Fun Filled Weekend

Yes ,I do realize that it is Tuesday but I have not had a chance to write about my great weekend. Friday was nice and relaxing. I only had one hour of class and then I had lunch with two girls who are in two of my classes and are very friendly. I can’t have a conversation with them however, as they have poor English and it takes a while to get a sentence out. Even though it is sometimes hard to communicate, I enjoy being with them. I decided to order in Friday night. There is this amazing website that shows all the places that deliver in my area. I can order pizza, burger, Chinese, Japanese, dessert and more. I tried to order Burger King as I thought that would be a fun experience. However after I placed my order, they called and told me (in broken English) my address was out of the area. So then I ordered Dominos and they delivered in about 15 minutes. It was quite tasty. I then had a Skype date with Darrell as it was our one year anniversary of dating. It was great seeing and hearing him even though Skype wasn’t working the best.

I got up early Saturday ready for a busy fun day. We were suppose to met at 8 but of course not everyone was on time and left at 8:30. It was a nice sized group of about eight students. We had several Turkish students, which would be very useful and a guy who knew the historical parts of where were going. We went to Kadikoy, got on the ferry and headed to the European side. We went to a restaurant where they sold the famous Turkey fish sandwich. I did not order one as I am not a fan of fish and had a chicken doner instead which is very tasty. However, I did try the fish sandwich and if I liked fish, it would have been much better!

We then went to the Spice or Egyptian Bazaar which was so awesome. It is a huge place with so many shops full of candy, food, clothes, souvenirs, ect. It was so much fun walk around and seeing all the shops. Though at some places, you could not stop as you would get run over! We would mostly stay in a group but sometimes had “free time” to go where we wanted. I ,of course had to buy some stuff. I got a really cute turtle ring that made me think of Beloit, some gifts and some Turkish Delights!

We stopped at a nice place and ate some dessert. I got Turkish Tea and Baklava with pistachios and it was so delicious! We then walked to the Galata Tower which was completed in 1348. We did not climb it as we had already done much walking but we did eat near the tower. It was a really cool restaurant and we relaxed after a busy day. We then walked to Taskim which is another district with many shops and attractions. By this point, we are all tired and had spent more then 12 hours together so we got a bus and headed home. I fell asleep on the bus for a few minutes and woke up with my friends taking pictures of me. It was a really great day spending it with my friends and just being crazy together.

Sunday I went shopping with another girl from Beloit and it was really fun. There is a very large mall only about a thirty minute bus ride from campus. We went into many stores as they were all having sales. We both got rainboots for only 20 Lira which is about 12 dollars. Mine, of course are purple. I got a few cute tops and she also did. We decided to eat McDonalds just to see if it tasted the same. The fries were about the same but the chicken nuggets were different and actually tasted better. We walked around more and then end the trip with a smoothie as a juice bar in the mall. My tasted just like Starbursts. It was really fun hanging out with Melissa and being able to have conversations without a language barrier.

These past few days I have been losing my voice which is pretty bad as you know I love to talk! Asude told me that ginger, lemon and honey helps so I went out today to try to find these items. I did have honey but I did not shut it well and the ants decided to enjoy it. I walked around were I live and I found lemon but could not find ginger. Go ahead, make ginger jokes ☺. I did try to explain about gingers, redheads, to Asude and I think she just found it weird. Anyway, I think tomorrow I will go to a shopping center to try to find ginger.

It was a great weekend and I look forward to this coming weekend as I am taking a trip to Cappadocia.

(Sorry about no pictures. It wouldn't let me upload them)

Fallen in Love

I knew it would happen sooner or later, I am in love in Turkey.

I have been here for about two and a half weeks and everyday I gain more knowledge and new experiences that just blow me away. Yesterday, as I did not have class, I wanted to go shopping. I got on the bus but I missed my stop due to the bus jammed full of people as I could not see my bus stop clearly. After I realized I missed my stop, I stayed on the bus all the way to Kadikoy. I decided to just walk by the ferry shore. It just took my breath away. It was a beautiful sunny day and looking out to the water was just amazing. I smiled as I walked and listened to my ipod. It was so peaceful.

