Despite an exorbident fee, I did join a gym here in Turkey. I'm the kind of girl that need my exercise, and running is simply out of the question. It's both suidical, with the agressively self-entitled traffic, and for the most part, completely unheard of by the general populace.
'Agressively self-entitled' is a bit of an understatement in regards to the traffic of Istanbul. Pedestrains seem to have reliquished all right-of-way in this country, makng way for a kind of vehicle free-for-all. I have actually been hit by a car twice in my two week stay here. The first time, I was walking on the sidewalk when a taxi, in too much of a hurry to wait in line, squeezed by on the shoulder of the road, smacking me with its rear view mirror. The second time took place on a residential street, completely deserted in the light of day. As I was walking, a car was taking a tight turn towards me, and, even though I came to a standstill to allow the turn, the car ran into my gymbag point blank. This in turn whipped around my body, smacking me in the face (looking back, it would have been a pretty comical occurance to watch!). Only the second man apologized... through the glass of his window as he sped away.
I told my students about this, and proclaimed (in true American form) that in America, WONDERFUL America, I would have written down the license plate and sued for millions (it's a hit and run, so I would have made out quite well!). They were astonished. I coninued class with daydreams of dollar signs clouding my focus.
Back to the gym - the gym fee was more than three times what I was paying at Bally's in the US. And this was the cheapest I found! Some of the gyms around the Taksim area were charging a full 1200 dollars for 6 months of membership! Crazy!
At any rate, I've been going to my gym, and was informed one day that there was a "Hamam", or Turkish bath in the women's lockeroom. After my workout, the "Bath Lady," a 50 year old woman who is in charge of, you guessed it, the Bath, was hanging out by the lockers, looking pretty bored. We attempted to chat (with hand motions and facial cues, which was surprisingly efficient) and she asked me if I would like a Hamam. Having a few hours to kill in the middle of my work day, I suckered into the idea.
Now, I'm not particularly comfortable with public nudity. When I visited an onsen in Hakone, Japan, I became a bit more open, but still, the conservative Me dominates. Bath Lady (I will find out her real name soon!) instructed me to strip down, and she did the same, as to not get soaked in the process... all the way down to her granny-like underwears. I lay down on a huge marble slab in the center of a small, marble room, warm from the heat and steam of the water. Bath Lady filled a small tin with hot water, repeated ly tossing the water over me. I flipped, and she did the same over my backside. Each time was a rush of warmth, and it both relaxed me and desensitized my mental discomfort.
Then came the scrubbing. With a rough mitt, that woman scrubbed every inch of my body with vigor. She scrubbed to the point that I began to feel slight violation - WHOA, she just WENT there!
After the scrubbing, she washed my hair, and massaged my neck and shoulders. I felt amazing after the whole thing was done, and will definately be doing it again. My skin was as soft as a baby's, and my mind calm and focused. All for 25 USD!
NOTE: My computer is having problems, thus the lack of photos so far. Once I get that fixed (tomorrow!) I'll do a photo entry.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
My New Life -Turkey Style
It's about time for an update, and, boy, are you in for it! Istanbul has been great thus far. Having been here for exactly two weeks now, I can say for certain that I will enjoy the coming 6 months immensely.
Istanbul is colorful and vibrant, a fact obvious even in the depressing and isloating weather we've been experiencing. Today is the first sunny day we've had since I've arrived - perhaps the cause of the fantastic mood I'm in at the moment. This may also be due to me finding an apartment, which I've just moved into. I'll be living with two great guys, John (Canadian), and Evan (American). They are really great, and I'm sure we'll get along well together.
I have been living, and will continue to live, in the area called Taksim. This is the center of all things modern in Istanbul, though still retaining it's character in old european architecture and vibrant street markets. Istiklal, a famous pedestrian street, is the place to be, lined with everything from Mango and Starbucks to traditional Turkish eateries. A vast network of winding side streets hide tiny boutiques and treasures from the main traffic on Istiklal, a maze through which I love to walk aimlessly.
