Note to self

Don't leave the erik fruits out thinking they are going to ripen. They don't, and they just get mushy and disgusting. Also, don't try to eat one in this state. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but....no.

New fruit

I decided to go out on a limb and buy this "erik" fruit I've seen so much of in recent weeks. Literally translated to plum, I couldn't exactly figure out what they would be like because they are so small. They are crunchy sort of like an apple, rather tart, but overall almost like an unripe, well, plum. I've let them sit in my room for a few days, and they've gotten a bit softer and a touch sweeter but remain rather tart. Because this fruit is all over and people seem to be buying it, I can't imagine that they would be really unripe, unsuitable for consumption. The fruit is sort of refreshing, however. And, also like a plum, it has a large pit on the inside of it. Anyhow, I've been snacking on these in recent days and we've all (well, most of us anyway) enjoy them. In a side note, they are also good for pelting your friends.

Sugarless sugary treats

BREAKING NEWS.... Even though I thought it was physically impossible, I found a pastane (pastry shop) in Istanbul that makes sugar-free Turkish delight (lokum) and sugar-free baklava! The prices are comparable to the regular stuff, and the baklava is quite delicious. The syrup is a bit less sweet, which is not a bad thing. In fact, a friend told me she'd almost prefer the sugarless version because it's not so toothachingly sweet. The lokum is a bit strange, particularly in that it's covered in something that resembles powdered sugar but can't be. It tastes a lot like a flavor of Turkish delight, albeit more bland.

And, in case you are interested, the old name for a diabetic in Turkish şeker hastalığı (literally sugar sickness), but now it is diabetik. I hope that I'll be able to handle such a difficult foreign word.

May Day in Istanbul

The first of May is always a volatile day to live in Istanbul. In 1977, an unidentified gunman opened fire on a celebration of labor solidarity, and by the end of the gunfire and the panic that followed, 36 people had died and 200 were injured. In 1978 and up until this year, city officials banned demonstrations on Taksim Square and Istiklal, where the horrific tragedy occurred, but riots and demonstrations still occurred, leading to many arrests and injuries, and to the use of tear/pepper gas and water to control the crowd, who often become violent. Last year, at least according to anecdotal reports, up to 900 people were arrested.

This year, the government actually opened the square for a march but kept a tight control on just who can take part and what they can do as forms of protest. Over 5,000 people have come to the historic square, and, according to some reports, only about 30 people have been arrested in Taksim at this point.

The U.S. Embassy in Ankara issued a warden message warning of impending violence and transportation delays all across Turkey, but particularly in large public places in Istanbul, naming Taksim and Kadikoy as two specific places. Now, just so everyone knows, Taksim is where we spend most of our Friday and Saturday nights because of all the bars and restaurants and clubs, and because today is a holiday, we went out last night to Taksim one last time before the demonstrations and the police presence was already more marked. Barricades blocked off all side streets, more police were around with their AK-47s, and the like. We have all committed to not going anywhere in downtown Istanbul today, and instead decided to walk up to the Black Sea, an hour or so walk down the hill of our campus, and far away on the other side of Istanbul.

The video below is footage taken from today about the demonstrations and police intervention for the May Day celebrations.

Hürriyet Video'larını izlemek için Flash 7 veya daha yüksek eklenti yüklenmeniz gerekmektedir. Yüklemek için tıklayınız!!!

Buttered Popcorn gum?

I got some chewing gum from the grocery store on campus and was absolutely appalled. Appalled, I tell you. I didn't really look at the flavor before I bought it, and when I popped it in my mouth, I tasted buttered popcorn, not wholly unlike the flavor you get in a Jelly Belly jellybean. I find it a disgusting flavor by the way, and even though it does taste like popcorn, there's something about the flavor-texture combination that repulses me. I looked at the flavor after this rude awakening and saw that it was rice pudding flavored. Yes, Turkey makes rice pudding flavored chewing gum.

Only here...

Princess Islands

Just an hour-and-a-half ferry ride from downtown Istanbul there exists several resort-like islands. Known here as adalar, or "the Islands," the Princess Islands are the perfect place for a trip outside the urban life that is Istanbul. For a mere 2.80TL (1.72 USD), you can hop on the ferry and visit one of the islands, all of which do not allow cars but instead have bike rentals, carriages, and donkeys. Palatial resort homes and condos line the streets, palm trees offer shade from the warm sun, and parks and monasteries flank the residential areas--great place to overlook the Marmara Sea.