I walked up and down the streets looking for places to stop. I have learned that I need to walk confidently and not make eye contact with store owners as they will yell at you to come into their shop as I look like a foreigner. I have seen corn cup stands several times since I have been here and being the Iowa girl I am, I had to try one. It was okay, not nearly as good as Iowa sweet corn, but it was still nice. I also stopped at a bakery for a tasty treat. It is always interesting going into shops by myself. Through pointing and my little Turkish and their little English, we can commutate. I ended up finding a Starbucks and decided to treat myself. I tried using my Starbucks gift card but it unfortunately did not work in Turkey which I figured. After I got my mocha frappuccino, I sat outside and read some homework. I was just so happy to be in Turkey.

That night, I went over to the head of the Sociology Departments house for dinner. I met him once before when he told one of my friends, who is also in Sociology, to see him. I had no idea what he wanted and it turns out, he just wanted to meet me and see how I was. It was so nice knowing that he cared about me. He invited three of students and I to his house. My friend Sasha and I went together. It was quite the journey. We took a bus from the university to Kadikoy and then from there had to take two different mini-buses to finally get to his area. He had given me directions earlier that day so I kind of knew where he lived. After asking several people and calling him, we got to his house. As we walked up the hill to his house, I looked to my right and was just blown away. The view was something that would be on a postcard. It was the Bosphorus Bridge lit up in blue lights and all the buildings on the European side with their lights on. I unfortunately did not have my camera but I will never get that picture out of my head.

It was a wonderful evening eating and chatting together. There were a few other people who work in the department and some spoke some English while some did not at all. We could still communicate and laughed a lot. The generosity of Turkish people is so wonderful. We had soup, salad, rice and fried chicken. And lots of cheese! I was very proud of myself for eating the salad as it had lots of tomatoes in it and I’m not a fan but I wanted to be a polite guest so I ate it all. It was nice eating something familiar like chicken and it was very tasty. I enjoyed the food but I enjoyed sitting around the table talking, laughing and getting to know each other more.

And that is how I fell in love with this amazing place called Turkey.

Enjoying my view at Starbucks

Corn stand. Yes it looks like corn on the cob!

My Adventures in Bursa!

Yesterday I went to Bursa with the Exchange Program and it was so much fun. We took a huge bus with about forty or so students. Thankfully it had plenty of leg room as it took about three hours to get to our first stop. However, first the bus went on a ferry which was really cool. We were able to get off the bus and hang around the ferry. Since it was quite chilly, I didn’t stay outside too long.

We arrived to Cumalikizik, which is a village that is close to Bursa and it is at the foot of Mount Uludağ. This villages’s history goes back to the Ottoman Empire foundational period. It was a nice little village where we had a traditional breakfast and it was so delicious! It had bread, several types of cheese, honey, olives, a red sauce with peppers and more. I really enjoyed a potato with cheese stuffed inside. And of course Turkish tea! People here drink so much tea. I do need a few sugar cubes before I can drink it. We had about a half an hour of free time after we ate. A group of us went a direction, which I’m not sure why as the shops were the other way. But we followed a Turkish student. We ended up going up and down very icy and hilly roads for twenty minutes. I did not fall though one of my friends did. It was just the beginning of an exciting and interesting day.

We then went to Yeşil Türbe, which means Green Tomb. It is a mausoleum for the fifth Ottoman Sultan, Mehmed I. It was a very beautiful inside with many patterns though it was much more blue then green. Our last stop was to Ulu Cami, which is the largest mosque in Bursa. All the women had to cover their hair and everyone had to take off their shoes. Thankfully my sweater had a hood on it. This mosque was huge and so beautiful. It had twenty domes in four rows of five. Thanks to my Islamic Art and Architecture class and Women and Gender in Islam at Beloit, I was able to appreciate this and the other mosques greatly. We then had time to walk around for about an hour. My group ended up walking to a mall and got Turkish ice cream. It was so delicious, one scoop dark chocolate and one scoop Turkish coffee.