Turkish culture is fascinating - loud, friendly, and in your face. The people can both win your heart in an instant, and drive you crazy: the next. A parade of them will bump into you repeatedly without a "Pardon!", but the next minute someone will be treating you to tea and chit-chat in a quaint cafe out of pure kindness and generosity. As for the food, eh... it is alright, dominated by tasty wraps and abundant Doner sandwiches filled with meat and a few veggies. The rest of the cuisine suffers from an odd abundance of yogurt, which the Turks seem to regard as fair game for sauce-substitue over pasta, meat, and a bevvy of other nameless things.
My work space is great. I'm currently working 31 hours - spread over 7 days. We had a couple people quit unexpectedly (one of which who rode home with me, laughing and joking, with an excited "See you tomorrow!", only to phone immediately after we parted to resign. Needless to say, I've spent some time re-evaluating my people skills!), so I am helping out a bit. Also, I've spent a bit too much money out of my first month nest egg, both on the startup cost of the apartment, and the ridiculous gym fee. Yikes, gyms are expensive here!
Anyhow, more to come about my life in Istanbul. Enjoy the day, for this life is great!
Istanbul is colorful and vibrant, a fact obvious even in the depressing and isloating weather we've been experiencing. Today is the first sunny day we've had since I've arrived - perhaps the cause of the fantastic mood I'm in at the moment. This may also be due to me finding an apartment, which I've just moved into. I'll be living with two great guys, John (Canadian), and Evan (American). They are really great, and I'm sure we'll get along well together.
I have been living, and will continue to live, in the area called Taksim. This is the center of all things modern in Istanbul, though still retaining it's character in old european architecture and vibrant street markets. Istiklal, a famous pedestrian street, is the place to be, lined with everything from Mango and Starbucks to traditional Turkish eateries. A vast network of winding side streets hide tiny boutiques and treasures from the main traffic on Istiklal, a maze through which I love to walk aimlessly.
Turkish culture is fascinating - loud, friendly, and in your face. The people can both win your heart in an instant, and drive you crazy: the next. A parade of them will bump into you repeatedly without a "Pardon!", but the next minute someone will be treating you to tea and chit-chat in a quaint cafe out of pure kindness and generosity. As for the food, eh... it is alright, dominated by tasty wraps and abundant Doner sandwiches filled with meat and a few veggies. The rest of the cuisine suffers from an odd abundance of yogurt, which the Turks seem to regard as fair game for sauce-substitue over pasta, meat, and a bevvy of other nameless things.
My work space is great. I'm currently working 31 hours - spread over 7 days. We had a couple people quit unexpectedly (one of which who rode home with me, laughing and joking, with an excited "See you tomorrow!", only to phone immediately after we parted to resign. Needless to say, I've spent some time re-evaluating my people skills!), so I am helping out a bit. Also, I've spent a bit too much money out of my first month nest egg, both on the startup cost of the apartment, and the ridiculous gym fee. Yikes, gyms are expensive here!
Anyhow, more to come about my life in Istanbul. Enjoy the day, for this life is great!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Istanbul - A Ton of [Not So Great] Firsts
Well, after 2 weeks of good ol' American lovin', I was back on the road. I left Miami with a bit of self- struggle - it's always exhausting, after just coming from a new country, to head right back out again. New gets old fast.
I flew from Miami to JFK without problems, even managing to pack both of my checked bags under the 50 pound limit. I was pleasantly surprised, and perhaps even emitted a squeal of delight after seeing the numbers- until I discovered that Delta Airlines, my chauffeur to Turkey, only allowed ONE free checked bag on international flights. Nerds!
My flight from New York to Istanbul actually boarded 30 minutes early, which I've never, every heard of. I guess everyone was checked in, but still, odd. After boarding, I switched seats with a fellow passenger so he could sit next to his friend, only to discover that my new seat was right next to a woman and her 9 month old child. Well, I guess a hearing impaired person should take one for the team. A baby wailing in my ear for 10 hours is much less painful, half to be exact, for me than for the rest of the population.
