Turkish harassment comment of the day to me:
"Please, excuse me. You have very nice bust."
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
A good day in Istanbul involves an art museum
Today we decided to go back to the Grand Bazaar with Ben (he helps us with our negotiating) and go to the Istanbul Modern Museum of Art (heretofore referred to as my Istanbul Happy Place). The Grand Bazaar was closed today, but the shops around it weren't. Whitters got a pretty lantern, and I got a few more souvenirs, and the shopkeepers were extremely nice. We got on the tram to Tophane, and got off at the Modern. We walked through several nargile (like hookah) bars that had really cool outdoor seating areas with bean bags, but it was TOO COLD to sit outside. We planned on heading back to one after we saw the art.
I LOVED the museum, not to overstate it. It was airy and not crowded at all, and I just felt comfortable and was able to relax. I didn't recognize any of the artists, but the paintings were beautiful, and the museum had huge glass windows that looked out on the ships on the Bosphorus. I don't know what it says about me (but I think I do not like big, crowded, bustling cities), but I liked being on the calm inside watching the crazy outside. We walked downstairs to the temporary exhibits, and one of my new favorite exhibitions is now "False Ceiling" by Richard Wentworth. I'm going to do something like it in my future library or future child's room in my future house. Isn't it cool? (It's amazing in person.)
After a little bit of browsing and buying in the museum shop, and after we realized that the cafe with a very good view also had very expensive prices, we left to go partake in nargile. In the nargile bars and also the coffeeshops, many of the men play Backgammon. Since we don't know how, we sit in bean bags and play checkers. This is the stalemate between Ben and me:
We also drink apple tea (or Coca Cola) and smoke the nargile (we've tried lemon and mint flavored tobacco - don't think we went too crazy). Ben smokes:
Ney-ney's pose:
I smile in Istanbul:
After we left, we walked outside and I discovered BAKED POTATOES. Ben helped me order one, so I got just cheese and butter (no olives, corn, hot dogs or some of the other various toppings). It was YUM-O. Whitters got one of her crazy good pancakes, but I'll let her tell you about it.
While we were sitting, waiting on the tram, Ben thought I should take a picture with the crumbling part of Istanbul to "capture" my experience on this trip. Here I am:
For the most part, a good day. Tomorrow is kind of our last day (we're going to the airport at midnight - Turkish law states that for an international flight you have to be checked in THREE HOURS AND FIFTEEN MINUTES before your flight - and since ours is at 5am, we didn't want to pay for another night). We're going to Topkapi Palace, back to the Grand Bazaar, to meet Ben for a fish sandwich under the Galata Bridge, and we just might get on the Bosphorus if it's not too cold.
I LOVED the museum, not to overstate it. It was airy and not crowded at all, and I just felt comfortable and was able to relax. I didn't recognize any of the artists, but the paintings were beautiful, and the museum had huge glass windows that looked out on the ships on the Bosphorus. I don't know what it says about me (but I think I do not like big, crowded, bustling cities), but I liked being on the calm inside watching the crazy outside. We walked downstairs to the temporary exhibits, and one of my new favorite exhibitions is now "False Ceiling" by Richard Wentworth. I'm going to do something like it in my future library or future child's room in my future house. Isn't it cool? (It's amazing in person.)
After a little bit of browsing and buying in the museum shop, and after we realized that the cafe with a very good view also had very expensive prices, we left to go partake in nargile. In the nargile bars and also the coffeeshops, many of the men play Backgammon. Since we don't know how, we sit in bean bags and play checkers. This is the stalemate between Ben and me:
We also drink apple tea (or Coca Cola) and smoke the nargile (we've tried lemon and mint flavored tobacco - don't think we went too crazy). Ben smokes:
Ney-ney's pose:
I smile in Istanbul:
After we left, we walked outside and I discovered BAKED POTATOES. Ben helped me order one, so I got just cheese and butter (no olives, corn, hot dogs or some of the other various toppings). It was YUM-O. Whitters got one of her crazy good pancakes, but I'll let her tell you about it.
While we were sitting, waiting on the tram, Ben thought I should take a picture with the crumbling part of Istanbul to "capture" my experience on this trip. Here I am:
For the most part, a good day. Tomorrow is kind of our last day (we're going to the airport at midnight - Turkish law states that for an international flight you have to be checked in THREE HOURS AND FIFTEEN MINUTES before your flight - and since ours is at 5am, we didn't want to pay for another night). We're going to Topkapi Palace, back to the Grand Bazaar, to meet Ben for a fish sandwich under the Galata Bridge, and we just might get on the Bosphorus if it's not too cold.
You were right, Grant Thompson
SOMEONE made me post this because he may have been right about me not needing a converter, just an adapter, to charge my computer.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Just for the record...
... I wasn't holding out. I'm just THAT dumb folks. I didnt know that Lysol freshened air. I'm infinitely sorry.
Twenty-Seven Things On My Twenty-Seventh Birthday
1) Birthdays in a foreign country, away from most of the people you love, are not as glamorous as you would have imagined them to be. (Especially if that foreign country is Turkey.)
2) I am re-celebrating in the States.
3) If you sent me a birthday wish, via email or chat or facebook or thought - THANK YOU!
