Dear readers,
I'm back in Ankara! I know it seems amazing, but I am again in a 4th floor room of the Niza Park Otel, one full year after this whole Yallah Yalova adventure began...and the great news? It's beginning again with me a litter wiser, a better Turkish stroller, -teacher, and -ayran-drinker, and an ex-pat more patient and experienced in the many forms and frustrations of foreign bureaucracy.
Colin and I arrived in Istanbul three days ago, on the 1st, after having a really nice week and a half in Chicago. While there, we went on a few good runs, saw lots of animals at the (free!) Lincoln Park Zoo, watched The Dark Knight Rises (Colin's new favorite film), had a few great beers and bbqs with Gene, and took a good trip out to Michigan City/Gary to see Judy and the old Haller homestead sites.
After arriving in Turkey, we had two busy days in Yalova together. We buzzed around town getting settled into the University guest house, buying necessities for that apartment, finding a cell phone for Colin, meeting with his potential future boss, seeing an apartment (we probably won't rent it), meeting up with Deven and the Dilko crew for a couple of meals, visiting Mustafa Bey and Hurriye Hanim, and popping in to see some of my colleagues in Karizma as well. Oof yah! Busy busy busy. Unfortunately, despite all this busy-ness, we didn't quite get Colin 100% settled into life in Yalova so he's working away settling himself in while I'm over here. *Everyone send him good vibes please!*
My trip to Ankara this morning was technically a good one. I made my ferry, my flight and had good taxi connections. The trip was made a bit less pleasant, though, because of some unexpected fees I accrued due to an apparently incomplete airline reservation.... I ended up having to buy my ticket to Ankara less than an hour before the plane took off. Needless to say, that ticket was more expensive than the one I thought I'd bought 2 weeks ago. Luckily for me, the Fulbright per diem that we received today will more than cover that expense.
It's so nice to be back in the company of Fulbrighters. Everyone is warm and friendly, a bit confused about what they got themselves into, and so eager to ask me millions of questions about my experience here last year. I am particularly pleased with the new Fulbright girls in Yalova--Mari, Sara and Danielle all seem really great: friendly, successful, enthusiastic, and full of questions. Inshallah, we'll all work well together all year long!
And now, I'm off to bed. I'm not completely adjusted to Turkish time yet, and it's about now-ish (after midnight) when I start to feel like I could stay awake for hours and hours more. Gotta nip that inclination in the bud.
Will write more soon! Kolay gelsin, arkadashlar!
I'm back in Ankara! I know it seems amazing, but I am again in a 4th floor room of the Niza Park Otel, one full year after this whole Yallah Yalova adventure began...and the great news? It's beginning again with me a litter wiser, a better Turkish stroller, -teacher, and -ayran-drinker, and an ex-pat more patient and experienced in the many forms and frustrations of foreign bureaucracy.
Colin and I arrived in Istanbul three days ago, on the 1st, after having a really nice week and a half in Chicago. While there, we went on a few good runs, saw lots of animals at the (free!) Lincoln Park Zoo, watched The Dark Knight Rises (Colin's new favorite film), had a few great beers and bbqs with Gene, and took a good trip out to Michigan City/Gary to see Judy and the old Haller homestead sites.
After arriving in Turkey, we had two busy days in Yalova together. We buzzed around town getting settled into the University guest house, buying necessities for that apartment, finding a cell phone for Colin, meeting with his potential future boss, seeing an apartment (we probably won't rent it), meeting up with Deven and the Dilko crew for a couple of meals, visiting Mustafa Bey and Hurriye Hanim, and popping in to see some of my colleagues in Karizma as well. Oof yah! Busy busy busy. Unfortunately, despite all this busy-ness, we didn't quite get Colin 100% settled into life in Yalova so he's working away settling himself in while I'm over here. *Everyone send him good vibes please!*
My trip to Ankara this morning was technically a good one. I made my ferry, my flight and had good taxi connections. The trip was made a bit less pleasant, though, because of some unexpected fees I accrued due to an apparently incomplete airline reservation.... I ended up having to buy my ticket to Ankara less than an hour before the plane took off. Needless to say, that ticket was more expensive than the one I thought I'd bought 2 weeks ago. Luckily for me, the Fulbright per diem that we received today will more than cover that expense.
It's so nice to be back in the company of Fulbrighters. Everyone is warm and friendly, a bit confused about what they got themselves into, and so eager to ask me millions of questions about my experience here last year. I am particularly pleased with the new Fulbright girls in Yalova--Mari, Sara and Danielle all seem really great: friendly, successful, enthusiastic, and full of questions. Inshallah, we'll all work well together all year long!
And now, I'm off to bed. I'm not completely adjusted to Turkish time yet, and it's about now-ish (after midnight) when I start to feel like I could stay awake for hours and hours more. Gotta nip that inclination in the bud.
Will write more soon! Kolay gelsin, arkadashlar!
Colin made it to Ankara, too! Here we are (blinded by the sun) at the Ankara citadel.
No comments:
Post a Comment