The Flea Palace Quotes

The child had indeed shut up but all the questions that had accumulated on his tongue circulated in his mouth, moved through the passages of his nose and climbed up from there to tickle into his teardrop ducts, so in his moss green pupils, curious, insistent, accusing sparks of questions continued to light up and fade away like fireflies flitting about on summer nights.

if you wag your tongue too much and too often about someone, you might may well start to believe that you have known them personally for quite some time.

I'd always wanted a voice-activated virtual assistant for my palace on Olympus, but Hephaestus hadn't been able to get the technology quite right. The one time he tried, the assistant had been named Alexasiriastrophona. She'd been very picky about having her name pronounced perfectly, and at the same time had an annoying habit of getting my requests wrong. I'd say, Alexasiriastrophona, send a plague arrow to destroy Corinth, please. And she would reply, I think you said: Men blame rows of soy and corn fleas.

لكي نستطيع مشاركة شخص ما بآلامه من كل قلوبنا، يجب قبل كل شيء أن نشاركه الحقيقة ذاتها.

Her insanın erafında bir renk halesi vardır. Seninkini biliyor musun?

An aura surrounds every living thing, an aura in a different colour each time. Do you know what colour is yours?

That is what the past was, that which you could not get rid of. The past did not resemble the crumbs spilled over a rug. You could not shake them out from open windows.

It is not their quantative scarcity vis-a-vis the majority that makes minorities hapless but rather their qualitative similarity. As a member of a minority group, you can be as industrious as an ant, even hit the jackpot and acquire a considerable fortune, but someday, just because you presently and will always belong to the same community, you could in an instant find yourself on par with those of your community who have idled their lives away since birth. That is why the affluent among the minorities are never affluent enough; neither are their exceptional members ever sufficiently so.

Окръжността не е нито хоризонтална, нито вертикална. Нито е край, нито е начало. Можете да влезете в окръжността отвсякъде, стига да не сметнете мястото за начало. Няма начална точка, няма край. Откъдето и да тръгнете, винаги има минало. Лично аз не знаех, но чух от един мъдър човек, че навремето, когато кофите за смет в Истанбул били кръгли и с тенекиени капаци, младежите се забавлявали с една игра. Събирали се определен брой момчета и момичета – нито прекалено много, нито пък малко, а точно колкото е необходимо и непременно четно число. Върху кръглия тенекиен капак на кофата за боклук предварително означавали четири различни посоки. И за да отговорят на въпроса кога, във всяка посока изписвали с тебешир четири различни думи: Веднага – Утре – Много скоро – Никога. Бързо завъртали капака с помощта на дръжката по средата и играчът, който е на ред, светкавично слагал пръста си в една точка и спирал кръга. Всеки участник минавал по веднъж през този етап и така откривал за себе си кое точно е неговото време. При втория тур пишели четири отговора на въпроса на кого така, че да се паднат равномерно в средата на четирите посоки: На мен – На моята любов – На най-добрия ми приятел – На всички нас. После пак завъртали тенекиения капак, отново един по един поставяли пръста си в една точка и кръгът спирал. При третото завъртане идвал ред на отговора на въпроса какво ще стане. За да бъде справедливо, в оставащите осем празни места написвали четири хубави и четири лоши думи: Любов, Брак, Щастие, Богатство, Болест, Раздяла, Катастрофа, Смърт. Отново завъртали капака и най-после достигали до дългоочакваните отговори на въпроса кога на кого какво ще се случи: На мен – Богатство – Много скоро – На любимия ми – Щастие – Утре – На най-добрия ми приятел – Брак – Веднага – На всички ни – Раздяла – Никога… Не е трудно да започнеш. Като направя някои дребни промени в начина, по който се играе, мога да използвам тази идея. Първо, трябва да намеря времето на разказа: Вчера – Днес – Утре – В безкрайността. След това едно по едно трябва да спомена местата, които са свързани с историята: Мястото, на което дойдох – Мястото, на което се намирам – Мястото, на което отивам – Никое място. И така, идва ред на играчите: Аз – Един от нас – Всички ние – Нито един от нас. Накрая, без да нарушавам равновесието четири по четири, трябва да подредя вероятните резултати в останалите празни места. И по този начин, ако завъртя четири поредни пъти кръглия тенекиен капак на кофата за боклук, ще успея да направя едно хубаво изречение, с което да започна: „През пролетта на 2002 г. в Истанбул един от нас умря без време и линията се затвори в пълен кръг.

