Minibuses and Market day :)

Well, I will detail some of the interesting things about my life here!

Minibuses. I have finally gotten to the point where I am totally comfortable on them! For those who don't know, there is this road called the Minibus Yolu (minibus road) that runs parallel to the coast. This is what I take from Idealtepe (where the apartment that I am staying at is) to Altintepe (where the Byles live) every day. Its about a half an hour walk, which I didn't mind, until it came time to carry bags, etc.

The minibuses are smallish, with probably four rows of two-seaters and one three- or four-seater in the back. The drivers are nondescript most of the time. Each day I just say 63 in Turkish (the street up to the Byle's) and hand my 1.5 Turkish lira, and theres no problem. The drivers are often smoking, the people are quiet, often with iPods and MP3 players distracting them, and...what was that other thing? Oh yeah. As a foreigner, the driving here makes me just about soil my pants every freaking day. However, I have come up with a foolproof Istanbul minibus stance (I usually just stand because the little old ladies are on and off the buses and they need the seats):

Feet just a little more than shoulder-length apart (if theres room). Left foot pointing left, right foot pointing forward. Left arm holding upper bar on ceiling, right hand behind back holding bar. Whole body leaned up against hand on back bar. And let me tell you, that whole 2 minute ride is white-knuckled. I cling to those bars for dear life. The drivers come closer to the other cars on the road then I thought physically possible! There have been times that if the window were open, I could have leaned over 3 inches and lost half my face! Sheesh. Its quite the experience. Today it was really cute because the driver was a lot younger then the other ones I have seen...probably 20ish, and he had a buddy riding shotgun. I got in and gave the money, and the friend smiled at me and stared for a second, then sheepishly hopped out of his seat and offered it to me. I smiled and told him no, (I didn't want to get there and have to get up in two seconds to get off). So I stood there, and handed people's money up for them (a common thing). Those who sit in the back just pass the money forward to the driver, and then the change gets passed right on back. Then another minute later, and the guy motioned for me to sit on the center median between him and the driver, and it was right at that moment that I needed to get off. It was really cute because they were sweet and weren't perverted! Amazing how happy that makes me. 

LOKUM. (Turkish delight). Its yummy. :)

Tomorrow is market day! Every thursday, part of the city is unrecognizable due to the stands and booths that line the streets. Veggies, fruits, clothes, beans, cheese, shoes, jewelry, underwear, tablecloths, curtains...you name it. Its there. The first market day that I went to was so much fun! I bought a pair of pants (quite like gauchos) and when admiring one of the dresses in one of the booths, the guy gave it to me, saying (in turkish) "you are our guest!" It made my day. Throughout the market, people were handing me things to taste. New fruits I have never seen before were handed to me (and thoroughly enjoyed). 

I haven't been sleeping well at all lately...it has been really stressful. I don't know what is causing me to not get much sleep. I have been tossing and turning and waking up every hour. So needless to say, I am always exhausted which is really frustrating. I hope it doesn't last much longer! But seeing as though it is a little after 10 now, I have to start trying to fall asleep. :)

Love to you all, 

Marlies

Ahh Turkey...

Well, as I write this, I am snuggled in a cozy concrete corner of the Ankara bus station. My phone isn’t working, there is no Wifi, and this is a very large building. I have no idea at this point if the Telfords are already here and looking for me, or if they haven’t arrived yet. *Stress.* I am also STARVING but I am not starving enough to have to battle the language barrier to get myself something…I can be SOMEWHAT patient I suppose.

I am so glad that I got here without a hitch! Thankfully, on my way here I was able to find a two people who spoke a few words of English…that helped quite a lot. And there was one very enthusiastic Turk man who took my ticket and went to every bus in the lot to inquire if that was the one that I needed to be on (alas, none of them were, but bless his heart for trying).

The most entertaining part of my trip here to Ankara was when I went into the restroom at the first bus station (it was very small and out dated) and I got into the stall…the floor was sopping wet, the wall was sprayed with some unidentified liquid, there was no toilet paper or seat cover in sight, and the toilet seat was very clearly wet and sticky. Even now as I think about it, I move my feet further away from me knowing that they were on that floor. I was so stuck though, because I had to pee, and I had a 6-hour bus ride ahead of me. I went out of the stall to see if I could channel MacGyver and figure something out, and was mortified when I looked around and saw a vending-machine-sort of thing for little cardboard contraption that enables women to pee standing up. No way. So I looked in the other stall to see if there was anything in there to work with, and to my horror, there was a Squatty Potty (I know several of you know what that is) with a fountain of water draining onto the floor (that explained why the floor was so wet). NO FREAKING WAY. So I got back in the stall, and lets just say, I made it work, at the expense of an old T-shirt that I had just happened to pack.

