Whoa, HOW long has it been since I posted?
First, some disclaimers: I am exhausted. If this post is crap, let's not make (probably accurate) assumptions about me and we'll blame it on exhaustion. Second, I am cranky and also not feeling the best. So suck it up, people, and read on!
So, we started class on Sunday. I've been in "intense" courses before, but seriously. whoa. This is a bit out of control. A LOT of information coming at us all at once for 8 hours, and then HW afterwards to round out the night. Oh, and did I mention that today (my third day of class) I got to get up in front of 15 guinea pigs (also called students) and teach a lesson? I am thinking perhaps me making a fool of myself has endeared me to them...Yes, let's go with that.
No, they really are a great group of students. We have a very large age range, from 17 to 35, I believe. They are at various stages of "intermediate English speaking," which I found out today is an incredibly useless label. Basically, some of them are basically close to fluency, while others struggle to correctly form sentences and pronounce words. They have all volunteered to take this course to work on their English. Poor souls, imagine spending a month of your summer getting up for a 9:30-12 class 5 days a week with teachers who have never taught before! I think I know who's getting the short end of this stick. Chris is in the elementary group, which means they speak either none or very little English.
I have time to write this tonight only because I don't have to teach tomorrow. I'm supposed to be doing other work, of course, but my splitting headache and need to NOT look at that hated notebook have landed me here. But yeah, basically don't expect as much blogging for the next month. Firstly because we're just doing the same boring thing day after day, and secondly because I simply don't have the time for my usual novel-length blogs. If something interesting actually happens, I will try to catch up on the weekends.
So our days are structured like this: Class begins at 9:30 with our students. For the rest of our month, 3 of us will teach 45 minute lessons to the group each day. (The next day, the others in the group will teach their 45 minute lessons- we will have a day on of teaching, then a day off.) At noon, when the students leave, we go for our hour lunch in the cafeteria. I have discovered cafeteria food, no matter which country, really does all taste the same. We return at 1, and from 1-3 we have our own class time, with our instructors teaching us the finer points of ESL teaching. At 3 we break into our groups again and have a feedback session on that morning's teaching. Those can be brutal, I can already tell. Lastly, we round out the day with lesson planning for the next day. Then we go home and either work on lessons, papers, reading articles, etc. So very busy days. On the plus side, it means I'm sleeping VERY well at night!
We dropped laundry off tonight. Tomorrow at 8PM we will have 2 1/2 weeks worth of clean clothes. YAY! It's weird, they don't have self-serve laundry here. You either have maids do it, or else you drop if off and someone else does it for you. I would LOVE this arrangement (laundry has traditionally been my responsibility at home) except that it is not cheap, and therefore I fear I may be relegated to doing laundry in our bathroom sink. Which will make the self-serve washers and dryers of the US seem like paradise. I was just happy to have found a way to do it! Apparently laundrymats are really rare, so we were lucky to have this one.
I have made a few observations of Turkey in couple weeks I've been here. I know some of you are dying to know these answers, since we discussed them before I left. So I'll take care of them now, at least as many as I can remember. First, there ARE Western toilets most places I have been. TP being stocked is a little trickier to find, which has forced me to add yet another item to my already bulging purse- a roll to carry with me. (BTW, for those wondering, we have seen the Oriental style toilet, but at this point, I'm not going near that!) So far though I have found them fairly comparable to bathrooms in the US. People to not freak out if you say ummm. That's all I'm going to say on that topic. The food is just as good as what I raved about in all my previous posts. That has remained a highlight for me with my time here. I miss sidewalks in the US, where they are not used as substitute parking lots, are wide enough to walk on, and are flat concrete. My high heels have been taking a beating on these cobblestones! I miss GPS. And Oliver Wine. I think that will wrap up this section.
Actually, this may wrap up my post. I'm starting to stare very hard at the screen and my brain is shutting down for the night. I will try to post again this weekend if I have anything new to add.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Izmir Waterfront
We made a new friend with one of our classmates for the CELTA course, a British woman named Yvonne. The three of us took a bus to the Konak and Alsancak areas of Izmir, in the city center along the waterfront. It was a very nice stroll. Pretty hot today out in the sun, though. But it was refreshing to see something of Izmir other than the university and the shopping areas nearby. I've added some pictures to our Izmir album:
I have already noticed that my ability to understand spoken Turkish is improving. When I first got here, I could read some Turkish and could figure out what a lot of signs said, but couldn't make out much of anything anyone said to me. Now I am picking out a lot more.
We're feeling a lot more settled in now that we've met someone else from the course, and have gotten a little further afield in Izmir. Tomorrow our course starts, so we're anxious to meet the rest of the class and see how the course is going to go.
 |
| Izmir |
I have already noticed that my ability to understand spoken Turkish is improving. When I first got here, I could read some Turkish and could figure out what a lot of signs said, but couldn't make out much of anything anyone said to me. Now I am picking out a lot more.
We're feeling a lot more settled in now that we've met someone else from the course, and have gotten a little further afield in Izmir. Tomorrow our course starts, so we're anxious to meet the rest of the class and see how the course is going to go.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Izmir
We've been settling into Izmir the last couple days. We found a couple places to shop and got some groceries and other necessities. We were pretty geeked that you could get a loaf of bread for 0.54 lira (about 35 cents), so we got that and some olive oil to snack on in our dorm room, along with a few other things.
Our biggest shopping frustration has been trying to find a ceramic hair dryer for Barb. We found one really nice one at a Phillips store in the mall (and one of the salesmen even spoke English), but it was 110 lira ($70), which was more than we wanted to spend. So we are still in search of one...
We've been getting a lot of exercise walking. The university is at the top of a hill (well, not the very top) and all the shopping is down the hill at sea level, so coming back is quite a steep hike.
We're getting better at communicating with people. I'm getting better at using the Turkish that I know, and Barb is learning more Turkish, and we're finding that some people speak a little English once you speak a little Turkish to them. I think everyone involved just needs to get beyond the "Oh no, how am I going to talk to this person?" stage of freaking out. The waitress at the tea garden asked us if we were from Germany. Don't know if we look German, or sound German, or if they just get a lot of Germans around here.
We haven't gone too far afield in Izmir yet. We've just been around the university and the shopping areas in Balçova, the district of Izmir where the university is. I'll be interested to see what the rest of the city is like, since I don't want to general our impressions of this area to all of Izmir, because I think different areas have different characters. We may do a little more distant exploring tomorrow and Saturday.