We began to pull away from the gate - and then pulled back again due to some mishap with the log books. Again, a first for this frequent flier. After waiting around for what seemed like ages - we finally broke free and took off... an hour late of our scheduled time.
Now, this plane was not half as nice as the ones I've been on recently. No individual TVs on the seat in front, and... well, I guess that was it. I love those little personal TVs. I took some benadryl to calm my cough and to block out "Love Happens", which was playing on the large screen at the front of the cabin (it was awful!), and soon fell asleep.
I woke up to commotion in the aisles. Apparently, a passenger had become violently ill, or something of the sort, and the flight attendants were calling for a doctor. This went on for about and hour, with the flight attendants gathered at the back of the plane, and, just as the little flight map showed we were almost passing over Europe, the crew announced that we were landing in Dublin due to a medical emergency. Another first!
After a half hour detour to Dublin, the passenger was treated immediately by emergency medical officials discretely in the back of the plane. Though I respected their knack for privacy, I also wanted the juicy details. We all did, and mused about what it could possibly be, with guesses ranging from heart troubles and seizures to the utterly ridiculous. We were very, very disappointed in the end. No one had actually seen the passenger or his "attack", and there was not a word about the nature of the illness or the status of the situation from the tight-lipped crew. For all we knew, the flight attendants were simply craving some real food, and the "Emergency Medical Team" were really Pizza Hut delivery boys in disguise.
The medical emergency aside, we began our wait to get back in the air. We waited, waited, waited.... 3 hours later, we finally took off again. At this point, we are all starving - it's been over 6 hours since our last meal. The flight attendants, presumably satisfied from their secret pizza party, did nothing.
We finally landed in Istanbul, after 15 hours of travel. I was so ready to get going - and get going I did. I immediately found the two jolly Turks waiting for me with a sign, and was escorted to the lojman - teacher's apartment in Taksim, a lively area of the city - and informed that at 11am the following day, my head teacher, Kai, would be coming to pick me up. I unpacked, called home, and fell asleep immediately.
The next morning, I met Kai. He's Iranian, lived in Canada for awhile, and is now in Turkey working for English Time. He took me to my workplace - a school about 45 minutes away by subway and bus. The school is a nice one, in the Sirinevler region of the city (very close to the airport). I met some of my co-workers, whom were very nice, and very helpful. I work with about 10 other english teachers, and what seems like an army of Turkish people. They are very friendly and lively bunch - I think I will enjoy it here immensely.
One of the newer teachers had recently been sick from food poisoning, and had missed a few days - but was coerced into coming in today. I was told would be taking over his evening class for half of the week (classes meet everyday for 3 or 4 hours in the morning or evening), to appease the frustrated students - and, since he was still so ill, I would be (surprise!) co-teaching the class with him that night. I agreed, trying to help out, and was told that if I could teach an "Activity Class", a one hour elective free speaking opportunity, that would be great. So, on my first day in Istanbul, I taught four hours. Another first - to be randomly thrown in the mix like that.
Evening classes go from 7-10pm, so, by the class' end, I was exhausted. I was told that, at 1- 1:30pm the following day, I would be picked up by the driver and transported to the head office to meet Karen, the head of English time, and sign my contract. I went out with the other teachers for a drink in Taksim, where the lojman is located, and the center of everything in Istanbul. Everyone was great - I'm sure I'll make some good friends here.
The next morning, at 10:30am, I woke up to a banging on my door. Completely confused, I got out of bed to the landlord signaling (no english!) me that I should go downstairs. I threw on my coat and walked carefully down the winding marble staircase. There was a few people in the lobby, all confused. The Escort was there to pick a list-ful of people up, me included. No one had the right time - some had been told 2pm, some 1pm, and some, including a girl who had just arrived the previous evening, had been told nothing at all. We threw on some clothes, grabbed some make-up for the bus, and headed out the door. Well, I guess I'm lucky that's the first time THAT has ever happened to me.
