"Türkçe bilmiyorum" and other observations

If you tell someone, whether it be your old cranky neighbor, a shop assistant, or some guy in the street, "Türkçe bilmiyorum," which means "I don't know Turkish," they automatically assume that you must be lying since you knew enough Turkish to say "I dont know Turkish" in Turkish.

I guess I am lying a little bit. I definitely do know enough Turkish to get by and enough to have a conversation with them. But, for instance, last year I didn't know enough and people still said the same thing.

They can't seem to grasp that foreigners might just memorize a few phrases to throw out here and there when necessary.

Also, I have had numerous people argue with me when I say "Türkçe bilmiyorum." "Bilmiyorsan abla?" (You don't speak Turkish sister?) Maybe it's because I look Turkish. Maybe it's because I seem to be the #1 person to ask for directions in every neighborhood. Maybe it's because even though Istanbul is billed as a "cosmopolitan" city, it's really not..

I have recently started to answer their questions. Give them directions. But they either get frustrated and walk away or find their "friend who speaks English" (aka he knows like 5 sentences) to translate.

Other observations:

It has suddenly become summer. It will take a while to get used to the lack of air conditioning pretty much everywhere and sweating non-stop again.

2. Guess what the current favorite game of the neighborhood kids is? Kick the soccer ball at: a) cars b) satellite dishes c) window grills or d) all of the above. You guessed it, D. Ooh, they just hit my window grill. Twice.

3. I had some other observations but I forgot them...

I'll post the next set of pictures this weekend.

Cranky

I'm cranky.

My water turned brown WHILE I was showering. Complete with dirt particles. Awesome. It's still brown 10 hours later. So I can't wash the dirt off nor can I wash the growing pile of dishes nor can I make anything for dinner that involves water.

I locked myself out today. Couldn't even use my spare key since I left the key in the door inside my apartment. Paid 25 lira to get it out. It took the guy 2 seconds to do it. I should become a locksmith.

I took the wrong bus to Turkish class. The taxi driver didn't listen to my directions.

And I have 3 8am classes on my schedule now. Finishing at 8pm every night. I knew it was coming, but really 8am? Is that necessary? Can people actually learn at that hour? I am SO NOT a morning person.

Also one of the students starts on Monday at 8am which is a holiday for everyone else but my stupid school.

Ugh. Gonna lay on the couch and wait for "clean" water.

Cappadocia

Last week, my mom and I visited Cappadocia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in central Anatolia (central Turkey). Here is a map of Göreme, where we stayed.
View Larger Map

According to the UNESCO website,

"In a spectacular landscape, entirely sculpted by erosion, the Göreme valley and its surroundings contain rock-hewn sanctuaries that provide unique evidence of Byzantine art in the post-Iconoclastic period. Dwellings, troglodyte villages and underground towns – the remains of a traditional human habitat dating back to the 4th century – can also be seen there."

Probably a much better summary than I could write. It was truly an amazing place. The spectacular landscapes, the hundreds of churches filled with paintings, the "fairy chimneys." It was definitely one of the best places I've visited and I've posted some pictures below. Unfortunately, I wasn't really able to capture the true beauty of Cappadocia with my camera.





This is in Göreme Open Air Museum. Inside that cave is an awesome church from around the 13th century.










This is a view of the town of Göreme. Many people still live in those caves today.










In a different area of Cappadocia. You may recognize this picture from the 4th (?) Star Wars movie as they filmed a fight (?) scene here.











And finally, my favorite place. Selime Monastary. It is the biggest rock-cut monastery of Cappadocia with a cathedral sized church. It was carved by the monks in the 13th century and has a kitchen and school as well as some other rooms. A few frescoes still remain and you can barely make out Jesus in one of them.





Ok, I have over 700 photos so I am going to post a few pictures at a time. Note: if you have subscribed via e-mail you may need to visit the actual webpage to see the pictures.

Next stop: Efes.

mayhem on May Day

As all access to Taksim (5 minutes from where I live and a main transport hub on the European side of Istanbul) was basically forbidden or blocked off by tanks and cops with machine guns, I chose to take a different route to work and luckily everything went very smoothly. The roads were empty and it's quite possible I made it to work in record time.

However, not everyone was as lucky. There were about 200 policemen at the end of my street in riot gear and 1 tank. Early in the morning, I read reports of people throwing Molotov cocktails and bricks. Newspapers reported that over 1000 people were arrested or detained.

A bunch of teachers got caught in the tear gas/water cannon cross fire. Two teachers even had tear gas in their apartment!

Workers' unions had had plans to march to Taksim and protest there, but this was banned by the government. Eventually they abandoned their efforts and things calmed down.

May 1 is a holiday in most of Europe, but not Turkey. It seems that the government went through extraordinary measures in attempts to control the places people could access yesterday and how they could access them. Wouldn't it have been better had the allowed a peaceful march and provided security for that instead of encouraging people to hate the police more than they already do? (In Turkey, being a police officer is not seen as a good career. When I tell people my sister wants to be a police officer the first thing they ask is why.)

It seems the ruling AKP tried to use May 1 to exert their power (or lack thereof). There is currently a case pending in the Constitutional Court which aims to outlaw the AKP for being "anti-secular."

One union leader expressed his worry that the AKP is only concerned about one freedom - that of allowing girls wearing the türban (a style of headscarf) to attend university. While I am also concerned about that freedom, I'm also concerned about democracy and the right of people to peacefully march and protest, especially on a day like May 1. Not to mention, the connection between many recent events and the "Deep State." (more to come on this later)

Anyway, tomorrow my mom is arriving and we are heading out to Cappadocia on Monday and then the Aegean coast. I'll be back next weekend.

Until then...

May 1

Tomorrow is May 1 which means nothing in the US. May Day? Huh? What's that? But here in Istanbul, it's "Workers Day," a day on which, of course, everyone has to work! But it is also a day marred by violence (in 1977 30 people were kill when a riot broke out between protesters and the police).

As one English-language newspaper put it today "Mayday or May Day" in Taksim (the main square on the European side).

As a result, the government tries to prevent the same thing from happening again. Putting up signs about protests is illegal. Protesting is illegal. And preparation is intense to say the least.

This afternoon as I left for work they were already putting up barricades everywhere in Taksim square in attempt to control the flow of pedestrian traffic.

In order to control other types of traffic, transportation will basically become impossible after 7:30am.

No ferries.
No metro (you can use it starting 2 stops after Taksim - there are 6 stops total)
No tram
No funicular
No buses stopping in Taksim (a major bus station)
The 2 inter-continental bridges will only have 1 lane of traffic open

I guess they just want everyone to stay home. Unfortunately, most of us still have to get to work somehow.

