Humble Pie.

So, i will just go ahead and tell you in case you're wondering...it is really hot here! We now are the proud owners of three fans--not just two--and we have an air conditioning unit in our salon. None of our neighbors or anyone in any of the other buildings i can see from my balcony are running theirs yet, but this southern girl is testifying that it is hot here. Thus, our air conditioning unit is being utilized. Hope all is well when we get the bill next month. We're trying to be pretty conservative, like now for instance...it's about 10:30 p.m. here and there's a light breeze so the air is not running and all the windows are open. But, since the hot weather is here, you know what it is time for? Remember now that I just so happen to live on the Mediterranean! So, yes, me and my roommate and two friends--one Turkish and one American--are venturing to the beach this weekend for a day. Mind you, that it will take us from our house: a bus, a train, and a mini-bus. But, I am fully convinced that it will be overly worth it. Is that a word? It will be beyond worth it! I'm really excited! And we have a friend coming for a weekend visit so that'll be really encouraging. We've been cleaning all day to get ready! We did take a break, though, to go visit our upstairs neighbors--the Society, if you will. We cannot visit one without her calling the other one to convene a larger meeting. They are really sweet and today held some very interesting conversation as our friend began to teach us parts of the body...which we have actually learned, but today in conversation we reviewed a few that our teacher skipped in our co-ed class! There is never a dull moment here, especially when i'm always just a step behind figuring out what is being said by the time they've moved on to another subject! But our upstairs neighbor is very motherly and she's always so sweet and encouraging about our language when we visit--which not all my neighbors are, by the way. I am a work in progress here, and i am fully aware of that every day as my neighbors across the hall told me the other day that my roommate's language (1 month here) is better than mine (5 months here). Humble pie, i am eating it. Now, I know she is really smart and that i need to be challenged and motivated as much as the next person, but I guessI figured it would come another way! But, I'll just have to take it any way I can get it here, huh! It was rather humorous, though, for me and Melissa when i came home and shared with her what they said only to find out that she hadn't understood it...

God is daily teaching me humility before Him, love for His children--of every color, tongue, and heart, and just a desire to care for nothing in this world but Him and what He cares about. I am eating lots of humble pie and I am growing, but because He is stretching me, daily.

Little Victories and Birthdays

Today, we had a little victory in receiving two of our plates back with some pizza and fruit on them. It's kind of like a little game. We bake up a storm and then deliver the goodies as an excuse to meet our neighbors cause we're too nervous to just ring their doorbell! We hope that they invite us in and get to chat and get to know them and just a bonus, then we wait in anticipation for the plates to be returned...and they always are, usually with Turkish goodies, in turn. One victory came only after a small defeat. We delivered some home made brownies to our neighbors only to very quickly have the door shut, while we I was still gathering what I was going to say next together in my mind! That's the trouble with this language difference. Normally, i can hold my own with some words...but I have to be quick on my toes here, or have my pre-made dialogue ready! But, never fear. Because they returned the plate very promptly the same day (today)--one day is almost unbelievable (we're going on one month with our landlady) and eased my feelings. I'm hoping we'll get to visit with them soon. In the meantime, they know we're here and that we're friendly and well...learning to cook!
More little victories...I got mail today for the first time at my new apartment!!!! (Can you tell by all the exclamation points that this is a wonderful thing in my life?) Thank you Bridge and Alicia! Two cards in one day! It was fabulous. I'm telling you, it's the small things in life. My momma always says, 'expect nothing and appreciate EVERYTHING' and, I do. So the mail, thank you girls! And thank you ALL who called and e-mailed and even sent gifts through messengers. I had a really great birthday. We had dinner at Katie and Craig's house last night and the Vonage phone was ringing off the hook and I felt like a celebrity! It was really fun and I loved getting to hear from some familiar voices that I love on my birthday! I had a great day. We definitely did lunch at the BK. The Burger King, that is. There are only so many choices on a girl's birthday here to splurge. But I had a home-cooked meal for dinner and a great cake and a lot of fun.
I know you're wondering about the above picture. 'Do tell,' you're thinking. Don't you worry...I'll share. That little gem is now sitting on my table in my living room. Just a little birthday treat that I got from a friend. Yes, i know. I am collecting quite an assortment of cultural gifts...that's well, all I'll say about that. My favorite gift; however, was a little bag that I got to open that held little folded pieces of paper that I had to read out loud at the party. Everybody had written notes about me--mostly encouraging things and a few just down right funny. You can only imagine that these folks have got some stories on me by now! It was really sweet and the encouragement did a girl good. My cup runneth over, my Turkish cup, that is.

Smile Girls.