The Escort called Kai, who spoke to me. He told me that I should go to the branch after signing my contract. I asked him about the time - he replied that he "told the driver 1pm, but, surprise surprise! I guess it was different." There was no apology - something that set me off. Mistakes happen - but you apologize to the person you inconvenienced. That's just common courtesy - and professional respect. I was very upset.
The head office was nice, and we all signed our contracts and met Karen. She seemed nice enough, but still did not apologize for the mis-communicated time! I think I was really looking for this - and was additionally aggravated when she commented on the situation without apologizing to us. If I didn't need a job and money and a place to stay, I would have had a talk with them. It's just common courtesy!
[I think I'm still stuck in Japan - I would have been apologized to for ages, then taken to lunch and treated like a queen. I like that - butter me up.]
I went to my branch after the orientation, arriving at around 2pm. I don't know why my head teacher made me go - there are no classes from 2 - 7pm here, and he wasn't even there. I sat around for 5 hours, before teaching a class at 7pm (the one I had taken over). The students are great in this class - which aleviated my frustration a bit. They are all adults, and are charasmatic and eager to learn.
Needless to say, I was so ready for the weekend off. I slept for 14 hours Friday night, until 1pm the next day- something I don't think I've ever done in my whole life. Saturday, I wandered around Taksim with Lee, my neighbor (the one who had just arrived before getting suprise- woken up the next day). We sat in Starbucks - there's THREE within 10 minutes of the lojman - heaven! She actually just came from Japan, like me - from Westgate! We even knew some of the same people. It's such a small world!
I think the reason I am a bit flustered with English Time at the moment is due to my Japanese work experience. Anything compared to the well oiled machine that was Westgate will seem disorganized and dysfunctional. I know that this company is respectable and trustworthy - but the communication seems a bit off. All in all, it was a crazy first few days here in Istanbul. Full of not so great first-times.
I'll write more about the area I'm living in, the city, and work soon. I want to get some pictures first, and, unfortunately, it's been rainy an dismal everyday so far. Once Istanbul gives me sun, I'll give you photos. It is a lovely place so far, though!
I flew from Miami to JFK without problems, even managing to pack both of my checked bags under the 50 pound limit. I was pleasantly surprised, and perhaps even emitted a squeal of delight after seeing the numbers- until I discovered that Delta Airlines, my chauffeur to Turkey, only allowed ONE free checked bag on international flights. Nerds!
My flight from New York to Istanbul actually boarded 30 minutes early, which I've never, every heard of. I guess everyone was checked in, but still, odd. After boarding, I switched seats with a fellow passenger so he could sit next to his friend, only to discover that my new seat was right next to a woman and her 9 month old child. Well, I guess a hearing impaired person should take one for the team. A baby wailing in my ear for 10 hours is much less painful, half to be exact, for me than for the rest of the population.
We began to pull away from the gate - and then pulled back again due to some mishap with the log books. Again, a first for this frequent flier. After waiting around for what seemed like ages - we finally broke free and took off... an hour late of our scheduled time.
Now, this plane was not half as nice as the ones I've been on recently. No individual TVs on the seat in front, and... well, I guess that was it. I love those little personal TVs. I took some benadryl to calm my cough and to block out "Love Happens", which was playing on the large screen at the front of the cabin (it was awful!), and soon fell asleep.
I woke up to commotion in the aisles. Apparently, a passenger had become violently ill, or something of the sort, and the flight attendants were calling for a doctor. This went on for about and hour, with the flight attendants gathered at the back of the plane, and, just as the little flight map showed we were almost passing over Europe, the crew announced that we were landing in Dublin due to a medical emergency. Another first!
After a half hour detour to Dublin, the passenger was treated immediately by emergency medical officials discretely in the back of the plane. Though I respected their knack for privacy, I also wanted the juicy details. We all did, and mused about what it could possibly be, with guesses ranging from heart troubles and seizures to the utterly ridiculous. We were very, very disappointed in the end. No one had actually seen the passenger or his "attack", and there was not a word about the nature of the illness or the status of the situation from the tight-lipped crew. For all we knew, the flight attendants were simply craving some real food, and the "Emergency Medical Team" were really Pizza Hut delivery boys in disguise.
