On the Road Again

This weekend, I went with some Turkish friends to a Christmas Celebration. The whole weekend was talking about Christmas and why we celebrate. It was a really really great weekend. When I got back my mind was in overload. From the moment we got in the van, the Turkish started flowing...or pumping very loudly from the van speakers. About 16 of us went from my city to a bigger gathering in Alanya, which is a city on the coast known in the summer for it's great beaches. I have included a few pictures of the view from the horrible road we drove on and of the beach. It was beautiful, but too frigid to really enjoy the beach. The aforementioned horrible road (which I included a map which is equally as horrible as the terrible road we drove on and not to scale) caused many a good woman and man to pull over and give in to car-sickness. I've really never been on a more windy road. The view was incredible, but the driver kept telling me (because I of course was one of the people to make the van pull over and had to sit up with the driver for several hours of the worst part of the drive), 'Don't look at the view! I know it's beautiful, just look straight ahead, I am actually sick right now, too!' (Isn't that just what you want to hear when at every turn there are no side rails and we could just fall into the ocean below! So, I'm already feeling a bit green and then I go to the front seat for some relief and some fresh air and bless his heart, our driver needed some company. He kept talking to me and I'm not quite at the point where I can be car-sick and use my Turkish at the same time, so who knows what I said. He got alot of 'yes' and 'oh, okay' out of me. I'm not sure what I was answering to! Finally he gave up on me, I think, and I fell asleep! I relied on Dramamine, but the Turks kept offering me lemons under my nose to smell. Apparently, if you are ill on the road, if you smell something good, it helps. I stuck to the Dramamine.

(the view from the very very twisty road)

We stopped for lunch on the way at this place, They are very well 'protected'. All of the gourds have evil eyes painted on them, a Turkish superstitious symbol. Remember the 'scratch your bottom' story at the beginning of the year? That was evil eye superstition also! It's in April or March's blogs I believe, if I've made you curious now...

Once we got to the conference, it was fabulous. There was lots of worship and some good Words from the Book, all in Turkish of course. I was really proud of myself, but He keeps me humble. All weekend, I spoke nothing but Turkish, ate Turkish food, listened to Turkish music, prayed in Turkish, stayed in my hotel room with my Turkish friends--morning to night Turkish--and then I got to Burger King on Monday and the guy behind the counter couldn't understand me ask for salt. I know, I have a LONG LONG way to go. But, it was really encouraging to finally be at a point and look back and be like, 'Wow, I could not have done this a few months ago'. The girls are so patient with me and I of course took a million notes during the preaching. I'm constantly writing down every word I don't know (that's alot of words, I am pretty much constantly writing!). But, it was worth all the hard thinking to see my sweet friends really celebrating the reason for Christmas and enjoying fellowship with nationals who believe like they do. It touches my heart to hear them long for other friends to know what they know now. These are exciting days.

And speaking of exciting... my folks are coming in only THREE days! I am so excited that I just don't know what to do with myself! Actually that is not true. I have found about a million things to do with myself ranging from finishing my Christmas shopping to cleaning the fridge at 11:30 last night. My to do list keeps growing! I want everything to be so perfect for them! We're going to celebrate Christmas here with American and Turkish friends and then go to Istanbul for New Year's! I hope that wherever you are this week, whether you have had the chance to have a weekend getaway to remember why we're celebrating or not, that you'll take time to remember and reflect, praise out of a grateful heart, and share with those around you the best gift that we have to offer any time of year.

Through the Looking Glass...

Sometimes life over here just doesn't go as you'd expect. You learn to deal. Sometimes you're pleasantly surprised and sometimes, well sometimes you are not. I will include examples of both.

The other day I was in our local neighborhood grocery store and ran into the post man stopping for something and I didn't know him and he didn't know me, but he eyed the pile of mail in his bag, fished it out, dug through it, and pulled out a card for my roommate and a package for me from my mom. He points to the name on the envelope --which is obviously not a Turkish name--'Do these belong to you', he asks me. Yeah, actually they do, thanks!

I was driving, these are actually pictures from my first standard car driving lesson. We're driving around the modern mall in our city and what do you know I should encounter, but a herd of sheep crossing the road that goes around the mall. Not something you'd expect, but there they are out the back window!
Last week, no not last week, actually 2 weeks ago, our landlady came up to tell us that the water depot was coming the next day to do something to the water and our water would be turned off for 3 days. Okay, we can deal with that. The water never went off, but for three days, every day we filled the bathtub up and any buckets and pots that we had to conserve water for dish washing, toilet flushing, etc. Then we arranged to take showers at various friends' houses. We would let the water out of the tub every night, shower, and then wait in anticipation for it to go off the next morning. But, yes, the water never went off. Today (approximately 2 weeks later), I woke up and there was no water. I feel bad for the workman who came by while I was making the water discovery, because I have just enough Turkish now to get a little sassy and need to watch myself. He wanted to know if he could turn the hot water thing off because he was doing some work around it. Well, why should I care, it doesn't matter to me. We don't even have water so really I can't do anything. Go ahead, yes please, turn the hot water thingy off...I tell him. Yes, I know. I have since adjusted my attitude. So, I pack my bag and then go to Jayme and Jared's for a shower. Then I go to the mall where I am going to do a bit of Christmas shopping. The power in the mall goes out, the whole mall--no rain, no thunder, no lightning, no wind--and stays off the entire time I'm there.
Then tonight, I'm baking and apparently I can't use the oven, the Vonage phone, and the heater in the next room all at the same time because I blew the breaker three times and had to continually flip the switch, reset the Internet, and redial Tracy because I kept hanging up on her! All a day in the life. Take a deep breath, be happy, and flip that breaker joyfully.

Did Somebody Order Room Service?

So, have I mentioned that we have the best neighbors, ever? The other day Melissa was a bit ill (probably didn't wear enough clothes to bed the neighbors would say--see previous blogs if you are confused because this makes perfect sense to me), and our neighbor came by to invite us over for dinner. Melissa was a bit too ill to come over for dinner so instead our neighbor brought us this great tray full of Turkish food! How great are they. Just love 'em. And the soup was yummy.

