Far From The Sticks

Moving!

2010-12-12T12:19:00.002+02:00

Come and see me at my new site!

http://farfromthesticks.wordpress.com

Changes Ahead

2010-12-12T10:46:00.001+02:00

There may be some changes coming up and some disruption to blogging ahead. I am having issues with Blogger. Well with Google and Turkey.

Google doesn’t pay taxes in Turkey and so the government has internally blocked some of Google’s ISPs. This means at the moment, my friends and readers in Turkey are unable to access my blog. I am looking to move over the site to another provider but it might take a bit of time and research. Hopefully this will be resolved soon. Please let me know if you have any suggestions.

Allergic Catastrophe

2010-12-04T15:40:00.001+02:00

Oh Thanksgiving! We celebrated it on Saturday because in Turkey we don’t get the day off. (It is an American holiday after all.) We had a fantastic holiday except for the fact I thought I was going to pass out from pain starting at 4 am Saturday morning. It was extremely fortuitous that I had prepared the majority of the food before Saturday because otherwise I would have had to cancel. Cooking a large dinner for 16 people while you are fighting the urge to throw up from the pain is less than ideal.

In case I have not mentioned it before, I am allergic to walnuts and hazelnuts. My reactions have become stronger and more severe since I moved to Turkey and have had more accidental ingestions. Allergies are not understood the same way here as they are in the US because people here rarely have allergies.

For example, last year someone in my husband’s family, at whose home we had eaten very regularly, cooked with hazelnut oil in the food for six months. They knew I was allergic and would even make me special desserts when the recipes called for hazelnut or walnuts. I was incredibly ill for those six months and had to be hospitalized. I thought my IBS had transformed into colitis. I only found out my nut allergy triggers colitis when I saw them use the oil from a labeled can and they admitted they had been cooking with the oil since I moved to the country. It turned out I do not have a chronic illness, and as soon as the oil was out of my system, I was absolutely fine.

Friday night, I was at a banquet dinner for work and apparently they used nut oil in one of the sauces. Cue incredible gastro-intestinal pain. It started Saturday and continued into Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and subsided Wednesday evening. Whew! Yesterday I was able to discontinue the exclusive kefir and low-fat yogurt diet and eat some rice.

While I feel lucky that my allergic reaction is not life threatening, it does affect my quality of life, as I was ill and miserable for at least five days. After the original illness it does take another few days for my system to go back to normal. It has been a full week as of today and I am fine as long as I eat lightly, and only low fat, easy to digest food.

I am pretty vigilant about food when I eat out and cannot control the ingredients myself. I have not actually had an accidental exposure to nuts since the original incident one a year ago. As a saftey precaution I do not think I will be attending large banquet dinners where I cannot control my food choices or talk to the chef about ingredients.

I do always try to look at the positive side of things. While the whole situation was horrific it has provided me with a perfect excuse to avoid work dinners!

Thanksgiving

2010-12-02T12:15:00.002+02:00

How to have a successful Thanksgiving…

Friends+ Laughter+ Love+ Food+ Wine= Fantasticness

When I first moved away from home I was far enough away that I was not really able to go home for Thanksgiving. I have to admit to a lower lip tremble over that. I am from a very close family and getting together for the holidays has always been very important to us. But since I was away, I decided to make the best of the holidays and to create my own holiday rituals and customs.

I have been very lucky in my Thanksgivings since I left home. The first year, I lived in San Diego, it was just Bulent and me. After the large chaotic extended family Thanksgivings it was a little hard emotionally. However, the high point of that year was that I successfully learned how to cook the entire meal by myself.

The second year in San Diego my BFF from New Hampshire came out with her husband and we had an amazing time. They had never been to California so it was a beach vacation rolled into the Thanksgiving holiday for them. Together we made the meal and had such a happy holiday. It really soothed my holiday homesickness.

The third year in San Diego my cousin had moved to LA and we had many more close friends. That year we hosted a Bad Ass Thanksgiving, complete with apple cider martinis and after Turkey clubbing downtown.

Last year we didn’t host but this year we really did it in style. This was our first “Married” holiday so it was pretty special that way. We had a fantastic Thanksgiving. We hosted 16 people, there was food, conversation and general merriment. We had an amazing time.

In the short time I have been in Ankara I have been lucky enough to make some truly amazing friends. Now I have my family that I was born to and the family that I have made. Holidays are no longer a time of the lower lip trembling-- which is excitement in itself.

While Thanksgiving was a blast there was a lot to the preparation because of the amount of food to be cooked.

It included--

2 Turkeys
3 Kilos of green bean casserole
4 Kilos of mashed pumpkin
3 Kilos of cauliflower gratin
2 Kilos mashed potato
1 Salad
1 Pecan pie
1 Pumpkin pie
1 Apple pie
1 Crazy Allergic Reaction*

While I did cook most of the food myself, two of my amazing friends decided to deal with the kitchen afterwards. They did all of the pots and pans, put away the food and in general took care of 90% of the clean up. It was the best gift EVER!

Next year I will re-introduce the apple cider martinis and the dinner may be potluck. It will still be fantastic though, no matter what! All the trappings and trimmings Thanksgiving just disguise the real point of the holiday. A time for our “Framily” (friends+family) to spend time together.

*One of the reasons this post is so late and also will be the subject of the next post.

Kurban Bayram and a Vacation

2010-11-16T19:57:00.001+02:00

This week is Kurban Bayram or Eid al-Adha, the second religious holiday after Ramadan. It is a festival of sacrifice, and charity. Animals, usually sheep and cows, are sacrificed to represent Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son. After the sacrifice a certain percentage of the meat is donated to the poor. The rest is divided among the family. Usually during this time your time is spent doing family visits and memorial visits. Usually the first or second day of Bayram the family visits the cemetery and pays respect to their dead.

The visits start out at the oldest relatives home, and progress down the line. At the visits tea and snacks are served, usually one salty and one sweet. You can not refuse. So Bayram becomes a time of visiting and eating, and eating and visiting. And then later feeling slightly ill due to the amount of sugar and tea you have consumed.

But not this year!!! This year the calendar aligned so Bayram started Monday at 12pm and ended Friday. The government decided to give us all of Monday off which means we have the whole week off! YAY!

We decided to drive down to Marmaris, a 10 hour drive and spend the week at the summer house. It has been great. It is cool, about 60 and a little rainy but incredibly gorgeous. During the summer it is usually about 100 degrees so it is so nice to take walks along the sea or in the mountain without seriously worrying about heat stroke and death.

As I write this I am sitting in the garden, under a lush canopy of green, smelling the jasmine in the air moist and rich from the rain. I can even hear the crickets and frogs. A vast difference from sitting here in the sweltering heat listening to the loud techno music from the bar down the streets and the drunk tourists swearing while they stumble on the road behind me after a night of clubbing.

Trip to Niğde

2010-11-07T13:30:00.002+02:00

A few weeks ago we took a trip to Niğde, where my husband’s mother is from. Niğde is know for its apple production, and his family owns a small apple orchard down there. We were going to watch the harvest. We drove down Saturday and were greeted by chilly weather and rain. We did manage to see Kapadokya’s most intact and well preserved Byzantine Monastery, Gümüşler Monastery. After trudging around in the freezing rain seeing the historical site for several hours, we had a lovely dinner with some extended family.

In Niğde in mid-October there was already snow on the mountains. Niğde is nestled into the plains surrounded by inactive volcanic mountains.

When wewere there we were supposed to go to the apple orchards and watch the harvest, but we ran into some trouble. We spent the afternoon in a small village looking for a mechanic, then for a tow truck.

While we were waiting I took a look around the village.

We saw puppies…we always do.

Plums drying in the sun.

Farmers harvesting cabbage.

That last photo was taken from inside the car on the top of the tow truck. We needed a new radiator and by the time it was fixed it was time to head back to Ankara. It was a whirlwind trip. While we did have some fun we have since decided that we will save trips of five hours of driving or more for long weekends only.

Amasra: Last Road Trip with the FamFam

2010-10-24T19:11:00.001+03:00

Before the wedding, when my parents were in Turkey we took the opportunity to see as many parts of Turkey as possible. We went to Cappadocia and saw the fairy chimneys. Then we started on our Black Sea tour. The first stop was Safranbolu, and the next was Amasra.

Amasra is a small town on the Black Sea,. The industry is primarily fishing and tourism. The trip there is pretty amazing. You have to drive through the mountains, there are one lane bridges and high passes through the mountains when the road ends six inches from a hundred foot sheet drop with no guardrail. While the driver has to have their eyes glued to the road the passengers can enjoy the troop. The drive is incredibly scenic. From the last mountain you drive up and over there is an amazing view of the town of Amasra. It is on a protected cove with two small peninsulas shielding it from the main sea. Amasra is best known for its delicious fish and the “Amasra Salad”

A mix of lettuce, arugula, green onions, green garlic shoots, dill, radishes, parsley, pickled beets, carrots and some other delicious and spicy additions.

We were there in the off season so it was nice and quiet. We were just there to enjoy the sights and the fish. What was interesting was that people were trying to pick us up. There were some older women waiting on the streets, and when we parked the car they raced up to us, competing over offering us rooms at their pensions or homes.

We ended up staying in a hotel right on the water. The pensions offered by the women who were cruising us were well priced and safe, but not on the water. We were only there for one night and so we wanted to be able to appreciate the sea.

We had a fantastic time and it was a lovely trip with my parents. We headed back to Ankara the next day to see some of the local sites and get ready for the Turkish wedding.

A Better Day

2010-10-13T23:43:00.001+03:00

Today was less stressful and the kids were fine. Also I have tomorrow off. That makes the world a better place in general. Today I also had a student write something very sweet and profound. The kind of thing that reminds me why I became a teacher, and why I bother with nagging the brats about doing their homework.

I managed to save the Craptastic Soup. It was supposed to be Ezogelin Corba. The proportions of the recipe were off, the bulgur in the soup soaked up too much of the liquid, and the flavor was flat. I split it in half, spiced up and revived one half as soup and the other half as a bulgur pilaf. So Yay! I hate wasting food, but as we all know, when you try new recipes or experiment with them every once in a while you get a dud. Thankfully I was able to save mine.

Tomorrow I will be hitting up the pazar. I usually go on Sundays, buy my produce and wash and prepare it for the upcoming week. However, I do not cook much during the week because I get home late. Then on the weekend, when I actually have time to cook, I run out out of fresh things to cook with before Sunday.* Our neighborhood pazar is open on Thursdays and Mondays, now that my day off falls on Thursday instead of Wednesday, I can take advantage of this. Another Yay!

* I could actually go to the grocery store and get what I want and I sometimes do. However, I prefer to buy my produce and eggs at the pazar. It is fresher and I feel I am helping support the local economy.

Oh Real Life? Ouch!

2010-10-12T21:18:00.001+03:00

Back from the delicious lands of vacation and back to work. This year I have adjusted my teaching style from Western to Turkish. If I treated my students in the US this way there would have been a mutiny. I am serious. I stopped wearing dangly earring while working in San Diego because I was afraid they would be RIPPED from my earlobes while I broke up fights. I am not kidding. One time I thought these girls were going to toss each other from a window (3rd floor.)

Turkish students are used to authoritarian teaching, they do not respond well to the US style of teaching. They see it as weakness and walk all over you. Since I have modified my style the students behave better and learn more. Class is a little less fun for all of us, but since the learning has improved I will suck it up and be a crazy b*tch. On the plus side they are much more respectful in general, and are very sweet.

Today was a long hard day. Hall duty and 7 classes which means I have to stand in the hall darning ALL the breaks including lunch and only have one class off all day (40 minutes at 10 am—that’s when I eat my lunch.)

After eight hours of standing on my feet and holding both my bladder (we are not supposed to leave the hall to use the bathroom) and my patience, I went home and started to cook. Cooking relaxes me. However I followed a recipe and it was a big fat fail. I now have to figure out how t salvage all that craptastic soup. Cooking did not work to relax me this time.

So now I am having a glass of wine. And it seems to be hitting the spot.

Safranbolu

2010-09-26T11:19:00.001+03:00

While my parents were here they wanted to head up north as well. My mom did not want to make plans or reservations, just to play the adventure by ear. So one day we hopped in the car and drove north towards the Black Sea. We stopped in Safranbolu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its well preserved Ottoman-era houses and architecture.

We had a lovely time. We stopped and had a bite to eat at small cafe and then explored town. Yes, in this photo I am on the phone. I had checked for local hotels and was calling to see if there was room for the night.

And there was! We stayed at Mehves Hanim Konagi, it was a lovely old Ottoman Style house, wonderfully refurbished. The proprietor was great. Since it was just my parents and me we thought we could share a large room. However, since there was no room with 3 beds (only cots for children) she gave us two rooms for the price of one.

Later we hiked all around town. There is a large covered pazar which sells all kinds of goods. Above the city on a hill there is a small park. For a lira admission you can go in and see a panoramic view of the whole town. Up on the far side you may be able to see a large yellow building. That is a restored Ottoman mansion, which is now a museum.

The museum hosts photos and examples of Safranbolu's history and culture, though all the explanations are in Turkish. It also has a gallery of local women’s art work.

After exploring Safranbolu a little morn the next morning we headed off in the morning to the next town on our list. While it was not too far on the map, it took us longer to reach Amasra than we had thought. Between the construction, the one-lane bridges and the mountain passes without guardrails it was an exciting drive. More on that later.

