*Another Disclosure*

Just for the record, please do not judge me by my spelling or grammar on this blog. I have poor grammar a lot, and while writing in a hurry and thinking off the top of my head, I tend to lose track of my fingers. ;P Thanks for your considerations on this very important issue. LOL

Pressin' Out the Wrinkles

Just a quick note. I find it intriguing and awesome to wake up in the morning and have all my clothes iron pressed and perfectly folded. That's right, I'm living that right now?! There is a maid that comes once a week or every other week to clean the entire house and she does all the extreme. I woke up by the sweeper and began to heat up my breakfast which was pasta, with yogurt added. (Amazing by the way!). While eating, she quickly went into my room and made my bed, straightened all my trinkets and things throughout the room.

Now, this is the one thing that gets me. Some of the things I have are strategically placed for quick grabbing or effortless searching. I remember a couple times, I thought that she had purposely hid things from me because she thought it was funny. I promise you, I will find out her deep-seeded thoughts against my existence in this household. LOL. Maybe its because she has extra clothes or extra places to clean. I have no clue, but i will get to the bottom of this!

On another side note, I have begun writing down my expenses in an Excel worksheet. So far it has been working, meaning, I have been keeping up with it. Its fun to watch where your money is going. It is really helping me not explosively shop! We all know I have a problem, occasionally. ;) ... I am currently waiting for time to pass so Otterbein can send my refund check to my parents. After this, I will hopefully have a bank account here in Turkey and my family will be able to wire transfer for a cheap fee. But time seems to crawl at snail speed, which at another angle of my life, I'm pretty damn happy for this.

There are sooo many things that have popped up in my mind to discuss and voice my feelings or opinions, the past few weeks, but to find the time and energy to write them is the issue. I mean, really, who wants to come home from a relaxing night in Alsancak(cafe scene), and find the strength to write a blog post? Not this kid. LOL. I guess thats just the cultural differences kicking in?! ;P

"Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections."

~Anonymous!

Refreshments - Foca, Turkey

Yesterday, Burak, Cansu, and myself made a little adventure to a nearby town, Foca. Foca is a small town, located about an hour away which is well-known for their fish(Balik) and Raki(a turkish liquor). The town is small, with tiny alleyways as roads; we actually got caught up a couple times with the car. We ended up sitting at a small cafe right on the seaside, with the water nearly smashing us with every wave. There was a light breeze and no traffic, given its small size of a city. It really was a peaceful place.

After tea, we went to this small Hotel(5 rooms!). It was right along the seaside as well. They had just finished designing it after so long. Each room was designed differently, and they were all supposed to resemble a French domain. The beds were huge, and the bathrooms were so clean and neat. In one of the rooms, the bathtub was strategically placed in front of the window which faced the sea! It cost was about 100-250 dollars per night. A perfect honeymoon hotel.

We went to a fish place, Celep restaurant. We ordered calamari(fried and cold), Russian salad, and a whole fish, that Cansu and I chose out. There was also bread and olive oil. We also ordered a bottle of Raki. When you do such a thing, they call it a Raki table. Typically, there are old songs of romance and depression sang, and a lot of reminiscing. Typically its rude or out of the normal to bring up current issues or problems, because it is supposed to be a time of happiness and memories. the Raki is poured half-way then you add water which turns the liquid from clear to a cloudy white color. It tastes and reminds me a little bit of licorice, however the nice thing about this drink is you can decide how strong you want the taste to be. Its a Turkish classic, Fresh Fish and Raki.

Of course after, we were pleasantly happy and meandered over to the nearest Dondurma (Ice cream) shop!! It was a gummy texture and fresh flavors. It was a great way to end a relaxing, refreshing, and mind-opening day.

"In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed."

~Kahlil Gibran!

~Basketball and Ginger~

So as I sit here, I sip on my new found drink. I have been in Turkey for a few weeks now and sooo many things on my mind. Language, culture, boredom, relaxation, friends, family, and my future. All these things are becoming clearer. A lot of philosophical questions have pleasantly placed themselves into my head. So many cultural differences, subtle yet distinct. For reference, these differences are described now: I, was raised in the country, had a simple life, worked to make my own ends meet, and then continued learning through the city of Columbus. I have constantly been growing. Now my adventures have taken me to Turkey, where I will be living in the hustle and bustle of Izmir, Turkey. So when I compare cultures and/or differences that I notice, please remember my background and that these may not be differences among culture but rather at an individual level. But nonetheless, lets move on and switch angles.

My new found drink: Lemon, ginger, and honey. Burak's aunt realized I was constantly concerned with my looks and appearance as a whole. She recommended that I try drinking this daily drink to detoxify my body, give me energy, and burn calories all in one; I mean lets face it, the American diet has a bountiful amount of toxins to offer, so, why not? Press the juice of half of a lemon, a spoon of honey(however much you prefer), a spoon of powered Ginger, and then add boiling water. Drink one of these a day, preferably on an empty stomach, and it will work wonders. BAM. That's exactly what I think of when I drink this substance. It has an intense taste, but after acquired, I feel that it makes for a great wake up call, like that of coffee... but better for you. ;) In addition to this drink I will be drinking 3 green teas a day. I was drinking about 6-7 a day in Ohio, to stay alert and oriented at work, however, this was probably horrible for me! :P What are ya gonna do?

Next topic: BASKETBALL! Now as a disclosure, as most people know, I am not a sports person; HOWEVER, this was just great. Ok first let me set this up. Now everyone can imagine the Ohio vs. Michigan game or the Big Ten or whatever. Its an intense atmosphere and whatnot, right?! Well, you would never believe there was more spirit than that, I mean, me neither, honestly. Well I was proven wrong last night. It was the semi-finals for the world cup in basketball, Turkey vs. Serbia(which is known to be great). It was Burak, Mine(his aunt, pronounced: mee-nay, love her), and myself. In summary it was a a great game, Mine was yelling, Burak was yelling, I was even yelling.... Hell, the neighbors were yelling. Haha. It was the last 4 seconds of the game, Serbia was up by one point, Turkey threw the ball in and ran it for a 2 pointer. They had won... within 4 seconds, it was ecstatic. That was only the beginning. Immediately following, the streets were filled with yelling, horns blared their horns for hours on end(literally), FB(Facebook) messages were popping up from all my friends. The craziness and excitement of it all was great! I never felt excited about a game honestly until last night. I cant wait to see a soccer game now. So the next stage is Finals with: AMERICA VS. TURKEY. How crazy is this, and you can only imagine how excited and mind-blown I feel, my two favorite countries going head to head. all I have to say about this is, its going to be such such such a fun and overwhelming night, with the Turks screaming OH HA DEV ADAM ONIKI(12) DEV ADAM (Lets go, 12 giant men).

Now as I close this, I finish up the last sips of my BAM POW drink, thinking and hoping that I can continue to find the strength to continue blogging and recording this trip. There have been sooo many thoughts going on in my head, I hope I can put them on paper in an organized manner. :P For now, good afternoon Turkey, and good morning America!!

"A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people."
~Mohandas Gandhi