Our biggest shopping frustration has been trying to find a ceramic hair dryer for Barb. We found one really nice one at a Phillips store in the mall (and one of the salesmen even spoke English), but it was 110 lira ($70), which was more than we wanted to spend. So we are still in search of one...
We've been getting a lot of exercise walking. The university is at the top of a hill (well, not the very top) and all the shopping is down the hill at sea level, so coming back is quite a steep hike.
We're getting better at communicating with people. I'm getting better at using the Turkish that I know, and Barb is learning more Turkish, and we're finding that some people speak a little English once you speak a little Turkish to them. I think everyone involved just needs to get beyond the "Oh no, how am I going to talk to this person?" stage of freaking out. The waitress at the tea garden asked us if we were from Germany. Don't know if we look German, or sound German, or if they just get a lot of Germans around here.
We haven't gone too far afield in Izmir yet. We've just been around the university and the shopping areas in Balçova, the district of Izmir where the university is. I'll be interested to see what the rest of the city is like, since I don't want to general our impressions of this area to all of Izmir, because I think different areas have different characters. We may do a little more distant exploring tomorrow and Saturday.
Pictures - New and Improved!
I went through our picture albums and tweaked the contrast on them. Most of the pictures from Istanbul were from inside places where you weren't allowed to use flash, so they were kind of dark. I think they look better now, especially the pictures from the Mosaic Museum. The colors pop a lot more. So take a second look if you're interested.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Call to Prayer Video
So, this is really more for the audio than the video. I was on the rooftop terrace of our hotel in Istanbul when the Muslim call to prayer started. I had our mini camcorder with me, so I decided to record it so that everyone could hear what it sounds like. I panned around showing the view from the hotel, just so you have something to look at while listening.
The video is pretty big (25MB) so if you have a slow connection, you could be waiting a long, long time.
P.S. Thanks to the Corporate Color crew for the camcorder. The original video is HD and looks much sharper, but it's also 190MB. It compresses it down for sharing on the web.
The video is pretty big (25MB) so if you have a slow connection, you could be waiting a long, long time.
 |
| From Videos |
P.S. Thanks to the Corporate Color crew for the camcorder. The original video is HD and looks much sharper, but it's also 190MB. It compresses it down for sharing on the web.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Türkçem çok iyi değıl
That means "My Turkish isn't very good," a phrase that I have used many times in the last two days. As Barb said in her post, we have been in for something of a rude awakening coming to Izmir. In Istanbul, many people spoke at least some English, and a decent number spoke pretty fluently. So far in Izmir, we haven't found any who speak fluently (except the program coordinator) and only a couple who have even spoken a little. On the one hand, this is forcing me to use the Turkish I know, so it will get better. On the other hand, we feel like idiots everywhere we go because we don't know what's going on. It is definitely an isolating feeling. I'm sure once the other people from our program get here, they will speak English (it IS a program for English teachers, after all), and we'll have a few people we can talk to.
There are also a few Americans in the dorm for a program learning Turkish. I just talked to one of them, and it sounds like they'll be around for about the same time frame as us. It was nice to speak a little English with someone else, but she has a ton of homework to do, so I decided to leave her alone.
There are also a few Americans in the dorm for a program learning Turkish. I just talked to one of them, and it sounds like they'll be around for about the same time frame as us. It was nice to speak a little English with someone else, but she has a ton of homework to do, so I decided to leave her alone.
More pictures
OK, here are a few more picture albums that I've set up:
 |
| Blue Mosque in Istanbul |
 |
| Barb and Chris in Istanbul |
 |
| Misc Istanbul |
 |
| Hagia Sophia |
 |
| Izmir |
On to Izmir
Our trip yesterday from Istanbul went well, although very tiring. We took a taxi, ferry, train, bus, and another taxi to get here, but we are here, as are all of our bags. I hope to never have to deal w/ that much luggage again. yick.
Izmir is a LOT different than Istanbul. 80 and low 90s instead of mid-70s for temperatures. And whereas in Istanbul it was rare to see women w/o a headscarf, here it is rare to see one. Lots of Westernized dress and fewer people. However, in Istanbul most people spoke fluent English, which made it easier for me to ajust. Also, restaurants and stores were just a few steps away. Here, not so much. We haven't found ANYONE who speaks English besides our CELTA coordinator, and most of the restaurants, stores, banks, etc are a little over a mile away. That whole isolation thing people were telling me I'd be feeling? Yup, pretty much. We were told the other non-Izmir students would be arriving later this week, and I'm hoping some of them will speak English. But so far, I'm kind of sad to say, I'm feeling very uncomfortable and obviously foreign here. Kind of hating that. It's very hard to communicate with other people when I speak basically no Turkish (except "I'm sorry" and "Thank you") and they speak no English at all. Even going to get something to eat has turned into a little bit of a fiasco. Questions we take for granted like, "Where do we order?" and "What is in this dish?" are pretty much out of the question for us. So I'm relying on Chris to get by on the little Turkish he knows; I just smile and nod. And the waiters just stare at us and us back at them when we can't understand each other. Can anyone say uncomfortable?
Ok, enough whining, sorry about that. I will talk about food, as that seems to get me geeked and helps me forget my crankiness. We didn't eat much yesterday, since we were traveling and there wasn't any time in between modes of transportation for things such as food. So last night we walked down into town and got supper. I had something (sorry, again I don't remember the name- I was tired, ok?) that was little medallions (I'm guessing lamb) in a dish with sauteed onions and tomatoes. Very good! Chris had adana, which he said was also good.
Today we walked to the tea garden, about the only eating establishment close to the university for lunch/dinner (we slept through breakfast). We both had a döner 1/2 etmek, which is the döner meat on half of a small french baguette. Very good, although I gave most of mine to the 3 tiny kittens who came over for the food. Absolutely adorable, I had so much fun with them. We both had ice cream for dessert as well, which was good! It was much more like sherbet, and we had strawberry, raspberry, vanilla, lemon, and chocolate flavors. Chris also bought me some chocolate, since I am in desperate need of it. Basically delicious, tastes like Dove chocolate!
During our walk last night we also found a mall, which, as you can all imagine, overjoyed me! Ahhh, AC (most other places don't have it), multiple floors, and things to buy! YAY! Unfortunately for me, we bought boring things like a desk fan, hangers, and tissues. But now I know where it is for future reference ;)
I'm hoping tonight to find a store that sells olive oil, since we purchased fresh bread today. I also need to find an open-air market that has fresh fruit and vegetables, since I know they're in season here. Eating out every day for 3 meals gets expensive, and I'm hoping to have simple meals that I can eat in the dorm. We have a mini-fridge, but that's it.