The medical emergency aside, we began our wait to get back in the air. We waited, waited, waited.... 3 hours later, we finally took off again. At this point, we are all starving - it's been over 6 hours since our last meal. The flight attendants, presumably satisfied from their secret pizza party, did nothing.
We finally landed in Istanbul, after 15 hours of travel. I was so ready to get going - and get going I did. I immediately found the two jolly Turks waiting for me with a sign, and was escorted to the lojman - teacher's apartment in Taksim, a lively area of the city - and informed that at 11am the following day, my head teacher, Kai, would be coming to pick me up. I unpacked, called home, and fell asleep immediately.
The next morning, I met Kai. He's Iranian, lived in Canada for awhile, and is now in Turkey working for English Time. He took me to my workplace - a school about 45 minutes away by subway and bus. The school is a nice one, in the Sirinevler region of the city (very close to the airport). I met some of my co-workers, whom were very nice, and very helpful. I work with about 10 other english teachers, and what seems like an army of Turkish people. They are very friendly and lively bunch - I think I will enjoy it here immensely.
One of the newer teachers had recently been sick from food poisoning, and had missed a few days - but was coerced into coming in today. I was told would be taking over his evening class for half of the week (classes meet everyday for 3 or 4 hours in the morning or evening), to appease the frustrated students - and, since he was still so ill, I would be (surprise!) co-teaching the class with him that night. I agreed, trying to help out, and was told that if I could teach an "Activity Class", a one hour elective free speaking opportunity, that would be great. So, on my first day in Istanbul, I taught four hours. Another first - to be randomly thrown in the mix like that.
Evening classes go from 7-10pm, so, by the class' end, I was exhausted. I was told that, at 1- 1:30pm the following day, I would be picked up by the driver and transported to the head office to meet Karen, the head of English time, and sign my contract. I went out with the other teachers for a drink in Taksim, where the lojman is located, and the center of everything in Istanbul. Everyone was great - I'm sure I'll make some good friends here.
The next morning, at 10:30am, I woke up to a banging on my door. Completely confused, I got out of bed to the landlord signaling (no english!) me that I should go downstairs. I threw on my coat and walked carefully down the winding marble staircase. There was a few people in the lobby, all confused. The Escort was there to pick a list-ful of people up, me included. No one had the right time - some had been told 2pm, some 1pm, and some, including a girl who had just arrived the previous evening, had been told nothing at all. We threw on some clothes, grabbed some make-up for the bus, and headed out the door. Well, I guess I'm lucky that's the first time THAT has ever happened to me.
The Escort called Kai, who spoke to me. He told me that I should go to the branch after signing my contract. I asked him about the time - he replied that he "told the driver 1pm, but, surprise surprise! I guess it was different." There was no apology - something that set me off. Mistakes happen - but you apologize to the person you inconvenienced. That's just common courtesy - and professional respect. I was very upset.
The head office was nice, and we all signed our contracts and met Karen. She seemed nice enough, but still did not apologize for the mis-communicated time! I think I was really looking for this - and was additionally aggravated when she commented on the situation without apologizing to us. If I didn't need a job and money and a place to stay, I would have had a talk with them. It's just common courtesy!
[I think I'm still stuck in Japan - I would have been apologized to for ages, then taken to lunch and treated like a queen. I like that - butter me up.]
I went to my branch after the orientation, arriving at around 2pm. I don't know why my head teacher made me go - there are no classes from 2 - 7pm here, and he wasn't even there. I sat around for 5 hours, before teaching a class at 7pm (the one I had taken over). The students are great in this class - which aleviated my frustration a bit. They are all adults, and are charasmatic and eager to learn.