A group of us went to the largest island (Büyükada, meaning "large island") for a day and decided to walk instead of spending any money on rentals (yeah, 2.50 US per hour seemed a little steep for college kids, even if we were only going to spend a few hours there). We walked up to a park and sat around for a while, then we continued our trek up a very steep cobblestone street to the top of a mountain with an Orthodox church on top. We found a large cliff that overlooked the sea, so we relaxed before we took our long walk back to the ferry.

We were shocked at just how CHEAP this place was, and just how very different it was from the city of Istanbul, visible from most locations with a view. As it seemed a tropical destination, daytrips are very common for local Istanbul residents, if for nothing more than having a nice picnic in a change of venue.

One of my friends had a friend visiting, and we were very happy that he could see this place, even though it was nothing like the Istanbul to which we are all accustomed. Funny how you just discover things out of the blue...

Canada, eh?

So I made a very recent discovery that was most surprising to me: apparently, my three favorite children's shows growing up were Canadian shows, and I didn't even realize it! Sharon, Lois, and Bram; Fred Penner's Place; and Under the Umbrella Tree are all products of the CBC. Who would have thought? Although, in retrospect, it totally makes sense as to why one of the quintessential S,L,&B's songs, "One Elephant, Deux Éléphants" includes both English and French lyrics. Perhaps this discovery was a long time coming...

Making the distinctions between Canadian and American cultures is actually an interesting pastime among my Canadian and American friends here. I now have picked up several regional slang from my friends, including the all-time favorite "deec." Derived from the word "decent," this word is comparable to "awesome" or "sweet." I have learned that I wear not a snowcap, a ski hat, winter hat (or, incidentally, a toboggan) but instead a toque/tuque (sp?). And, if I were to order coffee and want two sugars and creams, such a drink is commonly referred to as a double-double. Of course, this drink is often associated with the famous Tim Horton's--or Timmie's, as it is sometimes called.

Now, having had a fascination with Canada for years, I am even more interested for some reason in light of this realization. The U.S. and Canada are so similar in many ways but are also so very different. The relationship between the two nations, the politics, and the perceptions of each other are quite interesting to study, and my interest in doing so has been compounded by the fact that many of my relatives are or once were Canadian citizens. I have been to Ottawa once and absolutely loved it, but it is due time for me to take the road trip there that I've always wanted, and now I have many friends with whom I can stay!

Children's Day

April 23 marks Children's Day in Turkey, and so we have no school on Thursday. After having no idea what Children's Day even was (apart from a day to celebrate children, of course), I did a little scholarly Wikipedia search to find that on April 23, 1920, the first meeting of the Grand National Assembly took place during the Turkish independence war, and that Mustafa Kemal Ataturk--the father of modern Turkey-- proclaimed that day a day for children so that they may understand the importance of independence.

Apparently, children from around the world travel with their families to Turkey and stay with host families with children of similar ages. Throughout this week (including here on campus), there are lots of cultural festivals and carnivals and the like. And, the seats of parliament are held by children on the 23rd, and Turkey even has a child president for the day, who apparently makes a speech on national television. What an interesting holiday!

Let the sun shine in--

Because the sun was actually out and it was rather warm today (60s), the students were all outside basking in it while eating ice cream. I am surprised, though, that many people are still in coats, scarves, gloves, and boots (both on campus and around town) at this point in springtime. I wore shorts today (gasp), only to get strange looks from people. I stuck out like a sore thumb, but it was okay because I thought it was too hot to wear jeans and a coat.

I find it amazing that I can find clothes in this country that fit me--shorter people, I guess? Anyway, I found a pair of jeans today that were a bit long but actually fit me in the legs and waist. I might have to get them hemmed or try them myself, but the kicker: I paid 10.99 TL ($6.63) for them!! They are from a somewhat fashionable Turkish department store (as opposed to on the street), and they were on sale from 70 TL I do believe, so I was proud of my purchase, to say the least. I now desperately need sandals and sunglasses. And, apparently, needle and thread, which is surprisingly hard to find!

THEY GOT A PUPPY!!

