Relocated.

I finally have had it with the block on Blogspot. Turkey doesn't seem to be lifting the ban anytime soon, so I am taking my business elsewhere.
Read my new blog!
http://conqueringconstantinople.tumblr.com/

Capri lives up to expectations.

I got to Naples two nights ago after spending an unreasonable amount of time trying to figure out the Italian railway system.  It's really quite simple, actually.  I just went about doing everything in kind of a backwards order.  I will spare you the details.
I met up with Stella in the hostel called Giovanni's House, so named for the Italian bachelor that runs it.  Whatever notion you have about a typical Italian bachelor, ignore it. Giovanni is a really nice guy who treats his guests like they are his children, cooking us dinner and serenading us on his guitar.  Naples is famous for being the birthplace of pizza, and as soon as I put my things away we rushed off to have the very best that Naples has to offer at Gino Sorbillo's.  The main difference between American pizza and Italian pizza is that Italian pizza has thin crust, and it just looks and tastes a lot healthier.  I think the ingredients are generally fresher, too, and less greasy.  So you don't feel guilty about eating an entire pizza, and topping it off with a cannoli.  Or two.  And maybe a doughnut.

Stella says I look like Gaston in this picture.  I thing I have a knack for looking like Disney characters.

The weather in Naples was less than beautiful yesterday, and seeing as Stella has already been in the city for a week we really restricted our sight-seeing.  We didn't really feel bad about it, either.  There's no point in forcing exploration if it's going to make you grumpy.  One of the cool things we did was explore the underground Roman/Greco cistern called the Napoli Sotterranea.  It involved a dark, damp  cavern, a large tour group led by a small Italian man who was self conscious of his cracking voice, and crawling through tight spaces for the fun of it.  It was not for the claustrophobic, but I found it satisfying because we got to carry lit candles around and pretend we were living in the old days.  We also learned that the cistern was used to hide refugees during WWII.  Stella and I are still uncertain which side the refugees would have been on.

Glamour queen on the chair lift

Today we woke up at the crack of 7:15 to catch a ferry to Capri.  It was the best day in Italy I could have possibly asked for.  While the ferries in Istanbul are much cheaper, I really cannot complain because it was definitely worth the 18 euro (round trip) fare.  Capri is a fantastic island, and it only took about 1.5 hours to get there from the port in Naples.  It is basically a mountain rising out of the Mediterranean Sea, which makes exploring by foot fairly daunting.  When we got to the island, Stella and I hopped on a shuttle up to Ana Capri, which is a slightly more residential and quiet area of the island.  Even in the off-season the island is quite posh and touristy.  It kind of reminded me of an Italian version of Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard.  From Ana Capri we took a chair lift up to the very peak of the island, which had an awesome view.  While the sky was still a bit hazy, the weather was warm and it smelled like spring.  I was so, so happy.

No, that is not midriff

 

 

 

 

It was kind of windy.  Stella says I look like Santa Claus in this picture.

Perched.  

We made our way back down to Capri, the regular part of the island, with just a little time to spare before we had to catch the ferry back to Naples.  The lighting was really pretty, and we got some nice shots of the houses and the cliffs.

 

Photo credit goes to Stella for all of these pictures.  I had my camera, but I did not bring my cord to upload my pictures to the computer.  I will try to add more when I get back to Turkey, if I can still circumnavigate the blogspot block!  

Tomorrow I'm heading out of Naples in the morning to spend about 24 hours in Rome before I go back to Turkey.  Rome will be great, but it's going to be hard to beat Capri!

This is why I have not posted recently.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=blogspot-is-banned-2011-03-02
Blogspot has been blocked by the Turkish government. The ban is hopefully going to be temporary, but I guess we'll have to wait and see. However, I am sneaky and I have devised a way to access it. Hope they don't catch me!
I am going to Italy this Saturday for a few days, and tragically I will have to miss my classes on Tuesday and Wednesday (but I have no Monday classes, what what!). I'll try to update from the road, but until then...
Ciao! <-- Cliché but I couldn't help myself.

The Pera Museum

Sometimes I have to remind myself that I am an art history major, and that is why I am here.  When I have begun to settle into a routine of waking up, going to class, watching an absurd amount of Mad Men, and possibly getting exercise if I'm not too emotionally exhausted from watching Donald Draper's life fall apart at the seams, it is important that I take a step back and remember that I'm in Istanbul.  Despite what the weather throws at us, which has been rain for the past week, I need to keep my head above the clouds and remember how lucky I am to be here.

