Between heaven and earth

Sacred Olive Tree...Joining Bugday team...my new home

I have to fulfill a dream...

of starting each day with an open heart full of gratitude for the breath I am given...
of needing no more than the clean air, food from my garden and a smile of a friend
of feeling the earth under my bare feet and smell the olive trees from my window
of listening to the wind, bees and laughter of children
of welcoming friends from all over the world at my home, on my land

no more, no less

I always dreamt of living on a hill overlooking the sea – Aegean or Mediterranean; waking up to the cooling blue of the sea that fills my soul with an endless peace and joy. The hight that gives a perspective and a great view to nourish the eyes.
Recently I sat on a hilltop and looked at the Aegean sea in the distance, between heaven and earth. The sun shone upon us generously as we dreamt away on the land where the ecologival living and learning centre will be built. The energy that wants to give birth to life was palpable as we connected with each other and the field. We didn't need too many words...
I feel welcomed by olive fields, hills, river, Aegean, the land...Could it be here that I may grow my roots?

I am here now and I am finally internalizing it. I am starting a new life – a brand new life – here in Istanbul. I am slowly shedding the nomad feeling and starting to consider being engaged fully in this community. Moving into my new flat and starting to work with a grassroots organization confirms this belongingness. I know this when I walk into the awkward picture of old and disfigured buildings piled on top of each other, half visible in a smoky-foggy day and I don't feel at a loss. I see, I accept and I keep moving...

Sacred Olive Tree

My journeys in 2005 fall have taken me to three different geographies blessed by olive trees. First, in Rhodes (Greece) sleeping in an olive grove and watching the milky way, then in West Bank (Palestine) witnessing the slaughter of olive trees by Jewish settlers and finally in Kucukkuyu (Turkey) meeting the meaning of the sacred olive tree...heaven on earth.
It is then I recognized that I had been on a certain path, pilgrimage even, that took me to Kucukkuyu. The hill where the learning center will be built is surrounded with olive groves as far as the eye can see. I slowly started acknowledging this amazing tree's worth and possible meanings for humans...mythically olive tree is a symbol of victory and strength, of peace and reconciliation and of longevity and hope; it is often referred in religious texts. It is said that God gave Noah an olive branch to let him know the flood had receded...

To me it means abundance, simplicity with generosity! Just imagining how much we can produce from one simple fruit, it feeds us, it cleans us, it pampers us. Olive tree also inspires me with its solid character and rootedness, firmness. It's there, it witnesses and it bear fruits.
To some, like Palestinians, it means life. It grows literally out of nothing, gives life to an area and its people. In the rough geography of middle east olive tree stands solid where there is nothing else.
When I was visiting West Bank I met some incredible Israeli people who committed their lives on trying to bring justice to Palestinian people. Bunch of crazy peace activist spend most of their time in the occupied territories standing next to Palestinians in the eye of the storm, when there is no institution to protect their rights and many hardships from settlers' intrusion. In one of the villages we visited, these Israeli peace activists, to show their solidarity with the villagers, had planted some olive trees together. We heard that same night, a group from a nearby settlement went into an olive grove in the same village and cut down twice as many trees as were planted the same day. Since then, I heard of at least three more cuttings (the last one was about 800 olive trees)
In return peace activists and villagers continue planting new trees.
Cutting down life...planting life...
no comment...

Joining Bugday team

If there is one organization I would want to and could work with in Turkey, it is probably Bugday. It is a different kind of organization, Bugday.
I was really tired of hierarchy and sterile corporate ways of organizing and decision making mechanisms. I was/am determined not to work in any environment where there is no synergy, well being and openness for all. I know my potential and others' as well when nourished in a space of togetherness and cooperation where everyone's wisdom and contributions are welcome, and not limited to one's position or title. One goal, one mind, one body. This is what I want to create at my 'workplace' which is where I practice my ideals for life, for present, for future. I work not for a career that will accumulate me a nice, loaded pension, not for money that will buy me this and that, not for fame that will satisfy my ego; I work for life, I work to create a better world, I work for joy, I work to make a difference. Thank God I do the kind of work I believe in and I love!

When I knocked on Bugday's door I was pretty sure that this was a good fit. It proved true after a few encounters with Bugday family and here I am, part of the organization within a month. Last week we did the somehow chaordic planning for 2006, trying to organize a full workload among scarce resources we have. Miraculously anyone who is interested in any particular project can get involved in that project. That allowed me to take part in several projects throughout the year, naturally my main focus on being at the ecological living and learning center that will be built in the countryside.
Along with that I will help coordinate a very interesting project: Bugday is organizing the first ecological market place in Turkey. In cooperation with one of the municipalities of Istanbul, this marketplace will start happening in May. It is a pioneer project and a significant one in the sense that the consumers will have the chance to buy organic food at a marketplace and the producers will have a space to offer their produce for the first time.
Come spring there will be field trips to Anatolia for different projects: we will travel as one team to work on a project on educating farmers in the process of EU accession, another project on ecotourism as well as signing contracts with organic farmers for the ecological marketplace. I can't wait to go deeper into Anatolia to learn and soak in my own culture.

My new home

Last weekend I moved in my new home: Bugday flat. There is a flat on top of Bugday's office where Victor and Gunesin live. They had an extra room where they host a rich diversity of visitors from all over the world. The building is old from Ottoman times, decorated with care, has high ceilings and smells of history.
I love the flat, the spirit of it; it is one of those of simplicity and abundance, welcoming and generous. My room is in the back of the house, spacious and friendly and it is still open to visitors. The greatest part is when Gunesin and Victor are in the kitchen cooking some vegan feasts. Victor had started the journey of Bugday with a vegan restaurant in Bodrum about 15 years ago where he was sharing his amazing skills and knowledge of vegan cooking with people. Now he is still demonstrating his skills in our kitchen and I feel blessed by the care and love the food is prepared with in this flat.

Another bonus is being located near Beyoglu, one of the oldest, mystical and diverse neighborhoods of Istanbul. In a few minutes I can be up at Istiklal street which is the heart of Istanbul, according to me, the cultural and entertainment center of town.
And gratefully, I don t have to suffocate my soul in the traffic because my office is downstairs!!! The only danger is that I create myself a cozy, colorful bubble here in this neighborhood and forget my commitment to go to all those unfamiliar places...