Nothing Much

I slept in until ten today. It was absolutely wonderful. I haven't slept past 9 in two months, and I only got to sleep until 9 once. All the other days were 6:30 at the latest. Then Melek's brother and family came over and we ate brunch. Then shopping, except that I didn't get to shop, Güner and I just sat on a bench for a really long time, so I don't know why we went. Afterwards we came back to the apartment and hung out. Me and Melek's 2 nefews made a sim version of their family, and everyone talked to Doğan (my host brother who's in Mexico on exchange) on MSN with webcam. I got to be the tech savvy one and fix the microphone. Go me.

Tomorrow is the Thanksgiving dinner hosted by Rotary (of course we're celebrating the American Thanksgiving, I've been jokingly bugging people about this) and I don't actually know what I'm going to do about cooking something. Maybe I should give my host family a grocery list?

Oh! I cheered when Fenarbahçe scored a goal against Beşiktaş and my host mother threatened not to feed me. Lol. People like their football teams here.

-Maeghan

The Snow Monster Ate Her

Yes, it's English class again. Yes, it is always the hilight of my week. Between the teacher who mixes up words (successively rather than successfully or petitions instead of polititians), pronouces things funny (Meegin rather than Maeghan, Marotone rather than marathon, entiast rather than enthusiast) and combines words in the best way (most probably maybe class... or okay class now actually...) and the teacher who uses ridiculous examples (anyone remember the kicking kittens one?), will randomly say stuff that doesnt make sense (inserting words in the WOLF middle of sentences) and makes references that only I get (Inconcievable! Anyone seen the Princess Bride? Anyone?) it pretty much rocks. Plus British-English workbooks and recordings, which means words like "heaps" and "rubber" (as in eraser) are used often. Add in a sarcastic friend and it's pretty much set. Today we were coming up with reasons that the girl could have needed a helicopter rescue from the top of a mountain and İdil blames it on the snow monster. Heh. Maeghan bursts out giggling.

Now that that completely messy, hard to follow paragraph is done I'll get on with it. Today durin philosophy class I was unexpectedly filled with the overwhelming urge to sing. Of course I resisted. But I decided I miss set building. Remember the time when everyone stopped what they were doing and started dancing to Grease Lightning? Set building is so much fun. Singing and laughing and using power tools (like the staple gun or the jigsaw!) with my friends. Here there's nothing like that. It would have been fun to just start belting Wicked, but since I have to see my classmates all the time I resisted. Plus, goodness knows with a musical like that stuck in my head, I was destined to hit a wrong note (since I have a range of like, half an octave). Another lifetime mabye. Now here's the news. (Now ELO is stuck in my head! Why, oh cruel world?! Can't I live in peace?)

Sefa randomly attacked (jokingly, one would hope) the people sitting around me. Grabbing their collars and shaking them. Apparently he was demanding their money. The kid's a character. Very amusing, because he does lots of stuff, not just talking, so it's easier to find him funny.

Today I talked to my bus driver. Just because. I went up and sat in the front seats and said "I want to talk in Turkish!" and he said "Okay" so I told him about how much nicer the school busses are here. They wait for you if you're late and they have heating and air conditioning and curtains and individual seats, etc. Although they aren't yellow. He asked me how long I was going to be in Turkey and when I got here and when I was leaving. It was good.

This weekend is the Thanksgiving Dinner with Rotary. I'm making potatoes. Mashed or baked, I haven't decided which. Baked is less effort but bulkier and less traditional. Plus, my family doesn't have a stove. Heh. Problematic? Slightly. I was in the library today looking at a book of Turkish proverbs (that's right gang in the Crowsnest, I will be having a Turkish Proverb day-long competition!). Here are some of my favorites-
"Do not play with fire, it will burn your hand; do not play with a woman, she will burn your home."
"Get news from a child- they do not lie."
"No matter how tall a tree grows it never reaches the sky."
"A man should lose his life rather than his good reputation."
"Wisdom is not in age, it is in the mind."

