The Roving Eye

Last weekend, the boy, our roommate and I roamed out to Taksim, a district that is often referred to as the heart of modern Istanbul. We were strolling along İstiklal Avenue (the equivalent of Chicago's Magnificent Mile or London's Oxford street) when we came across an art exhibition named The Roving Eye, a collection of pieces by contemporary artists across Southeast Asia.

It all began with the donut-like ping pong table, which immediately caught our eye through the glass as we were walking by...

Curiosities thoroughly piqued, we wandered in, unsure of what we were getting ourselves into.

One of these is not like the other.

Some pieces like this one seemed whimsical at first but on closer inspection, carried heavy political undertones.

It became obvious very quickly that this was no ordinary museum. Many of the exhibits encouraged or even required their audience to interact with the art.

Listening to traditional Southeast Asian music.

Making some music of our own.

???

Hats in the styles of various monarchs, all made of scrap metal.

Playing dress up.

One particularly interesting piece was set up in such a way that the viewer is invited into a small area with ordinary furnishings and a mirror on the wall. You walk in, survey the things around you, wonder what's so special about this area, and take a quick glance into the mirror on your way out - only to see nobody there, or worse, a different person entirely! Because there is no mirror after all, just two identical, very cleverly set up spaces. Really alarming stuff.

Another really memorable exhibit was one in which high-def cameras mounted on the ceiling were pointed at records on a table. The view from the camera was then projected on the wall so as a participant, you could see your hands as you disc jockey'ed. In the picture below you can see on the left what both projections looked like (before I stuck my mug into the right one):

I managed to convince the boy to join me for what I think turned out to be an interesting photo. The pose was tricky and required performing a bridge-like move, arching our our backs back so that our faces could fit into the small frame of the lens.

At one point a museum docent approached us and I was sure he was going to give us a stern talking to for laying our heads down on the records... but he was so amused that he actually helped the boy bend back further. He also requested to see the photos afterwards, to which we happily obliged.

We spent almost two hours in the museum before wandering back out. It was getting dark already, so we weaved downhill through stores and restaurants until we reached the Galata Tower.

Along the way, we picked up a funny little souvenir.

Best 5 turkish lira I've ever spent.

We concluded our evening with a meal back in our part of town, Mecidiyeköy. I went for a traditional kebab dinner with a healthy serving of kuru fasulye, a Turkish bean stew that is addictingly good. A delicious end to a fun day out.

Isle of Skye

Whenever I get the opportunity, I ask the locals here what they think are the best sights to see in Scotland.

"Skye is beautiful," they say. Then there's always a brief pause. "You just have to get lucky with the weather." 

Story of Scotland's life, everyone.

The Isle of Skye is located in the northwestern edge of Scotland. With a population of just a hair over 10,000 residents, it is the largest of the Inner Hebrides and is about a five and a half hour drive from Glasgow. 

On our way up, we made a stop in Glencoe Village, the site where Clan MacDonald was brutally massacred by Clan Campbell in 1692. Not exactly a beautiful moment in Scottish history, but we enjoyed a lovely (and extremely peaceful) lunch nonetheless.

Lamb sausage and mash

On our way up, we also made a stop at Eilean Donan castle. If the castle looks familiar, it's because Entrapment, shtarring Shcotland's own Sean Connery, was shot there.

We reached Skye at dusk and checked into The Broadford Hotel, the birthplace of Drambuie liqueur. We warmed our bellies with a wee dram of the good stuff (or in this case, the okay stuff) before trekking out in search of a meal.

It became obvious very quickly why so many of my colleagues recommended this island. These were some of the views we got to enjoy on the way to dinner, which was a five minute stroll from the hotel.

Dinner was at Creelers of Skye - a tiny, romantic nook where we dined on local seafood.

Anchovy and goat cheese nibbles on the house

My scallops were fresh and drenched in garlic butter sauce. Heaven on a plate, folks.

The next day, we awoke to ominous skies...

...and ducked into a few shops in the town of Portree.

