Monday in Istanbul

Almost six days have gone by here in Istanbul. While it has been filled with new words, new food, and a new language, it has been a very nice transition. I now have a lovely roomate from Germany (I was getting a little lonely in the dorm), have become familiar with a couple Turkish words, and know where the grocery store is. I have a phone, know where I can get internet access, and have completed the pre-registration process. Now onto the important stuff.

Istanbul: Lovely. While it is packed with cars and more apartment buildings than I have ever seen, it seems to all just flow very nicely together. We have an incredible view of the Bosphorus from our university campus (Boğaziçi) and what I have seen from the bus rides that I have taken, this just might be one perfect place to live for five months.

People: The Turkish people are so wonderful. Friendly, caring, hospitable, and just plain beautiful. I have met such lovely individuals and cannot wait to meet more! I am here at Boğaziçi University with a fellow CSUS classmate (Rebecca Adler) and am so very grateful to have someone to bounce things off of. She is living in a swanky apartment about 30 minutes away from the campus and the bus ride to her area is so easy/relaxing. She also lives right next to Europe's largest shopping mall (Cevahir)which is an added bonus! In addition, my first roomie showed up today from Germany! She is friendly, fashionable, and well, awesome. Very grateful for her as well!

Food: So far, I have tried a very small percentage of what Turkey has to offer, but it has been quite delicious if I may say so myself. A little meat, a little chicken, some nice salads, and some amazing desserts. I have made a pact with myself to try anything and everything, and so far, it has been a very good thing. Along with the food choices, there are also a wide variety of drink options: tea, tea and some more tea. I love çay! (I tried the Turkish kahve....not for me).

Turkish Language: I really, really, really want to pick up a decent amount of Turkish!! I have been working hard to study up and master the -uh and -ew sounds found so often in Turkish, and hopefully, I will soon recognize a few words here and there. For now, it is "hello", "thank you" and "one tea please."

The sights of Istanbul: Rebecca and I had the opportunity to visit Hagia Sofia the other day and just as would be imagined, it was quite spectacular. The history here is unbelievable and we have only begun to skim the surface. Next on the list: Sultanahmet. Topkapı Palace.

I am so very excited for the months to come here in Istanbul. What a wonderful place to study the English language! A big "THANK YOU!" goes out to Kristina Kellermann for all of the tips, cool stuff, and friendly support!