4) Today was so awful, it is going to be comical. It is kind of funny now, so I know it will be hilarious later. We got up late, left the hostel to go to the Asian side of Istanbul (take a ferry) and also tried to go to the Istanbul Modern Museum of Art. Here is what happened:
a) I almost got hit by a bus, when Whitters and I were in the middle of the street, in between a moving taxi and bus, both going approximately 40 mph. There are no lanes of traffic here, nor are there crosswalks. Well, they EXIST, but paint doesn't matter if drivers don't pay attention to it. All I could do is hope to not get hit.
b) When we got on our bus, we stood in the middle. Once the bus was MOVING DOWN THE STREET, the driver opened the middle doors to the bus - the ones we were leaning on.
c) On the ferry back from the Asian side they didn't want to set up the ramp, so we just had to jump from the boat to the platform.
d) There is a HUGE soccer match going on right in the middle of the Istanbul we visited today. For those of you who have been in Norman on gameday - imagine drunken Sooner fans but twenty times worse. We got off the ferry and tried to get back on our bus to the museum, and landed right in the middle of these crazy men (once again, there are FEW women). They are holding beer bottles (when they aren't breaking them), pushing, yelling and singing. There are thousands of them, and hundreds of police and military with riot gear and machine guns. I about have a breakdown, so we decide to just get in a taxi to go to the museum. We get in, and he starts driving us INTO the crowd. We jump out. Thankfully, a nice couple understands us enough to point us to our bus.
e) We get to the museum... it is closed.
5) I have been to Starbucks on three continents (and, if you were paying attention in the last post) have vomited on two. Impressive.
6) Whitters tried really hard to save the day. We finally found a restaurant that served some alternatives to Turkish food - I had spaghetti and she had a cheeseburger. It was a great birthday dinner.
7) Someone on the street tonight asked us, in English, "Excuse me, can I harass you?" It was not funny at the time.
8) Ben didn't believe that we really got harassed that much, so he had Whit walk in front of him for awhile when the two of them were out. It only took her walking a few feet ahead of him to see that more men approach us and don't take no for an answer.
9) I haven't written any postcards. I don't know that I will. I'm glad I came here to see the sights, but it is hard to write about a place that makes you feel so uncomfortable and overwhelmed.
10) Grant sang me happy birthday. It feels nice to be loved.
11) Whitters brought me four different kinds of birthday dessert in case any were "cake-y." It feels nice to be loved.
12) My Mary Ma is now calling Whitters "ney" and Ben "Neb" - this is why I love her. Also, I love her because she can read this blog and my language and still love me :)
13) My Mom talked to me on the phone while I was sick - I don't care HOW old you are - when you're sick, you need your mom.
14) Speaking of old, this trip has made me decide I am too old for a few things: I'm too old for hostels (my body is too old to not have a real mattress). I'm too old to travel without money (lots of my issues with Turkey would be solved, I think, if I could afford a constant translator, a nicer place to stay in a nicer neighborhood, etc).
15) Also, I am going to REALLY REALLY research my next vacation. This has definitely been an experience, and has also been unforgettable, but has not been a vacation.
16) My next vacation is probably going to involve a beach, drinks, and books.
17) Whitters got me a book (that she gave me today) that I really wanted. She is one of the few people who can buy me books (living with me helps to know if I've gotten it already). I'm half-finished, and reading it today has been one of the highlights of my birthday.
18) One of the other highlights is getting the giggles with my best friend about how truly awful it has gotten here.
19) Things you do not know about our hostel (the number one hostel in Istanbul!), because I swear I've been trying to be as excited and like this place as much as I can:
a) As written above, the "beds" can be loosely called beds. I would not recommend getting sick and having to sleep in one for two days, because then your bones will ache.
b) Whitters sleeps next to a rat hole. The worst part about that is not what you would suspect (a rat), but that it lets in the cold air.
c) It is ALWAYS cold. We sleep with two huge blankets and still wake up freezing.
d) Oh, back to the beds, there aren't really sheets.
e) We have ants in the bathroom.
f) The bathroom, and, often, our room, smell like raw sewage. Ben couldn't even walk into the bathroom.
20) Reminder - I've been sick. And our room smells -- literally -- like shit. So imagine how surprised I was tonight when Whitters pulled out LYSOL from her bag. SHE HAD BEEN HOLDING OUT!!!! She said, "Oh, I guess we could have used this while you were sick." Oh. I guess?!?!?! Then I said, "Or we could have used it everytime THIS ROOM SMELLED LIKE SHIT. LIKE RIGHT NOW." She did not know that Lysol could be used to kill germs AND freshen air. It smells a little better in here now. Happy Birthday to me.
21) I did not have an alcoholic drink on this birthday. It is too expensive here.
22) To celebrate my birthday, I'm wearing my I <3 Tulsa shirt. Oh, and I DO love Tulsa, and Oklahoma, and the U.S. of A.
23) If I ever were to come back to Turkey, I would open a restaurant here. At the very least, I would steal some of their chefs, take them to the grocery store, and teach them to cook with a little more diversity.
24) I miss you.
25) A LOT.
26) I wish you would have come with us.
27) A birthday gift I didn't think I'd receive this year - a new appreciation and gratefulness for where I was lucky and blessed enough to be born, for who raised and shaped and encouraged me, for all the people who surround me now. I love you.
2) I am re-celebrating in the States.
3) If you sent me a birthday wish, via email or chat or facebook or thought - THANK YOU!
4) Today was so awful, it is going to be comical. It is kind of funny now, so I know it will be hilarious later. We got up late, left the hostel to go to the Asian side of Istanbul (take a ferry) and also tried to go to the Istanbul Modern Museum of Art. Here is what happened:
a) I almost got hit by a bus, when Whitters and I were in the middle of the street, in between a moving taxi and bus, both going approximately 40 mph. There are no lanes of traffic here, nor are there crosswalks. Well, they EXIST, but paint doesn't matter if drivers don't pay attention to it. All I could do is hope to not get hit.
b) When we got on our bus, we stood in the middle. Once the bus was MOVING DOWN THE STREET, the driver opened the middle doors to the bus - the ones we were leaning on.
c) On the ferry back from the Asian side they didn't want to set up the ramp, so we just had to jump from the boat to the platform.
d) There is a HUGE soccer match going on right in the middle of the Istanbul we visited today. For those of you who have been in Norman on gameday - imagine drunken Sooner fans but twenty times worse. We got off the ferry and tried to get back on our bus to the museum, and landed right in the middle of these crazy men (once again, there are FEW women). They are holding beer bottles (when they aren't breaking them), pushing, yelling and singing. There are thousands of them, and hundreds of police and military with riot gear and machine guns. I about have a breakdown, so we decide to just get in a taxi to go to the museum. We get in, and he starts driving us INTO the crowd. We jump out. Thankfully, a nice couple understands us enough to point us to our bus.
e) We get to the museum... it is closed.