Nothing to do with Turkey, unless of course you count Obama coming here last week: I'm a tad bit too excited for this otherwise silly season news story, but as you all stateside likely know, the Obama family welcomed Bo, a Portuguese water dog, into their home, after Sen. Kennedy offered it to them as a gift. Seeing the family running and laughing in the White House lawn really just shows how happy they all are. They are just a beautiful family, and I can't help but get unhealthily giddy when I see a new story about this all-American, picture-perfect first family.

Balkans and the Like

The only way I can describe the past week in the Balkans is to say that this life-altering experience will make stories for years to come. Three friends and I visited Sofia (Bulgaria), Belgrade (Serbia), Sarajevo (Bosnia & Herzegovina), Dubrovnik, and Split (Croatia). In Split we split up (ha ha ha...get it?) and a friend and I continued on to Zagreb (Cr.) and Ljubljana (Slovenia), while the other two went back to Belgrade as they had to be home earlier.

One remarkable thing was how different all of these countries actually are. The feeling once you go to Sofia from Istanbul is palpable, as you immediately notice differences in dress and public behaviors. As we moved west, we felt like we were more and more in western European cities. This seems a bit obvious, yes, but I don't generally think of countries of the former Eastern Bloc and Yugoslavia to be very western places, but I clearly was mistaken.

The views of all the cities were unbelievable. I have seen pictures of all these places in books before and have scene photos of videos of the scenery elsewhere, but to see it in person feels not much less than a dream. I couldn't quite fathom that such beautiful views, crystal-clear waters--"paradise on Earth," as Mark Twain aptly described Dubrovnik--actually exist until I saw them for myself.

Split and Dubrovnik are comparable cities, both on the coast of Croatia, with Split being farther north than Dubrovnik. Both are huge tourist attractions, but luckily for us, we were visiting during the off-season so we could have relatively cheap and uncrowded visits. Dubrovnik is famous for its old city, a fortressed former republic from the Middle Ages. Both positioned along the Adriatic, but Dubrovnik has several stone beaches (and REALLY cold, possibly less than 50 degree, water), while Split is mostly a landing point for posh yachts and cruiseliners. We had a seafood meal in Dubrovnik that cost roughly $10 each, which was great for two people ordering mussel and two people ordering shrimp dishes, plus a liter of wine and apertifs to start out our meals.

When I think Sarajevo, the first thing that pops in my mind is all the war and conflict of the 1990s, and, unfortunately, the wounds of those times are ever so apparent today. I would estimate that about 70-80 percent of the buildings in Sarajevo are peppered with bullet holes or shrapnel, most of such holes having not yet been repaired. Virtually every park doubles as a graveyard (on top of the two large ones that are on big hills in the outskirts of the city), and many of the gravestones have the exact same death date. The city is still divided ethnically, exemplified mostly by the two bus stations across town that go different places, yet only one mode of transportation per day connects them.

Ironically, the unyielding spirit of the citizens of this town was quite inspiring. While there, we went to a sort of festival in one of the main squares of town, and there were families dancing and children singing, making for the epitome of family outings. The smiles on everyone's faces and the fun all were having under the warm sun showed--at least to me--the resiliency of the people despite such a horrid recent past. They are so proud of their city, as they should be; it was so incredibly beautiful, both in the old town and the modernity of the new town. They seem particularly proud of their city being home to the 1984 Summer Olympics. You can still buy memorabilia and take site tours of this event over twenty years ago, which we found very interesting.

A small aside: I have always wanted to go to Cheers in Boston because I was a fan of the show, but I was enthralled to discover that the bar also exists in...not making this up...Sarajevo. (?!?) People didn't exactly yell "Norm!" when I walked in, nor did the inside look anything like the set of the show, but I am glad that I can check off my list that I went to the place "where everybody knows your name"...only not really.

Zagreb was a neat city, but after seeing the churches and going on the self-guided tour, we were kind of done with it and felt we got a good Cliffs-notes version of the city. Ljubljana, a place which I must admit I never heard of previously, proved to be a really cool city with numerous parks and very trendy European shopping and eating along the Ljubljanica River. One of the most famous squares is adjacent to the triple bridge, and this is where you will see the most people, as shops and ice cream and gelatto stands (oh, the pains of being diabetic) radiate from this point. A short hike will bring you to the castle that overlooks the beautiful city. One of the neatest things about the city, other than having a horseburger, was our hostel. A converted Slovenian prison, the old building was transformed into a very modern, eclectic hostel complete with a cafe and bar.

