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.

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!

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.

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!

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