Love you lots!
Maeghan

PS. Marita, if you're reading, there's a girl on TV right now who looks a lot like you, but with dyed red hair. It's curly-adorable the same way, and her face shape is similar.

Laughing at Myself

What d'you mean "There isn't any water"? In the entire neighbourhood? How could we just run out of water? This Canadian doesn't understand.

Heh. Guess I'll just smell at school tomorrow. Go read today's real entry, I'll stop writing mini entries after-the-fact.

Feed the Birds, Toppins a Bag!

Yesterday I picked up my residency permit at the police station. Fun stuff. Afterwards, we all headed to Taksim (when do we not head to Taksim?) where İşil bought seeds from a man, and we fed the pigeons. See photo.

Carlea and I went and found the book store we like, then headed to her house in Asia where we ate rice and chatted about things like The X-Files and cute Canadian actors. All in all it was a good day. On my way home I had to go back through Taksim (since it is the only place I know how to take a bus to my house from) and decided to take some photos for y'all. Taksims square is sort of like the Time Square of İstanbul. At least that's how I like to think of it. And since I've never been to New York, it's probably not very accurate, but it's busy and very tourist-y and there are huge light-up signs and street vendors and stores where the cheapest item of clothing you can find is 59.99 YTL (yes they do that thing where it's not quite 60 so you don't have to feel bad, only it's worse because there are no 1 cent coins, so you don't even get the penny back). I love it. There are also cool stores like the book shop Carlea and I like. I am seriously insisting that anyone who's ever in İstanbul go. Not even kidding. They have a huge selection of english books (dangerous when you're a poor exchange student addicted to novels!) and stepping into the store is like... I don't know. But I adore it. Then there's the trolley. It runs straight down the center of the cobblestone street. AND it's red. Pictures are worth a thousand words. I don't entirely understand how the whole paying thing works and where it stops, so I haven't tried to ride it yet, but since I go to Taksim like once a week, I'm sure I'll get around to it.

-Maeghan

Wow.

I just got handed not one, not two, but three packages that my host mom picked up from the Post Office for me! *gleee!!!*
Now go read my other post for today.

Teachers' Day

Phew! Where to start? Today was Teachers' Day, so there was this assembly after lunch in the theater. It started out with singing the national anthem, which I now know most of the words to. Then some little kids performed and although I have no idea what they were saying they were adorable!

I can't remember all the acts, but at one point the English teachers put on a play about globalization in Turkish. Again, I didn't know what anyone was saying, but it was funny anyways. Plus, all the students were laughing their pants off. Afterwards, İdil asked me if I liked it and I told her I did but that I couldn't understand it and she said "Neither could we!" Heh. Nice try English department.

A group of four students put on this dance thing that I adored. Also, the teachers sang and played instruments and one petite woman in an absolutely adorable outfit sang some song that everyone knew, and even though she wasn't amazing, everyone loved it and she was having fun. It was great.

At the end it was really peppy, upbeat, and fun- and nothing like what I'd see in Canada. Just as I was thinking "gee, next thing you know this'll morph into a dance party!" Please Don't Stop the Music or whatever the song's called came on and the four students who danced earlier got on stage and dragged teachers up there and invited everyone to dance with them. I was grinning like a complete idiot. Not very many people danced though, so pretty soon we all had to return to class. Our last class was English, and for part of the class students got up and acted like teachers, and even though I didn't entirely understand what they were saying, it was fun to watch.

On the bus home from school some of the little kids were talking to me in English and Turkish and some jerks behind me were making fun of us. Grr. I'd like to see how you feel in a foreign country being made fun of by people five years younger than you. But I just ignored them. At one point the boy sitting beside me (the one who was trying to teach me Turkish a month ago) drew a picture on the foggy window. Two stick people, one tall and one short, holding hands. He then labelled the little one "Ben" and the bigger one "Sen". "You" and "Me". Awwww!

After school I accidentally wished my host grandmother a 'good morning!' rather than a 'good evening'. Heh. My bad.

-Maeghan

A Power Outage and A Pair of Scissors

So yesterday I wrote my Turkish language test... 93%. I know. I rock. After class.. I don't remember what I did after class.

