Murat and I returned from the most wonderful trip of the USA yesterday. We were completely exhausted and have been trying to recover with out too many effects from jet lag. In our month abroad we visited 8 states (WA, OR, CA, UT, ID, MT, WY, NY), saw almost all my family and many friends, and gained more pounds/kilos than we had expected (Yikes!). Here are a few pictures from our trip until I can organize and get the rest ready….:)

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of doing something new in Istanbul. Through the indispensable Sublime Portal, I joined a walking group (see the island walk a few posts back). We decided to walk along the Theodosian city wall, which dates back to the early 400’s, starting at Ayvansaray and ending at Yedikule. Most of the walk took place inside the walls, but we had to occasionally go outside the walls. There is no clearly marked path to follow and so we just did our best.

I met a fellow TSPer and we took the ferry from Kadıköy to Eminönü. Then we walked a few kilometers to Ayvansaray along the Haliç. There we met up with the rest of the group. I had met only a few of the people before, so it was great to make new friends. We cut through a beautiful mosque and started out on the outside of the walls. Very soon we were able to go back to the inside where things got interesting. Parts of the wall were closed, but others were wide open for anyone to climb up and walk around. In true Turkish style, there were no safety precautions in place (ie. hand rails, guard rails). The view from the top of the wall was breathtaking, and the day was gorgeous.

As we continued on we came to an area called Sulukule. This area is unique due to the Romani community who have lived there since the 11th century. The area used to be know as an entertainment hub where one could go and enjoy the lively Romani music and dancing. In 1992 the city forcibly shut down the entertainment industry there, and now the municipality of Istanbul and the Fatih district decided to gentrify the area and bulldoze the houses. As “compensation” they built apartment towers 40 kilometers outside the city that the Romani can relocate to. They conveniently forgot to setup any kind of transportation to link that area to Istanbul, which basically cuts off the community from Istanbul. The relocation is not free and though the Romani will be given a monthly stipend, it will be less than adequate for even paying the rent let alone feeding their families. I have begun to research this in earnest, and am currently working on a project that will hopefully help them in the long run. Here are some links to useful blogs/sites if you want to learn more: Diaries from Sulukule, Rroma, Campaign to save Sulukule, and Sulukule Günlüğü (mostly in Turkish but some English). When you get to the picture of Sulukule (below), the first four are from the internet since I was obviously not here before 1992 to take pictures of what it was like.

After Sulukule we headed on towards the end of our tour. There were lots of interesting new places and things to see. Along the southern portion of the wall is a farming area. I would guess it is set up by the municipality, but I am curious as to who they sell the produce to. Weekly bazaars? Supermarkets? Thinking about this made me realize I was so hungry, and I guess it did the same for everyone else. We reached the end of the wall and continued along the Marmara Sea until we got to an area full of restaurants. We picked one called Sarıgül, or Yellow Rose, that served fresh fish. We ate meze and fish to our hearts content and enjoyed each others company. After the late lunch we all parted ways for our return trips to whatever areas of the city we came from. It was a wonderful day and I would love to do the walk again anytime.

[Note] I tried to post the pictures in three different groups, but was not allowed to, so I should explain. The first nine photos are from the first part of the walk. The second group of nine are from Sulukule (the first four being from the internet). The last group of nine are from the part of the walk after Sulukule which finishes with our lunch spot. Hope you enjoy them!

My reading definitely picked up in the month of April and is still going strong. I finally got around to reading Parineeta by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. I have now read two of his short novels (including Devdas) and I would love to get my hands on more. Since he originally wrote in Bengali, and in the early 1900’s for that matter, not a lot has been translated. There is one collection printed in Britain, but it is scarce and pretty pricey. Parineeta was a happily-ever-after love story in contrast to the tragic love story in Devdas. My love for both books extends beyond the page because two of my all time favorite Bollywood film were based on them. I always recommend 2002 version of Devdas because it was the most visually stunning movie I had ever seen! The clothes, colors, dancing, settings, and music (not to mention Shah Rukh Khan *swoon*) were all so rich and intoxicating, I always have to catch my breath during the final scenes. It is just perfect! Back to Parineeta. The story is about two children who grow up as neighbors and best friends. They are from different castes and live completely different lives. During a very auspicious night something happens to change the nature of their relationship. Due to this change and misunderstandings, things to not get figured out for the couple for a few years. I definitely recommend this very short book to lovers on the film and people looking for something a little different from the usual. There is great insight into the lives of everyday people in Bengal during that time.