5) I have been to Starbucks on three continents (and, if you were paying attention in the last post) have vomited on two. Impressive.
6) Whitters tried really hard to save the day. We finally found a restaurant that served some alternatives to Turkish food - I had spaghetti and she had a cheeseburger. It was a great birthday dinner.
7) Someone on the street tonight asked us, in English, "Excuse me, can I harass you?" It was not funny at the time.
8) Ben didn't believe that we really got harassed that much, so he had Whit walk in front of him for awhile when the two of them were out. It only took her walking a few feet ahead of him to see that more men approach us and don't take no for an answer.
9) I haven't written any postcards. I don't know that I will. I'm glad I came here to see the sights, but it is hard to write about a place that makes you feel so uncomfortable and overwhelmed.
10) Grant sang me happy birthday. It feels nice to be loved.
11) Whitters brought me four different kinds of birthday dessert in case any were "cake-y." It feels nice to be loved.
12) My Mary Ma is now calling Whitters "ney" and Ben "Neb" - this is why I love her. Also, I love her because she can read this blog and my language and still love me :)
13) My Mom talked to me on the phone while I was sick - I don't care HOW old you are - when you're sick, you need your mom.
14) Speaking of old, this trip has made me decide I am too old for a few things: I'm too old for hostels (my body is too old to not have a real mattress). I'm too old to travel without money (lots of my issues with Turkey would be solved, I think, if I could afford a constant translator, a nicer place to stay in a nicer neighborhood, etc).
15) Also, I am going to REALLY REALLY research my next vacation. This has definitely been an experience, and has also been unforgettable, but has not been a vacation.
16) My next vacation is probably going to involve a beach, drinks, and books.
17) Whitters got me a book (that she gave me today) that I really wanted. She is one of the few people who can buy me books (living with me helps to know if I've gotten it already). I'm half-finished, and reading it today has been one of the highlights of my birthday.
18) One of the other highlights is getting the giggles with my best friend about how truly awful it has gotten here.
19) Things you do not know about our hostel (the number one hostel in Istanbul!), because I swear I've been trying to be as excited and like this place as much as I can:
a) As written above, the "beds" can be loosely called beds. I would not recommend getting sick and having to sleep in one for two days, because then your bones will ache.
b) Whitters sleeps next to a rat hole. The worst part about that is not what you would suspect (a rat), but that it lets in the cold air.
c) It is ALWAYS cold. We sleep with two huge blankets and still wake up freezing.
d) Oh, back to the beds, there aren't really sheets.
e) We have ants in the bathroom.
f) The bathroom, and, often, our room, smell like raw sewage. Ben couldn't even walk into the bathroom.
20) Reminder - I've been sick. And our room smells -- literally -- like shit. So imagine how surprised I was tonight when Whitters pulled out LYSOL from her bag. SHE HAD BEEN HOLDING OUT!!!! She said, "Oh, I guess we could have used this while you were sick." Oh. I guess?!?!?! Then I said, "Or we could have used it everytime THIS ROOM SMELLED LIKE SHIT. LIKE RIGHT NOW." She did not know that Lysol could be used to kill germs AND freshen air. It smells a little better in here now. Happy Birthday to me.
21) I did not have an alcoholic drink on this birthday. It is too expensive here.
22) To celebrate my birthday, I'm wearing my I <3 Tulsa shirt. Oh, and I DO love Tulsa, and Oklahoma, and the U.S. of A.
23) If I ever were to come back to Turkey, I would open a restaurant here. At the very least, I would steal some of their chefs, take them to the grocery store, and teach them to cook with a little more diversity.
24) I miss you.
25) A LOT.
26) I wish you would have come with us.
27) A birthday gift I didn't think I'd receive this year - a new appreciation and gratefulness for where I was lucky and blessed enough to be born, for who raised and shaped and encouraged me, for all the people who surround me now. I love you.
If Court ever gets back to OKlahoma, she's gonna nail her feet to the ground...
Hi, kids.
So, Istanbul has been....interesting, to say the least. Poor Cruark. She was S.I.C.K. like, crazy sick. She spent two days laying on the not-so-comfy cot in our hostel. She is NOT a fan of the city, and thats putting it nicely.
Since Court has been down and out for the past two days, I've been chillin' with Benjamin Cash. He's taken me all over the city, showing me the different neighborhoods and villages in Istanbul. We went to Kadikoy, which is the Asian side of the city. They had good and cheap shopping. Which was happy and welcomed since the area of town that we are staying in is CRAZY expensive. My favorite neighborhoods in the city, are Ortakoy and Bebek. Ortakoy is a small, village-like neighborhood right on the Bosphorous. It was gorgeous there. There was not one tourist in sight (thank God). The people were very friendly and welcoming. There were ice cream, baked potatoe and waffle vendors selling food to passerbys.
Just down the road is Bebek. This is my favorite place in Istanbul. Its also right on teh water and beautiful. Its full of shopping and food vendors. ( this is also where the waterfront starbucks is). We stopped for a snack there, Ben got chocolate ice cream and I got a waffle. They wafffles here are AMAZING. They aren't eaten for breakfast, but rather as snacky-street food. They have chocolate and vanilla pudding on them with fresh fruit and choc. chips. I know it sounds gross, but theyre amazing.