Normally, I take the Metro to work. Tomorrow I plan on walking a good deal of the way - maybe a 1 hour walk.

In attempt to avoid the traffic (good luck!), Vodafone will open a half hour early and close a half hour early.

But I'm sure this is a problem which cannot be avoided.

I'll let you know how it goes.

The differences between Turkish and British customer service

Example 1: My mom and I are flying Onur Air from Izmir to Istanbul. I made an online reservation a few weeks ago. The flight cost about 70 ytl ($55 USD) for a 1 hour, 1-way flight, including tax. We then decided to change the time of the flight. S called Onur Air and within 3 minutes we had our new time and paid (I know this will be hard to believe) NOTHING to change the time.

Had we wanted to change the date, we also would have paid NOTHING. We didn't have a special ticket, we had a normal one. And we paid nothing. And it took about 3 minutes and 1 phone call.

Example 2: I was scheduled to fly home for Sadie's wedding on July 23 (this was the second half of a round trip ticket I purchased with British Airways in September). After she changed her wedding date to July 26, I needed to change my ticket.

I tried about 5 times over the past 2 weeks to change my ticket online like you are supposedly allowed to do. Every time I received an error message instructing me to call my booking agent. Today, I finally gave up and called them.

First, I called customer service. The sickeningly polite British woman informed me that to change my SHEDyule I would have to pay a $200 fee (which is stupid but I understand it's the rule), the change in fare difference (stupid), and a $20 service fee.

She continued rambling on about my SHEDyule when I interrupted her to ask what the $20 service fee was for. She explained that they charge $20 for changes/bookings done by phone.

I had already explained to her about the website told me to call them. I asked her if she could waive the fee since I was unable to make the changes online and I was instructed to call her. She said that she could not, but if I called "online technical support" they might be able to.

So I sat on the phone with my new friend Ruth (the name didn't really fit with her Indian accent) while she tried to find the problem. She couldn't figure it out (after putting me on hold for about 8 minutes), but could help me with the flight schedules on July 21. I choose one and she put me on hold for about 10 minutes.

She came back to explain that she couldn't give me the exact difference in fares but that I was welcome to call back in 3 days to find it out then.

Wait a minute, I thought. You work for BRITISH AIRWAYS but you don't know what the fares are????

I asked her politely if she could please tell me the fare. She said that because my flight was so far in advance (3 months), that their policy was to QUEUE my request. AKA wait for a few days so that the ticket prices go up even more.

I again said I wanted to know the fare. Again, she puts me on hold for 8 or so minutes. When she comes back, she magically knew the fare information! A $200 penalty plus a $159 change in fare. Sweet. I put the reservation on hold to think it over.

I was on the phone with BA from 7:40pm-8:11pm. That's 31 minutes. S was on the phone with Onur Air for a maximum of 3 minutes.

BA wants to charge me a total of $359 (or $379 with their dumb fee) to change a flight 2 days. Onur Air charged me nothing.

Don't even get me started on my 1800Contacts phone call as well...

Week in Review

It was another week of barely working. However, it looks like this was the last week of barely working as my schedule for next week is a bit fuller and includes my favorite - Friday morning 8 a.m. lessons! Awesome.

Monday was excellent. It was pretty warm - maybe 75°F - and S and I had a nice breakfast outside near the water. We did some shopping and visited Yeni Cami, a mosque I had seen and walked past a million times but never actually went into.

Some interesting observations: A man wearing a kufi (a skull cap worn by the companions of Muhammed) ran out of the mosque to answer his cell phone. A 5 year old boy sitting next to me was playing with his toy machine gun while his mother was praying, shooting at people around him.

The weather was so strange this week. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (? don't remmeber) were hot (75°F-85°F) and sunny. Since Thursday, it's been "chilly" - in the 50s. Today it's rainy, dreary, and cold. But next week should be back to normal, in the 60s and sunny.

We desperately need rain though, or we are facing another summer of no water. I have about 8 jug of water stockpiled in my bathroom (had to use one last night). Which is worse, no electricity or no water?

I went for my check-up last weekend and my doctor said that my eyes were healing nicely and he sees no need for an enhancement at this time. So, that means my vision is perfect! To think, 5 weeks ago I couldn't read the computer screen without glasses and now I can see everything! I'll have another check-up in a few months to check again.

I'm looking for some new music recommendations. Anything. (Not rap). Please leave your suggestions in the comments or e-mail me.

I had a bunch of things I wanted to write about but I forgot. I guess I'll have to start keeping a list.

Oh, it seems that if I post a video or a link, you have to actually visit my website to view it - you cannot see it in your e-mail.

As a "normal person"

I must say that "An Engineer's Guide to Cats" is maybe one of the funniest things I've seen in a while. Maybe I need to get out more. Maybe I need to talk about cats less. My student had to make a sentence using "my teacher" and "like". His result was "My teacher like cat." Hmm.

Anyway, PLEASE watch this video, especially if you are a) a cat liker/lover b) an engineer or c) both

And maybe I'll write something more substantial later.

Thanks

Thanks to those of you who commented and e-mailed about my last post. I promise that I will reply to everyone, I just haven't been in the e-mailing mood lately. I'm trying to empty my inbox so that it is more tolerable (I've gone from 800+ e-mails in my inbox - mostly read - to only 60). 60 is much more tolerable but right now I just don't want to deal with any of them.

My schedule is so light this week. S asked if I had a real job. It doesn't seem like it this week, or the past few weeks, but I'm sure it will return to normal sometime. As long as I keep getting paid, I'm happy!

The power keeps going out. Last night when I walked home the streets were dark and crowded. Shopkeepers were lurking in their doorways, selling candles, and kids were playing in the streets. Housewives were peering out the windows, wondering when it would return. I REALLY wanted to take a shower but couldn't. I was lucky enough to have 60% of my battery left so I watched Lost and ate some lovely dolmas from S's mom.

This morning it was out again, leading me to wonder how the summer will be here. I have enough water stockpiled to flush the toilet when the water goes out, but maybe should I get some more food that doesn't require cooking? There is always takeout I guess...

Spring is really here. The temperature is fluctuating between a bit too warm for spring and a bit too cool for spring. But the daffodils are almost gone as are the tulips. Turks are still bundled up in their winter coats and wool sweaters while I am trying not to sweat in my t-shirts.

Ok, off to do my regular 2 hours of work. I've been working 12 hours weeks. This week is shaping up to be a 8, possibly 10 hour week. Life is good.

Coincidental and unexpected and expected

Things seem to be coming together. In strange ways. Coincidental and unexpected and expected.

