Türkiye ... According to Britney

"Istanbul Inspirations"

vivalabritney — Wed, 6 Oct 2010 18:44:00 GMT

After a week of long, boring days at work and heavy pressure to get two days off we headed to Istanbul. This trip to Istanbul really gave meaning to the title European Capital of Culture … (http://www.en.istanbul2010.org/HABER/GP_592834)

Day One

We boarded the train to Istanbul early Friday morning and arrived at Haydarpasa (the train station) around 10am and boarded the ferry. Although, I had seen the city from the Borphorus only weeks before it still took my breath away. The crowded tram also took my breath away - and not in a good way. Arriving in Sultanamet - the old city, we went to our hostel - aptly named the Old City Hostel to check in and drop off our bags. We had breakfast at a cafe next to the hostel and started to plan out the day.

After fuelling up on omelettes and Nescafe, we started our sightseeing at the Basilica Cistern that was only a stones throw away from our hostel. The cistern looks like nothing from the outside so it is understandable how this underground reservoir was undiscovered for decades. This cistern is just one of the many underground reservoir that were built in the Roman period and used throughout the Ottoman period. I was amazed by the sheer size of the cistern - it is beautiful and massive, which can be explained by the fact that the cistern was a basilica in the 4th and 5th century and later converted into a basilica in the 6th century. The construction of the Basilica Cistern is impressive as it is so large and entirely underground. It looks perfectly preserved - although there has been little restoration to the cistern in the 18th century and later in the 20th century. The cistern opened to the public in 1987 - it is difficult to wrap your head around the reality that such a remarkable structure only was revealed to the public fourteen centuries after its construction. I did not expect to be blown away by the cistern - but I was. It was eerie and beautiful - and impossible to not imagine how it was used, who it was used by and the importance of it. Of course, it had an obvious function but as we have observed there is nothing in Istanbul that has a only a functional purpose.

Post-cistern experience we headed to the Grand Bazaar. I was ready to be heckled and in constant fear of being pickpocketed - none of which happened. The Grand Bazaar was not as overwhelming as I had expected. The best bargaining tool was having limited use of Turkish and explaining that we were living in Izmit. I also thought that I would be overwhelmed by the purchasing possibilities and that too did not happen. I saw the coveted gypsy pants hanging in the open - it was like an omen. I refrained from including them in my wardrobe because it is definitely Autumn and no longer gypsy pant weather. The most overwhelming experience of the Grand Bazaar was to watch shops close and vendors rush into the corridors of the bazaar at the call to prayer. The corridors were lined with hundreds of Muslim men participating in formal prayer. It was an unexplainable cultural experience that I will never forget and anticipate partaking in again and again. With fingers crossed, next time I will be witness to seeing Muslim women do the same - I am not holding my breath though.

We must have caught the bazaar bug because we headed to the Spice Bazaar next. Well, we wandered the streets for quite some tilt me looking for a washroom and the Spice Bazaar. Jayson, being the navigator he is found the Spice Bazaar. It was exactly what you would think it is. Spices, spices and more spices. It was a whole lotto smells in there. In addition to spices, there is tea, nuts, the typical Turkish souvenirs and illegit perfumes. Although, every vendor thinks you must buy saffron we easily resisted and settled with some Turkish desserts filled with walnuts and pistachios. We really only purchased them so that we could take pictures of the signs that advertised "Turkish viagra; 40 times in one night!". It is some kind of dried fruit (which I think is prune) and walnuts. I am skeptical of it's alleged medical properties - we all know the power of prunes.

Yep, now that I reflect on it - we did indeed catch the bazaar bug. We went to the book bazaar after, which was really more of a university book shop. I spotted some English books and resisted with everything I have to not purchase - they are pricey! But, oh so interesting. Almost every stall had some display of Qur'ans or Korans - which looked like ancient artifacts. We saw the Twilight trilogy and the literature of Ron L. Hubbard. I was aware that the allure of Edward Cullen held no physical boundaries but I was unaware that Scientology was big in Turkey. We had seen the bazaars of the old city and needed to people watch. We found a cafe, sat back, drank a beer and took in the sights of tourists and Turks.