Kapadokya with the FamFam

2010-09-18T18:40:00.001+03:00

The trip to Kapadokya with my family was fantastic! We stayed at an adorable little place in Goreme. The owner was incredible helpful. He steered us to some really wonderful small family owned restaurants where we had some truly incredible food. I even went back to one of them later and learned how to make Turkish Manti (ravioli).

Showing my parents the incredible rock formations, with their amazing natural properties and unbelievable carvings and churches was really wonderful. I was so excited to share my favorite parts of my new country with my Famfam.

We stayed in a lovely hotel which had a great view of the valley of Goreme.

We had two rooms on slightly different levels. The rooms themselves were carved into the rock walls of the fairy chimneys.

We shared a balcony which worked out very nicely for post hiking cocktails.

My parents were game for all kinds of hiking and tromping. We climbed hills and rocks, looking for the best views.

This visit to Kapadokya we actually had time to hike in Ihlara valley. This is a valley about 45 minutes away from Goreme. To enter the valley you have to climb down about 400 steps because the valley walls are made of sheer rock cliffs. Into these cliffs thousands of year ago people had carved large and elaborately decorated churches complete with vivid frescos. There are also many cave-dwellings carved into the rock as well.

We hiked from the halfway down the valley to the end and saw several lovely churches and lots of cave dwellings.

A stream ran through the middle of the valley separating the two sides. At the end of the valley we wanted to walk back on the other side to see different scenery but there was no bridge. We intrepid explorers found a shallow spot to cross and trudged through. The effort to get to the other side was rewarded as the path was beautiful and there were several more churches on that side.

We also managed to visit a few wineries and take advantage of the regions other natural attractions.

Rockin’ Times in Turkey!

2010-09-17T10:31:00.001+03:00

So my second wedding (to the same man in two months) is coming up. My parents flew in to Turkey for the wedding and decided since they were in the country to take advantage of the situation. We have taken two road trips, one to Kapadokya and one to the Black Sea Region. We have been having a blast since my parents are awesome.

I have already posted about Kapadokya, but will again soon since this time we went to different hotels, museums and restaurants. It was also really great to see my parents experience the amazing landscape for the first time. They also were able to share some new things with me.

My parents are early risers, so without them I never would have seen this.

Or this

Yes, I am standing barefoot in my pajamas. It was 6 am. My parents had seen the hot air balloons coming down at sunrise and pounded on my door until I stumbled out of bed to see what the hell was going on.

It really was amazing, if a little bit chilly in my pjs.

Blue Cruise

2010-08-30T18:04:00.001+03:00

For our honeymoon in Marmaris we had wanted to do something special. We decided on a “Blue Cruise,” a voyage around the nearby bays. There are many types of Blue Cruise, they range from inexpensive to exorbitant. The cheaper ones are usually day cruises with anywhere between 25-100 people on board. Some boats also do week long tours, like little floating B&Bs.

We decided we wanted privacy. We found a family run boat, the crew a husband and wife team and went out on a three day Blue Cruise. It was lovely. Quiet, no music, simple fare, lots of relaxing and reading and swimming. One of the benefits of just the two of us on board was that we could really decided the itinerary. If we were hot, we could anchor and swim, if we were tired just lay in the shade and nap. No fighting over sunbeds for us.

It was really lovely as we went to all these quiet secret bays with clear water.

Little bays and nooks with old ruins…farther up the cliffs was an ancient church.

We had boat side BBQs with *fresh* fish.

We really had an amazing and unforgettable journey, which was the whole point.

Now we are spending our days at the summer house in Marmaris. It is very warm, but we walk to the beach to swim in the late afternoon after it cools down a bit. The evenings we spend in the garden or walking around town looking for the best place to have a drink that night. There are many places with live music ranging from Rock to Jazz to Turku (Turkish Folk). We really are taking advantage of our “Honey Month.”

Oh Summer!

2010-08-24T15:46:00.004+03:00

More details and photos about the Blue Cruise will be posted after an Internet connection is established. Until then I am doing the majority of my Internet business on my phone, which really makes posting a chore.

But today I hauled my tush to the Internet Cafe which is really impressive because it is HOT! I mean feel the asphalt burn you through your flip flops hot. It has been at least 100 degrees everyday here. Though yesterday, it was a cool 95. What was really funny is that it did feel cool to us!

It is actually so warm here we completely turned off the water heater. We take cold showers. I mean straight out the the ground cold, not luke warm, not cooling, cold! There is nothing more delicious on a burning hot day than a `Take your breath away` cold shower.

We spend most of our time in the shade in our bahçe during the warm parts of the day. We swim in the morning or evening when the sun is not as strong. Going to the beach mid-day feels like we may as well be taunting the Skin Cancer Gods to strike us down.

After an evening swim or walk we head to the bahçe again to read, talk or watch movies. I couldn´t have asked for a lovelier honeymoon, a more relaxing vacation or a more romantic summer!

No Internet Connection = Irregular Posting

2010-08-19T22:17:00.001+03:00

We won’t have internet for the rest of the month. So posting may be spotty. That is fine since it gives me the opportunity to post wedding porn!

So the lowdown on the wedding…It was fantastic!

We had a fairly small wedding on the lakeside. The actually ceremony was under a tent on the shore and the reception was nearby at the boathouse on the same property. We had a small wedding party, just the matron of honor, the best man and a flower girl. We wrote the ceremony, which included a ring warming, and the whole thing lasted about seven or eight minutes.

My friends were amazing. I had one friend drive up from Kentucky the Monday before the wedding (which was on a Saturday.) My friend spent the week doing laundry and yard work and anything else that we asked, to help prep for the wedding. My other friends all helped out and decorated the boathouse for the wedding.

My matron of honor was amazing. Not only did she arrange the shower and help with invitations and make my jewelry for the wedding, but she also hosted another one of my friends from out of town. Her husband actually drove two hours to the airport to pick my friend up. My friends are wonderful and I am so lucky.

There was one small hitch. My Matron of Honor got a flat tire on the way to the wedding. She calls, says she already has the tire iron out and shouldn’t be more than 15 minutes late, just then in the background I hear “That's a might pretty dress…” Some boys stopped and helped her and she was only 10 minutes late. It worked out fine. While we were waiting for her I shoved my future sister-in-law out of the limo to start the ring warming so the guests would get too antsy. Enough with the talking though….Wedding Porn.

Nazar Boncu pinned to my dress

My brother and me at our home.

My parents, brother and me at the house.

First Kiss

Walking out as husband and wife. (Music: Signed, Sealed, Delivered by Stevie Wonder)

Walking to the boathouse with my men.

Wedding cake, which my mother and I made. She has the skill, I just helped.

View from the boathouse.

More photos coming later, including tales from the Morning After Brunch. That’s right, my mom threw an after wedding brunch for 75 people and cooked it all herself. And it was tasty!

Honeymoon is Honey Month

2010-08-09T21:41:00.003+03:00

In Turkish, “honeymoon” translates into “honey month.” We are totally taking advantage of that. We will be at the summer house in Marmaris on the Mediterranean for almost the whole month of August. There was a reason we both steered our careers towards academia. We have been having a lovely time, restful time. We spend out evenings drinking wine and beer in the garden, reading.

There may be a slight hiatus with the blogging since the internet is not working at the house currently. I found a nearby restaurant to haul the laptop to though. It is only a 5 minute walk, but hauling your laptop even five minutes when it is sunny and 100 degrees is less than fun.

Tomorrow we are going on a 3 day “Blue Cruise.” Bulent and I, along with the couple who owns the boat will be traveling to different coves and beaches. I can assure you that there will be copious amounts of photos coming about about Marmaris and the cruise as well as belated wedding photos.

But I will leave you will this…

Hot day, cold beer, on the Mediterranean.

Pig Roast means pork right?

2010-08-04T06:07:00.001+03:00

My cousin lives in New Hampshire, she and her fiancé own several hundred acres of orchard and a couple of houses that sit on the property. With their gorgeous setting they have hosted parties and weddings over the years. This year they decided to host a “Pig Roast.” In translation that means a pig on a spit, cooked for 12 hours, and a keg of beer. However my cousin, in her infinite class and wisdom, decided to do a whole lot more. I arrived to find the whole orchard mowed, a large tent with several picnic table covered by table clothes, and a tremendous amount of tasty food. There was guacamole, salad, casseroles, lasagna and paella. That is right. This was a “Paella and Pig Roast.”

(There were two large paella-That’s right, be jealous)

I might have eaten enough to impress the young men there. I think after my 2nd or 3rd plate one guy told me, “ I KNEW I liked you!”

Then there was the pig. Oh the pig! Scary to look at, moist and delicious and tasty!

That was a lot of pork, but I ate as much as I could and then snacked all night!

My younger cousin and his friends were there too. The young guys thought that the keg would be lonely if they did not keep it company. To do so they decided to do “keg stands.” I had no idea what this was---I went to an all women's college-We drank profusely but never standing on our heads. Our university taught us all about gravity.

“Keg Stands” are when you tip yourself upside down, other people hold your legs steady and you drink directly from the keg tap-while upside down. This particular guy upped the challenge and started doing upside down push-ups while drinking beer upside down. Wowza!

I was able to eat copious amounts of food, mostly slow roasted pork, scarf paella and hang out with my cousins all night. It was a wonderful time and an awesome party!

Sib Date

2010-07-31T19:09:00.001+03:00

I will be posting wedding photos as soon as I get the photos from the photographer. I will try not to gag you with them, but seriously, I will be posing some! A few weeks ago my brother and I went on a “Sib Date.” We dressed up and went out together, to catch up and hang out before the wedding. We never have to discuss where to eat as the answer is always: SUSHI! We were super hungry when we got there, and we may have over ordered.

We did the best we could, but we had also ordered appetizers. But a sushi extravaganza with sake is both my brother and my idea of a good time. My brother is a super sweet and cool dude and it is always great to be able to hang out with him.

Negligent Blogger Backlog…

2010-07-27T00:51:00.001+03:00

Since I have been back in NH I have been running around like crazy. I have been seeing friends, cleaning and polishing the house along with all the regular pre-wedding stuff. A quick run down…

Bacon. Pork. Pork chops, pork loin, eggs and bacon, BLTs, etc.

The first morning I was in the States I went out for breakfast with a friend. BACON!!!

Also my mom makes the BEST dirty vodka martinis! I have been practicing since I have been home. Practice makes perfect, and also is tasty!

Bachelorette party in New York with my aunt and cousins!

I also took this opportunity to stock up on ridiculously expensive make-up for my wedding. ‘

BT DUB—Totally worth it!

And a bridal shower. I can’t carry much back with me to Turkey so my friends organized a lingerie bridal shower. I will be the best dressed women who has ever gone to bed.

And then on July 24th, I got married!

Bulent’s parents are in town for a week, so I will try to update on the upcoming New England adventures.

Married!

2010-07-26T23:48:00.001+03:00

More details later! And Wedding Porn (I mean photos!)

Getting Ready!

2010-07-11T19:19:00.001+03:00

My parents have a very old home. About 150 years old. They have been working on it for years. Each year they tackle a problem or redo a room. Well, the wedding gave them a little more momentum. Since I was home last January they have redone..

The upstairs bathroom, the downstairs bathroom and the entire kitchen. They have also repapered all the walls downstairs and many of them upstairs and refinished most of the floors. They do most of the manual labor themselves, though my strapping younger brother did alot of the heavy stuff. Better Homes and Gardens meet This Old House. I am seriously impressed.

So now we are working on the outside. There has been a heat wave lately so outside work means lots of sweating, swearing and water breaks. So while my brother was on a ladder painting the house (he should get a medal!), I was pulling weeds from flower beds. I need to be careful not to get tan line because of my strapless wedding dress, thus this fetching ensemble…

Obviously I am totally glammed up for the wedding!

Home

2010-07-07T01:02:00.001+03:00

I will be posting as often as possible, though coverage may be sporadic. I am at my parents home in New Hampshire, hanging out, visiting family, and prepping for the upcoming wedding…Mine!

So in between the bachelorette party, (this weekend),Bülent flying in (next week) my bridal shower, (next weekend) and the wedding (the weekend after) I may be fairly busy. I will try my best though. I have some awesome food photos coming so be on the watch. Happy Fourth!

What The HELL Was I Thinking?

2010-07-01T23:05:00.001+03:00

I must have been out of my mind. Our apartment was painted by the school (we did not choose the colors.) So, the painters had to finish painting about 20 four-bedroom apartments in two weeks. T o facilitatie this arbitraty time period we had 13 painters in our place. Craziness. So when I came home from work, the white molding was green, the paint was all over the floorboards and the floor length curtains were in piles on the floor. I argued (in Turksish) with the painters that since they took them down, they should put them back up. My strongest argument--I don’t own a ladder (Their response, we will lend you ours.) So after losing the battle I decided, what the hell, since they are all down why not wash them. WTF! Apparenty they have not been washed, EVER!

Exhibit A:

Ignore the multiple shampoo bottles and focus on the color of the water. Black! And this was the second soaking in hot water and oxi-clean. After this, I washed them twice with bleach. They are still a little grey. I hung them up when they were wet, thinking it would help with the wrinkles. Sort of. The chiffon front curtains (I don’t know what they are called) straightened out but the thick back curtains are all wrinkled.