A slightly different approach is maybe the reason I came to Turkey. Or maybe, more accurately, the reason I stayed. Something was missing from my life in the US but I couldn't figure out what it was.

Living abroad, living away from everything that you know, living away from your family and friends, living in a different culture, forces you to look inside yourself. It forces you to get to know yourself better. It forces you to see things differently.

Would I be the same person that I am now if I hadn't come here? Well, I can never know for sure, but I don't think so. I've learned so much here - about life, about people, about myself. One of the many wonderful things about living abroad is learning. And it's been other people who have helped me learn. Students, friends, and one very special person.

It's important to realize that not all the experiences you learn from in life are positive. While the positive ones do help a great deal, it's the negative ones that can really show you things. They can really show you how you should change your life and what you can do differently.

And as a result of everything I've learned, I've become a happier and more confident person. I think that I am now quite different than I was in December 2006. And I think the changes that I've made have made me a much better person.

Of course, there are difficulties with living abroad. Language, for starters. While I do take private Turkish lessons, I feel like I have stalemated (apparently this happens to many people). I am a dedicated student and I spend a lot of time studying. I guess in time it will pay off.

Friends are another. The English teaching world is a world of people who come and go. Someone may become your close friend and then a few months later they are gone. The number of English speaking friends is considerably smaller in a foreign country and you may settle for someone as a friend who you wouldn't normally be friends with at home. It can take a long long time to find a real friend.

And of course you can never replace your friends from home.

Family is a big one. Staying in contact is difficult if some family members are not so internet saavy. Missing out on big events in your family is challenging. Not being where everyone is can make you feel so lonely.

Skype and Instant Messenger help. Emails are great. Visits are wonderful. But it takes effort and effort from both sides. Emails go both ways as do phones. I am going to try to put more effort into communication. I spend enough time reading the news on the internet. I can dedicate some of that time to writing emails to friends and family.

One important thing to remember is that people change. And the changes are not witnessed by other people, especially if you are on opposite sides of an ocean. Understanding is crucial in maintaining relationships. Understand both how much your family and friends miss you. And them understanding how much you miss then and your reasons for leaving and your reasons for staying.

Communication is key.

On that note, I learned that people don't comment on my blog because they don't know what to write. Well, every single comment is greatly appreciated by me and makes my day. Even if it 2 words or 2 sentences. There is no need to write something profound (although you certainly can if you like). Just saying "hi" is good enough.

Your comments give me motivation. Both for writing and for life and everything else. Knowing that there are people out there who read and who care (even if I don't know you) is amazing. So please show me your support.

If you aren't comfortable commenting, you can always do so anonymously. Also, you can e-mail me. And I promise I will (eventually) reply.

Thanks.

Support

A fellow Blair alum, Adam Frey, has recently been diagnosed with a rare form of testicular cancer. He just found out that his cancer is in the most advanced stage. He is a strong, healthy, 22 year old wrestler.

He is writing a both fascinating and heart-breaking blog about his experiences. Please read about it here, offer him your support and place in him your thoughts and prayers.

We can all learn something from his good humor and positive attitude during such trying times.

Watching the match without a TV

Turkey is a huge soccer (football) country. The second question people ask (after "Are you married?") is "What's your team?" While I don't really care about Turkish soccer, I guess my team is Beşiktaş because I like their colors the best (black and white) and their stadium is near where I live.

Tonight there is a big match (UEFA Champions League quarterfinal). Fenerbahçe, a very popular Turkish team, is playing Chelsea (England) in Istanbul. This means several things: half of your students will miss class so that they can make it home for the 9:40 start time (class ends at 7:15 by the way). Traffic will be even worse than usual leaving your half attended class at 7:15 (you will sit on the road not moving for at least 15 minutes and people will honk their horns because they a) love Fenerbahçe and b) hate traffic. And you can watch the match without actually watching it.

I have a TV. But it's sitting in my bedroom covered in some hideous carpet with cartoon dogs on it (came with the place). Normally, I download everything I want to watch.

But I know everything important in the match based on the sounds my neighbors make. I know the score is currently 1-0 Fenerbahçe (they just cheered and screamed GOALLLLLLLLLL a few minutes ago). I knew that some match a few weeks ago went to penalty kicks based on how the neighbors cheered.

So, I can sit here, finishing up Lost Season 3 and still know what's happening in the match. Pretty interesting, huh?

In other news:

I've worked only 5 hours this week. Awesome.

Lemon juice and baking powder will get that gunk off your iron that you've been trying to get off for months.

I was offered candy twice today (gummi candy too, one of my favorites) and I turned it down! I thought of you Sadie.

My mom is coming May 2-11.

Spring is here.

Update: 2-0 Fenerbahçe

Update 2-1 Fenerbahçe - They will play Chelsea again on Tuesday. Again no one will come to my class (well maybe it's all girls). Again there will be crazy traffic. And again I will watch through my neighbors.

Update: people selling stuff

A guy is currently outside yelling about his mops, brooms, buckets, etc. All kinds of cleaning supplies. I guess it's time for spring cleaning...

Also, there is a knife sharpener guy who walks around and yells and then sits at the end of the street so you can drop your knives off to be sharpened on your way to the market. How convenient!

For the sake of the world

Please read this: "What Every American Should Know About the Middle East." While it by no means contains everything that you should know, it's got a good deal of basic information (differences between Muslim/Arab, Sunni/Shia, Muslim/Islam etc.) Do yourself a favor, do your country a favor, do the world a favor and EDUCATE yourself.

I've been considering a Masters degree in Middle East Studies or something like that basically so that I can educate people who don't know about the Middle East. People who are either misinformed, never had a chance to learn, or are ignorant.

My class was canceled, making the total number of hours I've taught this week 3 (it's Tuesday evening). And I saw 4 cats in a tree and 2 more getting ready to join them, super awesome. Please donate to my camera phone fund so I can document such awesomeness.

I feel like I'm getting sick. Trying to load up on Vitamin C and Airborne. I'm just gonna hang out on the couch tonight and do some work and maybe finish Lost Season 3.

OH and my Goal of the Month (GOTM) is to not eat candy (except I can cheat once a week if I want). This includes cookies and ice cream :( But I can eat these chocolate covered cardboard diet cookies if I want. They taste pretty awful so I usually only eat one at a time for the bit of chocolate. I never used to be a sweets person, so I'm trying to rid myself of this curse. Plus the fruit here is usually quite good so I should be enjoying that instead!

Please comment! It keeps me motivated to write!

Life

But he was able to understand one thing: making a decision was only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.

