Katie's Turkey Times

2009-12-08T01:21:00.001-08:00

Hello to whoever still checks this thing out ;)

Here's a little glimpse into my trip to Krakow, albeit brief... sorry. I also have to wait to get some pictures up...

So, about Krakow... It is an absolutely gorgeous city. It was one of the few that wasn't destroyed during the war, so there are still Medieval buildings within a true walled city center. You walk through the gates and see a juxtaposition of the old beautiful architecture mixed with modern companies and shops... ex: McDonald's was the first thing I saw when I walked through :(, but actually NEVER saw a Starbucks :). Anyway, the city itself was amazing, the people were extremely helpful and kind and the food was delicious (yes, the vodka and beer were too). It was a wonderful vacation away from Istanbul for about 5 days with Greg. We took many pictures, which you can see on facebook or I can show you when I get home (for those of you who I'll see).

I am in my second to last week here... ahhh! (That is both disbelief and excitement) Anyway, I just wanted to get a Krakow post in before things get really crazy, don't have much time because, well... only -2 weeks.

Hope everyone is well.

Happy Holidays :)

2009-10-12T12:38:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

HA!!!! This is the one he gave me first... can you imagine my reaction? ... can I take back my "yes?" Just kidding...
This is the symbolic one until we make the big purchase... smart man!

2009-09-21T09:52:00.001-07:00

It has just become routine to update this about every 3+ months... I mean, I don't want to be too overzealous!

So, it is now mid-September and I have only about 3 more months here in Istanbul. It has been a good ride, but I think I am ready for my next adventure... which some of you know is marriage! Who would have thought that when I came out here July 2008 I would find the love of my life. I was prepared for a great experience... which I did have, but a different kind of experience. For some reason I never realized that there would be a whole ex-pat community that are probably similar to me. A community that likes to hang out together, go to sporting matches (specifically football/soccer), drink some brews and just have a good time. I came thinking that I would be spending a lot of time with "myself". I guess that all depends on where you end up, and life here in Kadikoy leaves no room for me time. Enough reflection, that will come after the whole experience if over.

Life in Kadikoy, as of September 21, 2009....

The weather has turned for the worst. A few weeks back I felt the change and knew that summer would not be back. :( That means no more beach time, instead time for shoes, coats and umbrellas. YAY!

Basketball has become a popular outing for some of us, as we try to cope with the fact that there is another sport in Turkey. We've been hitting the courts early, so that we avoid both masses of people and balls flying around the single court and the unpredictable weather. It has been great to get out there again.

School has been going quite well. I have been enjoying the upper level classes recently, although I did start up a level 2 class that I am so excited for. They are a younger group, so all my learning "games" will go over great with them. They also have more energy, which is imperative for a weekend morning class if you want to avoid torture for 4 hours. I am also starting up my first private through the company. I will be working with a young girl who just got a job as a flight attendant. Hopefully she's a cool chick, or else these 30 hours of one-on-one time with her could feel like 100. Anyway, things at work right now are going alright. Nothing major to complain about, but who really wants to hear complaining anyway??!? The fact that I only have 3 more months might be a bit helpful too.

Here in Turkey there are 2 major holidays. These holidays are meant to be spent with family, but for us foreigners... it means travel time! We have one more day of the first one, Seker Bayram, which means Sugar Holiday... it is the few days after Ramazan, where many people fast from sunrise to sunset. They reward themselves at the end by stuffing themselves with as much food and sweets as possible, hence the name Seker/Sugar Bayram. For this one we decided to stick around Kadikoy and make use of a few days to relax, spend time with friends and hang out. The second holiday is Kurban Bayram. This is when the animal sacrifices go on. Again... time to travel, and this time we are! We will be heading to Krakow/Crakow, Poland for some good ol' vodka (vodke) and cold weather. Greg and I will be there for about 4 or 5 full days (cannot remember at the moment) and will treat it like our Christmas. I am very much looking forward to seeing the motherland, well... kinda my motherland. As time gets closer I will fill all in on the details. Requests will hopefully be fulfilled, so send them my way. Aunt Pam, I will look for that rolling-pin!

Other than all that, things are normal. No ring yet, but we have a very tempting one sitting in a shop real close that might need purchasing within the next few days. As soon as that happens, pictures will be up!

Well, I want to post this before my luck runs out and the internet dies. Hope all is well and I look forward to share these future exciting times with you all!

Love around,

Katie

2009-07-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

Hello to all!! I have taken a little while to post something on here since being back due to having lots of catching up to do, spending time with Kate before she left and moving into my new place. With most of that done comes a little spare time to update you all.

Okay, I arrived back here after a decent flight (lucked out with interesting seat neighbors both legs of the trip). Had to wait at passport control for about an hour, rather ridiculous really as there were guys just sitting in the booths doing nothing on the citizen’s side… and I was extremely anxious to see Greg. Oh well, I swung by Duty Free for a couple of cheap and difficult to find bottles and then was pleasantly greeted by Greg outside the terminal. Had a bit of an emotional reunion, but it was so great to be back with him again. Went back to his to save a few extra bags worth from having to be lugged over when I’d be moving in in about 2 weeks time anyway. By this point I was completely exhausted (despite my hours of sleep on the planes). Chatted and had lunch with him then took a nice, long nap. Finally made it back to mine at about 9 to clean up and relax, only to get a call from a Nellie, a girl from Seattle, asking where I was and why I wasn’t out at the bars with them yet??? Hurried over to a group of about 6, including Kate, Michael, Nellie, her boyfriend Gavin,…, enjoying the pleasant summer night air and a cold Efes… oh how I missed that beer during the month away, Mike- you can relate on this one… Not really. Was later joined by a few more and spent the night catching up.

The next few days I got a bit jet-lagged and spent some of them just lounging around the house and doing a whole lot of nothing. Went over to Nelvin’s (Nellie + Gavin) on the most often, usual Sunday brunch and chill day. They had some friends in town visiting from home, so Sunday afternoon turned into Sunday evening and then into late Sunday night/early Monday morning. Good times.

Since being back, we had a fantastic boat party. A group of 23 of us rented a boat for the day and road up the Bosphorus, parked ourselves in a cove near the mouth of The Black Sea, and spent the day flipping off the top of the boat, enjoying some drinks, swimming, sunbathing, eating delicious BBQ and being catered to by the kind workers. The price seemed a little steep at first (75TL + tip per head), but after a full day of pure enjoyment, sun and great service, it actually seemed as if we got a deal and were ripping them off. The day was perfect. The sun was shining, not too hot though. The boat was good size (not too big that we were too spread out and not too small that we couldn’t lounge around and feel like we were on top of someone else sunbathing next to us). We all agreed that “life sucks!” (note the sarcasm and if you are a facebook user, hence the name of my album for the day) and that we might have to do it again. One of the surreal moments on the boat was when we had run out of beer (go figure, 18 English teachers??!!?!?!, 2 American tourists, 2 German dudes and a Frenchie) and the guys had actually called in an order to be delivered by another boat to ours to restock us! Afterwards, Greg, Jeff, Kate and I grabbed some food back in Kadikoy and had a few more beers at Aborjin. After a day of constant human action to the max, it was nice to be with a smaller, more personal group. Night was creeping upon us so Kate and Jeff went home leaving Greg and I to tough it out and attempt to hang out with some of the crew that couldn’t make it on the boat. We got very tired after a few hours (who would have thought??!!) and made way home. I’d say it was a great day!

I spent the next few days with Kate, seeing as she was leaving in hours’ time. Took Nelvin and crew out to breakfast and then into Rumeli Hisari (a beautiful, old fortress right off the Bosphorus). We made our way back to Taksim to show off the gorgeous views of Sultanahmet and the Bosphorus some of these bars have. After that, called it a semi-early night.

Oh, what else? Had a nice time with Kate before she peaced out and sent her on her way back to the states. Have finally moved completely in to our new place. Michael and I left our nice apartment in the beautiful Moda to move in with Greg and Jeff over in Acibadem. It is a little more culturally authentic and is a new change of scenery, so that’s nice… not to mention the drastic change in rent, which is about half of what we paid in Moda. The weather is still hot and muggy AND it is rumored the water will be shut off tomorrow!!!! Yay! So I spent part of my evening making sure I showered, got all the dishes done and had some spare water bowls around- in case the rumor is true! I finally got back to work also! I took over 3 classes from Padraic, who has left English Time. I am working Wed, Thurs, Fri mornings and Thurs, Fri nights as well as Sat and Sun mornings. The classes all seem great and to be good people, so it will make getting back into the swing of things a little easier, especially after having not worked for about 2 months! Wow! It did feel good to get back in the classroom though, so I’m guessing that is a good sign.