Needless to say, I was so ready for the weekend off. I slept for 14 hours Friday night, until 1pm the next day- something I don't think I've ever done in my whole life. Saturday, I wandered around Taksim with Lee, my neighbor (the one who had just arrived before getting suprise- woken up the next day). We sat in Starbucks - there's THREE within 10 minutes of the lojman - heaven! She actually just came from Japan, like me - from Westgate! We even knew some of the same people. It's such a small world!
I think the reason I am a bit flustered with English Time at the moment is due to my Japanese work experience. Anything compared to the well oiled machine that was Westgate will seem disorganized and dysfunctional. I know that this company is respectable and trustworthy - but the communication seems a bit off. All in all, it was a crazy first few days here in Istanbul. Full of not so great first-times.
I'll write more about the area I'm living in, the city, and work soon. I want to get some pictures first, and, unfortunately, it's been rainy an dismal everyday so far. Once Istanbul gives me sun, I'll give you photos. It is a lovely place so far, though!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
My First 1/2 Marathon - Disney style!
This past weekend, my family, minus the brother, piled in the car up to Orlando for a ridiculously exhausting vacation. My mother, sister, and I would be doing the Donald Challenge - a 1/2 marathon (that's 13.1 miles!) though the disney theme parks. My father, the expert runner and chronic overachiever, would be taking head on the Goofy Challenge - running the Donald 1/2 marathon on Saturday, with us, and then the Mickey FULL marathon on Sunday. Back to Back. Yikes!
Not only is this task daunting in and of itself, we also had the weather to contend with. Central Florida was experiencing some of the coldest weather ever. It was actually snowing on Saturday morning when we headed to the start at 4am, clad in cheap sweats that we would throw away right before running. Disney collects the clothes, and donates them to charity, so we didn't feel so wasteful.
As for my training, I got shin splints (they were awful, so awful that I think they were stress fractures!) in Tokyo, and had about a month off of running. After Christmas, I only had 2 weeks to get in shape, and was struggling to run even 3 miles. Starting the race, I was sure that it would take me at least 3 and a half hours to finish. I surprised myself - I ran 9 miles without stopping, ran/walked 2 miles, and the ran the rest. I finished in 2 hours and 20 minutes - a time I never dreamed of getting!
My body was shocked as well at this feat- and I came down with some kind of flu that day. I've been sick, and with the sorest body I have EVER had (it was hysterical watching my family walk together the next day! We were limping, and pulling ourselves along... people must have thought we were crazy). 3 days later, I actually feel semi normal again.
My Dad did really well, finishing both races with great times, with an injured calf on top of that! My uncle, who had come down to run with us (bringing my cousins along, too) beat him in the Donald by 3 minutes. My mom did great, and my sister didn't stop running once. I was so proud of them all!
I'm signing up for the Chicago Marathon this year - I simply love running, and races are great. Hopefully my training goes a bit more smoothly this time!
On another note - I leave for Istanbul today. On to another adventure, another land of unknown and new experiences. Wish me luck!
Not only is this task daunting in and of itself, we also had the weather to contend with. Central Florida was experiencing some of the coldest weather ever. It was actually snowing on Saturday morning when we headed to the start at 4am, clad in cheap sweats that we would throw away right before running. Disney collects the clothes, and donates them to charity, so we didn't feel so wasteful.
As for my training, I got shin splints (they were awful, so awful that I think they were stress fractures!) in Tokyo, and had about a month off of running. After Christmas, I only had 2 weeks to get in shape, and was struggling to run even 3 miles. Starting the race, I was sure that it would take me at least 3 and a half hours to finish. I surprised myself - I ran 9 miles without stopping, ran/walked 2 miles, and the ran the rest. I finished in 2 hours and 20 minutes - a time I never dreamed of getting!
My body was shocked as well at this feat- and I came down with some kind of flu that day. I've been sick, and with the sorest body I have EVER had (it was hysterical watching my family walk together the next day! We were limping, and pulling ourselves along... people must have thought we were crazy). 3 days later, I actually feel semi normal again.