Last night was our second Global Cafe ever and it went really fabulous. I was so pumped. And, it deserves to be noted that (Welcome to Turkey) the power went out towards the end and people still stayed to play games by candlelight! It went that great. We branched out a bit and played some conversation games and they loved them! We made a few friends, but I am definitely not allowed to work at Starbucks whenever I come home. I traded with Melissa and acted as stand in barista and then later had to turn the coffee pot back over to her when a couple of my Turkish friends hinted (basically just told me without any tact) that my skills were not quite up to par. I'm more of a social girl anyways, so I turned coffee duty back over to her... begrudgingly.

Funniest moments of the English conversation games we played: (note that not all of the people who came to the English cafe spoke the best of English, I can sympathize and empathize.)

3.I sneezed and at one point one of the Turks looked at me and instead of saying, 'God bless you', he makes eye contact with me and says, 'I bless you the God'. Good try.

2. We were playing a game where you had to go around and say what you were going to bring to Thanksgiving dinner and you had to repeat what everybody else before you had said they were going to bring. We went around the room from A to Z. You come up with a new thing depending on what letter you are, but before you share, tell what everyone before you said. So we get around to one guy who really doesn't speak alot of English and the Americans are not helping by saying they're going to bring random things like a 'Bulgarian' to Thanksgiving dinner...I had trouble remembering that in English 15 letters down the line much less in a second language. So we get to the one confused guy of the night and instead of saying, I'm going to bring hot chocolate...He can't quite get it out and just ends up saying, 'I am hot chocolate', very proudly. Much funnier if you were there and if you, too were learning a second language. So everyone called him hot chocolate for the rest of the night. I know I've probably said I'm worse than hot chocolate at times in Turkish. Actually, I know that I have. The neighbors like to quiz me on all of the crazy and sometimes inappropriate things I have said while trying to remember a new language with the correct words and pronunciation at the same time.

1.Last, but certainly not least, we played a mixer game and it's not scandalous, but definitely spiced things up that we played co-ed since for the first hour of the cafe we sat girls on one side and guys on one side. So we have pairs, for example: hot & cold, salt & pepper, etc. Mine was camera and my match was film. Everyone has a word taped to their back that they do not know and you have to figure out what you are and then find your match without anyone using the actual words that are taped on our backs. So, I'm walking around talking to everyone, making motions very animatedly, being a good sport because it's my game, looking for film and finally one of the guys figures out that I'm asking him if he is film and he says, 'No. But I would like very much to be the film in your camera'...

Enough tales from the Global Cafe. Till next time...maybe we should keep it guys vs. girls...

So this is Christmas...

in Turkey and I am just in the spirit. I'm making a list and checking it twice... Started my Christmas shopping yesterday. No Christmas music, no decorations, absolutely no commercialism and don't you know, I'm still in the Spirit. I have this feeling that this is going to be a Christmas that I'll never forget and one that will hold special meaning to me forever. I'm seeing it through eyes that never have all around me...and then I'm getting to see it through a few special eyes that for the first time ever, really truly understand and will celebrate. A pretty incredible gift at this time of year, to say the least.
We've got the house all decorated and the Turks love our tree! The neighbors came over for dinner last week and--Melissa and I did do some abrupt Christmas caroling for them, they love a concert. I feel like I'm always putting on a show for friends, but I've finally learned some Turkish praise choruses and I'm always quite pleased to oblige-- so the neighbors were over for dinner and they could not stop taking pictures of the tree with their cell phones! Any who, so they're obsessed with the tree. I'm not sure what that says because sometimes their tastes are well....just not mine. But hey, we used what we had to work with here. They're probably texting all their friends to say that their weird foreigner neighbors have their New Year's decorations up already. If I've told one person we're not celebrating New Year's, CHRISTMAS (NOEL) is what we're celebrating...then well, I've probably told everyone I know. They think that we put our decorations up way too early. They'll decorate for New Years, but we'll take ours down the day after Christmas and I'm sure that will just give us a few more opportunities to share exactly what we're celebrating...
I think I'm going to get some friends together and carol at all the foreigners houses. Doesn't that sound like fun... And, we'll be doing our fare share of baking again. Oh, to be a Turkish woman...the expectations. The ladies in our building still love us and when we visit one more times than another, the food starts, which is amazing and always ever so welcome, but does not come without expectations. Those being a visit--which I also love--but I still have trouble bringing myself to ring their doors empty handed. I love the being invited in, lounging for hours being immersed in second hand smoke and 150 degree salons, and the silly and sometimes serious conversations that come from our unexpected visits to the neighbors that have come to see themselves as mothers in our lives. (Do not get jealous mom, you still speak my language like no one else does...literally compared to these ladies who only speak Turkish!) So, I'm rolling up my sleeves and putting on the apron and am ready to deliver some home baked Christmas goodness these next few weeks...which just makes the kitchen on these winter days without a heater a pleasanter place to be!
And then there comes the countdown to the parental visit...(2 weeks and 4 days) (a bit less than that last day if you count that I'm 8 hours ahead, practically a day ahead of y'all). I'm so excited. I need some familiar faces and hugs. It's just about time wouldn't you say? And, what better time than Christmas...
So Christmas in Turkey has begun.

Girls Will Be Girls

When is a girl too big to have a sleepover? Our girls group that meets on Saturdays to study our Book together had a sleepover this past Saturday. My cooking skills have obviously matured about as much as I have since I'm still attending sleepovers and managing to char your basic sugar cookie! No, that picture is not in black and white. Hate to tell you that, but its not. I totally forgot and just about burned our apartment building down, I'm sure. What am I going to do with myself? I'm embarrassed to tell you that those cookies were supposed to be snicker doodles! I did manage to make a delicious batch that preceded this particular batch (no evidence,I know because they are not pictured...but they did exist), but well... no one's perfect right? My roommate and I are watching Alias via d.v.d.'s because we don't have television. So, every now and then we'll get our fix of Jennifer Garner and I will convince myself again for that day that I could join the C.I.A., right? So, I managed to let myself get carried away into Sidney Bristow's world of high adventure and espionage and forgot about the cookies. Girl power. Any who, back to the girls' night. It was a really encouraging night. The girls are really sweet and it's very encouraging to see them grow in sisterly affection. But, they are also really sweet because they humor me by listening to me! Normally, I have to not only study for our meetings, but then on top of that, I have to study in Turkish for our meetings. But on an occasion like this, I was winging it, relying just on my every day Turkish which has finally gotten to the point that I can have normal every day conversations, and I can have serious conversations, and I can have funny conversations, and I can have midnight conversations. The later it gets, the more tired my brain gets! They really are such sweet friends. It's neat to be at a place where there are nationals here that I really connect with and can have friendships of a like minded heart. I love all my friends here, no doubt...but these girls are precious to me.