Anyways, when I got home as I came into the apartment building it started raining (good timing, eh?) and as I was taking my shoes off in the door to our apartment I saw lightning through the hall window. The sky was turning purple and green, waay sweet. So I call my host family, saying "Look, look!" (but in Turkish of course) and the take one look and start running around the house turning appliances and lights off. Twenty seconds later, all of Halkalı goes dark.
Well, I don't actually know if it was all of Halkalı, but whatever. We lost power! For like, 4 hours. It was fun. We ate by candle light, and since everything here is gas powered (hot water tank, stove) we just went about our lives same as ever, except that the TV was off.

Oh! I went to Kanyon with Juliana, Garet, and Blase. That's what I did after class.

Today I went to Taksim after breakfast and wandered around for an hour before taking a bus to İstineye and coming home again. Heh. I bought flowers for my host family, and I think they liked that.

After showering I cut my hair (here's where those scissors come in). Tomorrow I may need Emily to even out the back, but I think it looks fine, and Güner likes it. That's all.

-Maeghan

The World Loves Me

I'm not kidding. Today was just a good day to be me.

I went with the 2nd group of students to the police station to apply for my residence visa thing today.
I didn't meet everyone else in Taksim beforehand and get a ride (because Taksim is further from my house than the station) and they got there before me. Işıl and Mustafa handed in my passport with the rest of the students' and my name was called as I walked in the door. Talk about perfect timing!
So then we went through the station to get numbers (as in what number you are in line) and I was 58. When the first group went, they were in the 400s. The second time (they had lots of problems) they were at 130. And it took them all day both times, but today we left before lunch- score!
Plus, there's one lady who does the permits who doesn't accept the Rotary scholarship (even though other permit people do), so when we've gotten her, we've had to get new numbers and try again in hopes that we'll get someone else. But today, Derek and I each missed her by one. Lucky. So my guy accepted me and my papers will be done by tomorrow. Yay!

Afterwards, Emily, Blase, Mattie, and I had an adventure walking to Taksim from Işıl's office. I found a path that eventually lead us there when I went to examine an abandoned giant disco ball. Gosh I wish we'd had our cameras. But no one took them because you have to hand them in at the police station and that's a pain. So no giant disco ball pictures for you. I'll find it again some time. We also found the gondolas, and Mattie and I are planning to ride them another day, just for fun. Hehe!
We hung out in a park all afternoon, talking and philososcizing. Is that a word? Whatever. Doesn't really matter- you know what I mean.

Now I'm a-chattin' to my family via webcam on msn. Perfect end to a great day.

-Maeghan

The Phantom of my Kitchen is Here!

So I was cooking myself up some eggs last night... Does it not resemble the Phantom's mask?

ANYWAYS.

Today was a good day. The library was closed during the period when we had a German test, so I just went to the classroom I was supposed to be in (which ended up being my own) and pulled out my flash-cards. Well the Religion teacher was supervising the test, and gave me my test paper, even though I'm exempt. Whatever. So I just leave it where he put it and continue to do my flashcards. A couple minutes later he comes up to me wanting to know why I'm not doing the test, but I don't really understand what he's saying and don't know how to answer anyways. As he's pointing at the top where I haven't filled in my name, class, or student number (22222, now aren't I special?) I just sort of look at him. The class (which is actually a bunch of students from all different classes mixed up so they can't cheat off of each other) starts laughing, because even they know that I don't know Turkish. And actually, my class has told this teacher twice before...

So I dig out my pencil and write my name on the test paper. That's when I think, "Well, why not have a look?" So I read through the test. And there's a true or false section. "Well I have a 50% chance of getting each question right..." Then there's a fill in the blanks with a word box. "Well, it wouldn't hurt to try..." So by the end I did the entire test. The German test. I can barely tell when words are German and when they're Turkish during class. I mean, obviously Die whatever-scht is German, but sometimes it's hard to differentiate. For parts where there were no options, I took after Janine and wrote things like "Have a happy heart!". Unfortunately, I don't know enough German or Turkish to say things like that, so it was in English. Heh. The trilingual test paper. I wonder what I got...