I will never do that again. The washing, the bleaching, the arms burning from the weight of the wet curtains. And then they still had to be taken down again and ironed to get the wrinkles out. What the hell was I thinking?!?!? I have a lovely cleaning lady. I will have her do it next time. I will be putting money back into the Turkish economy, someone who needs work will get it, and I will not have to f*cking deal with 15 washer loads of extremely dirty curtains.

* This post is for you Laurie.

Visit to Eskişehir

2010-06-20T19:45:00.001+03:00

A few weeks ago, before my life was consumed with correcting exams, processing grades and nailing down details for my upcoming wedding, we took a trip to Eskişehir. It is about an hour an a half on the fast train. The train was great. It ran frequently all day, was clean and convenient.

The city itself is fun, but certainly a day trip—no need to stay overnight. We walked around all day and were able to see most of the city. Eskişehir has a university and was considered to be a supporter of Ataturk as the city sacrificed itself during the Independence war, holding off the invasion of the British. The city was razed then later rebuilt. I was very surprised considering it liberal past, that there was such a conservative religious community. While religious people aren’t against Ataturk, and those who support Ataturk don’t deign religion, there tends to be a correlation between liberalism and Ataturk supporters. Most of the women I saw in Eskişehir wore headscarves, a few did not, but they were the minority. Though the closer we walked to the university the fewer “covered” women we saw.

The first stop was the creek that runs through town. Now it is touristic and cute however, twenty years ago the creek apparently was rancid and stank and the cafes by the waterfront were ramshackle. The current mayor has done an enormous amount of renovations in town and it has made a huge difference.

The next stop was boza, a fermented (nonalcoholic) wheat drink.

It was slightly sweet, and very thick. You could eat it with a spoon. The shop sold only boza, and you could sprinkle cinnamon on top if you wished. It apparently has a lot of protein and vitamins and is healthy—though caloric.

I was not nesaccarily a fan, though I could see the appeal.

Later we went to visit the city’s real attraction. The restored Ottoman Style houses.

The Ottoman style houses have been preserved and restored. The neighborhood has turned into a tourist area with cafes and chai houses, though many locals still live in the houses, above the businesses.

From Ankara it was a fun, inexpensive, quick day trip. The fast train takes only an hour an a half to reach the city. Everything in within walking distance from the train station so there is no need to tax about. The round trip train tickets are 32 liras for one person. It was a very lovely trip and a fun weekend activity.

Epic Cuteness

2010-06-07T22:29:00.001+03:00

Bulent picked me up from the Servis bus the other day and told me he had a surprise for me. He could not keep from smiling. I kept trying to guess but was no where near close. We drove around the neighborhood and finally ended up a nearby park. I thought maybe he had set up a romantic picnic.

Until I saw the fuzzy wriggling bodies.

To be precise, seven of them.

A neighborhood street dog had puppies and the den is in the park nearby. The mother is part German Sheppard and from her behavior she may have been an (abused) pet. She is very shy and non confrontational. If you speak to her she wags her tail but if you get get close she runs away.

The puppies are absolutely adorable. They loved to be petted and cuddled. Unlike the last puppies we found.

They hate to be ignored. If they want attention they will clearly state their needs.

They are NOT shy.

If we owned a house with a yard I know Bulent would have wanted to adopt at least two of them.

However, since that is not an option we have been bringing them, and their mother, food and water, as is a teenage boy who lives in the neighborhood. The mother is quite thin – she has been nursing seven pups and has been scavenging for food. Bulent posted photos on a Craigslist-ish type site advertising the puppies. There are many people with large homes who want guard dogs. This would be better than if the dogs were left to scavenge. They would eventually be picked up by the city and vaccinated and be spayed/neutered, but then released back on to the street. The problem is that in Turkey dog-ownership outside of villages is new and dogs are a status symbol. People want purebreds not mutts.

So… if you are in the Ankara area and want a FREE PUPPY who is sweet and trainable, leave a comment. We would love to hook you up with one of these darlings. They need a home.

Look! He likes you already!

Waxing and Homonyms

2010-05-20T22:31:00.001+03:00

On Wednesday I did something I have been wanting to do for a while, yet at the same time dreading it.

For weeks I have not been shaving so I could participate in the Turkish practice of waxing.

Turkish women wax their body hair as culturally body hair on women is considered unclean. They wax *everything*. I asked my friend about the practice, she said that she waxed everything in the past, even her arms. She gave me a recommendation for a waxer. Then she demonstrated the depth of her friendship. She called, made my appointment (I did not have the necessary Turkish vocabulary,) and then told me she would meet me there to translate what I wanted to the esthetician. She did say I was on my own for the waxing--which is best for our friendship considering the positions I had to assume.

While it was not butterflies and kittens the waxing was not nearly as painful as I thought it would be. Actually, it was not really painful at all, though that may be due to the skill of the esthetician. It was an interesting process, and also interesting to think that a majority of Turkish women do this on a regular basis. While I was assimilating culturally I also found my first Turkish homonyms

Aci—means spicy. Aci—also means hurt. So at first was confused when she said, “This will be a little bit spicy.” (in Turkish.) However the word confusion was quickly cleared up when a large chunk of hair was removed.

Bir az aci= This will hurt a little

The second homonym is “paket.” In Turkish “Alo Paket,” means take out. In a restaurant if you ask for “paket,” it means take home package otherwise known as a “Doggie Bag.” As it turns out “paket” also means the nether regions. So when an esthetician asks you if you want a “paket” wax that means both front and back and everything in between.

Both words are good to know. Beware yabancis, if you ask for paket in the wrong context you may end up getting something you were not expecting.

I have survived.

2010-05-16T17:59:00.001+03:00

I have had a ridiculous amount of exams to grade and a scary timeline in which to do so.

I am finished with grading and recording.

Life will resume.

Which means blogging will as well.

Tomorrow.

Kapadokya

2010-05-02T10:53:00.002+03:00

We went to Kapadokya a few weekends ago, taking advantage of the long weekend. It was children’s day, a day to emphasize that children are the future of the nation. I had Friday off, so we hit the road Thursday after work. Bulent, his mom and dad and I all went down to Kapadokya, and it was amazing.

The view from out hotel’s restaurant terrace.

Kapadokya is a region where rock formations formed by volcanic activity have been carved and shaped by erosion and people for millennium. All throughout the area are amazing rock formations into which churches and monasteries and villages have been carved into the soft rock. There are even underground cities 9 stories deep where villages would go underground with their animals to resist invaders who who trying to conquer the fertile land.

We stayed at a lovely and inexpensive hotel called the Arch Palace, it was wonderful. Mustafa Bey and his wife run the place. They are wonderfully warm and welcoming, and their children are adorable. Mustafa Bey was wonderfully knowledgeable about the sights to see, not only in Göreme, but the entire region. We were able to visit the best parts of the Kapadokya region, thanks to his guidance, and I can honestly say—We lucked out. We stayed in the most adorable, friendly and geologically jaw-dropping village, with an awesome host. The other towns and villages were lovely but they were overrun with buses of tourists who crowd up all the sights and clog the roads. We refer to them as…“The Buffalo.”

We also tasted some superb local wine and tried some of the local foods, which varied from the food in Ankara. It was a lovely trip. There will be some more posts coming up from my recent travels, including food from Göreme and this weekends visit to Eskisehir.

Turkish Ev Yemek (Home Cooking)

2010-04-26T23:32:00.001+03:00

We had dinner at Bulent’s aunt’s home the other night. It is always a treat because she is a great cook. It is also really fun because I get to practice my Turkish with her. She is really patient and so excited by my progression in Turkish that she heaps on tons of compliments (positive reinforcement) and I always feel really confident speaking with here which actually raises my language level.

This is one of my favorite foods. Eggplant salad. She roasts the eggplant ( it has that yummy charred taste), and then mashes it. After she adds yogurt and garlic that she has pulverized with a mortar and pestle (it has a different taste from a garlic press when you process it that way, I have no idea why.) It is creamy and tangy and just amazing.

You can’t see this well because of the decoration of eggs and tomatoes but this is piyaz, a cold white bean salad, made with onions, parsley and apple vinegar.

These are whole stuffed artichoke hearts, stuffed with peas and carrots and potatoes, topped with dill. They are considered an “olive oil” dish and served cold.

Below is a vegetable rice pilaf molded and served with green onions on top.

This is how they serve steak in Turkey. Meat is never eaten rare in Turkey. This is called bonfile or tenderloin. was cooked casserole style with tomato sauce and mushrooms topped with cheese.

She really went all out with the food that night. This is great because I am still learning how to cook Turkish foods, and seeing and eating it give me a better idea of how and what to prepare.

Pazar Again

2010-04-21T11:36:00.001+03:00

For 30 liras at the pazar I got…

2 kilos of village spinach
1 kilo of Ankara Pears
1 kilo of Amasya Apples
1 bunch of mint
1 bunch of parsley
Fresh Garlic
Green onions
Bananas from Antalya
Local Eggs
2 kilos of garden Strawberries
Red leaf lettuce
2 bunches of arugula
1 package of balsam bread
half a kilo of manti
1 bunch of tere (greens related to arugula)
1 bunch of (unknown) greens that taste faintly of lemon*

Oh Boy! So I bought all this stuff at the pazar then lugged it home and had to deal with it. If I don’t take care of the produce purchases on Sunday, I may not use it, and then have to throw it away, which is wasteful and heartbreaking.

To set myself up for the week I washed all the produce (you have to do this VERY well in TR to avoid Hep A.) After I washed it and dried it I packed it carefully so it will stay fresh as long as possible. Now all week we will have salads and veggie dishes that will be super quick to prepare because the produce is clean and ready. It was a long hour in the kitchen, but when I get home late during the week it will be great to have food ready to go!

*If you have any ideas what these could be please let me know. Also—What in the hell it yemlik, I CANNOT find an English translation. It is an herb sold in the pazar which looks a little like grass.

I Set The Kitchen On Fire. AGAIN.

2010-04-11T12:33:00.001+03:00

A few weekends ago I went to the pazar and bought this cute chai demlik (2 part Turkish tea pot) to replace the stainless steel monstrosity that came with our apartment. I was so proud of myself. I have learned enough Turkish to argue. Also I have learned enough about the bargaining culture to actually be able to get a good deal even though I am a foreigner. (Foreigners usually get ripped off.) I was able to bargain down a third of the price! I was so happy, a good deal and the pot was adorable. I had been using it to heat water for Nescafe, but hadn’t actually brewed Turkish tea in it. You have to brew Turkish tea for a half an hour. Apparently my new chai demlik couldn’t handle the heat. After a while I smelled something funny. It was my tea pot melting. When I got into the kitchen the handle had melted off and was in a pool on the range—On Fire.

Thankfully it was easy to put it out, and it was my kitchen. It is always awkward when you set someone else’s kitchen on fire.

Poor sweet thing. It did not deserve to end this way.

Cute but Cursed

2010-04-07T19:58:00.001+03:00

This is Butterfinger. She is cute, but fate hates her! Because she is not human, though she thinks she is, she needs at least two walks a day. We try to take her out for at least two half hour walks a day. But lately she has been screwed. I am telling you, it can be sunny all day and then when I put on her leash it starts to pour. A few weeks ago I took her out and I swear there were hurricane force winds. Car alarms were being triggered by this wind.

Today it was a little gray and then the sun came out. I took her out for a walk, it was a little cool. It had been warm and lovely for days. So today when I took her for her evening walk I grabbed my coat. And wouldn’t you know the second we stepped outside it stated to rain. Not a problem. We persevered. But the rain started to come sidewise and it was very cold. Butterfinger herself decided to turn around and come back. by the time we cam back she looked like a drenched rat and my glasses were all frosted and my nose was red.

That poor dog. Every time the sky looks grey, all it takes to unleash the wrath of the sky is to take out her leash.

I Love the Pazar!

2010-03-31T15:12:00.001+03:00

Pazars are great. They are the open air markets that sell fruits, veggies and household stuff like slippers, pots and pans, etc. There is a large one I got to on Sundays, however I saw a smaller one today in a different neighborhood. Pazars are not normally mid-week so I decided to stop by.

This pazar is smaller and has fewer choices, but because there is less traffic since it is on a Wednesday instead of the weekend the prices are a bit lower.

3 loaves (or pieces) of bazlama bread, a huge bunch of mint, a giant head of lettuce, a large head of mesculin, a bunch of parsley and a kilo of Ankara pears. All of this cost 8 lira, or $5. A super bargain. I wall be going back to that market for fresh greens, especially since it is so nice and quiet.

A note: I just discovered fresh bazlama bread at the pazars. It is now my favorite food. It is so soft and fresh, kind of like a chewy English muffin. I will endeavor to start making it myself soon. Though, for one lira for 3 pieces it may be cheaper just to buy it.

Döner at Özçelik Aspava

2010-03-20T15:47:00.001+02:00

Ridiculous! I have posted about their döner before, but I feel it needs to be done again.

We ordered döner, the rest you see is complimentary.

Mixed green salad, with a pomegranate molasses dressing.

Fresh French Fries with a homemade tomato sauce.

Cacık with sumac and mint on top.

And the pièce de résistance : Döner. I had already had a bite before I took this photo. I couldn’t wait!

The money shot, thinly sliced which had been roasted on a rotating spit. Served with homemade tomato sauce and sliced onions rolled in a fresh soft lavaş.

This is my favorite place to eat in Ankara.

Birthday FUN!

