Welcome to England

Well, I'm sitting in Yvonne's guest bedroom right now, thinking how awesome England is, and if it were just a bit more sunny, I would probably insist on living here. To recap the last few days:

Saturday, when we left Izmir, it was pouring rain and really quite horrid. We got to the airport, huge thanks to Pinar and her dad, and headed for the check-in line. Where we were told that our 10PM flight was delayed three hours. So we'd arrive in England at 3AM their time (5AM Turkey time). Not particularly happy news, especially when you take into account Izmir's airport: no bookstores, no magazine stands, just a couple cafe stands and a bar showing soccer. So we just sat and waiting, and people watched. This is also when we realized our flight was chock-full of babies and small children. Once on the plane, after about 20 minutes, the kid in the next row finally stopped screaming and thrashing around, and we were able to settle in for our four hour flight.

Arriving in England went smoothly, getting to our B&B was the same, although getting into the car with the steering on the right side threw us a bit. Our B&B was AWESOME, bed was so nice! It was actually getting light out when we finally crawled in (4:30AM) for about 3.5 hours of sleep. Then it was up, breakfast (real English breakfast, complete with coffee, tea, toast, eggs, tomatoes, ham, and sausage. omg. EVERYTHING looks better over pork products!), then back to the airport to catch our bus to Hereford.

Bus ride was normal, although long. But pretty comfortable and we saw some beautiful sites. England is really really pretty! Particularly the further west you get. It's very green with full-size trees and hedges along each property, as well as dividing fields and bordering the road. I have found that there is a reason English gardens are known world-wide.

Yvonne and Euan live in Eardisley, which is about 30 min from Hereford. It's a small but beautiful village, full of the famous black and white houses, one of which is their place. Although the doorways are a little short for Chris (he even managed to hit his shoulder on the stairway ceiling!), it's very fun to stay in a house that is centuries old! It used to be a forge, and there are pictures of it from the 19th century, as well as a sampling of the horseshoes that were made there. Because of its age, it's a little crooked and the floors are a little wavy, but it's all part of the fun! We'll try to get some pictures up on here at some point, as long as it's ok with Euan and Yvonne.

So, Monday we ran errands in Hereford as well as looking at their cathedral (which therefore qualifies it as a city instead of a town or village), the Mappa Mundi (a map c. 1300, the oldest medieval map still in existence), and the chained library (from the time where books were so valuable that they were all individually chained to the shelf). In between, we also grabbed a bite to eat (peppers, potatoes and goat cheese gratin) and stocked up on all the cheese that we have missed! That night we went out with Yvonne's family for Indian food. Mmmmm, how I have missed those flavors!!! Never fear though, we'll want to go out for much more Indian food when we get back home, so those of you who like it, be prepared!

Yesterday we headed to Hay-on-Wye, a town that straddles the border between England and Wales. It's world renowned Literary Festival begins in a few days, but we decided to beat the crowds and have a look around. A fun little village with massive numbers of bookshops, boutiques, gorgeous views, and fudge! When we came back, we tried all our cheese while we had tea. (Aren't you proud of my restraint, I waited a whole day!) We had Roquefort (my absolute new fav!), white cheddar, Red Leicester, Havarti, Swiss, a Hereford white cheese, and cream cheese with herbs and spices, all on crackers with locally-made chutneys. Bliss seems a bit of a weak word. How about nirvana? And it just got better. Yvonne cooked authentic ginger chicken with stir fry and rice, and we thought we'd died and gone to heaven. I watched her make it, and will attempt to re-create the experience once we're back home. However, I'm not at all confident it will be as good, especially since I don't own a wok, nor do I cook well on gas stoves (too clumsy with open flames). So we'll see. I'll pick some of you as guinea pigs to try it out on :)

Today is a chill day. We had some laundry to finish up, and a quiet day just doing not much sounded really good to both of us. Hopefully we'll get pictures posted soon so that you all can see how awesome this place is. And, just for Yvonne (who makes fun of our Americanisms), talk to you guys later! Miss you, dudes! It'll be awesome to see you all again!

The Neighborhood Association Meeting

"What?" you ask, "I didn't think they were organized enough for that."

