Sinemaya gittim: I went to the movies

Everything has a backstory... Today, as I was packing my bag to go to class, I couldn't find my keys anywhere! I was getting pretty stressed when Alex called. Guess what! He had taken both sets of keys... ha ha ha ha... At least mine weren't lost! Since he wouldn't be back until late afternoon, I needed to find something to do after class. Plus, today was one of the hotter days we've had lately. Near my language school, on Istiklal Caddesi, there are several movie theaters. Some look inviting, others not so much. I asked a few of my classmates where I should go. I was advised to avoid one in particular because "it's really a brothel." Hmmmm... I went to a modern multiplex style theater and saw the "Batman" movie (with subtitles in Turkish). Honestly, I hated it, but it certainly kept me in a comfortable place for a few hours. A couple notes about the Turkish movie theater experience. One, there is assigned seating and an usher finds your place. I followed what others did, but later Alex told me that some people tip the usher. (They didn't this time.) There were the usual ads and previews and then the feature. In the middle of the film, I thought something had gone wrong with the projection. But, no, it was time for intermission! (Batman is long enough that a 10 minute break makes sense.) When the film finally ended, I checked my phone for messages. Alex had called me six times... apparently he hadn't gotten my text message that I was going to the movies. Oops. By this time, he was home, and let me back in the apartment ;)

Duvar yazısı her yerde: Graffiti is everywhere!

Paris, London, New York all have it... Why should Istanbul be different? Graffiti comes in all forms--scatalogical, artistic, political, personal, practical, and commercial. It's nothing new, for sure. All of the historical buildings have historical graffiti as well! Here is just a sampling:
At the bottom of the stairs that lead from our apartment building

Graffiti advertising on Istiklal Caddesi

Some practical and personal graffiti

More personal stuff


Not technically graffiti, but a curious placard on the disused fountain near the Galata Tower

And, of course, the graffiti in Aya Sofya

Here's a bonus... It's not in Istanbul, but in the Cappadocian underground city of Derinkoyu.

Mutlu Haberler: Happy News

Yesterday was much better... The camcı arrived and replaced the window in the bedroom door.

Also, Black September ate and drank a little after I temporarily removed the collar. She got a chance to groom herself, too. I had to watch her pretty closely so that she didn't get at her stitches. Of course, Alice thinks it's always playtime and her mother isn't up for that at all! Alice did finally settle down to be cozy...

Zor bir gün: A difficult day

It's not always tea and baklava in a cafe overlooking the Bosphorus, you know? So, the mother cat, Black September, yowled her way into a vet office to be spayed. She came home yesterday, poor thing. What a mess... disoriented, exhausted, and looking awful. In the meantime, the wind blew our bedroom door so hard that the glass shattered everywhere. Great. After I swept up the glass, I tried to contact the kapıcı (apartment maintenance /doorman) all afternoon. Not home. Finally, around 5:30pm, I made Alex go find him. He was there... and came up to see the damage. He helped get the rest of the glass out of the door, and has arranged for the camcı (glass repairer) to come Saturday afternoon to replace the glass. Now, for a minimum of privacy we have a lovely orange sheet covering the gaping hole. Of course, the kitten quickly figured out that she could jump in and out of the room at will, which she did all night long. We hope she doesn't smash the new window...
The poor cat... she has a protective collar, but I took it off for little so she could rest.

The wrecked window

The classy curtain solution

Benim kursam TÖMER'de: My class at TOMER

So today is the last day of the first 4 week course! It's hard to believe that so much time has passed. I'll take two more weeks of the next term... but then we have to go back to the U.S.! My Turkish class has been a lot of fun, and I think I've learned a lot. It's very different from Alex's program, which is more academic and heavily focused on reading and writing. Mine is general adult education with a primary emphasis on speaking and the secondary on grammar. I plan to enroll in a Turkish class at the University of Arizona for the fall term and keep the momentum going. Here are a few photos of my class:


The teacher, Sinan, who is patiently waiting to get the class started again...

Selim Sesler'in konseri: Selim Sesler's concert

Last night we went out to eat at this great little restaurant and then to a bar to hear Selim Sesler play. Don't ask me the name of the restaurant because it wasn't marked! But it was on the sixth floor of the Emir Han just off of Istiklal Caddesi... We went with Alex's konuşma (speaking) class led by the teaching assistant, who is a very friendly, generous person! (Are you reading this Didem?) The music was fantastic and I've included a little clip so you get an idea. Also you can get more information about him at http://profile.myspace.com/selimsesler


The group at the concert was much smaller... They don't know what they missed!!

Yağmur: Rain

Lately, we have enjoyed some rainy days. According to my Turkish teacher, Istanbul used to have one rainy day for every 10 sunny days. In the last two years, however, it has rained once every two months or so. The newspapers frequently have stories about drought conditions, disappearing reservoirs, and failing crops. So, people have been pretty happy about the rain despite the inconvenience of walking through rivers of trash. For your viewing pleasure, here are some rainy day scenes:



At least yesterday's rain cleared the air of humidity. The other times it just made the rest of the sunny day even more humid!