2010-03-19T21:24:00.001+02:00

I am not closer to 30 than to 20. It feels weird. Though I was still the youngest (adult) at my birthday party. There was a 4 year old, but of the people who have learned to read in that room I was the youngest by 6 years. So. Still a baby. Which is good, because I don’t always feel like a grown up. I think that is normal though. In a chat with my Nana, who is 97, she says she still feels like young woman. She is only tethered to age by her body. As are we all.

My party was a blast. It was not a “birthday party” but a party for my birthday. That is what I wanted, fun with my friends. And we had a great time. There was wine, and food, and wine and beer and cake and wine.

The spread was quiche, Mac-n-cheese, kisir, Polish apple and leek salad, tuna veggie salad, white cheese borek, chocolate cake, cinnamon rolls, kadayif and carmel cake.

Yes, I am still waddling.

Less Craptastic Than the Last Post--Barely

2010-03-08T22:07:00.001+02:00

Oh MY!! This morning was one for the books. So last night I ironed a bunch of clothes. I usually iron in the morning because I am to lazy to iron loads of stuff all at the same time. But last night, I ironed, which saved me this morning.

So this morning I had a meeting with my boss. I had prepared and was ready for the meeting. What I was not prepared for was waking up 10 minutes before the bus came. (In Turkey lots of employers send buses for their employees—I don’t ride with the kids.) Bulent would not have been able to drive me this morning. He needed to get to work himself in a different direction.

I brushed my teeth and hair. Threw on my ironed clothes and dirty socks. The only ones I could find. It was taking too long to dig through the sock drawer. I grabbed some makeup and tossed it in my bag and ran out the door while scrubbing my face with a baby wipe. Adrenaline and panic are not two of the best morning guests.

Now usually I set two alarms. I am neurotic about waking up. I relaxed a little and what happens? Even though I checked the alarm twice last night it didn’t go off. If I hadn’t been responsible and ironed last night I would have been out of luck. In my panic I did forget it is an option to take a taxi. It would have been a bit pricey, but still an option. I have to remember that!

Winter Wind is Dangerous

2010-03-07T20:40:00.001+02:00

The weather here has been crazy, warm spring days, then snowfall and chilling winds. The chilling winds are a problem. Seriously. The other day I took the dog for a walk. All was going well. It was cooler than usual—not a problem. So we are walking, and the dog takes care of her business…not strange. So then I do the normal, socially responsible thing and I pick up her poo with a plastic shopping bag.

There was a hole in the bag. A. Hole. In. The. Bag. So then I have poo smeared all on my fingers. Do I have a wipe? A napkin? A used tissue? No. Nothing. I even though about picking up tissues of the ground, but then I realized whatever was on them might be worse that poo. Or it might be poo. As least I knew whose fecal matter was smeared on my fingers. So I found a nice soft patch of grass and did the best I could.

I decided not to turn back and go home because the dog had only been outside for 5 minutes. She needed a walk and besides that, if I had turned around I would have have to drag her back or carry her because she did NOT want to go home yet. So with pooey fingers we proceed on our walk. Then that “Winter Wind” became a problem. There was a hole in the bag, this I knew. And the poo was slowly falling out the bottom of the bag. I started to hurry towards the trash—still wanting to be social responsible with my gooey, warm bag of poo. But then the wind came and the poo started flying out of the bottom the bag. This was when I decided to forget social responsibility. By this time the poo was spraying with the wind and I decided, poo on my fingers---I can deal with. Poo all over my clothes. Forget it. That winter wind makes me nervous.

One Year Anniversary

2010-02-28T21:44:00.001+02:00

I have been in Turkey for one year. A full year of living in a country where I am not part of the hegemonic culture. Being an outsider in a different land has allowed me to observe Turkish culture closely and learn more about my own. When your culture is not the mainstream culture, it is easy to see what your own culture is, since it contrasts with the culture around you. It has been a great year, and a fun one, filled with food, travels and excitement. Things have changed a little since I started working again, become more routine. However, life is still fun and exciting. We are finding our niche, making friends. It always takes a while to make a new city “home.” We are finding our favorite places, our favorite restaurants, bars and hangouts. The process in itself is fun and exciting. I am sure the next year in Turkey will be just as great as the first.

Settling In

2010-02-14T12:10:00.001+02:00

I had a fantastic time at home with my friends and family. It was really fantastic to see everyone. However the transition was rough. I flew back on Saturday night. I landed in Turkey Sunday night, my bags were still in London. After filling out the lost baggage paperwork we drove home. I went straight to bed and Monday I dragged my behind out of bed at 6 to go to work. It is difficult to have the necessary patience for 6th graders when you are tired and jet-lagged. The first two days of the week were tough, and the next few I was used to catch up on life, sleep and laundry. I am finally back….Which also means Back to Blogging! Yay! It might take me a while to get back into the swing of things, but no more long absences.

Here is a souvenir of my trip home… This is my super cool little brother. Right after this was taken he swung me up on his shoulders kind of like a yoke, head facing one way, my behind the others. As I was struggling to get down, using my only weapon (the tickle), his friends walked in. Thankfully being a mature person he dealt with this tactfully. Did he put me down? No. He turned so my face was facing them instead of the other end. We may be adults, but some things never change.

Home At Last

2010-01-29T17:31:00.001+02:00

I just love visiting home! Though when you have only a few short visits a year it tends to be less a vacation and more like a marathon. I flew into to Boston, and then drove directly to my grandmothers house. We had a nice visit before I crashed from from only having 2 hours of sleep in the previous 24. The next morning I woke up bright and early (because my internal time clock is 7 hours faster then EST.) My parents and I hopped in the car and drove down to NYC to visit my aunt and cousin. It was whirlwind and a blast. I also scored an awesome wedding gown in NYC for the coming nuptials. Then off to New Hampshire.

So breakdown of travels…

Saturday Turkey to Boston

Sunday Boston to NYC

Monday NYC to New Hampshire

I am still exhausted. But having tons of fun. This afternoon I will be driving to Boston to have a visit with my brother, who is awesome and super cool. Saturday there is a big party at my grandmothers house because my mother is a genius and thought it would be easier to have a party for everyone who wants to to visit with me than for me to make individual visits to each and every person. Then I will be back in NH trying to schedule visits with friends. Also buying bulk of things like vanilla extract and Burt’s Bees lip balm to bring with me back to Turkey.

Tired and Excited

2010-01-22T21:47:00.001+02:00

This morning, at scary early hour I will be heading to the States on my semester break. I cannot wait!

This week has been incredibly busy. The end of the semester grading period just finished. Along with the fun came lots of grading and paperwork.

On top of that my cousin and her husband came to visit Ankara. They were in Germany and decided to pop over. It was a blast. We had foodapalooza, hit up kebab houses, bakeries and cafes. We literally stuffed our faces, and it was great. From Ankara they are touring Istanbul and sound like they are having a great time.

I am really excited to be going home, though pretty tired, and it is not going to get better soon as I have about 20 hours of travel ahead of me.

In less than a day, I will be seeing my family! Wheee! Updates on food and family will be coming are forthcoming.

(Inter)National Delurking Week

2010-01-07T21:13:00.001+02:00

Hello!! It is international delurking week. That means you lurkers (you know who you are) should drop me a line.

There is a discrepancy between those who I know read my site (Hi Mom!) and the site counter.

I would love to hear from you. You can do one of three things. The first: leave a comment and prove your existence

The second: say hello, introduce yourself and make new friends

The third: ignore my desperate plea.

Please, for my vanity—do one of the first two options.

Family Times Ahead

2010-01-06T12:57:00.001+02:00

I looked at the Calendar and all of a sudden we are way into January. Crazy! Where did the year go? January means two things, the first is that my awesome cousin Elizabeth and her husband, Jake, are coming to visit. It will be amazing and it will be Turkish Foodapaloza. Jake is totally into food, so I will be using that as an excuse to eat my own weight in just about everything, of course while introducing him to the best and tastiest of Turkish foods. I will try to record it.

The second Family Event that January brings is a visit HOME! I will be going home for two AMAZING, WONDERFUL weeks. I love being with my family, and cannot wait to go home.

PS: Family I will be wanting Pork. Ham. Bacon. Bacon. Ham. PORK! Weird how you always want what you can’t have.

Start the New Year Out Right

2010-01-01T18:47:00.001+02:00

With mimosas. We did.

New Years was great, quiet and wonderful. In Turkey the New Year is a huge celebration, trees are decorated houses draped in garland and big family parties. Bulent and I went on a date out to a lovely French restaurant. The food was great and the ambience just gorgeous. We rang in the New Year with friends and champagne. The leftovers I then used to make mimosas for breakfast. Nice way to start the day, or year.

I think I will indulge in the obligatory decade post…As I was trying to write this I realize since I was five my life has been measured through the academic year. It still is.

2000—I was a junior high school and got my drivers license.

2002— Graduated high school.

2003—Went to college. Fell in love with “Swells,” made lifelong friends and cemented my feminist ideals. My grandfather died.

2004—Joined a sexual assault awareness and counseling group. Now a feminist with a passion for education and prevention of sexual and domestic violence.

2005— Met Bulent. Backpacked around Europe for a month.

2006—Ran the sexual assault awareness and counseling group. Raised over $20,000 with my friends to bring Alice Sebold, author of the Lovely Bones to campus. My grandmother and grandfather died. I moved to San Diego.

2007— Started working at a Charter school for at-risk students.

2008—Continued working at Charter schools in San Diego.

2009—Bulent and I became engaged. We decided to move to Turkey. Spent six months travelling around Turkey, visited Ephesus, Istanbul, Amasra, Marmaris, and Izmir. Started learning a new language.

2010—I can’t wait to see what it brings…

We Rock!

2009-12-24T23:33:00.001+02:00

Or at least our party did! We had a blast, so many of our friends came. There was good food (I love potluck) and music, as well as liberal drinking, all the makings for a merry time. Our different groups of friends got along really well and started to make friends with each other. The party became standing room only, and was generally fantastic. Unfortunately we were so busy hosting we forgot to use our camera. Hopefully some of our friends took pictures and I will share those.

The party was really great because it made it feel like Christmas. It has been a little difficult for me, as this is my first Christmas away from my family. The Christmas party was great for two reasons. First it kept me busy, second it was a blast and brought the “feeling” of Christmas.

I have been trying to focus on creating new holiday traditions rather than grieve for the old ones I can not participate in this year due to geography. For Christmas Eve we went to a Symphony Concert which was really fun. The music was lovely and it was something to really make the evening feel special. Tomorrow Bulent’s whole family is coming over for dinner. It will have to be buffet style to accommodate everyone. While the preparations for hosting large party then a large dinner party so close together are challenging, it is worth it. They have been so inclusive of me in their holiday traditions, I wanted to reciprocate and involve them in mine. Plus it feels more like a holiday when your house is full of people. Also when there is lots of wine—that makes it holiday-ish too. Yes, I am Irish. Can you tell?

Roasted Chestnuts and Winter Nights

2009-12-19T13:41:00.001+02:00

Last night we went to a popular nightlife street in Ankara. Not a clubbing street, but lots of pubs and cafes. Mandiras and restaurants. Live music poured out of most cafes. We walked the whole length of the street, peeking in stores, watching people. All along the street there are men with carts selling roasted chestnuts. So wonderful! They are cheery spots of of light against the dark street. The carts are heated by wood, a little stove at the bottom, a metal sheet with holes letting the warmth and smoke heat the chestnuts. The nuts were warm and smoky, just delicious. We walked the rest of the street with out treat until we found a cafe with live blues. After music and coffee we wet out into the blustery and cold night. It is finally starting to feel like winter.

Parties Are Supposed To Be Fun!

2009-12-13T22:17:00.001+02:00

Unless you are planning them. So this is to be my first big party, ever. I have hosted large dinner parties, but not full scale bashes. I am slightly nervous about it. Part of it is that I don't know everyone will fit in the apartment, also I am hoping that many people will come. It is also less common (meaning not at all) to use disposable plates or cups. Which is great for the environment, but not great for me. We only have the dishes that my school provided with the apartment. That means I have two dinner plates, four dessert plates, three soup bowls ( I already broke the 4th) and two wine glasses. Unless I buy some disposable plates and cups, the people will just have to look at the drinks, or swig out of the bottle. Which could be fun.

I have brought the American tradition of potluck to the party aka I can’t afford to feed and liquor forty people. I will be attempting to make eggnog, cookies and mulled wine(Thanks Barbara) as base items on the buffet. Perhaps their will even be some pizza on the horizon. Please suggest easy to make apps and desserts or magical hosting tips!

Christmas is Coming!

2009-12-12T13:33:00.001+02:00

We have a Christmas tree, it is decorated, there are lights. It is official. I am grown up-ish. The tree may be fake and only four feet tall, but is is cheery.

I am also holding a Holiday party. There will be wine and food, and if I can make it—Eggnog.

Right now Ankara is cold and dreary and rainy. I don’t mind the cold so much, but I wish the rain would switch over to snow. Then the world would be ready for Santa, because I know I am!

Kurban Bayram…Way Late

2009-12-08T20:57:00.001+02:00

Last week was Kurban Bayram or Eid al-Adha, the second religious holiday after Ramadan. It is a festival of sacrifice, and charity. Animals, usually sheep and cows, are sacrificed to represent Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son. After the sacrifice a certain percentage of the meat is donated to the poor. The rest is divided among the family. We received some very fresh lamb that day.

The other practices of Bayram are family visits and memorial visits. Usually the first or second day of Bayram the family visits the cemetery and pays respect to their dead. We (the entire extended) visited the cemetery where Bulent’s grandfather. The cemetery in Ankara is huge. There are only two in a city with a population of over four million. The monuments stretch as far as the eye can see.