- Paulo Coehlo, The Alchemist

Ache

As I've said, being able to see is so amazing. The dryness definitely subsided, but it's not completely gone yet. But I've been getting really bad headaches. Usually in the evenings, and especially when it's very bright outside. I wear my sunglasses all the time and that helps. But the headaches are awful. Hopefully they'll be gone soon too.

I'm glad this week is over. Work just drove me mad. My students are great, but I'm so tired of this administrative nonsense - drivers, incompetent secretaries, contradictory or a complete lack of information. Burası Turkiye. This is Turkey. That's what everyone says when you complain anything. Not really an answer or reason, but ok...

I've noticed that the cats on my street seems to enjoy sleeping in people's flower boxes. So, guess what I'm gonna buy tomorrow? A flower box! I'm going to look for cilantro seeds since I always want cilantro and it's difficult to find. Maybe basil too. Or mint? I'm a habitual plant killer (although we have a small cute cactus-like? one now that I'm trying to not kill - 2 days in, so far, so good. The only problem is that I don't know what it is, so I don't know how to take care of it).

I'm getting spring fever I guess. I need some visitors or something (visit me!) Hopefully my mom will come and we'll go to Cappadocia.

I'm gonna go lay down, this headache is not good....

I broke down

I guess I was doing pretty good with the whole not complaining thing. Maybe I wasn't entirely successful, but I definitely complained less.

Until today.

Today it all came out for some reason. And you know what? It made me feel worse. But it needed to come out so I'll let it come out again here just for good measure. And hopefully it will all be gone after that.

The driver is supposed to pick me up every Tuesday and Thursday outside the Metro station at 10:30. This pickup time has not changed in 3 months. Granted, my student does cancel somewhat frequently, but I always notify the school when he does.

However, the driver, for whatever reason, is never actually there at 10:30. Anywhere between 10:45 and 10:55 he appears, asking if I've been waiting long (um YES!) and looking somewhat surprised at my answer.

Today I waited for 20 minutes in heavy winds which blew around dust and other crap from the disgusting streets (not so good for freshly lasered eyes)...I hid behind my sunglasses, scarf and hoodie.

Then after my lesson, I waited in the heavy rain outside VF for the driver who promised to be there at 1pm. I started checking my watch every minute at 1:10 and then finally around 1:25 he comes walking up asking where I've been. Um, I've been waiting here for 25 minutes I said. He said no you haven't. I drove by and you weren't here so I parked down the street. He was angry that I didn't think that he would park 1/4 mile the street. Silly me!

Then, before my next lesson, I waited again. We have a set "4:05" departure time as there is a group of us going. However, 4:05 gradually become 4:10 and then 4:15, 4:30, etc. I went up to the secretary to complain. She actually got off her ass and found the driver! And we left. But not after I slammed my head on the van door.

I arrived to argue more with the secretary who drives me batty with his lack of English, his "Yes I do" answer to everything, his lies just to piss me off.

Finally I'm home. My body is tired, my eyes are tired and I have to wake up at 7:30am tomorrow and I'll get home at 8pm. All for 4 hours of teaching.

I need a vacation.

Seeing

Being able to see without glasses is quite strange. While my vision it not yet perfect (takes a few weeks for it to stabilize and even after that I may need an enhancement), without my glasses I can see computer clock from across the room, I can see all the dust on the floor (ugh), I can see that the trees are budding.

My eyes are still dry and unfortunately this could continue for a few weeks/months. It's one of the side effects of the surgery. The dryness has greatly improved in the past few days thankfully.

What else? My friend Janine and I went to the big newish mall in Istanbul. It was quite a bizarre experience. It was like being in the US - Gap, Nine West, Banana Republic (coming soon!), etc. Everyone looked rich and American. The food court was obscenely expensive, although we did manage to find some awesome Chinese noodles for an excellent price. I got a pair of sunglasses as protecting my new eyes in both sun and clouds is extremely important.

Yesterday was Easter and I did nothing remotely Easter like. Except think about Easter candy (please send me some!!) and call my dad. I was never a huge Easter fan so my second Easter in Turkey wasn't difficult, I just missed my family.

Ok, enough writing for now, eyes are getting tired. I'll try to write more soon.

I can see!

I can see! In short, it's amazing. I haven't been able to see like this since I was about 7 years old. It's pretty damn awesome. I can't focus on the screen that well yet, so I'll write more later.

Things are happening

Yes, things are happening. Which partly explains my lack of writing in the past few weeks. But only partly.

So, about those things...

1. Tomorrow I'm getting Lasik. I'm not nervous yet, but I'm sure I will be tomorrow. Some of you have expressed concerns about getting it done in a foreign country. After visiting the hospital, those concerns didn't even cross my mind. This hospital is as nice as, if not nicer, than an American hospital. It has crystal chandeliers! Valet parking! (not to mention it's so clean that I would eat off the floor, my doctor has performed over 50,000 operations, attended numerous trainings in the US, etc.) Some of my coworkers have had Lasik done here and everything went smoothly. Plus, its like 60% cheaper than in the US.

2. Youtube is blocked again. It's getting kind of old. Someone made a video which allegedly insults Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (this is illegal in Turkey) and hence, youtube was blocked again. A temporary, yet ineffective way to deal with the problem...

3. There was an earthquake last Wednesday evening. It measured 4.8 and the epicenter was about 40 km away from Istanbul, across the Marmara Sea. Everyone felt it but me. (I guess that means my apartment building is strong?) Scientists had been predicting that a "big one" is on the way (the last "big one" was in 1999), but some are now changing their predictions based on the fault line which caused this one. So no more "big one" according to some. I'll be preparing my "earthquake bag" soon which will include my passport, socks and underwear, water, some food, etc.

4. Many Turkish workers went on strike on Friday to protest a new social security bill that would raise the retirement age from 58 for women and 60 for men to 65 (keep in mind that Turks have a shorter life span than Americans). The bill also includes other things related to disability and maternity leave and more.

So, for 2 hours on Friday the post office, schools, transportation, hospitals (open for emergencies only), municipality offices, etc. where shut. The government criticized the strike as being tyrannous towards the Turkish people for failing to provide them with the necessary services, but did agree to further examine the options. We'll see as to whether this strike will be effective in preventing the bill from being passed.

5. Probably the biggest news item of the week is that the Turkish Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals filed a request to the Constitutional Court that it disband the ruling AK Party. The AK Party is seen by much of Europe and the US as being reformist, but seen by many Turks as plotting to institute Sharia (Islamic) Law in Turkey. Many Turks are staunch secularists and see the AK Party as a threat to the foundations of the Turkish Republic and the principles of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

So, the Prosecutor case is based on "evidence" that the AK Party is a "hot bed for anti-secular activities." The main issue behind this is the recent decision (now being appealed) that would allow headscarfs (although only certain styles) to be worn in university (this reserved a ban of 20 or so years).