Yesterday my flatmate Zoe and I battled the elements to go see the Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera exhibition at the Pera Museum in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, a short walk from Taksim Square.  I have been familiar with both artists for a long time, but I had never seen their work in person, and I had been meaning to go since last semester.  Kahlo featured more prominently, probably because Rivera is mostly known for his murals, and they aren't exactly portable.  The exhibition space was small, but the museum managed to fit quite a lot into the confined area.  I learned that Kahlo and Rivera were actually married, which was news to me, and it was interesting seeing how they influenced each other.  One particular Frida Kahlo painting struck me, mostly because I thought it was oddly spiritual and quite strange.  Notice how Rivera is featured in the painting.

The Love Embrace of the Universe, the Earth (Mexico), Me,  and Señor Xolotl
Frida Kahlo, 1949

Kahlo was in a tragic accident when she was 18, and throughout the rest of her life underwent something like 20 surgeries.  She lived in constant physical pain, and died at a relatively young age.  She had several miscarriages that I imagine were related to her physical maladies, and these also influenced the emotional elements of her work.

Miscarriage
Frida Kahlo

The Pera Museum also has an great collection of orientalist paintings, which includes one in particular that I recognized from its prints, which are sold all over the city.  I am sorry to report that I don't really know about the history of tortoise training in Istanbul.  I don't really think it actually happened.  But it's a nice thought, isn't it?  

The Tortoise Trainer
Osman Hamdi Bey, 1906/1907

I don't think the lettuce that this guy is feeding them is really inspiring the tortoises to perform.  I know that if I were a tortoise, you'd have to give me something a little bit more exciting than lettuce if you wanted me to do tricks.  Just saying.

I have a long way to go.

Yesterday I got back to Istanbul, and stepping out of the airport in my snazzy ski jacket I immediately broke into a sweat when the 14 degree Celsius air hit me like a wall.  It is unseasonably warm, but not warm enough to wear only a denim jacket at night.  I found that out the hard way.  Apparently I really struggle with choosing appropriate outerwear.
So I was reading this article (read it!) on the TimeOut Istanbul website about how to truly integrate as an expat.  For obvious reasons the title "Expat transition tips" attracted my attention, because I am "transitioning" and I am (kinda, not really) an expat.  I got a little downhearted when I realized that according to this magazine, I am nowhere near being an integrated expat.

Since the article presents transition tips in list form (yay!), I will follow the same format in describing why I am failing at my goal.
1.  Befriend a local Manav, Tekel, and Eczane.
Wait, who are Manav, Tekel, and Eczane?  Ohhh I get it, Eczane means pharmacy.  So they want me to befriend local shopkeepers so I can make friends in the area, support local business, and practice Turkish.  While I do go to local shops and I've been to a pharmacy a couple of times, I am nowhere near being buddies with any of the shopkeepers.  From what I can tell, at least in my neighborhood, the staffs at these places are big enough so that I don't run into the same people regularly.  There is one exception I can think of, and that's the Hisar bakery where I buy my bread, and they're just straight-up unfriendly and far too busy to care about being my friend.
2.  Jump off the fence and pick a team.
I haven't even been to a soccer (football, what have you) match yet.  Oops.
3.  Learn Backgammon in a makeshift teagarden.
I know how to play, but I always forget how to set up the board, and I avoid playing against Turks because I hate to lose.  However, I do know that the Turkish word for backgammon is Tavla.
4. Leave food out for the street cats.
Why would I do this when the stray cats on campus are notorious for taking food out of your hands? They have eaten enough of everyone else's sandwiches to survive off of their own fat stores for a year.  I have the scratches to prove it, too.
5. Slow it down to a snail's pace.
I am a fast walker, even by American standards.  People tell me that it's because I'm tall, but I think it's because I'm from a cold climate and I have a hurry-your-ass-up instinct to get where I'm going as fast as I can so I can get out of the cold.  I really doubt that I will ever stop habitually passing people on the sidewalks of Turkey.
6.  Go public with a loud lovers tiff.
Not my style, thanks.  First of all, I prefer passive aggression to straight-up confrontation.  In fact, I avoid confrontation as much as I can.  In public?  Forget about it.  Oh yeah, and I don't have a lover.  So there's that element, too.
7. Make out passionately in a cafe.
See above.
8.  Join a protest.
The one time I encountered riot police, I was innocently walking with my friend Alison to a bus stop.  We both saw them marching towards us and we ran the other way.  Like I said, I'm non-confrontational.
9.  Drink Efes.
Ok, you got me.  I do drink Efes.
10.  Get up close and personal.
I guess I can work on it, but I don't really feel the need to ask people how much they weigh, what they make, and how old they are.  Maybe I will start.  Next time the crew coach Batuhan asks me how much I weigh, I'm going to turn the question around on him.  Apparently he used to be a lightweight!