Well, they're not. But sure enough, I witnessed one today. So, story time:

Remember that dog that earned my life-long hatred for interrupting my sleep awhile back? The one who barked and whined all through the night and made it impossible for me (and approx 40 other families in the vicinity) to get any rest? Well, they've been keeping it indoors more often, but as the weather has gotten warmer and we've started opening windows at night, they've decided it'd be a good idea to let the dog out again. And it hasn't gone mute yet. (Really, if it was human, it would have lost its voice looooong ago. Can anyone explain that to me? How do dogs bark constantly for hours without losing any decibels, but if we try to yell for hours on end, we eventually go hoarse?)

So, I was hanging laundry outside today, the dog was out, and it must have seen something, a fly, a piece of trash, who knows, but it went nuts, barking, yipping, generally freaking out. A lady on a balcony in the building across from this dog tried shushing it, which didn't really work. Then, apparently, the owner made an appearance, because then it was her turn to go nuts. She was explaining (from what I gathered, my Turkish really does suck) that she has a baby who is sleeping, but the dog's barking wakes it up, and can the owner please make it shut up?! Well, he took offense, and they were off.

Less than 5 minutes later, Chris and I (I had to run inside and tell him to start popcorn and then look out the window, this was entertaining!) are watching and we see someone's head poke out of their window, then they see what's happening, that the dog owner is outside, and they come out on the balcony and start yelling too. This attracts more neighbors, who do the same. Before we know it, there are 6 different apartments' residents hollering, pointing, gesturing, and fist-pounding at the dog owner, who is hollering, pointing, gesturing, and fist-pounding in return. Then I hear the neighbors upstairs get in on the action. Then the ones below us. Then I see people from other buildings come out, and they join in.

I believe when I finally collapsed on the couch laughing hysterically, there were five buildings represented, a dozen accusers, one defendant and his son (everybody brought their children out to watch the fun), and one dog, which, with all the commotion, started barking...

Whooo hooo, School's Out

For us, anyways :)

So, Chris and I will be coming home sooner than previously expected, everyone! YAY! We booked the tickets tonight for home for June 6. So exciting! Our new plan:

We fly out of Turkey on May 22 (holy crap that's coming up soon!) to London. We got a fabulous deal through Thomas Cook Airlines, but two downsides to that: 1) the baggage allowance is non-existent. literally. and 2) it arrives in London at 11:59PM. So we will be staying in a B&B for that night, then taking a bus to Hereford to visit Yvonne. Awesome girl, she's letting us stay for a week and showing us around England. After staying with her for a bit and relaxing (and catching up on gossip, of course!), as well as stocking up on pork, cheese, and good English ale, we're planning on renting a car to drive up through England toward Hadrian's Wall and Scotland, just taking our time and lots of pictures.

Next stop will be Edinburgh, Scotland, for a couple or few days, depending on funds and time. I'm really excited to see Edinburgh, it sounds so pretty and we have so many fun things that we're going to try and see. I'm sure we'll be blogging about it later.

After Edinburgh, we'll fly to Dublin on June 5 just for one night, mostly because we can't afford to stay any longer, but it'll give us time to at least see downtown for one day. We'll do Ireland right when we have more time and money. June 6 we fly out and we'll be in Chicago a little after 3PM! wow.

So, hope to see everyone soon after we get back and get on American time! And aren't you all proud of how short this is?!

Things that Shock Us Every Time

Following in a similar vein to the post from a couple months ago when I detailed (in excruciating detail) the things that amused us in Turkey, this post will have some overlap, some areas which probably warrant their own post, and some things that you'll find boring. If you're not turned off yet, well, just wait :)

1. Turkish Driving

Now, I realize that I have whined and complained about this before. But I really do feel that it needs to be brought up again. I will try to be quick. First, I would never ever consider driving in the city here. I would kill/maim too many people/cats/numberous non-moving objects. Second, I believe in stopping at red lights. Doing so here is a great way to cause an accident. As is staying in 1 lane, not straddling the line. Third, I can't parallel park to save my life. Even in the US spots, which are generous enough for everyone's Hummer. Let alone the space only large enough to squeeze your car in and not leave enough room for people to walk beween bumper of either your car and the car in front of you, OR your car and the car behind you. I also am not a fan of double, let alone triple parking. Fourth, I would feel bad if I hit someone. Which I'm sure I would do. But I would also stop and feel incredibly guilty. Not keep driving without a second glance, figuring if they're in the road, they were asking for it. Even if it was a crosswalk. And they had the green light. And I had just run a red one (see reason number one above).

