Pamuk on football in Der Spiegel."The image that I remember most of all is of the Fenerbahçe players storming into the stadium before kickoff. They were called the canaries because of their yellow jerseys. It was as if they, like canaries, were fluttering into the stadium out of a hole. I loved it. It was poetry"
This was endlessly amusing too:
Spiegel: Albert Camus once said this about his days as a goalkeeper: " All I know most surely about morality and obligations, I owe to football."
Pamuk: Oh, come on. That may have been true in Algeria in the 1930s, but today it's naïve. Morality is probably the last thing one can learn from football today.
Pamuk: Oh, come on. That may have been true in Algeria in the 1930s, but today it's naïve. Morality is probably the last thing one can learn from football today.
Of course this being Pamuk, some nonsensical controversy can't be far behind - what do you know, the man is an "inadequate nationalist'! Jeez.
I have been (an still am) stuck without internet and cable at home so haven't really seen the Euro 2008 matches yet - didn't miss much as France had a shittily boring and useless opening match. And as expected the Zizou ghost did come up - I miss him! I am totally for Turkey too (on principle alone - I can't not be right?) except for the fact that they must be the frustrating team ever and I have less than zilch expectations.
Also, I have been told this is Female Sexual Desire Week, so yeah, photos in this post are an added bonus. Excuses to still put up Zizou pictures are always welcome. And I don't think I've ever put up a picture of Pamuk before. It was the man's birthday on Saturday. Belated doğum günün kutlu olsun to him! 
16 comments:
HIDE YOUR GOALKEEPERS, TURKEY IS COMING TO GET YOU. :D
so funny this, that he thought the yellow jerseys had some kind of poetical charm about them. romania has also yellow t-shirts and shorts, and I find this choice a totally uninspired one :-)
and I agree that berbers are very charming and sexy, yes :-)
it's pretty sad, apportioning one week out of whole year to female desire... didn't know things were this bad :)
ros love: :D :D :D
roxana: Ha! I don't think much of yellow uniforms either. I just love that Pamuk was able to make it poetic! Berbers. Sexy!
alok: I know - it's really quite depressing... but you know no stoping me from spreading it over a lifetime
pamuk writes really well.. my favorite is my name is red - it reminded me of the name of the rose a little bit as regards the philosophical aspect of it; least favorite istanbul.
personal question - are you a turk (hence the interest with pamuk/ fenerbache), or Indian (hence the omkara) or neither... just curious (something to do with me personally)
goalkeeping does teach one lots about life... mostly that you need lots of luck and 2 big strong men to hide behind; and then maybe, they'll make you a hero.
neway liked your photographs too - of delhi and istanbul both ;-)
zuma: Indian. Though I do keep getting asked if I am a Turk!
Thanks re the photos :)
hmm...curioser and curioser it gets, this szerlem...
As for why people ask if you're turk, its easy - you even call it Turkiye for gods' sake...
so, are you pleased that turkey dazzled their way to the quarter-finals? did you have a bit of turkish delight to celebrate, at least? :-)
Zuma: But it is Turkiye!
Feanor: OMG!!!!! I was falling off my couch with excitement. IT WAS CRAZY MADNESS! I'm worried about Croatia in the quarters though :( Also, thank god for the Turks - the idiot French played like crap.
Oh - an I had two people getting me lokum all the way from Turkey this week. Hah!
whatever you say. as long as it isn't 'Hindistan' as well (:-)
well, well, the magic continues, what? incredible, how the turks have been snatching victory right from the intestines of defeat :-) how are you watching the games, though? are they showing them in the US?
That match was so random!!! I mean, nothing happened for the first 119 minutes and then just - good lord!!! I felt really bad for Croatia though - I have always liked them and they deserved better. Though quite honestly if you cant convert then you don't deserve to win, but still...
Oh and I work in Singapore so no issues getting matches here - though it does mean getting up at 3 in the morning to watch them
Singapore? Hmm, clearly I've not been paying attention. For some reason I thought you were in New York, New York. So how come no colourful pics of Jurong and all? Or have I missed them?
hmmm my life would be tons more interesting if I lived in New York, New York. There have been some pictures of Singapore, but mostly random stuff around and no landmarks and they haven't been billed as photos of Singapore. Plus Singapore is ridiculously boring so it's not a place I am enthusiastic about writing about.
Well, looks like the Turks lost just as they won in their previous matches - by a hair's breadth.
Meanwhile, have you seen this?. Pamuk was supposed to have delivered a book for an exhibition in its honour at Frankfurt, but he didn't, so they cancelled the exhibit.
An advantage of Singapore: you're just a hop away from historical and artistic heaven in any direction, no?
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