We will be celebrating 4^th of July at one of our regular bars with a potluck. It should be a good time, even though there are only about 6 of us Americans here to celebrate it… the rest are other ex-pats that really just appreciate an excuse to have a party. Other than that, hope to get out to the islands soon to soak up the sun. We are having a housewarming party this next week, which again is kinda an excuse to have a party… although housewarming parties are very traditional here in Turkey, but I think we have a different idea of what goes on at one. J

As for now, we are just trying not to melt and/or smell like a Turk (that’s not a stab at them, it is honestly true of most). I hope all is well back home! Enjoy the summer sun (if it has come out yet) and send me an e-mail every once in awhile. I appreciate hearing from all you and your whereabouts too!

Love to all!

Contract #2 begins

2009-06-20T02:48:00.000-07:00

Here I begin round two of my time in Istanbul...
The last blog wasn't so successful towards the second half (prob a bit before too) of my trip, so I hope to improve that this time around.
So yes, back in the 'bul awaiting my first classes and trying to get back into the swing of things. The jet-lag has been a little obstacle in reconnecting with friends, but then again I live in a late-night town, so time is not an issue.
The weather is turning towards summer heat and humidity. It hasn't been too bad since I got here, but that will be soon to come.
Well, not much to report from here, but I really do hope to better my blogging skills over the next 6 months I am here. Hope all is well and report to you soon!

Dork Visits!

2008-11-27T04:24:00.000-08:00

Come Monday I was feeling great and ready for Mike to come visit! He arrived on Wednesday and was welcomed by a big “DORK” sign Kate, who also goes by the name of “The Kernal”, and I had made him. We made our way back to my place and decided to stay in and watch the football match in the comfort of home. Greg and our friend Ben came over and we just enjoyed the match and hung out after. We kept it a low-key night, knowing that Mike had just traveled for about a day straight and would need his rest… and rest is what he did. Morning to him the next day was about 4 or 5, which is completely understandable. I forced him to come into my class and the students absolutely loved it! He came for an hour and then went with The Kernal and our friend Chad to grab some grub and a beer. I met up with them after and we made our way over to “Heaven”, our choice of places to grab a cheap brew. Our friend Chloe came to meet up and we all hung out there for a bit. The next day, we slept in and then explored a bit of Kadikoy and my neck of the woods, so that he could get around while I was working the next two days. We did that and then went across to Europe. We walked Istiklal, the major/popular street in Taksim. We checked out some nice rooftop bars and ran into a friend, so decided to grab a brew with him and hang out for a little bit, breaking up our journey a little. After, we went to this bar called 360°. It is called such for obvious reasons. The place has an awesome view of the city and the Bosphorus. Although their drink prices are a bit steep, they are somewhat reasonable for the place and views. We decided that we should splurge and get one… which we all decided on a margarita- how Californian of us… but hey, “when in Istanbul…”. After our tasty treats, we made our way back to the ferry, parted with The Kernal so she could make it back in time for her private, and slowly explored our way back. Back in Kadikoy, we met up with Greg and another friend Jon for some food and beers at a place called Aborjin, before they were off to the Fenerbahce game. We were joined by a Turkish student of Greg’s and some of his friends, one of which paid for everyone’s tab before he left. Mike and I decided to stick around and watch the game there and were later joined by The Kernal, Michael, Ben, a pal Justin, and a Turkish student Ilker. We had a good time chatting it up and watching the game. We didn’t stay out too late because the next day we all had to work early and long hours.

Work went slowly those two days, and poor Mike was still recovering from being jet-lagged. I drew him a decent map of how to get back to where I worked, because that Saturday we were leaving right after work to go to one of our student’s houses for a going away party. Hulya was moving to Brighton to expand her English and live with a host family. We finally made it to her house, after a complete tour of the neighborhood, and were absolutely amazed at this place! The décor was so nice and cute, but what really made the place was the view. One whole side of the place was basically windows- for good reasons: they had an astonishing view of the Bosphorus and the bridge and Europe. As the night went on, I never got used to the sights. It must be a treat to wake up in the morning and have your coffee with that view! She ended up opening her gifts and was so lucky to receive a laptop from a handful of her friends! Whoa! It was a good night and nice to see her before she left.

The next few days we spent our time exploring Istanbul. We attempted to go to Dolmabahce Palace one day (Tuesday, I think), but found it was closed that day- of course! So, Mike had to go back there on one of the days that I had to work. So, we ended up walking around Besiktas area and seeing some of the sights. There were some fake cannons in a plaza area and we thought it was the perfect photo-op to get inside and act as though we were getting shot out. The first attempt went fine, except the camera didn’t take. So, I decided to get back in- only this time my foot got caught and my leg was stuck in there upright… it was absolutely hilarious and took a good 30+ seconds to get me out. I think those pictures are better than the one that somehow didn’t turn out! After that, we walked for a good distance over to Ortakoy, a cute town on the water. We spotted a MEXICAN food restaurant and decided that it was absolutely necessary to get some guacamole! We ended up with a margarita, guac and some cheese dip. It probably wasn’t the best… but when you haven’t had these things for months, it doesn’t matter. It was delicious! After that, we walked around the area. We went inside the Ortakoy Mosque (The New Mosque). We decided it was getting late and returned to Asia. Before getting on the ferry, we decided we were going to try to be the first one’s on. It is hilarious, because the people here have to be the first on and the first off. They actually line up at the exit ten minutes before, just so they can get off right away- many times before the boat has even stopped. Anyway, we raced onto the boat and Mike was actually the first on- quite an honor!!! I came in with a short-second. It was hilarious, bc there were so many others doing the same thing, but seriously. We did it then kinda cheered, but the natives just kept running and hurrying to get that seat! Anyway, we spent our ride joking about the scene and thinking a great way to spend a day would be to sit and bet who the first one off the boat would be. We never got around to it when he was here.

The days came and went so quickly, and it was just so nice to hang out with him and be ourselves. We spent a day checking out the area of Sultanahmet: the underground cistern, The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. I had never been inside these sights, so it was a treat for me as well. Hagia Sophia was absolutely astonishing. The details inside and such extravagance were somewhat overwhelming. I was taking picture after picture… until my battery died on my camera. We decided to purchase a 17 YTL disposal camera, that was the size of a brick, to finish capturing the place. After the attractions, we ended up at a British Pub and got some snacks. We explored the Spice Bazaar after, which is actually small and then made our way back to Asia. A few times we met up with some friends to watch a game and have some food… seems to kinda be a routine thing here. We also tried to introduce the English teachers to some new drinking games from America. Those nights were absolutely hilarious and a good time.

We were lucky to go and watch a Besiktas game with Ben, his girlfriend Ozlem, and Kate. The stadium is in a natural pocket of the hill, making for great acoustics. The view is also amazing, the field with the Bosphorus just past in the distance. We watched that game one Friday night and then Saturday, Greg had bought us tickets to the Fenerbahce game. I arranged it with my students to end a bit early and meet up with the guys, who had eaten dinner and hung out for a bit beforehand. The stadium wasn’t full, but these fans are so dedicated and full of energy it didn’t matter. The game was awesome and we had a great time.

The next night after work, we went out to dinner with Greg and his parents (who were visiting for a few days), as well as Jeff- his friend Mark, who was visiting and Carol. We ate at Otantik, although Mike and I had to sit across the aisle from them, bc the guys working there couldn’t get the idea that a group of 8 didn’t mean 6…. Anyway, it was a nice dinner, but I don’t think Mike and I heard half of the convo’s going on at the other table. After dinner, we met up with Kate and Michael for a beer before going home to bed.

We had a Halloween party at our place on the Tuesday before Mike left, because the following day was a holiday. That way, no one had an excuse not to come! It turned out to be really nice and lots of people showed up… including the cops. Apparently he was driving by and saw everyone, but it really was not a big deal. We lowered the music and a few people left. The next day we enjoyed the tidying of the house after a big gathering, grabbed a quick bite to eat, hung around and then went over to this Mongolian BBQ place near Bagdat Street, which is the equivalent to our Rodeo Drive. We had a huge dinner and some wine. It was a treat and a nice end to Mike’s trip. The restaurant offers meals or a buffet that is all you can eat and you make up your own meal. We all decided that was the best choice and made numerous trips through the line, trying different combinations. We indulged and stuffed our stomachs silly, then had to make the trek home. Mike, Kate and I stayed up for a bit watching a movie and hanging out. We caught a few hours of sleep before Mike and I grabbed a cab to the airport… no, it was over! We got him checked in and then grabbed a coffee before he had to go on his way. It was a very short 2 weeks he was here and it meant the world to me that he came out. I had such a good time and although we probably didn’t do everything he wanted to do, it was just nice to spend time with, bond, and show him my life here in Istanbul.