The visits start out at the oldest relatives home, and progress down the line. First his grandmother’s home, then his mother’s, then his Aunt’s and his Uncle’s, then our home. We visited two homes a day, until we reached ours. At the visits tea and snacks are served, usually one salty and one sweet. You can not refuse. So Bayram becomes a time of visiting and eating, and eating and visiting.

Bayram also coincided with Thanksgiving, which was great. I only had to work half a day on Thanksgiving and have Friday and Monday off. We had a great Thanksgiving with friends with all the trimmings.

Yay for Turkey and stuffing!

Holiday then Bash

2009-12-04T21:38:00.001+02:00

Last week was the Kurban Bayram, the Islamic holiday of sacrifice. I will give details later but I am recovering. We had a half day of work on Thursday which was great because it coincided with Thanksgiving, then Friday and Monday off. A short week of work really, but it has really smacked me around. I have not been sleeping well, just waking up in the middle of the the night. I keep thinking it is time to get up and then it is 2am. That is the problem about going to work when it is still dark.

The two days off from school apparently gave my students rule amnesia and they have been particularly challenging. There is also an exam coming up and I am trying to stuff their heads full of knowledge, and they would rather play. It has made for a stressful week. Tomorrow I have a conference to go to, so no sleeping in. However I am looking forward to it, and as I am a participant not a leader I am not expecting it to be a difficult day. It is weeks like this which make me am glad I love teaching. Actually liking what I do gives me more patience.

More will be forthcoming about the Kurban Bayram as soon as I am not sleep deprived.

Technological Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T23:36:00.001+02:00

I had a lovely Thanksgiving meal tonight. Bulent and I were invited to a friends, where there was great food, good conversation and good friends.

After I came home I got a call from my parents on Skype. They had brought their laptop to Thanksgiving dinner at my cousin’s house. They turned Skype on and then passed me around. I spoke with my Nana, my parents, my cousins and aunts and uncles. I spoke to my brother and his random friend who he brought to dinner.

It was fabulous. I got to see and talk to everyone and feel that even though I am over 5000 miles and 7 time zones away.

Today I am thankful for family, for their love and support, for friends and this amazing adventure I am on.

My Thanksgiving Tradition

2009-11-26T23:19:00.001+02:00

I have hosted Thanksgiving for the last three years. This year is my first year that I am not hosting. Because I lived in San Diego and my whole family lives on the East Coast Thanksgivings usually included close friends rather than family. To that effect I began to create my own Thanksgiving traditions. I will share with you the most fun: The Apple Cider Martini.

Delicious, simple, and makes Thanksgiving a party!

Apple Cider Martini

2 parts Apple Cider

1 part Vodka

Place vodka and cider in martini shaker with several ice cubes and shake well.

Strain ice out and pour into martini glasses with cinnamon-sugar rim.

If you cannot obtain apple cider, "Simply Apple" juice works well as a substitute.

Cinnamon Sugar Rim

Mix equal amounts cinnamon and sugar. Pour onto plate. Use a lemon slice to moisten rim of martini glass. Dip rim in cinnamon and sugar so that the rim is evenly covered.

Warning: Serve these only after you have finished cooking. I cannot recommend using the stove or handling hot dishes while drinking these tasty martinis. Trust me. Please.

Life as it is …

2009-11-21T18:32:00.001+02:00

Life is progressing here in Turkey. I finally feel as if we are settling in. We have bought a car. We have recovered from H1N1. Life is good.

Last night to celebrate our auto purchase we went out to an Asian restaurant for dinner. Turkey is still new to ethnic food, and sometimes restaurants which serve such food can be hit or miss. Mostly miss. However, we have been to this particular restaurant before and it is ALWAYS good. Not only is the food fantastic but the service is wonderful. The assistant manager recognized us when we came in, so we received amazing service, such as complimentary jasmine tea and extra tidbits. But the kicker is the left-overs.

I ordered Pad Thai with Shrimp (that is the other lovely thing about this restaurant-they have Chinese, Japanese and Thai food). It was a large serving, but I was starving. I ate about 2/3rds but didn’t want to stuff myself. I asked them to pack up what was left over, it wasn’t a meal but it would be a nice snack. A little later the assistant manager came over with the package. He apologized, they had thrown out my leftovers by accident. So he had them cook me a WHOLE new order, and that was what he was sending home. He was apologizing because it took longer.

How wonderful is that! It is pretty typical that in the service industry people go out of their way to be helpful and pleasant. That is one difference between the US and Turkey. People are proud of the establishment they work in, from the busboy to the waiters. They consider the restaurant their territory and extend you, their guests, every hospitality they can. They couldn’t be nicer, even if you were a guest in their own home. This changes the experience in a restaurant significantly. I had a lovely lunch of Pad Thai today, and very much appreciated the manager’s kindness.

The Day I Begged a 14 Year Old for MONEY

2009-11-17T20:21:00.001+02:00

Seriously self-loathing. Right. Now.

So I have no money. I have money but I don’t *have* money. I have a bank account, I have a salary, hell… I got a bonus for Turkish Teachers’ Day. But I still don’t have a bankcard. I have no way of getting easy cash.

Tonight, someone was supposed to come and fix my washer. But at 7 pm I figured they weren’t coming and when Bulent left to meet friends it didn’t occur to me to hit him up for cash for the maintenance man. So when maintenance men did come at 8pm, I had no money. Not to mention I was in my pajamas. So he “fixes” the washer,** and then reasonably asked for 20 Lira. Well, I had 5 Lira, in coins. I frantically called my friend who lives in the building, to see if she would loan me money. She wasn’t home. Her husband said he would loan me the money and then asked me who I was. I was so flustered that when I called I forgot to identify myself. So in my PJs I took the elevator 8 flights and borrowed money from my friend’s son because his father only had 10 Lira. When I knocked, behind the door I heard the Velcro on his wallet rasp, and I died a little inside. I thanked he profusely and ripped the money out of his hand and took the elevator ride of shame down to my floor where the confused maintenance men were waiting outside my apartment. I gave them that, and a tip (in coin,) and stumbled into my apartment to wither in the agony of shame.

I did look for an ATM when I walked the dog later, but there were none. And so, back to the original plan, when Bulent gets home I will hit him up for 20 so I can give the teenager back his bus money.

**The washer was not broken. We had been putting soap in the wrong slot. In our defense there are three slots and no labels. So he explained what spaces to put the soap and the fabric softener, and I pretended I wasn’t an idiot.

How Lazy Can I Be?

2009-11-15T00:34:00.001+02:00

Pretty lazy actually. Tonight I had McDonalds delivered to my door. They do that here. All the fast food places deliver. They have little mopeds weaving their way all around the city delivering Big Macs and Whoppers to the lazy and hungry. You should see these deliver guys. They drive on side walks, against traffic on one ways. They cut across 4 lanes of traffic only to lift tri bike over the median and go the other way. The food’s travels serve only to make it tastier. That and they walk it right to your door.

Let me explain lest you think me a total sloth. I have lost 2 kilos with the flu. That is about 4 pounds. Bulent’s mother was very kind and brought over food, however, it is very flavorful. Turkish food tends to have quite a bit of spice, not spicy, but very flavorful. The smell of such food has done a number on my stomach over the last week. However, the doctor chastised me and ordered me to eat protein, and definitely not the plain yogurt I had been living on for a week. Hence the McDs. A nice big hamburger patty that has no spices, and only a medium about of taste. Bonus, since I did not have to cook it my kitchen does not smell like meat and won’t make me want to throw up every time I walk by.

My Excuse for Not Blogging

2009-11-11T21:16:00.001+02:00

I have not been writing lately. As usual I have an excuse. I have been sick. I developed a fever in Antalya which morphed into nightly fevers and a nasty cough. Some of the kids in the first row of my classes started donning masks. Seriously. The doctor prescribed two days of rest, so I do not have to get up and function normally tomorrow. This made me have tears of gladness, I have lost m voice on and off for the past two weeks and alternate between wounding like a person on their deathbed and someone who has smoked unfiltered cigarettes for 50 years (neither is ideal.) Do you know how children act when you can not raise your voice? Soft whispers do not encourage discipline.

I will be fine in a day or two, and I always like to look on the positive side. I have not wanted to eat alot, and mostly have been eating yogurt, so I lost a couple of pounds. I also have been coughing so much that I am developing a 6 pack. It helps distract me from the feeling my muscles are ripping apart. That is called an Ouchie Booboo.

Swine Flu Vacation

2009-11-04T12:53:00.001+02:00

Last week school was cancelled in Ankara due to Swine Flu precautions. So we went to Antalya in southern Turkey on the coast of the Mediterranean. We had a fantastic time, though I did come down with a fever—though not Swine Flu.

The Antalya coast line. Can you see the Taurus mountains in back? They are so gorgeous, craggy and sharp. They loom over the coast and are very visually interesting against the blue sea.

We also visited Kaleiçi, an area in Antalya, which has charming cobblestone streets and Ottoman houses. It is an historical district, absolutely adorable and picturesque. There were museums and shops and boutique hotels galore.

I found a great shop with handmade goods, tablecloths, blankets, and wool knit items. I bought a couple of sock booties. As for authenticity, I haven’t worn them yet because they still smell faintly of sheep.

Hadrian’s Gate runs through Kaleiçi. It was built in 130 AD when the Emperor Hadrian visited the city. They built the clear bridge over the original entrance. It really is amazing. Underneath you can se the deep ridges worn into the stone from carts going in and out of the city or thousands of years.

It is really neat to see how the city sprung up and wrapped itself around the old Roman ruins.

We were also there for Turkey’s Republic day. However, that deserves a post all on its own, which is forthcoming.

Back to School…Sorta

2009-10-25T21:53:00.001+02:00

So last week was my first week of teaching after not working since February. The week went really well, and I was excited to be back. The school is great, the colleagues are wonderful, the kids are...kids. All in all a great workplace. This afternoon I was preparing for the second week of classes, writing my lesson plans, preparing dinner for Monday, planning to go to bed early and then all of a sudden I wasn’t. I have next week off.

Swine Flu. I had heard some students a nearby college had been diagnosed with swine flu. There was a death over the weekend due to the flu. All elementary and secondary institutions have been closed for disinfection. So I worked one week, and now have a paid vacation. I do not mean to sound cavalier about the flu, but a week off is a week off.

So we are driving to Antalya to see Bulent’s sister. Antalya is a city right on the Mediterranean. Right now they are still enjoying beach weather, about 75 or 80. A nice break from the frigid 60-65 and sunny we are having in Ankara now.

RIP:Dog Watching

2009-10-21T20:30:00.001+03:00

Butterfinger, our Norwich Terrier, used to sit on the window sill to watch the dogs and passersby. She loved it. Sometimes she barked, but mostly she just made us feel guilty enough to take her for another walk.

From now on there will be no more dog watching for her. We have moved and our new apartment does not have a good “viewing” ledge. Butterfinger will just have do make do with frequent walks and oodles of space to make up for her window sill.

Starting Work a Month Late

2009-10-17T11:07:00.001+03:00

My Work Permit finally came. It was supposed to be processed sometime in early September. It was supposed to be ready *next week* for about five weeks. Well, I have it now. We moved into our apartment provided by the school last night. I am excited, it is quite large, has two large balconies, a large kitchen and TWO Bathrooms. TWO Bathrooms! It is also closer to downtown. Where we were living was, great. The apartment was beautiful and only about 10 minutes from my school, but it was 20 km from downtown. So Bulent’s commute to downtown would be long, expensive and frustrating. But this new place is equidistant to downtown and my work. There is also the added benefit of living in the same building as the other foreign teachers, aka neighbors I can talk to, and invite over. My former neighbors were very friendly and inviting, however they did not speak English. One of my old neighbors invited me over for tea several times, and it was very awkward. We would talk in baby Turkish, and body language until she got frustrated and called her son in Istanbul and had him translate on the cell phone. That poor man, he is patient but really, there is a limit to which I will subject strangers to inane small talk—and that is it.

Do We Do Anything But Eat? Rarely.

2009-10-13T18:50:00.001+03:00

The other day I spent the afternoon in Kızılay, in downtown Ankara. Kızılay is awesome. It has open air bars and cafes, street vendors, live music, and a general pazar like atmosphere. I was super hungry after walking around and shopping all afternoon so I treated myself to a balik ekmek, or a fish sandwich. I resisted the fried fish and instead got grilled mackerel. It was loaded up with onions, lettuce and parsley, with a lemon squeezed on top. It was super! Sitting on a stool, out in Kızılay, sharing a table with absolute strangers. A great day. Later, Bulent met me in Kızılay and we had some dessert.

I chose a pie, which was filled with chestnuts, grated carrots and raisins. It was not too sweet, and the flavor and texture of the chestnuts were just fabulous. I was careful to make sure the dessert did not contain hazelnuts or walnuts, I made sure the vendor knew I was allergic (so that he would take it seriously.) And he did. Bulent ordered cake which contained walnuts. Before it was delivered to the table the waiter rushed over to our table to make sure Bulent did not let me eat any of his.

Bulent chose a chocolate cake, loaded with walnuts and a little ice cream on top. He said it was very tasty, and I took his word on that.

I promise soon I will post about something other than food. Or food and something else.