-Maeghan

PS. Haha. Guess what guys? You just lost the game! Ah ha. I hope you're reading, Janine.
And I can't believe y'all are in on it! For how long has this been popular?

Word Cloud

Made at http://www.wordle.net/ I used the text from my blog. Click for a larger (readable) image.
-Maeghan

An Impromptu Field Trip to Asia

So it's poured all day. And everything is wet. (Whoa, seizure-inducing TV program just came on) During the first break in between classes, the VP came into our classroom and said something and everyone was like "Yeah!", "Woo-hoo!", etc. Turns out we were taking an unexpected field trip. Party. So we pile into like, ten mini busses (because there are several classes going), and I end up in the Principal's bus. Sweet. Yet again I get to look like an idiot as someone tries to talk to me. Just smile and nod.
Anyways, we visited an İstek university, which I'd actually already been to, back in August. There was theoretically a tour of the campus involved, but the group of students + the VP got lost. Lol. I did end up seeing some actors doing.. something. It was cool. The teacher had one guy step forward (he was dressed all in black, techie style) and she pretended to take a string from his hand at lift it up, and hang it somewhere so that his arm was up. Then she turned his hand and lifted one finger using her 'invisible string'. I don't know what they were saying, but it looked really good. When she was finished she went to do something else, and the guy asked her if she would untie the strings because his arm was getting tired! It was very cute. So she came back and pretended to undo the strings and he moved just like they were actually there. I was very impressed.
Also, Emily and I ran into Con, the Rotex president, who happens to go to that university. The campus is HUGE, so it was amazing that we'd see him.
The trip took all day. Which was okay because we had an English test and I hadn't read the text.
Just when I was starting to miss home (having heard about the recent snow) it dropped to 9 degrees. Okay, I don't miss you that much, Canada. The temperature here is just fine.

-Maeghan

Another Day in Turkey

"Today was very exciting. Merve and İdil took me to the car park."

When I was on my way to lunch I got stopped by a couple of grade 9 girls who wanted to talk to me about globalization for some class project. All I could think about was "More similarity in our differences" and the feildtrip to Safeway. Good times in social last year. I ended up just talking with them akwardly all lunch so I never really got to eat. I think they're planning to talk to me again, so if anyone remembers anything from social last year, I'd really like to sound smart...

Other than that it was just another day in Turkey.

-Maeghan

Turkish Class = Yumuşak Heart

Yesterday in Turkish Class we played a game. We each got a piece of paper that had seven columns. They asked:
Who? Who with? When? Where? What did they do? Who saw? What did they say?
We would write in the first column, fold the paper so that you couldn't see what was written and pass the papers. The next person would fill in the next column and fold that. You get the idea. By the end we had crazy mini-stories in Turkish. Çok güzel! It was soo much fun. I'll translate some for you.
- Last Wednesday in Brazil, Tarkan and a pilot ate your mother. Everyone saw and said "Get well soon!"
-Yesterday in class, Jimmer and John took a shower. Tom Cruise saw and said "I love you!"
-Yesterday on the dark side of the moon, Atatürk and Maeghan came. Your mother saw and said "This is very interesting, but at the pool it's very nice."
-Two days ago in Australia, Eve and Maeghan ate and went to school. Batman saw and said "Korkma sönmez bu şafaklarda yüzen al sancak..." (The Turkish national anthem)
-Yesterday at Jimmer's house, Santa Claus and Menekşe (our Turkish teacher) had a picnic, danced, and drank beer. The doctor saw and said "Enjoy your meal!"
Okay. Enough of those. I'm enjoying them, but I don't know if they're as funny to you.

In class today I decided to be creative when we were making a story using the pictures. This brought up freckles, which everyone agreed are excellent. Jimmer said "A face without freckles is like a night without stars." Tres cute!

After class Mattie and I met up with Meara Abla and ate dessert in a Café in Osmanbey. That's all. Tomorrow I have school YET AGAIN. Ah the never-ending cycle. It's getting harder to wake up in the morning. Not only am I always tired, but it's starting to still be dark when I wake up. And since I have nothing to do at school, and really no reason to go except Rotary, it's even more difficult.

