For Murat’s birthday I bought tickets to see Fenerbahçe take on Porto (of Portugal) in the qualifying round of the Euro Cup. We arrived early to get good seats and enjoy the excitement and rush you get from being around so many like minded individuals. Everyone excited for the match with sarı and lacivert (yellow and navy) running through their veins. We sat behind a very loud group of girls, with the loudest being their obvious ‘ringleader’. The team came out to practice and we had a great view of it. As the crowd did a particular player’s chant, that player would come and say thank you. I was a little sad to find out that my two favorite players, Lugano and Semih, were not going to be playing this match. The match started off well but, after two quick goals by Porto, a cloud of disappointment settled over the stadium. A goal by Kazim in the second half energized us and gave us a sliver of hope, but in the end we lost. Now our focus needs to be on just the Turkish Cup so we can be champions again!
In school this week we studied Italy. This was great since I had just been there and had millions of pictures and experiences to share about. I made a short slide show, brought in my Italian music, and taught my kids a little Italian (buon giorno, ciao, baci, grazie, come stai?, and molto bene). We made Venetian masks and had a Carnival party. Our parents sent pizza and parmesan cheese flavored chips. We made spaghetti, painted Italian flags, and the kids danced to classical opera, Dean Martin, and Tiziano Ferro. It was so wonderful. Next week was supposed to be about Canada, but I am an expert on America so we will do it instead. With everything in red, white, and blue these kids will not know what hit them 
).
I also wanted to mention something about the tragedy in India. I am sad to admit that I rarely read a newspaper these days, but when something big happens I usually hear about. My heart and prayers go out for the people who were terrorized, who were/are held hostage, and those who lost their lives. A few people have inquired as to how safe I feel here in Turkey, and the answer is very. From what I have gathered the attacks were politically related to the long lasting problems between India and Pakistan. The terrorist were asking for the release of mujahedeen being imprisoned in India. While they blatantly targeted foreigners at establishments that cater to them (three Turks were among the hostages as well), most of the dead were Indian. After two years in Turkey, I do not really frequent those kind of establishments anymore. The only place that might be dangerous is my church, but it is on the grounds of the Dutch consulate and might be difficult for folks to get into. I am not naive in thinking I am 100% safe here, but I am always alert to what is going on around me. No worries.
And finally….I have finished the final book of the Dark Tower series by Stephen King! I started listening to the audio books about four years ago. They were great time killers during my long commutes to and from work, university, and home. I had gotten to the 7th and final book before I moved to Turkey. I was half way through the audio tapes when I left. I purchased to book about six months later but only read a hundred pages before becoming bored. It was much easier to passively listen to the stories then to actively read them. I picked the book up three days ago and made the decision to finish once and for all. I finally did last night! The ending was interesting but I will only go into detail privately (in case someone cares to read it or is reading it). I usually hate this kind of ending in movies and the such because I find it pointless and a let down. This was the first and possibly only time I will agree with Stephen King that is was the only way the story could end. It was epic. It was long. It was tiring. And it is over, say thankya!