Last night, Court felt a little better, so Ben and I took her out to Takism Square. All she ever wanted was pizza, and after have THE SAME FRIGGIN THING for 4 days straight (minced lamb, rice and bread) pizza was a welcome change. We finally found a Pizza Hut and very American like, headed straight to the buffett. I thought I was getting some kind of sausauge pizza, NO. Not so much. When I bit into it, I realized that the pizza was in fact not sausuage, but hot dog and corn pizza. Yum-o.
Today is Cruarks 27th birthday. I tried to make it good, or at least okay, but unfortunately, I failed miserably. I'm sure she will post about it more in detail, but it was rather disastrous. So, for everyone back in Oklahoma, we are having a redo birthday for Court. Its going to be a themed party about how much we love America, full of good American food. I'm not even kidding.
Love to all, we are home in 3 days. GET EXCITED!
-whitters
So, Istanbul has been....interesting, to say the least. Poor Cruark. She was S.I.C.K. like, crazy sick. She spent two days laying on the not-so-comfy cot in our hostel. She is NOT a fan of the city, and thats putting it nicely.
Since Court has been down and out for the past two days, I've been chillin' with Benjamin Cash. He's taken me all over the city, showing me the different neighborhoods and villages in Istanbul. We went to Kadikoy, which is the Asian side of the city. They had good and cheap shopping. Which was happy and welcomed since the area of town that we are staying in is CRAZY expensive. My favorite neighborhoods in the city, are Ortakoy and Bebek. Ortakoy is a small, village-like neighborhood right on the Bosphorous. It was gorgeous there. There was not one tourist in sight (thank God). The people were very friendly and welcoming. There were ice cream, baked potatoe and waffle vendors selling food to passerbys.
Just down the road is Bebek. This is my favorite place in Istanbul. Its also right on teh water and beautiful. Its full of shopping and food vendors. ( this is also where the waterfront starbucks is). We stopped for a snack there, Ben got chocolate ice cream and I got a waffle. They wafffles here are AMAZING. They aren't eaten for breakfast, but rather as snacky-street food. They have chocolate and vanilla pudding on them with fresh fruit and choc. chips. I know it sounds gross, but theyre amazing.
Last night, Court felt a little better, so Ben and I took her out to Takism Square. All she ever wanted was pizza, and after have THE SAME FRIGGIN THING for 4 days straight (minced lamb, rice and bread) pizza was a welcome change. We finally found a Pizza Hut and very American like, headed straight to the buffett. I thought I was getting some kind of sausauge pizza, NO. Not so much. When I bit into it, I realized that the pizza was in fact not sausuage, but hot dog and corn pizza. Yum-o.
Today is Cruarks 27th birthday. I tried to make it good, or at least okay, but unfortunately, I failed miserably. I'm sure she will post about it more in detail, but it was rather disastrous. So, for everyone back in Oklahoma, we are having a redo birthday for Court. Its going to be a themed party about how much we love America, full of good American food. I'm not even kidding.
Love to all, we are home in 3 days. GET EXCITED!
-whitters
Friday, March 28, 2008
I am SICK
Just when I thought Istanbul and I had come to an agreement - that I was going to enjoy my time here and that the city was going to take it easy on me - NOPE. That didn't happen.
Instead, I got back to the hostel after a good afternoon, laid down, but couldn't sleep. In the middle of the night I woke Whitters up because I could not stop violently vomiting in our bathroom.
Before you ask, I did not eat the raw lamb.
I don't know WHAT did this to me, but it has been awful. Whitters and Ben braved a pharmacy where he apparently pantomimed throwing up and repeatedly said "Vo-meeet! Vo-meeet!" They got me green pills, which stopped the vomiting, but I still could not sit up without feeling horrible. I spent two days in my not-so-comfortable bed, and when my tummy started feeling better, my head started feeling worse. I felt so bad I couldn't read or work until this afternoon.
The bright side of things:
As my friend Phil put it, at least now I can tell people I have vomited on two different continents. He also urged me to try to get over to the Asian side of Istanbul while I was still feeling bad to up that number to 3. I stayed put.
All I had to eat for two days was orange juice and mint tea from Starbucks. I am thankful for globalization as a sick American. Judge me if you wanna. So I might be a little thinner when I get back.
For dinner tonight, when the last thing I wanted to see or eat was lamb, bread, rice or yogurt, Ben and Whitters took a horribly long cab ride with me to go to... Pizza Hut. Melty cheese has never tasted so good. Let's just see if I can keep it down.
Tomorrow is my birthday. Hopefully I will be feeling better then, and Whitters and I are going to the Istanbul Modern Museum of Art, and I don't know what else. If it sucks, I'm calling for a redo in the states.
Miss you all terribly. Seriously.
Instead, I got back to the hostel after a good afternoon, laid down, but couldn't sleep. In the middle of the night I woke Whitters up because I could not stop violently vomiting in our bathroom.
Before you ask, I did not eat the raw lamb.
I don't know WHAT did this to me, but it has been awful. Whitters and Ben braved a pharmacy where he apparently pantomimed throwing up and repeatedly said "Vo-meeet! Vo-meeet!" They got me green pills, which stopped the vomiting, but I still could not sit up without feeling horrible. I spent two days in my not-so-comfortable bed, and when my tummy started feeling better, my head started feeling worse. I felt so bad I couldn't read or work until this afternoon.
The bright side of things:
As my friend Phil put it, at least now I can tell people I have vomited on two different continents. He also urged me to try to get over to the Asian side of Istanbul while I was still feeling bad to up that number to 3. I stayed put.
