Turkish Sufi Music and Luck

For GBP8, I was transported to another part of the world, nevermind if that area is just a tiny bit of the huge country and its unique cultures. The fact that I was able to witness it live was enough a reason to part with the equivalent of RM56. (think how much abc and nasi kandar and nasi ayam and sate and murtabak and Allah knows other cuisines I can get spending that much cash in Pasar Malam Taman Delima or Napoh for that matter, wow). No, stop converting Hannim, it'll do nothing but ruin you.)

So there I was, alone in the Warwick Arts Centre watching Turkish Sufi Music being played before me. Well, I wasn't quite alone, there were hundreds other people I didn't know, a few I did know, but there were not sitting anywhere near, so I was alone.

I had to be honest, it wasn't brilliant, I managed some yawning, but tried hard not to fall asleep (no don't fall asleep now, the turkish guys sitting two seats beside would have a fit of laughter). The thing is, apart from the Azan (it was wonderful, menusuk kalbu la, lama tak denga azan) and the ricitation of some verses from Al Quran, I couldnt understand a word they were singing. Might be the Turkish language or the way the words were mumbled, or the maybe its just how it should be.

But when the Sufis came out to do the whirling part, I was mesmerized. It was just, different. They claimed that it wasn't fair to say that this is wrong cos this is actually a way to be near to Allah, a way to submit oneself to Him, to enter a new dimension, to be out of this world, and this is a spiritual event. And we were supposed to transcend ourselves in their world, and join in the motion of love and bliss where the only distraction would be the rustling of the Dervishes' robes. But I was sitting on the upper level in that hall, so no rustling was visible, apart from the scratching sounds the Turkish guys near me were making, and oh yes, the sounds of chips in their mouth.(Enough to keep me awake. Nooo, really!)

But it was an experience altogether. A new one. Something I wasn't able to get unless I plan to go to Turkey sometime in this life, and that's nowhere soon either. In that record, I did hope I would win the lucky draw they had at the end of the event, they drew T057 the first round and my ticket was actually S057 (although I was sitting in R89), but of course I didn't get it. The probability of me winning a lucky draw in any event is as much as finding my cat Misae replying to me when I ask him something. Yes,that's so not happening, near impossible. The thing is, I never ever ever won any lucky draw before, never. Luck is just not my thing.

So the 8pounds was worth it.

No photos were taken, but I did stock some in my head.