The rest of the trip was spent trying to not bump the girl next to me ho was sleeping most of the way. I am so glad that I packed two iPods, because I have certainly needed them both!

Lately I have been trying to peg what stage of Culture shock I am at…I am neither ecstatic about Istanbul nor sick of it. I must say I think I have evened out and have reached a point of ambivalence to it. Indeed, I can’t wait to be home. Whenever I travel, I notice little things that I take for granted. Such as: hugs. Not just any hugs, but the hugs you give those who you are familiar with. The hugs that you are so used to that you don’t even think about. I also miss the friendliness of Americans. Granted, the attitude ranges in any country, but I miss the genuine friendliness in Lynden. Here all I get is blank stares, glares, and perverted gestures. Right now, in fact, there is a 30-something who has been walking back and forth outside, looking in the window at me. And just now he walked inside and walked by me again. To me its no big deal if a guy is looking at you, and then when you look at them, they look away. But what is terribly uncomfortable to me is when you look up and the guy keeps eye contact and just stares at you. Which is what this guy is doing. DUDE. STOPPIT.

Haha – not even half an hour ago, I was irritated with how my tailbone was hurting after sitting so long on the bus. Well…now I am sitting on cold concrete, and my tushey is even MORE uncomfortable! Go figure.

Another thing I have missed so much about the U.S. is control. When I am at home, I have control over just about everything. I can drive where I want to, when I want to, without any sort of hindrance. I can go to Safeway and know exactly where everything is. The cashiers recognize me, and I can joke around with them. I can go to Woods, and I know which baristas to get drinks from, and which to steer clear from. I have lost every bit of control since I have been here. I can’t communicate, and can’t drive myself, and beyond my everyday route, I don’t know where anything is. I can’t find anything in any stores because it’s all in Turkish, and I can’t ask about it, because all the Cashiers are Turkish!

I guess what I am trying to say is that I will always be a small-town person. There are a lot of wonderful things about big cities. But really, what I enjoy most is driving down the road and seeing four people I know. I love knowing and talking to cashiers…I love that just about everyone in Lynden knows eachother. I LOVE it.

Top on my list for things I NEED when I get back to the states:

East Indian food – spicy spicy spicy PLEASE.
Panera Bread – Cheddar Broccoli soup in a Sourdough round.
Olive Garden – Zuppa Tuscana
Sushi – Spider roll. (I think that’s what it is…the one with the deep fried soft shell crab).

Asian 1 – Fried rice

24 Oz. Blueberry White tea and 16 Oz. White Chocolate Mocha Shake with Irish Cream AND a 24 iced Americano.
Five Guys Burgers and Fries – anything.

SOMETHING BARBECUE. Anything. Just slap some barbecue sauce on some part of a cow that’s been barbecued low and slow. Thankyouverymuch.

A Good ol’ white bread and plain cheddar grilled cheese sandwich.

So that’s my tentative list. I guess. I am still hungry, and I am still trying to kill time, can you tell?

My first day in Istanbul!

Such a crazy day it was! I woke up to the call to prayer, which is really a unique and beautiful thing. I had no idea how loud and clear it could be heard through the city! David and I took the kiddos to their Swim lesson (a good 35 minutes away from their house by Minibus). They hurried off, so david and I sat for a few minutes, then went shopping.

Our first stop was to get a notebook so that I could write down all that I was learning about the language. While I was in there, I was startled by the forwardness of some of the late-teens early-twenties guys. As I walked from one end of the pretty small store and back, I noticed that he was following me, and as I stopped to look at something, he would stand no more than a foot or two way, behind my shoulder. After I got the jist that he wasn't easing up at all, I turned towards him and glared, and from then on he kept more of a distance. :)

We stopped at two grocery stores and a little restaurant and picked up the kids, and headed back to the house. The kids had friends over, so it was chaotic, with kids running around, screaming, fighting, yelling, hitting each other...and I still haven't gotten to the point where the kids actually LISTEN to me, so it was really overwhelming. Learning their schedule has also been tough.