All I had to eat for two days was orange juice and mint tea from Starbucks. I am thankful for globalization as a sick American. Judge me if you wanna. So I might be a little thinner when I get back.
For dinner tonight, when the last thing I wanted to see or eat was lamb, bread, rice or yogurt, Ben and Whitters took a horribly long cab ride with me to go to... Pizza Hut. Melty cheese has never tasted so good. Let's just see if I can keep it down.
Tomorrow is my birthday. Hopefully I will be feeling better then, and Whitters and I are going to the Istanbul Modern Museum of Art, and I don't know what else. If it sucks, I'm calling for a redo in the states.
Miss you all terribly. Seriously.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Teşekkür Notnedneb!
This morning, you could have asked two people what I thought about my trip to Turkey, and if those two people were Whitters and Grant, they would have both told that if I could have gotten on a plane RIGHT THEN to come home, I would have - and they would both be right.
That being said, I'm not getting on a plane or even making myself feel better by looking at one-way plane tickets. It got better. So don't freak out.
Last night, after spending the day in the most touristy part of town (my grammar is AWESOME here - I feel like I should email this to Micah and have him correct it before I post), and having a hellish dinner, I was pissed. P.I.S.S.E.D. Maybe other people have had other experiences here, maybe I just need tougher skin, or maybe I need to better roll with it, but a word for women thinking about visiting Istanbul, specifically the area around Sultanahmet (where we are staying, and where many of the tourist attractions are) - DON'T COME WITHOUT A GUY. I never thought I would say that. Even when I was told that (sorry V.V.), I thought, "surely someone who has traveled by herself will be fine." I was wrong. I also did not want to admit that it was getting to me. This is what I emailed Grant last night, "We would have a great time in this city, and, as much as I didn't want it to be true, I think having a guy with us at all times would make it an easier place to travel. Two very American looking girls get harassed to just look at a menu, to sit down and eat, to order more food, to order expensive wine, to buy things in stores, to follow men into their stores that are blocks away, to pay for a tour guide... it is overwhelming me more than I thought it would. I feel safe, but uncomfortable. I say "no thanks" all the time. Maybe I'll get used to it."
But I wasn't getting used to it. Dinner was the last straw. All over the street there are men who try to get you to come into their shop/restaurant/cafe - they say "Hello - how are you? Where are you from? You look hungry." And they don't shut up. Ever. Even if you ignore them, which just makes them follow you. Even if you say "no thanks" which just makes them mock you. Grant asked when I was going to go all Court on them and say "Fuck off." I'm about there.
But back to dinner. One of the annoying men told us we could have free apple tea with dinner, and said they had an English menu. After looking at the prices on the menu (a lesson we learned after the over-priced lunch), we sat down there. The waiter thought we were with the CIA, and he was nice, but the menu was not in English. Whit ordered Iskender kebap - lamb with tomato sauce, yogurt, and, in this case, french fries mixed right in. Yum. I couldn't find what I was looking for, so I just asked if I could have lamb and yogurt - A PRETTY TRADITIONAL DISH. I got lamb - no yogurt - but it was good. The bill came, and EVEN THOUGH NO DISH ON THE MENU WAS OVER $12 LIRA, mine was $25 lira (about $20 US dollars). (To put it in perspective, Whit's dish was $10 lira.) What. the. hell?!? Also, our tea wasn't free. And I feel so fucking uncomfortable that I don't say anything.
Sultanahmet - it looks pretty, but we do not get along:
We go back to the hostel, and I brood and let it fester, and break down about how we are treated, and spend as much money on a phone call as I did for dinner. This morning wasn't much better, and after just wanting tea, and being harassed and haggled over and over again - I HAD ENOUGH. I started crying, told Whit I wanted to go home, that I hated the way we were treated, and probably freaked her out. I thought I might just spend the rest of the time reading on the roof of the hostel. But she reminded me that our first day was better, when we were with Ben, and that at least we were meeting up with him soon.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE TITLE OF THIS POST COMES IN. I LOVE BEN DENTON (or Notnedneb as I call him - that's his name backwards), and teşekkür means thank you. He saved my trip, and has convinced me that it will get better.
This is how I felt when Ben encountered us:
When he met up with us, he could tell I hated it, so he got us out of the Sultanahmet area, and took us to the Grand Bazaar, where I expected to be harassed. With Ben, though, they listened when he said no. And even though he tried to sell me to one of the salesmen for $200 US dollars, I still loved it. We had a great $3 lira lunch, and decided to find the Spice Bazaar. We accidentally ended up in a type of pet's bazaar, with heaps of dog food, and live roosters, and leeches - and questioned the types of spices they must use, until we found our way in the real bazaar. It was pretty and fun and not overwhelming - Whit and I bought apple tea and Turkish Delight (Micah, that might turn into a nickname for one of Whit's suitors).
Notnedneb & Whitters at the Grand Bazaar:
Whitters & I at the Spice Bazaar:
Then we walked across a bridge over the Bosphorus, and took the metro and bus to see where Ben lived in Boğaziçi.
He took us down steep hills to Bebek, to a Starbucks on the waterfront.
It was perfect. We took a taxi back to his dorm (Super Dorm!), and then went to dinner and to the nargile bar. His Istanbul is a much happier place.
Whit and I conquered the bus and metro to get back by ourselves, and tomorrow we are going on a Bosphorus cruise and to the Istanbul Modern Museum of Art.
This is the longest post ever - thanks for staying with it and reading it if you made it this far. That's kind of how I feel about Turkey.
That being said, I'm not getting on a plane or even making myself feel better by looking at one-way plane tickets. It got better. So don't freak out.