He left on Thursday morning and I slowly made my way back to Kadikoy. Since he left, things have been somewhat the same…

2008-11-14T06:07:00.000-08:00

This is the morning after the Munich fest at about 6:00 a.m... we weren't in our best suits!

in Munich

Beer garden in Munich- HUGE!

The gates of the Munich Oktoberfest!

The cute town of Stuttgart!

Stuttgart fest!

2nd garden...

Our new friends....

This blog will come in a few parts....

Here is number one (no pictures included):

The slacking must stop somewhere… so here I go. I haven’t written since mid-September, so this might take awhile, as two months worth of events probably would. Ok, so I guess it only right to begin with Oktoberfest. We left Istanbul to arrive in Munich at the airport in the early evening. We took a tram to the main train station, so we could hop that and go straight in to Stuttgart. Well… first off, the train station alone was enough entertainment for us. It was full of the stereotypical Germans… MANY wearing their Lederhosen and the women in their full-on getups, walking around (stumbling might be a better term) with beers and singing drinking songs. It was a great way to get into the Oktoberfest spirit. Anyway, as much as we hated to, we had to get on the train, which to our great luck transported a group of elderly German couples who, again, were all pretty drunk and jolly. They provided some entertainment until they all passed out. We also found quickly that almost everyone in Germany speaks English, very well actually. It kinda made me feel arrogant for coming to their country and not knowing the language, but that’s how it is here in Istanbul too. Oh well… Ok, so on the train a guy sitting across the aisle started talking with us and he gave us lots of advice as to where to go in Stuttgart and even drew us a full on map. He was so kind and showed us the way to our hostel and along the way, which trams to catch to get certain to places.

So once we got to our hostel (which was really modern and nice, probably the nicest I’ve ever stayed in) we just passed out so we could get up at a decent time and explore the town, and that’s exactly what we did. We got some shopping done and tried some delicious pastries. We enjoyed a real cup of coffee, which is something we rarely are able to do here in Istanbul. We also, of course, got free samples of wine at a store similar to a Macys. They were giving out tasters and these old men worked there, one of which was pretty eager to use the little English he knew on us. So, after a good amount of “tasters”, which we were able to pour ourselves, we continued on our way checking out the shops and sights. We later grabbed our long-awaited sausages for some grub. That night we checked out an Irish pub and grabbed beers that were not Efes! Let me tell you, we had choices and therefore were in heaven! That doesn’t sound like a big deal, but when you live here and you order a beer, there is never a question as to what kind… because there is only one kind. So, we took advantage of having a variety of choices- including dark beers.

With one day down, the next would prove itself to be quite a different kind of day. We hurried and went back to pick up a few things we had debated buying before heading over to the Wasen, which is the Oktoberfest celebration. We grabbed some beers and a sausage before taking the tram over. This seemed to be a very common thing, seeing that dozens of people, old and young, were doing the same thing. We get to the fest and find that it is just a huge fair with rides and families walking around, but between those Ferris wheels and cotton candy stands are the huge beer houses. Each one is a specific brand of beer and our original intent was to hop from house to house… ha, that was a far-fetched idea. Well, before I get ahead of myself, we decided to go on a ride before we got caught up working on our beer bellies. It was really fun and we were able to get a good view of the town. It was absolutely gorgeous: green rolling hills with lush trees and a clean river separating us from a hillside covered in cute houses. It was such a contrast to the bleak sights and lack of greenery we see here in Istanbul.

Our first beer garden was not so crowded, but we found that getting a seat was a bit more difficult than it looked. The tables were reserved and so we squeezed in with a group of guys and grabbed our first huge beer of the trip. The evening turned very happy, very quick. We got along well with the group and found ourselves not drinking one and moving on, but rather a few and I even got sucked into taking a shot of jager… ughhh. I made friends with an elderly group a few tables behind us and found that I love Germany. The people are so friendly and just out to have a good time. We finally decided it was time to move on and pick another garden to enter. I am sure we grabbed a sausage between the two houses- (as you can probably already tell, our trip was full of sausages and beers). The next house we found a table full of guys, who looked like they would be fun, to sit with. They were a mix of ages, but for the most part a few years younger than us. I will say that finding girls to hang out with in these houses was very difficult; it seemed to just be full of guys guzzling giant beers. Anyway, they were a team of some sort and were fun to hang out with. We spent the night enjoying our brews and having a good time. We later made it back to our hostel, through the rain, and were surprised to find it full of people still hanging out and drinking. There must have been a huge group come in that day, because we had not seen many people at all before then. Anyway, chatted with a few cool people and then hit the sack. It was a long day and the next we were heading back to Munich for round two of beer garden hopping. We awoke early so that we wouldn’t get into Munich too late and grabbed the train over. Of course, at the station there were already people having their sausages and beer… it was so early for that, more like coffee and muffin time! Anyway, the train was crowded but we eventually found some seats. I dozed on and off, but not for long. In our cabin was a group of guys who were obviously going to the fest in Munich. They were drinking away, a few passed out and were really loud. It was entertaining for us, although for the rest of the people in the cabin, they were just annoyances. A guy yelled at them to be quiet, but that only shut their beer brains up for a short time.

After arriving back in Munich, we find our hostel and check in. There was such a difference between the two hostels, this one we couldn’t even tell which beds were clean and empty. We figured it would be a late night and we wouldn’t be sleeping for too long, as our flight was early the next day. We rid our arms of our bags and decided to go for a walk around the town before heading over to continue the debauchery. We eventually got on our way over to the fest, having no real idea of where to go, but were happily surprised to suddenly be caught up in a constant flow of people going to the fest, decked out and all. When we got to the gates, we knew we were in for an adventure. This was the real thing! We walked around a bit, knowing that once we went in a garden we wouldn’t reemerge to the rest of the world for a long time. We finally decided on a house and this thing was insane! It was jam-packed full of people and the building was massive! It was two-stories full with little room to spare. We fought our way through the crowd and were immediately grabbed by a wench and brought to a table where she threw down our beers and then off she went. She was a good business woman, because she was constantly bringing people over in our time there, giving herself some serious business. We hung around this place for a beer, again knowing that two would mean settling in for the night. This house was awesome; the music was very traditional and we got right in spirit joining in on the drinking songs and making new, short-lived friendships. The best was when Bruce Channel's song: "Hey Baby" would come on… EVERYONE knew and looooved it. It was hilarious, but so much fun to belt out the lyrics. With our giant glasses empty, we moved on and out. We decided to walk around a bit and hit up another house. By this time, they all were getting crowded and many had lines out the door. We decided on a smaller, more family style place and grabbed a beer. It began sprinkling a bit and so we decided that once we finished we would find a place we could sit inside. As we were walking, we saw a ride that caught our attention. We thought it only fair to go on a ride here too. As we were in line, we met a group of guys who were in Munich from London for a bachelor party. They were a real nice and fun group and so after the ride, we decided to all beer-garden-it-up together. It started sprinkling a bit again and we were having trouble finding a place without a line. They decided to try to find a little pub-style bar they had been at earlier that day, because there probably wouldn’t be a line. This proved to be more difficult than they thought, and the group split up… some of them leaving the fest to just go to a bar. A few stayed and we eventually found a place… but the seats were outside and well, by this time it was raining. We thought it only right to just continue our drinking and give honor to the fest, despite the undesirable conditions. The people who worked there brought out some ponchos for us and I got the great idea to try to make a tarp for us out of it. So, I got up on one of the guys shoulders and was trying to put this plastic piece above us… but that didn’t work out so well and before I could get it secured we were told to stop by the workers… oh well. After this, we decided to walk around a bit and I ran into a group of girls who were really friendly. I ended up hanging out with them as the group went on to play arcade games and go on some rides. This was probably a stupid idea, seeing as I had no way to get in touch with Kate. As the night went on, I ended up going back with them to their hostel and ran into the group of guys we had been hanging out with. We hung out outside the hostel with a large group of other people and continued our drinking. We decided that it was cold and we should go to a place we could hang out indoors. We found a random hole-in-the-wall-of-a-bar and hung out there. It was getting really late and so we eventually grabbed a cab and I got dropped off at my hostel. I probably slept for a looong 2 or 3 hours before we had to get up to make the trek back to the airport. We went back to the station, where we had to take a tram. We hopped on, only to find that after about 45 minutes (maybe less, I fell asleep- so wasn’t sure) we were going the wrong way. When we realized this we jumped off, ran across the tracks, and grabbed the next one back the other way. We finally arrived at the airport, with little time to spare and go through the checks. We find that with all we bought, we have to check our bags… well, duh! So we ran back to the luggage check in and then back through the other checks. Finally on the plane, we can relax. After our crazy few days full of beer, one would think the thought of alcohol would just be repulsive. No, of course not… Lufthansa offers free drinks with your meals and we took full advantage of this opportunity. I will justify it with the fact that Turkish wine is nasty, so we had to get our last tastes of something good/decent. Anyway, our journey back seemed to take forever and after the flight, train, tram and ferry rides, we decided to get a cab back to the apartment. Ahhhhh… we were finally back, wrecked and exhausted, but we were back.