The next book I read was recommended to me by a friend before I moved to Turkey. I would have never picked it up on my own, but I was intrigued. Horror/fantasy writer (he created the Hellraiser stuff) Clive Barker wrote a young adult book? Now I am not a fan of his normally because I abhor disgusting and violent things. Scary and intense thrillers are great, but doing disturbing and gross things for shock value are entirely different. I had no idea what I expect but I loved, loved, LOVED The Thief of Always! Harvey Swick is a bored 10 year old who is invited to go stay at the Holiday House. This house is every child’s dream……until they try to leave. I do not want to say even one more thing except track this book down and read it. Awesome! I also read they are starting to adapt it to the big screen, so look for it in 2010. I am hoping against hope that they do not screw it up!

Then I read two back to back David Baldacci books, The Collectors and Stone Cold. These are the follow up books to The Camel Club. The were very good and you have to read them together. They are one big long story. They introduce a new character, Anabelle, who is the world’s best con-artist. After puling the biggest con ever in The Collectors, she has the casino boss hot on her trail. That does not get resolved until the end of Stone Cold. There are two other stories weaved into both books and lots of questions are answered. The Camel Club series is not as intense as the King and Maxwell series, but it definitely takes care of my espionage cravings

And finally, I just finished reading One True Theory of Love by Laura Fitzgerald. This book was an unexpected favorite for me. The main character, Meg, is a kindergarten teacher. I loved the  parts when she was in class and talking about her students. It was easy for me to relate to it. She is a single mother raising  the most wonderful kid, Henry. He gets in trouble and makes mistakes, but I loved this kid. Then she meets a very handsome Iranian-American, Ahmed, and Ms. Fitzgerald captures the couple’s chemistry perfectly. Not many authors have done that with out resorting to over the top sex scenes, but she does it with looks and body language. So much more exciting than getting right down to the dirty business. Every character is so well developed and memorable including the parents, sister, the Loop Group, and kindergartners, that you really love every single one. You will have to read it to find out what happens to Meg, Ahmed and Henry, and I promise you will not be disappointed in this book.

So that catches you all up on my 52 Books Challenge. I am currently reading Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. I will let you what my thoughts when I finish it, but so far so good…

I love Tarkan! He is on the list of my top five hottest celebrities, and the best Turkish pop star. I heard him for the first time in 2001, and have been a fan ever since. I own all his albums (even the awful English one) and have seen all his music videos. It has been my dream to see him in concert, and last Friday it cam true. Murat bought me tickets as a surprise, and we went with my friend Amanda and her friend Tuğrul. The concert was unbelievable! The were some minor problems with these two dumb girls who said we were “in their spot” (WHAT!?!), which they had vacated when they went to the toilet. There were also tons of really tall guys that were in our way part of the time. Other than that it was a perfect evening. He sang all my favorite songs like Hüp, Kuzu Kuzu, Şıkıdım, Şımarık, Bu Gece, Dudu, Dedikodu, Vay Anam Vay, and more! Here are some pictures from the concert….

I recently read The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. What a pleasure it was to read this book. All the characters were utterly memorable, colorful, and well written. A group of children are assembled, after passing some less than straightforward tests, and given the mission of saving the world. They all have different strengths and weaknesses, but all together they make the perfect team. The children are all orphans (in a way) and loneliness and the importance of family are themes that run throughout the book. It may be written for children and young adults, but I think most people would enjoy a weekend spent reading this book. The story was fun, the puzzles intriguing, and the ending….happy of course . There is a sequel out, but I will wait until it is in paperback to read it. 4.5/5

After 3 wonderful days visiting folks in WA, my mom and I flew down to CA. After waiting for a ridiculously long time at the rental car place (they tried to give us 2 cars that they had lost the keys to), we got our car and I drove to my dad and Terri’s house. We made a pit stop to In ‘N’ Out Burger on the way, and I had my hamburger animal style with no pickles *swoon*.