Last night, after spending the day in the most touristy part of town (my grammar is AWESOME here - I feel like I should email this to Micah and have him correct it before I post), and having a hellish dinner, I was pissed. P.I.S.S.E.D. Maybe other people have had other experiences here, maybe I just need tougher skin, or maybe I need to better roll with it, but a word for women thinking about visiting Istanbul, specifically the area around Sultanahmet (where we are staying, and where many of the tourist attractions are) - DON'T COME WITHOUT A GUY. I never thought I would say that. Even when I was told that (sorry V.V.), I thought, "surely someone who has traveled by herself will be fine." I was wrong. I also did not want to admit that it was getting to me. This is what I emailed Grant last night, "We would have a great time in this city, and, as much as I didn't want it to be true, I think having a guy with us at all times would make it an easier place to travel. Two very American looking girls get harassed to just look at a menu, to sit down and eat, to order more food, to order expensive wine, to buy things in stores, to follow men into their stores that are blocks away, to pay for a tour guide... it is overwhelming me more than I thought it would. I feel safe, but uncomfortable. I say "no thanks" all the time. Maybe I'll get used to it."
But I wasn't getting used to it. Dinner was the last straw. All over the street there are men who try to get you to come into their shop/restaurant/cafe - they say "Hello - how are you? Where are you from? You look hungry." And they don't shut up. Ever. Even if you ignore them, which just makes them follow you. Even if you say "no thanks" which just makes them mock you. Grant asked when I was going to go all Court on them and say "Fuck off." I'm about there.
But back to dinner. One of the annoying men told us we could have free apple tea with dinner, and said they had an English menu. After looking at the prices on the menu (a lesson we learned after the over-priced lunch), we sat down there. The waiter thought we were with the CIA, and he was nice, but the menu was not in English. Whit ordered Iskender kebap - lamb with tomato sauce, yogurt, and, in this case, french fries mixed right in. Yum. I couldn't find what I was looking for, so I just asked if I could have lamb and yogurt - A PRETTY TRADITIONAL DISH. I got lamb - no yogurt - but it was good. The bill came, and EVEN THOUGH NO DISH ON THE MENU WAS OVER $12 LIRA, mine was $25 lira (about $20 US dollars). (To put it in perspective, Whit's dish was $10 lira.) What. the. hell?!? Also, our tea wasn't free. And I feel so fucking uncomfortable that I don't say anything.
Sultanahmet - it looks pretty, but we do not get along:
We go back to the hostel, and I brood and let it fester, and break down about how we are treated, and spend as much money on a phone call as I did for dinner. This morning wasn't much better, and after just wanting tea, and being harassed and haggled over and over again - I HAD ENOUGH. I started crying, told Whit I wanted to go home, that I hated the way we were treated, and probably freaked her out. I thought I might just spend the rest of the time reading on the roof of the hostel. But she reminded me that our first day was better, when we were with Ben, and that at least we were meeting up with him soon.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE TITLE OF THIS POST COMES IN. I LOVE BEN DENTON (or Notnedneb as I call him - that's his name backwards), and teşekkür means thank you. He saved my trip, and has convinced me that it will get better.
This is how I felt when Ben encountered us:
When he met up with us, he could tell I hated it, so he got us out of the Sultanahmet area, and took us to the Grand Bazaar, where I expected to be harassed. With Ben, though, they listened when he said no. And even though he tried to sell me to one of the salesmen for $200 US dollars, I still loved it. We had a great $3 lira lunch, and decided to find the Spice Bazaar. We accidentally ended up in a type of pet's bazaar, with heaps of dog food, and live roosters, and leeches - and questioned the types of spices they must use, until we found our way in the real bazaar. It was pretty and fun and not overwhelming - Whit and I bought apple tea and Turkish Delight (Micah, that might turn into a nickname for one of Whit's suitors).
Notnedneb & Whitters at the Grand Bazaar:
Whitters & I at the Spice Bazaar:
Then we walked across a bridge over the Bosphorus, and took the metro and bus to see where Ben lived in Boğaziçi.
He took us down steep hills to Bebek, to a Starbucks on the waterfront.
It was perfect. We took a taxi back to his dorm (Super Dorm!), and then went to dinner and to the nargile bar. His Istanbul is a much happier place.
Whit and I conquered the bus and metro to get back by ourselves, and tomorrow we are going on a Bosphorus cruise and to the Istanbul Modern Museum of Art.
This is the longest post ever - thanks for staying with it and reading it if you made it this far. That's kind of how I feel about Turkey.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Merhaba
That is one of the few Turkish words I know and can pronounce. I've never visited a country where I know so few vocabulary words - where I can't pick up anything during conversation. Merhaba is hello, evet is yes, hayir is no. And that's all I've got. I feel like a spoiled American, who wants everyone to speak English, and I feel grateful when someone speaks it to me, but everyone who speaks English to me wants me to buy something. It is uncomfortable to not be able to communicate, and I feel slightly off. Ben is going to take us to more places (he had a big midterm tomorrow), and I think that having a guy with us, as well as someone who can speak and understand a little bit more will help.
Our hostel has free breakfast (YAY FREE), and it is at the top of the building, with a beautiful view of the Bosphorus. So far coffee (kahve - yay, another word!) has alluded me. We found a coffee shop around the corner run by a Canadian expat, but it is not the best and it is priced like it is. At breakfast, we had instant coffee, which is what everyone drinks here - Nescafe. It will have to do. We had tomatoes, olives, a hard boiled egg, orange slices, and bread with butter, cheese, jam and Nutella. All of that with ish-coffee, a book, my best friend, and a view of beautiful water - not bad :)
We visited the Blue Mosque today, which was pretty, but full of people who disrespected their customs. Many women did not wear headscarves as was requested, which surprised me. Whitters and I wore ours. Then we went back to the room to get our coats and umbrellas, because it felt like it might rain (we were right).
