Wednesday, November 26
I went to pay the phone bill and to do some shopping at Migros. As we waited in line at McD's for lunch, one of the delivery drivers came inside to greet Aeden and say hello. Aeden had been flirting with him through the window last time we were there, and he had definitely left an impression.
I wandered down the road across the street from McD's where there are many banks, so I assumed there was a post office somewhere along the way as well. But before I came to one I ran into a Turk Telekom office, so I paid the bill there, as if that had been the plan all along. We finished up our shopping and errands only to arrive home and have an internet bill in the mailbox (which is Turk Telekom also). Wonderful.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Tuesday, November 25
Aeden and I took a cab to Bilkent Center and did some Christmas shopping. I think I ended up at the wrong shopping center, or the Toys R Us has vanished into thin air. The jury is still out on that, but I was trying to do a recon trip so I would know better what we can get here without having more stuff shipped for Christmas. I also have to just remember that the whole year here is like Christmas and we don't have to overdo it.
I like it when kids are young enough to shop for presents with them still and not ruin any surprises. So much less complicated!
After school Aeden and Maren were reading books in our bed. Of course as soon as the camera came out Aeden stopped reading his, but look at those two cuties anyway!
Aeden and I took a cab to Bilkent Center and did some Christmas shopping. I think I ended up at the wrong shopping center, or the Toys R Us has vanished into thin air. The jury is still out on that, but I was trying to do a recon trip so I would know better what we can get here without having more stuff shipped for Christmas. I also have to just remember that the whole year here is like Christmas and we don't have to overdo it.
I like it when kids are young enough to shop for presents with them still and not ruin any surprises. So much less complicated!
After school Aeden and Maren were reading books in our bed. Of course as soon as the camera came out Aeden stopped reading his, but look at those two cuties anyway!
Monday, November 24
Teacher Appreciation Day: 1/2 day for Brian. He brought home red roses with blue eye beads, and an engraved pen and keychain set with this year's date. The whole school was to go to Ataturk's Mausoleum to celebrate the day this afternoon, but Brian is still not feeling well, so he came home.
We sent some of our Almond Roca with the girls for their teachers today, too.
Here's a listing of all the appreciated teachers at TED High. I thought they were post-it notes on the wall, but they're full size sheets. Brian's near the bottom right.
Teacher Appreciation Day: 1/2 day for Brian. He brought home red roses with blue eye beads, and an engraved pen and keychain set with this year's date. The whole school was to go to Ataturk's Mausoleum to celebrate the day this afternoon, but Brian is still not feeling well, so he came home.
We sent some of our Almond Roca with the girls for their teachers today, too.
Here's a listing of all the appreciated teachers at TED High. I thought they were post-it notes on the wall, but they're full size sheets. Brian's near the bottom right.
Sunday, November 23
The wind turned off this morning and things seem so much more calm and quiet. I guess we'll learn how much wind there is over the winter as each day goes by.
I walked to Armada with Maren and Aeden to get us out and about a little. Two steps off of the elevator and we saw Lori and her daughter, and then shortly after that we ran into Blake (Maren's classmate) and his family, then Esther (an Oasis 2nd grader) and her family...it was like being in Olympia!
Maren and I made Mosaic Cake for dessert. Supposedly it is a common dessert since it is so easy, and I can see why it would be popular. We'll be making it again. It is a no-bake "log" cake made with cocoa powder, sugar, milk, and crushed petite beurre cookies. Dangerously easy to make and to eat as well.
We chatted with Grandma Teri on the computer today, too. We caught her up on her Turkish lessons...counting and colors :-)
The wind turned off this morning and things seem so much more calm and quiet. I guess we'll learn how much wind there is over the winter as each day goes by.
I walked to Armada with Maren and Aeden to get us out and about a little. Two steps off of the elevator and we saw Lori and her daughter, and then shortly after that we ran into Blake (Maren's classmate) and his family, then Esther (an Oasis 2nd grader) and her family...it was like being in Olympia!
Maren and I made Mosaic Cake for dessert. Supposedly it is a common dessert since it is so easy, and I can see why it would be popular. We'll be making it again. It is a no-bake "log" cake made with cocoa powder, sugar, milk, and crushed petite beurre cookies. Dangerously easy to make and to eat as well.
We chatted with Grandma Teri on the computer today, too. We caught her up on her Turkish lessons...counting and colors :-)
Saturday, November 22
Oasis Christmas Craft Bazaar. The walk there was so windy that we were able to lean into the wind and have a bit of fun with it, and we all had great tangles to work through in our hair afterward. Lacey's coat was open and so she was "flying" up the hill.
Here's a shot from one route back down the hill to our house. It caught my attention thistime because of the cloud cover nearby and the bright sun in the distance. It also captures an unfinished apartment block, which you see everywhere.
Tried to read "Picture of Dorian Gray" but just can't do it. Three chapters of Wilde is enough, right?
Aeden made it through "Snuggle Puppy" a few times today, though.
Oasis Christmas Craft Bazaar. The walk there was so windy that we were able to lean into the wind and have a bit of fun with it, and we all had great tangles to work through in our hair afterward. Lacey's coat was open and so she was "flying" up the hill.
Here's a shot from one route back down the hill to our house. It caught my attention thistime because of the cloud cover nearby and the bright sun in the distance. It also captures an unfinished apartment block, which you see everywhere.
Tried to read "Picture of Dorian Gray" but just can't do it. Three chapters of Wilde is enough, right?
Aeden made it through "Snuggle Puppy" a few times today, though.
Friday, November 21
Brian home sick again. High winds started early this morning and have just kept going. Not as fun to walk around in, and even more reminiscent of Pullman. Figured out the thumping in the middle of the night: Lacey's door closing quietly as the drafts rushed through her room. Wind makes Brian calm and energized, makes me tense and worried. No wonder sailing hasn't been my thing so far.
Brian home sick again. High winds started early this morning and have just kept going. Not as fun to walk around in, and even more reminiscent of Pullman. Figured out the thumping in the middle of the night: Lacey's door closing quietly as the drafts rushed through her room. Wind makes Brian calm and energized, makes me tense and worried. No wonder sailing hasn't been my thing so far.
Thursday, November 20
Brian home sick with a fever and cough. I find it harder to do my own thing when he's moping around the house not feeling well. But there's not much I can do to help. It leaves us both frustrated.
Brian home sick with a fever and cough. I find it harder to do my own thing when he's moping around the house not feeling well. But there's not much I can do to help. It leaves us both frustrated.
But Aeden sure looks cute modeling Lacey's new hat and scarf, even if he's not the happiest little camper at this very moment!