With tired legs and the taste of Efes lingering, we headed back to the hostel. We were excited to meet other travellers and head up to the rooftop patio for conversation and drinks. Antonio, one of the hostel employees acted as bartender for us. We listened to music and had great conversation. Other travellers came up to the rooftop to join; two from Canada, two from Brazil, one from Columbia and one from new Zealand. The interaction and exchange between travellers is so fascinating; everyone is interested in one another and everyone genuinely gets along well. One of the Canadians was from Oakville - such a small world! We exchanged thoughts and opinions of Oakville and the routine "Do you know this person?". I was completely unaware of time and just enjoying myself, my surroundings and the people in them. Maybe enjoying myself a little too much as I was ready for bed long before the rest of them.

Day Two

After extreme hydrating due to the night before, we quickly got ready and headed out for another day of sightseeing. Not prepared to spend a small fortune on breakfast - I asked the hostel staff to point us in the direction of cheap breakfast. We went into the convenience store across the street and paid less than 5 lira for breakfast … for two! We took our breakfast (buns with hard-boiled eggs, cheese, cucumber and tomatoes) to a park bench across from the Blue Mosque. It was relatively peaceful and enjoyable - with the exception of Jayson's extreme irritation caused by the stray cats circling in on us. We had cay (tea) at a cafe attached to the Blue Mosque - where I would swear it's existence predates the mosque itself. We had some time to kill because we were waiting for some of the travellers from the hostel to go see the Blue Mosque. We found a mausoleum in between the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sofia to visit. It was the first time I had to take off my shoes and cover my hair! I've been in Turkey for five weeks and had been heavily anticipating this moment! The mausoleum was of course, beautiful. I stood in envy of visiting the mausoleum who felt an emotional attachment to those inside of the tombs for purposes of religion and or nationalism.

On to the Hagia Sophia we were. I am not sure if it is even possible to explain the grandeur of the Hagia Sophia or the feeling once you enter it. First of all, you fall victim to investigating everything inside - even a crack in the marble floor. Is that crack of cultural importance? Does it mean something more than it looks? How did it happen? When did it happen? Well, it is what it is - a crack in the marble. Once you overcome that (which I am not sure if I did), you can only try to take in the sights around you - which really you need to be a cyclops with an extra eye. Above the main entrance of the Hagia Sofia is a Christian mosaic of Jesus and then you walk in further to see Arabic proverbs. You hear Turkey to be a clash of culture and civilization and the Hagia Sofia illustrates that reality better than anywhere. With no attachment to religion myself - I felt goosebumps from entry to exit to be in a place that held such power for Christians and Muslims for centuries. I also found it amazing that it is visibly noticeable that this was once a church and then converted into a mosque. It is amazing because the remnants and indicators of Christianity were left undestroyed - which I can only explain by a deep respect for religion. It made me reflect on the relationship between Christianity and Islam in present day. Considering my surroundings maybe I shouldn't have been cursing as much as I was, but I'm in the Hagia Sofia - the most opulent place on I've been to thus far and what happens? My freaking camera dies. Now that I'm reflecting on my intense frustration maybe some of those choice words weren't just in my head …

