Dolphins, Waiters, and the Most Beautiful Girl in the World

Dolphins! We have dolphins in the Bosphorus! Who knew? I sure didn't... until I saw them this morning on my way to school! How cool is that? I saw about half a dozen, it was amazing. So, with something like that to start my day off, how could it not be good?
Exactly.

I went out to eat with my host family tonight and the entire way there my younger sister went on about how she was the most, most, most, most, most, most, most, most beautiful! We made fun of her the whole way...

At the restaurant, I suppose I looked ridiculous because the waiter came over and showed me how I was supposed to eat my food... what's wrong with a little creativity? I mean, his way was easier, but still...

Maeghan

Ps. Dad? There is no Q in Turkish... We hop straight from the p to the r. Le gasp!

Avenue Q

So.. guess what's playing in Istanbul at the end of the month? Guess who got tickets to go see it? YEEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!! I am seeing Avenue Q on March 27 with Blase (Michigan) and Carly (Kansas). *takes a moment to grin at the tickets in her lap*

Minor adventure trying to find the ticket place. But you all know how these stories go. Let's just say I spend an extra hour and a half riding buses too far. But I got my tickets, so who cares?

Beyond Thrilled,
Maeghan

Ps. It's in Turkish... this could be interesting...

Transcontinental Life

Gah. Okay. Going to school on another continent may sound sweet, but it is a MAJOR pain in the butt. Let's see. It took two hours to get to school. It would take me that long to go to school in Lethbridge back home... Anyways. I walked, took a minibus, two metrobuses, and a taxi to get there. On the way home? A train, a ferry, and a minibus (and more walking, of course). Talk about a loong way to go.

School itself was uneventful. I did nothing all day. As usual. Everyone thinks I should change schools. There's another Istek school near my house (that my sister goes to). My friends at school, my family, my sister's friends, even my principal (!) thinks that I should switch schools. It's crazy. But I carry a little bit of school spirit, something you don't see in Turkey. I can't just abandon my school! My friends are there, and it's my school.

But I signed up for this, so I'll stick with it.. at least for a while. I'll leave you with a photo of the "giant yellow ball" in Kadikoy.

Important exchange student note #273:
When trying to figure out where you are, always look for important landmarks.. like mysteriously suspended round yellow things that you can sort of see over the tops of those buildings over there...

This is the first time I've ever been close to it.. It is really large. It doesn't look like it from the photo, but I swear it is! I think it might be a weather balloon.. who knows?

-Maeghan

Chicken Dessert and Canadian Breakfast

My host family took me out for doner last night (!) and for dessert we ate this pudding thing that is made of really thin strings of chicken.. I know, right? Weird. It's actually pretty good, but I only ate a little bit.
This morning I made pancakes, since, well, what else is Canadian? I probably could have eaten all of them. They were delicious (if I do say so myself)! We're off to do.. something this afternoon. I just wanted to tell you about the odd chicken thing..

Love
Maeghan

My New Family

I'm writing you now from Asia. I am living on a new continent. How cool is that?!
So anyways. Life is good. I got unpacked in record time, and my new family is great. My host mother is going to teach me how to cook Turkish food, which I'm really excited for. I have a little sister, and I've always wanted a little sister (not that I don't love my little brother too...) and I have another big sister (yes, I'm counting Sophie).

I share a room with my older sister Gorkem (and I'm using my laptop again which means no Turkish letters for you!). Our apartments have a swimming pool, which I'm excited for. Our internet is really fast which has me over the moon happy. I forgot that internet could be this fast!

Can't think of anything else right now, we'll see how things go.

Love
Maeghan

Children, Mexican Food, and Anticipation

Yesterday in gym class we played this odd game that's a little like dodgeball but not.. It's kind of hard to explain. But really fun for a small number of people. We played outside, since the sun was shining!
When our classmates got bored Emily and I passed a volleyball back and forth. Which was fun. Until a small child decided to steal the ball. So I chased after him, caught him and he was freaked out and dropped the ball. I told him not to steal our ball and Emily and I went back to playing. All was good until the kid came back and stole it again. This time he ran into the elementary school and disappeared. ARGH. So we lost one of the school's balls to a kid half my height. Do we honestly look that foreign?
So I hate children. When you don't speak the same language as them they get really annoying really quickly. I noticed this on the bus as well. Whereas usually I would love kids, I find myself wishing they could just turn around, sit straight, and be quiet on the way to school.

Yesterday I also went to a Rotary meeting. Usually they're on Mondays but this week was a joint meeting. It was kind of boring. And I felt like a bad exchange student because here I am, 6 months into the exchange, and I still don't speak enough Turkish to follow everything. So there I was, wallowing in self-pity (I know, bad Maeghan!) and this one guy decided to talk to me. He told me what was going on and summed up what the speaker was saying. It was very nice of him. I really appreciated it.

After the meeting my Rotary club president and her husband drove me home. Somehow the conversation ended up on Mexican food and our mutual love for it (maybe we passed a restaraunt?). So Aslı has invited me for a sleepover at her house and we can eat Mexican. I'm going to make fajitas again. Hopefully they turn out as well as last time!

Tomorrow morning my new host family is picking me up. I'm very excited but also nervous. I know it will be good, it's just that I'm really lucky to have such a great host family already. Lots of students here have had problems with families so I'm extra greatful to Melek and Güner for taking such good care of me. Here's to a new chapter in my exchange- my next blog will be written on a different continent!

Love,
-Maeghan

The Bus Blues

I would like to offer a sincere thanks to the junior high boys on my service bus, from the bottom of my sarcastic little heart. Because I mean, nothing's more fun than making fun of a foreigner. Especially if you happen to be that foreigner. With a major headache. I know being laughed at sure make my day!

Usually I don't let it get to me, but today I found their laughter upsetting. It seems like when they get bored they think "Hmm.. I know! Let's play 20 questions with the foreigner. Hopefully we can make her feel like an idiot. Maybe she'll use the wrong word again!" When I speak in English they give me heck for not knowing Turkish, and when I speak in Turkish they say "We know English, hocam." And no matter what I say or do, they laugh. Talk to them, ignore them, try to explain in English, look up words in Turkish... Because I'm just sooo funny. Some days it seems like they're really just curious, some days (like today) it seems like they just feel like getting a laugh. Congrats! You laughed. As did everyone else sitting around me. Can you just leave me alone to listen to Thoroughly Modern Mille in peace?

At least I have two more days before I never have to ride that bus again.
Who needs a hat? Who needs a shoe? And who needs you, Mr. Whoever-You-Are?!
-Maeghan

PS. The name of this blog entry comes from a song my friends and I wrote while waiting for our (very) late bus once upon a time in The Hat.