We used the evening to clean ourselves up and then spent time reliving our trip through the pictures. From day one, we decided that we wouldn’t look at any of the pictures until we got home, that way we couldn’t delete anything and it would be a nice surprise. They were hilarious! Greg came over a little later and told us about his trip to Sofia in Bulgaria. We shared stories and pictures and just hung out. He brought us a nice bottle of Bulgarian wine, but we decided that we had enough alcohol for a month and the enjoyment of it would have to wait.

The next week was pretty rough, catching up on sleep and just recovering from a very eventful week. I ended up getting pretty sick over the next weekend. I thought it was food poisoning or something because it hit me all of a sudden at four in the morning and I had been fine the night before. I was unable to work the weekend and spent my days sleeping and recovering. It was nice to have some time to relax, but when is being sick ever relaxing?! Greg had even bought me a ticket to the Turkey football match at a seaside stadium over on the European side that I was so excited to go to, but I had to miss due to being ill. I was really bummed about that, but there was nothing I could do.

Next blog is about Mike's visit here... working on it right now. Pictures to come also!

2008-11-04T13:25:00.001-08:00

I must apologize for the lack of posts... time has just been flying by. There is so much I need to show and fill you all in on. That is soon to come.

I just wanted to let you all know that things are still going great here and that all is well.

Hope everyone is enjoying life and taking care!

I'll be back shortly...

Oh, how it has been awhile...

2008-09-19T02:53:00.000-07:00

Well, I had a small glimpse of hope with a night of internet access at my place, but that was short lived. Anyway, back at the cafe and hoping that one of these days we will get it set up in our apartment... until then though.

On a different note, it sure has been a while since I last talked to you all. A lot of time has passed and have been pretty busy.

I last left off before going on vacation in Cesme. Before leaving, one of my classes got really excited and searched online for cheap transportation for me. They found me busses, times, and even walked me over to the station and showed me exactly where to go.

It took a little while for this class to really warm up to me, but after that they were awesome. This is on our last day of class.

So, the next day Kate and I were off to Cesme. We had a very early flight and had to be at the airport at about 6a.m. and at the bus station at about 4. So, I had the great idea to just stay up all night. After the hour sleeping on the bus ride, hour sleeping at the airport and half hour sleeping on the flight, we arrive in Izmir. Now, the second journey begins. We grab a taxi to the "bus station", which we have to remind the driver that we are going there and not all the way to Cesme. It turns out to be expensive, but oh well. We grab a bus and immediately pass out- again! We arrive in Cesme, but still need to find a way to get to our hotel. Can't we just be there?!? We finally find the Dolmus, after asking a few different people, and are on our way- the last leg of the trip. Well, after a long journey we arrive at the hotel. This place was amazing and worth the trek there. It was a five-star hotel (which could only be affordable here) with a private beach, numerous pools- with water slides, sauna, mineral baths, private spas, a bar, and much more... but the best thing about this place was that breakfast and dinner buffets were included. Well, if I said that we did not take advantage of this I would be lying. We stuffed our faces, because we couldn't not try something. The food was really good and there was such a variety of dishes. It was actually pathetic how much we indulged, because after each meal we only wanted to sleep. We turned our vacation, which we thought would be full of nights out on the town and trips to nearby cities to explore the historic sites, into a few days of pure rest and relaxation.

Below is a view of the private beach. To the left of it is a dock covered in huge pillows that you can just lounge on and waste away hours.

Our room was nice and had a private balcony. We were on the side of the hotel, but still had a really nice view. This is the sunset from our balcony. You can see an island on the horizon... which we had "thought about" going to, but us leaving the hotel was just a foreign concept.

I think this picture just about sums up how we felt...

So, after our little getaway, we return to Istanbul just in time for our friend's birthday party. It turns out very nice and it is actually a few people's last chance to be "free" as far as food and beverage intake goes. The next day was the start of Ramazan, a religious holiday here where participants fast from sunrise to sundown. They are not allowed anything past the lips, including water... I think it is a true test of discipline and also something I have no intentions of partaking in. Good for all you doing it... for whatever reasons they may be!

Anyway, here are a few pictures of the birthday bash. Below is Michael (roomie), Ben- another British teacher, and Kate.

Here we are hanging out on the balcony. The crazy one to the left is Jeff, the birthday boy.

Beside the birthday bashes and days of teaching, we also like to get out and support the local football teams... specifically Fenerbache. We went to one of the games at the stadium, and let me tell you- these fans are dedicated and absolutely hilarious! They were sometimes more entertaining than the actual game. Anyway, it was a good game and a fun experience. I see a few more attendances in our future...

Our trip to Germany is slowly creeping up on us. It should be absolutely amazing!

Other than the norm, nothing else is really worthy of sharing. The usual outings and days come and go. We have really taken a liking to this bar/cafe off the beaten path, called Sicak Cafe & Bar- "Hot" Cafe & Bar, but we like to call it "heaven". Why? you ask, well bc we can go there every time and get our seats by the window, not run into students or other foreigners, and just hang out for hours with cheap beers. It is nice and has become a ritual for a few of us here. Our number has also grown and the last time we rounded up about 12 or so people to come. The guy who works there has started bringing us free snacks (veggie plates and nuts) and said it is because we are bringing them in business. There are many other places I want to check out, but it is hard to do when you are so comfortable and get good service like that.

The weather is changing and has gone from sweltering heat to the comforting "autumn" feel. The air is cooler and very soothing. I cannot wait to see a true change of season. It will snow here too, so that will be interesting for me to endure. I am excited though to experience life in a city that has various weather conditions. I do feel that I (being the wimp I am with the changing of weather) will pay the price and catch something. The weather has been random lately, going from really hot and humid to crazy lightning/thunder storms to just brisk and breezy. I hope my body can deal with it, as it is different than the Southern Cali hot or warm weather.

School is going well. I have found that the books are a complete joke and so have my students, so that makes my work load a lot heavier when I have to create new lessons and make up exercises and what not. I enjoy it though, but sometimes it gets a bit tiring. Oh well, if I do it now and get it all out of the way I will have no planning for other classes.

Tonight's agenda looks like some prep, dinner and maybe a movie. Tomorrow after classes, a group of us are going to another Fenerbache game. No other plans, besides our routine dinner night at various houses (this time it is a Mexican food theme- you know I am stoked on this one) and a probable trip to "heaven".

I hope all is well and let me know of anything exciting going on!

Take care over there,

Gorusuruz (See you later),

Katie

Gotta Brand New Pad

2008-08-24T10:34:00.000-07:00

Hey all you out there!

There has been quite a bit of excitement on this side of the world, especially in our little town of Kadikoy.

First off, we have finally found a place! We moved in about a week ago and the ability to come back to a home is a great change from returning to a vacant, somewhat eerie building-of-a-home. Now, don't misunderstand- the place was not all that bad, it just had probably a total of ten people living in it, including the family that runs it, at the most occupied time. It was just a little unwelcoming those days that you came home from a long day and had to walk to your box room with orange metal furniture ad relax on the "comfortable" twin bed and see absolutely no one as you made dinner and hung around. yea.... The people were awesome though. It was so nice to have Mustafa, Zubede and Ramazan around to act as our pseudo-family. They never failed to provide a ton of tea and catch me on the most inconvenient moments to have a meal and/or tea- of course! They are really good people that I am very thankful to have been set up with as the acclimation process got underway.

Our new place is practically a new life in a different world. The city we live in is Moda, which is a richer area to live and is very nice and comfortable. There are many cute cafes and restaurants right down the street, one of those cafes I am actually at right now writing this post and having a glass of wine... oh, the hard life. Did I mention that the water is about a block away? ...hmmm, somehow that slipped my mind- not quite sure how. Anyway, I am so happy here and seriously have a really good thing going. Yes, I can complain about the work sometimes, but when you weigh those few hours of "work" with what you get out of it- wow, the scale has fallen over.

Anyway, I have a full schedule right now, but am really enjoying my classes. The job only gets easier as the days go by. The students warm up to you more and more and really appreciate you as a teacher and as a person. I have kept my lunch hours and dinner hours semi-full with grabbing some food with students every now and then.

These are some of my Level 1 girls after their last exam. They wanted to take me out to dinner and it was a great time. We had our meals and then all got tea/coffee. One of them read me my fortune, too. It was nice to hang out with them in a different setting than the classroom.

I have been able to hang out with some other students outside of the room on other occasions.