2. How many small family businesses there are

And how few large ones. Semis aren't really seen much around here, and I have been told that that is because there aren't that many large corporations that ship enough stuff to have need for semis. Things are changing gradually, and you are seeing more corporations coming in, like Kipa (owned by Tesco, a British company), Ikea (designer prices there, NOT the cheap place we're used to!), Marks & Spencer (another British company that is discount there, brand name here), etc. But for now, the clear majority of businesses are owned by a single family or a partnership.

3. How many of the SAME small businesses there are

Chris and I were walking along Betonyol the other day and were noticing, once again, how many of the same businesses there are. For example, our friend, Erol, owns a cell phone shop. In this shop he sells cell phones, refill cards for minutes on your phone, accessories, etc. When we (and I mean Chris) asked him the other day how business was going, he replied that he worked a lot, but still had no money. Çok iş, para yok. It's no wonder, considering there are 3 other cell phone shops exactly like his in a half mile stretch... The average street in Turkey is composed of apartments/flats on the upper floors, and businesses on the ground levels. These businesses will be eczane (drugstores), cell phone shops, bakal (convenience stores), bedding/furniture/appliance stores, and perhaps an electric or plumbing place, and some pide or döner restaurants. Thats about it. And they just repeat over and over again. All offering the same goods and services, but somehow they all manage to stay in business AND on good terms with each other. Quite remarkable.

4. How much Turks love children

In the US, if someone came up and starting touching your baby, most of you would instinctively jerk him/her away (or at least want to) and wonder what was going on with this person. When we board airplanes, we breathe a sigh of relief if that mother with the shrieking child walks past you toward the back of the plane (at least I do). Here, not at all. People get very happy when someone gets on a bus or ferry with a child, and they enjoy playing with the child, passing them around, etc. And the mothers like the fact that people are enjoying her baby. Along those same lines, if someone's child is misbehaving and the parents aren't looking, the neighborhood people feel free to yell at the naughty child, who actually pays attention and obeys!

Now, on the other hand, this also leads to children growing up pampered and being used to adults doing everything for them. Maturity tends to be delayed, and they don't have a concept about how to budget money, or even what things are worth. But enough on that, I'll save that rant for later.

5. How the country still functions despite complete unorganization and lack of preparation

Not for us. But Turks have perfected this art. This is one where I can't explain the concept, this is one that you must experience. But only if you have a lot of patience, or a lot of Xanax.

6. Fresh food and for cheap!

I know we've told you before about how cheap food is here. fresh baked bread: $.35, 4 lbs of fresh strawberries, $2.50, fresh farm tomatoes, 2 lbs, $.75. It gets ridiculous. And we're loving it! Although it sometimes saddens me to throw out chicken that is only 3 days old and has been refrigerated, I also know then that it didn't have a billion preservatives in it. And ground meat actually has a fresh flavor, probably because they grind it while you watch. You pick out which pieces of meat you want, and then they grind it for you. So none of that sneakiness of wrapping old, browned meat in freshly-ground red meat and selling it as fresh. Everything is so fresh, and because the growing season is so long, we've been eating fresh fruit and vegetables for a month now. Food is a beautiful thing.

7. Speaking of food, the lack of ethnic foods

For a country that is known as the country that connects the East and West, you'd think there'd be a lot of fusion restaurants, ethnic foods, etc, right? Wrong. Restaurant food here is very homogeneous, although very delicious as well. But all the same. You have your pide, kebap, lahmacun, çorba, mezes, börek, gözleme, köfte, and a few others, but to be honest, that's about it. Chris and I came up with our list of restaurants and foods we want when we come home. Frighteningly, we had the same ones. In the same order.

1. Indian food. Chicken Korma, then Butter Chicken, both with large amounts of naan and mango lassis.
2. Vitale's Pizza. With pork products.
3. Thai food. Pad Thai
4. Bonefish Grill, Bang Bang Shrimp

And after that, we don't care. Maybe we'll start back with number one again...