– Как ще го кръстиш? – попита жена си, когато с гордост ѝ показа блока. Лек морски ветрец с аромат на жасмин повя и се понесе между тях. От устните на Павел Павлович Антипов се отрони обяснение, което тя не можеше да изрече: – Агрипина, това е твоето бебе, чиито очи са с цвят на пепел. Винаги ще те обича, но няма да очаква повече, отколкото можеш да му дадеш. Ще принадлежи изцяло и само на теб, но няма да иска да му се посветиш. Никога няма да предявява претенции, няма да плаче, няма да се разболява и няма да умре. Въобще няма да порасне. Ако ти не го изоставиш, и то няма да те изостави. Ще бъде наречено както ти пожелаеш. Как ще го наречеш? Агрипина Фьодоровна Антипова слушаше с вълнение шепота на морския ветрец. Помълча, помисли и със светнали очи отвърна: – Бонбон!

As they spoke, 290 Argos, the dog that lay there, raised his head and ears. Odysseus had trained this dog but with no benefit—he left too soon to march on holy Troy. The master gone, boys took the puppy out to hunt wild goats and deer and hares. But now he lay neglected, without an owner, in a pile of dung from mules and cows—the slaves stored heaps of it outside the door, until they fertilized the large estate. So Argos lay there dirty,300 covered with fleas. And when he realized Odysseus was near, he wagged his tail, and both his ears dropped back. He was too weak to move towards his master. At a distance, Odysseus had noticed, and he wiped his tears away and hid them easily, and said, “Eumaeus, it is strange this dog is lying in the dung; he looks quite handsome, though it is hard to tell if he can run, or if he is a pet, a table dog,310 kept just for looks.” Eumaeus, you replied, “This dog belonged to someone who has died in foreign lands. If he were in good health, as when Odysseus abandoned him and went to Troy, you soon would see how quick and brave he used to be. He went to hunt in woodland, and he always caught his prey. His nose was marvelous. But now he is in bad condition, with his master gone, long dead. The women fail to care for him.320 Slaves do not want to do their proper work, when masters are not watching them. Zeus halves our value on the day that makes us slaves.” With that, the swineherd went inside the palace, to join the noble suitors. Twenty years had passed since Argos saw Odysseus, and now he saw him for the final time— then suddenly, black death took hold of him.

Сега, за да успокои съвестта си, когато правеше баланса на един дълъг живот, самият той бе предприел това странно пътуване и се бе приютил при жена си с подобни очаквания. Външните стени бяха с цвят на пепел, черчеветата на прозорците и парапетите на балконите бяха боядисани в два различни нюанса – по-светъл и по-тъмен тон на сивото. Когато дискретните декори около двукрилата входна врата бяха напълно завършени, блокът засия с ослепителната си красота. Най-впечатляващата особеност на сградата, която по настояване на Павел Павлович Антипов бе построена в стил ар нуво9, въпреки че отдавна не беше на мода, бе, че етажите бяха напълно различни. Апартаментите на партера, сякаш за да се компенсира липсата на балкони, имаха много по-големи прозорци от останалите. Колкото до балконите, и те бяха различни на всеки етаж. Терасите на втория етаж бяха силно изнесени напред в изящен полукръг, а тези на третия етаж бяха по-прибрани, така че човек спокойно можеше да си седи, без да го виждат отвън. Балконите на четвъртия етаж бяха като тези на втория, само че вместо метални парапети имаха бордюр, украсен с релефни цветя, а в двата им края бяха закачени мраморни саксии, в които можеха да се отглеждат растения. Разликите бяха толкова фрапиращи, че човек се чудеше дали все пак обитателите на тези апартаменти живеят на едно и също място. Релефите на предната фасада, които балансираха украсата между прозорците на първия и втория етаж, силно привличаха вниманието. Тук в окръжност бе изобразен паун с малка глава и огромно тяло. Петте му пера, две отдясно, две отляво и едно точно на главата, стърчаха на различни страни. Едното сочеше към небето, а другите – към четирите посоки на света. В края на всяко перо бе нарисувано голямо око, красиво завършено с едва забележими щрихи, напомнящи мигли. В пълен контраст с това главата на пауна бе сведена надолу. Точно под краката му, в едва забележима овална рамка бяха изписани инициалите на съпрузите.

İstanbul'a ya bir şeylerden kaçarak varılır, ya da gün gelir, ondan kaçılırdı.

Eşyalarla ilişkimiz yanılsama üstüne kurulu. Sanıyoruz ki onların sahibiyiz. Oysa efendisi değil, sadece hikayesi vardır eşyaların.