We were doing well on time. It was about five thiry and we were suppose to be back at eight. We got on the road and it was great until all of a sudden we pulled off to the side of the road. I look outside and see smoke coming from the bus! I wasn’t alarmed but then all the Turkish guys went outside to check it out. They were going to fix the problem themselves with the bus driver. At first they said it was the heater but then I heard it was the engine. They eventually collected everyone’s water bottles to cool something off. They had to fix several pipes also. I still really don’t know what happened but it delayed us about three hours. On the bus I talked with a variety of people which was nice. Though I was getting quite tired as it had been a long day. We got going again and we then stopped for some food. We then got to the ferry but it took a very long time to get on it. We got one and I got a toasted sandwich with cheese and salami which was quite good. However, I started chocking. I was coughing for a good five minutes. My face was so hot and I had tears. Finally the piece of bread went down but it was a bit scary!

We finally got home about midnight. It was a really great trip and it was wonderful getting to know more people. There is a weekend trip to Cappadocia in a few weeks which I am also excited for. My experiences here has been so amazing and it has only been about two weeks!

Such a wonderful breakfast

Inside the Yeşil Türbe

Inside Ulu Cami

Friends and Ice Cream!

Live In The Moment

I have been thinking about this a lot the past few days. I need to enjoy what I am currently doing and not always want to be in the future. Not that I haven’t been enjoying my experience here but sometimes I think about the future a little too much. I do really miss my friends and being at Beloit. In four months I will be back in the States. Sometimes I catch myself wanted to just be four months for now or six when I will be back at Beloit.

It may sound crazy as I am in Turkey and should be living up everything here. I am really enjoying my time here but sometimes even when I am having a great experience, I think about what is ahead. I went to a welcome party for the Exchange students last night and while I was dancing I was thinking about being back at Beloit and dancing with all my friends.

I know it is okay to think about the future but I need to live today, for this chapter in my life.

Live neither in the past nor in the future, but let each day's work absorb your entire energies, and satisfy your wildest ambition. Sir William Osler

God is Ever-Present

Ever since I started the whole process of studying abroad, I prayed that it would be a wonderful experience and that I would know everything would be okay as God would always be with me. I prayed and trusted Him through the whole process. The night before I left, I poured my heart out to God and told him I was trusting him completely. I know I have said this to Him more times then I can count but I truly meant it. I told Him that He was in control and whatever happens is His Will.

As I was waiting for my plane in Des Moines and all the way until I landed in Istanbul, I had so many emotions that I could not even distinguish them all. I was beyond excited but also scared to death. God has been my comfort and my reassurance that everything would be okay. My first few days here were really rough. I questioned why I came and thought I would never get used to it. As I was alone in my dorm, I prayed so often. For Him to grant me peace and comfort though I was thousands of miles away from home.

Looking back on the last two weeks, there is no way I could have done it without God. Every step He has been there, guiding me and never letting me go. He calmed my nerves and let me know it was all okay. He led me to find an apartment right off campus with an extremely nice and helpful Turkish girl. He put people in my life that have now become my friends. He gave me the patience to figure out how to register for classes and not get frustrated with people not arriving on time.

I ran into an old friend of mine that I knew from a camp I used to work at in Nebraska in Istanbul. It was such a God thing. He brought us together and it was so nice seeing him as I felt alone and no knowing anyone. Just a few days ago, I went to register my phone and gave them my passport. Without realizing, I left my passport at the store. About twenty minutes later, a couple came up to me at the food court and told me I forgot it. This was a huge mall! I would have been in a lot of trouble but God was present. I was also able to witness to a new friend of mine. Some of my friends were going to an erotic shop while we were walking around Kadikoy but I told them I wasn’t going to go. One the way home, one of my friends asked me if I was religious and said that saying no stood out to her. It was something small but impactful.

There has been one song that has really helped me these past few weeks. It is called, “Already There” by Casting Crowns. It talks about how from my prospective, I have no idea where my life is going to take me or how my all my experiences will affect me. However, God already knows my story and I just need to trust. Part of the song goes:

“One day I’ll stand before You and look back on the life I’ve lived. I can’t wait to enjoy the view and see how all the pieces fit”

I believe everything happens for a reason and I do look forward to the day I can look back and see how pieces of my life fit.

