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.

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.

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.

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!

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....

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.

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!

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!

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!

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.