Belgrade was my friend's and my last stop before our fun ride home (can you read sarcasm?). Because we had about one hour here on our first go-through, we decided to spend a couple days there, and we are glad we did. Also a very beautiful city, there are two long or three really long streets with shopping and eating and the like (also, the ice cream), a park and old fortress, and a huge open market with all the fruits, vegetables, meats, and fish you would ever want. I went to a museum for Nikola Tesla, and it was also quite cool. We even stumbled upon an Amstel Light festival where you could get a .5 L beer for a little over $1. We both partook and sat on one of the cafe tables listening to great live music (for some reason New York, New York is the only song I remember) while young children were dancing or watching the street performers. So much fun.

Transportation was a mess both ways in Bulgaria. We took a train from Istanbul to Sofia and then to Belgrade (24ish hours), and we had to do the same on the way back, although no layover in Sofia. On the way there, we stopped in a small town and waited for over an hour for no reason it seemed, that is, until we were told someone had been smuggling guns over the border. On the way back, our second class car was disconnected at one of the stops, so we had to switch cars obviously. The first class car did not take us, and he said we could go to the next car. We did so, found an empty room, and put our stuff down. An angry train conductor yelled at us, presumably telling us to leave, and so we went to the next two cars, only to be told to go back to the second car. They basically motioned to find an empty room, and when we did, the angry conductor came back, really started lighting into us, throwing our stuff in the corridor and basically forcing us out of the room. The girl in the room next to us was yelling back at him and apparently pointed at him and then he smacked her hand. We finally got to a car that was a sleeper, but we had to pay an additional 22 lira each to be able to stay, or else wait on the Turkish border for the train the next morning with a second class cabin. Needless to say, we paid the extra money for at least 4 hours of sleep. We arrived in Istanbul and 9:00ish and got back to school, exhausted yet oddly refreshed at the same time.

In sum, the best warm weather ever (no clouds at all except a brief sprinkling one night late in Sarajevo), breathtaking scenery, and the best company I could ask for made this trip just awesome. I spent quite a bit of money (although not a lot considering all the stuff we did and the fact that we had a lot of transportation, lodging, and food), but every penny was worth this trip. I have gotten a relapse of the travel bug, and all I really want to do now is save money and go somewhere else in a few years. This will be one of those times where, years from now, I can look back at all the stories and memories that accumulated and say, "That was the life."

Happy Election Day!

Picture Source: flamabayrak.com


Ahh, just when I think I escape the addictive grasp of American politics, I fall into the clutches of Turkish elections!

March 29 marked Turkey's municipal elections, where thousands of political positions are up for grabs, including the mayoral position here in İstanbul. In recent weeks, the streets are covered by thousands of little pennant flags strung between buildings and electrical posts, posters and billboards covering virtually every building, and myriad enormous tour buses blaring with persuasive rhetoric about individual candidates being blasted from megaphones. The amount of money that must have been spent on these things is mind-boggling, but since they seem to spend little time on television, I presume they are just putting their money elsewhere.

What is important to note in all of this is that despite having multi-story posters of people's faces with their names, the logo in the corners of these posters is perhaps more important for voters. You see, Turkish politics is extremely party-oriented, and political candidates are simply instruments to empower the parties. Mind you, some leaders are able to accomplish a lot and others little, people sometimes equate their performance with the party. Think of the United States and people attributing a leader's actions with the party as a whole, even though here, the attribution is to a greater extent.

Even though thirty-three parties competed for the big election in 2007 and nineteen did today, coalitions are rarely formed between the parties, so forming pluralities and majorities are quite important. Coalition governments are viewed here as failures essentially because Turkey had severe economic collapses and other crises in the 1990s under such rule. This, again, makes party politics all the more important.

According to election returns, it looks like the AKP (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, or Justice and Development Party) has retained a relatively strong lead nationwide, even though not quite as strong as it had performed in 2007. The president and PM of Turkey both belong to the AK Party, and so continuation of this party's policy seems to be bolstered. Among its promises are pushing forward with institutional transformation of Turkey for EU accession as well as promoting moral principles in Turkish society.

While some opponents of the AK Parti argue many of these reforms are either negative or haven't been instituted enough, it appears that voters are giving the party a chance to advance its agenda further.