Addendum

This is an addendum to the last blog. I got so tickled when my roommate came home the same day that I wrote my previous blog and told me this...She went to visit a friend who helps her with language and friend had a backache. She told Melissa that she had taken a hot shower that day, but that she had also felt some cold water trickle down her back while the water was heating up...no doubt the cause of her backache she explained.
Any who, culture, culture, culture! Other news...I have enrolled in driving school over here. Yes, it has been almost a year since I've driven an automobile. Public transportation, what can I say. I'm a bus riding girl. But even in America I have never driven a standard, always an automatic. But, when my parents come, I'm driving us and a Turkish friend to Kapadokya and the only company cars we have are standards. So, everyone on my team has pulled together to give me driving lessons! So far, I've had three. And Jayme even says I've graduated up to the Intermediate class which means I got to drive home from the grocery store the other day! Look out Turkey, Here I come. Seriously, I need to be the one looking out. Driving is crazy here! But one gear at a time, I'm learning. Hills...I'm going to need some practice, but driving school is in session and I've yet to stall out on the real road! Only in the parking lot once or twice...or really, who's counting?

Old Man Winter

...and all that he brings. Be warned, this blog will change the way you think about modern medicine and the ways of the world. You heard it first here. You may have to disregard the fact, or remember and be even more humored as you read, that I was a nurse in America before coming to my present home.
Have you ever wondered the reasons behind what ails you? Maybe you have and maybe you've actually visited the doctor and you know the answer. Modern medicine and science do still leave some to the imagination because of the incredible greatness of our Creator, but usually, you are ill...you may go to the doctor and take a test...and receive medicine for the illness. But, do they always tell you what the cause of the thus aforementioned illness is? Or are you ever unsatisfied with the answer you get?
The other day we were visiting our neighbors and somehow it came up in conversation that one morning I had woken up very early because I was ill. Stomach illness, if you must know. Naturally, their first question was: What did you wear to bed? Do you sleep with a heavy blanket or a thin blanket? Did you have your radiator on? Whatever does this have to do with me waking up unsettled and needing to use the toilet at 5a.m., you are asking? Everything. Everything can be attributed to coldness, if you ask my fine friends and neighbors. A couple days later, again I was unsettled--remember where I live, there are amoebas and other friendly things floating around...you pick stuff up, you learn to use Imodium, Pepto, and Tums...alot more than you did in America--and my neighbors response was...it's the weather. Of course, why didn't I think of that. (I must note that I love these people, I am not making fun--well, am I?--I am just amused). Winter is here, so of course there is going to be more nausea, more stomach cramping, and lest I say it here on blogging, sorry, but we're all adults, there will be more diarrhea. Because old man winter is come and the Turkish culture is convinced that he brings with him cold weather and yes, stomach ailments.
Let me share some more with you, so you can see if there may be simpler solutions to what ails you and save you a trip to the doctor or two or three! These are all statements we have heard while living here... Have a backache? Did you sleep under a fan or breeze? Having trouble sleeping? Do you have plants in your bedroom? It's harmful to your health, they release carbon dioxide that is poisonous to you during the night. ??? Are you coming down with a cold? Did you drive with the windows rolled down in your car this summer? Do you drink ice in your soft drinks? Be warned, you heard it here first!

Happy Thanksgiving...

...from a country it seems fitting to eat turkey in on this particular day, now doesn't it? Turkey was Jayme's duty though, and I think it actually ended up being a bit difficult to locate a turkey to eat in this country on Thanksgiving! They all thought we were eating them too soon! And our friends had some trouble...one grocery store wouldn't sell them a turkey until New Years! Because of course, that's when you eat turkey in Turkey. Not on Thanksgiving Day! But, I think they eventually persuaded them to sell them a turkey! Different people celebrating in different ways! But, let us have our tradition people! We want turkey!

And don't we look happy eating our pie! Pumpkin, chocolate chess, and apple...Mmm! Thanks to Jayme's and my mom, we even got to eat our pie with Thanksgiving plates and napkins! Moms are so thoughtful. We had a great Thanksgiving. But, I do have to confess that I've never made half of Thanksgiving dinner before! I appreciated my mom more than EVER this year! But, I do have so much to be thankful for. I spent the day with good friends and we even got a visit from Craig and Katie and their parents! That was a special visit for us. I'm glad they got to be with us on the holiday! I even got a few well wishes from my Turkish friends who knew about the holiday but didn't celebrate! Doesn't that make Turkey day a little more authentic having Turkish friends wish you well? We did have discussion with some of them about why we celebrate Thanksgiving. Living here has made me so thankful for the country I come from and all the blessings that we have there and the freedom we experience in so many aspects of life.

I got to skype with my parents and wouldn't you know, that my neighbors paid us a surprise visit while I was skyping with my parents and they got to meet each other via the web cam! Welcome to my life. So, we, of course, put a pot of tea on and spent Thanksgiving night with our neighbors. Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving wherever it found you and whoever you celebrated with!

Welcome to Global Cafe

Our city just did not know what hit it last week when we brought Starbucks to town! We hosted an English club at our company for the first time last week and served Starbucks and good English conversation practice. We're going to try to make it a monthly occasion. My roommate, let me tell you, is quite the barista. As we all should be after our extensive 'training night'! We met the night before and made pots of coffee and added a bit of sugar, a bit more of sugar, a bit of cocoa and some more sugar until we got our recipes just right. We drank coffee and rearranged furniture and tried more coffee and didn't sleep! We put alot of hard work into the cafe and it was so worth it. I think alot of people will come back next time and bring some friends. Tea is the drink of Turks, so we did have to do some advertising--which consisted of walking around carrying a mocha, saying, 'Mmmm, this is delicious' to get people to branch out past the usual cup of tea...But when they did branch out, they were pleasantly surprised. Word on the street is that we may have a Starbucks coming to a street near us soon, but until then we're giving them a run for their money at the Global Cafe! It was a great night and we were able to meet some new friends and give some old ones a place to gather, have some fun, meet some new people, and have some good conversation.