Oh, speaking of the dorm, get this: there are MAIDS who come in every day to empty the trash, change the towels, stock toilet paper, change the sheets, and mop the floor. SO weird for a dorm! I feel like it's more of a hotel! And it was even weirder this morning- the maid walked right into our room while we were still in bed, and after some misunderstanding between her and Chris in Turkish, she proceeded to clean the room while we were just waking up! (Yes, go ahead and laugh, I did after she left.) So I'm laying in bed, JUST waking up, and she's mopping 2 feet from me. One of the strangest ways I've woken up...
Ok, this is getting long again. I'm sorry, I'm sure once everything isn't so new to me my posts will get shorter and a little less full of boring details, but as of yet, quit reading whenever you want :) I'll make it easy for you this time.
Izmir is a LOT different than Istanbul. 80 and low 90s instead of mid-70s for temperatures. And whereas in Istanbul it was rare to see women w/o a headscarf, here it is rare to see one. Lots of Westernized dress and fewer people. However, in Istanbul most people spoke fluent English, which made it easier for me to ajust. Also, restaurants and stores were just a few steps away. Here, not so much. We haven't found ANYONE who speaks English besides our CELTA coordinator, and most of the restaurants, stores, banks, etc are a little over a mile away. That whole isolation thing people were telling me I'd be feeling? Yup, pretty much. We were told the other non-Izmir students would be arriving later this week, and I'm hoping some of them will speak English. But so far, I'm kind of sad to say, I'm feeling very uncomfortable and obviously foreign here. Kind of hating that. It's very hard to communicate with other people when I speak basically no Turkish (except "I'm sorry" and "Thank you") and they speak no English at all. Even going to get something to eat has turned into a little bit of a fiasco. Questions we take for granted like, "Where do we order?" and "What is in this dish?" are pretty much out of the question for us. So I'm relying on Chris to get by on the little Turkish he knows; I just smile and nod. And the waiters just stare at us and us back at them when we can't understand each other. Can anyone say uncomfortable?
Ok, enough whining, sorry about that. I will talk about food, as that seems to get me geeked and helps me forget my crankiness. We didn't eat much yesterday, since we were traveling and there wasn't any time in between modes of transportation for things such as food. So last night we walked down into town and got supper. I had something (sorry, again I don't remember the name- I was tired, ok?) that was little medallions (I'm guessing lamb) in a dish with sauteed onions and tomatoes. Very good! Chris had adana, which he said was also good.
Today we walked to the tea garden, about the only eating establishment close to the university for lunch/dinner (we slept through breakfast). We both had a döner 1/2 etmek, which is the döner meat on half of a small french baguette. Very good, although I gave most of mine to the 3 tiny kittens who came over for the food. Absolutely adorable, I had so much fun with them. We both had ice cream for dessert as well, which was good! It was much more like sherbet, and we had strawberry, raspberry, vanilla, lemon, and chocolate flavors. Chris also bought me some chocolate, since I am in desperate need of it. Basically delicious, tastes like Dove chocolate!
During our walk last night we also found a mall, which, as you can all imagine, overjoyed me! Ahhh, AC (most other places don't have it), multiple floors, and things to buy! YAY! Unfortunately for me, we bought boring things like a desk fan, hangers, and tissues. But now I know where it is for future reference ;)
I'm hoping tonight to find a store that sells olive oil, since we purchased fresh bread today. I also need to find an open-air market that has fresh fruit and vegetables, since I know they're in season here. Eating out every day for 3 meals gets expensive, and I'm hoping to have simple meals that I can eat in the dorm. We have a mini-fridge, but that's it.
Oh, speaking of the dorm, get this: there are MAIDS who come in every day to empty the trash, change the towels, stock toilet paper, change the sheets, and mop the floor. SO weird for a dorm! I feel like it's more of a hotel! And it was even weirder this morning- the maid walked right into our room while we were still in bed, and after some misunderstanding between her and Chris in Turkish, she proceeded to clean the room while we were just waking up! (Yes, go ahead and laugh, I did after she left.) So I'm laying in bed, JUST waking up, and she's mopping 2 feet from me. One of the strangest ways I've woken up...
Ok, this is getting long again. I'm sorry, I'm sure once everything isn't so new to me my posts will get shorter and a little less full of boring details, but as of yet, quit reading whenever you want :) I'll make it easy for you this time.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Fun in the Big City
Since tomorrow Chris and I have to catch the ferry at 7:00AM, luggage in tow, I thought I'd better update our blog now since I won't be doing it tomorrow. And just when our sleeping schedule was getting back on track. (We slept the night through last night for the first time! Sad the things I get excited about these days when I'm sleep deprived...)
Chris and I had a fun day today, as well as yesterday. I know he already posted comments about the Mosaic museum, so I'll skip that. After coming back for a quick nap that turned into a lengthy nap, we got up and got ready to go over the Galata Bridge to the New Town side of Istanbul. We have been staying in Old Town, which is where most of the ancient historical sites are located, and also where most of the tourists are located. New Town is the modern section of Turkey, and also the more heavily populated. (These are both on the European side; the Asian side of Istanbul is mostly residential, with most people commuting across the bridge to New Town to work.) Before leaving the Sultanahmet area where we've been staying, we stopped at a little cafe for a döner sandwich. Yes, I'm going to wax on about how wonderful it was-skip to the next paragraph if you don't feel like reading about it or if you are hungry at all. Made completely of lamb (they have a chicken one too, but chicken döner is cheating) , they slice it off the spit in much thinner slices than restaurants in GR. You can get it wrapped in a fresh pita, or put into a sliced baguette, and topped with lettuce and fresh tomato. YUM! I could so live on them. Fish sandwiches for lunch, döner for dinner. I'd be set!
