of the Embassy of the republic of Užupis to Aachen & among friendly communities

To give you a better idea about why he will be very important to the Embassy of Aachen and among friendly communities, I want to narrate the tale of how Ambassador Lipgens and Consul Erdem got to know each other ( and how it is a story of friendly community spirit on its own).

In early 2015 I came to Istanbul for studies, the city where Kamil used to live as a resident student at this time. Both of us had never heard of each other and neither of the beautiful Republic of Užupis.

One evening at the beginning of his time in Istanbul, I invited 3 or 4 friends over to the rooftop terrace of his shared flat. One of them asked if she could bring a friend who was not familiar to me.

During the night me and Kamil who still had not met in person chatted via mobile on more than one occasion about having a drink together on the terrace. During this conversation it occurred that more people were joining Kamil wherever he was at that time. Kamil was not to be convinced as it was against his gentle character to bring numerous uninvited guests to our rooftop terrace.

As a thanks for being invited by as a stranger only few days later, Kamil suggested to come over and prepare Kahvaltı next Sunday at the terrace. Kahvaltı is a brunch like meal which is usually served between 11 am and 4 pm. It can serve as refresher after and/or the start of a long night among great people.

The following sunday was the first time they met in person. It also became the first time I shared a meal with my neighbors who I had only known vaguely before and who would become friends during the time after this day. Kamil not only invited the neighbors to join the kahvaltı but also to provide their kitchen for preparations as my oven was not ready for this challenge. (Always remember that gentleness should not be confused with shyness.)

Many happy nights on the rooftop followed including birthdays, barbecues and more kahvaltı. A lot of the friends who came to visit the terrace in this very summer may be traced back to this initial Kahvaltı Sunday.

In admiration for the almost childish curiosity as well as his great sensibility for human individuals and communities, Kamil was appointed as Kahvaltı Consul during his first visit to Uzupis in 2019.

His appointed mission for the Embassy to Aachen and among friendly communities would be to bring together great spirits with his taste for spontaneous encounters and meals which are not only supposed to fill ones stomach.

Kindly from Aachen

Ambassador David

Embassy of the Republic of Užupis to Aachen & among friendly communities