Turkish Delights: January 2012

I am now starting my fifth month here in Istanbul and the question still arises, what are you doing here? I suppose that could be answered in any number of literal or philosophical ways, but the quickest answer is working on my dissertation. I do research. I sit in a study room or library all day reading and writing, cataloguing and browsing. And, most days, this makes me quite happy. But another important aspect of my experience here is that I want to have one...I want to say that I lived in Istanbul and I want to try to make a home here, however temporary that may be.

Most of you who know me, know that making Istanbul homey to me requires two things--1) getting into a routine (i.e. obsessively filling out a planner) and 2) Planning social events. I really like being active--as contradictory as it sounds, it helps me relax. And I have learned over the years that the best way to make sure that I am active is to take up the initiative myself. From my Scrabblennium New Year's party in high school to Midnight pick-up soccer, from pirate v. ninja costumed water balloon fights on excavations to a bacon-themed moving party (which included a marathon of Kevin Bacon movies), I sort have a knack for planning social activites. A skill set I have tried to carry with me to all the places I live (or stay for awhile) And, finally, after 5 months and multiple adventures in networking, meeting people, and organizing, I can say that Istanbul has become no different...and I couldn't be happier :)

So most days, Sunday through Friday, I go for a morning run along the Bosphorus with my fellow American fellow, Tera. Then I am in "the office" (which is what I call our study room--used only by the fellows and even then, only a few of us use it regularly) until dinner-ish time or so. I, of course, take a lunch break where I make myself some kind of salad and watch the previous night's episode of the Daily Show (you know, so I can keep up with American politics!).

My desk in the study room.

Classic 'Ann-touches= snowman, chapstick, tiny stapler. and Starbucks coffee mug.

Our study room overlooks Istiklal, so we get great views of the protests!

Lunch with Alanya avocados!

So maybe, not always a salad--that would just get too repetitive!

But at night, I've been trying to explore the city a little bit (as opposed to watching computer tv or subtitled Bones on my cable). Some nights I just head to my favorite coffee shop, Simdi, and enjoy a glass of wine; I've been reading some fiction works by the Turkish author, Orhan Pamuk. Very good. And, for fun, trying to keep up my Latin skillz by working on my own translation of Book 4 of the Aeneid--yes, for fun! But I also started taking Zumba classes at a Turkish dance studio and am thinking about helping out once a week with a production Rocky Horror Picture Show--they need somebody to help with costumes and choreographing the Time Warp :)

My coffee shop--I usually sit at the table on the left! It's quite Tazza Fresca, but they do give me potato chips when I order a drink!

Although there was a dry spell in the fall, my karaoke life has really started to pick up again as my go to Saturday night activity. I went last weekend and performed Ice, Ice Baby to raving applause. And am going to a friend's birthday tonight at a privately rented room for karaoke. In a couple of weeks I will be organizing a karaoke event for my Internations, ex-pat group. Who knows? Maybe by the time I leave, I'll have founded the National Karaoke League Istanbul Chapter (ps--if you are in Austin, register for NKL!!!)

At my favorite karaoke bar: My Moon

Natalie decided to go karaoking for her birthday confirming my decision to be friends with her :) [besides the fact she has the exact same sweater as me]

So excited cause I think my song is next!

Don't stop believing at the Korean karaoke bar

I haven't been able to find any country dancing here in Istanbul (despite the fact that cowboy boots are actually pretty common in various stores--yes, I will be buying a pair). So I've had to settle for swing dancing--which I love! Serendipitously my friend Aleksander and I came across this blues/swing group that meets at different lounges in the area for Wednesday open dance. So fun.

And just like in the states, I go shopping. Not only is Istiklal (the street that I live on) crowded with retail shops, but Istanbul is also filled with a number of huge, elaborately designed shopping malls. As much as I am not into malls, I do have to admit that the ones is Istanbul are incredibly impressive.

Cevahir shopping mall at Christmas time

Kanyon in January

Every other Thursday, I join a group ex-pats at the local Irish pub for some traditional pub quiz. My team actually won one week, but usually we finish in a strong 4th place :)

Alex and Guinness--typical members of the Zalpa Fire Team!

I also go out of my way (40 min cab ride) to drink a beer besides Efes. This is the sampler order from the local microbrewery, Taps: Hefeweizen, Pilsner, Caramel, and Marzen. So good.

But as most of you know, my go-to activity in the States is soccer (or football as they call it over here). I haven't been able to play as much as I would like here (I'm working on that), but we did have a fellows vs. staff match in November.

Zalpa Fire dominates (actually, we lost)

My main athletic activity these days is my running group, which I met through internations.org (a highly recommended, by me, website/social network for ex-pats living abroad; they also organize the pub quiz). My running group is made up of some truly amazing people--and probably some of the nicest, most-welcoming people I have ever met. Some locals, Americans, Italians, Croatians, Canadians, British, Belarusan, Russian and more. Every Saturday morning (at 8:30!), Tera and I get picked up by our friend, Emine, and head to the Belgrad Forest--a nature preserve at the northern end of town and one of the few places in Istanbul that the air is clean and you actually think for a moment that you are not in a city of 13 million people. In addition to hiking, biking, and more complicated trail runs, the forest has a fantastic 6k running path around a lake. The people from our group run, walk, jog in groups or solo and then we all meet at the finish.