The plan was to head to the Blue Mosque after the Hagia Sofia - but I was not prepared to visit yet another UNESCO World Heritage site sans camera. We stopped off at the hostel to charge my camera and broke for lunch. Neither of us were feeling too hot all week so we were trying to be extremely careful with our menu choices. I studied the menu ten times over and each time I was prepared to order the waiter told me "sorry, don't have". By the third time or so, I was said his usual line before he got the chance and he responded "no we have, nine out of ten really don't like". I was so amused, I almost wanted to order it. I ended up siding with the nine others. After a solid charging period, we headed to the Blue Mosque … again. Between the two trips to Istanbul, we have been around the grounds of the Blue Mosque more than anywhere else and still hadn't ventured in. We entered the oh so familiar courtyard and just tried to take it all in. In the main courtyard there is an entrance rightfully reserved for Muslims and on the right side of the mosque for visitors. The separate entrances highlight such an interesting paradigm; while the experience is breathtaking in so many regards, it is a tourist attraction for the majority but for the minority, the mosque remains to be a sacred place for daily worship. I was surprisingly taken aback by the division of the mosque. Of course, I had expected for men to be pay worship at the front of the mosque and women at the back of the mosque. I did not expect that the women in worship would actually be behind the visitors - I thought that it would be men, women and then visitors at the back of the mosque. I felt a range of emotions during the visit but awkward was definitely one of them, although it was not my first experience in a mosque. It felt awkward because the division of people in the mosque felt like an unspoken hierarchy - where I felt that I should not be snapping pictures and tripping over my jaw in the middle of the men and women in the midst of worship. I also felt awkward because I got caught some of the glares being directed to some of the visitors who were being loud or obnoxious and was hoping that I wasn't being categorized as one of them. I just wanted to interrupt and try to put into words how beautiful my surroundings were, and more importantly how beautiful it was to witness the act of worship. Then the inevitable happened … Jayson's camera died. We left the Blue Mosque in a quasi daze from what the afternoon had provided us with. We wandered around for a little without aim and then started to make our way to the port to catch the ferry to Haydarpasa. On our walk over, we were lured into "Cappadocia Rugs" by a famous salesman for "information" about rugs. WE read right through "information". Nonetheless, we accepted the elma cay (apple tea) and started critiquing carpets and kilims from across Turkey. On our first visit to Istanbul, we visited an ethnography exhibit which focused on the importance of carpets and kilims in understanding the culture of various groups, especially those nomadic in nature and the movement and evolution of these groups. While these carpets and kilims were not included in an ethnography exhibit, our salesman was explaining the richness of the culture that can be found in any of these must have souvenirs. Of course, there are certain techniques and styles which belong to certain areas of Turkey but to my surprise he explained that some of the inclusions are personal to the carpet or kilim maker. For example, one of the rugs from east Turkey had the letter "S" found throughout it's pattern and he explained that sometimes this is included to represent the feelings of the girl at the time. The letter "s" represents "seni seviyorum" or "I love you". There was some heavy bargaining to follow but of course, we headed to the train station without a carpet or kilim in tow.

We boarded the ferry along the Bosphorus at perfect timing - sunset. We sat outside, watched the sunset and the magnificent city slowly start to fade. Obviously, I'm counting the second, minutes and hours until I am in Istanbul next.

The Envy and The Awe

vivalabritney — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 22:50:00 GMT

On Saturday night we headed down to the Marina to meet with Cansu - one of the Turkish English teachers we work with. We had a table on the grass just feet away from the water's edge and skyline of bright lights. I was thinking can I afford this place? Will I have to wash all the dishes in lieu of payment? So, amidst all the crowded tables we sat down to a lesson in Turkish culture. The main purpose to these quasi-double date we were on was to finally enjoy Raki - the infamous Turkish drink that is similar to Sambuca.

Cansu proudly began to explain the symbolism and meaning behind the elements of Turkish culture. I was debating with Jayson the other week about tradition and religion in Turkey. I was trying to explain to Jay (with no avail) that tradition and religion (and elsewhere) are distinguishable concepts. He maintained that they were not distinguishable - until our experience on Saturday night. Cansu might just be the perfect example how of tradition and religion are two separate yet early fascinating entities. Cansu identifies as Agnostic and has her own sentiments of feminism. She is quick to explain that she rejects the patriarchal tendencies of her country - which has also been explained to me by other Turkish women and men.

As we sat at the restaurant and were audience to a Turkish engagement party, Cansu explained the traditions of her country and answered all of our accompanying questions. Her and her friend "JJ" were amazing hosts; they poured us glasses of Raki cheers-ing each time, served us the delicious food pairings and with enthusiasm tried to expand our Turkish vocabulary. The both of them were more excited to showcase the traditions of their culture than anything else.

The lesson in Turkish culture was educating and enlightening. It also made me a little envious of the uniting force that tradition can be. As I looked around the tables I saw that some were friends and some were family. There were Turks the same age as us sitting with their parents on a Saturday night, drinking Raki and singing along to the centuries old traditional Turkish songs progressively louder and louder as the Raki started to flow. Men and women were dancing around the tables with excitement - although these songs are not on the top forty. A few competitions between tables even broke out.

To sit and watch people come together on a night just like any other by the unifying force of tradition - and tradition alone just left me in complete awe.

The Cultural Divide

vivalabritney — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 18:58:00 GMT

The Cultural Divide

The other day we celebrated a belated Fonda day. Nacho gathered everyone together to make traditional and delicious Chilean food to commemorate the two hundredth year of Chilean independence. We all went to Jayson's new house to eat, drink and dance.

We needed to use an oven - which is not standard in a Turkish kitchen. So, Nacho decided to ask the restaurant at the top of the hill to use their wood burning oven. I thought that it was a innovative solution but I was skeptical that a business would allow outside food to be baked in their oven. There was no problem, the owners at Sultan Sofrasi were actually enthusiastic about lending out their oven.