That night, while the kids started to watch the movie for their sleepover, I went out for a walk to the coast. It was easy getting there, and I took a lot of pictures, but it had already turned dark when I started to head back. I made my way from the coast across a main road, up to the mini bus road (which both run parallel to the coast), but from there it was all a blur. The little streets and businesses all look so similar, and I ended up getting SO LOST! I was on streets that weren't even on the map that I had. And...then I heard the boom of thunder, and the flashes of lightening, and I knew I was doomed. I picked up my pace, but soon enough, it started DUMPING. And after a few minutes, the puddles started forming, and little streams of water ran down the streets, so my feet were soaked up past my ankles, my sweatshirt was pretty much soaked through, and my hair was so wet that it was dripping down my face. So I wandered up and down the streets for more than an hour, just trying to figure out where I was. Eventually I gave up and walked down to the Minibus road, found a landmark, and then I could recall where I was going. It was a very interesting experience. :) At least I know I got a lot of exercise! :)

From there to here.

Where to start?

The last few days have been an unexpected amalgamation of odd and unusual circumstances that have resulted in my immense (but short-lived) insanity.

For those who have been following my quickie updates on Facebook, much of this will be redundant (but with more of a humorous outlook on the situation, seeing as though the stress has now departed from me).

I arrived in Vancouver airport just on time, got through security, sat and waited for boarding to commence, and then subsequently boarded. I was seated by an adorable old couple who were going on a Panama cruise – so they could mark it off their bucket list. They were precious, and wonderful neighbors for the duration of our 4.5 hour flight. The plane was one of the most technologically advanced that I have ever been on – complete with a USB port for charging iPods, and outlet to charge the laptops (or anything else that the heart desires). All in all, it was a pleasant experience (despite the delay).

We arrived in the Toronto Airport an hour after we should have, leaving those of us with connections scrambling to make it. (At that moment I was regretting packing so many books in my carry-ons.) Having to hustle from one side of the airport to the other reminded how terribly out of shape I am. I arrived at the gate, bought some lemonade, sat my tush down, and waited. And waited. And waited. Then over the intercom I hear “We are so sorry Ladies and Gentlemen, but the flight is delayed until 19:30  (or something of the like).” So I waited. And waited. And as the time passed 19:30 (or something of the like), I heard the intercom again, and I hoped it would be to announce that we were boarding soon!

But it wasn’t.

Instead, they announced that the flight was cancelled, which left us all dumbfounded. We looked around at eachother, and I could tell that some just got up to go home, some got up to yell at the innocent check-in crew, and the others started wandering aimlessly trying to make sense of it. I was in the latter. They corralled us and moved us like a very unhappy herd of cattle to the Air Canada help desk, where they informed us that they would either take us home in a Limo, or book a Hotel for us and give us vouchers for all our meals. Despite how fun I thought it would be to have them drive me like 12 hours home, I picked the Hotel, as did the girl I met during this whole thing.

So we waited outside for a good hour before the bus picked us up. As soon as the bus arrived, everyone ran towards it, and hoisted their bags up, and sat down. Just as the bus was almost full, a 5’3” woman hops on and yells at the whole bus for not letting the families with children board first. “We have babies out in the cold” they said. “Please can someone just get off??” Anni and I looked at each other and decided we would heed Psycho’s (as we called her from then on) demands. However, as soon as we got off the bus and got our luggage off, I turned around and saw her going back into the airport, because there wasn’t enough room.

So we sat there for another half hour, boarded the next bus, and got to the Travelodge in just a few minutes. We checked in, got to our rooms, and took showers, and went to dinner…then I slept for eight beautiful hours. :)

The next day we got breakfast and went sightseeing, and got back to the airport, stood in line for a good 2.5 hours, and got our next flight information. We had a little bit before we had to go, so we got sushi and donuts for the flight. The airplane had NONE of the wonderful technological features that I have come to love (personal TV’s, etc.), so I was sure that this was going to be a never-ending flight. However, the flight ended up only being about half full, so we got to move around, and I got 2 seats to myself, so I slept for 7 of the 8.5 hours. :)

Then when I got to the Warsaw airport and found the transfer information desk, I asked them about what flight I would be taking to Istanbul. I saw the guy get pretty flustered and make a lot of phone calls because of the fact that the only flight going to Istanbul that night was leaving in just an hour. So the lady at the counter had to hand-write my boarding pass, and I started the trek across the airport to the passport check and gates. I handed the passport and makeshift boarding pass and they looked at me like I was an IDIOT and sent me away. I tried to tell them that the transfer information guy had just sent me with that because the printed one would only be available at the gate, but NOOOO.