My mom headed to her friend’s house in Georgetown, and I got to see my other set of parents!!! We stayed up late into the night talking but thought we should get some sleep before our busy day. The next day I got to meet Hershey. He is the rescued horse that my parents took in. He is seven months old now but looks much smaller. He is so adorable and plays with a big fitness ball for fun. He kicks it and runs after it like any other football player . We also had the yummiest lunch at the South Pine Cafe. I had a nut burger *amazing* and split it with my dad who got the chipotle burger*spicy!*. I am excited to take Murat there this summer! We played with the horses, talked, watched a movie on TV, and did a little shopping. It was a lovely day. That evening I met up with my friends Jaron and Monica (who recently got ENGAGAED!!!!) and had a strawberry milkshake and fries with ranch at Denny’s (yummm…. comfort food). It was fun to catch up with each other.

The next day started with taking the horses out to Loomis Basin for a walk/run around. I really miss spending time with horses, and Terri is the best to do it with. She tells fabulous stories about her lifetime of horse adventures. Then it was time to good get ready to meet friends for a Turkish lunch at the Anatolian Table in Rocklin. For year (about six of them) I had whined about the lack of Turkish food in Northern California. I finally moved to Turkey and up pops a Turkish restaurant near to where I lived. And to make it more ironic, the owners are from the Kadikoy area of Istanbul! It is like we switched places in some Freaky Friday sort of way. It was wonderful to see some of my old Borders peeps (Dan, Monica, and Casey!), and the food was wonderful and made me feel right at home. The spices in my Adana kebap were fabulous and I really wanted to order a little of everything. I can not recommend this restaurant enough! Any of you who want to taste a little bit of the glorious food I get to eat on a regular basis should pop on by and say “merhaba’ for me. We stayed and chatted with Ertugrul and his wife Tugce, the owners/chefs, for long after the food was finished. Good company and good food are about the best combination I can think of. After lunch it was time for me to begin wedding festivities with Sarah, but that will be the next blog.

Now I leave you with a few photos (courtesy of Monica, thanks my dear)…

I finally went back to the US.  It had been over two years since I had left, and frankly, I was a little nervous.  What if I said things differently or spoke Turkish without thinking? I am happy to report that everything went very well on the outside, and all the weirdness was known only to myself.

“What weirdness” you might be wondering.  Well, every time I went anywhere I had to stop myself from saying kolay gelsin (may your work come easy to you) or hoş bulduk (I am welcomed) when I was greeted. When in restaurants, or walking on the street, it was strange to have the people around me speaking English when I have been surrounded by Turkish for two years. I think it is a hard feeling to fully realize unless you live somewhere foreign. It was strange to drive again as well, but pretty much like riding a bike. You don’t really forget how to do it .

I started my trip in WA. I arrived and headed for Taco Bell for some nachos and ROOT BEER! Man I love root beer and it is impossible to find. I sent the next few days visiting with my brother (who is so mature looking now, I can’t really describe it), my grandparents, mom, Bill, and the rest of my WA/OR family. We celebrated my grandpa’s 89th birthday too!

Stay tuned for more….

The last book I read was one I picked up right before my trip to the US for Sarah’s wedding (see the next few blogs for trip details and photos), Dancing With the Two-Headed Tigress by Tina Biswas.  I must say that is was a tad odd. I enjoyed the magical realism that was woven throughout the story but there was not a real feeling of conclusion. The basic story [in not very pc terms] is that a very chubby sheltered Indian girl whose terrible git of a father just keeled over one day is sent to stay with her relatives in the UK. She got out just in the nick or time because the pervy sweet shop owner was trying to fatten her up even more to be his very junior bride (ick!). The family in the UK has a similar aged envy-of-all daughter who is detestable in her treatment of her father and cousin.  She only loves her mother who similarly is not a nice person.  The only conclusion was that the UK father stopped caring about what his stupid wife and daughter thought and became a stronger character, and the chubby Indian girl got the self esteem she needed to go back to India and not marry the pervy sweet shop owner (who was after her mom while she was away!). I guess what I am trying to say is do not waste your time!