I thought that it was so generous and out of the norm, yet all the others at the house didn't think a second thought about it. This is not out of the norm for them …

It is not out of the norm to be late for work because you ran into a friend on the street, for someone to introduce themselves to you and ask where you're from, invite you to their home, ask you to take of picture of them on your camera or even to treat you like they have known you their whole lives after ten minutes.

I then started thinking about Canada. Now being out of the country for a few weeks and interacting with people from all over the world I am questioning my view of Canadians. Relax, I'm not hating on Canada. When I'm asked about Canada and Canadians in Turkey, I routinely answer that we are friendly, accepting, diverse etc. I truly believe and am proud to say that Canadians are accepting and diverse, I don't know if I can label us as friendly (or to the extend I thought) anymore.

Are we polite? Yes, extremely so. Are we politically correct? Absolutely, and in comparison to some comments I have heard in the past few weeks … Canadians might just be the model for PC behaviour. I wonder though, have Canadians understood friendliness to be a fusion of politeness and political correctness?

It is just little things like lending an oven out to a relative stranger that makes me think - this probably wouldn't happen in Canada. Would I be invited into someones personal life after visiting their cafe a few times? Doubtful. I have seen numerous little random acts of kindness and observed the understanding of friendliness that is present outside of North America and I don't know if now I can say that friendliness is a describing characteristic of Canada.

Friendliness isn't about the obligatory smile or please and thank you. It isn't faking your way through the forced stop and chat to an accquitance. It is about a genuine desire to interact with the people around you - even for a second or a minute. This quasi revelation may just be an issue of time and space - but for me it has been the push to abandon a few aspects of Canadian (or, North American) culture and to further embrace and appreciate the aspects of our culture that I am proud of and believe in. And no, not all of these aspects are from a beer commercial ...

"The Situation"

vivalabritney — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 20:36:00 GMT

I wish I was blogging about Jersey Shore … but I'm not.

I knew that getting our residence permits would be less than enjoyable … I didn't realize it would be hell.

So, "The Situation" goes like this; we must have our residence permit within thirty days of arrival or we are only allowed to stay in Turkey for a total of ninety-days.

We were well aware of this and were asking the AIESECers to take us to the police station almost immediately after we arrived. We were told that the "reception officer" who deals with residence permits and such was away for Ramazan and Bayram. Of course. So we waited for his return on Monday and started hounding him like a telemarketer. Do we have our permits? No.

We took one look at our visas and said they were the wrong visas. Our visa are "training and internship" and should be "AIESEC internship". This is because the Turkish government changed their regulations on internship visas in July. Apparently, AIESEC did not consider this vital information for us to know. So, at this point we know that there are going to problems.

To troubleshoot this problems we get advice to "tell a little lie" to the Turkish police and government that we are not getting paid. Um, I've seen Midnight Express and I'm not down with lying to any government … especially the Turkish government. Regardless, this proposed "little lie" will not fix the issue because with the changed regulations it is mandatory to get a work permit before a residence permit.

So, the reception officer makes a few calls to the embassies and government. No new information came out of his calls. He tells us that we will all go to the police station on Friday to figure it out. We are on him like white on rice all week. Friday rolls around and he is a freaking no show.

So, my flatmate who doesn't know too much about the procedure take us so that we don't waste any more time. At the police station it was confirmed that we indeed do need to have our work permit prior to our residence permit. Both permits can be yours for the price of $1000 Turkish lira. Just a small fortune.

To further complicate "the situation", all of the AIESECers leave tomorrow morning to go to a conference for four days. Meaning, we have two days when they return to figure out all this out.

Keep your fingers crossed …

HBO and Hiphop

vivalabritney — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 23:26:00 GMT

