Merhaba!

This past week has flown by and I completely forgot to blog. Well, maybe I remembered but just chose to ignore it.

We made our move to the Hotel on Monday which is about a mile down the road from the Superdorm. The lobby of the hotel is very impressive. It has marble floors and chandeliers. However, it is a training school for hotel management so the rooms don't live up to the wonderful lobby, but the Hotel does boast a dependable wireless connection and complimentary breakfast! Zafer, a long time member of the Term in the Middle East Program, lectured on the Ottoman Empire. He is a very intelligent man, owning Turkey's largest personal library collection, but very disorganized in his lecturing. It was a very interesting topic, however, trying to decipher what it meant was another story. We enjoyed a night out at a Mexican Restaurant near our new hotel and it was delicious!! It was a taste of home in Istanbul! We also explored the nearby shopping mall, Akmerkez, that is full of internationally known clothing stores and a wonderful market where we bought lunch supplies at.

On Tuesday the Global Group joined us for class with Zafer. Another confusing lecture later we found ourselves on the bus to go to Dolumbache Palace. In the mid 1800s a new palace was constructed in a more Westernized Baroque and Rococo style. It was absolutely magnificent, if just a bit over the top, but as Sultan I suppose you can decorate your home however you want to . The harem wasn't as impressive as Topkapi's, but there was a cavernous ballroom that was incredible. We made our way across Istanbul back to the hotel to study for our test on the Ottoman Empire the next day. We had a relaxing evening trying to figure out what the Tanzimat Reform Period was.

On Wednesday after the test, which was surprisingly not too difficult, I decided it was getting time to do laundry. However, our hotel has only a very small sink and a shower so it was a bit of a difficult process to try and actually clean all of the clothing. Leaving it too soak in the sink for a while, we went out to Taksim, a bustling commercial street, for dinner. We went to a small restaurant where we enjoyed a wonderful meal and had the opportunity to watch people as the celebrated Iftar, the meal the breaks the Ramadan fast every day.

On Thursday after a class lecture on modern foreign policy in Turkey from a wonderful professor! It was incredibly interesting, with the only downside being we had a test on the information the next day already. We found a wonderful little ice-cream and cafe spot to study and had a relaxing evening as we tried to catch up on rest, an apparently impossible task on TIME.

Friday started off with class in the morning and a test in the afternoon. Three of us chose to go the track after class and get a quick workout in before it downpoured and it was nice to make use of the wonderful Bogacizi Universitisi track. We dined out that night at a nearby cafe, which has amazing corba (soup) and sen tost (a panini with chocolate, bananas, and chopped walnuts). It was also accompanied by a conversation with our waiter using only phrases from our Turkish phrase book, resulting in a conversation ranging from "Where can we go camping?" to "Do you have any pets?" Needless to say it was a very entertaining conversation.

On Saturday morning we went to a service at a Jewish Synagogue, Neve Shalom. The Synagogue had been bombed about 6 years ago and security to get into it was incredibly tight. Previous to arriving in Turkey, Barbara made reservations with the Synagogue. When we arrived we were called one at a time, by our passports (which they kept while we were in service) to go through a metal detector, have our bags searched, and have our cameras tested to make sure they were not explosive devices. In the service, women set separate from the men as usual, though we were the only women there, and we noticed that underneath every seat in the Synagogue were hardhats. We assumed these hardhats were filled with emergency supplies just in case another bombing were to occur. It was very strange to me to experience this kind of security in a religious place, especially in a country that has been noted for religious tolerance since the Ottoman Empire. After service we were invited to join them for an after-service meal that was delicious and just another sign of the hospitality that we have encountered here in Turkey. A group of us ventured to the Archaeology Museum after the service, where it torrentially down poured for quite sometime, causing us to venture back early to the hotel, with just a small stop at a pizzeria!

On Sunday, our one completely free day for the entirety of our stay in Turkey, we woke up early to go to English Catholic Mass in Taksim. It was a very interesting Catholic Service, where contemporary music was combined with Catholic Tradition and a variety of immigrant groups. It was nice to go to a service in a language that I understood, even though it was hard to hear the Priest. Sundays are also the day of the week in Istanbul when a wonderful artisans bazaar is open in Ortokoy, which is right on the Bosphorus. We explored and shopped in this area for quite sometime before returning to our hotel to do laundry, massive amounts of homework, and watch a movie.

