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.