Istanbul being a city where houses were not built in accordance with road plans but road plans made so as not to upset the location of the houses.

taping of the Hollywood Palace TV show. In America then, if you had long hair, you were a faggot as well as a freak. They would shout across the street, “Hey, fairies!” Dean Martin introduced as something like “these long-haired wonders from England, the Rolling Stones.… They’re backstage picking the fleas off each other.” A lot of sarcasm and eyeball rolling. Then he said, “Don’t leave me alone with this,” gesturing with horror in our direction. This was Dino, the rebel Rat Packer who cocked his finger at the entertainment world by pretending to be drunk all the time. We were, in fact, quite stunned. English comperes and showbiz types may have been hostile, but they didn’t treat you like some dumb circus act. Before we’d gone on, he’d had the bouffanted King Sisters and performing elephants, standing on their hind legs. I love old Dino. He was a pretty funny bloke, even though he wasn’t ready for the changing of the guard. On to Texas and more freak show appearances, in one case with a pool of performing seals between us and the audience at the San Antonio Texas State Fair. That was where I first met Bobby Keys, the great saxophone player, my closest pal (we were born within hours of each other).

But nonsense is just as far removed from deception as truth. Deception turns truth inside out. As for nonsense, it solders deception and truth one to the other so much so as to make them indistinguishable. Though this might seem complicated, it’s actually very simple. So simple that it can be expressed by a single line.

years like the fruits of the mythical Vakvak tree with fruit shaped like humans that, upon being plucked, rotted away in screams. I do not share

My crazy little girl, now that you have transcended the threshold of sanity and sliced up this beautiful face of yours, do not ever go back to the meadow of reason and common sense. What is even worse than slicing up your face without remorse is the remorse that follows. In that case, you'll finally suffer and suffer for nothing. So be true to yourself, remain as crazy as you have been once the sutures are removed, promise?' I promised.

Agripina Fyodorovna Antipova, büyüyemeden ölen bebekler ile yerleşilemeden terk edilen şehirlerin birbirine benzediğini fark etmişti.

Istanbul was under a heavy fog that morning, and as all Istanbulites knew too well, during foggy days even the city herself could not tell what her colour was.

Not only places but also people, animals, even moments had colours each of which, she had no doubt she could see if focused fully. She did so once again. At first with curiosity, then with frustration, she stared and stared without a blink at the silhouette of the city in front of her until her eyes watered and the image became blurred. Istanbul was under a heavy fog that morning, and as all Istanbulites knew too well, during foggy days even the city herself could not tell what her colour was.

The apartment building appeared colourless and soulless in the picture. There was not a single person in it, neither on its windows or balconies, nor on the sidewalks or the streets. It resembled a child of war with no living relatives and no eyes to watch her lonely growth. It looked equally placeless. One could not get a clue about what the city surrounding it, if there was one, looked like. It could be anywhere in the world and of any other than the present...

Either Istanbul had not been good to them or they not good enough for Istanbul. To them the city's gates of good fortune were shut, or perhaps had never been open. The same end awaited those whose family trees did not take root to branch out in this city, but whose paths led here at one stage of their lives: Istanbul, initially a port of escape enabling people to run away from everything, would herself become a reason for escape.

To acquire items so as to use them for awhile and then throw them away in the garbage, is a habit germane to those who believe themselves to be in possession of these items. Yet no objects have no possessors. If anything they have their stories, and at times it is these stories that have a possession of the people who have meddled with them...

Планът ми бе върха на дивотията, но може би така беше по-добре. Когато някоя простотия дълго време изкарва хората от кожата им, нито разумните правила, нито въведените норми или наложените забрани могат да я спрат, а само нещо напълно откачено.

For love does not always come without effort but sometimes flourishes belatedly and grows gradually, drop by drop, under the tutelage of time.

She was right about colours. Just as cities and places came in colours and hues so did moments and situations; including deaths. Death too acquired a new hue in every person and each ending. In a newborn baby, it must be an aureate vermiculated with purple.

Some people’s faces are like magnets covered with skin. All the ins and outs, ups and downs, core and gist of their personality reside there. They think with their faces; converse, promenade, quarrel, get hungry, feel happy, love or make love with their faces. Their bodies are necessary, albeit unimpressive pedestals, merely added on to carry their faces. Such people are essentially walking faces. Accordingly, they can never hide their feelings away. Whatever they feel gets reflected, totally and immediately, upon their faces.

Like all women who lose their naturalness as soon as they become conscious of the admiration they arouse in others, she too assumed a forced toughness and made the common mistake of thinking that keeping a guy waiting in purgatory, neither too much at a distance nor needlessly close, would render permanent the attention she received.

If someone awakens in us a desire we'd rather not have, we try not to like that person. However, if that fails, we then seek something likeable in him, something good enough to make the desire for him less bothersome, more endurable.

Ayshin's love is like the helm of bureaucracy. She files her correspondence, makes calculations, keeps records, deducts the expenses from the income and thus maintains a colossal archive. She never forgets a quarrel; not only does she not forget, she makes sure it is not forgetten as well.