-Maeghan

PS. I realised on Thursday that I don't have 'Drops of Jupiter' on my iPod. Le gasp!

I Want To Say Something! (Söylemek istiyorum!)

It'll be short today. No, really. I swear it'll be like, three paragraphs. Sorry the last one was so long, but I just wanted to get it all overwith and done so I could continue with my life. Not that there was much worth writing about today.

So all I wanted to say was that since I arrived in Turkey I've been counting the number of women I've seen in burkas, and today I saw the 100th. I figure this would give you a good idea of how common it is in the areas of İstanbul I frequent. I saw 102 women in burkas in 79 days. Wow. I can't believe I've been here that long! Crazy.

One last thing. Today in philosophy a girl in my class said "I want to say something!" twice before I thought "Well then say it already!" That's when I realized I understood what she said! EXCITING. I didn't catch just a word, I caught a whole sentence! I rock. *Shows off muscles* But you already knew that.

-Maeghan

PS. I took a test today that will tell me what sort of job I should have. I can't wait to get the results. It took me all class because Burcu had to translate for me, but I was suprised at how many words I was able to recognise.

PPS. I always have more to say than I think I do when I start. Heh.

Oo! A foreigner! (And a super long entry!)

Hey guys, guess what! Blogger is unbocked! Hooray! I haven't been on the computer since Friday night, so I have lots to say. Bare with me. It really is long. But I added pictures as incentives to read.

After class on Sunday Mattie and Carley and I decided that we wanted to see the new James Bond movie. So we did. (That's one thing I love about being here. We just sort of get together and someone says they want to do something, so we do. No long term plans that maybe we can all get together on this day a week from now, it's just like- Sweet, let's go.) We walked to Kanyon, a mall beside Metrocity. Also, somewhere beside these two HUGE malls is another one, but I've never been. Why you need three huge malls in a row I have no idea. But whatever. Kanyon was really cool because it's partially outdoors. Note the picture (yes, my hair is blowing in the wind)->
That is me looking extremely touristy. Like I said, we just decide that we feel like doing stuff and go, so I hadn't been planning to actually go out like that. But anyways, I'll continue my story.

The theater was sweet. Way fancy, and multiple floors. You choose where in the theater you want to sit when you buy your tickets. We were in D 13-15. The theater itself was huge. I've never seen a bigger screen in my life. And the seats reclined. And there was an intermission! We were in the middle of some intense action (actually, there was never a point in the movie where there wasn't action...) and it just stopped. We were quite confused. Anyways, there was an intermission. And the first James Bond movie I ever saw I saw in a theater in Turkey. Epic.

Monday was like a rememberance day for Atatürk, who died however many years ago on November the 10th. We held this ceremony in the morning and a whole bunch of students layed flowers in front of his picture. I have never heard them sing the nation anthem louder or with more pride. It was great. Emily came home with me after school because my host mom was driving us both to the busses to Ankara.

Rotary took all the exchange students as well as hundreds of kids from schools all over the city to the capital to see the Atatürk Masoleum and parliament buildings. We got on the busses at midnight and drove to Ankara over night. We were required to wear our school uniforms and Rotary jackets.

They divided us onto three busses and the girls sitting behind Eve and I on the bus talked to us (in Turkish) until around 3:30 am when we finally said we should sleep now and talk later. Half an hour later the bus stopped for a bathroom break that lasted for ever. All the busses stopped and everyone got out to stretch. It was probably about -5 degrees outside, which meant that almost all the exchange students thought it was really cold. John from Florida had on several sweaters and a scarf and was freezing. I had on my school skirt and a hoodie and was like, "Hmm, it's a little chilly, eh?" Insert about a dozen Canadian jokes here.

All the students wanted to meet us exchange students and take pictures with us and know where we were from and what school we go to and which team we support and what we think of Turkey and if we speak Turkish. It was crazy. One minute one of them would be asking you your name, and the next there would be a mob of twenty of them surrounding you, content to just listen and stare. And of course when we got back on the bus there was no end to the talking. They were disappointed when I didn't understand them. I wanted to be like- "I'm a teenager, it's 4.30 am, and you're talking to me in a foreign language- can you blame me?" It was kind of cute though.