The mood here is very politically charged today, with celebrations in the streets as well as protests and, unfortunately, some violence, particularly in the eastern part of the country. In an effort to stymie violence and unrest, the Turkish government bans the sale of alcohol on election day as well as the carrying of firearms.

As it is quite late and I have more pages of reading to do tomorrow than I'd like to think about, I am going to end this post somewhat abruptly and hit the hay. Goodnight everyone!

It's been a while...

It has been several weeks since my last posting, and it feels as though life has been turned upside down since I've last written. With apologies as to the delay, I must explain that it occurred due to my computers exploding on me: literally smoke, sparks, popping, the whole enchilada. Because I have not been able to upload pictures and have had to acquaint myself with a Turkish keyboard, weeks have transpired; luckily though, I have a new computer and am trying to finagle English language settings, and now I am offering my first post...

I will surely update you on two trips that I have taken--Topkapı Palace and Cappadocia-- that were quite memorable, but I instead want to take the opportunity to pay homage to my grandmother, Murrell Helmke, who died last week.

Grandma's life cannot be described with any ease, as words do not illustrate aptly the depth to which she valued life: family, friends, new experiences. Her vivaciousness inspired all who knew her, and her death is a great loss to so many.

Above all else, family was of utmost importance to her. While blood relations were of course one of her definitions of family, who she considered to be in her family seemed to transcend that. She forged such deep friendships through the years and embraced the friends of other family members to the point that reunions and gatherings consisted of scores of people, blood-related and otherwise. She took in nieces and nephews and considered them her own. It seemed that Grandma was always in contact with friends, not only from now but from her past as well. Many, many people considered Grandma their best friend, and she was to them all.

She was always so proud of everyone in her family, and she made great strides to keep in contact with us all. If I ever had a question of how someone was doing, in most cases Grandma had the answers. (And sometimes, we would have the answers too...but to crossword puzzle clues) In regards to her pride, all of her friends and even random strangers she would meet and befriend soon knew about us all. Becky at the bank, Anne, her hairdresser, her bridge friends, and the list continues. I was always astounded when her friends or acquaintances would say, "You must be Jon...." She clearly loved all of her friends and family, and the familial reports about the attendance to her memorial service attest to that, as many people loved her too.

My memories of Grandma are vivid, even from when I was quite young. I remember running from imaginary waves (sounds from a sound machine) with her when we couldn't go to the beach. I remember the beach trips so very well and the games of Clue we would play. I remember the Twinkies in her pantry and the hollow sound of the pantry door opening when Grandma was going to cook. I remember the orange sippy cup she would give me (and the rest of the grandkids and great-grandkids). I remember her visiting us in Peru. I remember her stories. I remember sitting in her lap and "working" the crossword or jumble or cryptoquote (which I never quite figured out). I remember always having soft drinks outside in the garage: Grab a tray and go get yourself a Coke; we are eating around, she'd say. I remember she would always be working on a stocking or advent calendar for a grandkid or great-grandkid.

I remember Christmas Eve and the lengths she would go to impress, and every Christmas seemed to be a little bit sweeter and magical each time. Planning started promptly in June, regardless.

This stream of consciousness is not exactly eloquent, but these are just a few of the random memories that have been flooding my mind.

Of course, these random memories are mere flashes of the rich tapestry that is my reminiscence on Grandma. I realize just how influential she was on my childhood, on the way I think and the person I am today.

Her unwillingness to accept what was not right, her tenaciousness, her wisdom and brilliance, her selflessness, her vivaciousness and general positive attitude despite obstacle, and her love of life and family (read:family and friends) make Grandma my absolute hero. I wish I could be half the amazing individual Grandma was to so many people.

Because of my obvious absence from home, her death has been particularly hard because I have not had the close friends and family from whom I garner the most support. This is not to say that my friends here have not been incredible to me (and of whom I am eternally grateful); it is just that sometimes you would love nothing more than a hug from family member. Nonetheless, I know that Grandma would have been mad at me had I traveled back to the States on her account, so I have some solace from missing my family so much.

I am not exactly sure how I should close this besides saying that despite the world has suffered an immeasurable loss, I would rather say that it has been graced and has been witness to a truly remarkable, fulfilling, and full life of an awe-inspiring woman; and for that, I feel immensely blessed.