8. How expensive alcohol is

A bottle of Baileys is over 50TL, which is about $35. For one, regular-size bottle. Malibu Rum, which you can get for what, $10? Here, double that. I'm not exaggerating. A normal Chilean Sauvignon Blanc is 30Tl, or $20. (In the US, it'd be closer to $12-$15). Now, I'm sure you're thinking, "Well Barb, that's not THAT much more expensive..." but don't forget, the income here is much much less than in the US, so when you make something more expensive in the US, and then consider that a good income is around $1200 a month for a person, NOW you see why my eyebrows raise whenever I see the prices.

Which is why I've begun drinking beer. It's still gross, people, and I can't imagine actually WANTING to drink it, but so much more reasonably priced!

9. How expensive owning a car is

First, getting a car is expensive. Not so much the prices, but the taxes you have to pay on them. For Turks to get a car, the taxes in the price make a simple car about 2x-3x more expensive than in the US. If they want to pay US prices and import it, depending on engine size, they have to pay an import tax of up to 100% (maybe more, I can't remember, do you, Chris?) the value of the car. That isn't even including the shipping costs!

Then, taxes on the car. Holy crap.

Next, inspection is required every 2 years, I believe. On some larger cars, it's required every year. This is also not cheap.

Then we come to fuel. The average price here is around 3TL ($2). Not bad, right? Except that that is for a liter. Multiply that by 4, and you have the price per gallon. Ouch.

And did I mention there's no parking? Parking structures, or even lots, are very new developments here, and haven't made it to most areas. Meaning people park wherever they can, including sidewalks (where they exist). The city has started making curbs very high, planting trees, putting concrete posts or other decorative things on sidewalks to prevent people from parking on them.

And yet, because owning a car is a great status, a majority of people have one. And those who don't are saving for one.

10. Exactly how many people you can fit on a bus

A lot. Sardines have more room than we do sometimes on those buses. Often during rush hour, there is no need to hold on to anything, because we're packing in so tightly that you can't move, even to fall down. I've given away a lot of my personal space, and basically have no problem until I can't breathe because of all the people around me pressing in. Now think of this in summer, 100 degrees out, no AC on the bus, and very few baths taken that morning. I'm so glad we're coming home!!!!

If I've forgotten any, I'll try to add them later. For now, looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Odds and Ends

I love doing postings like this, since I can be unorganized and discombobulated without having to feel bad: it's in the nature of postings with a title like this.

So, first, I guess some reasonably big news: Chris and I have decided that when we come back to the US, it will be a little more permanent than just a visit. I know, I know, it wasn't too long ago that I told you all that we were staying overseas another year, but I like changing my mind. So here is the current plan (also subject to change, of course):
We will come back this summer. I will work part-time while I crank out my master's degree in Library Science. Chris will finance said degree (the usual MO for us). Not sure where we'll live during this time, pretty much wherever Chris gets a job (and that is warm, I have gotten used to Izmir weather!). My program is online, so I can do it anywhere. After getting my degree, and a job in which I have summers off, we will live off my income, bank Chris', and then in the summers, travel on his money for 1.5-2 months. This way, we don't have to deal with bureaucracy stuff like residence permits, work permits, sponsorship, health insurance, banking, buying furniture for apartments, etc. And we'll actually get to travel, instead of living overseas and working all the time (that was Chris this year, not me). So this is our plan. However, if things don't work with this plan, we're keeping our options open as far as living overseas again. Who knows.

Other news:

The weather is FREAKING awesome! Low- to mid-70s and sunny everyday. We have been opening our windows everyday for some fresh sea air, and waiting for buses is actually rather nice now. Getting ON said buses is a little less fun, since they're roasting and stinky with a billion people packed on, but the waiting is nice, and usually we spend more time waiting for the bus than actually on it. This weather also means my students have been canceling in droves. I have two consistent students now, and that's about it. Which actually works well, since I quit my job...This is my last week. Then it'll be on to packing and getting ready to come home. A task that is a lot easier moving TO the USA instead of out of it...

Traveling and Trips:

Yesterday we went out to Yeni Foça to visit our friend Alis. For a place that's only about 40 miles away, it certainly took us long enough to get there! (I'm really really looking forward to having a car again!) First, we needed to get to the Otogar, our nemesis location in Izmir. It's from the Otogar that buses leave for all over the country, anywhere you could possibly want to go. However, it is a little in the middle of nowhere. Only a few buses go there, and not frequently (every half hour), it's not within walking distance of a metro stop, and basically just not fun to get to. I may have whined about it after our first trip to Ephesus, when we paid like 40TL for a cab ride out there...

