Relaxed and rambling citizen of the world
The offspring of an unlikely match between a Swedish diplomat and a Turkish businessman, Mert Duran is a charming mixture of polished Scandinavian propriety and the business acumen of a Persian-carpet barker in the Grand Bazaar. If asked, though, to choose his cultural allegiance, there’s little hesitation: “I’ve definitely got a bit of both in me, but socially,” he grins, “Turkey all the way.”
Having lived in Kyiv for over two years now (he works at a major mobile-phone company), I met up with him for a quick breakfast and some thoughts about his peripatetic life. With a fluency in four languages and a strong working knowledge of two more, Mert is clearly a citizen of the world. By the time he graduated college, he’d lived an equal number of years in Britain, Turkey, Sweden, Tanzania and Morocco, and speaks accordingly, with a slight British accent hiding traces of a half-dozen other cultures, and a strong command of UK slang. “Everyone always asks me where ‘home’ is. But it really just depends on where most of my stuff is at the moment.” For Mert, this lack of roots has been liberating: “There’s really no underlying idea about ‘going back’ because there’s not really any place to ‘go back’ to.”
When pressed about his favorite, he’ll admit that “honestly, I really prefer the Third World. Despite the headaches, life there can often be a bit more flexible. Sub-Saharan Africa in general is my favorite place. I’ve traveled pretty extensively there, and there’s just something indescribable about the people and the nature and the air that you can’t find anywhere else.” I ask where Ukraine fits in: “It’s a bit of a world in between, really. I can see how much it’s changed just in the time I’ve been here. Soon, it may be much like most of the rest of Europe. That’s why I think I still prefer the Third World: things may change, but Tanzania will probably always be something like Tanzania.”
While not religious, Mert displays an almost Buddhist propensity for nonattachment: “I’m as curious as anyone to see where I end up.” But this is not the philosophy of some California surfer. After graduating with a degree in business from England’s prestigious University of Nottingham, he was quickly hired by the company he wrote his senior thesis about. “I’m not a very goal-oriented person in the traditional sense of the word,” he says, chewing his eggs thoughtfully. “But not because I don’t care what happens—it’s just that, if you’re happy, enjoy life, and have good friends, there’s no need to worry. With that underlying attitude, I’ve found things just have a way of working out.” As for his ideal career, he smiles broadly: “I mean, ideally, I’d love not to work. But I’ll probably stay in the corporate world for a while and eventually start my own little business.”
But that doesn’t mean Mert’s not passionate. It’s not an accident that he’s been successful in all of his professional endeavors. And he attacks his leisure time with the same calm determination. “I love to cook,” he smiles, waving towards his kitchen, filled with the accoutrements of the most dedicated gourmand. “Fresh is important to me. I mean, I like Ukrainian cooking and all, but sometimes I just have to eat something made without even a trace of mayonnaise or dill.” A fan of the British natural-foods chef, Jamie Oliver, Mert focuses often on complex salads and sushi. “Sushi is great to make for friends,” he admits. “It’s so simple, but they’re always impressed when all I’ve done is put a little piece of raw fish on a ball of rice.” As for his other pursuits, he has always felt a call to the ocean: “I love boats. I love the sea. No matter how much or how little money I have, I’ll buy some kind of craft, whether it’s a yacht or a row boat.” Used to Turkey’s magnificent Mediterranean coast, I asked him about Ukraine’s own ocean-side offerings. Mert says he’s rather impressed with the quality of the beaches in Crimea, but not as much with the coastline in Odessa, which happens to be his favorite city here. “No large buildings,” he pines. “Wide streets covered in trees. Less traffic.” And here it is that Mert’s natural calm ruffles for just a minute, revealing his biggest complaint about life in the capital. Having just purchased his first car, he complains: “I’ve seen far more traffic and congestion in other parts of the world, but never with the same level of arrogant and lawless stupidity. Even Istanbul seems to be less congested.”