My Dad did really well, finishing both races with great times, with an injured calf on top of that! My uncle, who had come down to run with us (bringing my cousins along, too) beat him in the Donald by 3 minutes. My mom did great, and my sister didn't stop running once. I was so proud of them all!
I'm signing up for the Chicago Marathon this year - I simply love running, and races are great. Hopefully my training goes a bit more smoothly this time!
On another note - I leave for Istanbul today. On to another adventure, another land of unknown and new experiences. Wish me luck!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
"Friends are God's way of taking care of us."
So, I have been so lucky in my life to meet some amazing people: people that have shown me so much kindness, been so supportive, and have pushed me to be and do better. Sure, I've had my share of conflicts, but I'd say, overall, I've been so incredibly lucky in my friendships.
I hadn't heard from Stephanie, an awesome English girl, and my BFF from my China days, in awhile. She was back in England, working, and we had been doing well keeping in touch. I sent a couple postcards, and a nice long letter with a Christmas gift, and hadn't heard from her. I thought this was odd...
...until last night, when I opened up Facebook, and, at the top of my News Feed, she announced, in her status, that she was leaving for Istanbul in 20 days. I gasped, and stared at it in disbelief, and then read her message to me. She applied to the same school I'll be working at, and got the job. She didn't want to risk letting the cat out of the bag, explaining the distance. After running around my house, tearfully exclaiming the good news to my family, I called her. She told me that I couldn't just come to Europe without her seeing me. What an awesome friend!
Not that I hadn't been excited about Istanbul before. But knowing that you get to be with an old friend again, well, that's just spectacular. And my friends are the best friends a girl could ask for.
I hadn't heard from Stephanie, an awesome English girl, and my BFF from my China days, in awhile. She was back in England, working, and we had been doing well keeping in touch. I sent a couple postcards, and a nice long letter with a Christmas gift, and hadn't heard from her. I thought this was odd...
...until last night, when I opened up Facebook, and, at the top of my News Feed, she announced, in her status, that she was leaving for Istanbul in 20 days. I gasped, and stared at it in disbelief, and then read her message to me. She applied to the same school I'll be working at, and got the job. She didn't want to risk letting the cat out of the bag, explaining the distance. After running around my house, tearfully exclaiming the good news to my family, I called her. She told me that I couldn't just come to Europe without her seeing me. What an awesome friend!
Not that I hadn't been excited about Istanbul before. But knowing that you get to be with an old friend again, well, that's just spectacular. And my friends are the best friends a girl could ask for.
My last days in Tokyo
It was a sad time, saying goodbye to all my new friends, and a city that I have grown to love. My last few days in Tokyo I was alone, all of my fellow teachers having gone home. It was really nice - I relaxed, and really pulled myself together in preparation for leaving.
I wandered around the city, visiting the areas that I had left to visit. I walked from Shibuya up to Shinjuku (a long walk!), trekking through Harajuku and Yotsuya along the way. These are really lovely areas, and probably my favorite in the city.
I went to Yoyogi park on Sunday, and saw the teens dressed in their outrageous costumes and crazy hair, playing cosplay with friends, or making music in the park. I walked around Ginza one evening, admiring the glitzy shops and the beautiful lights of the city-scape against the sky. I hung out in Asakusa, lurking in the shops, and singing karaoke - solo! So fun!
I wrote a few letters, and sent a few [hundred] postcards. All in all, when the morning of the 22nd came, I was ready to go home.
After over 30 hours of travel, including a seemingly unending layover in Chicago where my flight to Evansville was delayed over and over again, I arrived in Indiana and fell into the arms of my awaiting parents. It felt so good to see them again! Christmas was lovely, as expected. Seeing my whole family again was wonderful; we get along so well together. After missing Christmas last year, I can definitely appreciate the value that this time has in my life!
So, now I'm back in Miami, resting, getting over my jet lag, and preparing for my next adventure. I'm also attempting to train - I'm running the Disney Half Marathon in a few days. I'm excited, but a bit daunted. After having such horrible shin splints (which I believe were more like stress fractures, the pain was so bad), my running has been kaput. Well, 2 weeks of training is better that nothing!