Of course, the European Union is going nuts about this one, as they should be. While I do not support any movements towards an Islamic style government here, I do welcome advances in human rights issues. Turkey is continually being talked by various international organizations as not doing enough to promote human rights and allowing covered girls to attend university dressed as they wish is a step in the right direction in my opinion. But, as I am not Turkish, there are many other sides to this issue that I don't and probably will never be able to understand. I don't want to get into them, just wanted to give a brief overview of my opinion.

At the same time, calling for a political party to be disbanded is not a step in the right direction. One article stated that not even the Nazi party was disbanded in Germany as it was determined to be anti-democratic. In Turkey's history, about 16 political parties have been disbanded.

Anyway, I just wanted to give some (hopefully) objective background information on what's going on here. I don't want to be too opinionated about it because I value that people have different opinions.

I saw a really great exhibit on Islamic Art that is on loan from the Louvre. If my pictures came out well, I'll post them soon.

Wish me luck for tomorrow!

For your entertainment

Don't feel much like writing these days. So instead I'll post a few recent pictures. This street is near mine and more beautiful than mine. These cats all hang out in the same place every day where an awesome old lady comes to feed them (maybe it will be me one day). Enjoy.

And remember to subscribe via email or RSS. Thanks.

Note: Having trouble uploading the others. I'll do it tomorrow.

In honor of St. Patrick

In honor of St. Patrick, I will be getting my green eyes lasered! I did my research, e-mailed my doctor several times, talked to a few friends who got it, and made my appointment. March 17 at 12:30! 13 days left of glasses! It's kind of hard to believe.

I'm gonna take 2 days off from work just to be sure. (Apparently I have 12 sick days so might as well make use of them!)

I finally bought a new couch yesterday! It's blue, converts into a bed, and has storage underneath. And I got an awesome handmade bookshelf from Izmir. Super cheap!

Spring is definitely here. Flowers are blooming, you can eat outside everywhere, and if you are a always hot American jackets are no longer necessary. However, Turks are still out in their wool sweaters and winter jackets as they will be until June. My body can just not handle that type of heat, and I despise sweating. But I have become a bit more tolerant of heat which is nice since the summer is rough here. Maybe this summer will be easier.

GO OBAMA!!!!!!

No more glasses?

Today was a beautiful sunny day. Spring is definitely here. Flowers are blooming, the air even smells differently. It's nice. Maybe I am becoming a warmer weather person!

My friend and I went to the eye hospital today for my consultation appointment. I didn't really know what to expect, but I knew that this was a reputable, famous hospital that operates on over 5,000 patients a month. They have a bunch of branches in Turkey and 2 overseas.

The call center promised me that the doctors all spoke English. And yes, he definitely spoke English quite well (aside from "Look rightwards") but the majority of the staff spoke little to no English. Which was quite interesting as I had to go through numerous tests. I had no idea where or when to put my chin on something, when to not blink, or where to look. They super dilated my pupils (on probably the brightest day of the year) which was awful.

Dr. Volkan said that I do qualify for the surgery! I was 90% sure for some reason that I wouldn't qualify. But I do! For InterLase surgery. Still reading up on exactly what that type of surgery is and how it differs from the others, but due to the strength of my prescription (quite strong) this is the best surgery for me.

As I had assume that I wouldn't qualify, I hadn't really been thinking about it recently. But now I'm going to. And I have about 2 weeks to do so since the doctor is going on vacation next week.

I've been wearing glasses since age 8 and contacts since 11 or 12. I have to wear daily contacts (which I never wear anymore) and they cost $2 per day. Being able to see in the shower would be super amazing. As would being able to see all the time!

My friend and I decided to explore this Ottoman castle today (Rumeli Hısarı) on the coast of the Bosphorus in the northern part of Istanbul. It was amazing, the views were beautiful! Of course, I didn't have my camera with me but I will definitely go back very soon. It was so nice, the air was much cleaner there, it was peaceful, wonderful.

We walked along the coast for a few hours and it was great. It reminds me of why I love this city and why I should explore it more.

Ok, time for researching the surgery and planning my landlord's lesson for tomorrow morning.

A complaint free world

Another pretty easy week at work. I think I taught a total of 24 hours in 2 weeks. And since I am salaried for 24 a week, that is pretty damn awesome. But of course I still complain. Which leads me to my goal for March (I think I'm going to start having monthly goals or challenges):

I am going to go 21 days without complaining.

For those of you who know me well, this will be quite difficult. For that reason, I've decided to allow mental and written complaining but NOT verbal.

I got this idea from some other blog and as it turns out there is a whole Complaint Free Movement going on (complete with purple bracelets a la Lance Armstrong - they ship worldwide! - and a Complaint Free Cruise - dome wanna go? and even a Complaint Free Curriculum for Kids) The whole thing is a bit freakish if you ask me, but a good idea nonetheless.

I started to think about how many hours I probably waste a month complaining about things I can't change or will never change at work. Yes, maybe I could get a new job, but I'm sure I'd find something to complain about there too. (The average person complains 15-30 times a day.)

So instead, I'll find new things to talk about, hopefully break some bad habits, learn new things, and maybe even like my job more.

The reason that it is for 21 days is that allegedly scientists believe that it takes 21 days for us to form new habits, according to the CF website.

They say that complaining makes you unhealthy! I'm trying to be a healthier person. I keep a constant supply of apples and oranges in my fridge (they are about 100 times better here than in the US) and even turned down my favorite snack today. I've been doing yoga or pilates at least 4 times a week and have become slightly addicted. So, hopefully this will aid in my health quest.

So, I'm gonna do it. Starting tomorrow March 1 and for 21 days. Hold me accountable people. Don't let me complain on this blog. If I do, call me out. Sometimes I do think I am quite good at turning a complaint into constructive criticism so don't let me do that either.

In other news:

As you may have seen on the news, Turkey has invaded Iraq using ground forces for the first time. The US is all ticked off about this of course as they think they have the right to tell countries what they can and can't do (some say that Turkey had permission from both the US and Iraq for this operation and they are already retreating due to their success). The media here isn't so free, so I take everything I read with a grain of salt.

But, I did read a sad story about people relocating stray dogs from the center of Istanbul to the suburbs and then poisoning them! Allegedly the municipality poisoned them because people were complaining about the dogs! Many Turkish people either dislike or fear dogs. There isn't really a big pet culture like in the US. So, a councilperson said that she supported the poisoning of the dogs as that is what her constituents preferred.

