Mr. Blue Sky Please Tell Us Why You Had to Hide Away for Soooo Long!

The sun was visible today! And although I still really miss Beautiful Big Blue Albertan skies, this was nice. Sooo! Before I was going to write to you about what it's like at private school in Turkey but now I'm going to share pictures!

YES. Maeghan took a walk. In the sun! <3

First we have this video! You get to hear me laugh partway through because as I was filming it, a guy walking by me in the other direction taked to me and thought that it was hillarious that I was filming a building.. (although I was actually doing it for the call to prayer). Anyways as I just said, this is the call to prayer that happens multiple times a day. When I leave my window open it wakes me up because all the camılar (pronounced jamilar, sort of.. means mosques) have towers with speakers that basically announce to the entire city through song that it's time for worship. It was really cool for about the first week. Then it got annoying (at like.. 5 am in the summer? not what I want to hear). Now I don't even notice it. During Şeker Bayram they showed the guy singing it (at the Topkapi Palace) every night on TV, announcing that the hours of fasting were officially over.

So this one is where I currently live. The balcony to the immediate left of the door is off of our kitchen. First floor love! Less stairs (although that means less exercise..)

Ever wonder what it means to be a hero? Here's Atatürk, known and loved by EVERY Turk in existence. This is the statue in the park closest to my house. Basically (if I haven't filled you in already) he took this country and created what it is today. I have yet to be in a public building without a photo or a statue of him in there somewhere.

Okay.. what have we here? A streetside COVERED in rows of billboards. Tonnes of billboards. Also, you can see the sidewalk. I don't know if I've said, but sidewalks here are mostly bricks. And people have laid these bricks. Hundreds and hundreds all over the city. Makes me appreciate having somewhere to walk just a little more.

Here is the mosque from a little further away. Look at how pretty it is! And it is one of the newest mosques I've seen. It's a big one, too. I know that you've probably seen photos or postcards of the Blue Mosque or the Ayı Sophia but not all mosques are actually that large. Most are smaller than this with only one dome and one tower. The towers have a special name I think.. I just don't know it. You also get a view of our green grass.


My walk is ending, because the sun is going down. = (
But! Where did all the traffic go? I thought this was İstanbul!? You also get a hint of a sunset against the apartments . And you can see the sidewalk again.





Lastly, my old apartment. After carelessly ignoring a sign I couldn't read that probably said something along the lines of "Please keep off of the grass" I snuck up to the side of the building ninja style and snapped some shots before I realized a kid was staring at me from a first floor window.. so I casually walked back to the path and then not so stealthily got stuck trying to open a gate... Rofl. I am so me.

So there you have it folks! A mini-adventure in the setting sun around a pretty boring İstanbul neighbourhood. This walk made my week. <3

-Maeghan

PS? Some of my friends came randomly to the FLD during one of the breaks to talk to me and ask me if I was coming to class. Aw! So I went and was extremely bored (sıkıcı hehe!) as they studied for exams. "Always this ridiculous obsession with love!" I was going to say studying rather than love but then it reminded me of Moulin Rogue and plus, it's not ridiculous. Their exams are intense.