Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Stale Dreams

September 24, 2007

We are still at the Hotel Sevcan in Florya, which is near the airport. The airport is about an hour away from the city center. That makes it extra hard for us to find an apartment and a job. Today we will venture into the center and Jonathan will stop by a few places while I jaunt around with the kids. Hopefully I will be able to contain them to the sidewalks at least.

This hotel has been pleasant. It kind of reminds me of the movie “Titanic”. I’m not sure when it happens in the movie but there is a part where the scientists have found the Titanic in the deep ocean and their cameras are down there. Everyone is up in the boat seeing what is down there on their television screen. But the part I’m talking about is when the viewer is being shown all the seaweed filled Titanic but as we observe it is transformed magically and there is beautiful Kate Winslet and handsome Leonardo DiCaprio in the doorways of the dancehall with the crystal chandelier hanging above and people teeming around them. Each part we see in the ship is changed from the forgotten fish infested version to the perfect seaborne version. This hotel was intricately designed. The entire outside wall of the hotel is covered with tiny centimeter by centimeter tiles arranged in a design that it typical of this country. The entryway is not impressive but the stairway is marble and large. The rooms are small. The restaurant area is large and full of tables. There is even an overflow area that seems to be closed off by a sliding wall. Every morning when we go downstairs to have breakfast the cute Turkish boy waiters wait on my children like they are little princes. I call them boys but they are probably well past 20. Although there are at least 30 tables in the restaurant, only three are being used at a time. Of course, every morning something is spilled at my table.

The area of the hotel that possesses a sort of sad nostalgia for me is on the basement level. That is where the designer of the hotel placed the pool area, sauna, fitness center, and a large conference room. The pool area is lighted during the day by skylights covering the ceiling. The pool is rectangular and large and lined by reclining beach chairs. There is an overlooking patio that lines the edge of the pool from above bordered by a beautiful sturdy white marble railing. Tables are placed there for people to enjoy meals while watching the happy swimmers scream and giggle with joy except that nowadays there are no swimmers. There is no laughing. The only sound down there is the steady lapping of the water overflowing into the gutters that line the pool.

On Friday my children and husband enjoyed the pool even though its waters are bordering a freezing temperature. Atticus and Shermie kicked around in their colorful inner tubes. With nothing else to play with, I blew up a few balloons and threw them in the water. The kids motored themselves across the pool, their little vibrating heads reaching towards their desired balloon. The lapping water from the pool changed its pattern that day.

It almost makes me cry to think about the work that was put into building this hotel. The dream was begun but who knows if it was ever realized. I don’t know if the hotel ever had its rooms filled all at once, or its pools waters made choppy by happy vacationers, or its restaurants’ tables filled. Were the attendants’ foreheads ever sweaty as they heaved the hotel guests’ luggage to their rooms? Were the waiters ever seen scurrying from table to table taking peoples orders? Was the owner of the hotel ever satisfied that his dream had come true?

2 comments:

DaddyBrad said...

It's fun to hear about your adventures. Did you ever think this was going to be your life when you got married?

All is quiet here on the western front.
Love - DaddyGrad and Mommybommy

Peter and Wendy said...

Hi guys...it sounds like lots of fun...we miss you... found apartments for rent of craigslist in Istanbul.

http://istanbul.craigslist.org/apa

Some look good, some look funky,some are fit only for a monkey

Love
The Morkels