So I walked all the way back to transfer information, and the guy must have seen how frustrated and upset I was because immediately when I said that they wouldn’t take it, he got his jacket and accompanied me to the passport check. After a few minutes of talking in Polish, he won! I might have given the mean lady a slight smile as he escorted me through. :) Happy moment.

From there we practically had to RUN to my gate, and I got there just in time. :)

When I boarded the plane, I was reluctantly pondering who I would be sitting next to…An old creepy guy? A YOUNG creepy guy? A sweet old lady? When I got to my seat, I saw a cute young couple with a precious baby boy, probably about 6 months old.

Wait – let me stop. He was precious. Then he was kinda cute. Then he was bearable. Then he was annoying. Then he was the DEVIL CHILD WITH MUTANT LUNGS.

Long flight. It felt longer then the 8.5 hour one that preceded it (and it was only 2.5 hours).

I got off, got my luggage, got picked up by David, rode the Catamaran across the Bosphorus, and took a Taxi ride to their apartment. There, I took a shower, chatted with David and Ulrike, had some tea and a bowl of icecream, then fell fast asleep. :)

Just my luck. :)

When I checked in this morning, I knew that the plane was delayed (20 minutes it said). Then when I got through security, I found out it was 35 minutes late. So at 9:35 we boarded. I was so relieved to have a seat next to a very sweet 60’s-ish couple who were on their way to Ft. Lauderdale to hop on a Panama Canal Cruise! They said it was something they were going to mark off their bucket list. So cute. :)

So we are sitting on the plane, and the pilot informs us that it will be 5 more minutes wait (for what reason I am not sure). When these five minutes pass, the pilot again communicates through the intercom that it will be another 5 minutes for baggage being loaded. Then we are informed that ice has built up on the wings so it would another 10 minutes. Finally, an hour late, we took off.

The delay put stress on several connecting flights for a few of us. As soon as we got off the plane, I booked it to my Gate (E81), which just so happened to be way WAY at the very end of a terminal on the other side of the airport. Up stairs, down stairs…you name it. Lovely. :)

Exhausted, and watching the line for the flight to Austria to deplete so they could start boarding the flight to Warsaw, I hear over the intercom “We are very sorry for the inconvenience, but the flight to Warsaw will be an hour delayed."

Of course. :)

Last Day in the U.S.

Tomorrow is the big day! I am not looking forward to waking up so early (4-5ish)...especially since I haven't packed anything yet (I know, I know -- Its ridiculous). I will be up pretty late tonight. I most likely won't sleep at all.

Thank you to everyone who has given words of encouragement or prayers -- you don't know how much it means to me. 

The next time you will hear from me, I will be well on my way over if not already at my destination! :)

Love you all, 

Marlies

This is my Blog!

Welcome to anyone who is reading this! This is where I will be documenting my travels -- both the exciting and the monotonous (this post undeniably falls into the latter). 

I will begin by apologizing in advance for my rabbit-trails...I have a tendency to lose course when writing. (Just ask my english teachers, bless their hearts. The poor things were pioneers in uncharted territory.)

For those who don't know, I will be leaving for the stunning country of Turkey in less than a week. April 18th is my departure date. I will be flying out from the Vancouver airport with layovers in Toronto and Warsaw, ultimately arriving in the Ataturk Airport at 4:35pm on April 19th.

I am very excited for my trip, with the occasional bout of nervousness due to the fact that I have never flown internationally by myself. However, I should keep myself pretty well occupied on the flights and layovers with my recently updated iTunes library (chock full of everything from 60's and 70's Motown to Broadway buffs Michael Crawford and Colm Wilkinson), an Istanbul travel guide, Augustine's Confessions, and a brand new sketchbook, pencils and pens. 

Any prayers will be greatly appreciated, as well as any words of advice or encouragement. 

Hugs and Kisses to all of you,

Marlies