Wednesday, November 19 Adventures on Foot
Aeden and I took a cab to a travel agent, walked to the nearby Post Office from there to mail Kaiya's and then spent a bit of time wandering around looking for the Fulbright office. I didn't bring the stroller with me, so Aeden did a lot of walking and he really seemed to enjoy his new freedom. The best was when we turned a corner and I saw the big hill we needed to climb...and climb we did. Just very slowly. I had no urgency to make me pick him up and do the extra work to carry him up too. We meandered and his little legs probably didn't know what hit them.
We found the Fulbright Commission office here, and as I was talking to Ayse (a staffer there), a man came by and whisked Aeden off to go entertain him. When I was ready to go I asked where Aeden had disappeared to, and Ayse calmly said, "He's sitting in the Executive Director's chair". We walked down the hall and there Aeden was...sitting in the director's desk chair flipping through pictures on the computer. Oh my.
We walked to Atakule Mall from the commission office--this is the building you might see in Ankara skylines that somewhat resembles the Space Needle. It was a cloudy foggy day and I didn't bring my camera, so we just browsed the mall's offerings and didn't venture to the top for the view of Ankara. This is the embassy part of town, and I felt very unsettled on the empty streets walking along with Aeden. We passed a park where there were four men all in black with bulletproof vests on and sub-machine guns slung over their shoulders inspecting every nook and cranny at the park and talking into their earpieces. It didn't feel like something I wanted to be around. I was trying to explain it to Brian, and I think a big part of it is that my optimism won't work in a misunderstanding with them; if they were to pull me aside and bark questions at me, I couldn't answer to their satisfaction since I wouldn't even know what they were asking, let alone how to answer. We just walked on, me pretending not to be scared. I do like how I can turn on my, "big city" face and at least pretend to myself that I am not the sitting duck that I really am. I used that face walking in Philadelphia alone in college...pretending that I really hadn't just gotten off of a train from Vermont and walked the completely opposite direction of where I really needed to go.
I felt like such a pro when it was time to go home and I walked to catch a cab that was on the right side of the road and facing toward home already. Aeden and I were tired, and happy to be back to the apartment for some rest.
Aeden and I took a cab to a travel agent, walked to the nearby Post Office from there to mail Kaiya's and then spent a bit of time wandering around looking for the Fulbright office. I didn't bring the stroller with me, so Aeden did a lot of walking and he really seemed to enjoy his new freedom. The best was when we turned a corner and I saw the big hill we needed to climb...and climb we did. Just very slowly. I had no urgency to make me pick him up and do the extra work to carry him up too. We meandered and his little legs probably didn't know what hit them.
We found the Fulbright Commission office here, and as I was talking to Ayse (a staffer there), a man came by and whisked Aeden off to go entertain him. When I was ready to go I asked where Aeden had disappeared to, and Ayse calmly said, "He's sitting in the Executive Director's chair". We walked down the hall and there Aeden was...sitting in the director's desk chair flipping through pictures on the computer. Oh my.
We walked to Atakule Mall from the commission office--this is the building you might see in Ankara skylines that somewhat resembles the Space Needle. It was a cloudy foggy day and I didn't bring my camera, so we just browsed the mall's offerings and didn't venture to the top for the view of Ankara. This is the embassy part of town, and I felt very unsettled on the empty streets walking along with Aeden. We passed a park where there were four men all in black with bulletproof vests on and sub-machine guns slung over their shoulders inspecting every nook and cranny at the park and talking into their earpieces. It didn't feel like something I wanted to be around. I was trying to explain it to Brian, and I think a big part of it is that my optimism won't work in a misunderstanding with them; if they were to pull me aside and bark questions at me, I couldn't answer to their satisfaction since I wouldn't even know what they were asking, let alone how to answer. We just walked on, me pretending not to be scared. I do like how I can turn on my, "big city" face and at least pretend to myself that I am not the sitting duck that I really am. I used that face walking in Philadelphia alone in college...pretending that I really hadn't just gotten off of a train from Vermont and walked the completely opposite direction of where I really needed to go.
I felt like such a pro when it was time to go home and I walked to catch a cab that was on the right side of the road and facing toward home already. Aeden and I were tired, and happy to be back to the apartment for some rest.
Tuesday, November 18
A gray, cloudy, rainy day. The first day it was rainy all day and not just a brief shower. I stayed home all day and read, and Aeden slept a lot--he's starting a new cold and has had a faucet of snot all day. It felt like the season changed for good. Lacey, Maren and I had hot chocolate and cookies after school, and the girls are wearing gloves in the mornings.
I started The Kite Runner yesterday and wanted to just finish it, it was so graphic and engaging at the same time. I stayed up late just to finish it off. I don't think I've ever read a book in only two days.
A gray, cloudy, rainy day. The first day it was rainy all day and not just a brief shower. I stayed home all day and read, and Aeden slept a lot--he's starting a new cold and has had a faucet of snot all day. It felt like the season changed for good. Lacey, Maren and I had hot chocolate and cookies after school, and the girls are wearing gloves in the mornings.
I started The Kite Runner yesterday and wanted to just finish it, it was so graphic and engaging at the same time. I stayed up late just to finish it off. I don't think I've ever read a book in only two days.
Anyday
It has surprised me every once in a while when I notice something that we've brought with us from home and the history of the item. A few things:
1. The pillow case on Lacey's American Girl doll's pillow. Grandma Suzie made it with me when I was little. It is made out of "silk" like her sleeping pillow case was. She first introduced me to the idea that there were pillows to put on the bed during the day and then a pillow in the closet for sleeping, with a silk pillowcase so your hair wouldn't get so messed up. I thought the idea of having separate pillows was insane. Then again, I still can't quite believe the practice of using decorative pillows on your bed and then having to remove them at night. Some things don't change I suppose.
2. A polar fleece scarf embroidered with the Google logo made it here. I received it at work one year as our "Christmas present" as an advertiser.
3. My rainbow pajama pants from Aunt Sharon. They're so colorful it makes it harder to be grumpy in them.
4. My Nike running shoes, bought on sale on the way home from work one day so that I couldn't have an excuse not to go run or walk and get some exercise. I bought them in 2004, they looked brand new until my mom and I put some miles on them walking around Steilacoom last year, and now they're finally looking worn from walking all around Ankara.
5. A stuffed giraffe with a music box inside. The giraffe was given to Lacey by Greg when she was a tiny baby, and Maren picked it out as one of the things she wanted to bring.
6. A stuffed cow that Aeden sleeps with. It is one of the many stuffed toys that Greg got for Maren that she completely latched onto. She carried the cow around with her under her left arm like a football, and it even made it into her 1-year-old pictures. Now Aeden goes to sleep with it under his arm, and giggles anytime I make it say, "Moo" to him.