I started going to Turkish class again. As my student said, this will greatly improve my quality of life here. Plus I miss learning things. 3 hours of class today! And I can't wait to study and practice.

Oh, did you hear that the tribal elders are pissed at Hillary for sending that picture of Obama wearing tribal garb to the Drudge Report?

I guess Hillary forgot about these pictures!

Finally, you can now subscribe to my blog via a reader or via e-mail! Please sign up today!

Searching

I'm searching for new tickets to go home in the summer for Sadie's wedding. Please leave comments with your favorite cheap ticket websites as I am having a rough time finding anything below $1000 :(

Damn July and the tourist season.

Thanks!

Innocents Abroad

As I explained before, I'm a member of Democrats Abroad. They sent me this interesting article tonight which I though I'd share:

Posted February 25, 2008 | 11:22 AM (EST)

Joan Z. Shore

We are the 51st state -- the State of Flux, I used to call it. We are the four million Americans who are living, working, studying or retiring overseas. In sheer numbers, we would be the 24th largest state in the Union. But we are the Forgotten People, the Lost Tribe, the Missing Link.

But not forgotten by the IRS! We are required to file income tax returns every year, whether our absence is short or long or permanent; whether we have chosen it freely or have been obliged to move for our job.

Incredibly, America is the only industrialized nation that continues to extort taxes from its absentee citizens! And, at the same time, suspend their Medicare coverage.

Furthermore, just try, as an absentee taxpayer, to procure an absentee ballot! While I was still registered in New York City, my request was either ignored or someone's else's ballot would be mailed to me by mistake. (Steve Rosenberg on East 86th Street -- who are you? Did you get my ballot?)

Now I'm registered in Florida, but my request for a ballot in 2004 was unanswered. When I finally got a ballot from the American consulate in Paris, and mailed it in, Broward County flatly disqualified it.

When I went to vote in Florida's unrecognized Democratic primary three weeks ago, I was armed with my Florida driving license and my Voter's Registration card -- but they couldn't find me on the computer! (This, after owning property here and paying property taxes for 12 years!) So they gave me a "provisional" ballot and said they'd try to work it out.

Democrats Abroad has been actively trying to remedy these anomolies -- in other words, to give us back our vote, our voice. Around the globe this past month, they set up polling stations in such unlikely places as an Irish pub, a Parisian cafe, hotels in Amsterdam and Costa Rica, and a Starbucks in Thailand! Votes could also be cast online. The result was gratifying: 25,000 Americans abroad cast a ballot. Overwhelmingly, 65% of the votes cast went to Barack Obama; 32% went to Hillary Clinton.

Next month, at a meeting in Brussels, Democrats Abroad will begin choosing their delegates to the National Convention. One person has already been designated a superdelegate.

Republicans Abroad are lagging behind; don't ask me why. They organized no polls, and will have no delegates to the Convention. Do they feel cocksure of winning, or do they feel already defeated?

Americans abroad, whatever their political leaning, have always been regarded with suspicion and distrust by mainland Americans: we are renegades, deserters, traitors! The fact is, we have more awareness and concern for what is happening "back home" than many people living there. We may have lost track of the NFL and the World Series, but we have a broader perspective of what is happening on the rest of the planet. We are often called upon to explain America, so we must try to understand it ourselves. Sometimes we defend it; sometimes we criticize it. Unofficially, we are representatives and ambassadors of our country.

Many of our children have grown up overseas, and speak several languages. I like to think that they are our future leaders -- in business, in science, in education, in the arts, and in government. And that may be why so many of us support Obama -- he, too, has been an expatriate. He has been exposed to different places and different cultures, and like us, he must envision how great America can be, and grieve when it loses its way, and try somehow to make it great again.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joan-z-shore/not-so-innocents-abroad_b_88303.html

Some interesting points - Dems abroad are the 24th largest state! We have to pay taxes twice! The Republicans don't care about their abroad voters!

Other interesting articles lately:

Obama tribal garb - is this for real? The man is half AFRICAN for god's sake. He is allowed to wear tribal clothing...

Google Health - Instead of those outdated files that your doctor keeps alphabetized with those cute little pink and blue letters, imagine an on-line system! Easy for travelers, easy for the old folks spending the winters in Florida. P

Problems: HIPAA does not yet apply to this (or so I think) meaning our health information can be sold (which I'm sure it already is by our health insurance companies), the secureness (or lack thereof) of an Internet based system. Either way, it's a step in the right direction to eliminate these archaic and unreadable files. But will doctors be as likely to write that their patients are "difficult" like Elaine's doctor on Seinfeld did if they know that the information will be much easier to access?

Planes fly on nut oil! Awesome! But a round trip flight Newark-Istanbul still costs $750??

Other news: spring is around the corner! Had a lovely brunch near the water, I'll post some pictures next time.

In case you are having trouble deciding..

Well, I guess it's too late for that given that most of the primaries are not over. Or you could be deciding between Republican and Democrat? (I hope that choice is a clear one...)

Anyways, have a look at this wonderful post by Grassroots Mom about why she has decided to support (and donate to!) Obama.

Worth a read or at least a quick skim.

p.s. How 'bout Bush's 19% approval rating?

Finally :)

It's been snowing in Istanbul since last Wednesday I guess. On and off. Heavy bursts followed by a brief clearing then back to huge fat flakes. (I'm finally publishing this on Tuesday and the snow seems to have stopped for good).

We thought that the snow was finally finished last night. But instead, it was like a surprise White Christmas. I awoke to my street covered in snow, cars buried. I stood awestruck in the window while I watched the head-scarved ladies navigate the obviously unplowed street to buy their fresh morning bread. But I still had to go to work.

Slumming it, I threw on my track pants and rain boots and started the trek up Istanbul's K2 Mountain to meet the driver. It was rough! Normally it' quite tiring in dry weather, but covered with snow/slush/ice, damn!

We took off at a snail's pace. He kept saying, "Çok tehlikeli" (very dangerous). We couldn't see more than 15 feet in front of us. After he said "Çok tehlikeli" about 5 more times, we decided it was time to call our boss. It was agreed that it was way too dangerous to trek out to the suburbs for 2 hours of Business English! A smart decision, and I might have made it myself had we gone any further. I don't really think it's worth risking my life for a 2 hour lesson.

So we did what any yabancılar (foreigners) would do in this situation (canceled classes, snowy day) headed to Starbucks! While we were there, we received the great news that all classes had been canceled! So after a tasty lunch and a few hours in a nargile cafe, I'm finally home. And my morning student already canceled for tomorrow - the commute will probably be awful.

