Nothing new!

Hi everyone! I guess it's become part of my Sunday routine to write in my blog! This week has been pretty uneventful. I finished my one year contract at WSI, and the last couple of months I've been wavering about what to do - stay on, take some time off and try to get a job after the summer, find a new job - I wasn't sure. As my Dad has said, "Don't fix what ain't broke" (something like that) and this was a good situation for that; sure it can be tiring and stressful to teach and there have been a great deal of changes at my center, but overall, it's a professional job that pays on time, gives free health insurance, money for food, and the students and staff are perfectly nice, along with many other good things that come from teaching and being in the real world. Also I don't know what other job I could have out here! I've asked for a lot of holiday time (not exactly blackmail but sort of a "give me a lot of time off or I might not renew" kind of a thing) so that should help. I'm really really hoping to go to Eastern Turkey for a couple of weeks followed by some relax-on-the-beach time on the south coast of Turkey. Nothing is finalized but if it is, be prepared for many pictures of amazing landscapes and of course, food!

On a less upbeat note, this week there was an unexpected family illness and when these things happen it makes me question/wonder/feel guilty about being out here. It's hard to be far from home when something bad happens, and I wish I could help out. A fellow ex-pat and I were in a crabby mood yesterday and we were saying sometimes we feel selfish for what we are doing. But then these moods pass and you have to realize you have to do what you have to do. I can't spend all of my time lingering around home "just in case something happens". This is the hardest thing about being abroad though, being so far from my family and all of the "what ifs" that go through my head. I'm still so happy to be out here though, the weather is great (soon to be hot, and hooray, no air conditioning at school!), tulips are blooming everywhere, great roommates, students, friends, boyfriend, food - no complaints!

I haven't taken any pictures this week but I snapped a photo of my roommates cooking kisir - the bulgur with tomato paste, red pepper, parsley, green onion, lemon sauce, and a little tomato. So good!



That's Pam on the left and Emine on the right. Pam is originally from Iowa but got her masters and is getting her doctorate (is that the right word?) from Georgia State. Emine is from Turkey and she studied at Georgia which is where she met Pam and now they are sharing a room as Pam studies at Bogazici.



Emine's kisir is a lot greener than mine was - she doesn't hesitate to use a lot of parsley and spring onion. It was quite good!