I've done it! I've been talking myself into believing that Izmit is "home". Over the past two days I have come to actually feel it for a number of reasons, which I will go over in order of importance. I am starting to get bearings - to those in Izmit reading this, I do admit I was lost last week. I would also like to point out that well I had no clue where I was in the labyrinth of streets when told to go to "Shoes & More", I found my way. Not everyone relies on North - South / East - West and thats okay. I am starting to be more comfortable with the lack of plumbing - especially after a beer or two. Nonetheless, it is happening. I have reduced my abnormal levels of paranoia and tonight I walked home alone at 10:45 without calling anyone to "accompany" me. Mom - don't worry 11 o'clock is my walking alone curfew and I'm still your daughter so you know that I mean it when I say it. Last night was just perfection because I watched three eps of Entourage in bed with a carbonated beverage in hand. Then tonight was Sex and the City - of course, it didn't load properly but that also feels like home. I have faith that the fall lineup will keep me entertained until Spring. It really is just the simple things. Finally, and as said most important. I'm a fixture at this one Internet cafe. The walls are plastered with American film and music icons - and primarily the cafe plays English music. Today, while downloading my shows, skyping with my sister and sipping my latte …. I heard The Fugees. At that moment I didn't feel thousands of miles away but I did realize that home is not the physical … it is just where your minds at. P.S. I might have to contradict everything I just blogged when I sleep in my new and very dark room for the first time sans nightlight.

Izmit to Istanbul to Izmir and back!

vivalabritney — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 04:34:00 GMT

Weekend One: Istanbul

Dragging our luggage through the streets of Istanbul after seventeen hours of travelling wasn't the ideal introduction to the capital of culture. So, after six days in Izmit we were all over the opportunity to go to Istanbul for the weekend. FIve Turkish liras and two hours later we were in Istanbul. From the train station all of us took a ferry into the Golden Horn area of the Bosphorus. I don't have the vocabulary to explain how surreal the feeling was to see the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofia. I immediately felt cultured!

Of course, that feeling faded once I stepped off of the ferry to clutch my purse like I was the most paranoid tourist in the city (it is likely that I was) and took pictures of everything and absolutely nothing. As we were walking into the city (read: up one hill and another and another) I had a new found appreciation for Birkenstocks. We started the day off with a trip to a art museum recommended by our friend Ozzy. The museum had a media art exhibit that was badass. There was an installation that produced images via scent. There were perfumes for you to spray on sheets of paper and hold up to plastic flowers and the flower bloomed and butterflies floated around. Jayson tried his own aroma - his armpit and mouth to the flowers. Very interactive. There was also Wii consoles - I am just as horrible at Mario Cart in Turkey as I am in Sarah & Katie's living room. The art exhibits were really amazing - the depiction of Istanbul and Turkish women throughout the centuries by Western artists made me so envious of everyone in still in university.

Post-museum we walked around the city - I felt almost disoriented. I was thinking am I in the West or the East? Clash of civilizations, indeed. And just like that a true marker of civilization appeared before my very eyes - Starbucks! I attempted the mental translation of quad, grande skinny vanilla latte and then settled for an iced americano. I basked in the air conditioned once second home of mine and enjoyed every sip of heaven. Then off in search of food we went - not that is was difficult to find but when you're surrounded by deliciousness one can easily become indecisive. I was sold when we found a restaurant/cafe that had a baked potato bar.

It was like a figment of my imagination but they exist in Turkey! You just point to what you want on your potato and enjoy. I didn't quite understand the procedure and just pointed to what I thought was a picture of baked potato - I ended up with french fries and donair chicken in a hot dog bun. I vowed to myself that I was not leaving without devouring one of those potatoes.

We walked and walked off my heart attack in a bun and went to ? by the sea (I was informed by Jay that it was where Ali from the Bachorlette had one of her dates). It was unreal. A maze of narrow streets lined with adorable cafes and vendors. Oh, the jewellery! We all sat and enjoyed some Efes. It was fuel to the fire - we moved on to find a cheap bar and that we did. We went to a rooftop dive bar with good classic rock and cheap, cheap drinks. We stayed for the better part of the afternoon and were joined by other interns. The general consensus was to find a place to go and dance. On the way we all tried mussels from a street vendor. Jayson was shocked to find me eating them as I was appalled earlier in the day by how unsanitary they must be - when in Rome!

All of us went to the nightclub and didn't stay too long. Ten lira for a beer? Not feeling it or the year old top forty music. We all gathered in Taksim Square to figure out our next move - but with twenty odd travellers making a decision takes time. So, one of the Russian interns Sergey and I went on a hunt for one thing and one thing only … the baked potato. It was amazing, too big but amazing. After half of my potato all I wanted was bed. Instead, we went to a rock bar. I mean rock, like heavy metal rock. I've never really felt so out of place - but at least this time it wasn't because of my eye colour. Jayson and I sat and drank tea - we definitely looked ten times our age.