7. Aeden's green fleece blanket. It has a taxi design on one corner. Paul and Ane gave it to me at Maren's baby shower and both Maren and Aeden have put it to very good use. Aeden did not agree with me the other day when I was putting it into the washing machine and instead drug it around the house all day with him. I snuck it into a separate load later.
8. Aeden's blue fleece blanket. This is a weird one. We got the blanket from a Dove soap offer when Lacey was about 2. Evie cut the offer out of the newspaper and gave it to me. Since I actually used the product and would be able to get the UPC's without buying extra just for the offer, I went ahead and sent it in. We received the blanket and it has been in use since. It is the exact same color as the acrylic blanket we had when I was little, which was called the "soft blue blanket". It was used on my parent's bed, so it was a special treat when I got to use it to watch TV or if I took a nap in their bed. It was the soft blue blanket as opposed to the crunchy gold/orange blanket I had on my bed, which I always worked hard not to touch without a sheet or a bedspread between it and me.
9. Flannel crib sheets from Pottery Barn. I would call them Aeden's, but they were originally Maren's. I never found a pattern I liked more, so I didn't get new ones for Aeden. I was hoping to have a bit of home for Aeden in his bed to help him sleep. Probably more for me than him, I'll admit.
10. A knitted multi-color ball given to Aeden by "the hospital ladies" when he was born. I stuffed it into a carryon bag at the last minute since it weighed nothing, scrunches down, and doesn't roll too far. And because Aeden loves balls. I don't know which guild or association it was, but after Aeden was born a lady brought around a little cart of knitted hats, trimmed bibs, and this single ball. I chose the ball, thinking we might actually get some use out of it, and knew the other items would just get put in a keepsake box or given away. I'm glad the yarn scraps in un-coordinating colors made it into a ball and are getting put to use!
11. A white sweater I bought to wear at our wedding if it was chilly. So that makes it 9 1/2 years ago. I never wore it, until we had tea in Halifax on my mom's birthday. It came here with us.
12. A wool sweater Kaye & Myron got for me for Christmas a few years ago. I always get compliments on the pattern around the bottom and the sleeves when I wear it.
13. A green fleece pullover from Campmor. One of Brian's summer camp kids left it behind after their tour around Washington State and it fit me. I've worn it every winter since. That was 1995. My god. I'm a walking Campmor ad.
It has surprised me every once in a while when I notice something that we've brought with us from home and the history of the item. A few things:
1. The pillow case on Lacey's American Girl doll's pillow. Grandma Suzie made it with me when I was little. It is made out of "silk" like her sleeping pillow case was. She first introduced me to the idea that there were pillows to put on the bed during the day and then a pillow in the closet for sleeping, with a silk pillowcase so your hair wouldn't get so messed up. I thought the idea of having separate pillows was insane. Then again, I still can't quite believe the practice of using decorative pillows on your bed and then having to remove them at night. Some things don't change I suppose.
2. A polar fleece scarf embroidered with the Google logo made it here. I received it at work one year as our "Christmas present" as an advertiser.
3. My rainbow pajama pants from Aunt Sharon. They're so colorful it makes it harder to be grumpy in them.
4. My Nike running shoes, bought on sale on the way home from work one day so that I couldn't have an excuse not to go run or walk and get some exercise. I bought them in 2004, they looked brand new until my mom and I put some miles on them walking around Steilacoom last year, and now they're finally looking worn from walking all around Ankara.
5. A stuffed giraffe with a music box inside. The giraffe was given to Lacey by Greg when she was a tiny baby, and Maren picked it out as one of the things she wanted to bring.
6. A stuffed cow that Aeden sleeps with. It is one of the many stuffed toys that Greg got for Maren that she completely latched onto. She carried the cow around with her under her left arm like a football, and it even made it into her 1-year-old pictures. Now Aeden goes to sleep with it under his arm, and giggles anytime I make it say, "Moo" to him.
7. Aeden's green fleece blanket. It has a taxi design on one corner. Paul and Ane gave it to me at Maren's baby shower and both Maren and Aeden have put it to very good use. Aeden did not agree with me the other day when I was putting it into the washing machine and instead drug it around the house all day with him. I snuck it into a separate load later.
8. Aeden's blue fleece blanket. This is a weird one. We got the blanket from a Dove soap offer when Lacey was about 2. Evie cut the offer out of the newspaper and gave it to me. Since I actually used the product and would be able to get the UPC's without buying extra just for the offer, I went ahead and sent it in. We received the blanket and it has been in use since. It is the exact same color as the acrylic blanket we had when I was little, which was called the "soft blue blanket". It was used on my parent's bed, so it was a special treat when I got to use it to watch TV or if I took a nap in their bed. It was the soft blue blanket as opposed to the crunchy gold/orange blanket I had on my bed, which I always worked hard not to touch without a sheet or a bedspread between it and me.
9. Flannel crib sheets from Pottery Barn. I would call them Aeden's, but they were originally Maren's. I never found a pattern I liked more, so I didn't get new ones for Aeden. I was hoping to have a bit of home for Aeden in his bed to help him sleep. Probably more for me than him, I'll admit.
10. A knitted multi-color ball given to Aeden by "the hospital ladies" when he was born. I stuffed it into a carryon bag at the last minute since it weighed nothing, scrunches down, and doesn't roll too far. And because Aeden loves balls. I don't know which guild or association it was, but after Aeden was born a lady brought around a little cart of knitted hats, trimmed bibs, and this single ball. I chose the ball, thinking we might actually get some use out of it, and knew the other items would just get put in a keepsake box or given away. I'm glad the yarn scraps in un-coordinating colors made it into a ball and are getting put to use!
11. A white sweater I bought to wear at our wedding if it was chilly. So that makes it 9 1/2 years ago. I never wore it, until we had tea in Halifax on my mom's birthday. It came here with us.
12. A wool sweater Kaye & Myron got for me for Christmas a few years ago. I always get compliments on the pattern around the bottom and the sleeves when I wear it.
13. A green fleece pullover from Campmor. One of Brian's summer camp kids left it behind after their tour around Washington State and it fit me. I've worn it every winter since. That was 1995. My god. I'm a walking Campmor ad.
Anyday in Turkey
I've left out some everyday things about life in Ankara:
1. It is considered taboo to throw out bread, so if there's extra, you use it somehow else or put it out for the wild cats and dogs, not in the trash. We don't follow this, but in the vacant lots you can see it, on our street it is hung on the fences along the sidewalk in shopping bags. Who knows what happens to it from there.