We headed to Taksim Square, a popular location that would be similar to Times Square in NYC, to meet with a couple contacts we had made before coming here. Umm, if I had known how INSANE that place was going to be, I may have suggested an alternative meeting spot. I'm still not sure how we managed to meet up, since all I could see everywhere were heads. The pictures you see of NYC sidewalks clogged with people? Now picture them all talking Turkish, and that's basically what the Square was like. We ended up having a blast though. Apparently the love of shoes, shopping, and wine is pretty universal with women, because I made friends quickly with the girls we were meeting. We went for some Turkish coffee (I still can't get over how good that stuff is!) and desserts. I lied- I'm going to talk about food again. I had a couple very good things. First was a pistachio roll, which was basically pistachios held together with honey inside of shredded wheat, also soaked in honey. They were then sliced so you could see the green pistachios inside. Very good, but also very rich. Chris had to finish the last half. I also ordered some delicious thing that I don't remember the name of. It was a hard chocolate cylinder filled with brownie w/ chocolate chunks, another layer of something else, and topped with cherries, with cherry sherbet on the side. Pretty sinful.
To work off all that sweet food, we decided to take a walk. The best shoe and clothing stores were pointed out to me, and after navigating various side streets and alleys (alleys that my whole hometown could fit in to!) that were completely filled with people, we ended up at a fun little bar where we rested our feet for a bit. Such a small bar and w/ no empty tables we ended up being seated by the waiter at a table with 3 other people. Kind of weird, I am not used to that. They just talked amongst themselves, we talked to each other, and it was like 2 separate tables except that we were sitting thigh to thigh with them. It was also getting pretty late by then and we decided to head home.
Between yesterday and Friday we've managed to try out most of Istanbul's public transportation. A little confusing at times, but we managed, and it was much cheaper than taxis!
Ok, just realized this is getting REALLY long. So I'll summarize today quickly. We went to the Blue Mosque, very cool but because we're visitors they have you stand behind a wooden railing, so we couldn't really get up close and personal with the blue tiles and other cool things they have there. But yeah, huge and awesome. I had another döner sandwich today b/c I am obsessed, and then had Turkish ice cream, which is not like any ice cream I've ever had. Almost elastic-y, I think Chris has a video where you can see someone in the background with it. Expensive too, but good for a warm day! Other than that, just getting re-packed and ready for our early morning tomorrow. Cross your fingers for us that our traveling goes as well as the traveling over here. Because I'm so ready to NOT haul around 160 lbs of luggage!
Hope you all are doing well. Keep commenting, it makes our day to hear from you all!
Chris and I had a fun day today, as well as yesterday. I know he already posted comments about the Mosaic museum, so I'll skip that. After coming back for a quick nap that turned into a lengthy nap, we got up and got ready to go over the Galata Bridge to the New Town side of Istanbul. We have been staying in Old Town, which is where most of the ancient historical sites are located, and also where most of the tourists are located. New Town is the modern section of Turkey, and also the more heavily populated. (These are both on the European side; the Asian side of Istanbul is mostly residential, with most people commuting across the bridge to New Town to work.) Before leaving the Sultanahmet area where we've been staying, we stopped at a little cafe for a döner sandwich. Yes, I'm going to wax on about how wonderful it was-skip to the next paragraph if you don't feel like reading about it or if you are hungry at all. Made completely of lamb (they have a chicken one too, but chicken döner is cheating) , they slice it off the spit in much thinner slices than restaurants in GR. You can get it wrapped in a fresh pita, or put into a sliced baguette, and topped with lettuce and fresh tomato. YUM! I could so live on them. Fish sandwiches for lunch, döner for dinner. I'd be set!
We headed to Taksim Square, a popular location that would be similar to Times Square in NYC, to meet with a couple contacts we had made before coming here. Umm, if I had known how INSANE that place was going to be, I may have suggested an alternative meeting spot. I'm still not sure how we managed to meet up, since all I could see everywhere were heads. The pictures you see of NYC sidewalks clogged with people? Now picture them all talking Turkish, and that's basically what the Square was like. We ended up having a blast though. Apparently the love of shoes, shopping, and wine is pretty universal with women, because I made friends quickly with the girls we were meeting. We went for some Turkish coffee (I still can't get over how good that stuff is!) and desserts. I lied- I'm going to talk about food again. I had a couple very good things. First was a pistachio roll, which was basically pistachios held together with honey inside of shredded wheat, also soaked in honey. They were then sliced so you could see the green pistachios inside. Very good, but also very rich. Chris had to finish the last half. I also ordered some delicious thing that I don't remember the name of. It was a hard chocolate cylinder filled with brownie w/ chocolate chunks, another layer of something else, and topped with cherries, with cherry sherbet on the side. Pretty sinful.
To work off all that sweet food, we decided to take a walk. The best shoe and clothing stores were pointed out to me, and after navigating various side streets and alleys (alleys that my whole hometown could fit in to!) that were completely filled with people, we ended up at a fun little bar where we rested our feet for a bit. Such a small bar and w/ no empty tables we ended up being seated by the waiter at a table with 3 other people. Kind of weird, I am not used to that. They just talked amongst themselves, we talked to each other, and it was like 2 separate tables except that we were sitting thigh to thigh with them. It was also getting pretty late by then and we decided to head home.
Between yesterday and Friday we've managed to try out most of Istanbul's public transportation. A little confusing at times, but we managed, and it was much cheaper than taxis!
Ok, just realized this is getting REALLY long. So I'll summarize today quickly. We went to the Blue Mosque, very cool but because we're visitors they have you stand behind a wooden railing, so we couldn't really get up close and personal with the blue tiles and other cool things they have there. But yeah, huge and awesome. I had another döner sandwich today b/c I am obsessed, and then had Turkish ice cream, which is not like any ice cream I've ever had. Almost elastic-y, I think Chris has a video where you can see someone in the background with it. Expensive too, but good for a warm day! Other than that, just getting re-packed and ready for our early morning tomorrow. Cross your fingers for us that our traveling goes as well as the traveling over here. Because I'm so ready to NOT haul around 160 lbs of luggage!
Hope you all are doing well. Keep commenting, it makes our day to hear from you all!
Mosaic Museum pictures
OK, here are some more pictures. They are from the Mosaic Museum in Istanbul. These mosaics are all from the Byzantine imperial palace, and are believed to date from the time of Justinian (6th century AD). The museum basically just roofed over the mosaics where they were found, so they are on the site of the actual palace. (Although there was a huge amount of preservation work done to the mosaics.)
These mosaics aren't quite as spectacular as the ones from the Chora Church with all the gold, and the colors aren't as vibrant (they are 700 years older), but I have always loved this kind of Roman-style mosaic. The subject matter is very different. The Chora church is all religious subjects, whereas the palace mosaics are more scenes from life and a few from pagan mythology. There are lots of animals and hunting scenes. It is amazing to think that what remains is only a fraction of the originals; the palace floor would have been covered with this kind of mosaic. Cool to think we can look down today at the same floors that Justinian walked on 1400 years ago.
