By Chris Evans – New Year’s Eve is always an odd time. It brings back memories of younger days spending the night with friends celebrating, including in a rented marquee in a field for the millennium.
Recently times have been slightly different. Age, and the tiniest amount of common sense, have led to welcoming in the new year with a hot chocolate before heading off to bed. None of us are as young as we used to be, after all. The most energetic I’m likely to get is rounding up the stray animals and checking they are OK before the plethora of fireworks take hold.
This year I finally ventured out. It was a straightforward decision as Kokina restaurant on Sagtur beach was holding its first New Year’s Eve party. How could I possibly turn down the opportunity to spend New Year with owners I’ve become friends with, a view of the most beautiful bay in the area, and the opportunity to roll home rather than relying on there being an available taxi after midnight?
A midnight crowd
A fully sold out Kokina restaurant, live Turkish music, and great food for the price of a couple of beers in central London. It was guaranteed to appeal, especially as it would be the first New Year I’d be surrounded by just Turkish people. We were the only expats in a group of 80 people. It comes back to the sense of community I’ve mentioned so often in my columns over the past year.
Kokina restaurant was bedecked with decorations ranging from wrapped presents hanging from the ceiling to a tree outside covered in ribbons and tinsel to an upside down inflatable penguin. It certainly had a festive mood.
The restaurant was packed, although not to the point where tables were crammed together and it felt uncomfortable. Party hats and masks were provided for every guest, and it didn’t take long before a few people were up on their feet dancing. I was glad our table was next to the wood burner, though, as it was a chilly night.
A happy chef
The food was served at regular intervals and showcased how talented the chef is. He asked me later in the night if it had been OK. It was excellent. It showed how even chefs need a confidence boost from time-to-time, although I was touched he valued my opinion.
Midnight rolled round with many more joining the dancefloor before everyone wandered outside for a fireworks display. Credit is due that they made sure the stray animals weren’t close by, so were as unaffected as possible by the display. Fires were also lit in front of the restaurant to keep people warm and provide the backdrop for some excellent photographs.
The night went past incredibly quickly. It was a shock when I looked at my watch and saw it was 1am. It was time to wander home.
I had several over-riding feelings of my first New Year’s party with just Turkish locals. They are the friendliest and most welcoming of people who made us feel part of the celebrations, regardless of language barriers. The party atmosphere, without any sense of over-exuberance or unpleasantness, was something many parts of the world could learn from. Turkish people know how to celebrate the New Year. It was a very funny and friendly night.
It also highlighted how special the undiscovered backwater of Sagtur has become. An excellent restaurant, a new BIM (although it has now closed until April), and a community coming together makes the entire experience of living here wonderful. We could do with more public transport, but there’s much to admire about the improvements of the past couple of years. Long may it continue and let’s hope next year’s celebrations are even bigger and better.