So needless to say, I have a lot to work on before I am a properly integrated expat.  I wonder how many of these I can accomplish in the next four months...

My valentine.

This post is specially dedicated to my valentine, Alison Rogers.  Alison and I spent the weekend together having adventures in the Amherst College area and basically being our mischievous selves.  It was great to see her after our "trial separation" of three weeks, while she was getting back in the swing of things at Amherst and I was sitting at home being a bum.  She took me to a Gretchen Parlato jazz concert in Vermont, which was reminiscent of the times we went to Nardis Jazz club in Istanbul together.  Alison is a musician and a jazz aficionado.  I just tag along and try to look cultured and important.  We also spent an afternoon galavanting through Northampton, MA.  I asked Alison whether there was a special hipster convention happening there that weekend.  She said it's always like that.  I didn't get any photos, but picture this: an ocean of flannel and mustaches.

Today we wandered around Amherst looking for a nail salon, and in the meantime stumbled across this hidden gem.  The first one I've seen since I've been back in the States.  Just for the fun of it, let's compare it to a slightly more prolific mosque in Turkey.  

A standard "Yes, of course we accept your religion!  Just don't get all uppity about it" mosque in Amherst, MA

The "needs no more explanation" Blue Mosque in Istanbul

Before I headed back home, I had to document the decoration scheme in Alison's room.  Most importantly, she has a fantastic street sign hanging on her wall that I obtained and gave to her in Istanbul.  Necessary background information: Alison plays the trumpet. She also has a Turkish flag with a portrait of Atatürk hanging on her wall to watch her while she sleeps.  Just what every girl needs.

What a cutie.  And Alison isn't bad either.

<3 valentine 4eva!!1!
This is exactly what it looks like.

List time, again!

If I recall correctly, I made a list of things I needed to do before I went to Istanbul in September.  It featured such items as a cash box/ mini-safe and an electricity converter.  Turns out I never bought a mini-safe (thank GOODNESS, what a waste that would have been), and the electricity converter I bought was completely bogus and works nowhere in Europe, let alone Turkey.  Thanks, Radio Shack lady.
There are several things that I need to do before I go back to Turkey next week, and since the inner workings of my mind are interesting sometimes, I thought I would share.
1) Mani-pedi.  I think I have only had one manicure and one pedicure in my life, but for some reason I am really craving a good pampering before I go back to Turkey.  Maybe because I know that in Istanbul, I will steer clear of all beauty salons and kuaförler (hairdressers), lest my elementary Turkish skills result in me getting a mullet or a rat tail.  You'd be surprised how common they are, much to my aesthetic dismay.
2) A hair cut.  See above.
3) Annie's Macaroni and Cheese.  As many boxes as I can fit in my suitcase.  I never missed it more in my life than I did last semester.
4) Peanut butter.  A good, nauseatingly processed American brand like Skippy, or Jif.  Yum.
5) Heinz ketchup?  Maybe.  Turkish ketchup isn't as delicious.  However, there is always the possibility of a ketchup explosion in my suitcase.  That happened to my shampoo bottle on the first trip to Turkey, but for some reason I think a ketchup explosion would be less tolerable.
6) Maple syrup!  Although a maple syrup explosion would be far worse than a ketchup explosion, I will sacrifice my wardrobe and my electronics if need be.  Gotta have maple syrup.
6) A spray-on tan.  Just kidding.  Kind of.
7) Time for an iPhone upgrade!  Wahoo!  And this time, fingers crossed, I will be able to use it in Turkey.

10 days until I head back.  Getting excited for my sweet new apartment and warmer weather!  Things I will miss: This guy.