About half the group woke up this morning, Monday morning, at 4:30 before the sunrise call to prayer to eat a quick breakfast before fasting today for Ramadan. It was a struggle to get up this early, but after some yogurt, cheese, bread, and about 2 liters of water, I wandered back to bed. However, the 2 liters of water that I had quickly consumed kept me up until we had to go to school this morning. Fasting has been okay so far today, mostly because the food and water I consumed this morning has tided me over until now. The vast majority of people are simply exhausted; I napped through our lunch hour today. The interesting aspect of Ramadan fasting is that nothing can pass your lips between sun up and sun down, meaning no water, a characteristic of fasting I have never before experienced. When the evening call to prayer happens, at about 7:30 in the evening, we will celebrate Iftar in a restaurant first eating dates to break fast and moving onto bread, lentil soup, salad, a main dish, and desert (it sounds so wonderful right now!!!)

I cannot believe we only have 3 more days in Istanbul before we leave for excursion in the countryside of Turkey! The time here has flown by! Tomorrow we are going to a Besiktas and Manchester United game in Turkey, which is going to be an incredible experience because soccer is a such a big sport in Europe. We are not allowed to bring anything that could be used as a projectile...just a tad scary!

Well I'm off to take a nap and celebrate Iftar!

Allahaismarladik

Whirlwind Adventure

This week has been amazingly busy, but so incredible!!!

We had class like normal and a test, which went very well.

Besides the academic portion of our trip (how important can that be??) we had ample time to explore the city this week!!

We went down to Eminonu, which is a part of the city located on the Golden Horn. It has extensive fishing and is located right next to the spice market. It was absolutely beautiful as the sun began to set over the water. Exploring the spice market was very...interesting. My favorite pickup line that we heard was "Does your father work on a sugar farm?" I was super confused so I said, "What?" To which he responded, "Because you are so sweet!" It was so funny!! The spice market is a very good place if you want to boost your self esteem!! However, after wandering for about an hour in the spice market we stopped at a small cafe outside for a small dinner (we avoided the scaley fish sandwiches...) The waiter brought us water but no menu. He offered us three different dishes and we ordered. However we were surprised when we got the check and it was 168 lira for six of us. Turns out he offered us the most expensive items on the menu... of course. Tourists can be pretty stupid...oops! It may have been worth it if the cats hadn't swarmed us during dinner... gross.

The next day, after our failed cultural encounter, as a group we took a tour of the Greek Patriarchate, the leading Orthodox (well, first among equals...aka the leading) Patriarchate in the world. It was a beautiful church and was interesting to see all of the relics they had. The iconostasis, the wall that separates the congregation from the holy area, was extremely elaborate and completely gilded in gold. They continue to use Byzantine chant in services that haven't changed in 100s of years. Exciting!

Our next cultural experience was visiting a Hamam, or Turkish Bath. The one we went to was in Taksim, a popular area of Istanbul. In a Turkish Bath you are in a steam room, all one gender, and they exfoliate, scrub, and massage you while you relax. It was wonderful. And nothing says group bonding like chatting naked for two hours. The bath left me feeling so clean and relaxed. The women at the bath seemed to excited to have us there and it was all around an enjoyable experience and not nearly as awkward as it would seem.

We came back to the superdorm to relax, drank really cheap and horrible wine (Turkey is not a good place for wine, perhaps because Islam prohibits drinking they don't put an emphasis on good alcohol...). We also tried to learn the dance to Beat It by Michael Jackson, but suprisingly, were not very good at it.

School the next day was a tad bit painful because I caught some sort of stomach bug, along with a few other people, and lecture was extremely boring. After a nap in the afternoon and a gazillion peptobismal I was feeling well enough to participate in the progressive dinner! Each room took a different portion of the meal (appetizers, fruit, drinks, entrees, etc.) and we moved from room to room for our evening meal. Yum! It was a fantastic evening despite the stomach troubles...

On Saturday we took the day off and relaxed at a beach in Sile. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and we laid on the beach, played in the Black Sea, and chatted for 6 hours. It was wonderful. However, despite applying sunscreen a number of times, many of us got burned. I'm pretty sure the Turkish were wondering if we had ever been outdoors before this because we are so pale in comparison...now we are just red....

On Sunday morning we went to service at the Greek Patriarchate which was interesting because we couldn't understand a word of what was being said. I was wondering if even their congregation could. However it was a beautiful service and very busy as people feel free to wander about during service in the Greek Orthodox Church.

After the service we wandered the city, successfully (!), to find the Chora Church which has some of the most amazing Byzantine mosaics in the world. I don't think I would ever have the patience for that...but it was great to look at it. We also toured the underground Cisterns and the Islamic Art Museum before returning to the Superdorm.

