PAUSE

With the narrow side roads and one ways in Izmir, getting a 15 seater bus to pick you up from the door step of the hotel is definitely a challenge, so every morning we walk down the lane and across towards to sea to catch our ride to work.

Usually, I get to see the sun coming up from behind the hills and lighting up the sea, and as you would in any city, people scurrying across the street and getting to work.

This morning I got to see a band, all dressed in white playing the İstiklâl Marşı (Independence March) which is the National Anthem of Turkey. What struck me the most about this moment is that everything seemed to have frozen in time. All those people rushing off to work took a moment to stop and stand still till the end of the anthem where ever on the street they were.

My grandmother often uses the phrase “rush of living” and she’ll name a number of things that she couldn't get done because she was so busy ‘living’. That’s pretty much how all of us are today, with take away coffees and to-go… we grab and run and are invariably on the phone at the same time. Here in Izmir, as I walk to catch my bus each morning I pass by cafés and see people sit down to enjoy their Chai or Kahve over a relaxed conversation. Since the concept of a take away cup is quite alien at this hotel, getting my coffee before I leave means taking a moment to sit down and enjoy it.

If there’s one lesson I’d like to take back with me from my visit to Turkey, it’s to "Pause" and take a few minutes to just stop.