Going to extremes

There is way too much snow in Massachusetts right now.  It's nice to have a winter for a month while I'm home, and the snow is very pretty.  Unfortunately, there has been entirely too much snow (and sleet, and slush) in the past few days and it has interfered with my extreme training regiment.  And by that I mean I have not been able to go running every day, and I think I can feel my muscles atrophying.  Also, I'm not a member of a gym right now, because it just didn't make financial sense to join for a month.  So I've been holed up in my house looking for a summer job.  This is not how I wanted to spend my time in the States.

Today I finally reached my wits' end, and I signed up for a yoga class.  Yoga is something that I've always associated with young urban professionals-- yuppies.  I'm not trying to hate on yoga (or yuppies), because it's great for your body and it is, in fact, challenging.  It's just that I usually associate exercise with moving quickly in some specific direction, not staring at the ground while levitating in an awkward, compromising position and hoping I'm not mooning the people behind me.  Anyway, I showed up at the yoga class imagining that I would leave at the end of an hour feeling disappointed and not at all tired.  I was mistaken.

One of my character flaws is that I hate doing things that I'm bad at.  Therefore, I have trouble motivating myself to learn new things, because I hate humiliating myself in the beginning.  Recent things I have learned that exemplify this attitude include tennis, backgammon, and neuroscience.  I would add Turkish to the list but I haven't given up on that just yet.  Yoga, it turns out, is also one of these things, and I was quickly reminded why I don't do yoga more often when the class started.  Am I the only one who thinks downward facing dog is challenging, and not really that rejuvenating?  And while I have sufficient strength to move a boat and pull a relatively good split on an ergometer, it turns out that I really can't balance my whole body weight on my wrists and forearms in peacock pose.  Furthermore, the instructor, kind and helpful as she was, repeatedly came up to me to offer me help.  It was sweet, but I had already drawn enough attention to myself by laughing out loud at my inflexibility, and I really didn't want any more pity smiles and patronizing encouragement.  While balancing on one leg and twisting my back towards the sky, I couldn't help but relate my experience to the yoga scene from the best movie in the world, Forgetting Sarah Marshall.  Especially when my instructor said that beginners should feel comfortable laying on their mats in child's pose.  I'm pretty sure I was the only beginner.  Wounds salted.

Countries that are not Turkey

I do not keep a blog in order to reflect my political views or report on international events that I don't know much about, but I wanted to comment on what is currently happening in Egypt.  I was hoping to travel to Cairo at some point during my stay in Istanbul, because my friends and family that have been there say it is incredible.  Of course, there is much more to Egypt than its tourist attractions.  The recent episodes of political unrest in Tunisia, Lebanon, and Egypt have caught my attention more than they would have if I had been living in the United States this fall.  I would like to attribute this to my heightened sense of global awareness, but I guess the proximity thing helps too.  It has been interesting to read about the uprising in Egypt through the coverage of the New York Times, the only newspaper that we have delivered to my house in Massachusetts.  Despite the liberal reputation that the Times has earned, it is still very much an American newspaper.  It has covered the conflicts in Egypt with a much closer eye than, for example, The Hurriyet, an daily Turkish newspaper that is printed in English.  This must be because Egypt is the USA's strongest ally in the Middle East, and therefore US politicians are having an "Oh shit!" response to the instability of their only friend in the area.  Oh wait, there's Israel too.  But that's a whole different story. 

Anyway, here is an interesting video that my sister showed me earlier tonight of footage from the upheaval in Egypt.  My sister Charlotte has had a great deal of experience with China for someone her age, having lived in Nanjing and Shanghai for a couple of years following her college graduation.  After she showed me the video, she asked me if it reminded me of anything.  We agreed that what is happening in Egypt, particularly in that particular video, is strikingly similar to the student uprisings in Tiananmen Square and the mysterious tank man.  Charlotte then informed me that China has blocked internet browsers from searching "Egypt" as a preventative measure.  The Chinese government officials don't want the young people to get any ideas.  

I can't pretend to be an expert on these subjects, so this is all I will say on the matter.  I am interested to see how the situation in Egypt unfolds, and the effects it will have on its neighboring countries as well as its relationship with the USA.  I hope that Egypt's uprising can be resolved in a peaceful way that doesn't leave a gaping hole in its history, like what happened in Tiananmen Square.

Her very own special post.

All is right in the world because even though we are on separate continents, I still make Stella laugh so hard that she cries and then vomits.  

P.S. Stella, I think there might be something in your teeth.