Anyways, so we wanted to take the 54 bus that would get us there, but since we have to take another bus to even get to the 54 bus stop, we missed it. So before we got to the Otogar, we had to take a bus, the metro, then a taxi, all to get on another bus. Whew! However, once we got there, oh my....

Beautiful, peaceful, calm, serene...the list of positive adjectives could go on and on. You've seen the pictures from Çeşme, right? Well, Yeni Foça looks a lot like that only less developed and far less pretentious. A little more our speed (except maybe the pretentious part :D ) Alis' parents have a place that has a great sea view and a wrap-around veranda, which we sat on while sipping drinks, talking, and relaxing in the sun. Her parents also prepared us a HUGE meal, so good! We had köfte, marinated chicken, baked potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, all on a charcoal grill, AND side dishes as well as dessert afterwards! My stomach hurt for HOURS later because of eating so much! We also went for a quick drive around the bay, and Chris took pictures. Maybe he'll post them.

Getting back was another experience. But 3 hours after we left Alis', we were back home! AND we caught the 54 bus :)

We're hoping to get to Cappadocia before we go, all depends on timing. Cappadocia is another place that's not the easiest to get to. No train going there, you kind of have to go by bus. Another trip to the Otogar in our future? But our list of places that we really want to see before we come home is much longer than the number of weekends that we have left. And many of these sites, Cappadocia included, need longer than a weekend, since it takes at least a day of traveling to get there. So if we go, we'll keep you updated.

I think that's about it, everyone! Looking forward to seeing you all in a couple months!

* hugs

Selçuk and Ephesus

Here are the pictures from our trip to Selçuk and Ephesus.

Selçuk and Ephesus

Ephesus, Take 2

Since our last experience of Ephesus was in 100+ degree weather, several buses and taxis, and hoards of tourists, we thought we'd try something new and go when it was cooler, take the train, and avoid the crowds. Turns out, that was a brilliant experiment! (I will try to keep all of the minute details to myself and just give you an idea of our brilliance. But don't hold your breath.)

Chris had a day off *gasp* on Friday, so we got up, took the bus to the train station, and $6 were on the train for the hour ride to Selçuk, the town closest to Ephesus. Pleasant and cheap transportation, it doesn't get better than that! Our hotel was a 2-3 minute walk from the train station, so that was convenient as well. Right after checking in, we headed for St. John's Basilica and the Castle/Citadel on the hill.

St. John's Basilica was built by Justinian in the 6th century over the tomb believed to be St. John and in place of the more modest church that was already there. The Basilica was in the shape of a cross with the tomb in the center where the cross intersects. It is perched on a hill, just below the castle, and has magnificent views of Selçuk, Ephesus, the temple of Artemis (or what remains of it anyways-more on that later) and Isa Bey Mosque. It is considered a holy site, and thousands have made a pillgrimage there, including a Pope in 1967. We took lots of pictures, you can see those later.

At the bottom of the hill is Isa Bey Mosque. After interrupting (accidently!) two teenagers "talking" behind the mosque, Chris went in to take pictures while I stayed outside because I had forgotten anything to cover my head. Soon this man approached me and asked why didn't I go in? Before I could even respond, he told me that head covering wasn't a problem, shoes weren't a problem, come in! He then introduced himself as the imam of that mosque (!) for 25 years (he's now retired) and said he would give me a tour. So in we went, met up with Chris, who was coming out, and got a special presentation. Later, Mustafa wrote our names in calligraphy and told us to come and see him if we needed anything else while we were there. What an absolutely wonderful man!

So, yours truly was hungry by this point. (I know, what a surprise, right?) We walked for a bit and stumbled upon the restaurant that had been rated #2 on tripadvisor.com for places to eat in Selçuk, Mehmet and Ali Baba Kebab House. One of my students had also recommended it. The owner, Mehmet, was absolutely awesome, and although they had a very limited menu, it was divine! We ordered gözleme, chicken kebaps, and köfte. YUM! Afterwards, we ended up staying and chatting for a couple hours while drinking numerous cups of tea.

We were pretty tired afterwards, so we went back to the hotel and took a nap. We woke up hungry.

