Finally the day I have been wondering for over 20 years arrived. I always wondered how would I be when I am 35, where would I be, would I be famous, successful, how many children would I have, how many books would I write, or even, don’t laugh, how many life’s would I rescue? Since I was grown not like a plant with the background memory of exactly how far it could reach the sun, but like a naïve human being, without a clue, believing I can be what ever I want. Yet, even in my wildest dreams, I could never foresee myself being in a small coastal town of New Zealand, establishing a design company, getting my hands dirty with screen printing ink, thinking new ideas full time, working at a fish and chips shop part time, and being the copywriter of a new born agency in Istanbul as I am trying to create time for it by waking up at 5.30 in the mornings.

Now I am thirty five and here I am!

So, my present for me is not feeling that old at all! : )

For almost 25 years, I have a tradition to celebrate my birthday with the same three people. With my oldest friends, Gokcen, Ipek and Fusun. Ipek and I was born on the same day, Fusun is a couple of days later, and Gokcen have two birthdays, one with us, and the real one in September because we always wanted to include her to the party too! So, my presents for them are three “Sweet as what?” tote bags. The answer is obvious, duh! Sweet as Ipek, Sweet as Fusun, and Sweet as Gokcen, of course. I had hand painted them by using two laser cut stencils. They are very rare and special because they belong to the old days –actually 6 month old days – I had no experience about screen printing. Happy birthday babes! :)

My mom’s present for me was a 4 colour screen printing press! I said was because I had it a couple of months ago. And I said present because I don’t want to confess that I lent money from my mom to buy a screen printing press at the age of almost 35! 

Aaron and Dan’s present for me was carrying that huge baby and setting it up for me.

My present for mom is spending more time with her. When I was in Istanbul working insanely as a copywriter, we could see each other every month or worse, every two months. Now I am thousand miles away yet we can talk almost every day.

My dad’s present for me is being a dad, asking me when I will be returning back all the time, calling me ‘by beautiful daughter’ and asking me write a report every months on what I have been doing. My present to dad is one of the first t-shirts I printed. It should arrive Istanbul at the Father’s Day. Good timing! : )

Coffee’s present for me is being such a good dog! My present for Cof Cof will be a huge bone and a chewy toy. Good girl!

Seda and Asiye’s present for me is making me write the copies of a plumping brochure on my birthday! Arggh! My present for them will be forgetting it is my birthday and writing it.

My present for my brother who used to charge me a fortune to look after my cats whenever I went on a holiday is a revenge! I will arrange the details with him privately. His present for me is being super passionate about his private project “Playing for Nature” and waiting for me to get out of the country before he became famous!

Aaron’s official present for me is a 3.5 hours beauty treatment package from Kaikoura’s awarded Indulgence Body and Soul. My present for him is stop being the old me for a day and not yelling “What? Am I not beautiful enough already!!” Hahahaha :) Aaron’s unofficial presents are putting up with my dark moods, being there for me, giving me head, foot, back and head massages without much complaint, and just simply being my best lover, like he always declares.

Shane’s present for me is having his birthday tomorrow. His partner Jo’s present for me is inviting us to their weekend party at Marlborough Sounds. My present for them will be not make their life miserable by nagging about why we could not bring Coffee with us. Honestly, I still don’t understand why in a country like New Zealand where everybody seems to have a dog, a holiday house would refuse us bringing her?

Fran and Shawn’s presents for me is looking after Cof Cof for the weekend. My presents for them will be “In New Zealand I” bags and t-shirts because they will be in a tour on October.

Tracey and Dan’s present for me is a vampire novel, which is the best present for a book worm like me. But to be honest, I was expecting a different present. The same present I gave them last year. To be off work on my birthday. Oh well, at least now we all know what they will not be getting for their next b days.

My present for the sneaky designer in me was letting her give a try to some of the ideas last week, including the “In New Zealand I”. Her present for me is, to my surprise, not doing a bad job actually.

Seda and Asiye’s presents are playing with these drafts and making them ready for screen printing. My present for Literally Yours will be burning some of the images to screens and printing them on tote bags next week! 

Literally Yours’ present is being literally mine, Seda’s, Asiye’s, Seden’s and Fusun’s. Who is Fusun? More information about this will be available soon.

Being endorsed, supported and accepted by the two cool design stores of Kaikoura would be a super great present, but unfortunately they chose not to. My present for them will be proving them wrong by working harder and creating better stuff.

Yet, Kaikoura i-Site’s super cool presents for me are placing Kaikoura postcards & tote bags on their shelf’s, and wearing Kaikoura t-shirts in Canterbury colours on the biggest international tourism fair they attended couple of weeks ago! They told me they got lots of good comments and everybody loved the t-shirts! : )

Since the subject turned to t-shirts, The West End Shop’s present is putting all Kaikoura t-shirts I printed on display! There are not much, less than 40 actually on various sizes, so if you are in Kaikoura or will be here in a couple of weeks, find them at the 64 West End, at the right just at the entrance. My present for them was using the postcards as price tags ;)

Even after all these beautiful presents, I still have some birthday wishes. My wish from Mr. Blood is to be my creative director for one day and honour me with his feedbacks on “In New Zealand I” idea before I start printing. After all I am just a Turkish copywriter who only saw maybe one fourth of the whole country in two years but still wishing to capture the essence of whole New Zealand and squeeze the lot in one single design. The perfectionist in me is screaming for an insider opinion.  

My birthday wish from the secret billionaire who does not know what to do with all that money is to send me to Shillington College of Australia. They have this brilliant graphic design course which lasts only 3 months, unfortunately costs AUD 14.000! Otherwise my and Aaron’s present for this stubborn designer in me will be taking her to Auckland early in the next year and securing a privileged space at the Media Design School, hopefully not as a part timer for 2 years, but a full timer for 8 months.

My wish from the crazy scientists is to beam me up to Istanbul for a couple of hours. Come on! I have been waiting for this my whole life! I just want to see mom, dad, and the girls.

My wish from the strongest sorcerer is to work out his magic and make me a guitar player right here right now! I definitely lack the discipline to be one on my own.

 Well, these are my birthday wishes. The birthday fishes are the same and available at Coopers Catch ;)

Ayca 

Literally yours since 09.06.1976