Scrabbled

Have you ever just had a day when you just want to crawl back under the covers? I should have known today might be one of those days because the first thing I did when I woke up was drop my toothbrush in the toilet... nice start, eh? I actually had a pretty incredible week. I made some new friends and we had our first English cafe at our company that was a success that we had put alot of time and energy into, but leave it to Scrabble to unravel me.
I went to dinner with some friends tonight and had a terrible Turkish night. We played Scrabble and my dictionary and I did not do too well. I kept staring at the board trying to piece together my tiles into Turkish words and thought, this is exactly how I feel about my life here sometimes. Like I have all these words floating around in my head and I'm trying to piece them into coherent thoughts to actually communicate with people and it just doesn't always happen. I didn't understand a stinking thing tonight. It's actually like I went backwards in strides in the course of one game of Scrabble. My mind just let go and I stopped understanding the words coming out of my friends' mouths... And I kept thinking, yesterday, I would have been able to understand this. It's like the messages were not getting through to my brain. I think it has something to do with neurons and receptors and such, but oh well. I have learned that you just can't wear your feelings on your sleeves here, but I think I must have been tonight...because i told one of the girls that i would speak better Turkish next time I saw her and she said that she hoped so. I hope something got lost in translation there.
Things had actually been going pretty well lately...I'd even been on the receiving end of quite a few compliments regarding my Turkish, even from a few Turks! Don't worry, I'm way over that. This blog should be enough to let you know that I'm back to realizing exactly where I am! Humbleness: check. Then, to top things off, I didn't read the sign when I got on the bus and I actually got on the wrong bus. I almost rode it to wherever it was going just to spite myself because I was so embarrassed to have to get off five minutes after I'd gotten on, with a bewildered look on my face that said, 'Yes, I am a foreigner and I did get on the wrong bus even though I have almost lived here a year'. I didn't have to say anything because the man who takes the money shouted it to the driver and all other listening passengers anyways when I asked him to let me off 4 stops after I got on and 1 stop after we turned the opposite way that I needed to go. I was actually listening to the words to a U2 song when it happened...'sometimes you can't make it on your own'...and I have, thanks to some fans over here in Turkey, developed a love for Bono, but still thought, who is he kidding? When can I ever make it on my own? No sometimes about it. I'm glad that on nights like tonight, I really can crawl under the covers and remember that the last blog that I posted wasn't just in my imagination and regardless of how I feel tonight, my God is in control, He is good, He lives, He is perfecting this amazing thing going on inside of me, I'm blessed because of all of the above, and tomorrow is a new day with new mercy. And those truths will never get lost in translation from the Voice--be it like thunder or a still small whisper-- that speaks to my heart and makes itself heard above all others.

Make New Friends...

But keep the old. Isn't funny, how all of a sudden you can look back and think, how in the world did I get here. I'm at this good place and I have to think to remember the lonely lonely road that led to here. I used to sing this song in Girl Scouts. I was a die hard Girl Scout. Long past when it was cool. But the first line of the song is, 'Make new friends, but keep the old'... I am finally at the point here that I have older friends and I am still making new friends. My older friends are introducing me to their friends and actually they are introducing me to their friends. I am just kind of overwhelmed at how good God has been. I'm overwhelmed because at one point in this foreign place surrounded by people speaking this foreign language, I didn't think I'd ever have people that I'd actually call 'friends'. And I'm overwhelmed because I can actually tell Him how good He is in mine and this foreign language and mean it from the heart. There will be more hard times ahead and it's still hard now. But, I was just reminded as I saw this picture and as I've been reflecting this week on just how much I love these people. I have precious friends that I love sharing my life with here and I hope that I get to keep sharing my heart with. All this thankfulness with no specific reason. No huge event that changed my world this week. No, it's not Thanksgiving Day, I'm just thankful. I've been reflecting because Sunday I listened to a friend talk from the Word to a group of people an ocean away and He used it to touch my heart and encourage me to show my gratitude to the Lord. And don't you know that as I've been more thankful this week, He has just been so faithful to keep reminding me of more things that I have to be thankful for! Today, I had lunch with one of my first friends here, a girl she introduced me to, and a girl that the second girl introduced me to today. And tomorrow, Melissa and I will go to the university and have lunch--hopefully not the hot lunch line from the cafeteria...it left much to be desired last week-- and spend some time with more friends. And Saturday, I will go study the Word with different friends. All of these Turkish, and then this weekend, I'll get to see American friends from Istanbul that are coming to visit. And so on... I mean, how did I get from last January to here? He's been so good to me. I am daily reminded (as I open my mouth) that it has nothing to do with me, but that He's so faithful to bless my friends through me because through me, they are getting to know Him. And who doesn't want that? I'm just overwhelmed at how I get to be so blessed in the process.

Battle Wounds

Don't be scared. This story has a happy ending. I know, you're thinking one more blog about Little Caesar's...we foreigners are pretty excited. It's all the blogging rage. Little Caesar's has graced us with it's glorious presence. But, this blog has a twist to it. There was much pain, agony, and heartbreak that the road to Little Caesar's was paved with. I know you are a bit disappointed that my battle wound wasn't due to a grander cause, but from where I'm sitting...there isn't one. Little Caesars has come and it is every bit like it is in America. 'ayna' (this means the same in Turkish) is what I have been telling all my Turkish friends. It really is. The pepperoni--though I hope not really pepperoni because my teacher partook which would be a sin for her, I feel they might have to advertise that in Turkey of all places--still tasted just like the real thing. But, back to how I got there. So, quite a few of us foreigners decided we should commemorate this momentous occasion by having an impromptu luncheon at our new regular dining establishment (I ate there 3 times in their first week...this cannot be a trend, my jeans can absolutely not handle it). I am crossing the finish line, or the street if you will and I turn my ankle. I think my face scared my roommate more than the oncoming cars--which there were not alot. She helped me across to the restaurant where we promptly appreciated that they were a foreign establishment because they had ice! They gave us some ice to help with the pain and then I headed on home in the V's van. I did have some pizza delivered later though to help ease the pain in my heart from missing out on Little Caesar's...not that it was the end of the world because as you read I did have it three times that first week. The ankle kept me down a bit, but it's not broken. Thank goodness. I do have to say that I am not a hypochondriac, but I'm convinced that the 3rd night after much walking, I had 3 plus pitting edema. Not good. But I've complied with all the R.I.C.E. directions. Rest, ice, compress, and elevate. Check, check. A week later and it's still blue, but feeling better. And I made it to Little Caesars... they made it to me...etc. The world's a better place now.
And, welcome back to the world of fringe. I have to rely on pictures, because I don't quite trust the mirror so I generally shoot one of these photos as I'm heading out the door and delete it later. I know. But, any who the bangs are back in town...at least for now.