2. Five times a day there is a call to prayer broadcast from all the mosques. Depending on where you are it is very faint, very loud, or even repeating itself when you're hearing multiple broadcasts. The first time I heard it I was haunted and wondered how I'd ever get used to it, now I can go for days and not even remember hearing it.
3. Babies are bundled up to the point that it looks like they can't breathe. Even before it got very cold outside. Older Turkish ladies are not shy to chastise me if Aeden is not sufficiently bundled. I'm glad it is getting colder so I don't feel quite so ridiculous adding some layers to his outfit.
4. On one block there will be a modern street sweeping machine driving down the road, and on another there will be a person sweeping with a twig broom and giant plastic jug trimmed to be a dustpan and tied to a stick. And then in our apartment building's front parking lot there are small lawns, rosebushes, and not a single bit of trash or fallen leaf, as they're swept daily with a commercial push broom and kept meticulous. And then there's the roads and roadsides that don't appear to have been cleaned ever, still only another block away...
5. There are women covered from head to toe, with coats that dust the ground as they walk so as not to show an ankle, and scarves tightly closed around their faces so as to not show any hair. And they're talking on the most modern of cell phones. It is strange how I so closely associate a head scarf with being old-fashioned and out of date. And yet I see younger women dressed very well in business attire wearing a scarf also. I can see how it can be such a touchy and emotional subject in current politics.
6. Blue eye shadow is popular somewhere in the world, as are patterned nylons on grown women. And slouch ankle boots like I always wanted in elementary school.
7. between 9 and 10 at night a simit seller wanders our neighborhood yelling, "simit!" but in a long drawn out way. I had to ask Nancy what he was saying. It sounds kind of neat.
8. There is no such thing as "respectful distance" at the ATM. There might be 6 or more ATMs in the same 1/2 block, but there may be a line 20 people at one of the machines, all jammed up as close to each other as you can imagine.
9. You bag your own groceries and purchases, and the checkout clerks are all seated. They pull out the tiniest stacks of plastic bags at a time (literally 12 or fewer, sometimes only 2) so that people don't take more than they need. There is no such thing as a paper grocery bag.
10. Everyone loves to honk their car horns. A lot.
11. McDonald's delivers. With red scooters.
12. The air sucks and alternately stinks or is visible. Not always, but more often than I'm used to.
I've left out some everyday things about life in Ankara:
1. It is considered taboo to throw out bread, so if there's extra, you use it somehow else or put it out for the wild cats and dogs, not in the trash. We don't follow this, but in the vacant lots you can see it, on our street it is hung on the fences along the sidewalk in shopping bags. Who knows what happens to it from there.
2. Five times a day there is a call to prayer broadcast from all the mosques. Depending on where you are it is very faint, very loud, or even repeating itself when you're hearing multiple broadcasts. The first time I heard it I was haunted and wondered how I'd ever get used to it, now I can go for days and not even remember hearing it.
3. Babies are bundled up to the point that it looks like they can't breathe. Even before it got very cold outside. Older Turkish ladies are not shy to chastise me if Aeden is not sufficiently bundled. I'm glad it is getting colder so I don't feel quite so ridiculous adding some layers to his outfit.
4. On one block there will be a modern street sweeping machine driving down the road, and on another there will be a person sweeping with a twig broom and giant plastic jug trimmed to be a dustpan and tied to a stick. And then in our apartment building's front parking lot there are small lawns, rosebushes, and not a single bit of trash or fallen leaf, as they're swept daily with a commercial push broom and kept meticulous. And then there's the roads and roadsides that don't appear to have been cleaned ever, still only another block away...
5. There are women covered from head to toe, with coats that dust the ground as they walk so as not to show an ankle, and scarves tightly closed around their faces so as to not show any hair. And they're talking on the most modern of cell phones. It is strange how I so closely associate a head scarf with being old-fashioned and out of date. And yet I see younger women dressed very well in business attire wearing a scarf also. I can see how it can be such a touchy and emotional subject in current politics.
6. Blue eye shadow is popular somewhere in the world, as are patterned nylons on grown women. And slouch ankle boots like I always wanted in elementary school.
7. between 9 and 10 at night a simit seller wanders our neighborhood yelling, "simit!" but in a long drawn out way. I had to ask Nancy what he was saying. It sounds kind of neat.
8. There is no such thing as "respectful distance" at the ATM. There might be 6 or more ATMs in the same 1/2 block, but there may be a line 20 people at one of the machines, all jammed up as close to each other as you can imagine.
9. You bag your own groceries and purchases, and the checkout clerks are all seated. They pull out the tiniest stacks of plastic bags at a time (literally 12 or fewer, sometimes only 2) so that people don't take more than they need. There is no such thing as a paper grocery bag.
10. Everyone loves to honk their car horns. A lot.
11. McDonald's delivers. With red scooters.
12. The air sucks and alternately stinks or is visible. Not always, but more often than I'm used to.
Monday, November 17
Walked to McD's and Aeden was making friends with the delivery drivers, waving goodbye as they came and went and flashing his toothy grin. Lacey and I made tray kofte (kind of a layered meatloaf) for dinner tonight. She had a lot of fun kneading the semolina and bulgur together, and I tried hard to have fun along with her without worrying about the mess we made with it. It was a good enough hit, I'd make it again.
Walked to McD's and Aeden was making friends with the delivery drivers, waving goodbye as they came and went and flashing his toothy grin. Lacey and I made tray kofte (kind of a layered meatloaf) for dinner tonight. She had a lot of fun kneading the semolina and bulgur together, and I tried hard to have fun along with her without worrying about the mess we made with it. It was a good enough hit, I'd make it again.
Sunday, November 16 Market with Nancy
Winter arrived today and it was quite cold on our walk to the market. With Nancy's help I bought some ground beef at Cagdas (you point to the meat you want and then they grind it for you...I would appreciate it more I suppose if I cooked regularly with meat and had some knowledge of cuts and fat levels and such...I think I buy ground beef about 3 times per year in the neat little opaque plastic tube...)
I cooked Sultan's Pilaf for dinner and had rinsed beyaz peynir with the best tomatoes ever (they were little dark red/purple heirloom cherry tomatoes and had THE BEST flavor!). So far, my favorite homemade dinner in Turkey I think. The dish is a rice pilaf with meatballs, and rinsing the beyaz peynir (white cheese--Turkish feta equivalent) has made all the difference for me. I could have eaten the cheese, tomatoes, and bread all night, but the pilaf was too good, too!
