Araz Gholami

I’ve had a cold for a few days. when i come home from work, i close the doors and windows, and the house gets intensely warm. the warmth reminds me of winter—cold winters with beautiful snow. truly, every good thing in my life has happened in winter, unlike the bad things that occurred in spring, fr... Read All

As far back as i can remember, in any subject, i always wanted to spend time with people who knew more than me or had more experience or authority in that area. consider me as b, a person who knows a moderate amount. someone who knows more than me is a, and someone who knows less is c. this ap... Read All

After overcoming insomnia with various healthy and not-so-healthy techniques, i dove headfirst into my old and ever-present headache, adding it to my already numerous problems. this one can’t be fixed by any known method. probably there’s no other way to get rid of it except smashing your head with ... Read All

Turkey’s elections took place today. the previous problem of noisy campaign ads was replaced by car horns and celebratory gunshots from the supporters of the winning candidate. i hope their shooting angles aren’t less than 90 degrees. in response, i spent the entire day stretched out in bed, from wa... Read All

Long before my military service ended, a friend pointed out that i needed to make a “plan” for what comes after. he felt that my plan only extended until the end of service and that i had no idea what to do afterward. and he was right. at 18, i decided to get my bachelor’s degree in computer engi... Read All

Yesterday, i finally decided to get rid of carrying cash and open a bank account. after obtaining a tax number, which took a few hours, and visiting 20–30 banks, i realized that the only bank willing to open an account for me was ziraat bank—our own “agriculture bank.” but even then, only one branch... Read All

Turkey, and especially istanbul, might not have the top spot in the world for food variety and restaurant density, but it’s definitely among the top. however, after more than a month, homesickness for homemade food sets in, and you decide to take matters into your own hands. the bigger problem is th... Read All

One of the differences between istanbul and tabriz is the humidity. tabriz is extremely dry, while istanbul is very humid. one effect of this humidity is that clothes don’t dry properly after washing. that’s why wherever there’s a washing machine, there’s almost always a dryer next to it. after a... Read All

These days, istanbul has become unbearably hot, and it's only going to get hotter. being between two large seas has pushed the humidity beyond tolerable limits, reaching 70%. this makes the evenings particularly challenging—walking the 600 meters from my apartment to the office leaves me completely ... Read All

Dedicated to my dear aunt, who after 10 years of battling cancer, has finally found peace today. sari gelin, somewhere in istanbul... Read All

One of the emotions that makes you realize your aging more starts the moment you no longer have anything to do or think about in the present. all your laughs, sorrows, and actions are tied to something in the past—past emotions or past events. you even stress about forgetting your memories, reviewin... Read All

This morning i noticed the faucet wouldn’t turn off, and after a brief, helpless stare at the ceiling, i remembered that one clause in my rental contract said the landlord is responsible for any potential damages. i called him, he came, fixed the faucet, left, and i breathed a sigh of relief. twe... Read All