Things I Noticed About Snow in Istanbul:

1. Snow plows don't exist - Don't ask me how the roads get cleared. I know for certain mine won't. The packed snow on my street has already turned into a sheet of ice. I guess the big roads must have plows...but I personally haven't seen any. But they definitely wouldn't fit down my one-way (or sometimes two-way if you are a creative type of driver) street.

2. Snow shovels don't exist - People use brooms instead. I guess this works...kind of.

3. There are no people to shovel/plow the snow - In a city with about 1 million people unemployed, you would think that the government would invest in a few shovels and hand them out and pay people to shovel that stuff up!

4. There is no drainage system in Istanbul - Snow is only nice until it melts. Then it becomes nasty slush which turns to water. And this city was built on 7 hills (or 6?) so that means all the water runs down. Unless it's on a flat street. Then it just lays there, looking nasty and leaving no place to walk. (thank god for my rain boots which leads me to #5)

5. Turkish people do not adequately prepare for the weather - Turkish man shoes (pointy leather grossness) do not work well in snow. Nor do Converse All-Stars, nor ballet slippers, etc. LOOK outside before you leave the house and you will be a lot happier (and warmer !)

6. Hills + ice = Treacherousness - I almost died about 15 times walking home and saw numerous people wipe out which leads me to the next point

7. Salt and sand don't exist - Damn the Turkish government should hire me as their Winter Weather Preparedness Consultant. (update - I guess they do exist but they aren't used as much as in the US)

Despite the unpreparedness of the city, I loved the past days in Istanbul. It showed me that life goes on even if your road isn't plowed. People (but not me) still go to work. Mothers still make breakfast. People are still everywhere in this overcrowded city. But it had a sense of life that I hadn't seen before.

The first day of snow we went out for a walk at midnight. It was so quite and peaceful, not to mention stunningly beautiful. However, as we started to return home, I noticed that the number of people on the streets was steadily increasing. I realized that they too missed the snow. They too were nostalgic for their childhood days when you could just play in the snow all day. It showed a sense of humanity that is beyond language, ethnicity, or culture - just the plain old love of snow!

Voting from Istanbul

I've had my absentee ballot request form filled-out, signed, dated and in its addressed envelope for over a month now. I even went to the post office once (before I bought said envelope where I found out that they do not sell envelopes - guess the Turkish postal system isn't as capitalist minded as the US postal system) and then tried another time (lines were ridiculously long as the vast majority of Turks pay their utility bills at the post office - online bill paying is just taking off here).

So, I'd basically given up my hopes of voting in the primary elections. Then, I heard from a fellow teacher about an organization called Democrats Abroad. According to their website, DA is "the overseas branch of the Democratic Party." They are in over 100 countries. In 1976, DA became a "full Democratic state committee" meaning that they have voting rights in the Democratic National Convention.

For the 2008 election season, DA held a global primary. You could vote on-line (awesome!), by mail, or in person. The election, which took place in the beginning of February, is followed by a global caucus and the selection of delegates to send to the National Convention.

Last weekend I went to a nearby hotel where my passport was checked by the DA Turkey Committee members. Then I completed a registration form and voted!

They announced the results the other day:

32 - Barack Obama
18 - Hillary Clinton
4 - Uncommitted

(This does not include the on-line results which will be announced next week). The totals from all Democrats Abroad countries will be calculated. Because the delegate race between Obama and Hillary is quite close, many websites have started treating the DA Abroad primary like a primary from an actual state.

So, the future looks like this. Calculate vote totals --> regional convention --> global convention --> Democratic National Convention.

Pretty awesome that Americans living abroad are finally being given a chance to have their voices heard!

One of my students said that he thought everyone in the world should be able to vote for the U.S. President because "it effects us all." Interesting idea. Any thoughts about that?

A good week at work

Something of an abnormality lately...The administrative issues at this school are too many to count and I've decided to take an approach of only worrying/caring about things that I can change. Some things are just the way they are (i.e. disorganized) and if I can't do anything to change them, why waste my time and energy caring?

So, with that philosophy in mind, this week has been a good week at work. A good week should consist of the following things:

Cancellations - I have 3 private students at Vodafone and although they are all very wonderful, it's nice when cancel from time to time (I still get paid). So far this week, I've had 6 hours of cancellations (2 from me - food poisoning?, 2 from my student, 2 weather related - less than 1/2" of snow scared my students into canceling).

Interesting course topics - The text books my 2 group classes use (Market leader) leave much to be desired. So, this week we are doing the "Culture" unit which is so much better than "Markets" or the other boring crap they think students want to/should learn about.

No transportation nightmares - We are lucky enough to have drivers to take us to most of our classes that are in-company which is quite nice providing that they are no a) early/late/not there b) know that they should pick you up and at what time and c) are not driving like maniacs. I lodged a complaint with the HR Manager and now all of the cars *should* have seat belts soon (Mom don't read this).

Free food - Whether it be Vodafone lunch (which is good in one location, decent in the other), free coffees from your students or other such treats, free food always brightens a teacher's week

Talkative students - Nothing is worse than having to discuss a boring topic - like "Markets" with students who have no interesting in doing so. Just pretend a little, for me.

6 more hours to go this week!

By the way people - I'm waiting for your comments and e-mails. It only takes about 2-5 minutes (or less depending on how many words per minute you can type).

The New York Times

Today I read 2 interesting NY Times' articles. The first, which you can find here, advocates a "fairer" tax system. This fairer system would tax for obnoxious consumption (good idea!), sending spam e-mails (why didn't someone think of this before?), family and friends junk mail (YES! although my family/friends aren't that bad), and emoticon users ( :8) ). Finally, a way to pay off our tremendous budget deficit! (Thanks for the article Tracy).

Second, which you can find here, was sent to me as an alumna of Blair Academy. It details the life of a current female Afghani student and her soccer career.

I felt inspired and I miss writing things like this, so I wrote a letter to the Headmaster. See my response below. Please feel free to add your comments (but please don't correct my grammar - after correcting grammar all day my brain goes to waste at night).

I was very pleased to read the article in The New York Times about Ms. Kohestani. It's stories like these that make me proud to be an alumna of Blair Academy. I applaud both her for her courage and tenacity as well as the school community for accepting her and welcoming her in true Blair fashion. I'm sure it must be a difficult and fascinating, not to mention challenging, journey for her.

So often girls are denied the right to education for one reason or another. I've been living in Turkey for the past 13 months and have heard many stories about girls in the eastern parts of Turkey even being denied primary school education (which is legally required by the Turkish government) due to familial traditions. Of course, the situation in Afghanistan was drastically different from the situation in Turkey, but an overall theme can be seen: the lack of either options or opportunities for women in Middle Eastern countries to exercise their basic human right to education. Whether it be for political, religious or traditional reasons, women simply do not have the rights that we in the US take for granted.