Back at home

Today is my fourth full day back in the US, I have not unpacked my bags, my room is an utter disaster, and the weather is so cold that it is insulting.  However, it is nice to be in a place where my clothes fit the climate.  I got a really warm coat as a late Christmas present, which would be overkill in Istanbul, even though everyone there claims that "we normally do have a winter, this is just unseasonably warm!"  Note to people that believe that Istanbul experiences winter:  Maybe you are right, but compared to what I have been experiencing when I step outside in Massachusetts (which is not even northern New England-- so really I can't complain) I am compelled to laugh at Istanbul's version of winter.  Nice try.  Better luck next year?

My wardrobe isn't the only thing that fits in in New England.  Guess what else does?  My height, my skin color, my hair color, my eye color, my interest in sports and the outdoors, my name (kind of), my religion, my language, my sense of humor, my music taste...  So maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit.  New England isn't really that homogenous, it's just that I seem to fit in a lot more here than I do in Istanbul.  I know that is a no brainer, but it's something that has never been so apparent to me until now.  I spent the last couple days visiting friends at Williams, and it made me realize how much of a product of my environment I am.  I am so similar to so many Williams students.  I'm not saying that is a bad thing, because on the whole all Williams students should have certain fundamental similarities: intelligence, social competence, and a good work ethic.  There are exceptions, of course, but I would say that the Williams admissions office tries hard to accept applicants that display these three characteristics in some way or another.  But the applicants are a self selected group, and they see something in Williams that they like.  For me, I think one of the most salient reasons I chose to go to Williams is because it seemed familiar and comfortable.  

Fast forward two years, and compare my first semester at Williams with my first semester in Istanbul.  At Williams, I quickly found a group of people with similar backgrounds and shared interests that became my closest friends.  In Istanbul, I met no other American girls from the Northeast that do college sports.  They were probably there somewhere, but we didn't find each other, and I am glad we didn't.  I felt unique in a way I had never felt before, and I made friends unlike any I have ever had.  I can't deny that it was comforting to come home to Massachusetts and blend into the grain, settle back into my old habits, and feel average again.  I have roots here, whether I like it or not.  One thing that I worried about when I was in Turkey was finding my place and being accepted.  I wondered if I was kidding myself by trying to be happy as an outsider in such an unfamiliar environment.  However, when I expressed this to one of my new Turkish friends, the friend said "Why try to fit in, when you are meant to stand out?"  This question really stuck with me, and it ultimately helped me decide to spend another semester in Istanbul, continuing to live outside my comfort zone in a culture with which I will never be able to identify.  While I can put forth my best effort and try to appreciate Istanbul and Turkey in a more profound way than most Westerners do, I will never be able to blend into the crowd in Istanbul like I can in Massachusetts.  Call it what you will, claim that I just like getting attention, whatever.  The important thing is that I kind of like being the outsider once in a while, and I think that after a month of re-immersing myself in the winter in New England and regaining some perspective on what it is to feel cold, I will be ready to be a foreigner in Istanbul again.  It's refreshing.  

This guy is cool

What do you get when you take three American girls, three Turkish guys, some really mellow music, and the "throw caution to the wind" attitude that saying goodbye to Istanbul gives you?

Some excellent new musical knowledge that I need to share with you!  What did you expect me to say?  Get your mind out of the gutter.  

Anyway, one of my Turkish friends played us some music by the Turkish-Armenian folk artist Arto Tunçboyacıyan. I strongly recommend you check out the video we watched.  Don't just watch the first 20 seconds, either.  It gets really good in the middle.

Kind of winning something

I'm in the midst of packing my room up and moving out of the Superdorm. Finally! Thought I'd share with you some Turkish pop, which is inspiring me while I organize. This song is played everywhere. The artist is Tarkan, and he is huge here. This is really the only song of his that I know, I am ashamed to say. And I'm sorry if it makes your ears bleed.

In other news, this past Sunday I ran a 14 km race called "Geyik Koşuları", which means "running deer" or something like that. It took place in the Belgrade Forest, which is about 20 km north of Istanbul. The Bogazici rowing coach decided that it would be a great thing to do instead of our normal Sunday morning practice. Seven of us went, and I was the only girl that showed up. The weather was wet, the air was cold, and the attitudes were skeptical (except for mine of course). When we registered, we were given fancy little electronic wrist bands to wear that would record our time at every check-point. It was legitimate.