Fall Foliage

2009-10-12T13:31:00.001+03:00

It is fall in Ankara. The days are warm, the nights are cool. The weather is lovely. The leaves are starting to change-sort of. I think it is because it is not quite cold enough that the leaves are changing color patchily. The colors are not particularly vibrant. But after living in California for three years, a little yellow on the trees and leaves on the ground feels like autumn to me.

However, my conception of autumn and foliage has been forever ruined by the standard. Nothing can ever come close. Seriously. My parents have ruined me for fall anywhere other than New Hampshire.

In the fall our home is surrounded by brightly colored trees. In front of our home is a pond, and when the light is right the trees across the pond reflect on the water and it looks like they might catch on fire.

There really is no competition. As lovely as every place I have lived and visited, truly nothing compares to the gorgeousness of the New Hampshire woods. Sure the power goes out occasionally. Yes, your cheeks might feel like they will freeze off in the winter. Driving home can be a death defying act on the narrow, dirt, ice covered roads. But…

Really. There is no comparison.

See this photo?

I receive photos very similar but very different several times a week. This is the view off the front porch at sunrise. My mother sends me sunrise photos from home about three times a week. They are my favorite emails to find in my inbox.

Finally, we did it!

2009-10-10T15:27:00.001+03:00

Engagement photos…What were you thinking?

Bulent and I were engaged in February, right before we left for Turkey. He waited until we were in NH, in order to ask my parent’s permission. Since we got engaged I have been wanting to get some “Engagement Photos.” I know it sounds corny, but professional photos just look so good. I wanted photos together at an occasion other than a wedding where we could be ourselves, and hopefully wear jeans. I wanted these photos to be representative of our feelings. I also wanted to be able to look back, when saggy and wrinkled and think “Damn we looked good!”

We are always thinking we need to lose weight, exercise more, we could look better, etc. However, I bet in thirty years we will all think that our younger selves looked just fine, and we will wish that we could look like that again.

Friends and Family, leave a comment if you want me to email you the rest of the photos.

Food Adventures: Adana Kebab

2009-10-06T16:36:00.001+03:00

The other day we went out to lunch with Bulent’s father. He is from the city of Adana where they make “Adana Kebab,” it is a specific style of kebab. The place we went is the only place he will eat Adana Kebab in Ankara. It is a small place where the owner and waiters boss you around. We ordered a small portion of çopşiş…

But they said “No.” You have to have kebab too. They brought out Adana Kebab with grilled garlic, tomatoes, and peppers. It was accompanied by Shepherd's Salad, and Esme.

Also, with fresh arugula, parsley, yogurt, and onion salad.

All of this was served with fresh lavash bread, I mean FRESH. They would put it in the oven right before they served it. We love this place, but try not to come too often, because there is so much food. We usually end up waddling away. I might have waddled that day, but it was worth it.

Recent Food Adventures

2009-10-05T10:52:00.001+03:00

Bulent and I have gone out a few times and this is one of our favorite places. We usually split a lahmacun and a doner durum wrap with sauce and onions in it.

The durum doner wrap usually comes with four pieces. One had already been eaten before I was able to get the camera out.

A close up of the wrap, saucy, onion-y, meaty goodness.

Next up…Lady Thigh Meatballs—tasty!

Summer's End

2009-10-01T21:56:00.001+03:00

Fall is creeping in. I can feel it in the crisp nights and the sunny days. At one point in my life I thought Fall would no longer feel like the start of the year. I thought as I finished school and entered the workforce there would be a separation. And then I became a teacher, and autumn is forever linked with the smell of new paper and the start of the year.

Maybe that is why I love Fall. It is a hopeful time, new students, new schedule and a bright new slate. I also adore the weather of Fall. The brightness of the air as the coolness washes over the land, the change of the leaves. There is something special about waking up and seeing frosted grass, knowing that now the blades of grass are like green icicles, fragile and dagger like, but as soon as the sun hits it they will be back, fresh, slightly wilted but still tickly beneath bare feet.

For 3 years I missed Fall. It does not exist in Southern California. It skips from summer to winter like a scratch on a CD, one moment you are in your bathing suit on the beach, the next it is cool and you have to wear a sweater--frigid I know. Here in Turkey it is unfamiliar, yet still the same. Fall is here, like an old friend in a new country.

Osseous Gluteus Maximititus

2009-09-30T21:52:00.001+03:00

I have a condition. It is not life threatening but can be painful. I have always had this condition, however, recently it has been exacerbated. I have lost about ten pounds since I moved to Turkey. I think it is because I am eating less processed food, and walking more. Anyway, this loss has intensified a previous condition--Osseous Gluteus Maximititus. The other term for this condition would be “Bony Butt” syndrome. Many mothers are chronic sufferers of severe pain due to this condition. It occurs when an individual sits on your lap and their (watch out scientific terms ahead) “bony butts” dig into your thighs. Ouch. Bulent recently has been complaining about this terrible condition.

This is his face when I sit on his lap. He says my behind is more bony than usual. Also my elbows—(when I dig them into his ribs when he is sleeping.) The only way to save oneself from this discomfort is to abstain—from lap sitting. Or gain weight. I guess I will just have to sit next to him instead of on him. Though I would like some chocolate cookies.

Fish Anyone?

2009-09-28T10:53:00.001+03:00

Bulent and I were walking to brunch this weekend. What I like about walking is that in the city there are so many shops to ogle. Clothes, shoes, cheese, olives… The shops are crowded and cheery. Everything is mixed together. The exception it the Balikci’s shop. That is the fishmonger. The shop is usually set away a little because it smells…fishy. Well, Saturday, as we were walking we noticed that the fish shop was more pungent than usual. As we reached the shop, we found out why.

That would be the fishmonger washing blood off a shark with a hose. I had to move back after taking this photo to avoid getting fish blood sprayed on me. Thankfully they did not butcher it as I walked by. However, I think they waited for a while. Because when I walked back from brunch, I passed this.

Cheap Advertising.

Shark steaks anyone?

The Holy Trinity

2009-09-26T21:28:00.002+03:00

Frosty cold beer, Kokoreç and Midye Tava sandwiches. These were mine. In my defense the midye tava (mussel) sandwich was 1/4 size and the Kokoreç was a 1/2 size.

Check out the full size sandwich in his hand! Massive. We had just worked out for an hour and a half—so clearly wanted to replace those calories as soon as possible.

Look at that smile. So Happy. Lamb intestines, beer and fried shellfish. It’s like I found God, in the holy trinity. My holy trinity. And I did.

Iyi Bayramlar!

2009-09-22T11:32:00.002+03:00

Happy Bayram! Last month was Ramazan, a month where practicing Muslims fast from sunup to sundown as one of the pillars of Islam. During this time people who are observing Ramazan pray more and ask for forgiveness for past sins.

We are not religious but we tried not to eat in public during Ramazan. We were aware that many people around us were fasting, and felt uncomfortable eating in front of people who were not able to eat or drink all day.

Today is the last day of Şeker Bayram. It is three day holiday that falls on the first day after Ramazan. The fasting had ended and now people get together—and eat. People dress up and visit family members, usually the households of older or elderly family members. Tea or Turkish coffee is served along with cookies and borek. The name of the festival is actually Seker Bayram or “Sugar Bayram” Candy is usually handed out to children and passed around at the family visits. The Next Bayram is the 3rd week in November is Kurban Bayram or “Sacrifice Bayram.” More on that Bayram later.

Obscenely Cute

2009-09-18T23:07:00.002+03:00

I know….no one needs cute animal posts, but I can’t help myself. In Turkey in most areas (except extremely urban areas) there are wild dogs. Wild dogs. They are not coyotes, or wolves, but feral dogs. The reason being that Turkey does not have an SPCA. There are no animal shelters. There are dogs ad cats all over the place. While I don’t know about the cats, I know the dogs are regulated to a certain extent. They are not euthanized just because there are no shelters available.

While there are no animal shelters the dogs are collected by the city, tagged, spayed/neutered, immunized and released. But occasionally, dogs are faster than the dog catchers and then…

The obscenity occurs.

You cannot see them all in this photo, but there are eight ridiculously adorable puppies. They seem to grow at an amazing rate. Even though they are big (ish) they still look soft and edible. You just want to BITE them they are so cute, like the fat rolls on babies’ legs.

While there are packs of wild dogs roaming the area we live, they are surprisingly docile. Many restaurant owners leave out food and home owners leave out at least water. There are many dogs which “live” in certain areas. We know the are always there. They may bark at us if our dog is with us, but are very friendly. I have seen these wild dogs roll over to have their bellies scratched. When you speak to them they respond well. It is almost like having a pet on every corner. While we would love to take these dogs home (or at least some of them) they are big dogs. Many of they are mixed but with a lot of “Kangal” in them. You can see above in the photo there are several tan puppies with black faces. This is the national breed of Turkey. They are by characteristic, guard dogs, and can weigh up to 120 pounds. They also tend to be gentle and friendly, but are not ideal for apartments. But we visit out pets on the corner every chance we get.

Beauty Mishap and Translations

2009-09-13T13:57:00.002+03:00

I needed a haircut. Bulent suggested go with his mother to the hairdresser again. I decided against this because :

A) Last time he cut it too short and I did not know how to protest.

B) She doesn’t understand enough English to translate and vice versa I don’t have enough Turkish.

C) He was snooty and I didn’t like the style.

So Bulent and I went to the hairdressers a couple of days ago. He dutifully sat beside me and translated back and forth between me and the hairdresser. He did a great job, no comment was too small, and he was very patient. I came away with a lovely cut and a bored, but gratified man.

Today I realized that my eyebrows were starting to resemble caterpillars marching across my face. As great a job as Bulent did at the hairdressers, I did not want to repeat the translation job while getting my eyebrows waxed. My first mistake.

My second mistake…enthusiasm.

My eyebrows are much thinner now. Thinner than I would like. If someone else had done it, I would have wanted my money back. Also, they are uneven. It looks like a skinny momma caterpillar is marching across my face with a baby caterpillar in tow. I am not particularly thrilled with the situation, but have no one to blame but myself. I was stern when chastising myself for doing a bad job, and reminded myself that I would have to live with the consequences of my actions. I do not think I will do it again. Thankfully Bulent looks at my legs more than my eyebrows, so he will not really notice. But to will haunt me until my eyebrows grow back and that poor baby caterpillar marching across my face grows up.

Technorati Tags: Turkey,Hairdresser,Beauty,Mistake

A Feast

2009-09-12T16:55:00.004+03:00

Tomorrow I am making brunch. And it will be fabulous. Why you might ask? Because my love found me bacon. That is right, BACON--From a PIG!! I am not sure how he did it, and don't really care. Tomorrow we will have eggs, bacon, and pancakes with MAPLE SYRUP. I smuggled the maple syrup into the country in Bulent's luggage. I am literally salivating as I write this. Big gobs of spit. I look like a St. Bernard. Next...Ham dinner. I don't know how I can get ham here though. I may have to settle for canned ham. Do they make that? I have no idea. Is there a difference between canned ham and SPAM? I have no idea, but I will research to fill this huge gap in my knowledge.

You Will Have No Sympathy

2009-09-08T22:21:00.002+03:00

I have been back to work for two weeks now, after a glorious 6 months of traveling and relaxing. And things never change. Two weeks after I started working I realized I had to do laundry. Right. Now. Because I have no clean underwear for tomorrow. Not even the granny panties. It is funny how quickly you get back into the cycle of not getting what you need to done--in a timely manner. Thankfully I realized this 9 pm and will not have to go commando tomorrow. Also, soon I will have more time for mundane chores.

Yes, once school starts I will only be working 4 days a week. (Yes, that is right, I will have one weekday off a week, plus weekends.) And right there is where you might want to smack me. Also, maybe step on my toes because….of the perks. Convenience. Every day, I eat a well balanced, freshly prepared lunch, for free. It saves so much time messing around in the kitchen the night before, or in actuality—2 minutes after I should have left. I know. But here is the thing, we are not cold cuts people, so sandwich material tends to be limited. And you do not always want to haul leftovers out. Or the leftovers you have might not be as appealing as one would hope.

This was nice about my poor student days at San Diego State when I also worked at 7-11. I got all the free day-old sandwiches I wanted. I had one for lunch almost every day. And for dinner on the nights I was too tired to cook. The wages were horrid but I made up for it by eating my own weight in stale sandwiches.

So far my lovely free lunch on real plates has not be taken for granted. Though it may soon be eclipsed by another service, I just found out about. There is a Doctor on campus, who will see you, diagnose you, and call in your prescription. Which is THEN delivered to your classroom!! Obama, when you are looking for ideas for health care---take a peek over here!!!!!

Technorati Tags: School,Work,Lunch,Meds,Turkey

Green Bean Salad-Turkish Style

2009-09-08T21:54:00.002+03:00

This dish has become one of my favorites this summer. It is an “olive oil” dish, typically means it is served cold. It makes a great light summer meal, with fresh bread to dip in the juices. The technical name is

which translates into Fresh Beans with Olive Oil.

1 pound of fresh green beans
2 onions onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 big fresh tomatoes, finely chopped,
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp of salt

Clean and cut the green beans into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces.
In a deep pan, heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the onions and garlic until translucent.
Add the beans, stir, and cook them until they are brighter green
Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes and then add sugar, water, and salt.

Cover the pan and cook on low until the beans are soft (about 45 minutes.)