South Side Story

To finish off my trip to Cyprus, we decided to take a trip to the mall on the Greek side after Craig's football practice on Saturday. A western dinner is motivation for 'one for all and all for one' mentality. So we head over for an evening in Greek Cyprus...I do have to admit that I was pretty pumped. Starbucks and T.G.I.Fridays in one evening is enough to make my mouth water even now. At home, there are a million places I'd rather eat than Fridays (pardon my strong opinions on this blog, keep on eating at Fridays if you are), but over here, a girl will take what she can get and last week it was Fridays! I do have to admit that the hot dog I had at Ikea before the mall was actually the highlight of the trip. Don't look down on me, Oh, I miss a hot dog! I am getting ahead of myself, I still haven't told you how we managed to get across the border...
So, it is a little nerve racking having to whip your passport out and drive past all these guards generally not smiling at you. Any who, we got past this one point and this grouchy man decided that we should not be allowed to cross the border because their license plate had been hit and well...a letter had been knocked off...but really, a girl only gets to see pork over here a couple times a year, DON'T STEAL MY JOY, MAN! So, sweet Katie gets out of the car (after grouchy man refused to bend, face down in a frown pointing for us to turn our car around and go back to Turkish Cyprus...(there are some tensions between the two sides, which I have not enough room or time to go into on this blog--I am really giving you some motivation lately to check up on your politics and history, eh?), where was I? Oh yes, sweet Katie is getting out of the car utilizing flattery on the other guard. Please sir, our friend came all the way from America (originally I did come from there) to see your country (or really, just Starbucks), please let us show her your side of the island...
Flattery, who doesn't appreciate a little bit, here and there? It worked. Grouchy man made sure to tell us that he was not the one helping us, thank you very much, but friendly guard brought out his artsy friend who promptly took out a Sharpie and drew an extra letter on our license plate--because this looks so much more legit, now doesn't it? One Sharpie later (see above picture), we were heading to the Mall of Cyprus. She was a beauty, but you just never know how things are going to work over here. We walked into the mall about 7:15 or so and the stores promptly started closing about well, 7:45...which makes perfect sense because the mall doesn't close until, 8:30. Just getting a head start. Sometimes I feel like I'm living in a bizarre world. You just never know what's going to happen and sometimes, really anything goes. Didn't tear up the mall quite like I had planned to, but we made a delicious trip across the border on Sunday for a few groceries (see the bounty above) that solved any delusions on pork that had been disappointed by the grocery store at the Mall of Cyprus. And Fridays and Starbucks were right on because they stayed open till 11 and 12 respectively. Have your coffee in the mall until midnight, just make sure you're done shopping by 7:45...

The Island

I got to head over to the island of Cyprus this past week to visit Katie and Craig and it was an awesome time. I do have to give them credit where credit is due because they have definitely adjusted to some cold showers over there! I couldn't do it! But, it was a great visit, I went over with the Pinelakers and I just was so encouraged by them and Katie and Craig. I think that it was a much needed visit. I even got to go to Katie's first tea party and to her Turkish lesson...I felt like I was just at home getting to meet all the girls that she's making friends with over there. I didn't know much about Cypriot history, but I learned a good bit. Did you know that the island was a British colony until around 1960...no wonder there are so many British accents and people drinking milk with their tea! It was such a great week to get to see their life and plug into their lives for a bit. These pictures are from the old city of Magusa, the ruins at Salamis (this is actually the first place that Saul (still Saul at that time, but a short few verses later will be referred to as Paul throughout the rest of the New Testament) and Barnabas went on their first journey from Antioch to proclaim the Word...Acts 13:5) and from a port city called Girne. In Girne, we explored a castle that King Richard the Lionheart of England actually visited. Isn't the history in this part of the world just incredible. As incredible as it always is to see the things and walk in the footsteps of those who did what they did here so long ago, the fellowship and encouragement in Katie and Craig and friends from home was definitely the highlight of my trip.

A Low Point...

This is a picture from our sightseeing adventures today around our area. I am doing some serious rock climbing can't you tell in my Converses? I mean, really, I haven't changed that much in a year...maybe my other foot is resting on a rock or...maybe it's just not and I am rock climber extraordinaire now. We have visitors here from home and I'm so excited. We have a packed week showing them around and getting them into the culture (not hard given the state of things right now to experience some new culture). They brought a few goodies (clothes, lotion, medicine, books, food, candy, yada yada yada) from my mom (thanks momma) and a friend from home (Thank you Terry!) (and I might have gone on a shopping spree and had it delivered to well...heather, you deserve to be named, you were my liaison and now we will forever receive joint shopping catalogs delivered to your house... sorry about that). Our friends were so great to bring these things that we needed/wanted/craved from home! including a d.v.d. from a Christmas program from 2 years ago at my church that I'll just have to go on and confess to you that I watched the night the group arrived after they were jet-lagged and tucked into bed (I know it's October) before my head even hit the pillow. But, I got to see so many faces of people that I love and haven't seen in awhile via video and I can't wait this Christmas to share it with my friends here. 'Best Gift' is going international. It was just what I needed, but no that was not the low point...I'm due a bit of missing home by this point. But, I'm so excited about spending this week with some new and old faces. They have brought a ton of encouragement just by coming all the way over here to show they care. They are a high point in my YEAR!