So without doing much of a warmup, we all lined up to race 14 km, or about 8.7 miles, over the hills and through the mud patches of the forest. I hadn't run a race since high school, and as I sloshed my way through ankle deep mud and barreled down hills with minimal control over my legs, I reminisced about the glory days of SPS cross country. The competition was tight for the first 4 or 5 kilometers, at which point the pack started to spread out. I managed to cruise along at my own pace without having anyone breathing down my neck for most of the race, and I crossed the line in 1 hour and 21-ish minutes. This was better than I had expected to do, given the conditions, the terrain, and the amount of training I had done for this race (none)!

It turns out that I beat most of my teammates, I came in third overall for women, and I came in first for my age group (18-29 year olds). I guess this is where I have to admit that no one else registered in my age group. That meant that the other two women that beat me were thirty or above. Sweet. So here I am, getting my first place medal! They also gave me a 50 lira (approx $32) gift certificate to a sports store in Istanbul as a reward for my efforts.

I was lucky enough to get credit for my third place finish, too. Sadly the first place and second place winners did not show up to collect their prizes, so I stood on the third place stand. By myself. Super cool. On the bright side, I got another 50 lira gift certificate to the same sports store. So now I can buy 100 lira worth of merchandise next time I'm in Istanbul. Wooo!

I had massive blisters on both of my feet and about a pound of mud in my shoes, so walking was difficult after the race (not to mention the next day). However, with my medal and my two gift certificates, I think things turned out pretty well in the end!

Oh, you know, just hanging out in third place by myself.

biraz düşünce

On January 20th, five days from now, I will be flying back to Boston. Exams are finally over, so I guess it's time for some reflection on my past semester. And because I like to make lists.

Things (some unexpected) that I have gained an appreciation for since living in Istanbul:
1) Sleeping past noon. Because why not? Don't ask questions.
2) If I was not fortunate enough to sleep past noon, taking a nap for several hours later in the day.
3) Wearing my glasses outside of my room. I never do this at home, but for some reason (see above) I have started putting less effort into... everything?
4) Kanye West's new album, and on a completely different note, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.
5) Findik ezmesi. Like peanut butter, but made with hazelnuts and sugar. Eat it by the spoonful, put it on bread, use it as an exfoliating moisturizer, whatever. It's all good, and by good I mean delicious.
6) Fresh baked bread. Really soft on the inside, crispy on the outside, preferably warm. Not sliced, because tearing it with your hands is just so satisfying.
7) Beyaz peynir. This translates to white cheese. It's basically feta, but better than what we have in the US. And I eat it almost everyday in one way or another.
8) Throwing random Turkish words or phrases into my everyday speech. I guess this isn't that unexpected bir şekilde.

5 months ago, I thought I would be doing the following in Turkey:
1) Eating baklava all the time. It's true, I love baklava, but there are other delicious things to eat too.
2) Taking the ferry to the other side of the Bosphorus. I've only done it a couple of times, because there is so much stuff on the European side, and less on the Asian side. No offense, Asia.
3) Hanging out in Sultanahmet by the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. Turns out that's only a good idea if you are a tourist, and even then it's questionable. Future tourists of Istanbul: Sultanahmet is cool, but it's not the only thing to see. And people are much less annoying in other areas of the city (generally).

5 months ago, I had no idea that I would be doing the following in Turkey:
1) Picking up and moving the cats that have jumped up on my desk in the middle of class.
2) Rowing in a single, especially on the Golden Horn. I still can't really believe I did that.
3) Studying. To be realistic, most Americans that study abroad do very little work. I haven't really had that experience. Thank you, neuroscience!
4) Getting offended when served tea in a ceramic mug. Who do you think I am, a Westerner?
5) Worrying about where the next toilet paper roll is coming from.
6) Conscientiously trying NOT to look Russian.

Things about my life here that I will never get tired of:
1) Hearing the call to prayer. If I go a day without hearing it, I get a little bit disturbed.
2) The amazing view of the Bosphorus that I see when I'm walking to class on South Campus.
3) Drinking çay after every meal, mostly as an excuse to just sit and enjoy the present company.

Shut up and learn.

It's 2:40 AM on a Saturday, and seeing as I have two exams this afternoon, I saw it fit to update my blog. I've spent some good quality time in the Bogazici University library recently, and I thought I'd offer some anecdotes about what makes it so... unique.

