I’m BACK!

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.

Technology Withdrawal

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

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

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.