I wandered around the city, visiting the areas that I had left to visit. I walked from Shibuya up to Shinjuku (a long walk!), trekking through Harajuku and Yotsuya along the way. These are really lovely areas, and probably my favorite in the city.
I went to Yoyogi park on Sunday, and saw the teens dressed in their outrageous costumes and crazy hair, playing cosplay with friends, or making music in the park. I walked around Ginza one evening, admiring the glitzy shops and the beautiful lights of the city-scape against the sky. I hung out in Asakusa, lurking in the shops, and singing karaoke - solo! So fun!
I wrote a few letters, and sent a few [hundred] postcards. All in all, when the morning of the 22nd came, I was ready to go home.
After over 30 hours of travel, including a seemingly unending layover in Chicago where my flight to Evansville was delayed over and over again, I arrived in Indiana and fell into the arms of my awaiting parents. It felt so good to see them again! Christmas was lovely, as expected. Seeing my whole family again was wonderful; we get along so well together. After missing Christmas last year, I can definitely appreciate the value that this time has in my life!
So, now I'm back in Miami, resting, getting over my jet lag, and preparing for my next adventure. I'm also attempting to train - I'm running the Disney Half Marathon in a few days. I'm excited, but a bit daunted. After having such horrible shin splints (which I believe were more like stress fractures, the pain was so bad), my running has been kaput. Well, 2 weeks of training is better that nothing!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Iga- Ueno
The next day, after spending a leisurely morning reading in (you guessed it) Starbucks, I headed off to Iga-Ueno, an ancient town known for being home to an infamous clan of Ninja. The town was small and a bit run down, but Ueno Park made up for all of that.
Here is located an old clan house preserved nicely. The guides were great, demonstrating with enthusiasm and surprising agility the many trapdoors, spy holes, hiding spots, and secret panels. It was SO COOL! I was 'oohing' and 'ahhing', gasping and cheering like a six year old. The two middle ages Japanese men in my tour group laughed their heads off a time, but no matter, I tried the trap doors and peeped while they tried to see my yes. I did well - I think I'd make an exceptional ninja!
The adjacent museum, containing the largest collection of ninja artifacts in Japan, was equally as fascinating. I didn't know there was so much more to ninjutsu than fighting. These men were practiced in the art of stealth, psychology, memnonics, and sorcery, medicine, disguise, and survival. During an age of feudal war and warring kingdoms, these men were masters of spying and collecting information and secrets. Truely a fascinating sub-culture!
There's also a nice castle, nestled in a beautiful forest walk, and surrounded by a moat. Great views - here I took some AWESOME sky pictures to capture the idyllic weather I had been experiencing.
Ueno Park is also the birth place of Basho, one of the most renowned Haiku poets. An interesting mix of Japan.
Here is located an old clan house preserved nicely. The guides were great, demonstrating with enthusiasm and surprising agility the many trapdoors, spy holes, hiding spots, and secret panels. It was SO COOL! I was 'oohing' and 'ahhing', gasping and cheering like a six year old. The two middle ages Japanese men in my tour group laughed their heads off a time, but no matter, I tried the trap doors and peeped while they tried to see my yes. I did well - I think I'd make an exceptional ninja!
The adjacent museum, containing the largest collection of ninja artifacts in Japan, was equally as fascinating. I didn't know there was so much more to ninjutsu than fighting. These men were practiced in the art of stealth, psychology, memnonics, and sorcery, medicine, disguise, and survival. During an age of feudal war and warring kingdoms, these men were masters of spying and collecting information and secrets. Truely a fascinating sub-culture!
There's also a nice castle, nestled in a beautiful forest walk, and surrounded by a moat. Great views - here I took some AWESOME sky pictures to capture the idyllic weather I had been experiencing.
Ueno Park is also the birth place of Basho, one of the most renowned Haiku poets. An interesting mix of Japan.
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