One last note: Barb has a headscarf on in these pictures. No, she hasn't converted to Islam. We were planning to go to the Blue Mosque after the Mosaics Museum. It is still a functioning mosque, so she was wearing the scarf to be respectful.
These mosaics aren't quite as spectacular as the ones from the Chora Church with all the gold, and the colors aren't as vibrant (they are 700 years older), but I have always loved this kind of Roman-style mosaic. The subject matter is very different. The Chora church is all religious subjects, whereas the palace mosaics are more scenes from life and a few from pagan mythology. There are lots of animals and hunting scenes. It is amazing to think that what remains is only a fraction of the originals; the palace floor would have been covered with this kind of mosaic. Cool to think we can look down today at the same floors that Justinian walked on 1400 years ago.
One last note: Barb has a headscarf on in these pictures. No, she hasn't converted to Islam. We were planning to go to the Blue Mosque after the Mosaics Museum. It is still a functioning mosque, so she was wearing the scarf to be respectful.
 |
| Mosaic Museum in Istanbul |
Chora Church pictures
So, apparently Barb is in charge of writing, and I'm in charge of taking and posting pictures for the blog. I feel like I've been slacking, since there's a lot more text than pictures posted so far. I will probably do some writing in the future, as well, but so far I haven't found the time. Plus, Barb is doing a pretty thorough job of covering what we've been up to.
Rather than posting the pictures directly to the blog, I'm going to try out Picasa web albums (Picasa and Blogger are both Google products, so theoretically they should work well together).
Here is a link to the web album with pictures of the Chora church:
Rather than posting the pictures directly to the blog, I'm going to try out Picasa web albums (Picasa and Blogger are both Google products, so theoretically they should work well together).
Here is a link to the web album with pictures of the Chora church:
 |
| Chora Church in Istanbul |
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Hansel & Gretel in Istanbul
Well, we got lost for the first time yesterday. Ok, so I was lost, apparently Chris knew (kind of) where we were. Since I'm posting, you can tell that we made it to the hotel ok, and I didn't have to be sedated for hysteria, so it all turned out ok. But not necessarily my most fun experience so far. You all know my complete lack of any sense of direction, and the tall buildings and narrow streets w/o street names made it impossible for me to figure out which direction we were headed or anything. Thank goodness for Chris, but I miss my Garmin!
Anyways, it WAS an awesome day yesterday. I got my fish sandwiches, and OMG, i hope they have them in Izmir! Very simple, just fresh fish, cleaned and grilled right on the boat, put in a sliced baguette with lettuce and onion on top. Absolutely delicious, and only about $3! It was packed all around where the boats are, so we knew it had to be good! I could have that for lunch every day, cheap, filling, and healthy.
I guess I should start at the beginning of our day though, instead of jumping ahead to our yummy fish dinner. We started the day walking to the bus hub (maybe a mile away?) to go to the Chora Church Museum. The bus was pretty typical of any bus, nothing really exceptional. (Except that when I got on to the full bus on the way back, a gentleman actually gave his seat to me. Whoa. Chivalry is not dead everywhere...)
The Chora Church was exceptional. Actually, probably my favorite thing we've done so far. It's a church built in approx 1100 with later mosaics and frescos EVERYWHERE. I mean, thousands upon thousands, in excellent condition! Our necks were sore from gawking at the ceilings. I'm hoping Chris will have time within the next couple days to post some of the pictures that we took. Really really amazing. Oooh, I see he's working on sizing and editing them now :)
We also saw some of the old city wall, which was pretty cool, although not as cool as the remains of a Roman aqueduct that our bus drove under. Totally awesome, kind of hard to wrap my mind around even now. It's kind of crazy how they inter-twine the very ancient with the modern. For example, the city walls had some small portals, and they use them as parking spaces for cars. The aqueduct goes right over a major road, so they built a lane of the road to go through each arch between the support beams. I love that they work with the ancient sites instead of destroying them for modern improvements.
We got back, had our fish sandwiches, and then, because we were RIGHT across the street from it, we headed over to the Spice Bazaar. The Australian couple I met on Thursday (I think it was Thurs? My days are completely screwed up at this point) recommended it over the Grand Bazaar, saying it was a cooler experience and with less pushy salesmen. Mom, you would have had a heart attack with all of the awesome spices heaped EVERYWHERE! Every time I turned my head, there were spices, dried fruit, cheeses (I about had the heart attack there!), Turkish delight (just for you, Bob) and other candies, fish, food vendors (I can have my doner kabop whenever I want, they're everywhere!), in addition to non-food items such as cooking utinsels, fabric stores, clothing stores, SHOE stores (here was Chris' heart attack moment, he hustled me past those so fast!), and pretty much anything else you could ever possibly need. It was because I was so excited about all the shopping opportunities that I forgot to mentally map which turns I had made where, and so when we were ready to go, uhhhh...
So we spent a little time wandering, but Chris figured out where we were and it actually ended up being a much shorter walk back to the hotel than if we had gone back to the bus hub and walked from there. So it all ended up ok. And I didn't even cry. :)
Today we went to a mosaic museum, these were from the Roman times, and less religious. Very very cool, but since it was Chris' favorite, I'll let him tell you about it. I'm headed to go get a snack and some coffee, and enjoy the sunshine.
Anyways, it WAS an awesome day yesterday. I got my fish sandwiches, and OMG, i hope they have them in Izmir! Very simple, just fresh fish, cleaned and grilled right on the boat, put in a sliced baguette with lettuce and onion on top. Absolutely delicious, and only about $3! It was packed all around where the boats are, so we knew it had to be good! I could have that for lunch every day, cheap, filling, and healthy.
I guess I should start at the beginning of our day though, instead of jumping ahead to our yummy fish dinner. We started the day walking to the bus hub (maybe a mile away?) to go to the Chora Church Museum. The bus was pretty typical of any bus, nothing really exceptional. (Except that when I got on to the full bus on the way back, a gentleman actually gave his seat to me. Whoa. Chivalry is not dead everywhere...)