At dawn we went back to our friends apartment. The Turkish are not on the same page as the Canadians in terms of measuring distance. We were told that the apartment was "not so far". It was almost a twenty minute mini bus cab ride and a fifteen minute walk to the apartment. It felt like infinity until I was going to be able to sleep. And, it almost was - the second I closed my eyes the mosque one street over started the call to prayer.

We slept in late without regret because it was raining. We took the metro into the city and were ready to brave the Grand Bazaar. I was eager to find gypsy pants and a red pashmina - I'm still waiting, because it was closed. We went around the city and took pictures instead but with my luck my camera battery died. We met up with some of the other interns that were still in Istanbul at the Blue Mosque. We didn't go in because of the hoards of people - our first sight of the Blue Mosque fell on Ramazan and the day that Mohammed went into the sky to speak to Allah. We figure that it will be best to visit when the worshipping and the tourists aren't so plentiful. We checked out the museum across from the ground of the Blue Mosque. It wasn't the most fascinating museum I've come across - with the exception of the ethnography exhibit.

We parted ways with some of our group and started our journey back home. We made it to the train station with about three minutes to spare and we all did a serious sprint to make the train - I cursed the entire time. We ended up making the train and sat in our seats. It was a little room on the train with seats and beds - just like the movies. Then a man and his entire family told us we weren't where we were supposed to be. Should have known. After pacing the entire train a few times - we found our seats and slept until we reached Izmit … or, I guess now, home.

Weekend Two: Izmir

This past Wednesday was the end of Ramazan - which means the end of the drummer boy parading the streets in the middle of the night! It also means Bayram ?, a two day holiday which luckily fell on Thursday and Friday this year. All the Turks travel to their hometowns and visit with friends and family. Since our hometown is a little far and we don't have family in the country - we thought we'd embrace the holiday by travelling with friends. On a religious holiday where else to go but the Ibiza of Turkey.

So, Nacho (Chilean and not his real name), Sakiko (Japanese, obviously), Daniella (Brazilian), Omar (Egyptian) and the Canadians (Jay and me) left for Izmir Wednesday night to arrive at 8am Thursday morning. The bus wasn't as bad as I expected - the worst part was the little bow-tied man patrolling the bus. It was amusing that he didn't know that we were making fun of him, or maybe he did but how offended can you be if you don't know what is being said?

We arrived in Izmir on time - which I do have to commend the Turks on their punctuality (knock on wood). I was a little worried as we got off the bus. This was supposed to be in the Ibiza of Turkey and I'm not seeing the sea anywhere - even with my glasses. While we were waiting for our shuttle Jay spat on the ground because he was getting sick and had a sore throat. A Turkish man with Spongebob sock pulled up to his mid-shin and sandals started screaming at Jay for spitting on the ground. It was outside and blended quite well to all the garbage the Turks throw anywhere but a garbage can. We were all trying to apologize and Jay was trying to explain with hand actions that he was sick. The man reciprocated with his own hand actions and started pushing Jay and Omar around. It was really funny when it was over. As we were taking the shuttle into the city centre and I was getting increasingly worried. All the AIESECers were saying that Izmir is so beautiful and their favourite place in Turkey. At this point I'm thinking that we're staying in the slums of Izmir or I've been lied to. We found our hotel with relative ease - we were greeted with breakfast and better than expected accommodation. We all passed out at the sight of the beds.

After waking up, we went to the seaside with the help of the Lonely Planet guidebook. I didn't believe that there was a seaside until I saw it. It was beautiful. We all decided that we should take a break from kebabs and donair. We went to a upscale restaurant on the waters edge that had glassware and linen napkins - trust me, there is great enjoyment in a linen napkin over your lap after eating in restaurants that don't have paper products of any kind. We picked out our fish and a bottle of wine for the table. We sat and enjoyed our meal, the view and our conversations. After leaving the restaurant with the fear that we'd be charged if we stayed any longer - we wandered around the seaside. Still without my sought after gypsy pants and red pashmina we all decided that some cheap retail therapy would be perfect.