Now is a historical time in Turkey. The Parliament has passed an amendment removing the ban on covered girls from attending university. This is causing quite an uproar as the secularists fear Turkey is headed towards Shariah law.

I, however, applaud this decision as a step in the right direction. A step towards keeping (many covered women flee to other countries for university) and educating intellectual, Muslim women. A oxymoron to some, but a necessity if Turkey wants to move forward in the world.

What is my point in writing this? One of the things I thought benefited me the most at Blair was the exposure to a multi-cultural student body. Coming from Blairstown, where just about everyone attends the same church on Sunday, does the same activities, makes around the same amount of money, has a similar ethnic background, and you can count the number of minorities on one (or maybe two) hands; I was starving for culture and diversity. And I found it at Blair. I regret not taking advantage of all the activities, lectures, and events that had a multi-cultural theme. I regret not making more of an effort to get to know the international students.

The most important thing that Blair gave me (or helped me develop further) was the desire to learn more about different cultures. I encourage the school to do more to find girls like Ms. Kohestani. To find more women who have had their right to education taken away from them for one reason or another. To find more Muslim students. To do more to increase the diversity that makes Blair so amazing.

That's enough for today. I'm recovering from being quite sick last night and should do some work before I go to bed.

My street

There is always a flurry of activity on my street. It's quite an interesting street. From what I hear, it used to be where the transvestite population of Istanbul lived. However, now, much of them have moved on to different neighborhoods, but a few stragglers still remain.

It's quite a diverse street for Istanbul standards. As far as I can tell we have Turks (of course), a good deal of Kurds, a few Americans, and maybe some French or Italians.

One thing that I really love about Istanbul is that people are constantly selling stuff on the streets. Not in an annoying way, but in a way that actually makes sense (for the most part).

Things that are sold on my street:

1. Simit - This is the Turkish snack standard. Kind of like a sesame bagel but without so much bread inside. There is a guy who walks down the street every morning screaming about his hot, fresh simit that was made in a stone oven.

2. Fruits and vegetables - Another neighborhood standard. Every day around 3pm, 2 guys with a pickup truck full of fruits and vegetables comes to the neighborhood. They walk up and down the street yelling about what they have and how much it costs. The housewives then buy the fruit by yelling their orders out the window, lowering the baskets down to collect the produce, pulling them back up, and sending them down with the money. Pretty convenient!

3. Boza - Boza is a winter drink made from fermented wheat. I haven't tried it, but I'm certain I won't like it. There is a bozaci who roams the streets at night wearing an excellent costume with 2 golden pots hanging from his shoulders. I want to buy some just so I can take his picture.

4. Socks - Occasionally a guy comes around and sells socks. Bay! Bayan! (Men! Women!)

5. Blankets - There is a blanket van. They have a megaphone-type set up and they yell about their blankets. Wool, cotton, 15 ytl. Again, very convenient.

6. The guys who buy old stuff/scrap metal - There are a few guys who prowl the 'hood looking to buy your old stuff (apparently they will take anything) or your scrap metal (should you hoard it in your house). They have very distinctive voices and use them to make their presence known.

7. The accordion guy - While he is not actually selling stuff and I only saw him today for the first time, he is quite excellent. I really should charge my camera battery. He was walking with his toddler-aged son and wearing neon pink fingerless gloves and playing the accordion.

8. The belt seller - Should you have a desperate need to guy a belt (Bay! Bayan!), don't worry. He comes around about once or twice a week to fulfill your belt needs.

I guess that's it. I'm sure I'll think of more or I'll hear a new one later.

Here I go again...

I haven’t been writing lately, at least on my blog. Not since December 2007!

After spending some time wondering why, I decided it was because I just wrote about my life. In all actuality, my life here is quite normal and at times, boring.

So, I’ve decided to take a slightly different approach and not just write about my life, but other things that interest me - politics, cultures, different articles I stumble upon on the lovely Internets!, links to interesting things. Writing about these things will not make me feel compelled to write such long posts.

Instead, I will post short, interesting things and hopefully I will do so more frequently. And I hope to encourage discussion by encouraging comments. Comments also encourage me to write more since I know that someone is reading. Post anonymously, I don’t care, just write something!

So, on to my interesting finds of the day. As many of you know, I have a slight Internet obsession. Mainly reading political and social commentary with some more nerdy stuff thrown in occasionally. I have a daily round of blogs and other websites that I read which often provide links to interesting stuff. We’ve been talking about “The Web” in my Elementary Business English class and it’s rather shocking to me that these 4 women don’t seem to find the Internet a) interesting or b) necessary because to me it is both of those and way more. I hear about something or read about something and immediately I want to find out more.

Side note: if you disagree with what I say, great! I’m not here to be preachy or try to make you think like I do, because I value debate and alternate opinions. Please feel free to voice them here.

This picture is quite powerful I think. Living in a Muslim country is a wonderful experience. I have learned so much and I am grateful for every second of it. The blind discrimination and prejudice by many Americans is only due to ignorance and unfounded fear. I’ve been here for 13 months and not one time have I met someone who I thought was a “terrorist.” Not one time did I fear for my life. Not one time did I feel uncomfortable because of religion. Instead, I found the complete opposite. I found a country of warm, hospitable people who are willing to bend over backwards to help you, who want to educate you about Islam, who are confused and scared because much of the world doesn’t understand them and their peaceful religion.

Of course, there are Muslim terrorists. But there are also Christian terrorists and Jewish terrorists and so on.

Asking for the world to live in peace is too much to ask I have learned. But I won’t stop educating myself and learning more and being tolerant. And I encourage you to do the same (ok I’m being a little preachy).

Onwards....to this article - a very interesting piece which explains that Google is going to OUTSPEND the US government on the environment in the fiscal year 2009. I always use Google as an example in my classes (creative company culture, flexible work environment, unique perks) and here I have another example - the social responsibility of a private-sector company outweighing (and outspending) the responsibility of the public-sector.

This leads me to a few questions. What can we do to further encourage the private-sector to develop environmentally-friendly products? What role should the government play with regard to the environment? Can we trust that governmental policy is actually going to benefit the environment and not merely for political and/or economical gains?

Ok! That was fun. I managed to combine a bit of my work life, my regular life, and 2 interesting issues into 1 post. And it wound up being a long post. Now I’m just waiting for the comments to keep me motivated...Sadie - that means you! And thanks to Tracy for the photo!