The Chora Church was exceptional. Actually, probably my favorite thing we've done so far. It's a church built in approx 1100 with later mosaics and frescos EVERYWHERE. I mean, thousands upon thousands, in excellent condition! Our necks were sore from gawking at the ceilings. I'm hoping Chris will have time within the next couple days to post some of the pictures that we took. Really really amazing. Oooh, I see he's working on sizing and editing them now :)
We also saw some of the old city wall, which was pretty cool, although not as cool as the remains of a Roman aqueduct that our bus drove under. Totally awesome, kind of hard to wrap my mind around even now. It's kind of crazy how they inter-twine the very ancient with the modern. For example, the city walls had some small portals, and they use them as parking spaces for cars. The aqueduct goes right over a major road, so they built a lane of the road to go through each arch between the support beams. I love that they work with the ancient sites instead of destroying them for modern improvements.
We got back, had our fish sandwiches, and then, because we were RIGHT across the street from it, we headed over to the Spice Bazaar. The Australian couple I met on Thursday (I think it was Thurs? My days are completely screwed up at this point) recommended it over the Grand Bazaar, saying it was a cooler experience and with less pushy salesmen. Mom, you would have had a heart attack with all of the awesome spices heaped EVERYWHERE! Every time I turned my head, there were spices, dried fruit, cheeses (I about had the heart attack there!), Turkish delight (just for you, Bob) and other candies, fish, food vendors (I can have my doner kabop whenever I want, they're everywhere!), in addition to non-food items such as cooking utinsels, fabric stores, clothing stores, SHOE stores (here was Chris' heart attack moment, he hustled me past those so fast!), and pretty much anything else you could ever possibly need. It was because I was so excited about all the shopping opportunities that I forgot to mentally map which turns I had made where, and so when we were ready to go, uhhhh...
So we spent a little time wandering, but Chris figured out where we were and it actually ended up being a much shorter walk back to the hotel than if we had gone back to the bus hub and walked from there. So it all ended up ok. And I didn't even cry. :)
Today we went to a mosaic museum, these were from the Roman times, and less religious. Very very cool, but since it was Chris' favorite, I'll let him tell you about it. I'm headed to go get a snack and some coffee, and enjoy the sunshine.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Just a Couple Random Thoughts
So apparently 3:00 AM is my new wake-up time. For those of you who know me well, this means I'm not getting my full 9 hours, and it is starting to show... Wow, if you could only be here and have seen me staring into space for the last 5 min trying to think of what I was going to type in here, you would laugh. For those of you who have had to listen to me whine about being tired the last 2 weeks, sorry. But you haven't heard the last of it :D
The Australian couple I lent my computer to yesterday turned out to be awesome, and we had a great time talking. Perhaps Australia will be next on our list of places to visit. (Although I think the demand for English teachers there may be quite low, ya think?)
I have a new favorite beverage (well, besides wine, of course, that still remains the ultimate favorite!). The apple tea, which I mentioned in my first foodie post, is now my drink of choice for non-caffeinated beverages. Absolutely amazing! I've seen orange tea on the menu as well, but haven't had a chance to try it. Chris and I are going to attempt to try the famous fish sandwiches (I'll have the proper name later) today. You go the pier and the fisherman come in, grill their fish, sometimes still on the boat, slap it btwn bread, and apparently it's one of the best tasting things you can get. I can't wait! And if it turns out that we have to get there early, well, I'm up @ 3 AM....
More to come later :)
The Australian couple I lent my computer to yesterday turned out to be awesome, and we had a great time talking. Perhaps Australia will be next on our list of places to visit. (Although I think the demand for English teachers there may be quite low, ya think?)
I have a new favorite beverage (well, besides wine, of course, that still remains the ultimate favorite!). The apple tea, which I mentioned in my first foodie post, is now my drink of choice for non-caffeinated beverages. Absolutely amazing! I've seen orange tea on the menu as well, but haven't had a chance to try it. Chris and I are going to attempt to try the famous fish sandwiches (I'll have the proper name later) today. You go the pier and the fisherman come in, grill their fish, sometimes still on the boat, slap it btwn bread, and apparently it's one of the best tasting things you can get. I can't wait! And if it turns out that we have to get there early, well, I'm up @ 3 AM....
More to come later :)
First Pictures
Well, Barb and I promised pictures on this blog, so I thought it was time to deliver. The first picture is a photo I took of the Blue Mosque from the rooftop terrace of our hotel at night. The streaks in the air are gulls that fly around the minarets.
Second picture is the Blue Mosque, taken from inside Hagia Sophia.
Third is a picture of the restaurant across the street from our hotel. This is the one Barb mentioned in her post (Seven Dreams).
The rest are mosaics from inside Hagia Sophia.
Second picture is the Blue Mosque, taken from inside Hagia Sophia.
Third is a picture of the restaurant across the street from our hotel. This is the one Barb mentioned in her post (Seven Dreams).
The rest are mosaics from inside Hagia Sophia.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Hagia Sophia
Today we walked the whole 1 block to Hagia Sophia (pronounced aya sophia, btw) to check it out. This has been a place I have wanted to visit ever since becoming interested in ancient history. Having it so close to our hotel is completely awesome, I kind of can't wrap my mind around it.
First, just a little history for those of you who don't know the significance of this building. (And I'm just going from memory here, so there aren't any definitive dates or anything here.) It has been built 4 times, the most recent during the reign of the Roman emperor Justinian as a place of worship for Christians. (Folklore says he looked at it when it was finished and declared he had outdone Soloman.) When the Muslims conquered Constantinople, they were so impressed by the structure that they spared it, adding minarets and converting it to a mosque. Christian symbols and mosaics are alongside Islamic caligraphy and art (after they've been uncovered, of course). For over a thousand years it was the largest place of worship in the world. It's main dome (there are several all over the structure) has become the face of Istanbul. So basically it's a very cool, very ancient place.
Ok, enough facts, now my impressions. (I'm pretty sure Chris will post later with his.) I was a little let down, to be honest, and I felt terrible for that feeling. It seemed to me that while having some very very beautiful features, it had an empty feeling. (NOT for lack of tourists there, trust me!) There were a lot of bare walls, and really nothing there except walls, pillars, and tourists. It would almost be similar to ancient ruins, except that they're working so hard to preserve it. A bit of a different feel. The main dome which I had read so much about was under renovation, with scaffolding going up the several stories to the top. While I am definitely glad that they are working to preserve this building, it did impede our full appreciation for it.
