are you a tourist?”... However, for she hears the word terrorist more often, it slips from her mouth. When I ask her “You mean tourist, don’t you?”, she nods agreeingly.
My husband and I are searching for a place for rent. There is a piano in one of the houses we checked. My husband pointing to the piano asks “at home we have two of this and one of them is even grand one. Do you think both of them fit into this house? Would neighboors be irritated? My wife is a professional musician, sounds of music spread out a lot”. It seems that the owners did not recognize me. The owner gets very excited and says that “It is the first time I see a grand pianist!”. Without any delay, checking my back my husband tells that “well, my wife is a professional pianist, that is true. But I have never recognized that she was grand.”
Such beautiful people those Turks are! They can convert their fortunate past into more fortunate future. If I can assist in any way as a Turkish citizen, I would be glad. The least I hope to achieve this by “ trying to make Turkish people love Turkish people”. For me Turkish poeple are one, I, without any discrimination, do not pay attention to where they are from but to the love in their hearts.
To my audience,
Elder, young, child, boy, girl, mother, literate, ilterate, elite, commoner, with headscarf, without headscarf, intellectual, atheist, communist, Alevi, Sufic, Muslim, Christian, Catholic, Protestant, Zarathustra, Budhist, Armenian, Turkish, Jewish, European, African, with children, without children, folk singer, classic player, belly dancer, balet dancer, opera singer, yogin, yoga opposer, UFO believer, reincarnation believer, one and internal life believer, businesswoman, housewife, happy, unhappy, hopeful, hopeless, rocker, jazzer, heavy metaller...
At my concerts, they all concentrate on music the only unifying element. I am oblidged to “Music”. By means of this magical world which takes us all together to depths of our hearts, my “family” is vast. One of the reasons that I do not discriminate anyone is music itself whose roots are in eternity.