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!