<- Taken after the crowds thinned and I was able to dig my camera out in relative peace. Note the number of students still standing there snapping photos? There are more to the left and behind me.

We arrived.. gosh. I can't remember what time we arrived in Ankara. But we did arrive. And the first stop was the New Parliament building. Not hugely exciting, although very grand. They have orange chairs. And there is no picture of Atatürk in the room, because he requested it be that way. It's probably the only public room in all of Turkey without a picture of him. He didn't want it to affect the decisions made in there. Interesting. There is a quote of his on the wall though, something about democracy.

Then it was on to the Masoleum. It was quite interresting. There is a museum attached, and it was in there that I read that he was actually burried and that the big chunk of marble (or whatever it was) that we had taken a picture by earlier didn't actually contain him. He had recieved a traditional burrial somewhere on the premisis. I also saw random things like his shaving set and some of his clothes. It's amazing how much these people love him and how much he did for the country. It's quite inspiring to see their devotion.

The entire time we were there kids would approach us in groups and want photos. It got the the point where by the end of the day Mattie and I just sat on the step and when someone came towards us with a camera we just motioned for them to sit in between us. It was getting annoying to be so interresting. I pity celebs. I would go nuts.

This photo is of a bunch of us on the walkway that leads to the Masoleum-y part. From left to right- Amanda, California; Emily, Colorado; Carley, Kansas; Eduardo, Mexico; Erick, Mexico; Eve, Australia; John, Florida; Fernanda, Brazil; Valerio, Brazil; Jimena, Mexico; and Blase, Michigan.

We ate lunch near the busses and then headed to the old parliament buildings, but by this point I was absolutely exhausted. Everything looked like museum stuff, and the kids were still talking to me in Turkish. It was a relief to get on the bus and go home. They played Spiderman 3 on the bus, dubbed in Turkish, which made it somehow exciting. I realized just how pathetic Peter Parker really is. The ride home took for every, and I couldn't quite get to sleep.

We stopped around 10 because the bus we were on was going directly to the kids school, not the location our parents had been told to pick us up at. So the five of us on our bus waited about 20 minutes for another bus to come. This one was full of Rotarians. This meant that I was half an hour late in arriving, and I was getting a ride home with Emily's family. I felt terrible for keeping them waiting, but they weren't too concerned. In fact, on the way home, they offered for me to stay the night, which I accepted because I live in a different municipality than them and didn't want them to have to drive further than necessary.

Unfortunately, this also meant that we had to go to school the next day. Rotary was expecting us to, but I wasn't planning on it, considdering that by the time we crawled into bed, I had been up for 41 hours straight, almost all of them spent conversing in Turkish (although at school on Monday, it wasn't too bad). I got to go to school in the same clothes I had worn all week and without having brushed my teeth since Monday night.

Needless to say, Emily and I spent all day in the library, first sleeping on encyclopedias, then reading said encyclopedias. I also read a book of short stories by Edgar Allen Poe. Creepy guy. He seems obsessed with building people into walls. It was as I was reading a story about a guy hearing screams as he read about hearing screams that I heard screams. (Gee that was confusing to put into words) There was some announcement on the intercom and it was followed by screams. Emily and I couldn't tell if they were from excitement or fright. It was really eirie too, because everything echoes down the halls because there is no carpet and nothing on the walls. It's all tiles. We got really nervous, but no one else in the library paid it any attention.

<- Emily, Mattie, and I. You can see our breath!

When I got home my host grandmother Güner was waiting for me and gave me a big hug and a kiss on each cheek. It was so great to be back. I didn't know how to say anything more complicated, so I just said "Aah. Evim." My home. And she was really really happy. She was asking me if I thought of this as home, and if I liked it here. She kissed me again and called me "canım" (a term of endearment) before she walked away happily to fix me tea like every day after school. Later when my host mom got home she told her what I had said.