These are my new babies. So...I haven't always been a cat person, I'm still working on it. But these two girls, don't quite count. 'Boncuk' (Bon-juke)--a Turkish name--and 'No Name'. We do hope she'll be named soon, she answers to many things that I feel like calling her depending on how sweet or naughty she is being at the moment... We've had them for about 2 weeks and they're really sweet. Quite energetic little girls, to be quite frank. They fluctuate from driving me and Melissa crazy one minute, to having us ooh and awe over them the very next minute when they mid-wrestling fall asleep in our laps! They're really cute. They are about the size of my foot (size 5 1/2--remember the Converse fiasco...if not, refer to April's blogs, it's worth the laugh) I think they make our house feel more like a home. Hopefully, they won't electrocute themselves anytime soon, they love to chew on anything that has a wire...which is basically all the really expensive stuff in our apartment . They have driven me to a new level of O.C.D.'ness that never existed before in me. I have not always been the neatest individual, some of you may attest to this. Since moving to this country; however, I am simply a mad woman. My roommate will heartily attest to the fact that I vacuum EVERY day, sometimes under her while she's sitting on the couch. I just feel that I need to. I don't exercise alot, so I feel that this gets my heart rate up to a good healthy beat--if you're doubting me, you haven't seen me clean yet!--and it helps me relieve stress! So the cats are already making a difference in my life! Any who, they're really cute and we've started talking to them like they're little humans. They are so needy! If one is in a different room from the other or we're not in the room with them, they 'meow' without ceasing until me or Melissa shouts out, 'We're in here'...until they find our voice! So, our house has become a bit funnier these days.

It's A Small World...

...after all. Or is it. Maybe the person who wrote that song has been to Disney World, but I'm not sure that they've been to Istanbul. I have now...twice! So, i don't think I'm self medicating (maybe i'm in denial), but I did have Domino's, something pretty close to Mexican food, and maybe Starbucks on more than one occasion this past week. We don't have that kind of stuff where I live, so I had to get while the getting was good! Starbucks is always a fun visit. Let's see, I'll share with you some of the fun names we've had written on our cups. Katie has been Kerry and Kelly. Craig has actually been 'Crack' before. I was Jessi. You have no idea how many people here want to give me the nickname Jessi. Turks love it. Or people in Turkey, in general for that matter. Some other fun ones have been: Dragon and Beff. It's always fun waiting for your cup of "beyaz cikolatali mocha" to see what name you'll be given!

So we went to Istanbul for a week of meetings and orientation to this new life we're in now. I got to stay with some precious precious friends--there is your shout out! Thank you guys! Love ya'll!--and how often do you get to take a boat and a bus or taxi to work in one day? That's what I thought. I did it every day during my tour o' Istanbul! It was so fun! Wind in my hair riding across the Bosphorus or Marmara Sea--I think at some point, i went over both--all the while looking like I don't actually live in Turkey because I might as well have had a fanny pack. May camera was in hand hanging over the boat clicking away! This city absolutely blew me away. It is enormous. Just mind boggling how huge it is!

It was such a great week of meeting new people and getting some advice, encouragement, and some challenges on how to get used to my new life and thrive. I'm back feeling refreshed and ready to spend the hot hot summer here in my Mediterranean home! We did get to spend Katie's birthday at the Mexican 'gibi' (Turkish=like, somewhat similar) restaurant. This is where the sombrero fits in! It's not every year, you have a birthday in another country...but I am going for two years in a row here! Last year I had a birthday in Africa, and this year--this Wednesday (was that a shameless plug?)--I'll be having a 2nd birthday out of the country! Look out. Who knew, I'd be such a cross cultural little girl, now? I'm glad to be back in my city for awhile, glad to be looking forward to a few manila envelopes in the mail from my folks for the b-day, glad to see Turkish friends this week, glad to be refreshed and encouraged, and glad to have endless hope regardless of the place I find myself in from week to week.

Tea for Ten

That's right, ten. Count it ten people...including me and Melissa. We just finished the dishes after our first big meal with the neighbors. Seven of tonight's dinner guests were neighbors and one was our friend/teacher. I honestly don't know what we would have done without her! Thankfully, the meal went great, once they decided to come. It's not only a different time zone, time takes on a whole different meaning here. But they came. Sometimes i feel like things move in slow motion here. It's a new pace for me, but I'm learning to love it and adjust. I think I'm learning how to be a Martha and a Mary here! I want to choose the thing that is best, but you gotta keep that tea going here. A hostess is on her toes at all times! But, tonight...maybe just maybe, (I think) that I experienced a triumph. Dinner.

It is one of the only things, i feel like I've successfully made since we've been in the apartment. My cookies were less than fabulous and my banana bread flopped. Tonight, I tried to redeem myself with Chicken Spaghetti. And, it turned out beautifully--if i may say so myself...and I guess I just did. A few awkward lulls in conversation, but overall the evening was a smashing success I felt like, food included. I just kept trying not to embarrass our teacher! I don't mind speaking Turkish, but in front of her...I get nervous!

We basically ran out of everything tonight except food. A good thing not to run out of. We barely had enough plates, didn't have enough tea glasses--i had to improvise, and we didn't have enough chairs!! We had to borrow chairs from our dinner guests. They didn't seem to mind. Next time I invite 8 people over for dinner, I'll make sure to have 8 plates, 8 napkins, and 8 glasses. I'm working on my hospitality over here. One day at a time. One dinner party of ten at a time...

Of course they asked if they could help do the dishes, and of course we turned them down. I explained in my best Turkish that, 'No, Melissa and I love to do the dishes!' Seems like all we do these days! But dishes for ten was worth it to get to know our neighbors a bit better. At least one apartment-ful... that's right 8 people down and we've only hosted ONE apartment! Let me know next time you're having a tea party for ten...i can advise!

