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I had a lot of friends outside school. I had a friend called Hayim, another called Davit. There were many of them but now I cannot remember. I also had Jewish friends from school. There was a Toledo, a Papo, then Hayim who became a dentist and is still alive. The others are not. We used to go out together, go to the movies, go on outings, sit at cafés. Especially in the summer, we would go to garden cafés, sit in the garden and chat.
On Saturdays and on our holidays, we would spend our leisure time at a friend’s house if it was winter, and we would always go swimmimg if it was summer. I would always go out with friends, not with my family.
It so happened that we had many a meal at restaurants with my friends. There was a fast food kind of place at Tunel, called Mandra and there was also a restaurant called Fischer. The Fischer that exists today in Taksim used to be in Tunel in my time. We used to eat at restaurants a lot.
When we grew older we started going out in mixed groups, boys and girls. We met the girls! We had a wonderful time with them. There was Ester Toledo, for example, from the group. She still lives. There was also Beti Konfino. Beti Konfino was my ex-fiancée, whom I had met in that group. We were friends for a time, then we started going out together and then we got engaged. We were engaged for 8 months but we didn’t get on very well, so we broke up. In our time mothers used to live with their children. For example, when I got married I had to live with my mother. Beti did not want that, she wanted us to live on our own. That’s why the disagreements started and then both parties decided this wasn’t going to work. In the end we broke up amicably enough.
When we were old enough and were going out with girls, we used to go to dancing matinées. There were alot of dancing places. In the summer, we used to go to Caddebostan [a district in the Asian side of Istanbul, which used to be a summer until the late 1970s but is a popular reisdential area nowadays]. We would first go to the beach there and then we would go to the music garden next to the beach where there was an orchestra that played music during the matinée, which was around 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. We would leave the beach in our swimsuits, had something to eat first and then the music would start, dancing and songs. We used to have a great time. Afterwards we would take the boat from the port at Caddebostan and return to Galata.
On Saturdays and on our holidays, we would spend our leisure time at a friend’s house if it was winter, and we would always go swimmimg if it was summer. I would always go out with friends, not with my family.
It so happened that we had many a meal at restaurants with my friends. There was a fast food kind of place at Tunel, called Mandra and there was also a restaurant called Fischer. The Fischer that exists today in Taksim used to be in Tunel in my time. We used to eat at restaurants a lot.
When we grew older we started going out in mixed groups, boys and girls. We met the girls! We had a wonderful time with them. There was Ester Toledo, for example, from the group. She still lives. There was also Beti Konfino. Beti Konfino was my ex-fiancée, whom I had met in that group. We were friends for a time, then we started going out together and then we got engaged. We were engaged for 8 months but we didn’t get on very well, so we broke up. In our time mothers used to live with their children. For example, when I got married I had to live with my mother. Beti did not want that, she wanted us to live on our own. That’s why the disagreements started and then both parties decided this wasn’t going to work. In the end we broke up amicably enough.
When we were old enough and were going out with girls, we used to go to dancing matinées. There were alot of dancing places. In the summer, we used to go to Caddebostan [a district in the Asian side of Istanbul, which used to be a summer until the late 1970s but is a popular reisdential area nowadays]. We would first go to the beach there and then we would go to the music garden next to the beach where there was an orchestra that played music during the matinée, which was around 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. We would leave the beach in our swimsuits, had something to eat first and then the music would start, dancing and songs. We used to have a great time. Afterwards we would take the boat from the port at Caddebostan and return to Galata.
Location
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Türkiye
Interview
Sami Schilton