We headed to the Hagia Sophia, which was the largest church in Christendom until St. Peter's basilica was built at the Vatican, and then was turned into a mosque. Walking through it, I could just feel the history there. We're in a city that has been a city for 3000 years, and sometimes my mind doesn't comprehend that. I stood in a building that had beautiful Byzantine mosaics covered because mosques do not have pictures of living things in them. Many of the mosaics are now partially uncovered, and beautiful gold tiles shine against the dull marble and stone. The building, the city, and perhaps the country cannot seem to find out who it is. As a twenty-something girl (almost 27!), I can identify with the identity crisis.
After lunch (too expensive and too little food for the money and too long a wait), we searched again for coffee, caving to the craving by heading to a Starbucks. I got coffee, Whit got chai, and we walked outside into a windy rainstorm that was no match for our umbrellas, especially when holding the only real coffee I'd had in days. Then, a long nap to get warm after the rain and catch up on sleep.
Food is good, but we are trying to find places that are less expensive. Dessert is amazing - tonight we went back to a little pastry shop where they speak English and only encourage us to buy what we order. I got rice pudding that was amazing, and we had apple tea. Whitters got a job offer from the man who runs it - wants her to teach English. I burrowed into my book with tea - two of my favorite things in life, I think. I'm about to pick it up again...
Our hostel has free breakfast (YAY FREE), and it is at the top of the building, with a beautiful view of the Bosphorus. So far coffee (kahve - yay, another word!) has alluded me. We found a coffee shop around the corner run by a Canadian expat, but it is not the best and it is priced like it is. At breakfast, we had instant coffee, which is what everyone drinks here - Nescafe. It will have to do. We had tomatoes, olives, a hard boiled egg, orange slices, and bread with butter, cheese, jam and Nutella. All of that with ish-coffee, a book, my best friend, and a view of beautiful water - not bad :)
We visited the Blue Mosque today, which was pretty, but full of people who disrespected their customs. Many women did not wear headscarves as was requested, which surprised me. Whitters and I wore ours. Then we went back to the room to get our coats and umbrellas, because it felt like it might rain (we were right).
We headed to the Hagia Sophia, which was the largest church in Christendom until St. Peter's basilica was built at the Vatican, and then was turned into a mosque. Walking through it, I could just feel the history there. We're in a city that has been a city for 3000 years, and sometimes my mind doesn't comprehend that. I stood in a building that had beautiful Byzantine mosaics covered because mosques do not have pictures of living things in them. Many of the mosaics are now partially uncovered, and beautiful gold tiles shine against the dull marble and stone. The building, the city, and perhaps the country cannot seem to find out who it is. As a twenty-something girl (almost 27!), I can identify with the identity crisis.
After lunch (too expensive and too little food for the money and too long a wait), we searched again for coffee, caving to the craving by heading to a Starbucks. I got coffee, Whit got chai, and we walked outside into a windy rainstorm that was no match for our umbrellas, especially when holding the only real coffee I'd had in days. Then, a long nap to get warm after the rain and catch up on sleep.
Food is good, but we are trying to find places that are less expensive. Dessert is amazing - tonight we went back to a little pastry shop where they speak English and only encourage us to buy what we order. I got rice pudding that was amazing, and we had apple tea. Whitters got a job offer from the man who runs it - wants her to teach English. I burrowed into my book with tea - two of my favorite things in life, I think. I'm about to pick it up again...
'Ello luvs!
hi all! We are FINALLY here and its amazing! The mosques are huge and beautiful and the whole city itself is full of colorful flowers and is just wonderful! Im sitting on our rooftop terrace, watching it rain as ships pass on the bosphorous. have i mentioned that its REAL COOL here!?
I'm sure youre going to be shocked by this, but already broken something. and by broken, i mean almost caught on fire. So, turns out that you cant just leave your hair straightener plugged in for an extended amount of time.... it will pop, smoke and fry both your converter and hair appliance. lesson learned. we will now have frizzy hair in all of the pictures from here on out. so theres that.
We are so jet lagged, its not even funny. We visited the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sofia. They are both enormous and amazing. After that, we spent the day reading, resting, getting to know our little area of town, and trying to catch up on some much needed sleep.
Also, we were so desperate for coffee, we made a trip to the local starbucks..DONT JUDGE!
well kids, árry potter book is calling my name.
ill talk to you tomorrow, were going to the grand bazaar...GET EXCITED!
toodaloo,
whit
I'm sure youre going to be shocked by this, but already broken something. and by broken, i mean almost caught on fire. So, turns out that you cant just leave your hair straightener plugged in for an extended amount of time.... it will pop, smoke and fry both your converter and hair appliance. lesson learned. we will now have frizzy hair in all of the pictures from here on out. so theres that.
We are so jet lagged, its not even funny. We visited the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sofia. They are both enormous and amazing. After that, we spent the day reading, resting, getting to know our little area of town, and trying to catch up on some much needed sleep.
Also, we were so desperate for coffee, we made a trip to the local starbucks..DONT JUDGE!
well kids, árry potter book is calling my name.
ill talk to you tomorrow, were going to the grand bazaar...GET EXCITED!
toodaloo,
whit
Monday, March 24, 2008
We're HERE and I voted in the first Iraqi election
It's a little after 6 am, I got up at 5ish with the first call to prayer, which is beautiful but definitely reminds me I'm not in Oklahoma. We got in yesterday at 1:30 pm local, and got a cab to our hotel/hostel. It's perfect for us, small, but has it's own bathroom and access to the internet. When I went to ask what the wireless password was, I got out my blue pen from my carryon, and this happened.