No, the low point was--I hesitate even to confess this on blogging, but here I am bearing my soul--that I know I have lived here a long time, because the other day I noticed something, (a small spot mind you), white on my pants...and the thought crossed my mind, maybe this is bird poo from hanging my laundry outside. That's how we do it here. Let that thought go, rinsed it off and headed out the door, bird poo and all! Who am I? Who does that? I might need an intervention. I was running so late, though... What does that say about how this place is just breaking me down??? I've got to get a hold of myself! I may be becoming a bit lower maintenance, but that is just unacceptable!

Will not have much time to post this week as I'll be hanging out with my friends from home and introducing them to friends here, and Wednesday I am heading to the island to visit Katie and Craig. I am so excited...all that to say, may not be much blogging for awhile, but you can look forward to seeing what Cyprus is like on the blog when I get back next week if I don't post before then. You are just becoming quite a traveller through me, aren't you?

In case, you have been watching the news (and I have had a few calls to check in), we are doing fine over here and being careful. People are getting excited and people have begun to assemble the past few nights to basically start a parade sort of mass that marches through the city like the biggest unorganized caravan I've ever seen LATE into the night doing things like waving flags standing on car tops with flashers blinking and honking, making more noise than I've ever heard in my life, blocking traffic, and stopping every few blocks to sing the national anthem by the multitude. Thank goodness, they are sticking to the main boulevard and we are several blocks away for sleep's sake. It's new and quite exciting, but things are okay and we are okay. Just in case you try to call and I'm away this week, I'm just out of town for a bit. I'll be back in touch via blog and e-mail as soon as possible...Thanks for understanding given the state of things right now...What this will be the beginning of, I'm not sure, but I'll do my very best to keep in contact.

The 142...

Today after church, we went to the mall to eat lunch and look for a birthday present. Chris's birthday present to be exact. So, Melissa, Chris (he accompanied us for lunch not to buy his own present), and I headed towards the Real. Don't say it like, 'just keeping it real'...say it like, 'ray-all'...i tend to say it like, 'ray-al (as in meet my friend al--i don't actually have any friends named al...just an example). Any who, you can tell I digress. So, we had to catch a bus and not just any bus, to be specific...we had to catch the 142. If you're gonna head anywhere with the 142, then you should know to get to the mall or the big grocery store from our house takes 45 minutes. It's a scenic route, which honestly I don't mind anymore...but you need to know the background. And they are supposed to run every 15 minutes, this is a lie. Maybe they run every half hour on a good day.(p.s. As I write this, I am eating leftover dolma from our visit yesterday. See the blog from this summer where we stuffed the peppers. That's dolma. Anyways, I throw that in to say, look how Turkish we are!)
So, on these three blessed days of the holiday season, our fair city has bestowed upon it's fine citizens endless free bus rides on city buses. The 142, she is a city bus. I've decided that if the 142 had a gender, (for example if I were learning a language like French, instead of Turkish) it would be feminine because the other day the bus changed route entirely--which general is unheard of despite that fact that, well, this is Turkey--and skipped an entire part of the route...thankfully not mine. She's got a mind of her own. So, today, the whole city, plus those who had come from the village making the most of their last no work holiday day to visit the big city (f.y.i. people in Istanbul call my city a village) decided to go to the mall today and of course everyone rides the bus. I promise you that I think some of the people at the mall today had waited the whole year for free bus day to go because it was SO crowded. But, let me tell you about crowded. I have never in my almost 10 months here been on a bus as crowded as the two I rode today. I was able to sit on one leg of the journey, not so lucky on the second leg home. Everyone is touching and everyone is hot and everyone is sweating and everyone is stinky. It's one of those days, when you just have to embrace the culture and remind yourself that you love living here. But, really, it was hilarious. Every time we'd come to the next bus stop, you just can't imagine how these people just kept packing in. A can of sardines comes to mind. And everyone kept laughing and talking about how crowded it was every time we passed a bursting bus or made a stop when, really, how were those people gonna get on? People sitting on people's laps in the seats. The aisles just bursting with faces and hands reaching out the windows or doors every time they opened just for fresh air. Literally, I thought the bus was going to tip multiple times on the way round hills and curves that normally she handles just fine even with standing room only. Today was different.
We all loaded on at the mall to go home and just as we were leaving, one man who hadn't been able to fit on our bus had realized that another 142 had pulled up right after ours left the station. As we drove by him busting at the seams getting on to his empty 142, he raised his fists triumphantly and actually laughed in our (the bus's) direction. He was a grown man. You have no idea what free bus day does to people around here. I'm laughing now thinking about it. We passed his bus about a half hour later and he was still on it and it was crowded. Tomorrow, I'll actually appreciate paying as I get on the bus.

And So It Ends.

Today is the first day of the Ramazan holiday which follows the month of fasting. The fast lasted for about the past month and today the world I live in is resuming it's normalcy (even though, really, it changed this past month alot less than I thought it would). My teacher I think probably fasted as many days as I can count on my hands. Many are strict, but many fall at various levels in between. The next three days are called Ramazan Holiday and the Sugar Holiday. They prefer you to say the prior name. We have bought sugar candy and cologne in hopes that our neighbors will come over. Neighbors visit and you offer them sugar candy and cologne as they eat it and then a sweet something with more sustenance and Turkish coffee. We have not yet learned to make Turkish coffee, so we will be serving Coke. I've heard that children will ring our door and extend their hands waiting for us to fill them with candy. Only one had done so thus far, but we gave him two pieces of candy, so maybe he'll spread the word for the other children to come to our door. Lots of people have left to go spend the weekend with their families. Melissa and I are heading out to explore our fine city on this day and see how much it is changed on this holiday. We may be returning very shortly if nothing is open...but I have a sneaking suspicion that Burger King will be open and I'm very persuasive, so maybe we'll make a stop. (smile)....Okay,
well I have let this post sit all day and now it's time for bed. But, we did make it to Burger King and it was open, but that was about it! Today was kind of a bizarre day. It was a major holiday that I didn't really participate in. It really was like Christmas or Thanksgiving Day in the States. There were fewer buses running (which calls for a bit more planning b/c we travel everywhere by public transportation), the people riding them were all families and they were all dressed up. We felt very under-dressed and un-holiday'ish in our jeans and shirts. Tomorrow we're going to visit a friends' family and we're going to dress accordingly. I am glad for the normalcy to return to every day life, but there has been a sense of more spiritual awareness this past month that I will be sad to see go, as I know it will. Maybe the conversations that I have begun with friends will linger. It's been nice to go deeper with friends and talk of things of the heart. As this holiday season ends, I never posted this video. So, this is a bit of dancing video from the Ramazan festival that Melissa and I went to with our friend. It's only a taste of what the night was like. There were so many dances and it was just so fun! I wish it could be longer, but it gives you a little glimpse of some traditional Turkish dance, from which part, I'm just not sure! But you can imagine what the night was like from this little window. Before you play it, scroll down to my music player on the right side of the blog and pause the song so you can get the full effect. It may take a few minutes to download, but it's only 15 seconds long--it's 15 seconds worth watching. And i guarantee that it will take you less time to download this video than it has taken me to download 18 emails in 7 hours today. I'm having Internet issues. But thanks to the world of technology, you too can visit the Ramazan festival, so I'll not complain further. Enjoy...and Bayraminiz kutlu olsun. Happy holidays.