However I am reading a very lovely book now called The Mysterious Benedict Society. I am about 100 pages from the end so I will be writing  about it soon …

I apologize for being MIA recently but things have gotten so busy/crazy/insane around here! I am going to try to give a brief update of all that I have been up to. Here goes…

I decided to re-read The Little Prince as my first (and only) book of March. I just love the story and really do get more out of it every time I read it. This time I really loved the explanation of being “tamed”, and that when you “tame” something you are responsible for it. This was an aspect of the story that was totally lost on me as a child, but made far more sense now. I also got a kick out of the Turkish astronomer. No one took him seriously because of his funny hat (a fez). I have had very little time to read, but have been slowly working on a new David Baldacci. Maybe next week I will get to read more.

I joined a knitting group that meets twice a month here in Istanbul. We had seven ladies for our first meeting. They were all really neat and different from each other. Tomorrow is our second meeting and it looks to be growing already. I will post some pics from it (if I do not forget my camera again) and of my current knitting projects.

A few weeks back I found out about a forum for expats and repats living in Turkey called the Sublime Portal. It has been such a gem of a find. You can post a topic about where to find this or that, or really about anything, and you will get responses. I joined a walking group and our first trip was to the Prince’s Islands. I have been before, but the people in the group were fun and we did the long loop which I have never done before. After we had fresh fish and raki before heading back.

Also through The Sublime Portal (or TSP as us TSPers refer to it), I found out about the first Bollywood Night at the local Indian restaurant called Dubb. Needless to say, Murat and I were the first to RSVP. We dressed up and had a really fun time. They played my Bollywood music, had a dancer, and even some live Indian music. The food was spectacular anyway, but tasted even better since it was my first Indian food in TWO YEARS!

My old flatmate Tamara and her eight month old son Tao (Tay-o) came to stay for 4 days. It was so lovely to see her again and to meet Tao. He is so adorable and such a happy baby. All he did was smile and laugh the whole time. They were on their way to South Africa (where she is from) to visit her father and step-mom so they could meet the new grandson. I wish I could have spent more time with them, but work got in the way .

So that puts us up to date. In a week I will be in the US. I am really excited!!! My best friend is getting married and I will get to see my parents, brother, grandparents, and friends. Yipee!!! It doesn’t get any better than that. I may even have some good news of the professional kind, but that is all I will say right now. Here are some photos to enjoy….

I am currently reading more than a few books right now which really seems to slow down my reading. I will have to work on knocking a few of them off before I start my new stash of Baldacci’s (YAY!). This latest , With No One As Witness by Elizabeth George, was another crime/drama, mystery, serial killer novel. She is a British author and lets you know that from the first page. The book was full of British vocabulary and slang (bloody this and that buggering off together to have a nosh). I was not prepared for this since I have not really read much British writing after the 19th century. It really bothered me for the first 150 or so pages, but then I started to become indifferent to it and the story took over. It was quite interesting bringing in racial politics of England, profiling, psychology of a killer, but then it brought in child pornography towards the end and became a little disturbing.

Something else I did not realize when I started the book is that it features a team of detectives, Havers and Lynley, that have quite a long history together. This is actually the 12th book in the series of 14 so far. It is kind of like starting to watch 24 in the 4th season. There were so many characters from previous seasons who made appearances but you may not care as much about them. While the main story of  the novel was stand alone, there were many smaller story lines that were not as meaningful to me. Even when tragedy strikes “at home” for one of the main characters it did not affect me as much as perhaps a loyal reader. I was far more interested in the parts about finding the killer and wanted to skip the rest. I am not in a hurry to go back and read the previous books but maybe someday. I only recommend if you have read the rest of the series first.

In other news I got my bookmark from my Ravelry swap partner today(thanks again drie80!). It is absolutely gorgeous (photo below). It was my first swap and I loved it.  I am doing an Envelope swap this month as well (fill it in under $5). With Ravelry and Postcrossing I am getting a ton of mail these days from all over the world. I also received my wedding invitation from Sarah . I can not believe how soon my trip will be coming. It is so exciting! I wish it were longer, but duty calls at work. Murat is getting everything ready for his visa so I will keep you all posted on how that turns out. Well off to do my Turkish homework so I will be prepared for lessons tomorrow.