This picture above is of the crew... Mustafa, me, Kate, Zubede, Ahmet (Mustafa's nephew), and Serkan (Mustafa and Zubede's son). We were overwhelmed with the amount of hazelnuts (fendik) that Zubede continued to pour onto the table and entertained ourselves finding new ways to crack them open... oh, what language barriers do to you. It was a good time though, and they really appreciated our company. Serkan recorded a video of all of us acting like idiots and put it on his website, I think he was stoked to show that he was hanging with two Cali girls.

Below is the room that we had to pry each others fingers away from the door jams to leave for the new place. Oh, how I will miss that orange...

Well, on to bigger and better...

I do not have any pictures right now of the new place, only ones from our housewarming party that somewhat show the place- if you can see through the faces and beer cans...

So, it is custom here to have a party when you move into a new place. People often bring over a gift and everyone sits around and talks over food and coffee (kahve). Well, that took a hard twist of the arm- a party, well... sure, I guess. Anyway, our party had neither coffee nor "sitting around". We chose other forms of sustenance and activity. It turned out to be a really fun night. A bunch of our close friends that we have made in the time here, plus some. Now, it was nothing crazy- but it was a good time.

Here are the new roomies! Yes, such a great picture- we are having it blown up, framed and will hang it over our fireplace (subtle message to you Kelli). Anyway, Michael is another English teacher at our work. He has been here since May. He is from Canada and well, just an awesome guy. So, he is a perfect ingredient for the Katie sandwich.

Here are Dia (an English teacher from Canada), Diana- pronounced Dee-awna (Ukranian, who has lived here for 12 years) and Anthony (one of my first friends in Turkey, native Californian).

A few other friends here in Turkey. Me, Mehia (English teacher on the Euro side from England), Kevin (English teacher from Ohio), Jeff (English teacher from Boston), and Hülya (a Turkish student).

This is Greg and I. He is another English teacher and from Suffolk, been here since May.

...and this is what happens when the only beer in Turkey is Efes and you cannot just buy a keg. This picture does not do the aluminum/glass count justice.

Ok, so party aside... we had actually gone out to Heybeliyada (one of the islands right out from Istanbul, us foreigners like to call it "Hillbilly Island- because that is what it somewhat sounds like). We board the crowded ferry and end up just standing around until we hit the first island. A bunch of people left the ferry and so there was a little sitting room, and this group of people were quite apt to offer us seats next to them. Now, this group had been somewhat loud the ride up to then and they seemed to know a ton of people. Well, we couldn't pass up a seat, so we accepted and found that this huge group was actually not Turkish, but rather from Iraq/Iran and here on business for a few days. They all spoke English, including the little girls that were there too. They actually spoke very good English. One of the men had attended the University of Michigan and had his Masters in Sports Therapy. They were the nicest people and were so excited to take countless pictures with us. It was hilarious, to be honest. They all brought up cameras and took turns sitting in between us. Even a little boy was smitten sitting between us with his arms around us, well as much as he could reach.

These are two of the girls with the group, that were so happy to talk and sit with us. It was really cute.

When we left the ferry, all of them leaned over and were yelling their "good-byes". After that, we decided it was time to grab some grub and then hit the beach. The Beach!!! Finally! I was stoked coming here thinking there would be countless coasts to go to, but apparently that is not the case. Here was our chance and we made the most of what we found. The island was beautiful and a nice change from the hustle and bustle of the city. We ended up finding

a beach to lay out at and swim, but that was after we had to pay 2 YTL to enter the "park/beach" area and then 5 YTL to just be at that particular beach. Oh well, it was very relaxing and a very nice change of pace.

This is from the island shore we were on, looking out at one of the other islands across the water. We spent a few hours there, but had to return for our Wednesday ritual at Selale with our friend Marc. We make it back in time for our dinner and beers, bringing back some salt-watered hair and sun-tanned skin. Yea, it was a good day.

Now, the weekend is over and tomorrow we are going to finish our residency permit process. We will miss our first class, but be back in time for the evening one. The best part about his upcoming week is that Saturday is a national holiday, so there won't be any classes. We will have four days off and our original intent was to go to Greece; however, those plans did not come through and were becoming a big hassle. So instead, three classes from now we will be on our way to Izmir for a few days of sun and sand. The flight there was very cheap and so we were able to justify a hotel a little more than what we were intending to spend. The hotel is right on the shore of Cesme and looks like it will be AMAZING! I cannot wait to go and come back relaxed and tan! It will be nice to do a little traveling within Turkey.

As far as life in Turkey goes, everything is just becoming normal and things that I used to find different don't even cause my eyes to flinch. Sometimes there will be something that will remind me I am in a completely different country, but it doesn't happen as much as it used to. The weather right now is extremely hot, and more humid than ever. I actually let my class go home early twice last week because it was so hot and the air conditioner was not working.

Well, I hate to cut this novel short- but the cafe is closing and therefore I will have no internet connection. I send my best to everyone who reads this and to those who don't too. Take care and I'd love to hear about what's happening on that side of the world too! Love to you all! Gule gule!

What up

2008-08-13T01:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome back! Much of the same stuff has been going on since I last left you all. I haven't really done any more exploring, but rather got to really know the area of the Asian sıde. Social life is becoming pretty stable and have made some really good friends. I do not have work these next few days and there was word that a group of us would possibly rent a student's house over on one of the islands, but I just got word that tomorrow morning I will FINALLY be going to get my residency permit. It will be an early morning, but once it is done- we can rent a place and get our bank account set up and all that good stuff. So, I guess that whole island idea won't be happening. That will have to be another time. Also, now that the residency permit is getting taken care of- there can be travel plans in the future! That will be nice because we won't have to worry about wondering if we have to go get that permit anymore.
Travel plans to Germany for Oktoberfest are coming under way too. It is going to be such an awesome trip. We are flying into Munich and then taking a train over to Stuttgart for about 3 nights. People keep saying that the Oktoberfest there is so much more authentic and less of a tourist sight, not to mention cheaper. Anyway, Germany in general will just be amazing, so I am super stoked on that. We'll be in Munich for the last day/night and then return to reality- which still, is pretty nice. There are a few potentials to join us on this adventure and so it is just going to be crazy. Until end of September though...
Other than that, we have celebrated a few birthdays and been keeping busy. Today, we will have our weekly lunch/dinner/drinks with our friend Marc and spend a few hours at our favorite restaurant. It will be an early morning tomorrow and then Frıday- who knows. I need to get over to the islands soon! I will be starting a full schedule of classes come Saturday, so maybe I'll take it easy and do some prepping for the full days to come. Who knows though.
I have been finding a ton of new places to eat and grab coffees though. All these places look like they are small little holes in the wall, and then you walk into them and they are huge and some have gardens and nice terraces. The outsides are definitely deceiving! Anywho, there is this bar that is literally a hole in the wall. There is no name and no sign posted anywhere, but you walk through the door and there is an amazing outdoor lounge area and a few floors of the place. It was a great find!
There are a few more people living here now, so that makes this place feel a little more alive. It was so weird before walking into a huge building and rarely seeing anyone. So, it is kinda nice now... but of course this happens as we are on the verge of finding a place to live!
Anyway, I need to get going. As I am the veteran here now, I owe the newbies a tour of where to buy things. I have a ton more pictures and some more stories, but some people are waiting for the only computer that has internet right now.
Talk to you all soon, peace

Yo^3

2008-07-31T05:07:00.000-07:00

This is a quick recap of my time since I last posted... going out in Taksim- which is on the European side- with some new friends, checking out a few mosques here and there, grabbing some grub and oh yea, teaching.

We went to go check out the shops along the major street on the Euro side one day and decided to meet up with another teacher that we had met before from Australia. We were able to get a two others to tag along with us. The bars that we go to are so awesome. They are rooftop terraces overlooking the city. The drinks are cheap and the music is always good. So, we hang out there for a bit and then head out to this other bar... where we are absolutely the only people in there. Granted, we did bring a crew of about 10, but still it was desolate in there until a few more groups came in. Anywho, if the view had not been sooooo amazing and beautiful:

....it would have made the 10YTL bottled beer a complete joke. With that, we vowed to never go there again unless we just sit and take in the view.

We were able to entertain ourselves despite the amazing view that was just oh-so boring... COLOR ENHANCING PHOTOS!!!

This is Dylan at his best.

We met this guy Kahn/Cohn/Cahn... who knows

he was visiting his cousin here in Istanbul from Australia...

lots of Aussies around

(another color enhancement)

...So here is the major street over in Taksim- Istkilal. At night it is a completely different sight than the busy hub it is during the day...

So, one day we decided to check out the historic sights on the Euro side... yes, everything seems to be on the Euro side. Anyway, we were walking around and this picture opportunity couldn't be passed up.

I mean- talk about old meets new!

Oh yes, those invisible trash cans I had mentioned before. They are just so convenient, aren't they?!?

