Bursaspor v. Fenerbahçe 2

Alright. Wednesday night I went to the Bursaspor v. Fenerbahçe game for another wonderful experience with Turkish football! The game was crazy but so much fun!

Bursaspor v. Fenerbahçe

Amasya

This weekend I went for a wonderful get-a-way to...Amasya! A few friends and I hopped on a bus Friday night for a six hour bus ride to the north east. We simply walked around the city, climbed a mountain to see a castle, and ate some maraş dondurma. But I have to say one of the highlights was watching the Fenerbahçe vs. Galatasaray football game on the big screen T.V. at the hotel. There were a ton of people there to watch the game and they were separated: Fenerbahçe fans in one room, and Galatasaray fans in another. It was so intense. When Galatasaray won everybody ran out onto the street and I felt like all of the men from the city gathered with flares and flags to celebrate. People were driving up and down the street for hours, just honking their horns and yelling. It was quite the experience. The next day we hit the museums and had lunch by the river. It was so beautiful and exactly what I needed to recharge for the long week this week!

Duman Concert and Cino de Mardi Gras Ball

Duman concert at Mayfest on the Hacettepe University campus last Wednesday night! It was so nice to get off campus and go to a concert...even if I didn't know a single word!

I almost forgot! Last weekend the U.S. Embassy put on their annual Mardi Gras Ball, but it just so happened to be on Cinco de Mayo! So much fun. A great night with friends, good food, and lots of dancing!

 

Stradella's

I can't remember what standardized test it was, PSAT, SAT, maybe even something from grade school, but the essay question simply stumped me. It was something along the lines of “Where do you go when you need to be alone” or think or something similar to that. I thought immediately of a physical place: my bedroom. Not a very exciting child I guess. Some of my peers said their tree house, the beach, or a park. My teacher tried to explain that it didn't need to physically go to that location. This confused the heck out me.

Tomorrow I have a meeting with my administrators to “discuss two serious problems”

Anyone who knows me, knows that I don't handle confrontation very well. I tend to cry. Pathetic, I know. So needless to say, I've been stressing out about this for the past few days. To help myself calm down I have been practicing what I might say in front of the mirror. Guess what. I even cried talking to myself in the mirror! Majorly pathetic!

Anyways, the point of this is that as I was just trying to fall asleep without getting too worked up again, I (unintentionally) began to picture myself in a favorite place of mine: Stradella's. Stradella's is a little cafe that used to frequent on a daily basis in Aviano. I would just swing in, get a macchiato and fruit tart, and people watch or read my book for hours on end. It was my way of winding down after school or simply a way to clear my mind.

This week, with so many things floating around in my head, I desperately started wishing I could simply run away to Aviano, and specifically, Stradella's.  

 

 

Bursa

And so it begins! Now that I've finished this semester of sped. classes I took the opportunity to travel this weekend. First on the list was....BURSA!

We watched a football match, I went inside a mosque for the first time, and wandered around the bazaars. We ate. We walked. And I simply enjoyed experiencing Turkey. 

 wash your feet inside

  wash your feet outside

This was one of those restaurants that serves one thing and one thing only: Iskender Kebap. Meat over bread, tomato sauce, yogurt, and...melted butter! Below is the server pouring the butter on at the table! yummmm 

 

I loved getting out of Ankara for the weekend and getting to do what I really love. Bursa was beautiful and I can't wait to see more of Turkey!

Bitti

Done and done! This weekend I completed my first four classes towards my Sped. Certification. Two more and I'll be one step closer to the dream. Speaking of the dream, I just updated my DoDDS application because it is officially hiring season.

Saturday was another busy day at school, but this time it was for Council of International School training. It was a long day, but afterwards a good group of teachers all went out for dinner and I can't even begin to explain how nice it was just to relax and talk with some of the wonderful people I don't get to see very often. It was one of those moments that I looked around and was really happy with where I was. So many different people from all corners of the world and each of them bring so many different experiences to the table. We all looked over at the table next to us, and there was a group of Turkish children (seriously looked like some of them could've been 12) all drinking and smoking away. At first we were all horrified. It's unbelievable, and yet not surprising. This phrase has been getting a lot of use lately as I discover more about the Turkish culture and the school at which I'm working.

Without homework to worry about, at around 2:30 on Sunday I became sooooo bored! I can only sit on Pinterest for so long! I'm ready to get out and see more of Turkey!

Look who I found at the pet shop. I don't know... he's pretty cute! j/k

I just really get a kick out of how they really can't spell my name...ever! :)