I have already grown as a person here and I know that I will continue to grow. An example is that I have become more patient. I know, crazy! But instead of obsessing about how everyone in my class is late, I relax and know they will show up. It is also some nice God time. I always appreciate your thoughts and prayers and I know God is going to use me for great things.

A Simple But Meaningful Interaction

Yesterday morning as I was about to enter the campus, I bought a simit for breakfast. A simit is circular bread with sesame seeds and there are many stands all over where you can buy them. They are only one Lira, which is about fifty cents and a very common breakfast food. The conversation went like this:

Me: Merhaba (Hello)

Seller: Merhaba

Me: Bir (one) while pointing to the bread I wanted

Seller: Bir Lira (One Lira)

Me: Gave him a Lira and said Tesekkurler (Thanks)

Seller: Tesekkurler

It was so simple but I was so proud that I was able to communicate with him by using the very little Turkish I know. Sometimes I get frustrated, as many people here do not speak English even on campus. As I walked into campus, I smiled as I was starting to become much more comfortable here.

Fun Facts About Turkey

People here do not eat peanut butter. It took me several stores to find some and my Turkish flatmate has never eaten it.

The traffic is crazy! Taxis, buses and cars all are fighting for a lane. They are less then a few inches away from each other.

It is funny to be past a street with all Turkish names and then I see McDonalds or Burger King. Yesterday at the mall I saw Payless, Nike, KFC and many other American brands.

So many hills…

Nobody drinks skim milk! I’m going a little crazy. I bought some milk yesterday that said I believe is one percent. I will see how it tastes.

Pictures of Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, are everywhere! And nobody is allowed to say anything negative or you can get arrested. YouTube was banned for two years due to a negative video about him.

They have medal detectors at shopping malls.

They really don’t eat hummus.

Girls wear leggings as pants here just like in the US…

Hardly anyone has dryers so my clothes are all over my room for a day or more to dry.

Just like in the US, clothes in my size are hard to find. I tried on a really cute dress but it was way too short!

It rarely snows and when it does, everyone freaks out. They haven’t had as much snow as they have had in the past few weeks in more then four years. Honestly, it isn’t that much in my Midwest opinion.

Food is fairly cheap here.

They write the date before and month, today 13-2 and they use military time though they don’t call it that.

People are not on time. This morning, my professor was forty minutes late! I am a person who is always on time or early so this one is hard to swallow.

Everyone is so friendly. Two girls in my class this morning were talking to me and invited me to go to the European side of Istanbul with them on Friday. Their English is not very good but we still communicate and had fun at lunch today.

So now you know a little more about Turkey! :)

Traditional Turkish Dinner, Kadikoy and more!

This weekend has been full of so many new and exciting experiences. It started Friday morning when a friend and I went to Kadikoy to find a giant market. She found it in her guidebook and it said that it was on Tuesdays and Friday. However, we never found it. (Later she messaged me that we were in the wrong place). So then we just walked around for several hours. It is so amazing to walk the streets of Istanbul. So many shops and places to eat! We went to a little café where we had to look up the menu items with our phrasebooks. We probably looked ridiculous but it worked for us. Many restaurants have menus in English but not this one. I ordered and tomato soup-like meal with white beans in it. It was quite tasty. I also bought what I thought was peach tea but when I drank it this morning, it was apricot but it was also tasty. We also walked through a market with lots of fish. It did not smell the greatest. We stopped at a bakery for a tasty treat. However, I was expecting my treat to be sweet and it was not at all. But I have four months to try all sorts of Turkish deserts!

After my friend and I said goodbye, I took the bus back home. Then my flatmate and I and other friend went over to a friend’s house for dinner. The friend lives with a very traditional Muslim family. It was so cool to experience an evening with them. Some of the family spoke a little English but my Turkish friends translated for us. We had so much food. I understand what my friends who are in Senegal living with host families tell me about always being told to eat more! The first dish I did not care for all, yogurt soup. Yogurt is a very key food in Turkey but it isn’t the yogurt we think of. It is a very plain yogurt that they put on many foods. This yogurt soup was very watery and had rice. The second dish was Manti, which is very small dumplings mixed with a tomato sauce and of course, cover in yogurt. I actually had it a few days ago with my Turkish flatmate but this time it was homemade. It was pretty good though there was so much yogurt! The two other dishes were tastier for me. One had rice and the other had chickpeas and beef. Beef is the most common meat and no pork as most people are Muslim.