Did Somebody Call for a Nurse?

I thought I'd include this picture so that all of you who are thinking, was she ever a nurse...why is she not using her nursing now??? can see that I have been called to a different place for now, but I've just taken some of my skills with me! (some of them). I will definitely have to take a BIG refresher course upon returning to America next year, but I did get to hang my shingle at our hotel in August, when we met at the conference for people in our country who do what I do. I had a friend who needed some stitches removed from his ear and I was able to help. The stitches were no problem to take out. As for what lies ahead for him now...I can't speak for that. Really, J.M., you went to a free medical clinic in Turkey. Chris is assisting me in the pic. We had the operating room all set up. That's my serious 'this is life and death here people' face. Maybe this particular incident didn't quite call for it, but you know...It's been awhile, I had to get into character! Anyways, it was fun to be reminded that I am a nurse!
I was able to talk to some of the gals at my old clinic in Jackson this week and it made me miss them even more! We had some good times up at the Lakeland Surgical Clinic...
Speaking of good times, Melissa and I had a good time last night. We went to our neighbors house to watch my new addiction...Have I told you that I'm addicted to a Turkish soap opera? I think I have. It takes place in the east of our country and is very melodramatic. But, it's all in Turkish...so like I said before, good language practice, eh? Too bad, we could barely hear the t.v. over the sound of our neighbor's whole family in the mini-salon. Don't get me wrong. I love all of our neighbors. Especially these upstairs neighbors. They've kind of adopted us and the mother always treats us well, a bit motherly and I like that. But we'd already visited this week, and we talked during the 15 minute commercial breaks, and really, I wanted to know whether Sila was going to be rescued from her kidnappers (who were actually her in-laws who felt she needed to be punished) and go back to her husband who was just released from jail (whom she didn't love when their marriage was first arranged, but now does truly love...obviously unbeknownst to her in-laws) and her newborn son... I told you it was a bit melo-dramatic.
Our neighbor kept bragging on us being like, of course they understand everything that's going on...and Melissa and I are thinking, we can barely hear the t.v., much less understand it over the dull roar of every member of your family speaking in Turkish to us at the same time! But, one thing I did understand. We took some brownies up with us. The show is 2 hours, so we were settling in for a lengthy visit, (and of course we had to debrief after the show). But, they made sure to tell us that the brownies were good, but they would be better with something. They would be better with a big glass of olive oil. Everything's better here with olive oil...no precise measuring necessary, just about a big drinking glass of it. Add that to your recipe card, eh.

Another Iftar View

I took this picture from our balcony. It's Iftar to go... Last week there was a huge Iftar gathering in the parking lot outside our apartment building. We watched as they served all the places and then everyone waited until the countdown was over at approximately 6:37 p.m. and then they began to eat.
We also had the chance to eat Iftar with our across the hall university girl neighbors this weekend. Well...actually they wanted us to eat dinner with them on Saturday night, but they didn't catch us in time. Our doorbell rang at about... yeah, it was about 11:30p.m. I answered the wooden door knowing they could not see me in my p.j.'s while brushing my teeth. I had already dragged Melissa out of bed because I was a bit nervous about who it could be. They were persistent door ringers. When I heard the voices of our across the hall neighbors, I opened our outside door to find them all standing there. They invited us over to eat dinner, right then. As we're both standing there in our p.j.'s, I thought about it and then just answered for the both of us and said, 'no, tonight, we really just can't'. (I am still brushing my teeth, at the door, at this point.) They weren't too disappointed. They invited us over for the next night. Perfect. Well, they said 7 o'clock. You already read above that Iftar was at 6:37 last Friday night and it only gets earlier as the sun sets earlier. I lapsed into a moment of definitely culturally insensitivity when they rang our doorbell the next night at 6:30p.m. (I thought a bit early which is very much unlike Turks) (they appeared very hungry--one can learn to discern these things after a few weeks living in the middle of Ramazan) to tell us they were waiting for us. Well, I of course told her that they had told us 7:00 and we'd be there at 7:00 because we had a cake in the oven. Still hungry, she looked at me a bit confused. Did I know where I was living? You can set your watch by Iftar here. I told her again, we would be there very very shortly...the cake was not finished. Why did we have to bake a cake she asked. Well, we were only trying to be hospitable, I thought...not realizing our only duty was to be on time and we were about to not fulfill that duty. Then, Melissa remembered that it was Iftar time and I embarrassedly scrambled to get my shoes on, shouting to Melissa to turn the oven off (unbaked cake still inside, mind you) and we ran across the hall to see that the meal was laid out and we'd almost missed our window to do the most respectful thing you can do at an Iftar meal...show up on time so your hosts can eat! We had a good meal which we ate on the floor on newspaper. What do you expect? They're college girls...they don't have much furniture!
Afterwards, we had a unique opportunity to peer into the culture that we're living in a bit further, that I don't think I'll ever forget. They all laid their prayer rugs down with their backs facing us. Then they each began to do their evening prayers separately. They had all washed before they began and then began the routine of the movements that are involved in the bowing. After that, one of them led the prayers in what I assume was Arabic. It wasn't Turkish. It sounded something like a chant. You can only imagine that I did quite a bit of my own praying during this time. They gave us an English Koran before we left which led to some good discussion. Very eager to share with us, they are. It's going to be an interesting development of friendships, but I know they've been put in our path for a reason.