At the advice of the waiter we went to Konak Pier for shopping. Staying true to my new found frugal lifestyle it was evident that nothing was in my price range. I drooled over the Marc Jacobs and Jimmy Choo … and then I saw them. Christian Louboutins?. I held them for as long as I could before I felt an anxiety attack approaching because I could not bring them home with me (I settled for a two lira laundry basket at the market the next day). We headed to the hotel restaurant for dinner - not the classiest of places but you can get whatever you want and even what you don't want. Omar asked for "white pasta", the hotel manager/waiter said "no white pasta but we can". So as were sitting waiting for our dinner, we see two of the hotel staff getting into the shuttle to go on a voluntary hunt for white pasta. We thought it was so cute that they would do that. All of our meals came and Omar's was last to be served. He was served a whole cake for his dinner. In Turkish, pasta means cake. The proud smile of the hotel manager/waiter immediately turned to confusion as we all burst into laughter. We all had a slice of dessert with our dinner and the necessary carbs for the night ahead.

We returned to our lounge area - because we were the only guests in the hotel and had routine drinks before going to Rain nightclub which was right on the sea. When ready to go out, we all (6 of us) piled into the cab. Our logic of going to the Ibiza of Turkey during the religious holiday was spot on. It was open bar - and we made sure to get every lira worth. We (the girls) ended up dancing in the dj booth throughout the night. We drank and danced until we couldn't do much of either and headed back home. Considering the looks and laughter we got from the hotel staff in the morning we must have been prettttttttty amusing on our return to the hotel.

The next day we had a much needed sleep in. We toured around the city a little bit to the famous clock tower and square. We also went back to the market to wander the narrow packed streets full of counterfeit goods. We got dondurma - Turkish ice cream to complete our ultimate tourist look. We wandered down to the pier to have dinner at sunset. We headed back to the hotel with the idea of going out but didn't do much.

The next day we headed to Cesme - about an hour or so outside of Izmir. We were drinking beers in the back of the shuttle. Its run of mill behaviour in Turkey. I felt like a rebel. The drive up to Cesme was beautiful. We stopped for picnic supplies. We got to the beach, found beach chairs and took in the sights around us. We were looking out to the sea to Greece. We swam and chilled all day. We headed back to the hotel around nine - all tired from the sun. We also didn't do anything that night.

Another sleep in on Sunday morning. We got up and had lentil soup for lunch - no complaints from me. We headed over to the fairgrounds and went on a rollercoaster that gave me some serious whip lash and a haunted castle ride that I closed my eyes for. There was music playing from the swinging boat ride that went like this ... "sex, sex sex on the beach". Everyone was clapping along and laughing - I guess ignorance really is bliss. Especially knowing that the premise of most Turkish songs are about children, love, marriage ... and having children while married. After we went to check out the museum of art and culture. It was interesting because the majority of artifacts were from the area - even some from Izmit. We went to a rooftop terrace for dinner where a little boy was shaking my hand and then kissing the back of my hand and pressing it to his forehead. I thought it was cute until I realized it means you owe him money.

We headed back to the hotel to get our bags and say bye to the adorable pooch there. We got on the shuttle and the driver started asking us where we were from. We went through the countries and when get said Japan, the driver just started laughing and said "JAP-ON??" and laughed more. We thought it was hilarious but Sakiko didn't. We arrived at the bus station after a little traffic and got on our coach. I slept and drooled without shame the entire ride home. Some things don't change no matter where you are ...

What can I do sometimes ?!

vivalabritney — Mon, 6 Sep 2010 23:45:00 GMT

What up!

So, I haven't blogged since I've been here. It should only be an indicator that I've having a great time and that finding an Internet connection in Izmit can be as difficult as finding a washroom with toilet paper.

After almost 20 hours of trekking to Turkey we arrived at the airport. The AIESECer who was "picking" us up showed us how to take the subway and then walk to the bus stop and take another bus to Izmit (our new 'hood). My intuition about my luggage being the biggest issue was spot on. As I dragged my bag through the streets of Istanbul, I noticed that my clothes were peeking out of the bottom. Yep, it ripped so I had to rely on the AIESECer to carry my body bag of clothes. I wish I could say I felt bad for the Turk but that's what you get for not coming with a car.

We arrived in Izmit and the same deal - had to carry the bag up the stairs of the "famous" bridge in Izmit. My first impression of the bridge was skewed to say the least. I arrived at my apartment - which is central in the city - and then had to walk up another five flights of stairs with my travelling caravan of luggage. Once I stepped foot in the door of the apartment, I booked it to the washroom so I could see what I'd be dealing with. I was so relieved to see that there was a real toilet! My excitement for modern plumbing was quickly robbed of me when my "flatmate" told me in broken English that it was broken. She then showed me the "WC" - it even sounds more luxurious than it really is. It's a hole in the floor. I expected to encounter this - but there when there is a real toilet two doors down it is a little difficult to accept. I guess in Turkey the motto is "if it's broke, don't fix it". The Turks just shrug their shoulders and say "what can I do sometimes"? Um, the answer ... call the freaking landlord! I should count my blessings because although there isn't an oven, there is electricity.