Trying on hoodies at Skye Batiks 

Harris Tweeded (Twaded?) out

After a session of retail therapy, we pulled on our hiking boots, grabbed our 'waterproofs', and trekked out to pay a visit to the Old Man of Storr, a rocky hill made up of distinct stone pinnacles. Luckily, the rain remained mostly at bay. We were met with only the occasional drizzle.

Me and a sheep butt

The hike took about an hour and left us all ravenous. We made a quick stop to peek over Kilt Rock on the way to lunch.

Lunch was a light meal at an artistic cafe in the first floor of a house. Our waitress informed us that the soup of the day was 'tomato and basil' - only she pronounced it as the British do: 'tomahto and bahsil', and very rapidly at that. This resulted in a lot of mimicking in our best British accents (once she was out of earshot, of course).

The food was yummy and vegan but not as substantial as I'd hoped. Hiking in a drizzle makes the belly crave Guinness and steak pie, not wild onions and cous-cous!

The boy, his mama and I spent our last hours of daylight hiking along the Quiraing, one of the island's most-recommended circuits. We didn't have much time left in the day and the weather was beginning to act up (re: it hailed at one point) so we opted to hike for about an hour instead of doing the complete three-hour circuit.

As I hope the pictures show, we were treated to absolutely mind-blowing views. Dramatic slopes, jagged peaks and steel-grey waters, all shrouded in cloud and fog...I felt like I had been transported to a completely different planet (or at the very least, certain scenes in Game of Thrones and Skyfall).

Most of what I'd seen in this country had certainly been beautiful, but this was the raw, unbridled view of Scotland that really left me speechless.

And of course, it wouldn't be a proper post about the Highlands if I didn't mention the wooly companions we had. Here's some footage I took of some lambs and their momma racing down the hills of the Quiraing.

This trip was my first taste of the Highlands and it certainly set the bar... skye high (ba dam tish). I sometimes daydream of wandering away to write a book or make art for a living in a place that's far away and remote. I think I've found that place in the Isle of Skye.

Gifts for Gals

As of late I have been doing a ton of Christmas shopping. This year I will be spending the holidays with two families which means there'll be double the eggnog, double the gifts, and half the money left in my bank account when I'm through with all this holiday shopping - whee!

Lucky for me, the online retail industry is a-boomin' and I've been able to do most of my Christmas shopping in my pajamas. No stressful crowds, long lines, crabby buyers, store hours, or Chicago sales tax to contend with, hallelujah! 

I believe the best presents are the ones that the receiver wouldn't normally buy for themselves (out of price, lack of perceived necessity, forgetfulness, etc) but that they would thoroughly enjoy or that would enhance their day-to-day in a small way if they had them. And though I have no qualms admitting that I really enjoy having nice things, at the end of the day it's still the thought that counts. Any girl will probably enjoy that Marc Jacobs for Target clutch. But giving (or making!) her something that is tailored to her hobby or that she casually mentioned a while back shows that you've really thought about her. In my book, that's a pretty special feeling - and it's the one that she'll remember and cherish well beyond the life of the item.

Anyhoo, gift philosophies aside, I've encountered some pretty budget-friendly-yet-still nifty items over the past few days and started bookmarking the ones that I thought most gals my age would probably enjoy receiving. I think of myself an on-the-go urban-girly-girl with a splash of quirkiness and a teaspoon of nerdiness (ok maybe more like a tablespoon...) so most of these will probably be reflective of that mix. In any case, if you have a twenty one to six year old-ish female on your holiday shopping list this year, I hope this guide finds you well. And without further ado:

adidav9's First And Probably Last Annual Holiday Gift Guide "for Her"

1.) BaByLiss Pro Porcelain Ceramic 2000-Watt Hair Dryer, $57.95 at Amazon.

...because when she is long of hair and short of time, drying her hair can be horrible, but not as horrible as going outside with wet hair in the wintertime (which feels like perpetual brain freeze). A nice hair dryer helps this immensely. Trust me, there is a noticeable difference between standard $20 hair dryers and the next notch above. I know this because in college I had a said standard $20 one and I ended up using my roommate's BaByLiss all the time because it did the job about 2x faster and gave me 10 minutes back into my life every day.