Dinner was at Ejder Restaurant, just down the street from our hotel. The owner, also Mehmet, does all of his cooking from fresh ingredients and cooks them over charcoal while we watch. Chris had adana kebap, I had suşi kebap, and we both had mercimek (lentil) soup. That was honestly the best mercimek soup I've had yet! Mehmet said it was "Mommy soup" and I believe him! He introduced me to eating green chilis along with the soup, as well as raw onion, green chilis, and bread together. We had a really great time in a lovely atmosphere, and I think I'm doing pretty good for not going on too much about the food, yes?

The next day we had intended to go to Ephesus, but when we were at breakfast, the owners of the hotel (brothers) told us they were planning a special luncheon for their mother, and would love it if we joined them. Because it was right in the middle of the day, that put a crimp in our Ephesus plans, but because Ephesus would be there tomorrow and this luncheon was a one-time thing, we put it off until Sunday and went to the Ephesus museum instead.

Wow. Some awesome stuff. Look at the pictures.

We also stopped by the market that they have every Saturday. Basically a huge bazaar, spread out and nice and airy. I like the Hatay bazaar, but I must say, this one was awesome. Bigger, more space, fewer people, more stuff. It had it all.

Lunch at Mehmet #1's again. More gözleme. More chatting. I liked him better and better, he's hysterical. When we left, a street vendor had started to do an impromptu demonstration of his vegetable slicer, and was attracting all the neighbors! Mehmet just sat back and grinned.

So, we went back to the hotel to go to this luncheon. When we got there, people were milling around, but no one seemed to be eating, so I figured we must have come late, although that didn't seem to be a problem. Jimmy, one of the brothers, got us a plate of food, sat us down, and then wandered off to talk with his family. We began to realize that we were the only hotel guests there, the only ones eating, and I started to feel a little awkward. But that was NOTHING compared to how I felt when one of the women in the other part of the room suddenly decided it was time to pray. Women covered their heads, and ten minutes later they were still going as Chris and I stared at each other and whispered, "Should we finish the food? Should we leave? What should we do? What is going on?" When it appeared that it wasn't going to end anytime soon, we quietly snuck away. After getting down 1 flight of stairs, I busted up.

Nap time again.

Then dinner time. And it was time for round 2 at Mehmet #2's restaurant. (Hey, he had a huge menu and we weren't finished trying new stuff! Or finished with with that divine soup.) This time, Chris ordered the suşi kebap and I ordered the mixed grill, which consisted of lamb cutlets, beef kebap, chicken kebap, and a small steak. Just as we were settling in and talking, two couples came in. When you're used to being the only ones in the restaurants, it can be surprising to realize that there are more people in the town! They turned out to be from the US and one couple was celebrating their 25th anniversary, so we got to celebrate with them. Mehmet even ordered (in secret, of course) a cake with their names on it, and picked some flowers from his garden out front. We all had a wonderful time and exchanged contact information. (After this trip, I came to the conclusion that Chris and I need business cards.)

Wine on the rooftop terrace, pictures and chatting with Jimmy some more, and then off to bed!

Ephesus is MUCH cooler (literally and figuratively) in the spring before the tourists come than in late July and early August! *Note: the sun is still lethal though- I have a crazy sunburn, and it's only March! This must be a record!* We had time to wander and see things we hadn't the energy or stamina to before, and this time we had enough money to pay the extra entrance fee and see the terrace houses. SO WORTH IT! That was, by far, Chris' favorite part, and probably mine too. While we were there, we met another American who is living in Ankara at the moment. We followed him around for the rest of our time there, bugging him to take pictures for us. Gene was a good sport though, and when we found out we were on the train together on the way back to Izmir, he put on a good face. Maybe he's just a good faker?

Train trip back was more crowded, and then we thought we were in the right place for our return bus (right across the street from where it dropped us off, yeah?) but apparently it takes a different route back, so we ended up taking a cab. Not the best ending, but a great trip. And now that we know Selçuk is only an hour away by train and we know people there, I have a feeling that we will be going down there for the weekend more frequently.

So, my post is only short story length, not novel. Progress is good.

Chris, if I've forgotten anything, feel free to add it in. But in your own post, this one needs to stay the length that it is, otherwise it'll be novel length as usual :)