Technorati Tags: Recipe,Turkey,Zetinyağli Taze Fasulye

My Sweet Souvenir

2009-09-07T19:01:00.002+03:00

When we left Marmaris, I wanted a souvenir to take with with me. I thought about it. Did I want something from the Pazar? Did I want a copper tea pot? Did I want some jewelry? No. I thought long an hard, and I made the right decision.

Honey. Marmaris is known for its honey. I was able to score some of the seasonal Thyme Honey. It is fantastic, it has a tangy, distinct flavor and is just amazing. It adds such a lovely flavor to tea, and even is very tasty eaten right out of the jar. ( I really like honey) I also scored some wildflower honeycomb honey. When I am feeling indulgent, there is nothing better than fresh warm bread, with a little butter and a generous layer of the flower honey. I have had to step up the work out regime to offset the honey consumption but it has been worth it.

Technorati Tags: Honey,Souvenir,Marmaris

Comfort Food—Yayla Çorba

2009-09-06T10:37:00.002+03:00

Yesterday I was sick. A 24 hour virus, but it put me through the wringer. I was dehydrated and unable to eat (I will spare you the details, I wanted to be spared of them myself.) I wanted something warm, and comforting, and helpful. Enter Yayla Çorba, a yogurt soup, which is tasty and easy to make—which is great. When you are sick the last thing you want to do is stand in the kitchen and chop and measure.

6 cups water
1 cube beef bouillon (omit for vegetarian soup)
1/2 cup rice, washed and drained
2 cups yogurt
1 egg
2 tbsp of flour
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp dry mint

In a large pot boil the water, rice, salt and bouillon. Cook on medium high, until the rice is done.

While the rice is cooking, in a bowl, mix yogurt, egg and flour well. After the rice is cooked, take a few spoons of liquid from the pot and mix into the bowl to temper the yogurt and egg. Add the yogurt and egg mixture into the pot slowly, so the egg and yogurt does not curdle. Stir very slowly. Cook for 10 more minutes.

In a frying pan, heat the butter until it starts to spit, then add the mint, and let sit for 20-30 seconds. Do not let the mint burn. Pour the butter and mint into the soup and stir.

This soup is very quick, very easy and very tasty. Other herbs that are sometimes used in addition to, or in place of, the mint are tarragon and dill. I used less butter, because I wanted to keep the soup light, and I could not distinguish a change in taste.

Technorati Tags: Recipe,Yayla Çorba,Sick,Turkey

Debating

2009-09-04T21:43:00.001+03:00

I am thinking about switching to Wordpress. Does anyone have any advise? Do you prefer it to blogger?

Yay Perks!

2009-09-04T21:22:00.002+03:00

The school year is starting soon, which means I have gone back to work. In Turkey school does not start until after Bayram, the celebration after Ramazan. However, just like everywhere else the staff goes back first. And so I am introduced to the Turkish school system. The first thing to know, is that since I am a foreign teacher I have been offered an apartment as well as a salary. A 3 bedroom, two bath, two living room apartment. In addition to my salary. Fantastic! I mean who wouldn’t love this.

The other perks please me almost as much, and also tell you how simple my desires are. Chaici and Lunch.

Let me explain. In most larger businesses there is a Chaici—or Tea maker. In my school there is a small room where two men make tea and coffee all day. And deliver it. You just call down and they bring you tea or coffee, for about 50 kurus (about 35 cents). It is BEAUTIFUL!!! Amazing!! A pleasure.

Lunch. There is a free yummy, healthy lunch served everyday that includes soup, main course, dessert and fruit. Free. Every day. This means no more shelling out tons of money on lunch. Or PB&Js. Or plain rice with chickpeas… (I kept forgetting to buy peanut butter, or bread.) So there you go. I am just as excited over easy access to lunch and coffee as I am for an awesome apartment. I have big dreams.

Technorati Tags: Lunch,chai,simple,perks

The Beloved Chick Magnet

2009-09-01T00:29:00.002+03:00

See the faces of those people behind me in line? They are disapproving because they think we are flirting in front of Dolmabache Palace, Ataturk’s residence. In reality, what the are seeing is me being manhandled by my younger brother. He loves that he is bigger, and likes to prove that to me. He has no mercy.

He also does not lie, cheat or steal. He is kind to children and animals. He is witty and erudite. My friends also tell me he is handsome. Or in NH, “Wicked hot.”

He is my baby brother, a great guy, and a good friend. He is also turning 22. Happy Birthday Elly. I love you.

Even though you have no mercy.

Technorati Tags: Birthday,Ell

Staying.

2009-08-29T16:52:00.002+03:00

So as you know, we are staying in Turkey. While this is exciting, I also miss things from home. Like sushi and bacon. There are just some things here that I can not get, or are incredibly expensive. I certainly miss the convince of the U.S. I think the biggest difference is in cooking. It takes me twice as long to cook things here because everything has to be made from scratch. There are no short cuts. No cake mixes, or frozen bread dough or pie crusts. No canned tomato sauce, or semi-prepared veggies, etc.

The good news is that we are eating very little processed food and we have lost weight without trying. So anyone who would like to send me love swag, otherwise known as care packages, let me know. In preparation for the flood of goodies, I have started a list. Seriously.

Technorati Tags: Love Swag,No Shame

Whoops…Diagnosis: Googleitis

2009-08-24T13:25:00.002+03:00

You know you do it. You start sniffling, coughing, get a symptom that you are not used to and…using Google, self diagnose. This activity can go two ways, you can decide you have some benign virus, or convince yourself you may die before the sun comes up.

You know you do it. I do it.

Like the time I thought I had a brain tumor. In my defense my pupils kept dilating unequally. Funny—later I noticed a warning on my allergy eye drops that they may dilate the pupils. Oops.

The other day I thought I was developing sun poising, I had had it before and knew what it looked like. I did not have all the symptoms, but the rash on my chest looked like sun poisoning. So there I am, researching sun poising, thinking over my day trying to figure out how much sun exposure I had. And that was when I realized I was trying to diagnose scratches from the dog.

My breasts are communal.

2009-08-20T22:06:00.002+03:00

Breasts in a way are fairly public sphere. I mean, they are out there, some more than others. They are constantly being appraised and viewed. When I used to nanny I found that small children view them as comfort objects or alternatively, as balance handles. It is also fairly common, when trying on clothes to have your breasts touched in some way when the fit is being altered. And this is the case which I will address today.

I went shopping with Bülent and his mother. There was a store with buy one get one free sale, so I swooped in there like cotton was going off the market. I found two lovely dresses. I was in the dressing room deciding which size I needed while Bülent and his mom waited outside to see the selection. So I come out, and they both love the dress. His mother starts to fuss over the fit, apparently it was sitting too low. In the effort to alter the fit she was adjusting the bodice and occasionally touching my breasts in a business like manner. Anyone who has been fussed over for fit knows what I am talking about, the casual, non-sexual brush and poke. I did not even notice it, I was paying attention to the dress. But Bülent did. And the look on his face was priceless. Apparently it never occurred to him that his mother would be handling what he considers his personal play toys. As if he wasn’t scandalized enough, she didn’t like they way the dress looked on my breasts and starts asking him if I was wearing a bra. (I wasn’t.) When she figured that out, she said, “Oh, have her wear a bra with the dress, it will lift the breasts right up”…and started to demonstrate. And she has a formidable bosom.

It was at this time I told Bülent to meet me at the cash register because I wasn’t sure if he was going to start crying or go catatonic. He was pretty uncomfortable. I thought it was hilarious and she had missed the entire by-play and thought nothing of it. Later I intensified his discomfort by telling him about how she had already seen my breasts another time when we were trying on clothes.

He is still recovering.

Officially an Ex-Pat

2009-08-18T23:53:00.002+03:00

I don’t know whether the adjective ex-pat seems cool or obnoxious. But that is now what I am, no longer on extended vacation. I am now officially an American living abroad! Or "yabanci" as Turkish call it... To summarize, my fiancé is a Turkish American and we came to Turkey 6 months ago to experience his native culture.

Bulent and I came to Turkey in February for several reasons…

To complete his compulsory military duty, introduce me to his culture, language, and family. It was also an early extended honeymoon, where we got to travel extensively. We were also keeping our eyes out for career opportunities

We were going to stay for a few months as a trial period, I had never been to Turkey and wanted to see if I was comfortable here. It has been a phenomenal trip, I have experienced Turkish food and hospitality in spades, and have started learning the language. We had some opportunities in both Turkey and the US, and for different reasons when we evaluated the situation it made more sense to live in Turkey, for now. Bulent is applying for jobs and I have accepted a job at a prestigious prep school.

It was a hard decision, I will miss my friends and family in the U.S. tremendously. I will have to start all over again in a country where I do not know the language. There will be challenges, however there will also be excitement.

I will be immersed in a new culture and language, and with study will be able to become fluent. This is the time to take advantage of our situation and enjoy being young and unencumbered. And we are doing it. How many people get to do this? It is an exciting adventure and I am so glad it has started.

Just the right mix, looking for adventure, but trying not to fall off the wall and down the cliff.

Technorati Tags: Turkey,Ex-pat,News

Road Trip(s) and Food

2009-08-17T14:46:00.002+03:00

We have traveled quite a bit recently. To Bodrum for our friends’ (from San Diego) Turkish wedding reception. Then another week we drove to Bulent’s grandmothers in Seferhisar and on the way we visited Bodrum, Kusadasi, Izmir and Cesme. Bodrum is an adorable Aegean town/city. It is very developed and has a very busy party scene. It has a lovely marina that runs the length of the main tourist drag, as well as a historical castle right on the sea and a renowned underwater archeology museum.

While we were there we had some Lokma, which is cousin to If Jesus was a Baker. Sweet dough, deep fried then soaked in a sugar syrup. While you eat them, you can actually feel your fat cells expanding. But very delicious.

Once we got to Seferhisar our days consisted of visiting with family, eating, swimming and preparing to eat. Uncle Shadi grilled every night, there were koftes, and veggies and lamb chops and chicken.

Anything that didn’t move fast enough was grilled. It was tasty. Here you can see koftes, corban salad, bulgur pilaf, and grilled tomatoes and peppers. That was my plate, I was excited to eat. Don’t I look happy!

Also naked! I would like to state I was not eating dinner topless with Bulent’s grandmother. Though it may appear as so.

Though in other news I over came my shyness enough to tan topless in the yard. Where people saw me. Yay!

I Would Prefer to Drown, Please.

2009-08-16T20:06:00.002+03:00

We visited Bulent’s grandmother in the small sitesi (housing development) near Sefirhisar. It was beautiful, craggy rocks and cliffs and turquoise waters. The Aegean was much colder than the Mediterranean, but was incredibly fun to swim in because the water was so clear and clean. You could actually see the bottom 30 feet down and make out the features of the sea floor. Everyone there swims. Many people take a dip before breakfast and then later go back to sun bathe. Well, the 2nd day we were there, we decided to go long distance swimming. Bulent used to swim to nearby islands as a kid, and it is still a popular pastime for the teens. I was a little hesitant, I can swim but was always a close to shore kind of kid. So as we were heading out, Bulet’s aunt decided to join us. We managed to get out to the island, but to get there you had to swim past the jetty that protects the bay, so the water was a little rougher. By the time we got to the island Bulent’s aunt was too tired and scared to try to swim all the way back, instead she wanted to swim to the other side of the bay, which was closer, and walk back. However, nobody swims there and we were not sure about rocks or Moray eels. Bulent’s 12 year old cousin was already at the island, so he said he would swim ahead to check for sea urchins and hidden rocks. So we manage to get almost all the way into the bay when there is a conference between Bulent, his aunt and his cousin. In Turkish. So I think, SHIT this can’t be good. And it wasn’t. The side of the bay were were swimming into was uninhabited, so the water was in its natural state. To get to shore we were going to have to swim though a big patch of seaweed. I said forget it, your aunt can’t swim back, but I will. Meet you at the other side of the bay. However, Bulent did not want me to swim a mile back by myself and could not leave his aunt, she needed help. So I started swimming. If I had to do it again and it was a 10 mile swim back, I would have done it, over swimming through that seaweed. Shit, I almost bit it, huge gulps of seawater down my throat, Bulent pushing me from behind. Only later did I discover that the conference had been about whether in swimming through the seaweed would we disturb the SEASNAKES that live there. After we made it through the gauntlet of seaweed and sea snakes we walked the mile back to the sitesi on the hot asphalt road, barefoot. If something like that ever happens again, I will let Bulent swim to shore, get a boat and come back for me. Not because I am a primadonna, but because I prefer certain death that swimming through slippery, grasping seaweed inhabited by sea snakes.

It was gorgeous though!

Oh the Figs

2009-08-14T18:46:00.002+03:00

It is the season of the fig, and there are fig trees all around. I grew up in New Hampshire, where figs were flown into the grocery store and sold at exorbitant prices, and were at least a week old. Here I can pick a fig off the tree and it is glorious.

I have been simultaneously trying to eat as many and few figs as possible. For this to make sense you need to know two things.

1. I love figs, tremendously.

2. Figs are natural laxatives.

Enough said.

So up in Seferhisar, the fig tree was in the neighbors yard. We still had full access to the tree, because Bulet’s uncle is married to the neighbors daughter. When it was found out how much I loved figs, I was inundated. Every morning they would pick fresh figs for me. They sent Bulent’s 12 year old cousin up into the tree to pick the best ripe ones they couldn’t get from the ground. Several times Uncle Hadi would run over with a fig in hand, saying here—this is for you, a perfect fig!! And they were. The thing about figs is that when they are ripe they are soft. The softer they are the sweeter and juicer they are, however, there is a thin line between the perfect fig, and a soured one. Right before they go bad, they are perfectly ripe. So they would run over with the perfect fig and hand it over for immediate consumption, sweet and warm from the sun. We left for Marmaris yesterday, and with us they send back several pounds of figs, in different stages of ripeness—so that I could triage.