Thank you, Grandma, for leaving your mark and meaning so much to so many of us. Your legacy will live on for generations to come.

In the meantime...

I've done a few things this past week, but I am going to wait to post until I have more time and I get the photos from my friends. Surprise! Jon forgot his camera on two excursions.

I did, however, stumble across this story on CNN.com that describes well my experiences in getting a Turkish residency permit.

http://inthefield.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/02/a-rite-of-passage-for-ex-pats-in-turkey/

Enjoy!

Cevahir, etc.

There exists a mall in the Şişli (read: SHEESH-lee) neighborhood of Istanbul that towers above all others in Europe. The Cevahir mall spans a total of 4.5 MILLION square feet and features nearly 350 stores, a two-story food court, a multiplex movie theater, and a small amusement park, all within the confines of its walls.

The mall has a strictly European feel to it, and the stores tended to be high-end American or European establishments. Consequently, some of the prices were just as--and in some cases, more--expensive than the stores at home. For example, most stores boast huge promotional sales, such as every item in the store being 50-70% off, but when than makes the shirt 75TL, it's not exactly a deal. I did find a couple good deals on shoes and shirts, though, and thus now know of a few good places to get nice clothes cheap. I know that other shopping centers in Turkey have the same stuff for a lot cheaper, so I'm resisting until I find such establishments.

The food court was a mixture of the hilarious and the surreal. Two-thirds of the eateries could be found in American food courts and included places such as McDonald's, Burger King, Sbarro, Pizza Hut, and the like. We also found numerous kiosks that sell "Magic Corn," or "Corn in a Cup," which amounts to yellow corn you buy by the cupful, as the latter name would suggest.

The weird part, though, was seeing the Johnny Rockets diner: a shiny diner complete with American food and oldies music as well as everything in English. That is, except for the wait staff, who dressed for the part but were clearly imitating a culture that is quite alien to them. I think the weirdest part of the whole thing was just having to grasp the concept of something so American being put into the middle of Istanbul, Turkey.

After our shopping trip, I went out with a couple guys to meet up with some Turkish friends of ours for someone's birthday. I knew only a couple of them, but we were all soon very good friends. They all treated us with such hospitality and friendliness that we (the three exchange students) felt as if we were old friends with these people. A couple of them said I looked Turkish and even said I had a really good Turkish accent when I speak. Although I'm sure it was the alcohol talking in most cases, I still appreciated the compliment!

A concept within Turkish culture which I have grown quickly to embrace is closeness between friends. You walk up to a group of people and you generally hug them, and even if meeting for the first time, shake hands and kiss on both cheeks. When everyone is together in a restaurant or a bar, everyone has their arms around their friends at times as a sort of gesture of friendliness. Although some outsiders find this compromised "personal space" uncomfortable and even weird, my friends and I have noticed it is unfortunately and decidedly lacking in American and Canadian cultures.

In the spirit of compromised personal space, our shuttle ride back to the university was packed because it was the last one. We were all standing cramped to avoid having to taxi back to campus. I was talking to all these people around me, some of which I had known before and others I had met previously, and at one point I had this sort of epiphany: three of the guys with whom I was talking were named Can (read: John). Of course, this name is relatively common in Turkey and translates to something meaning roughly "heart," "soul," or "being," but I found it pretty surreal that I was, again, in Turkey, in a conversation with several people who share a phonetically similar name with me.

Sunny Day

Perhaps we're getting a bit too giddy about the presence of sunlight here, but today marks the second day of celebration of sunshine. Our windows are wide open, and, despite the cold, we are all basking in its rays. We've become even more ambitious and have begun planning a possible trip next weekend to somewhere like Bulgaria or elsewhere in Anatolian Turkey. Both are considerable journeys by bus, but this way is the cheapest, most convenient, and most conventional mode of travel in and around portions of Turkey.

Our spring break planning, too, is underway, but we have several options we want to explore before coming to a decision. In all likelihood, we are leaving Turkey and will visit multiple places, but the majority (though not all) of us will be refraining from Iran, Iraq, and Syria as destinations. Stay tuned.

Domino's in Turkey?