After supper, we all sat in the living room and talked while drinking Turkish tea. I have drunk so much tea here. I usually like it but sometimes I need several sugar cubes. It was so amazing looking around the room and seeing my friends from so many places. Holland, France, Japan, Czech Republic and, of course, Turkey. The father of the friend went around the room and asked each one of us questions about our country. My flatmamte was the translator. It was very interesting the questions he asked me. He asked about the imports/exports and was very curious about the divorce rate in America. It was so nice to be in an actual home. I talked a lot with this girl from Holland. She asked a lot about the USA and wondered if the movies and TV shows display America correctly. I told her how usually they exaggerate and not all Americans think and act like they do on TV.

Around eleven, people were talking about going to Kadikoy to hang out. At first I didn’t want to go as it was late but then I decided to as it was my first weekend with people and I love being with people. So we took a taxi as it was too late for buses. It was really fun just hanging out with people. I didn’t get home until 4:30 in the morning, which is crazy for me as I usually go to bed around midnight.

After sleeping until noon, I then got ready to meet a friend to walk to another friends house. We were planning on going to Kadikoy to go shopping and to get phones. Kadikoy, you see, is a very popular place on the Asian side of Istanbul. I didn’t want to pay a lot for a phone that I am just going to use for a few months so we went to a store where I bought a phone for 40 TL, which is about 23 dollars. It’s such a old phone and its just really funny looking but it does have purple and pink on it. Then I got a SIM card. I don’t really understand fully what it means but since I didn’t have my passport with me, I could not register it so I can’t use it. I now realize that your passport is very important here. So hopefully I can go to a mall on Tuesday as I have no classes and get it registered. Anyway, another fun time walking around Kadikoy with friends.

Then we hung out at a friend’s house and had supper. It was just wonderful hanging out with my friends. It is funny that I am the expert English speaker as I am a native. I am the one my friends ask how to say something in English or the correct grammar. It is like a big game of charades! It is hard to hang out with people as everyone lives somewhere else. It makes me miss Beloit as everyone is in a few minutes walk for each other so I really enjoyed our time together this weekend.

I have been in Turkey now for about a week and I have grown already. I will save that for another blog as this one is already very long. If you are still reading, thank you! And thank you for all your prayers. I really appreciate them.

Starting To Feel More Comfortable

I have been in Turkey for less then a week and I am already starting to understand more things and feel more comfortable. It is largely to the Turkish Students that are called Buddies that help out the International Students. They are so friendly and so very helpful. For example, today a Buddy and I went on a bus to try to get a phone for me. We went to a huge mall but all the phones are really expensive. There is a district called Kadikoy that has much cheaper phones and basically anything I need so I will have to go there soon. I am beginning to see what Kadikoy really is. In Turkey, there are many districts and Kadikoy is a popular place for college students. It is where many students live and there are great places to hang out I have heard.

I am still trying to figure out public transportation as being from Iowa, we just use cars. However, since Istanbul is so huge, it is much easier to travel by bus and trains, or a ferry to get to the European side. I know though that bus 19 will get me to the gate of the university! I am very happy that my apartment is only a two minute walk from campus. The people that live away from campus have to use the bus and it takes much more time.

I am really enjoying my new apartment. My flatmate is a Turkish student who also goes to Yeditepe. She is very nice and we have been helping each other learn each other’s language. I taught her pomegranate and she has taught me key phrases. The first night I didn’t sleep very well but that was expected. I do live somewhat near a mosque so I hear the Call to Prayer. However, I must have been really tired, as I didn’t hear it this morning. I have my own room with a bed, side table, another table that I can do homework on and a huge wardrobe that holds all my clothes and other random things I have. I did have to buy a blanket today as I have been cold at night.