I wasn't completely UN-impressed though, please let me assure you! There are mosaics on some of the upper story walls that are thousands of years old and absolutely gorgeous! The stone in the building is also absolutely beautiful. Slab after gigantic slab of marble, granite, and other stones that I have no idea what they were but even prettier than marble. And it just went on and on and on. We also were able to see the Emperor's door, which during Byzantine times, only the Emperor was able to use. We saw where the Empress would have observed the religious proceedings from her specific location. The caligraphy and designs decorating walls, ceilings, and carving on pillars were exquisite. I was in awe and can finally understand how skilled workers could have spent their whole careers constructing and decorating this building. I would still strongly recommend anyone visiting here to take the time and see it. It is like nothing else you will see in your life.
After a nap, I am ready to go and find some food. I haven't eaten since breakfast at 11, and it is now almost 5. Breakfast was fun though, it was on the roof of our hotel, surrounded by potted plants, and consisted of bread with butter, jam, and a soft cheese, fresh FRESH tomatoes (Mom, you would LOVE them!) and cucumbers, a hard boiled egg, and fresh black olives, complete with black tea. Absolutely delicious and light.
Ok, there are an Australian couple who needs to use a computer and I have offered mine. I will try to get Chris to try to upload pictures tonight and I will post again tomorrow.
First, just a little history for those of you who don't know the significance of this building. (And I'm just going from memory here, so there aren't any definitive dates or anything here.) It has been built 4 times, the most recent during the reign of the Roman emperor Justinian as a place of worship for Christians. (Folklore says he looked at it when it was finished and declared he had outdone Soloman.) When the Muslims conquered Constantinople, they were so impressed by the structure that they spared it, adding minarets and converting it to a mosque. Christian symbols and mosaics are alongside Islamic caligraphy and art (after they've been uncovered, of course). For over a thousand years it was the largest place of worship in the world. It's main dome (there are several all over the structure) has become the face of Istanbul. So basically it's a very cool, very ancient place.
Ok, enough facts, now my impressions. (I'm pretty sure Chris will post later with his.) I was a little let down, to be honest, and I felt terrible for that feeling. It seemed to me that while having some very very beautiful features, it had an empty feeling. (NOT for lack of tourists there, trust me!) There were a lot of bare walls, and really nothing there except walls, pillars, and tourists. It would almost be similar to ancient ruins, except that they're working so hard to preserve it. A bit of a different feel. The main dome which I had read so much about was under renovation, with scaffolding going up the several stories to the top. While I am definitely glad that they are working to preserve this building, it did impede our full appreciation for it.
I wasn't completely UN-impressed though, please let me assure you! There are mosaics on some of the upper story walls that are thousands of years old and absolutely gorgeous! The stone in the building is also absolutely beautiful. Slab after gigantic slab of marble, granite, and other stones that I have no idea what they were but even prettier than marble. And it just went on and on and on. We also were able to see the Emperor's door, which during Byzantine times, only the Emperor was able to use. We saw where the Empress would have observed the religious proceedings from her specific location. The caligraphy and designs decorating walls, ceilings, and carving on pillars were exquisite. I was in awe and can finally understand how skilled workers could have spent their whole careers constructing and decorating this building. I would still strongly recommend anyone visiting here to take the time and see it. It is like nothing else you will see in your life.
After a nap, I am ready to go and find some food. I haven't eaten since breakfast at 11, and it is now almost 5. Breakfast was fun though, it was on the roof of our hotel, surrounded by potted plants, and consisted of bread with butter, jam, and a soft cheese, fresh FRESH tomatoes (Mom, you would LOVE them!) and cucumbers, a hard boiled egg, and fresh black olives, complete with black tea. Absolutely delicious and light.
Ok, there are an Australian couple who needs to use a computer and I have offered mine. I will try to get Chris to try to upload pictures tonight and I will post again tomorrow.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
We're here!
Whew, where to begin? We're here, and ummm, wow. (Hey, I can say ummm when I'm talking to you all!) I'll try to start at the beginning and fill you all in w/o making this post a novel (which yes, will be difficult for me).
Thanks again, Daddy, for driving us to the airport. Things actually went well. O'Hare isn't too bad as far as airports go. We were CLOSE on luggage though! 2 of our bags weighed exactly 49.5 lbs (the max is 50 before you have to pay $150 extra!) so there was a sigh of relief. (Becky, sorry about the huge mess we left at your house while whittling my bag down from 65 lbs to 50!) We also actually did pretty good for the plane! They did an upgrade for us, so Chris actually had leg room. And then I could relax :) The flight went pretty well, I guess we had strong tailwinds so it went faster? sure, sounds good. all I know is that apparently I don't sleep well on planes. talk about a loooong night.
Heathrow was ok, I guess. I was such a little zombie that I pretty much wasn't aware of anything going on around us. Thank goodness for Chris :) The flight to Istanbul went well too, and we had GREAT seats! (Not quite first class, but hey.) I do believe we have both picked up colds from the planes though.
Istanbul is insane. Really. For a farm girl from a town of less than 2000, quite overwhelming. Probably not so much so for anyone from NYC or something. Lots of traffic (of which they make their own lanes), pedestrians going wherever they want, little streets that should be one-way but are two (cars have to back up or go onto the sidewalk to let opposing cars pass), and so many ancient buildings, walls, and monuments it makes my head want to explode and my eyes pop out. I definitely stand out as a tourist here :)
We ate across the street at a place called Seven Dreams and had the most helpful host! I understood his English, and he was extremely helpful with directions (and with chatting, which endeared him to me right away). I think we'll be eating a few more meals there. We have to tomorrow, b/c we didn't know whether to leave a tip or not, and so we didn't, and ooops, apparently we were supposed to. However, for all of you wondering, NO, I have NOT said "ummmm" yet (at least not that I know of...), and YES, I have been picking up a couple Turkish words. Mostly having to do with food and apologizing. :)
Speaking of food, foodies read on. Those of you who don't care, you can stop here. I had one amazing meal today! Since I slept through breakfast and lunch (and only had breakfast yesterday), I was STARVING when we finally got food today. It is typical for a large meal to order a cold appetizer, and hot one, and then your meal. Chris and I ordered hummus, stuffed grape leaves, "cigar-shaped pastries filled with cheese" (I swear, that's the name of it on the menu!), and then he ordered lamb kebabs and I ordered Adana Kebabs (which our host promptly changed to adana wrapped in filo dough and fried crisp, assuring me it was better). I also ordered Turkish tea and coffee, and Chris ordered an apple tea, which basically tastes like hot apple juice with a splash of tea. Yum! Zeytin restaurant in Ada is actually pretty authentic, for those of you wondering. Many of the spices and flavors were the same, as well as menu items. Even if NOTHING else goes right on this trip, I can deal with it b/c the food will make it all better :)
Anyways, I am sure I have more to say, but believe it or not, I am tired after being up a whole 8 hours! I will try to post more soon. And make it more fun, this felt like I was just touching the surface. Miss you all!