Anyway, so when the school days get rough we like to go out and relax with some of the other teachers over a beer... or two. After hanging out with some others, we decided it was time to make the trek on home... and we def entertain ourselves along the way.

alrighty, so we took the ferry across to the Euro side and thought that we would find out where Beshiktas was... it was a little farther away from where we wanted to go- but check out the sights we got to see along our walk!

This is just sitting there between the road and the water. Who knows what it is or how old. It just sits there and looks pretty..

and this is another part... a beautiful clock tower right on the water.

Ok, so here begins our tour of the mosques. Below is the side view of the Hagia Sophia. We decided to just walk around the area and take a gander at the mosques before we did a tour or payed to check out the inside. Apparently, you could get lost in one mosque for hours!

This is the famous Blue Mosque! I just loved this shot with the fountain in front of it. Anyway, story goes that this used to be a Christian church and then when it became a Muslim mosque, the minarets were added. That is why they are not attached, as they would be in a traditional mosque... learning a little bit of history while over here.

Here we are in front of the Blue Mosque.

I'm not a tourist with my big camera and all... I swear!

HA! I just could not pass this up... please pay attention to the sign.

After walking around the mosques, we explored a bit of the city- called Sultanahmet. This is just a shot of the area and the people.

Seriously, she looked like a giant next to these little old ladies! It was hilarious! The picture doesn't even do justice to the actuality...

Alright, this is inside the grounds of Topkapi Palace. This is apparently where the sultan would live and the harem is supposed to be such an amazing bit of history and quite a sight. I even heard that the bathroom is immaculate. I guess the sultan needs extravagance even while doing his duty.

This is a view of the front of the Palace.

...and us being us...

- if we cannot go inside the palace, we'll have fun outside of it-

So, that is just our week+ in a nutshell.

We went to one of our friend's places the other night to enjoy a few beers and dinner on his rooftop. The views from so many places here are just amazing!

Last night, we went to a Lenny Kravitz concert. Our head teacher gave us the tickets for free and so we went to check it out. It was such an amazing location... right on the water. It was funny bc, you could tell he had no idea what to say- so a lot of the time he just yelled "Istanbul"! Tonight, we are going to our friend Marc's house. We are gonna make some grub and just hang out. He is a really cool guy and studying psychology right now. So our convos get very interesting!

...and tomorrow, we are going to another friend's place to hang out at his pool and he is going to BBQ for us! I am so excited about that! He is from Hawai'i and claims he has the best terryaki sauce. We'll see about that!

Saturday, I do not have class until 3 and it is actually my last day with my Level 1. We are going to all go to dinner after and they are taking me to some authentic Turkish restaurant. I am very excited to check this out!

Sunday morning I am subbing for a friend who has his girlfriend visiting and then I have nothing going on until Monday morning. Monday and Tuesday mornings I will have class and then nothing (as of now) until the next Monday morning. My schedule will be a little light until I get some more classes assigned. Then it is back to reality!

We are hoping to plan a trip somewhere in the next few weeks... either Greece or some place in Turkey. We want to take advantage of the weather and the time off we'll have.

Alright, I think it is time I go, but rest assured- more posts will be soon to come.

Check ya later!

No worrıes!

2008-07-28T10:25:00.000-07:00

Hello to all! Agaın, I am slackıng on my postıng... yea, I know- Bad blogger I am! -but I just wanted to let everyone know that we are completely safe over here. If you heard anythıng about bombıngs ın Istanbul, know that ıt ıs true, but that ıt happened on the other sıde far away from us. We are very safe and have been reassured that any acts of terror would not even be dırected towards us anyway. So rest assured, we are stıll goıng strong lıke always and thıngs are fıne!

Wıth that beıng saıd, thıngs have been verrrry busy. Tests are comıng up and one of my classes ended last week and one wıll fınısh on Saturday. After that, thıngs should slow a bıt. I actually wıll only be workıng 2 days a week untıl I get some new classes- so that means travel tıme!!!! The mınımal money aspect ıs not so great, but hey- there wıll be plenty of that come fall when we get busy!

Stıll lookıng for a place to move to and we are checkıng one out on Wednesday. I wıll keep you all posted on that!

Well, I hate to blog and run- but I got lots o stuff to do. Tomorrow I should have a lıttle more tıme, but I maınly wanted to put your nerves (ıf you had any) at ease about the whole bombıng sıtuatıon.

...I'll be back

Daha Resims (more pictures) + videos!

2008-07-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures that I am actually in. I am always just so excited of what I am seeing I never think to prove that it was me there! Ha... anyway, there are few and they aren't the greatest- but they are me, and they are pictures.

...At one of the many parks on our tour

... so it was a liiiiittle windy! Ha! This picture is ridiculous, but oh well!

This is the view from the roof of our friend's apartment on the European side!...there wasn't much to say for this half hour watching the sunset!

Whoa! Video time!

A glimpse of The Black Sea pouring into the Bosphorus

So the other night the man who owns this place, Mustafa, and his wife Zubeda, sat in with me while video chatting with my fam. It was so cute. They are the sweetest people and we are very lucky to have them here watching over us. They feed us tea non-stop and they even made us dinner the other night for when we got back from work.

Tonight, they cooked us fish with salata (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions with a little lemon juice and salt) and ekmek- bread. Mustafa went crazy eating the little fish bone in and all- literally just dropping those suckers into his mouth! Ha, it was so funnny!and... It was delicious... and then they called us downstairs to sit with them and have tea at the desk at the front door. They are awesome!

We attract the sane ones... jk- some friends we have made here so far.

...one more really quick...

...uhhh this is what the outside of car looks like from the inside... ha....

That's all for now. I think we are going to explore the European side tomorrow... that is if it isn't dumping buckets of rain and windy like it was today! Peace ya'll (and I'll work on those pictures)

2008-07-14T09:00:00.001-07:00

Heyo! It has been a little busy over here, so excuse the delays in posting.

So, I left off saying that one of the students was going to show us around Istanbul. The 9 hour tour all started at 10 in the morning when Muhmet comes to pick us up. Along the drive to our first stop, we get a history lesson on the various buildings and areas we pass. This guy should be a tour guide. There is so much history here it is insane. Seriously. Anyway, so he is takes us along the coastline of the Bosphorus- which is absolutely beautiful. You can see right across to the European side, which we have yet to really explore. Ok, so our first stop is this cute little town called Cengelkoy. It is famous for cucumbers because it used to be the major producer, until it got crowded and built up. Anyway, we stop here for a bite to eat. Muhmet orders us a few different items so that we can try them. The first is called bokuz, which is the traditional thinly layered pastry that can be filled with cheese, potatoes or spinach. The other is simit- a sesame seed covered bread that can sometimes have a hint of cheese. We take the food to this cute restaurant that allows outside food. Tea of course is served and we just enjoy the view:

...this is what people do everyday! How awesome is this?!? Anyway, this is just the beginning!

This is the major street in Cengelkoy, which runs parallel to the water.

So we head out and onward with our journey. Again we cruise the coastline and we stop briefly at a little park right on the water. There are people fishing, walking around and just hanging out...
Continuing northeast, we see the usual markets on the beds of trucks, numerous little restaurants and set ups of markets along the street... including this watermelon pile...
Ok... the pictures got out of order.... so I'll just reference the ones 3 and 4 down. Our next stop is a town famous for their yogurt. Yes, everyone eats different kinds of yogurt with everything- but apparently this yogurt tops everything. The town, Kanlica is very small. We go into this restaurant and grab a seat right by the water... and when I say that, I mean the windows are open and the water is right there. It has a great view and yes... the yogurt was good. We haven't developed our yogurt palate yet, so we really couldn't tell how great it was- but it's more about the experience right?!??

Our next stop is a religious cemetery that holds the tomb of the cousin of Moses. It is on top of a hill overlooking the water. It was a quick stop, but actually very interesting.

We make it to the town of Anadolu Kavagi that is amazing. Apparently this town is known for their fish. We go to a restaurant right on the water (of course) called Yosun and ate... and ate... and ate. He wanted us to try all these different dishes, so he ordered a ton of food. First we had a salad- nothing really out of the ordinary, but tasty. Then we get haydari- which is a yogurt with cucumber and dill in it. It is refreshing and tastes great on bread. Then comes some fried calamari, aubrigine- which is eggplant with bell peppers and a rich sauce and then a baked shrimp in sauce that had a pretty good bite to it. It was all really good and we were struggling to finish what was in front of us. But wait... there's more- we each get our own sea bass. It was so good, but by this time we were stuffed. So I tried my best to finish enough to not feel horrible for wasting it, while watching Kate struggle with her chewing, knowing how much she hates fish! It was a very nice dinner and of course, completed with some tea.

