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.