Saturday, November 15
I finished reading "Last Train to Istanbul" by Ayse Kulin, my first Turkish novel. It described Turkey's involvement in helping Turkish and non-Turkish Jews escape Hitler and was fascinating. I had no idea about much of the history, and the characters helped to pin some of the history of Turkey to something I could follow more easily than the dry texts that I've tried to read to grasp a bit more of the thousands of years of history that have occurred here. At least now the 1930's-40's are a little more clear in my head, only a few thousand more years to cover!
We all took a cab to Kizilay to explore, and ended up walking to Tunali. It was a Saturday early afternoon, so not the best of timing to be able to explore on our own timing; Kizilay had mobs of people and traffic that made you move to their pace. I guess it was natural for us to move to the edge, and then wander to Tunali since we're not the biggest fans of crowds. We ended up passing the old TED Ankara High School building (they moved to their new facilities in 2002) and we agreed that it was a much welcomed move--they building was small and not big and shiny like the new building.
We also walked around the edge of the biggest mosque in Ankara...I'll have to upload the photos while Brian's not playing online though :-)
Nancy brought over cheesecake to share. Y U M ! !
I finished reading "Last Train to Istanbul" by Ayse Kulin, my first Turkish novel. It described Turkey's involvement in helping Turkish and non-Turkish Jews escape Hitler and was fascinating. I had no idea about much of the history, and the characters helped to pin some of the history of Turkey to something I could follow more easily than the dry texts that I've tried to read to grasp a bit more of the thousands of years of history that have occurred here. At least now the 1930's-40's are a little more clear in my head, only a few thousand more years to cover!
We all took a cab to Kizilay to explore, and ended up walking to Tunali. It was a Saturday early afternoon, so not the best of timing to be able to explore on our own timing; Kizilay had mobs of people and traffic that made you move to their pace. I guess it was natural for us to move to the edge, and then wander to Tunali since we're not the biggest fans of crowds. We ended up passing the old TED Ankara High School building (they moved to their new facilities in 2002) and we agreed that it was a much welcomed move--they building was small and not big and shiny like the new building.
We also walked around the edge of the biggest mosque in Ankara...I'll have to upload the photos while Brian's not playing online though :-)
Nancy brought over cheesecake to share. Y U M ! !
Thursday, November 13 Turkcell Extra
Today was another half-day for conferences, so I took the kids in a cab to Panora Mall. I've never felt so glad to be in a Gap store. We enjoyed our Burger King lunches and started our collection of Simpsons figures (are they running the same promo in the US?), and had a bit of a shopping spree at Kipa. This is the mall that Asli and her husband took me to on the second day we were here; the bottom floor is Kipa, a Target/Walmart/Kmart type store that has more and different things than the local stores I can walk to easily. So we got some good stuff and supported the local economy a bit more, then piled it all into a taxi trunk for the journey home.
We went to Panora so I could go to a Turkcell Extra store to have one of our US cell phones switched over to working in Turkey. Things were going great, I felt like a pro, until they flipped through my passport and saw that I had been here longer than 30 days. Missed the window that we didn't even know about. Oh well, I'm sure it won't be the last one we learn about.
Today was another half-day for conferences, so I took the kids in a cab to Panora Mall. I've never felt so glad to be in a Gap store. We enjoyed our Burger King lunches and started our collection of Simpsons figures (are they running the same promo in the US?), and had a bit of a shopping spree at Kipa. This is the mall that Asli and her husband took me to on the second day we were here; the bottom floor is Kipa, a Target/Walmart/Kmart type store that has more and different things than the local stores I can walk to easily. So we got some good stuff and supported the local economy a bit more, then piled it all into a taxi trunk for the journey home.
We went to Panora so I could go to a Turkcell Extra store to have one of our US cell phones switched over to working in Turkey. Things were going great, I felt like a pro, until they flipped through my passport and saw that I had been here longer than 30 days. Missed the window that we didn't even know about. Oh well, I'm sure it won't be the last one we learn about.
Wednesday, November 12 Maren's Most Un-Favorite Day
Maren fell down again and got a bloody nose this morning in the gathering/play time before school. There was "a lot of blood" and I could hear her screaming in the background when Oasis called me. I took a taxi up the hill this time. She was fine, but it was a half day anyway, so I took her with me...I hadn't thought to bring her a change of clothes and her shirt did have quite a bit of blood on it. We walked home and were going to stop at Makromarket (just another grocery store, but with a slightly different mix), but it wasn't open yet. So we waited. We wandered through but didn't find anything interesting, so we started walking down the hill in the general direction of our apartment only to find out that I had wandered us into an area I had never been in before and I couldn't see our buildings or the neighboring buildings as landmarks anymore. Hmm. We found our way to another Makromarket and collected our share of, "what are they doing walking around?" looks for the day, and then spotted the park and shopping center near our house. What excitement!
Conferences were this afternoon at Oasis, so I went to talk with Miss Newcomer and Ms. Sneed. The girls are doing great and their teachers are reporting that they've adjusted well. Maren has started playing at recess, too, where she was just observing for quite a while instead of playing.
After the conferences were over we went to the exercise park behind Oasis to play with the other kids that were waiting for their parents to finish with conferences. Lacey and Maren got to show off Aeden and their friends thought he was the cutest and each took their turns playing with the new "toy" and helping him go down the slide, ride the toys, etc. This park is called an exercise park because it has grown-up big toys like at the gym, but outdoor versions. And there were people using them, that was the most surprising part.
While we were at the playground, Maren fell down again and scraped up her face. After she had had her big toe squished between the seesaw and the support on the ground. She was pretty banged up, but she made it home after all and has recovered nicely.
Maren fell down again and got a bloody nose this morning in the gathering/play time before school. There was "a lot of blood" and I could hear her screaming in the background when Oasis called me. I took a taxi up the hill this time. She was fine, but it was a half day anyway, so I took her with me...I hadn't thought to bring her a change of clothes and her shirt did have quite a bit of blood on it. We walked home and were going to stop at Makromarket (just another grocery store, but with a slightly different mix), but it wasn't open yet. So we waited. We wandered through but didn't find anything interesting, so we started walking down the hill in the general direction of our apartment only to find out that I had wandered us into an area I had never been in before and I couldn't see our buildings or the neighboring buildings as landmarks anymore. Hmm. We found our way to another Makromarket and collected our share of, "what are they doing walking around?" looks for the day, and then spotted the park and shopping center near our house. What excitement!
Conferences were this afternoon at Oasis, so I went to talk with Miss Newcomer and Ms. Sneed. The girls are doing great and their teachers are reporting that they've adjusted well. Maren has started playing at recess, too, where she was just observing for quite a while instead of playing.