Yes, indeed, Domino's delivers to Istanbul. It's not quite the same but a similar version nonetheless: less sauce, the cheese more browned on top, and the pepperoni not quite a pork product. They have the 30-minutes-or-less promise, that is, unless you order more than one pizza. They weren't all that late, but we were shocked when the delivery man showed up with four as opposed to two pizzas. Apparently, Domino's has an automatic buy-one-get-one deal with college students, so we have lunch for tomorrow too!

Is it better than American Domino's? While I understand the eating establishment is not among the most elite eating establishments in our country, I do like my occasional greasy pizza, and--like its American counterpart--this pizza gets the job done. I liked it actually a bit more than the ones at home because the cheese seemed a little more fresh here.

I do believe I like the American Domino's cold the next day better than the Turkish Domino's, although both are acceptable forms of college sustenance.

Here Comes the Sun (do do do do)

As I have noted in my earlier blogs, the weather here has been positively bizarre. Although the first few days saw sun and warm temperatures, the rest since then have been cold, dreary, and rainy. I had not seen the sun in nearly two weeks, and I we had all grown quite tired of having damp clothing at day's end.

Last night, though, we left our nightly movie watching ritual (in a stadium seating lecture hall) to see our campus under a blanket of white, fluffy snow! It had been cold, but we did not expect to see snow at all, much less the 2+ inches that had fallen in the previous hour and a half. We played in it for a few hours, building the requisite snowman and having very sophisticated snowball fights; by that I mean the campus is full of retaining walls, barriers, hidden corners and such, making a simple snowball fight into a strategic exercise. It was a pleasant and unexpected surprise that made up for the previous weeks of undesirable weather.

Although 90% of the snow had melted by this morning, the sun finally did show its face from behind the clouds for nearly an hour. It kissed our pale faces for that brief moment, and although it went away shortly thereafter, its mere existence seemed to...well, brighten our day (no pun intended). I am reminded of the Ray Bradbury short story "All Summer in a Day." It is about a group of people living on a planet that only gets sun once every seven years; you never realize how much you appreciate the sun until you don't see it for a long time!

Valentine's Weekend and Such

The end of the first week of classes ended somewhat uneventfully, but I was ready for the weekend after our fun and excitement at the police station.

I went on Friday to the doctor, and I was very impressed with how efficient my free appointment was. After walking in, the receptionist directed me to the exam room, so I didn't even sit in the waiting room. Within one minute, the doctor came in, looked me over, told me what was wrong with me, and wrote me four (?!?) prescriptions. I was out within five minutes, and I went back a couple hours later to pick up my prescriptions. Altogether, the four drugs cost 47TL, a mere $28.50 or so, which is far less than I would co-pay for even two drugs at home. Already, I'm feeling a lot better, but I did wake up on Saturday with a nasty case of pinkeye brought on by the cold. Within a day, though, it started clearing up, and today is the first day I've woken up feeling healthy, even though I still have a bit of a cough.
I moved in finally and prefer this new room over the last. There is far more space, a bit of a better view, a nicer desk, and I am closer to the classroom buildings. And, my roommate is a good friend of mine, so I'm quite happy with the switch. The room is a little messy as we haven't unpacked fully, and we have two of these chairs, but only one fits in the room well, thus explaining the second floating in the middle by my bed, as I was using my mattress as an ottoman (an ottoman in Turkey--ha!).

A group of friends and I went out to eat and then a few bars in Taksim last night (Valentine's Day) and had a really good time. One thing I find kid of curious is how most of the music in these places are American singers/bands, and oftentimes the DJs (even on the radio) speak impeccable English.

On this lazy Sunday, I plan on doing a bit of reading, so nothing too incredibly exciting. It has rained or been misting non-stop all week and will continue to do so next week. We've been joking about how we haven't seen the sun in a week in a half, and we're kinda bummed by the whole thing, especially with it being between 38-45 degrees all the time. We might see a peek of sun on Tuesday, and maybe Thursday, but the weather forecast is rather monotonous otherwise.

Thought of the Day

Relatively speaking, the Department of Motor Vehicles in America is an efficient, well-oiled machine.

I left at six this morning and it is now eleven, and I just got back. And, I get to go next week!

I did, however, get to see a little more of Istanbul with its beautiful mosques just nestled in the hills. I can't believe that you could be going down the street and just stumble across a beautiful, centuries-old mosque. Or sections of the Wall of Constantinople. The city is rife with such rich history it is almost unfathomable.

Now, off to health center and then I think I start my big (and hopefully last) move!