All the Turks tell us that the city is small and boring. I would compare the city to Ottawa - big enough that you're not bored and small enough to navigate. It suits me. I have started to feel at home - although having a closet or a dresser would be a little bit more to my liking. I would also appreciate more widespread use of deodorant - especially on the buses. It was hot - like I'm melting hot for the first few days. It has started to cool down to a mild 27 - 29 degrees.

Of course, there isn't a cup of regular coffee to be found in this place. Just Nescafe and coffee whitener - I still drink it like its water, or Diet Coke in my case. Jayson and I have found a little cafe by the AIESEC office and work. The owner and his friend are so assumed by Canadians. They invited us to watch their performance of traditional Turkish music. Hizmet, the "Izmit idol" sang "Black Train" and "Yellow Rose" for us, the owner, his wife, his parents and one admirer. They always invite us to come to their home or go across the bay for ice cream.

The food is delish - and mayo is standard on everything. Black pepper is a rare commodity - which is horrible. We drink the standard Turkish beer "Efes". I'm told it is the best Turkish beer - like I care, I've always been more concerned with quantity versus quality. Plus, drinking beer helps me sleep on my concrete mattress and sometimes lets me sleep through the drummer boy who strolls the city during the wee hours of the morning during Ramazan to wake up everyone to eat before sunrise. I don't even feel the littlest of guilt about the beer consumption with all the walking and sweating I've done. South Beach Diet? Why bother - I assure all the women in the world that the Turkish diet produces results. There are so many hills in this place that you feel like you have hit the gym all day, everyday.

I don't think that I will ever get used to the pace of life here. It is slowwwww. It seems like everyone is doing something but not too much gets done. The cafes are as crowded as if it was the last day tea and Turkish coffee were available. The communication is less than desirable - and not because of the language barrier. The AIESECers tell us as little as possible. Also, there is a real absence of conversation. You ask a question to generate conversation but you get a one word answer and then watch a Turkish conversation flow like nothing else while you sit there. Thank god for the interns!

All the other interns feel the same and we just chill with them all the time. They are from China, Egypt, Brazil, Russia, Japan, Ukraine, Chile, Slovenia and Indonesia. There is a real sense of friendship between all the interns. The cultural exchange has been amazing! It is so amusing to see the reactions of the locals with a pack of internationals wandering the streets. Yes, some people in the world have blue eyes - now stop staring!

Alright - I'm out but will blog tomorrow about our trip to Istanbul this weekend! Hoschakal!

Nothing but love, Britney

Is this for real ?!

vivalabritney — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 13:32:00 GMT

Merhaba!

So,if you're reading this you must consider by blog to be relevant to some extent. I don't know if you should but that is a whole other issue. You'll soon come to realize that I have no experience blogging or using a computer for purposes other than school work, celebrity gossip and watching Law & Order: SVU. I beg you to bare with me - this blog might be as confusing for you as it is for me.

Now that the necessary disclaimer is out of the way - the infamous Turkish relocation can be discussed. Jayson and I leave tomorrow - yes, tomorrow. The past months of preparation have seemed somewhat surreal and unbelievable, but now the big move is just hours away.

My main concern? Nope, it is not being a Western female in a Muslim country. It is also not being unable to speak Turkish or anything thing else that I should probably be worried about. For those who know me real well - you know my main concern is my luggage. I wonder if it will arrive considering that one of my three suitcases could double as a body bag. I'm serious - an older gentleman made that comment to my mom and I walking out of the mall.

I'm not excited for the final goodbyes tomorrow as the initial ones took a toll on me and it is going to be harder tomorrow. That being said, I am so extremely excited for departing the suburbs and throwing myself into the Turkish lifestyle one experience and one moment at a time.

It goes without saying but I'm going to say it anyways - I miss everyone already and I hope you don't have any fun without me. Okay, that is not true but don't have any fun that isn't well documented because I want to hear all about it.

Over and out homies! I will "blog" (such a strange concept to me still) once I'm in the new homeland.

Nothing but love,

Britney