Here is the town of Anadolu Kavagi...
...and these are houses along the water- called something like yelas.?- i forget

Ok, so actually before we ate we went up to the top of the hill above the city to a place called Ceneviz- where there is a castle called Yoros. This was amazing! Somehow those pictures didn't load, so I will have to post them separately... but this place is where the Bosphorus meets The Black Sea. We were amazed. It was so beautiful and seriously, who can say they have been to The Black Sea!??!? We spent a good amount of time just taking in the view and experiencing what we were seeing and where we were.

This is taken from the yogurt stop in Kanlica.
...and this was taken in Kanlica- just restaurants on the water.

So... after a delicious meal we started making our way back down the coast. We stopped a few more times along the way, including a park that overlooked the city. It was really nice and from the park we could see all the buildings in between us and the water and then past all that out to the islands. It was quite a view. From the other side of the hill you could see the millions of buildings spanning the cities. Seriously, so many people live in Istanbul- it is crazy.

This is a huge cargo boat passing under the bridge... we later saw it going out to sea from the park on the hill. There are tons of ships passing through the Bosphorus everyday going up to places like Russia or coming back down.

Oh, this is right outside of the city Anadolu Kavagi... and if you look really closely- up by that flag is where the castle is and you can see The Black Sea.

So, after a long day and a ton of tea we finally make it back to our lodging. We get to our rooms and I get a call from our friend. He is wondering if we are home bc he is here visiting Mustafa- the man who owns the place. Random timing! So we go upstairs and he is here with a few other people. We hang out for awhile and then go out to grab a drink with some of his other friends. We go to the town of Moda- where we hope to move to. Anyway, we have a good time and a nice ending to an amazing day.

The next day we just hang out and relax. We had a very busy schedule since we arrived and it was so nice to just sleep in and not go do stuff. We are actually meeting up with the same guy, Muhmet, again because we didn't have time to finish the tour. So at about 5, he picks us up and he shows us the area closer to where we live. He takes us to a few parks and to Badat Street- which is the place to be... so they say. It is lined with really nice stores, about 10 Starbucks and is just really nice. After, we meet up with some other teachers and decide that maybe we'll go to the beach up at The Black Sea this Thursday or Friday... hopefully that happens!!

Anyway... next day= school then right after we are meeting up with some friends to take the ferry to Taxim on the European side. This guy, Dillon, just moved into this amazing apartment and is having a little house warming party. This place is awesome! He is a yoga teacher and the company gives him room and board in their old studio- which I guess they rarely use. It is on the main street and the view from the roof is just spectacular! We don't make it a late night because we have class the next day.

So... Sunday= school again and well...yea, more plans. We are going to the European side again to meet up with an Australian teacher we met at one of the trainings. He lives and works on this side, so it was nice to explore the area a little bit. We meet up with his friends and check out a few bars... and randomly, I swear the world is shrinking, we run into Dillon at one of the bars! Anywho, we all have a really good time and call it a night.

So... that leads me to today. Today was brutal. I think the non-stop plans have really caught up to me, so classes end and I came back to take a nap.

awhhhh... so that has been my past week in a nutshell. We are meeting some very interesting people and getting to explore the city. Classes are definitely getting better and our Turkish vocabulary is slowly growing. Once we get settled in a new place, I am seriously considering taking a Turkish course.

Well, my brain has been very slow today and I think it is done working. Sorry about the layout of this blog- I have yet to figure out the pictures and everything. Hope all is well! I'm out.

This is the view from the park... you can see all the buildings and also those islands I mentioned.

PICTURES!!!!!

2008-07-07T11:32:00.001-07:00

Ooops... these are out of chronological order- but hey, pictures are pictures!

Here is a man with his horse-drawn market...

The street.. I- something (forgot the name) in Taxim on the European side. A very long street that goes from the heart of the business area down to the Golden Horn, a part of the Bosphorus.

A temple upon a hill overlooking the Bosphorus from the bottom of that long I-named street. These Turks must hate the views here!!!!?!!

On the ferry from one continent to another... leaving Europe.

So... apparently in order to cut back on water waste, we should flush two times! ... the bathroom at the airport

Since the traffic is known to be so bad, vendors have moved to the freeways. It isn't oranges in LA... but cotton candy, water, rugs... the usual!

This is a little park we stumbled upon killing time one of the first days. It is right down the street from our work. Imagine a cursive capitol L- this is the beginning of the letter, our work is the bottom of the upper loop, the Bosphorus curves around to be the top of the top loop, the area we want to live in is the stem and parallel to the Bosphorus and the place where we currently live is the end of the L- the whole thing about 20-30 minutes walking from furthest points. I hope that made some sense...

Oh... just the street parallel to us.

This is the view from the canteen/cafeteria at our work.

Here are just a few pictures that I thought would give you an idea of what it is like here. Many more to come!

2008-07-07T09:19:00.000-07:00

Heyo! Excuse the delays ın posts... as I am not yet accustomed to plannıng entertaınıng lessons for the same 10 students for 4 hours! Yep, that ıs what my job ıs. It really ıs not too bad- but ıt ıs defınıtely somethıng that takes up some tıme. At least ıt wıll be a lıttle tıme consumıng untıl ı get ın a routıne and work out all the kınks and what not. Anywho, ı started teachıng on Saturday. I have a level 3 group ın the mornıng from 9-1. I really lıke thıs group because they are advanced enough to be able to joke around and have conversatıons wıth- however broken the sentences may be- at least they understand! Thıs group also ıs eager to learn, whıch for all you teachers readıng thıs know ıs a huge plus! So, that class ends at 1, or 12:50 to be exact, and then I get told that I have been assıgned an actıvıty at 1:30. Oh good! An actıvıty I dıdn't plan for and now my prep tıme for my class at 3 ıs gone. Yay! So, the actıvıty goes alrıght but all an actıvıty ıs ıs talkıng to some students about an assıgned topıc for an hour. There ıs no gradıng ınvolved, just outsıde the classroom conversatıon/practıce. Ok, so wıth that under my belt I have half an hour to plan my lesson for a 4 hour class. Fun! ...and I need to eat. Thıs ısn't soundıng so fun and ıt ıs only 2:30. So, I quıckly revıew the book and try to thınk of thıngs a lıttle more ınterestıng to do than stıck the the borıng book for 4 hours. Thankfully, the students are ın theır lıstenıng/speakıng block- so ı could just talk to them and ıncorporate some vocab ın also. However- that got old fast. They had a hard tıme understandıng and although they saıd they would tell me ıf ı was goıng too fast- ı never was told. whatev... oh- and the computer that the lıstenıng actıvıtıes are on must have a faulty connectıon or somethıng bc the sound would not work. So, at 7:00 and after a grueling 4 hours ı am fınally done and exhausted. but waıt! -ı get to do thıs tomorrow! aıy! ı make ıt home- hungry but too tıred to try to eat and lıterally pass out after a quıck shower. thanks to the jetlag alarm clocks have not really been of any use and ı get up early enough to be able to plan for the day. another chance! agaın, my level 3 class went great and ıt was smooth and entertaınıng. ı was able to throw somethıng wıth a lıttle more substance together for my actıvıty and yes, ı had thıngs to keep my level 1 class ınterested and yay!- the sound worked! awhhhh.... the weekend was fınıshed and ı actually had energy to talk! ıt ıs amazıng how draınıng ıt can be ıf you are sıttıng there pryıng your students. now ı know how ıt feels!
anyway, thıs mornıng... another *fun* class! so, sometımes the rooms get swıtched around and thıs mornıng that happened. no problem! but, one of the other teachers ınıtıally walked ınto my class and when ı passed hım along the way to the correct rooms hıs words of advıce after those 30 seconds ın that room were *good luck*! oh good, another set of mutes! so ı walk ın tryıng to be bubbly and hopefully gıve an energetıc vıbe that maybe, just maybe mıght be recıprocated and.... crıckets. nothıng. oh, thıs should be fun! hmmm... ı'll ease them ın/losen them up wıth pıctures of my famıly, frıends, house, calıfornıa... anythıng. crıckets.... a few laughs and a lıttle bıt of talkıng, but that was defınıtely not the effect ı was goıng for. oh well- ı guess pıctures are borıng for them, so let's read the book. maybe that ıs entertaınıng for them!... at least thıs way they are blankly starıng at paper and not me! wıth the fırst hour done, they go on break and ı am searchıng for somethıng to wake them up. so ı actually just tell them *wake up!* ıt looks lıke break helped them a lıttle bıt and there ıs actually blood runnıng to theır braıns now. relıef! the next 2 hours are better than the fırst and actually, compared to the fırst are great! (although that really ıs not sayıng much) anyway, ı guess ı am just a young, naıve teacher fındıng out all the pleasures and joys of teachıng! ha! no, ıt really ıs not as bad as ı am makıng ıt out to be- ıt ıs just easıer to talk about the bad- rıght?!?
On a brıghter note, after classes we go and grab somethıng to eat. I decıded to try the *ı have no ıdea what that ıs, but ı wıll have ıt* method. what a concept!... and amazıng! ı had a dısh called Iskender... ıt was donür (thınly slıced meat- thıs one beef) on top of pıeces of bread wıth a lıght tomato sauce on top wıth yogurt on the sıde. ıt was delıcıous! and sınce ı ordered a meal/combo- whıch ı found ıs menü ın turkısh- ı got a dessert wıth ıt too. we were jokıng that ıt ıs prob just a yogurt versıon of creme brulee, but ıt was so tasty! ıt was a lıght rıce puddıng! to both my advantage and dısadvantage- we dıd not get the name of what ıt ıs called. (... but ıt ıs a few places down from my work)
anywho, thıngs about ıstanbul... there are always people around- whether you lıke ıt or not. there ıs so much lıfe here and energy that you can eıther get lost or trampled by ıt or get caught ın the flow and let ıt take you for a rıde. ıt defınıtely works to my advantage and has actually helped me adjust quıckly. ı somehow already feel lıke ı belong- not completely yet bc the language barrıer ıs a bıt of a problem but a lot more than ı thought ı would at thıs poınt.
-ıt ıs a culture of tea... tea rules the streets. you wıll see at any gıven moment boys runnıng along the streets wıth trays of tea. ıt ıs actually quıte nıce though.
-what else... oh, the coffee!!! or should ı say sand!!! whoa! ıt ıs good, but that only lasts about 4 sıps then you are drınkıng the bottom of the rıver from your cup! ıt ıs so thıck at the bottom and somethıng that ı just mıght not make a normal routıne of.
hmmm... there are thıngs that you prob wouldn't see ın many places ın amerıca... lıke old men walkıng donkeys that are pullıng wagons full of fresh produce... and on thıs street at tons of people, cars sparsely scattered about and people on mopeds and motercycles maneuverıng around ıt all.
there are very few trash cans- but ıt ıs only bc the government pays these guys (and there are tons of these guys) to come around and pıck ıt all up. they do thıs bc then the gov't can get all the money for the recyclıng. ınterestıng! ... now, ı am not sayıng that there ıs trash everywhere- people actually do *throw theır trash ınto the ınvısıble trash can* pıle. crazy!
on certaın streets there are themes for stores... lıke down one way are tons of purse shops, down another shoe stores, another- weddıng dresses, another- jeans. ıt ıs very ınterestıng, but also convenıent- ıf you know where the street ıs for that partıcular ıtem you are lookıng for.
the drıvıng... whıch ı have already mentıoned, ıs ınsane.
there ıs really only one beer on tap ın the whole cıty, whıch ıs efes and actually pretty tasty.
hmmm... my mınd ıs blankıng on peculiarities of Istanbul, but I have a year to fıll you all ın.
Really quıckly... before you fall asleep readıng thıs novel of a blog- we found the best ıce cream shop ın the cutest area rıght by our work! one of the students took us to get ıce cream and apparently ıt ıs the oldest one ın all of Turkey... and prob the best. Thıs same student ıs goıng to gıve us a tour of the asaın sıde later thıs week! he ıs frıends wıth some of the other teachers, who wıll be comıng, and really enjoys doıng thıs bc he saıd ıt ıs free englısh practıce! good for hım... but ıt ıs a free guıded tour of the cıty for us! Nıce!
Last and certaınly not least- bc the number ıs so hıgh... ı have at least 30 mosquıto bıtes! They are drıvıng me ınsane! ...and usually they have a lıttle sympathy for the face, but no- Turkısh mosquitoes are ruthless! Sprays do not help so ı am only hopıng that they get tıred of me and move on... and soon!
Wıth that out- I am goıng to move away from thıs screen that ı have been starıng at for the past, well- who knows how long. I expect a typed summary on my desk before next postıng.
Thanks for tunıng ın and I wıll be talkıng to you agaın sometıme soon!
Bye all!