It is interesting and funny to see how people react to snow. It has snowed off and on for a few weeks and it is so rare. It hasn’t snowed like this for about four years I have been told. Traffic slows way down and nobody wants to go anywhere. I actually really enjoyed walking in the snow today. It made me smile as it reminded me of home. All the people around me were either complaining or throwing snow at each other and I was just smiling to myself.

The campus is so much different from Beloit. It is much larger and the buildings are huge. They all have elevators. There is a student center that has so much in it! There are four restaurants, a little food store, a bank, barber, bookstore and a place to buy Yeditepe apparel. It also has a ATM which is handy. I have been learning how to convert Turkish Lira to US dollar. One lira is about fifty six cents. There are also dogs everywhere. I went from tons of squirrels at Beloit to many dogs. The dogs are really chill and people feed them

I went to my second class today, Social Problems in Turkey, and there were only four other students. I have been learning that most people do not attend the first week of class. It was the same way in the class yesterday, Gender in Society. Only ten people came but about forty people had signed up. I was expecting more people know English here. Though I did find out that this is a foundation school meaning that many of the people here are just learning English. There is a test that the students take to see how well they know English and then get put into one of the three tracks. Today in my Soc class, the professor was talking in English and then went to Turkish for a few sentences. I was already warned about this so I was prepared. It is just very interesting.

I just made my appointment from my residence permit. It is very strange as the earliest date is in April! But the important thing is that I now have an appointment. I do not understand the Turkish system and as everyone tells me, there is no system. I am getting used to everything not being organized of it all. Though I did by a planner yesterday as I like my life organized! My professor canceled class for tomorrow so I have a three day weekend. I am going on a tour of Istanbul on Saturday with International Club which will be great. But besides that, I am just going with the flow.

Orientation and Finding an Apartment Day!!

Wow! Let’s just say that today was crazy and had much information thrown at me! It was really fun though. Orientation went well and I sat by other people who are in the Fine Arts as they say. I am studying Sociology and the other people in my group mostly are studying either Sociology or Anthropology. I was given a packet at the door that had little packets about the university and the international club. Several different people spoke and there was also a slide show. It was a little crazy when they were talking about all the different appointments we needed to make for various items such as residence permits, bus passes, ect…

Thankfully, I was not at all the only one feeling that way as all the international students I talked to also felt overwhelmed with everything. We were given a tour of the school though it wasn’t like the tour I had in mind. We went to a few places but the questions I asked they didn’t know the answer. It made me miss giving tours at Beloit! After the tour, a group of girls and I went and ate on campus. The campus has so many places to eat but we choose the one where you don’t have to order. It is a long line and you just point to the food you want. It was great just sitting and eating with them.

After lunch, I went on the adventure of trying to figure out classes. I found out earlier today that registration is already over and I also told I need a username and password which I did not have. So I figured out where to find my username and password after asking several people. I then found my Sociology Advisor and I talked to him about classes. The plan is that I will go to the classes I choose and then in a few weeks is add/drop which is when I will add my classes. I already knew I wanted to take Social Problem in Turkey. I also wanted to take a history class but my advisor didn’t know anything about it so I had to search for the History Department. I then had to find a professor and ask him if that class I wanted, History of Turkish Republic, was in English and it wasn’t so then he showed me which classes were in English. So I will be taking Ottoman Civilization in Modern Period. I then went to the Turkish Department as I need to take Turkish or I will not survive! I thought because it was an English University mostly everyone would speak English. Wrong! Mostly all the staff speak only Turkish and most of the students will only speak English in the classroom. So I intend to hang out with the international students who speak English. Then the fourth class I will be taking is another Sociology class, Gender in Society.

I felt much better after I figured my classes out. I then went back to my room and started searching for apartment (flats as they call them) on Craigslist. I found several that looked good but one was searching for a female and it was right by campus. I emailed her and she replied right away so in less then an hour, I met her and went to the flat. It is a very simple apartment which is fine. I have my own room with a wardrobe. There is a bathroom, shower room and a small kitchen. It is also a very nice price. I am moving in tomorrow and I am quite excited. It will be nice to unpack and make it feel more like home. I am living with a Turkish girl who also attends my university.

