The woman proudly marches with a designer purse and sunglasses, but she also totes a plastic bag of cat food. She stops along the sidewalk to give a handful of tiny brown squares to one of the many stray cats of Istanbul. She crouches low to the ground, her expensive belt showing, and murmurs to the kitty. People at a nearby bus stop are watching with a sort of fascination. Old men loiter to take in the scene. A tiny girl points, causing her mother to look toward the fancy feast.

The woman has carried cat food along, so she was clearly hoping for a feline encounter. Yet, it seems remarkable to have a glamorous woman pause and chat with a cat in the middle of the day. After sufficient cuddles and coos, the woman stands. By reflex, she straightens her clothes. Her hair has fallen over her face, so…