Thanks again, Daddy, for driving us to the airport. Things actually went well. O'Hare isn't too bad as far as airports go. We were CLOSE on luggage though! 2 of our bags weighed exactly 49.5 lbs (the max is 50 before you have to pay $150 extra!) so there was a sigh of relief. (Becky, sorry about the huge mess we left at your house while whittling my bag down from 65 lbs to 50!) We also actually did pretty good for the plane! They did an upgrade for us, so Chris actually had leg room. And then I could relax :) The flight went pretty well, I guess we had strong tailwinds so it went faster? sure, sounds good. all I know is that apparently I don't sleep well on planes. talk about a loooong night.
Heathrow was ok, I guess. I was such a little zombie that I pretty much wasn't aware of anything going on around us. Thank goodness for Chris :) The flight to Istanbul went well too, and we had GREAT seats! (Not quite first class, but hey.) I do believe we have both picked up colds from the planes though.
Istanbul is insane. Really. For a farm girl from a town of less than 2000, quite overwhelming. Probably not so much so for anyone from NYC or something. Lots of traffic (of which they make their own lanes), pedestrians going wherever they want, little streets that should be one-way but are two (cars have to back up or go onto the sidewalk to let opposing cars pass), and so many ancient buildings, walls, and monuments it makes my head want to explode and my eyes pop out. I definitely stand out as a tourist here :)
We ate across the street at a place called Seven Dreams and had the most helpful host! I understood his English, and he was extremely helpful with directions (and with chatting, which endeared him to me right away). I think we'll be eating a few more meals there. We have to tomorrow, b/c we didn't know whether to leave a tip or not, and so we didn't, and ooops, apparently we were supposed to. However, for all of you wondering, NO, I have NOT said "ummmm" yet (at least not that I know of...), and YES, I have been picking up a couple Turkish words. Mostly having to do with food and apologizing. :)
Speaking of food, foodies read on. Those of you who don't care, you can stop here. I had one amazing meal today! Since I slept through breakfast and lunch (and only had breakfast yesterday), I was STARVING when we finally got food today. It is typical for a large meal to order a cold appetizer, and hot one, and then your meal. Chris and I ordered hummus, stuffed grape leaves, "cigar-shaped pastries filled with cheese" (I swear, that's the name of it on the menu!), and then he ordered lamb kebabs and I ordered Adana Kebabs (which our host promptly changed to adana wrapped in filo dough and fried crisp, assuring me it was better). I also ordered Turkish tea and coffee, and Chris ordered an apple tea, which basically tastes like hot apple juice with a splash of tea. Yum! Zeytin restaurant in Ada is actually pretty authentic, for those of you wondering. Many of the spices and flavors were the same, as well as menu items. Even if NOTHING else goes right on this trip, I can deal with it b/c the food will make it all better :)
Anyways, I am sure I have more to say, but believe it or not, I am tired after being up a whole 8 hours! I will try to post more soon. And make it more fun, this felt like I was just touching the surface. Miss you all!
Monday, June 1, 2009
It's like a Garage Sale, only Free!
Ok, I did promise you all a list of our things that we're going to be getting rid of, although we're giving our loyal followers a chance to grab them first. I'm making a list below, please feel free to ask any questions about the items. Let the snatching begin!
Note: Crossed-out items have already been claimed. You snooze, you lose!
Black living room chair
Small Black Square Table
VCR
DVD player
1 Desk in the office
Large boombox
Small boombox
5 & 3 shelf bookcases
1 semi-working laptop
2 mosaic plant stands
Shredder
2 office chairs
3-in-1 printer
Table and 4 chairs (the old one, sorry guys!)
Microwave
Night Stand (1 drawer)
Toaster
Patio Chairs (4 + lounger)
Toaster Oven
TV stand
Mini Fridge
Single-room Humidifier
1 large Suitcase 70s style (total magnet for the opposite sex!)
Bike Rack for Car
Plastic/Tupperware containers
15 drinking glasses
Many Picture frames
Hot roller set
1 set towels
Candles
Nesting Shelves (2 sets of 3)
Wall Clocks
Over-the-door Shoe Rack
Seasonal Wreathes (4)
Stemware Racks
Xmas Paper
Gift Bags
Bread Box
Spice Rack
Large, sturdy folding table
Blue table lamp
Down comforter
Plastic wheeled filing cabinet
...and anything else that I haven't listed that you have your eye on. (Although I do reserve the right to keep it :D )
My last day of work was Friday, 5.29. so the packing has frantically begun. I will accept any volunteers wishing to assist....
Chris has set up a local (well, for some people anyways) phone number for us through Skype that we will be using in Turkey. Please feel free to email either of us or call our current cell phones to get that number.
I still can't believe we're doing this.
Note: Crossed-out items have already been claimed. You snooze, you lose!
Black living room chair
Small Black Square Table
VCR
DVD player
1 Desk in the office
Large boombox
Small boombox
5 & 3 shelf bookcases
1 semi-working laptop
2 mosaic plant stands
Shredder
2 office chairs
3-in-1 printer
Table and 4 chairs (the old one, sorry guys!)
Microwave
Night Stand (1 drawer)
Toaster
Patio Chairs (4 + lounger)
Toaster Oven
TV stand
Mini Fridge
Single-room Humidifier
1 large Suitcase 70s style (total magnet for the opposite sex!)
Bike Rack for Car
Plastic/Tupperware containers
15 drinking glasses
Many Picture frames
Hot roller set
1 set towels
Candles
Nesting Shelves (2 sets of 3)
Wall Clocks
Over-the-door Shoe Rack
Seasonal Wreathes (4)
Stemware Racks
Xmas Paper
Gift Bags
Bread Box
Spice Rack
Large, sturdy folding table
Blue table lamp
Down comforter
Plastic wheeled filing cabinet
...and anything else that I haven't listed that you have your eye on. (Although I do reserve the right to keep it :D )
My last day of work was Friday, 5.29. so the packing has frantically begun. I will accept any volunteers wishing to assist....
Chris has set up a local (well, for some people anyways) phone number for us through Skype that we will be using in Turkey. Please feel free to email either of us or call our current cell phones to get that number.
I still can't believe we're doing this.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)