Posts

Red Ribbons, Salted Coffee, and Crying — Oh My!

Image
Back in the day when I was a newbie Turkish dizi fan, I remember watching one of the shows I was keeping up with at the time and being intrigued by the Turkish pre-wedding rituals. All of it was fascinating and so different from the traditions I`ve grown up with or had seen portrayed in movies and TV shows.   Here are some of the most unique events that take place before a Turkish wedding. Cutting of the Red Ribbon The traditional Turkish engagement happens among a small group of close family members. Gifts are brought, refreshments are served, and rings or alyans are exchanged. What`s different about these rings compared to a typical engagement is that both rings are tied with a red ribbon which is said to signify like and longevity. Once both of the rings are placed on the bride and the groom`s fourth right-hand finger, the ribbon is cut by the eldest person of the family. The ribbon eventually gets removed. During the actual wedding ceremony, the bride and the groom end up movi...
Post a Comment
Read more

What Happened With Duy Beni?

Image
My beloved Turkish school drama Duy Beni has officially come to an end. The final 20th episode aired on November 17th and it`ll certainly take some time for the fandom to get over the cancelation and to even consider another show to replace the hole that this angst-filled show leaves behind.   However, like all shows, Duy Beni is not without fault. The acting was fantastic, the chemistry was on point, the cinematography was beautiful and compelling, and the episode cliffhangers gripped the fans and had them come back every week. I honestly don`t have a single bad thing to say about the acting, directing, and producing, because all of the talent and the rest of the team did a fantastic job. However, certain choices that the writing team made over the course of the show left me and many other fans scratching our heads and I need to vent or I`ll burst. Do Bad Things—Reap Great Rewards? This is a broad statement since not every villain on this show ends up getting a happily-ever-after....
Post a Comment
Read more

Hande Erçel Made Me Buy It

Image
  Over the years I`ve learned that aside from hours of quality entertainment, Turkish shows are also amazing sources of fashion inspiration. The actors and actresses are always donning the most beautiful formal and casual outfits on screen and the stylists make sure to combine high-end brands as well as more affordable brands, so that fans of these characters can catch up on a new episode and immediately visit a brick-and-mortar or an online shop and purchase a piece that caught their eye. After all, who doesn’t love to put on an outfit that makes them feel like a million bucks, or, in this case, liras?   One of my dizi style inspirations is actress Hande Erçel. The twenty-eight-year-old talented actress has starred in some of my favorite dizis and has achieved success in her native Turkey, as well as internationally. To be fair, she`s stunning and would look good sashaying down 5 th Avenue in a trash bag and a pair of Ugg boots, but it`s her vibrant spirit and the risks she...
Post a Comment
Read more

3 Must-Watch Shows for Turkish Dizi First-Timers

Image
     So, after seeing a couples edit on TikTok, a quick scene on YouTube, or listening to your friend`s enthusiastic rambles, you decided to give Turkish dizis a go. But with multiple new shows premiering every season and countless true-and-tried classics that viewers regularly tune into because they`re just that good, where do you start and what do you watch?       Here are 3 shows that would be perfect for a Turkish dizi newbie.               Erkenci Kuş        If you`re a fan of meet-cutes, grand romantic gestures, and happy endings, then you`d enjoy the heck out of a Turkish romantic comedy. Erkenci Kuş   ( Day Dreamer or Early Bird , as it`s typically called in English) is a wonderful romantic comedy to watch if you`ve never watched a Turkish show before and would like your first time to be an enjoyable, hilarious, and heartwarming experience.        Erkenci Kuş fol...
Post a Comment
Read more

Can You Spot These 5 Cliches in the Dizi You`re Currently Watching?

Image
The other day I found myself re-watching a Turkish dizi. The male and female leads got tangled up in some typical dizi hijinks which led to them getting in a car together. They needed to follow a villain to see what sort of a trap he was planning. By this point, the hero was already head-over-heels for the heroine, but he couldn’t let her know that yet because, well…reasons. At the same he would`ve rather cut off his own leg than compromise her safety, so when the seatbelt gets stuck, the music swells, he throws caution to the wind, leans in, and helps her out even if that means being inches away from her and having a hard time pulling away. The fact that dizi heroines are incapable of putting on their own seat belts is a bit of a running gag among the dizi fans. Watching that scene made me remember a few other cliches that might be repetitive and a little cheesy, but that also contribute to the overall dizi magic.   1. The hot (preferably shirtless) man chopping wood Yes, you read...
Post a Comment
Read more