I had my first Turkish tea since I have been here with her and it was tasty. I also had my first chocolate. The campus has a huge student center with shops such as a food store and bookstore. I went to the food store and saw so many things I had no idea what they were. I had to buy something so I bought this chocolate bar that was kind of like a Ho-Ho but it was a sponge like cake dipped in chocolate with some chocolate sauce in it at the top. It was quite tasty.

It has been so interesting hearing some people speak English with so many accents, from Poland, Germany, Holland, Russia and so many more. I found it funny when someone tonight told me they liked accent. Tonight, a huge group of international students and Turkish Students who help us (Buddys) hung out tonight and it was great. Everyone was so friendly.

Today made me feel so much better about my experience here. I’m looking forward to taking trips with the international group like this Saturday they are going on a tour of Istanbul, which I want to go on. I have learned so much already and I know I will continue to learn so much more.

First Adventure!

I am doing so much better then the past few days! Today a friend and I went to the European side of Istanbul and it was so wonderful. We went got on a bus this morning and after trying to explain in English to the driver we wanted to be taken to the ferry, we hoped that we would actually get there. Thankfully we did after being on a very small cramped bus for about forty minutes. We arrived at the ferry and once we got on it, we sat on the outside so we could see. It was so beautiful out and there was so much to see. I could see mosques in the distance and so many buildings.

Once we got to the European side, we just started walking. This girl, who is from Hungary, actually went there yesterday by herself and knew how to get to places. We walked around and it was just amazing. It really sunk it that I was in Turkey and I was excited for the first time in a few days. We went to a café and I got water (su) and she got a latte. Bottled water is very cheap and is sold all over the place. We then went back to the ferry to meet another girl who was from Germany.

Then we went to the Hagia Sophia and it was so amazing and beautiful. I took a class at Beloit called Islamic Art and Architecture and I learn about the Hagia Sophia so it was very cool to actually be there. I took many pictures that I will upload to Facebook very soon. I was just in awe of everything in it, the pictures, the dome and all the lights. I also saw the Blue Mosque but I will save going inside for another day.

When then went back to the same café as it was very well priced and ate. I had a toasted cheese and salami sandwich which was tasty. I haven’t been very adventurous with my food choice yet but I will soon. We got back on the ferry and went inside as it was getting chilly. Then we got on a much bigger bus and due to traffic, it took about an hour to get back. And now I am relaxing in my room. We walked around a lot so I am worn out.

I have learned quite a lot today just by interacting with Turkish people. I first learned that I do not blend in at all due to mostly the red hair and also being tall. I was stared at quite a bit today. And since I look so American, I was shouted a lot. A few samples,

“Are you taller then me. Come over here for us to find out”.

“Are you Charlie’s Angels”

Of course, all the people, which were all men, shouting wanted something from us, either to eat at their place or buy something from them. My friend from Hungary was scammed. This man with cleaning supplies walked past us and dropped his brush. My friend gave it back to him and as soon as he started to follow us, I knew it was a scam. He has her put her foot on this stool and he cleaned both her boots. As he was doing this, he talked in broken English about his young daughter who was in the hospital. After he was done, he wanted eight Turkish Lira but she only gave him one and then we walked away. I learned the skill of ignoring people very quickly.

Overall, the people are very nice and helpful. One lady came up to me while I was sitting on the bench and tried to talk to be in Turkish. I had no idea what she was saying but she was very nice. When I tried to get a bus pass, I didn’t know what to say so they young man behind me helped me out. It was a great feeling that they wanted to help me out.

A really amazing thing happened while I was out. I ran into a guy who I knew when I worked at Camp Rivercrest in Nebraska during the summers. He would be the speaker some weeks. Chris Clinchard is his name and he has been in Turkey for about a week or so. He contacted me the night I arrived but I had no idea how to get to the European side so I didn't think we would meet. Well today, after leaving the Hagia Sohpia, I heard my name. I turn around and there he was! I was walking outside of his hotel! What are the chances of a city of about fourteen million people we would see each other! It was great seeing him and of course we took pictures to prove it!

I am looking forward to Orientation tomorrow so I can meet more international students. It has been interesting talking to people who English isn’t their first language. I will say a word at times and then I have to explain it. Such as the word “awkward”, when I was talking about the awkward stairs at Beloit. I have learned a lot from others already and I’m looking forward to learning even more.

