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.