Ugh...long day! Dinner time now and packing to move to the hotel tomorrow morning...and journaling...and reading....oh, so much to do!!

Iyi Geceler

When I woke up this morning I was pretty sure the rain clouds were just another sign of the imminent doom that corresponded with my upcoming Turkish class. However, the test wasn't terribly bad and it is now over, hooray! Also the rain cooled down the heat and it is now a comfortable 73 degrees! Which was incredibly nice because we each carried 8 liters of water back from the store...much heavier than you would think.

Students have begun returning to Bogazici University today and it is an odd sight to see others in the dorm and on campus. Well, I'm off to study!

Allahaismarladik

These past few days have been long and tiring, but filled with amazing experiences!!

We began yesterday by touring part of the old city of Istanbul. Our first stop was Topkapi Palace, the home of the Sultans built in 1480. On display was a 84 carat diamond that was beautiful and the dagger used in the 1940s film Topkapi. Also, there was a collection of imperial clothing that oddly resembled Japanese Kimonos. We toured the harem where we learned about the three categories of women housed, favorites (ages 13-17), concubines (ages 17-25), and after age 25 there were the retired women that stayed on as servants. I felt very old; getting past my prime I suppose. Within the harem there was fierce competition to secure the Sultan appointment for your son. One woman killed 18 other boys in order for her son to become Sultan...

Our next stop was the Haya Sophia. Although under a lot of construction, it is still absolutely breathtaking!! It is such a wonder to see Christian and Islamic symbols together. It is hard to imagine the entire ceiling covered with mosaics at first, since they are now covered with Islamic Frescoes. While touring a local man asked if any of us had a Sony camera. His had broken previously so he just wanted to take a picture on his family in the Haya Sofia. I got to help him out!! It was really exciting and his son was absolutely adorable!!!

We also toured the Sultanahmet Cami (the Blue Mosque), where we were able to see a few locals praying since it is Ramadan this month. The square outside the mosque is an area that especially on Saturdays is a gathering place for Iftar (the daily breaking of the fast of Ramadan). The square became extremely busy as it approached sundown, but as the evening call to prayer began a silence fell over the crowd and even after people began to eat, the noise was much more diminished; a complete change in atmosphere.

After we walked around the old city enjoying the festive atmosphere of Iftar (think State Fair, except much more busy and sans food on a stick). Barbara and Bruce decided that it would be okay for us to attend Mosque at the Sultanahmet Cami and we snuck in with the locals to join the Saturday night prayer (about an hour). Although it was obvious that we were out of place, a few of the local women welcomed us and showed us how to participate in the service. It was incredible to witness prayer, something so personal, and also so community oriented because it is done in unison. The prayer was also extremely physical, a definite workout. I was really sweaty and hot afterwards, and a bit sore. It was unlike anything I have ever experienced and very moving to see how to participate in another kind of worship.

The taxi drive home was an experience in itself. I was pretty certain that I was going to die and we stopped abruptly and maneuvered into impossible spaces. Also, lanes do not seem to matter in Turkey. But we arrived successfully back at the Superdorm in one piece thankfully.

Today in Turkish Class we began to learn verbs. Ridiculous. Binnaz is an incredible instructor, however she expects us to memorize things as soon as she says them. This expectation combined with tiredness caused some hilarious moments today. Hopefully the test goes well in a few days.

Iyi geceler

Merhaba! (Hi in Turkish)

We arrived in Istanbul yesterday at 4 p.m. local time. The travel day went really well, long, but otherwise uneventful...which I suppose is good!

When we landed, we meandered through the crowded streets of Istanbul to the Superdorm. The traffic was absolutely insane; we may have hit a car, but we are not entirely positive. The Superdorm is one of the dorm buildings for Bogazici University in Istanbul. The accommodations are excellent, large lounge areas in the rooms with individual bedrooms attached! St. Olaf should look into mimicking this!

We headed out to dinner after we settled into our rooms. It was definitely an experience to order from an all Turkish menu, but the food was actually pretty good.

Today we had Turkish class. Turkish resembles absolutely nothing I have ever heard before!! It was so difficult to learn and we have a test in two days already. Although we spent about five hours learning it today, I still feel totally confused!!

A few of us explored the area near our hotel for dinner in the evening and found a wonderful small shop. I had a lovely meatball dish and they gave us free baklava!!! Yum!

So far Istanbul has been amazing, and although Turkish is difficult, it is going to be such an incredible experience here.

Well, I'm off to practice Turkish.

Iyi geceler (good night!)

First Blog!

This is my first blog that will follow my trip through Turkey, Morocco, and Egypt over the next three and half months!