Hello all,

A quick update on life in the 'bul...

I am quickly realizing that my time here is drawing to a close.  I have about 2 more months and so much to do!  

I need to break away from the routine of "living" here and indulge in the many treasures Istanbul has to offer.  I must say, some of my visitors have gone to more of the historical sights than I have in my 1 1/2 years here.  Ouch.  I guess that comes from having a life and job here as opposed to being on vacation.  However you look at it, I still need to hit up some of these hot spots.  

Classes are going great and it is fun to talk about future plans and whatnot with students, who seem to be extremely interested.  One of my classes now is full of high school students who sometimes come to class for the social aspect rather than

 to learn, which gets a bit tiring.  On the other hand, it is fun to turn that energy into something productive such as learning games and team competitions.  I have successfully been able to use the "team" aspect as a means of peer control and reinforcement.  They get mad when one of their teammates forgets to do his homework and refrain from talking to save negative point punishment.  These students are also very competitive and want to show off by finishing the exercises first.  It gets very exhausting, especially with a full class, but it is fun and greatly preferred to a lethargic weekend morning class.  Only 2 more months of teaching Turkish students... 

The social scene is going strong as ever, especially as Halloween creeps forward.  Turkey does not celebrate any similar holiday, so it is great fun getting our Turkish friends to dress up.  The ex-pat community takes Halloween in full stride, last year reserving a good portion of a bar for our own personal party.  This year shouldn't prove anything less.  

Well, to be honest, not much else is going on.  S

uccessfully went through my first Turkish doctor experience.  Have a very minor inner ear infection, probably was buildup, but it was causing extreme pressure on all parts of my head, constant ringing in the ears, muffled hearing and a bit of vertigo.  So, with the help of a Turkish friend, I saw a doctor, got some meds and am hoping for a speedy recovery.  Surprisingly, it was a quite quick and easy 

experience.  

Other than that, healthy, happy and looking forward to an exciting future... until then I am going to enjoy and make the most of the remaining time I have here.

My best to all, güle güle