Updates!

2008-07-04T02:22:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!
Fırst, ı want to say that the letters on the keyboard here a dıfferent, and although I can fınd the rıght key somtımes, ıt ıs really just a paın, so you guys wıll just have to deal.
Wıth that saıd, Turkey ıs amazıng!
The fırst complete day we had here, we got pıcked up by one of the head ladıes at the school we wıll be teachıng at. She walked us over to the school and explaıned thıngs along the way. The walk, whıch ıs about 15 mınutes, showed us a dıfferent aspect of the cıty. We have to walk down a small slope of a street to work and the vıew ıs gorgeous- pıctures to come. Our offıce ıs a block away from the Bosphorus and the vıew from the cafeterıa ıs amazıng! The area we work ın ıs called the Fısh Market and ıs fılled wıth numerous vendors, cafes, restaurants, stores and apartments. It ıs such a mıx and a very lıvely area that ıs goıng to be our new home for the next year.
Insıde the buıldıng... the begınnıng of our new job, we meet our fellow co-workers on the busıness sıde, as well as one other teacher. We get to observe hıs class and get a feel for how they go around here. We fınd that we are startıng on Saturday, whıch actually ıs tomorrow rıght now, and wıll be jumpıng rıght ınto a full schedule. Why not!?!?!?
Dıana ıs the name of our savıor here, she not only works at the offıce basıcally runnıng everythıng, but has also taken us to coffee, an authentıc Turkısh meal- where I had a Ayran, whıch ıs a drınk that basıcally tastes lıke a more lıquıdy plaın yogurt... ınterestıng , set our phones up, got us the transportatıon passes, and ıs helpıng us wıth the apartment search. Wıthout her, well ıt would be a lot harder to acclımate.
The jetlag has been hıttıng us towards the end of the evenıng and really helped us just pass out when we go to sleep and hasn't been too bad durıng the day. It has kıcked ın at tımes and that ıs just no fun.
Yesterday, we had to meet at the offıce to go over to the maın headquarters on the European sıde to sıgn contracts and such. ...we are on the Asıan sıde ın case you dıdn't put that together. We met a guy named Anthony who ıs actually from San Jose who wıll be workıng wıth us. Small world. It really ıs! He ıs a really good guy who has offered to help us wıth gettıng around the cıty, housıng and meetıng some other people. He ıs goıng to meet up wıth us today and show us how to go to the mall... ha, how clıche- of course two female Amerıcans would want to go to a mall rıght away. Its not lıke that! We need to grab some shampoo and condıtıoner... that type of thıng! Come on! Anyway, he ıs goıng to help us wıth that and then ıntorduce us to some of hıs frıends later today. Oh, almost forgot- he helped us get back from the maın offıce yesterday and took us on the scenıc route. We took the subway, then walked through the maın shoppıng/socıal street called Taxım and then we grabbed a ferry across the water! It was absolutely gorgeous. We left from the area called the Golden Horn out to the Bosphorus and back to the Asıan sıde. We wıll defınıtely be goıng back along that path!
Anyway, so far so good! The ınternet ıs not workıng so well here at our lodgıng, but the communıty computers- well, one rıght now- ıs workıng, so I have to get goıng so others can use. Tune ın later for more and once the ınternet ıs back up, I can post pıctures from my computer.
Check you all later!

...for postıng on thıs... you mıght have to create a user name. sorry! just follow the dırectıons or you can just send me an e-maıl at katiemard@gmail.com. Good luck!

2008-07-01T11:46:00.000-07:00

MERHABA!!! We have made it to Turkey safely after a very long journey. We are both exhausted, as we chose not to sleep on the nine hour flight from Chicago to London. We then got stuck on the plane from London to Istanbul before we took off because they were looking for one missing bag. So, two hours+ late to the Istanbul airport, we get all our stuff done there, find our driver in the sea of names on paper and make it to our "accommodations".

The drive, though a little nerve racking, to the place where we are staying was awesome! I have pictures and much, much more to share... but to be honest, I am tired.

I just wanted to let you know we got here safely! We are getting picked up in the morning to go over to the school, so I will have updates with all the details as soon as I can!

Keep checkin... because there is lots and lots here to talk about!

Until Turkey Inhabitation

2008-06-26T23:43:00.001-07:00

Alrighty everyone, I probably won't come on here before I leave, but will be keeping everyone posted once I get there. The picture I tried to upload worked, but took a little while... so I may choose to post pictures another way. We'll see about that though.

I'll talk to you all soon if I don't see you first!

Leaving this behind

2008-06-26T23:31:00.000-07:00

Beginning of the Blog

2008-06-26T23:03:00.000-07:00

Hello to all!!! I have just set this blog up and I am asking for your input... also, I am experimenting with posting pictures and effects (if any). Anyway, this is just the basis of it.

I leave Monday, June 30th and will not get there until July 1st... what a flight!

Hope to hear from you all!