Tera and I fight to finish!

The running group--the dirty dozen (more or less)

We even have 10 am birthday cake to celebrate Zuhtu's birthday!

I tell funny stories

But the real reason we all run....

Is because of brunch! After each run, we go to the coast of the Bosphorus (Bebek neighborhood), where there are a number of incredible waterfront cafes and restaurants that serve what I have come to determine is the greatest contribution of Turkish cuisine--breakfast!!! Plates of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, different types of cheeses and meats, baskets of bread, grilled Halloumi, well-cooked eggs with cheese (or other fixin's--omelets are big here). But the best thing is the bal kaymak (honey and cream). Amazingly fresh honey and cream spread over warm fresh bread. All washed down with cay (tea). So good. And yes, we have to run to justify this kind of wonderful, blissful consumption. It's a good scenario :)

Really going out to eat with friends is such a fabulous way to spend time. I love brunch with my running group, but I also have some other friends in town. I met two American girls here in town doing research for their dissertations (one, Naomi, on Byzantine and she's from California, the other, Yasemin works on 1920s Turkey and she's from Indiana--go Hoosiers!). As a side note--apparently, half of the Americans here are from Indiana; my count is at 6 people that I have met (and not through each other, through random events) from Indiana. I am so glad I brought my IU sweatshirt--instant friend-maker! Naomi, Yasemin, Tera and I started a language study group, getting together twice a week for two hours to work on our languages--I study Turkish on Tuesdays and translate Greek inscriptions on Friday. Plus each time, one of us picks a new cafe to try. They have a fabulous apartment in the neighborhood too, so this past Friday--Friday the 13th!-- we studied, ate delicious pizza (and prosciutto) and then went to the apartment, changed into pjs, and watched scary movies, made hot chocolate, and had home made chocolate chip and walnut cookies. Awesome night!

Yasemin and awesome coffee service at Big Chefs

Prosciutto and Melon at Miss Pizza

OMG--Friday the 13th is just full of girls with breast implants! It's terrifying!

Dancing with excitement over cookies, I think

Hot chocolate (with marshmallows) and raw cookie dough. Now that's service!

Tera getting comfy

When the cookies were served we all started singing God Bless America.

I'm eating a cookie smeared with raw cookie dough. I'm crazy.

Contemplating the genius of my new food combination

Puzzle much?

Action puzzle! Xtreme!!!

And then there's my tried and true social group here in Istanbul...My fellow fellows. We love to hang out together. When we venture out of the building, we love to eat and try new Meyhanes in the area (Turkish tapas bars)

Playing around with the decoration

We read our futures in coffee grounds :)

Dancing to the music

I also venture out with the fellows to other places...like the neighborhood of Ortakoy, a great little area of town around the first Bosphorus bridge. There are tons of street shops, hookah bars, pubs, restaurants, and cafes where you can play chess or rummikub. The area though is famous for their kumpir (baked potatoes stuffed to and beyond the brim with everything imaginable) and their waffle--treated like a burrito with every kind of syrup, fruit, nut, and candy piled on and then wrapped up.

Ortakoy and the Bosphorus Bridge

My potato

Orhan enjoying his concoction

The waffle stand

The finished product

And we even go out to clubs...

Bar 360 the night before New Years

But probably our favorite thing to do is throw parties!!! We have such an amazing social space in the RCAC building (and the cost of beverages at bars and restaurants can be a bit high) that it would be a shame not to make the most of it, so we try to have celebrations for every occasion.

HALLOWEEN

THANKSGIVING

AUSTRIAN BIRTHDAYS

Alex testing his famous Austrian punch. Delicious (the secret is rum!)

ITALIAN BIRTHDAYS

Giulio making his famous Italian campari cocktails

We always have a good spread

CHRISTMAS

Lemon mouse loves meat!

We had turkey!

And way too much other food!

Linen table cloths cause we are so classy

Setting up for the gift game!

Finger soccer (thanks mom for sending the game!)

Ridiculous game :)

And then there was New Year's...for this we totally did it up epic style. New Year's in Istanbul is insanity. And Istiklal becomes Bourbon street at Mardi Gras. It is at capacity and beyond and it is the place to be and the last place you want to be. Over priced drinks, ridiculous covers, way too crowded, not to mention the drunk people. So we opted to have a party in our building and invite our friends there--near the action, but safely above it and we can control the costs--so we bought lots of wine and champagne, made snacks (I made chicken wings), and had a stellar party-dance-playlist worked up (thanks to me--and everyone else who told me what music was good). Fellows, RCAC staff, and everyone's friends and family came--maybe 60 people--and all looked fabulous and had an amazing time. We ran up to the roof for the countdown and then popped champagne and toasted 2012 while looking through the fog at the lights of the Haghia Sophia. And yes, my immediate thought was--I am lucky. I am so lucky to be in Istanbul, to be with such a great group of people, just to be. Among all the random new year's resolutions I have fleetingly accumulated, I think the one that I will be most true to is to continue to appreciate all that I have and to make the most of it :)