In the middle of … Istanbul
Illustration: Marc Herold
After a long time back in Istanbul, a familiar street corner: Everything is still there, the cafes, the yellow taxis. But where is the old man who always sat here, summer and winter, on a discarded office chair, a blanket on his knees? He did not beg, but many gave him, brought food, and sometimes a woman tended his sore feet. And he wished everyone a good day, said: “Have a nice day.” Why in English, in the middle of Istanbul? And where did he go? In the phone shop across the street, they say he died. His name was Yüksel, but they called him “the American”. Was he in america? Nobody knows. All the same. You have erected a memorial to him. There is now a graffito on the wall he always sat in front of, in this busy place. The painter met him well, white beard, raised his hand in greeting: Have a nice day. Christiane Schlötzer
In the middle of … Walchensee
Illustration: Marc Herold
High winds have blown up the planned mountain tour, an alternative has to be found, fast, fast. Participant A trusts his hiking booklet, now a hiking trail on Lake Walchensee is envisaged. There, however, the route description causes difficulties. Where is the parking lot? Even B with the smartphone cannot find the coordinates “Maurach” and “Am Moorturm”. There, after all, the local savings bank! Take a deep breath, because the hiking guide leaves no room for interpretation from here: Turn left at the Sparkasse. Unfortunately, it is only straight ahead, a little way up the slope. Finally a local. Maurach? It doesn’t exist at Walchensee, he says. Bog tower? There is no such thing, you are wrong. “No, no,” says A, pointing firmly into the hiking book. Short look from the local. “The Walchsee is in Austria.” Moritz Geier
In the middle of … London
Illustration: Marc Herold
The London Underground is one of the few public places in England where the mask requirement still applies in principle. But only half of the passengers stick to it. The two young men who just got on belong to the other half. But that has at least the advantage that you can follow their conversation well. “The new Bond film is not as good as ‘Skyfall’, but it is also very good,” says one. “Were you in the cinema especially for that?” Asks the other. “Yes, you can’t see it anywhere else.” He also wants to see Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” soon. “You have to go to the cinema again!”, Says his friend, obviously incredulous that one voluntarily leaves the house for something like that. “Yes, but you know,” says the cineast, “I don’t think that’s a film for the phone anyway.” The widescreen cinema, it’s not quite dead yet. Alexander Menden