2.) Kikkerland Bear Coasters, $10 at Amazon.

...because they are absolutely adorable, completely functional and will be enjoyed by her guests too, which in turn will make her beam and think of you and silently thank you for your awesome taste in coasters. I bought these for the boy and we can't get enough of them.

3.) Planet Earth DVDs, $58.49 at Amazon.

...because she'll watch it mesmerized by the astounding HD footage, inspired by the luscious orchestral soundtrack, and lulled by David Attenborough's charming narration. I'm usually not a big proponent of buying DVDs but Planet Earth is up on that sacred tier of television shows (along with Arrested Development and erm, Vampire Diaries) that is worth watching again and again.

4.) Himalayan Trading Post Powder Puff Candle, $32 at Urban Outfitters.

...because it will light up her room on a cold winter night while she's reading in bed. I actually picked this up at Urban Outfitters a few days ago but ended up returning it because I have too many candles to justify another that could buy a week's worth of Chipotle burritos. Having said that, if you can look past the high price tag, it is still a good candle and an excellent gift. Not only is it remarkably gorgeous and has a lovely scent, the delicate glass container can be reused for jewelry or trinkets after the candle has burned up, which sort of makes up for the ridiculous price. Sort of. Oh, and it's weighty and well-made in person. And I was very sad to have returned it.

5.) Around the World Leather Watch, $39 at Urban Outfitters.

...because it's classy, unique and will go oh so well with her go-to winter cardigan, dress, tights, scarf, and boots outfit. My best friend has this and I immediately noticed and complimented her on it.

6.) Classic Tangoes, $9.99 at Amazon.

...because she will be stumped and delighted by this deceptively simple game. This game is perfect if she likes puzzles games and if she's got a competitive edge. Plus it's two-player so you can always play together.

7.) Huuuuuuuuge Furry Pillow, $49.95 at Pier One Imports.

...because I have one (its name is Fluffers) and I LOVE HIM SO MUCH and I believe everyone should have one. See detailed post here.

8.) Row Boat Salad Bowl, $65 at Uncommon Goods.

...because it makes for a beautiful and unique centerpiece, even when it's not filled with her delicious favorite salads. This is one of those "nice" things that really signify she's fully transitioned from her college days into fabulous womanly adulthood. It helps build some serious domestic goddess cred, yo.

9.) Ayaka Mug, $14.00 at Anthropologie.

...because everything Anthropologie makes is just so gosh darned heart crushingly gorgeous and chances are she's already picked this up before and sighed over it longingly and then seen the price tag and put it away very abruptly after that. Get this for her if she's an avid coffee or tea guzzler or if she's got a weakness for pretty patterns.

10.) Urban Decay Naked Palette, $50 at Sephora.

...because this is the mother of all eyeshadow palettes. Seems expensive but when you factor in that each individual eyeshadow runs $18 a pop, 12 for $50 suddenly seems like a pretty darned good deal. UD is famous for high-quality, ultra-pigmented shadows. And these colors work well for both day and night. These were the only eyeshadows that I brought with me to India for three months and they honestly left nothing to be desired. In fact, when I came back I basically shoved all my other eyeshadows in a box under my bed.

11.) The Big-Ass Book of Crafts, $13.57 at Amazon.

...because you'll inspire and enable her to rediscover her artsy, crafty roots. Also something you can do together!

12.) Flat Cat Sham and/or matching Flat Cat Duvet Cover, $24 and $59 respectively at Urban Outfitters.

...because she will smile so much when she wakes up next to KITTENS every morning!

13.) Antique Monogrammed Journal, $6.49 at Amazon.

...because there's just something about pen and paper that can't be replaced with styluses or keyboards. This one is beautiful, inexpensive and versatile enough to be used at the office. Bonus if you make her a personalized bookmark to go with this!

14.) Settlers of Catan, $33.60 at Amazon.

...because it's Settlers of Catan.

If all else fails, make her a nice handmade card and put thoughtful words inside of it. Key words are nice and thoughtful. And if you really must get her something material - get her a DSW gift card. Because "I hate DSW!" - said no girl ever.