Miss Jess...

or Miss Jekissa, or My Teacher...I seem to be answering to any of the above these days more often. School's in session. I've got a new class that I'm tutoring and I've just got to go ahead and tell you that they have just become a spot of sunshine in my weeks. They're such sweet kids. English is the name of the game that we're playing...in the picture, I baked them cookies for their surprise this week because they all had smiley faces left at the end of the week. Let me tell you that my cooking skills are much improved this side of the water (I am still a work in progress, though), and I hope the cookies will motivate them to keep those smileys! Other than constantly making each other laugh and wanting to never stop singing our silly school songs...they're pretty well behaved. Even when they're not, I have to stifle a giggle before I tell them to sit down or listen. I meet with them three times a week and I kind of feel like I'm back in grade school again. When I was little, I used to ride my bike down the street and play 'school' with my girl friends. If memory serves me correct--I like to get my way--I think I was the teacher quite often! We'd get old worksheets and make bulletin boards...all the works. So, I've been having fun getting creative with my lesson plans again, many years later. Not to mention the fact that I have to live up to their former teacher (the real live teacher from America--not to mention fabulous teacher--Katie)... but I'm doing my best. Melissa's been helping and laughing at me as I ravage Google for ideas and am constantly making up silly songs now to whatever we might be learning! The last one was called, 'School is Fun' to the tune of 'Three Blind Mice'...and really, school has been fun!

Ramadan Nights to Days

So...Melissa and I have had the chance this past week to experience both sides of Ramadan. We had an Iftar meal with one of our friend's families and I cannot even tell you what a spread of food it was. They are a very devout family, and though I doubt they eat that particular meal every night during Ramadan, their entire family does fast and break the fast together each evening. There were so many courses.All the food was of course delicious. I have yet to taste anything that her mother has made that I dislike--and there are a few dishes that, well...aren't my favorite. After the meal, we piled into the family car. I am already acquainted with the whole family from previous teas and my friend's brother was in one of my English classes this summer! We headed to a local park for a Ramazan festival. Now, there are two things lately that I have been missing--you can be assured I miss everything--but these two things I got to have in one form or another here! I miss rain. I love a good rainy day and it rained yesterday for half an hour. I can't remember the last time it rained. It may have been in April. It just doesn't rain here in the summer...at all, literally, period. AND...I miss the fair. If you know me at all, then you will know that I love the fair! I know, it's trashy sometimes and too crowded and the rides are shaky and the food is greasy...BUT I love every minute of it. And this particular Ramadan festival included homemade craft booths and even had a Ferris wheel. I did not get to partake of the Ferris wheel, I believe those activities were only intended for children, but it made me feel like I was at home! After the Ramadan festival, we went for ice cream and then like we were in school again, our friend's dad dropped us off before he took the rest of the family home.

So, that is one side of Ramazan...there is another. This last weekend, our Turkish tutor came over for dinner and a movie and a game of Okey. Early evening and mid-game, her family calls and asks her to come home this weekend. She lives about an hour and a half away from our city, but stays with her aunt and uncle during the week and sometimes on the weekend so she can work. Well...she invited us to go along. Basically she said, 'how about we go to Mersin tonight?' Melissa and I are spontaneous--but usually not that much--so we said, 'well...we have to take the trash out at about 8, but that was the extent of our plans...so, okay!'. Within 30 minutes, we had packed our purses for the night and were on a bus headed to the train station. We road the train to Mersin and made it in time for her family's and now my favorite Turkish soap opera. I have got to get cable before Friday night at 8 o'clock in time for my new favorite show...it's good Turkish practice. Melissa and I set our alarms in order to be a part of the whole Ramadan experience for 3:30 a.m. and woke up and had sahur with her family. Sahur is the morning meal that everyone eats before the sun comes up since they fast during the day. If I thought the drums were loud at my house to wake the neighbors up for this pre-fasting meal, it was like a marching band at her house. We could not have slept through sahur if we had wanted to. I think what we ate was smaller than usual, but this is generally what Turkish breakfast consists of.

The Road Trip (Part III which also may be referred to as The End)

So...this is the end of stories from my first Turkish road trip. I know you've just been dying to know, and yes, the water was on when we woke up Sunday morning...thank goodness. I was beyond ready for a real shower! I know, I'm just down right spoiled, huh. I don't know if this village girl could swing it in Ankara. The power has already gone out twice here in my little abode today and I'm okay with that...water; however, that is another matter. That might require an even further daily attitude adjustment... They really know how to make the best of it there and surely head to Starbucks when water is short in their part of town, I mean we did. (smile).

Sunday was a great day. We went to a Turkish church with our hosts. It was a really neat experience for me. I didn't know a lot of the songs, but I knew one and I actually knew it by heart. That's the first time I've been able to sing a whole song by heart in Turkish and not have to read the words and try to figure out what I'm singing to Him. It was a neat feeling to be able to raise my hands and sing in Turkish something I believe and actually know what my heart was expressing to the Father in a language other than English. It was kind of an incredible feeling. A milestone, if you will, being in a new city with nothing really familiar around and being reminded--once again-- that He is the familiar. He is the constant in my life. He always will be. He is bigger than English and Turkish and He sees into the depths of my heart no matter what language I may choose to praise Him in as long as it's from my heart's overflow.

The rest of the day was spent really in waiting. We ate lunch, did a bit of shopping, and hung out with our friends at their house waiting to go to the bus station at--yet again-- midnight. I've never ridden Greyhound, so pardon my mistake if this is how it is in America (it's been awhile), but I don't think the Ankara bus station could have been more busy if it had been the middle of the day. Midnight was crazy busy at the bus station. There were so so so many people there. Apparently midnight bus travel is the way to go. We bought a few bus pillows--a risky move in itself as I am quite sure they were pre-used, but we hadn't had a ton of sleep between the two of us during the weekend and we were practically giddy as we boarded the bus. Anything to help aid in the sleep process was a luxury at this point. We were ready to come on back home and we actually slept right through the 3 a.m. pit stop this time. It was a neat weekend spent making memories with a new friend, who now I can call a really close friend and I'd take a midnight bus with anytime...