Isn't She...

...A beauty. The fan, that is. So, here in this fine city that I find myself living in right now, we're experiencing temperatures in the NINETIES already! I keep hearing the same thing over and over again, and quite frankly, it's making me afraid of summer! Everyone says that summer here is miserable! Or that no one stays around in summer because it's so hot, or that i won't even want to leave the house this summer because it will be so hot! That's right kids, worse than those Mississippi summers that I learned to thrive in! But, we bought two of these lovely fans and my oh my, how lovely the nights have been since. We don't have air-conditioning yet, so I'm already sporting the shorts in the house, which is fine until somebody rings the doorbell and i have to run to put some pants on and run to get the keys to run to unlock the door...hoping that they're still at the door! I'm trying to stay culturally appropriate, but this girl's gotta keep cool behind closed doors. Speaking of closed doors, or actually quite the opposite...

Today, i had the porch door open (I was hanging my laundry) and wouldn't you know we had a visitor. Little itty bitty pigeon just waltzed right into our living room. All of a sudden, I hear Melissa shout from inside, 'There's a bird in our apartment!' She just strutted around for a few minutes, then decided when I was done with the laundry that it was time for her to leave. Maybe she was offended that we didn't offer her tea. Not sure if she hadn't left of her own accord, quite how we would have handled removing the pigeon from our living room...let me know if you have any ideas for future instances.

So, we met actually a legit chairman this weekend--refer back to previous blog. I'm telling you, sometimes being a yabanci (ya-ban-jee)--a foreigner--draws more attention than I'd like. Katie and I had lunch with some good friends from the university. One of the girls is from a city out east and there's a foundation that has been started for people who go to Cukarova (the university in our city) from her city. The girls were having a meeting Saturday, so we got to join in and practice our Turkish! We had tea and plums and danced some traditional dances. Katie said i had some moves, but I'm not sure about that! We all linked pinky fingers and then did this dance resembling a country western line dance a bit...and the chairman of the foundation came to the meeting to meet us! Our friend said that she had never met him before! He only came to meet the foreigners! I'm beyond ready to blend a bit more! But he was very nice and we got to see some pictures and meet some folks from a different part of this country we're living in. It was a fun meeting and a fun day.

Welcome to the Neighborhood.

I've officially been initiated into the neighborhood ladies society. Yes, there is one, I'm sure of it. It had been relatively quiet in our little apartment until today when I met the chairmen of the society in the elevator. And glad to have met her. She promptly invited me up for tea after wanting to know who I was and where I lived. The invite was for...now. So I, like a good roommate, grabbed my 'ev-arkadasim' (my roommate) and scurried up to floor 7 to meet the neighbors. First we met the chairman of what i will affectionately refer to from now on as the Society. Because it was in her apartment where this particular meeting was impromptu called to order. She was home alone, but not for long because she called both of her sisters and her sister-in-law to come over and the neighbor from downstairs to come up. And this being Turkey, of course they all did immediately to be social and meet the new neighbors! It was pretty delightful. We stayed for about two hours testing my Turkish and by the end, I felt sure Melissa and I had been initiated. I feel sure of this because shortly after returning home, our 2nd floor neighbor rang the bell to take me to the bazaar! Always have your jacket and purse ready to go here. I threw my shoes on and we went to the bazaar. It was actually the first time I'd been to the bazaar and it will put a farmer's market to shame any day! I tried to take a few pictures, but felt so bad at embarrassing Mrs. 2nd floor that I gave up. I told her my mom would love to see a bazaar, and i knew you would momma. But imagine behind the fence in the picture, just an endless maze of piles of fruits and vegetables and they're much less expensive than at the grocery stores! I didn't want to hurt my new friend's feelings, but she kept piling the vegetables in my bag. I of course, had to buy a whole kilo of everything i bought. I didn't have the heart to tell her that it will take me and Melissa FOREVER to go through all these vegetables. But I only spent about $2.50 and we'll have plenty to work with when our other neighbors come over later this week for dinner, yes all SIX of the girls from across the hall are coming over!

I have however realized, that I am going to need a box of Nicorette and possibly a life-time supply of Crest Whitening Strips upon my return to America. I drank so many glasses of cay today, and I'd already had lunch with one of our dear friends S. and she does smoke, and I do inhale quite a bit when I'm with her. Second hand smoke, it's brutal. I try to steer clear, but hard to do cause everyone here smokes. But with S., we're working on quitting; her smoking and me second handing. She wants to quit. Me, too. (smile.)

So, we met the Ladies Society today and Saturday we're having the girls across the hall for dinner. Welcome to the neighborhood...and boy does it have it's perks. We've already received several tasty dishes, which we're working on returning with some kind of homemade goodness in turn, and one of the dishes is from one of the society ladies that we met ...today! I'm telling you. They are always prepared to be hospitable. Kisir, a rice dish and stuffed grape leaves. I hope their feelings aren't hurt when we return the dishes with banana bread on it...best we can do at the moment! I am a work in progress!