Leave it to me to make an accidental political statement in Turkey, because that's the ONLY thing that a finger dipped in blue ink reminds me of (voting in Iraq). I scrubbed, but I'm just going to have to deal with it.
Ben met us at the hotel, and it was so good to see him!! He walked us to get coffee, and then to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia (which we are going to explore more in depth today), and then we found dinner and sat outside. (Ben did not lie to us about the weather here...) I had fabulous eggplant, and all the food was pretty good. We had chai at the end, and then it was chilly and we were tired, so we headed back to the Antique, where we're staying, but not before some baklava. Here's a picture of our hotel (not taken by us). Here we are with Ben:
And in front of the Hagia Sophia:
So far I've been groped by two people - the security woman at the Amsterdam airport who really made sure I was not carrying a weapon in my bra or underwear, and a man on the street who grabbed my ass last night.
And this is the "I'm excited about my birthday face" that Whitters has seen repeatedly already:
Okay, we're going to breakfast. We'll write more when we figure out a way to better charge our computers.
Leave it to me to make an accidental political statement in Turkey, because that's the ONLY thing that a finger dipped in blue ink reminds me of (voting in Iraq). I scrubbed, but I'm just going to have to deal with it.Ben met us at the hotel, and it was so good to see him!! He walked us to get coffee, and then to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia (which we are going to explore more in depth today), and then we found dinner and sat outside. (Ben did not lie to us about the weather here...) I had fabulous eggplant, and all the food was pretty good. We had chai at the end, and then it was chilly and we were tired, so we headed back to the Antique, where we're staying, but not before some baklava. Here's a picture of our hotel (not taken by us). Here we are with Ben:
So far I've been groped by two people - the security woman at the Amsterdam airport who really made sure I was not carrying a weapon in my bra or underwear, and a man on the street who grabbed my ass last night.And this is the "I'm excited about my birthday face" that Whitters has seen repeatedly already:
Okay, we're going to breakfast. We'll write more when we figure out a way to better charge our computers.Sunday, March 23, 2008
Snowing in Amsterdam
It's cold here, too. Whitters and I think Ben may have been playing a trick on us when he told us it was in the 70s in Istanbul - hopefully not. Or we'll just be freezing, and we're cold natured anyway (just ask Grant). I am grumpy already, with not enough sleep on the plane. With the Norman job, I'm used to going to bed at 2am (and it is not yet that time in Oklahoma) not at 7pm like I tried to do on the plane. That didn't work, so I watched two movies, and then fell asleep listening to HEM on CourtPod. It's 7am in Amsterdam, and I'm drinking strong coffee from Whitters (which may just be a present to herself). Has the time confused you yet? Me too.
OH AND THE AIRPORT IS TILED IN LIME GREEN. I think they must have known I was coming.
OH AND THE AIRPORT IS TILED IN LIME GREEN. I think they must have known I was coming.
The next (and by next i mean FIRST)...
...person to comment gets a prize...also, the more posts that person makes, the greater and grander the prize:)
"Wonky" is the word of the day
Use in a sentence: We are REALLY bored at the airport, so we took this wonky picture.
Attempt #2 at posting this thing...
Well, this is my second go at trying to post this thing... my computer crashed last time. Anyway, its 11:36am and Court and I have be up since 4:30. We made it to a very cold and snowy Minn. where a pink ear and tailed Easter Bunny (he was even carrying a basket) slid on the ice and greeted us, while we sat on the tarmac. It was just about the most unexpected thing ever (by the way, I GENTLY tapped Cruark... I did not hit). So, now we are sitting between a pay phone and a trash can, next to the bathrooms, charging our computers, checking facebook and waiting until 4:00 to board our next plane... don't you wish you could spend your Easter Sunday like this:) ? Facebook Scrabulous is calling my name, so I must go... I'll write more in Amsterdam.
Lof and Love to all and HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY Kimmie Glazier :),
Whit
Lof and Love to all and HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY Kimmie Glazier :),
Whit
Getting to know the Minneapolis Airport
It's snowing in Minnesota. After getting up WAY too early, making Grant take us to the airport, making it on the plane (after almost fighting with the boarding lady, who told each of us we would have to choose either our purse OR our carry-on bag WHEN THE FLIGHT WASN'T EVEN FULL - needless to say, she did NOT get one of our flight attendant goodie bags), and sleeping on the plane... we're here. For quite a while.
Whitters is ALREADY antsy, and we've been at the airport for only an hour. We have 6 more hours to go on this layover, so cross your fingers that I can keep her entertained. I think we'll have a Turkish language lesson or do data entry. Aren't you jealous? We've had coffee, read the Sunday NY Times, and have now created a blog to talk about our adventures (or help take up some of our waiting time). You're welcome.
Our next goal is to find a Starbucks. We have 360 minutes to do so.
Happy Easter! OH that reminds me - I was still asleep waiting on the plane after we landed in Minne, dozing in and out, while we hung out on the tarmac, until Whitters hit me and told me to look out the window. The Easter Bunny was running in the snow talking to all the field crew. Weird.
(Happy Birthday, Mom!)
Whitters is ALREADY antsy, and we've been at the airport for only an hour. We have 6 more hours to go on this layover, so cross your fingers that I can keep her entertained. I think we'll have a Turkish language lesson or do data entry. Aren't you jealous? We've had coffee, read the Sunday NY Times, and have now created a blog to talk about our adventures (or help take up some of our waiting time). You're welcome.
Our next goal is to find a Starbucks. We have 360 minutes to do so.
Happy Easter! OH that reminds me - I was still asleep waiting on the plane after we landed in Minne, dozing in and out, while we hung out on the tarmac, until Whitters hit me and told me to look out the window. The Easter Bunny was running in the snow talking to all the field crew. Weird.
(Happy Birthday, Mom!)
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