This weekend I'm thinking of doing absolutely nothing. It'd be a nice break. Although I know that I'll probably end up in Taksim or Kadiköy or who-knows-where just because everyone else will want to do stuff. Sorry for writing soo much. I'll leave you now to go on with your life. If this took you as long to read as it took me to write, you must be feeling exhausted.

-Maeghan

PS. I don't think I've emphasized just how obsessed those kids were. Just know it was ridiculous.

Maeghan Has An Excellent Day for No Specific Reason <3

Randomness.  First off, today I did lots of talking, and in Turkish!  This alone would make my day super good, but Emily and I also spent some time in 'Our Office' (the library) reading the Turkish equivalent of an Eyewitness book on Animals.  We also made fun of the Listening Test that the english classes had to do.  I'm sorry, but if you're going to put on a tape of people speaking in British accents about 'this rubbish everywhere!' I can't help it.  Rubbish is just a swell word.
 
Yesterday in English class (with the class only half-listening, as usual) Esra said 87 really loud (in Turkish).  Mr. Wright asked "Oh, are we just randomly saying words now? Squirrell?"
Then for the rest of class he would randomly add a word into the middle of his sentences.  Airplanes, cats, chinchillas, wolf, and 64 were all mentioned.  And I was the only one laughing.  Heh.
 
Most people here have brown eyes.  I wouldn't really notice, except that I have a difficult time telling whether someone is looking at ME or at someone beside me or behind me.  I find it really weird and it often leads to akwardness.  OH.  You weren't talkinig to me...
 
Oh! And one of the boys in my class has what could almost be an east coast accent when he talks in English.  It's very cute.
 
Next week (Tuesday, I think) I'm visiting the Atatürk Mausoleum.  Wow.  Did I spell that right?  Rotary is taking us.  Tres exciting.  My first trip to Ankara, the capital.
 
-Maeghan

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Answering Comments and A Picture or Two

Today I did the whole take pictures out the window of the school bus thing.  You know you're cool when...

I don't know how they'll show up on the blog, but one is of a tree and a car near my apartment.  Don't know why, but I liked it.  Another is a snapshot of the Bosphorus (forgot the name in English for a minute there!) that got me wierd looks from the people around me on the bus.  There's one of a gray apartment building that is rather depressing to look at, but each balcony is painted a ridiculously bright colour.  I like it.  The final picture is of a bunch of apartments on a hill.  Welcome to suburbia.  Does that word remind anyone else of Tony Hawk video games?

 

And now for all your questions!

Rowan asked:

"Do all your teachers speak English or are they just trying to mess with you? Obama or McCain? Sheep? Name off some foods that you've eaten. How big are the flags? Huge? What are the students like? What kind of homework do you get? Clouds?"

 

My math teacher and my english teachers do.  The others know very litte if any.  It's quite entertaining.  I don't think my religion teacher has noticed that I have no clue what he's saying yet.
Obama.

Only if they're black ones.

Döner, borek, pommegranates picked straight off the tree, köfte, dondurma, rice... and it's all soo good.  Döner is my new favorite food, beating out even Sunday night pizza (sorry Dad).  Köfte is Turkish meatballs.  Only they aren't round so they can't be meatballs, but anyways.

Did you not look at the pictures?  Those were sky scrapers.  It may be a matter of opinion, but I'd say they're pretty big. 

The students are good.  They're very nice, although today some of them wanted me to say something that made them laugh and the other ones were telling me not to say it and I was confused.  Basically I'll stick to the stuff from my Turkish course and ask Eve or Meara or someone if I'm not sure.  *akward turtle*

I wouldn't know, being that I don't do it.  I looked up Orpheus for philosophy class once and had a student translate what I said.  I've accepted a coğrafiya project, and suprise suprise my friends decided that the country I should report on was Canada.  I don't actually know what the assignment is though...

Bulutlar.