I know that was a lot of information! I am just very happy with how today went.

Here are two pictures. The first one is the outside of Hagia Sophia and the one that is pictured on all the postcards and guide books.

The second picture is my friends and I standing in front of the mosaic panel Deesis: Judgement Day. It is Jesus enthroned between the Virgin mary and St John the Baptist.

That is it for now!

I am finally in Turkey!!

I am currently sitting in my dorm room at Yeditepe as I am writing this and it is currently noonish on Saturday for anyone wondering. I am eight hours ahead of the Midwest.

I arrived to Istanbul yesterday and I was wiped. I started my adventure on Thursday morning has I was heading to the Des Moines Airport with my dad. I had already check in the night before and paid for my second bag (there was no way I was going to get everything in one!). Both my bags weighed 49 pounds each. I had spent many hours making them both under fifty! I flew from Des Moines to Minneapolis and that was a nice short flight and I sat by a nice man from the Texas area.

From Minneapolis I flew to Paris. That was a long 8 hour flight. Thankfully nobody sat next to me so I had more room but it still was not that comfortable. We had a snack and then they gave us dinner. Then due to the time change, they gave us breakfast a few hours later. My stomach started hurting on this flight as I was nervous, excited and my stomach did not handle the airplane food and traveling well. From Paris, I flew into Istanbul which was a three hours flight. By this time, I was ready to be landed and on solid ground! They served us lunch but it was raw fish and a few other foods I did not care for. I ate bread and the cheese.

I met up with this girl in the Paris airport who was also traveling to Istanbul to study abroad. She is my age and goes to a school around Beloit called St Olaf. It was great talking with her and after we had landed in Istanbul, we went through the airport together. We were both expecting a huge customs experience but we basically just walked through a door to the “meeting point”. This was a crazy as we walked out and there was so many people holding papers with people’s name of them. She found her person and I was waiting for a girl I meet on Facebook to go to the campus together. A guy from Beloit who is at Yeditepe both semesters saw me and greeted me as he was waiting for the two to people from my school to arrive. The three of them kindly waited for me to find my person. Then she and I went to a car and the driver was a friend of a friend of hers.

It took so very long to get to campus as there was so much traffic. Most people in Istanbul work on the European Side and live on the Asian Side so it took several hours. I was so tired by this point. I just wanted to sleep. Though I did look out the window most of the trip just trying to soak it all in. I saw many many buildings as Istanbul is so large. I laughed as the first song I heard on the radio was “Born This Way: by Lady Gaga. I also saw so many American fast food restaurants.

As we arrived to the campus after picking up another girl, I was surprised by the security as the gate. My campus is gated and has many security guards. I went to my dorm where I will be staying a few days until I find an apartment. Well for some reason, my name wasn’t on the list. Adding in that the women charge do not speak English made it ten times harder. I finally got into my dorm though from what I understand, I will be moving into a different room today. I was very overwhelmed last night. I was kind of glad I didn’t have a roommate so they wouldn’t see me freak out but also wished I had some company. I took a shower, which felt great after traveling. It had hot water but I had to hold the showerhead the whole time. It was also very hot in the room and couldn’t figure out how to turn it down

I am doing better today. I slept for about 11 hours which was highly needed but decided to wake up about 11 so my body would adjust to the time change better. I am going to adventure around the campus as there is a student center where I will eat and hopefully make some friends. I still feel overwhelmed and nervous but better then last night. It is great knowing I have so many people praying for me. I also love technology so I can connect with people back home and also people here. There is a Facebook page for internationals students and it nice to know I’m not the only one who feels the way I do. I do have internet in my room with a chord which is great. I am still trying to figure out converters and plug ins as they are different then in the States. I am being very careful not to blow anything out!

Also, I have to tell people I am from Chicago as nobody knows where Iowa is which makes sense. People are from all around the world and I Iook forward to meeting them all.

That is it for now. Time to explore campus.

PS. My Blogspot account is in Turkish currently so I need to figure out how to change it. Thankfully the important buttons are colored so I know which ones to press!