1) It closes at 10 pm. Compare that to the Williams College libraries, which stay open until... 2 AM? 3 AM? Soft core.

2) You have to show your ID every time you enter the library, and usually the ID checker looks like he or she will shoot the next person that walks in the door. Walking into the library is therefore kind of like Russian Roulette.

3) It is a pain in the butt to use the bathroom when you're in the library. When I'm at Williams I like to go to the bathroom as a kind of "study break," but here the bathroom is in the basement, it's always FREEZING cold, and there is never, ever any toilet paper. It's just generally a good idea to carry tissues around with you, wherever you go. After about four months here, I finally learned that. Today I was prepared.

4) Do not speak in the library. Seriously. Don't even walk loudly. And please keep your breathing to yourself.

4) There are signs all over the library offering inspirational quotes on wisdom and learning, just to remind you of the purpose of a library. As if you had forgotten.

5) I like to study near the reserves section, where they have tables with laminated pictures of famous intellectuals. Just a little bit of added inspiration. I like to sit at the Einstein table, especially when I'm working on neuroscience. Usually Dante's table is too crowded, and I would sit at Dostoyevsky's table, but seeing as I've never read anything of his I think it would make me a poser. Not like I've ever read anything of Einstein's, either. But where's the harm in trying to channel a little bit of his brain power during exam period?

Deep in thought with Albert.

For your supplementary reading pleasure...

Stella also keeps a blog, which is phenomenal although it hardly even pertains to Istanbul. However, there are a few true gems in here. Check it out.

MUTLU YILLAR! (Happy New Years!)

Happy New Year from Istanbul!

I'm still here. Classes officially ended yesterday, December 31st. The semester schedule (obviously) is very different from what we in the US are used to. Things I have to look forward to now that classes are over: Taking 5 exams. The fun starts with my Turkish exam on Monday. I should start studyingfor that... but in the mean time I'm going to fill you in on what I've been doing!

As you might imagine, Christmas isn't much of a holiday here. Most Turks are Muslims. That's not to say that there is no holiday cheer. The end of December is surprisingly commercial here, as well, but for different reasons-- it's New Years! There are lights up all over Etiler, the region of Istanbul I live in, and trees and shrubs on campus are covered in them. And there are some serious New Years sales going on, too. I have stolen some of my lovely Stella's photos to demonstrate the New Year decor, because I've been bad with the camera stuff recently. Also, Stella isn't my only friend, in case you were wondering. I do have other friends.... I think.

Apart from going to church on Christmas Eve, I spent Christmas pretty much like I spend any other Saturday in Istanbul. I even woke up at 7:30 Christmas morning to go to the boathouse with the crew team. I really struggled with that decision, but after some serious pondering on"What would Jesus do?", I decided that I would go to practice and not let my team down. I think Jesus would be proud. He always did stress the importance of early morning workouts, right? After practice, I went out to breakfast with some friends and watched Love Actually, which tries to be a Christmas movie but is really good to watch all year round. I skyped with my family, ordered Chinese takeout for dinner, and watched the Knicks play the Bulls. I don't usually pay attention to the NBA, but that's what my friends were doing, so I thought it wouldn't kill me to participate. Besides, they were wearing red and green for the occasion, and nothing says Christmas Spirit like red and green basketball jerseys!

New Years was outlandishly exciting. First of all, New Years Eve fell on the Friday that classes

ended. It was a perfect storm of reasons to party-- the end of a semester, the last hurrah before

several weeks of exams, and the celebration of a new year. Second of all, I went on a boat cruise

of the Bosphorus with lots of other Erasmus/exchange and Turkish students from all over Istanbul. It was a great idea in theory, but it was cold enough that I didn't spend much time out on the deck appreciating the fact that I was on a boat. I mostly tried to stay warm inside. But it was still outlandishly exciting. I think that's the best way to describe the night. Get it? Out-land-ish? Cause we were on a boat? Thanks, I know, I'm hilarious. Anyway, the boat cruise was great way to celebrate the new year with some of of the fantastic people I've met here. I have minimal photographic evidence, so again I have stolen pictures from Stella. See? I do have other friends! And they aren't just strangers posing for the picture. Although there were quite a few of those, too.

What a wholesome group.

Stella and I are sharing a moment, as usual.

So Mutlu Yıllar, everyone! Here's to hoping that 2011 will have as many exciting adventures as 2010. It'll be a tough act to follow!