Laura said-
"OK, how does the milk not spoil? I left my milk on the counter for like, three hours, and it got all smelly. Is is MILK POWDER?!? That would be so cool!
...Do the newspapers have comics? What is your newspaper called?! Does it have an awesome name like... I can't really be guessing here 'cause I definitely don't know Turkish!
OH! I think I've asked you this before, but what side of the road to they drive on? And if they drive on the left, do people walk on the left of the hallway too?"

The milk is in these cool, metally tinfoily lined boxes and once you open them you put them in the fridge.  Milk powder is disgusting.  And uncool.

I have yet to read a Turkish newspaper, so I have no idea.  But every now and then I do go online and check the Turkish Daily News.  It's in English.

They drive on the same side as us.  I know, contain your disappointment.  It wouldn't matter in the hallways though, because it's just one big jumble. Lol.

 

Linda wrote-

"Seriously? The flour's in the fridge? But doesn't the milk spoil? Oh, and I'm not sure if you've mentioned this already, but do you have 2% milk over there, or do people normally buy whole milk?
Are all video sites banned?
What sites aren't blocked? If you are really that bored, try and see if my site is blocked or not. "

 

Serious is my middle name.  See above.  And people drink whole milk, although my family bought me 'Süt Light' which is not quite skim but not 2%? I don't know.  It's wierd.

I haven't tried other video sites, but I don't believe they are.  Because I can use google video still, as long as the original isn't hosted on YouTube.

Your site is not blocked, I tried it when mine was.  Also, wordpress appears to be unblocked as well.

 

Emily asked-

"How is the Turkey cookin'?"

Slower and slower as the weather cools.

 

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Messenger wants to send you on a trip. Enter today.

Blah.

School is waaay boring.  I made myself flashcards today.  Real fun.  Not.  I'm so tired- from when I get up in the morning to when I crawl into bed at night, which makes class even harder to sit through.  I'm recognising words (especially when my history teacher was talking about me, saying that I understand more than I'm letting on) but it gets tiring to try and figure out what's happening when you only recognise one part of a sentence.  Also, I lost my dictionary, so I can't look up words.  It's driving me nuts, but I'm really cheap and am harboring a secret hope that it'll magically get returned to me and I won't have to buy a new one.  If it's still missing on Saturday, I'll pick one up after class. 

I adore you all for commenting, especially since I have nothing to say.  Inspire me please.  Ask me whatever.  I'll answer if I can.  But no, I don't have a clue why the milk's in the cubboard and the flour's in the fridge.  Eventually I'll get out and take pictures of myself and stuff. 

 

-Maeghan

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Addressing Everyone's Comments

Mado sells really freaking delicious raspberry icecream, plus it's a chain, so you can get it all over, not just in Taksim. Although I like the restaraunt there, it's pretty snazzy.  And it's further down Taksim street, so the crowds have thinned out by then.
Taksim is a huge shopping district, and I'd compare the main street (which is automobile free) to most hallways at school in between classes.  It's not unbearable, and once you get onto a side street it's not bad at all, but of course I go nuts having to walk really slow.  Also, there is this tram that runs straight down the center of the street.  (I'll take a picture next time.) And basically you have to move.  Heh.  Also, there are always people with protest magazines.  Plus!  People just don't move to the side when you're walking towards them.  Y'know how each person sort of takes a step to the side, and together you don't hit each other?  Well here it's like a game of chicken and I always step partially and try to stare the other person down, but they'll just walk into you.  It's weird.
I dunno if the busses here are nicer.  Some are, but some have school bus seats.  It depends.  The double-decker busses are really nice.  Like totem busses.  When I rode one it reminded me of an airplane.  I was excited.  What isn't so cool is when there are so many people on the bus that they can't open the doors.  It is super uncomfortable and your legs go numb from standing in one position but you can't move because there are people EVERYWHERE.

As for donkeys... not so much.  But we do have horses every now and then.  It's pretty random.  They pull carts of garbage.  What I really like though, is sometimes you'll see someone grazing sheep in a patch of grass.  I've seen horses, sheep, and geese, all within the city.

Speaking of the city, it's actually a bunch of municipalities together.  Kind of cool.  So I don't actually live in İstanbul the municipality.  Interesting to know. 

Maeghan

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