Ill no more

Since last Friday I've been down with some kind of gastro-intestinal bug, and today I think I've finally kicked it. I'm eating three meals a day again, and am getting my energy back. I missed a bunch of classes, a midterm, and lost some weight as well. It sucked. My two visits to the doctor (only 75 cents each!) and two different meds did the trick I think.

It really blows being sick in a foreign country. Everything that's really different and interesting just doesnt matter at all, and the negative aspects become really clear. I spent a lot of time swearing under my breath in grocery stores wondering why the hell nobody in this part of Istanbul sells cans of ready made soup.

Finally out of the darkness, I can now catch up on classes and plan my next adventure. Maybe buy a plane ticket somewhere before they get too expensive.

You know you're becoming a Türkman when...

• You feel compelled to honk. At everything.
• You start mixing in "tamam" with your English conversations.
• You don't react when a cat brushes by you in class.
• Packs of wild dogs roaming around downtown don't surprise you.
• You are eating a sh*tload of yogurt and müslix.
• You refer to the Turkish National soccer team as "our team".
  
• You crave çay.
• You think 5 lira for a doner is "çok pahalı".
• Seeing a picture of Atatürk makes you feel warm and fuzzy.
• You refer to tourists you see as "stupid yabancis".
• You f*cking love Rakı.
• You pass time by smoking nargile, drinking çay, and playing Tavla.
• Simits start tasting delicious.

The First Post (two months late)

I had planned on putting together a beautiful Arabesque blog to record my observations and experiences while on exchange in Istanbul, but I was too busy observing and experiencing to actually get around to designing one.

Halfway through my exchange I realized that I had to get a blog up, so I opted for the easy route.

Enjoy the Zen (no Arabesque for you!).