And so I am eating figs. Many figs. But only when we do not have plans far from the house. Just in case.

I’m BACK!

2009-08-11T23:10:00.002+03:00

I now have a laptop, and it is lovely! To be able to use it in the comfort of my own home, without being sandwiched between adolescent boys playing war games is wonderful. Not having to remember to stuff toilet paper in my purse in case there is none in the internet cafe is a privilege I won’t soon forget. Since I last posted lots has happened, including our inaugural BBQ, two trips to Bodrum and a visit to Cesme and Seferihisar. We have been in Seferihisar for about a week, at Bulent’s grandmother’s summer house. Photos are forthcoming. It really is a beautiful place. It is right on the sea, a community in the middle of no-where. It was formed as a Co-op about 30 years ago, and everyone has been here since. It is a place where grandparents, adult children and grandchildren all hang out together and visit each other.

The hills surrounding it are empty of development and thyme grows wild. When you walk here the constant winds actually carry the smell of thyme. It is delicious. It is hot and dry here which is great, and also terrible. Last night there was a wild fire, right across the highway from our community. We could see the flames and smell the thyme burning. Thankfully they were able to control the fire. Today we drove by and you can see how close the fire came through through the blackened landscape. And God help me, my first thought was—If we have to evacuate I am taking my damn laptop.

Apparently Shame is Hereditary.

2009-08-05T14:37:00.005+03:00

The post you are looking for has been temporarily removed.

ish--Definition: experiencing trouble or difficulty

2009-07-31T00:14:00.008+03:00

The post you are looking for has been temporarily removed.

Technology Withdrawal

2009-07-28T21:35:00.003+03:00

İ have been without a laptop now for several days. İ am walking around with a semi dazed expression. Life without the internet is a void. What is happening in the world? İ do not have Cnn.com, or PerezHilton informing me of the pulse of the nation. İ have been spending quite a bit of time in İnternet cafes which translates into spending lots of time with tweenie boys who are playing video games and playing the peck and find game with characters and letters that differ on the Turkish keyboard. İ also am helping build college funds for the local children with the amount İ have been spending for my Internet privileges. İ am trying to adapt to my internetless life. To start I have made more phone calls (significant because of the international calling rates.) İ have also started writing postcards instead of emails. So many of you do not be surprised by the deluge of mail coming your way. İ have so much more time now that İ started writing my postcards in alphabetical order, İ am up to K. So if we went to college together and your name is some variation of Kate or Katie (and there are many) you will probably get a post card. But if you do not---it must have gotten lost in the mail or your address was stored on my laptop and now forever lost to me. So ıf you want a postcard, send me your address.

Pissed and Pleased

2009-07-24T13:33:00.000+03:00

Hello All. I am writing you from an İnternet cafe in İçmeler. Why would I do that you ask? Well, some ASS stole MY LAPTOP. Bülent´s too. İt was kind of strange. We walked into the house, saw the french door to the 2nd floor patio open and thought `SHIT!! Did we leave that open? Thank goodness we didn´t get robbed!!´

We have to admit--it was ironic and somewhat amusing. We thought that because the flat screen TV was there, nothing had been taken. İ was in the middle of cooking a quiche when İ went to use my laptop to convert Fahrenheit into Celsius when İ realised the laptops were missing. İ thought Bülent must have taken them downstairs. No such luck.

So then I remember--I left my engagement ring at home that day. I hadn´t wanted to lose it when I went swimming. So heart in my mouth I went racing downstairs and looked next to the bed. Thankfully it was there. Though my laptop bag was not. Originally I thought the robbers had left the ring and taken the bag (which contains all of my electronic tidbits plus a BRAND NEW 320 GB external hard drive.) But I put something in the storage closet yesterday and realized they didn´t steal my laptop bag--I had just misplaced it. Which is great news because I just bought the hard drive a week ago and BACKED UP my whole computer!! Which means İ only lost a week of lesson planning!

I have to say, I took the laptops being stolen pretty well. As many people know, I am mildly high strung, and it could have been very unpleasant. However, I think the relief that my engagement ring wasn`t taken that tempered the blow. Obviously there is the emotional value of it, as well as the practical--that it is worth more than the two laptops combined. I have to say, I haven`t taken it off since.

Engagement Night Celebration

Posts On Hold

2009-07-21T23:41:00.003+03:00

I will not be posting frequently for a little while. I realize I have said this again and again in the near past. Well, now I have an excuse. My laptop was stolen. As was Bülent´s laptop, and my laptop bag with the brand new external hard drive in it. I am havıng a little difficulty in postıng as we have gone from 2 laptops to ZERO overnight. Plus this Turkish character keyboard is kiıckiıng my ASS. I keep having to delete and retype. I will blog the saga later. And SAGA it is.

Return of the Profanity

2009-07-20T13:30:00.003+03:00

The post you are looking for has been temporarily removed.

Fear in My Heart

2009-07-17T13:03:00.002+03:00

Yesterday, something horrible happened. Truly frightening. I got up and went to the bathroom, approached the toilet, and realized, the bath mat was soaking. You know, the one that hugs the potty, that one. I was at a severe disadvantage, having already taken out my contacts. It was water—thank goodness. But we had no idea where it was coming from. The wasn’t overflowing, we could see no leaking. So after scrubbing my feet, I ran up stairs to the other bathroom. After I flushed, I heard it. The noise that strikes fear into the heart of any one who appreciates indoor plumbing. “The Gurgle.” There was a gurgle, a loud one. Then water started seeping out from around the bottom of the downstairs toilet. And then the plumber became our BFF. I may or may not have offered him my first born child.

Relocation of the Vicious Beast

2009-07-14T21:28:00.002+03:00

There was an uprising in our yard this week. It was loud and disruptive and needed to be dealt with swiftly and harshly. But not too harshly…we were actually the interlopers, and it turned out to be cute and fuzzy.

On Wednesday, I heard an animal in rustling in the high grass. I was a little started, as it sounded large, but eventually it moved away, and the dog stopped barking, and life was good. However, on Thursday, it was a different story. It started moving around about 1 am, and our dog, and all the neighborhood dogs were very perturbed by this. After a couple of hours of intermittent barking we finally saw the Vicious Beast. I had been wondering what types of animals were local to Southwestern Turkey. I really had no idea. I grew up in the woods of New Hampshire, and am fairly relaxed about wild animals. Sometime I’ll tell you the story about when I thought a Bobcat was a housecat because I did not have my glasses on.

So I see this dark moving shape outside, and try to figure out what the hell it was. Bülent said it was a Kirpi. Oh, great, a kirpi! I hop on my Turkish/English dictionary…It was a hedgehog. Super Vicious. Obviously worthy of being barked at viciously until 4 am, I mean really. Look at this photo—It will strike fear into your heart.

More like strike the warm fuzzies into your heart.

For all that was good in the world, we wanted to find the beast and strike it from the face of the earth, or at least relocate it from the yard so the dogs would stop torturing us at night. So on Friday, we started searching for the hedgehog, it was pretty easy. When our dog started frothing at the mouth, we knew it was out of its den and out in the yard. The thing about hedgehogs—they aren’t fast and when confronted they roll in a ball and wait it out. So the “capture” involved using a broom to brush what looked like a large dust bunny into a bucket. We drove several miles away and let it go, far away from the road, in the woods.

He looks cozy.

Birthday Food

2009-07-12T23:45:00.002+03:00

Oh YUM!! Bülent wanted to go to a Kebab house for his birthday, he had heard about a local one that was tasty. The word of mouth was right!!

We had cop sis, and all the accouterment. In a Turkish restaurant, mezes usually come with the meal. In this case, bulgur pilaf, small lahmacuns, roasted onions, peppers and tomatoes, fresh lavash bread, a onion/sumac salad along with arugula and parsley.

Here is the main deal, cop sis, grilled lamb. It is super delicious, usually pulled off the skewer and eaten wrapped in the lavash with any of the aforementioned accouterments.

We also ordered eggplant salad, which was amazingly tasty. It was pretty simple, mashed eggplant, garlic, salt and pepper, and just delicious.

Here is my plate before the meat pops got to the table. As you can see, there is already a bite out of the lahmacun.

And for dessert, kunefe. Kunefe is a pie of shredded pastry, soaked in a sweet syrup with cheese in the middle. It is amazing, sweet and savory, served warm.

The food was great, the company wonderful, and it was a good birthday for him, if I do say so myself.

He Rocks My Socks

2009-07-09T16:05:00.002+03:00

We have been together for five years, and every night is still like a slumber party. He still opens doors for me and carries my bags. It is just how he is. In the beginning, I was not old enough to go to bars with him. He bought me my first legal drink. When he learned I was a feminist he took me on a date to see Benazir Bhutto speak. In the grungy student apartment in Cambridge, he braved the kitchen to make me breakfast in bed every Saturday.

When I went back to school at night, and was working full time during the day, he made me breakfast and packed me a lunch and dinner. Every. Day. When I need to cry he hands me a tissue, holds me until I am done and pours me a glass of wine. If we don’t have wine, he will go out and buy it.

Today is his day, and it will be a good one.

Happy Birthday Aşkım, the 5th together so far, with many more to come.

With lots of love, from me, and Butterfinger.

Technorati Tags: Birthday,Bulent

Some days…

2009-07-06T20:02:00.002+03:00

I miss things. Like 4th of July. I really wanted to be at a BBQ eating messy ribs or burned hamburgers, drinking beer and watching fireworks. Normally I would have just thrown my own BBQ, however, circumstances prevented that. But, I think I am going to have one next week. There will be burgers,beer, deviled eggs, potato salad, watermelon, beer, ice cream, beer and maybe some vegetables.

I have been a little nostalgic about the US lately. Last night I went out and did something about it. I watched “Angels and Demons,” there is nothing like Tom Hanks and Ewan McGregor to make you feel at home. Especially when they are saving Vatican City, or destroying it. Or simply standing still so I can look at them.

I have also been craving certain types of food that are more difficult to get here. Like martini olives. I am in mourning over martini olives, I can’t find them anywhere, it is really tragic. Though I did find vermouth, which was exciting.

I have been craving Mexican food and sushi. I miss the Mexican food from San Diego, you know the kind where the restaurant only takes cash, looks like a hole in the wall and has Abuela in the back cooking. You know what I mean, that place people used to think it was a sex shop because of the loud moans, and if it was on fire the patrons would put it out with their bodies lest they could not get an orgasmic burrito in the Burn Ward.

So before Angels and Demons we went out for Mexican food. It was actually “El Toritos” a California Mexican restaurant chain. Not authentic, but close enough to appease the hunger.

The other food I have been yearning for is sushi. I want it pretty hardcore. I am afraid to go snorkeling in Marmaris--if I see a fish---I just might just take a bite. So if you know any good places to go for sushi in either Ankara or Marmaris, let me know. I really prefer wasabi with my raw sea creatures instead of a la snorkel.

Amazing Travels: Santorini

2009-07-03T23:24:00.002+03:00

Santorini was amazing! I know I keep saying everything was beautiful, amazing, etc. But it really was great, in a different way. We had been running around seeing “Historical” sites, which was educational and fascinating, however all of our vacationing (and stomach issues) had tuckered us out. Check out our path!

Cities we visited on our Epic Family Vacation

Santorini was just beautiful. Incredibly picturesque and serene. We stayed in these two adjoining houses built into the cliffs of Santorini looking out into the ancient volcano crater.

Our Patio

The island of Santorini is left over from a huge volcanic explosion that created several small islands out of one former larger one. Our house looked out onto the caldera (the depression where the volcano collapsed the land into a caldron-like feature). What I found fascinating what that Santorini sings. It really does. The wind blows in swiftly from the caldera, up the cliff face and into the honeycombs of the cave homes. It is reminiscent of when you blow into the top of an empty glass bottle. We also stayed in the most fabulous place. (Email me if you want the contacts) With the MOST FABULOUS manager, Maria. Maria was SO nice that we extended her a invitation to visit us in Marmaris.

We were supposed to take the night ferry back on the night of the 24th. Maria and her husband dropped us off. He thought that there was only one ferry to Athens that night, but Maria looked at our tickets (which were in Greek) and they looked fine. So we get on the boat, and when the ticket guy took ours Bülent had the wherewithal to make sure it went to Rodos (so we could get to our ultimate destination of Marmaris.) No. The ferry went to Athens. There had been a misunderstanding. Our tickets were for the 24th, but at 12:20 am. We showed up on the 24th, but by the time we boarded it was the 25tah, and the ferry had a different destination. I AM SO GLAD Bülent checked. So we got off the boat, the ONLY taxi driver there at 1:30 am offered us a ride. We made our way back to my parents hotel, thinking we could at least stay there until check out the next day. Wrong! Maria, the kind, amazing person she is told us to just stay the whole day and that night she would drive us back to the ferry port (no charge.) And then, she said if there was a problem with the ferry that night she would pick us up and we could spend the night there again if we needed to. So instead of the whole thing being an inconvenient mess, we had another lovely day in Santorini until the ferry to RODOS that night.

View Full Album