After the conferences were over we went to the exercise park behind Oasis to play with the other kids that were waiting for their parents to finish with conferences. Lacey and Maren got to show off Aeden and their friends thought he was the cutest and each took their turns playing with the new "toy" and helping him go down the slide, ride the toys, etc. This park is called an exercise park because it has grown-up big toys like at the gym, but outdoor versions. And there were people using them, that was the most surprising part.
While we were at the playground, Maren fell down again and scraped up her face. After she had had her big toe squished between the seesaw and the support on the ground. She was pretty banged up, but she made it home after all and has recovered nicely.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Any day in Turkey, Fall 2008 "Aeden and his yogurt"
Aeden loves Turkish yogurt. Most days he drinks some Ayran or eats some yogurt with me for an afternoon snack. The yogurt is plain and has a distinct non-Yoplait bite to it. But he loves it. This photo is the result of yogurt-face trying to attack the photographer as she was trying to document the yogurt eater. There's no focus, but "the photographer" is somewhat partial to her subject and still loves the photo.Ayran is a Turkish drink made with yogurt, water, and salt. It is purported to have a host of healthful benefits and be "very refreshing" on a hot summer day. None of the family has acquired a taste for it yet, except for Aeden. We tasted it our first week here and all just about spit it out, but Aeden just gives a little shiver and opens his mouth for more. It is most closely described as liquified cottage cheese, and served as a beverage a few times per week at school, alongside Happy Meals at McDonald's, and on airplanes.
Also to note is that the g in yogurt has the little "u" over it, otherwise known as a hat or a smiley face, and so is silent in Turkish and only elongates the sound of the letter preceding it. So yogurt is yo-urt. Plain yogurt is served on everything, sometimes with garlic in it, sometimes cucumber, sometimes just plain. If you don't put yogurt and/or a tomato paste-based sauce on the dish, then most likely you'll be squirting ketchup and/or mayonnaise on it instead. It is all about the condiments here!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Tuesday, November 11
Not feeling so hot, so mostly sat around the apartment. Aeden has taken quite a liking to his Turkish colors book with little sliding doors in it, and at one point we were both laying on my bed with heads propped up with pillows and "reading". He is in full mimic-mode, so he "helps" with everything, from unloading the dishwasher to loading or unloading the laundry, to picking up crumbs from the floor to put in the garbage. Brian commented that he doesn't like any doors (like cupboard and armoire doors) to remain open, so once Brian gets home and starts leaving them open Aeden follows him around closing them again. I did think ahead of Aeden though and have made sure to either take keys with me or stick my foot in the door when I put out the garbage...so he doesn't "helpfully" close the front door and lock me out!
Monday, November 10 "Recovery from yesterday's walking...and a new addition to the herb farm upstairs"
We bought two basil plants a while ago when we saw them at Migros, as we didn't know if we'd see basil again. It is not a common herb here and I didn't even find dried basil (feslegen) in grocery stores until about 2 weeks ago. It was one of those things that I checked for at every store I went into. So anyway, we discovered that Maren's window sill has very good sunshine so they found there home there. Then of course Lacey wanted some plants too. Today we've added to our herb family a parsley plant and a mint. The mint is a bit straggly so we'll see how it does, but Lacey's happy for now to have a little green in her room (no joke, I saw at a store at the mall yesterday little boxes of grass to grow in your apartment. It was in a funky little store, so it was a bit off-the-wall anyway, but I can definitely see how happy we will be to have our own yard when we return to Olympia.
I turned down a full-time teaching job today and I'm still wondering if I made the right decision. After weighing the time traveling to and from work, the childcare expense for Aeden all day and the girls before and after school, and how much (or little) energy I would have left after each day, I decided not to take it. I interviewed at the school on Friday and they handed me a schedule on the spot, the only thing left to be decided was the pay and the start date (after I had told them that, no, Monday would not work to start). I was to teach English speaking at a private primary school, and my classes included first through seventh graders. I didn't even meet any of the students, but I had lunch in the cafeteria with the principal and the wife of the husband-wife owner team, and walked a bit of the halls and such with my contact who knew of the opening and drove me to the meeting. I feel like I'm missing an opportunity to make a difference, but worry that my efforts to make a difference for those kids would come at the cost of my own kids and Brian. I'm hopeful that a part-time position at the international preschool I visited might still work out eventually (or something like it) and Aeden can come with me and we can both benefit from the arrangement. We'll see.
Sunday, November 9 "Walk and shop"
I walked with Lacey and Aeden to Armada and back, then walked with Maren and Aeden all around the market area for key shops again. Too tired!
At the market today there was a Protex (a brand of soap) booth set up and attracting quite a bit of attention. We soon saw why. When the characters began approaching us, Maren got scared so I snapped the picture and we walked away. Scary germs!
At Armada we finally ventured into the "Loco Poco" toy store (a chain of toy stores in all the expensive malls). We found all kinds of interesting things, like Hot Wheels cars for 11 YTL each and sippy cups (the Take & Toss semi-disposable kind) for 25 YTL per package of 4. For those of you not familiar with the price points on these items, these prices are sky-high. It was interesting browsing. I did find a great board book about colors in Turkish, full of sturdy sliding doors for Aeden (and the rest of us!). Lacey and Aeden spent some time riding the toys, and they were as happy as could be without even powering them up with coins. Lacey suggested it, and I could remember my mom telling someone about how the "nice" man had ruined the rides at the grocery store for me by putting in a coin one day...since I hadn't even known that was an option before. Anyway, you can see that Aeden had more serious business going on while he was driving. Much too busy to bother to look up for a photo!
At the market today there was a Protex (a brand of soap) booth set up and attracting quite a bit of attention. We soon saw why. When the characters began approaching us, Maren got scared so I snapped the picture and we walked away. Scary germs!
At Armada we finally ventured into the "Loco Poco" toy store (a chain of toy stores in all the expensive malls). We found all kinds of interesting things, like Hot Wheels cars for 11 YTL each and sippy cups (the Take & Toss semi-disposable kind) for 25 YTL per package of 4. For those of you not familiar with the price points on these items, these prices are sky-high. It was interesting browsing. I did find a great board book about colors in Turkish, full of sturdy sliding doors for Aeden (and the rest of us!). Lacey and Aeden spent some time riding the toys, and they were as happy as could be without even powering them up with coins. Lacey suggested it, and I could remember my mom telling someone about how the "nice" man had ruined the rides at the grocery store for me by putting in a coin one day...since I hadn't even known that was an option before. Anyway, you can see that Aeden had more serious business going on while he was driving. Much too busy to bother to look up for a photo!
Saturday, November 8 "Movie night at our house"
We watched the movie "Hancock" on the wall of our apartment and had Tim and Paul and their families over to join us. Lacey, Meggie, Maren, and Lizzie watched "Hannah Montana" upstairs on a laptop, Aeden went to bed, and the 8th-grade and up crowd enjoyed the at-home cinema in relative quiet. It was great. And Nuray helped order pizza from Domino's, so at least they have our phone number and address in their records now...one step closer to being able to order pizza for delivery on our own!
Friday, November 7 "No notice job interview"
No school for the girls, no plans to do anything special. The time 11:18 is stuck in my mind though, as the time I got a call to go to an interview today, before 2 PM, if at all possible. I called Becky on the off chance that she'd be around and completely lucked out. She came over, I got dressed, and I was outside in front of my building waiting for a ride by 11:50. I'm guessing it was a miracle.
After shutting off my, "Are you sure this is a good idea?" sensors (being picked up by a random person, referred by an email, in a foreign country, to go to some unknown location, with only the babysitter knowing I'd be gone for "a while"...not my usual style), I calmed down and decided it would be a good experience however it went.
"Murat" picked me up in his black Peugeot and immediately put me at ease. After I got the uncomfortable question of what his role was in this interview/opportunity out of the way, our conversation was pretty easy. He's a textbook salesperson (for Pearson, owner of many of the well-known textbook publishers) and so knows of school needs and vacancies and can work as a sort of unofficial matchmaker. So I just kept reminding myself that he is a salesperson and enjoyed the conversation and the ride. The school we visited is out near the airport, so the drive was vaguely familiar, but barely since I was in such a fog when we first arrived in Ankara.
I was waiting in an administrator's office once we arrived, with four little girls (maybe 2nd grade?) hovering outside the door sneaking peeks at me and giggling. It was quite unnerving at first, but then I started looking back at them occasionally and it was much like peek-a-boo with Aeden. Once Murat came to pick me up, one of the girls was brave enough to say, "Goodbye" to me, and I said "Goodbye" back, and set them all off into another round of giggles.
The principal was eating lunch, so we were to go join him. So we joined him in the cafeteria, and the wife of the couple that owns the school was there as well. Two trays of food arrived for Murat and me, and the conversation in Turkish took off from there. I smiled and ate and asked a few questions when it seemed like it was my turn, but the principal largely ignored me and tended to his paperwork, and the owner seemed distant and didn't know anything about the position so couldn't answer many of my questions. Hmm, not going as smoothly as one would hope.
We finished eating and went back to the Principal's office to talk further. Before I knew it, there was an English teacher in the office as well, handing me a half-slip of paper and telling me about "my schedule". It took me too long to realize that they were talking as if I had already been hired. At this point the principal softened and he handed me a school bulletin, turned to the faculty group picture, and said, "you should like to work with these people". I felt very good about the opportunity, but then became quite torn when we discussed work schedule (catch the bus at 7:30 AM and return about 6:30 PM 2 days, 1 PM 1 day, and 4:30 PM 2 days) and salary.
They asked to be told my decision on Monday. How on earth could I make this work? But the opportunity to work on a team again, with other teachers, and to learn about teaching is wonderful. But how can I trade my time for this little money and return to seeing the kids awake only 1 hour a day? And how could I survive being dropped into teaching mid-year with students from grades 1-7, and still get our laundry done? The salary would not really be enough to hire a cleaner, would my vacations match up at all with Brian's? Too many questions.
On a high note, Brian brought home a new cookbook that arrived from Kae in the mail! It is beautiful and full of recipes I'm looking forward to trying with the produce and cheeses here.
Thursday, November 6 "Sideboard Assembly and Zucchini Bread"
I assembled the sideboard that was delivered on Monday. It only took most of the day, but it is done, and we have a place to stash some things and store our napkins. I also baked zucchini bread today. I called a person I was referred to for English teaching jobs. I had a lead on a job, we had fresh-baked zucchini bread, and the naked wall in the living room has a sideboard now. Feeling pretty good today!
My little helper on the job:
My little helper on the job:
Wednesday, November 5 "A New President-Elect and Report Cards"
We listend to KPLU on our internet radio this morning and heard that they had already called the election in favor of Obama. I was relieved to hear it, but I feel so distant from it right now that I also feel a bit out-of-sorts that I didn't witness the history first-hand. My dad called to let us know and it was good to hear from him. I could tell that people must have been pretty excited about things, as he reported that all the phone lines were jammed up and it took quite a while for a call to get through. I did hear on the radio (KMTT morning show) later in the day that Marty Reimer cried while watching the speeches Tuesday night. At least I know how Marty reacted :-)
Becky graciously agreed to watch Aeden while I went to meet with the director at the International Preschool about working there. I took a cab all by myself and got there all in one piece, chatted with the director, and made it home without any catastrophes. Aeden was just going down for a nap when it was time for me to leave and he didn't even wake up while I was gone, so I think it was pretty easy going to Becky. I was amazingly (and overly) proud of myself for making the contact, setting up the meeting, and heading out on my own in a taxi. I was riding high on that feeling of accomplishment for the rest of the day. The "can-do" attitude resulted in my opening and assembling the TV stand that arrived on Monday instead of waiting for someone to come and assemble it. It felt great to move that set of furniture around and make things look more like they're supposed to.
We received our first non-junk mail: from mom and Aunt Kaye in the same day! We were on our way out to take a taxi to Cepa to grab some dinner and there was real mail in our box. Yippee!
We went to Cepa for dinner (actually ate at a Turkish food place in the food court but I can't remember the name) to celebrate the accomplishments of the day, including Lacey's and Maren's report cards. They're both doing great. Aeden was quite a ham during dinner, so he got all the photos from today.
I finished reading "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith. On loan from Nancy, a book my American Lit teacher from high school would be proud I've read!
I especially liked these two sections, partly because they were unexpected and partly because they rang so true to me and are so nicely worded. Francie is an 8-year-ol living in Brooklyn in 1912. She is describing her local public library. The description is even longer, but the high point (for me) was this:
"Yes, when I get big and have my own home, no plush chairs and lace curtains for me. And no rubber plants. I'll have a desk like this in my parlor and white walls and a clean green blotter every Saturday night and a row of shining yellow pencils always sharpened for writing and a golden-brown bowl with a flower or some leaves or berries always in it and books...books...books..."
Then, in 1917, she starts summer college courses. I don't actually remember a moment when I decided to pursue chemistry, but this captures a bit of what drew me into it. Very passionate and caring professors on top of wonderful content makes a good major :-)
Francie came away from her first chemistry lecture in a glow. In one hour she had found out that everything was made up of atoms which were in continual motion. She grasped the idea that nothing was ever lost or destroyed. Even if something was burned up or left to rot away, it did not disappear from the face of the earth; it changed into something else--gases, liquids, and powders. Everything, decide Francie after the first lecture, was vibrant with life and there was no death in chemistry. She was puzzled as to why learned people didn't adopt chemistry as a religion.
Tuesday, November 4 "The Post Office"
Maren stayed home sick (but she was just testing how that works); we went to the post office to mail our ballots, visited Kiler (a grocery store, translated means "larder"), and went to Cagdas (and got Maren's new lamp so she'd have a light in her new bedroom--the ceiling is so high that "someone" was too lazy to put in a light fixture, and we can't reach up there, even with a ladder). We also stopped at the bakery next to
Domino's to see what looked good, and I picked up some su boregi (water pastry) and Maren picked out some cookies. Before she could even point out the ones she wanted another clerk was bringing Aeden and her some other cookies to eat--they seem to get freebies wherever we go!
Lacey got off the bus after school and came upstairs on her own and was very excited to push the call button, get buzzed in, and ride the elevator up. I was informed this morning at the bus stop that "she doesn't need me anymore".
Domino's to see what looked good, and I picked up some su boregi (water pastry) and Maren picked out some cookies. Before she could even point out the ones she wanted another clerk was bringing Aeden and her some other cookies to eat--they seem to get freebies wherever we go!
Lacey got off the bus after school and came upstairs on her own and was very excited to push the call button, get buzzed in, and ride the elevator up. I was informed this morning at the bus stop that "she doesn't need me anymore".
Sunday, November 2 "Solo Debut at the Market"
Maren, Aeden, and I went to the get a key made and to buy our produce at the market. I made it home with plenty of produce, not completely exhausted, and actually pretty proud of my purchases on my own. Whew!
When we got home, Lacey was outside playing with Meggie and Lizzie, and then phoned a bit later to ask if she could play at Meggie's for a while. Only 5 hours later did I call and ask her to come home so we could have dinner and get ready to chat online with Grandma Teri!
Saturday, November 1 "Koc Museum and Ankara Castle"
What a busy day! We moved Maren's bedroom furniture upstairs, the "office" downstairs, and headed out on the town with Mustafa at 2 PM. He picked us up and presented Aeden with a new toy car (given to him when he had his winter tires installed). Aeden was thrilled and didn't let go of the car the whole rest of the day.
We picked up Mustafa's daughter Serrin at Tunali Hilmi and headed to the area of Ankara called Ulus. This is Old Ankara and a great place to visit for day trips of shopping and eating, but not so much to stay overnight. We spent quite a while at the Koc Museum (Cengelhan Rahmi M. Koc Muzesi) looking through each of the rooms full of historical artifacts--some Turkish and some not. www.rmk-museum.org.tr describes the museum and the collections, but I think the building itself is what helped it hold all of our attention for so long. It is a restored caravanserai (caravan stop, think hotel and stable), originally built in 1522-1523. Each of the rooms on the perimeter of each floor had different collections in it, and Lacey and Maren were almost running from room to room saying, "Come see this, Mommy!" and "Look at this, Daddy!", while Aeden happily played with his new car on the tray of his stroller. I often wonder how we've been so lucky with these kids of ours, but I couldn't have asked for more this day.
We picked up Mustafa's daughter Serrin at Tunali Hilmi and headed to the area of Ankara called Ulus. This is Old Ankara and a great place to visit for day trips of shopping and eating, but not so much to stay overnight. We spent quite a while at the Koc Museum (Cengelhan Rahmi M. Koc Muzesi) looking through each of the rooms full of historical artifacts--some Turkish and some not. www.rmk-museum.org.tr describes the museum and the collections, but I think the building itself is what helped it hold all of our attention for so long. It is a restored caravanserai (caravan stop, think hotel and stable), originally built in 1522-1523. Each of the rooms on the perimeter of each floor had different collections in it, and Lacey and Maren were almost running from room to room saying, "Come see this, Mommy!" and "Look at this, Daddy!", while Aeden happily played with his new car on the tray of his stroller. I often wonder how we've been so lucky with these kids of ours, but I couldn't have asked for more this day.
Actual size is about 2 1/2 feet tall.
Original writing over a doorway. I still can't fathom anything being as old as the 1500's, and we haven't even gone to the "old" stuff museum yet (the Museum of Anatolian Civilization).
(their last name is Turk, they're not from Turkey!)
The display sign at the old pharmacy cracked us up, especially since two men were taking an inventory and touching and reorganizing all the bottles in the process.
We headed out of the museum to go up the hill (and I mean HILL) to visit the Ankara Citadel/Castle. Along the way we bounced Aeden along in his stroller over the ancient cobblestone streets and visited a few of the shops. And of course bought a few simit from the vendor passing by. They carry the tray of simit on their heads, thus the special hat.
Mustafa drove Aeden in his stroller up the hill quite a ways and we dodged cars driving down the narrowest streets with the tallest buildings on both sides I couldn't believe cars were even allowed. We left the stroller on the edge of the stairs climbing up to the inner walls to go exploring for a bit, and the ladies selling trinkets and bracelets along the pathway smelled the fresh blood and assumed their sales pitches in full force.
It reminded me of the story Brian told me about the market in Nepal: he had been there for 3 or 4 weeks already when Eric arrived. Brian was being ignored at the market by that point, but as soon as Eric was there with him, everyone pounced again on the foreigner.
Mustafa bought the girls and me some blue eye bracelets for 1 YTL each and we continued climbing the giant uneven steps. The castle overlooks the city and we got there just as the sun was setting. It was pretty cool. One wall was so high and so sheer a drop on the edge that Mustafa insisted on holding Lacey's and Maren's hands while we were up there.
We stopped at Dikmen Park on the way to dinner to see its nighttime display. Photos don't do it justice, since they look unreal! I'm excited to see it with snow and to walk around the reflection pool trail sometime.
We had arranged to have dinner with Tim's and Paul's families at Liva, so we invited Mustafa and Serrin as well. We had a group of 15 by that point, so we kind of took over the back corner of the second floor and had a great time. There was a mixup in ordering, so Maren ended up with a cheeseburger, a hot dog, AND an order of manti with no sauce. We all laughed about that one when the plates kept coming and coming. Then we sent back the manti because they forgot to leave off the sauce. We had a bit of leftovers from that night, that's for sure. But we left in a hurry after our stomachs were full (we were all quite tired from our museum and castle exploring!) and managed to leave our "alo packets" at the restaurant. Tim brought them by on Sunday, and they were gone in a heartbeat :-)
What a day!
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