Busy busy!

I know I know I didn't update last Sunday, I'm so sorry! It's really been a busy week and a half, working, going to the gym, going to the police station like place to get my residence permit (twice, and it is NOT close), and..wait for it...being a little social! I had an "American night" - there was supposed to be a group of Americans getting together but it ended up just being my friend and I, which was good fun, and then a work get-together, and then there was also a birthday party for me! It was really fun, my birthday has always been at an awkward time so I can't remember the last time I'd gotten together with friends to do something. There was also a party for me at work! Phew. That's about all that's happening here. It's starting to get pretty hot now, I really need to find out if I can use the outdoor pool - it's for Bogazici students but I was one 2 years ago...Anyway, here are a bunch of pictures!



These are my roommates, Pam and Emine. Emine made turlu, sort of a stew with a bunch of vegetables - it was really good. This is on our little glassed in sun porch. Sadly Pam has gone back to the states now, but Emine is still in the apartment.



The place we went for our work get-together is a famous street in Istanbul - Nevizade Caddesi, in Taksim. It's filled with meyhanes, where, at least in my limited experience, you pay a set price, get unlimited alcohol, lots of delicious mezes (or appetizers), a main dish, and some sort of dessert. There are usually musicians wandering around and people dancing. It can be fun, but if you are tired or not in the mood it can be boring, because you can't be in a rush for your food. You are usually there for several hours, drinking, eating, talking, dancing, and drinking more. Anyway, it was fun and the food was good!









Often, when bellydancers start dancing, people stick money into her clothes. The girl on the left is our receptionist, and as a joke her fiance stuck credit cards into her dress. And you aren't crazy, the other girls are identical twins. One of them works as a saleswomen/educational consultant, the other just comes around to confuse us.



Yeah! Native Teachers!



This is my birthday party! It was nice and kind of a funny mix of people - Sinan and his roommates, my roommate, an English teacher friend, Sinan's best friend and wife and pretty cute little baby. It was nice to get with so many people, and I really appreciated people coming, because the weather was so bad that day.



Thanks to Sinan for organizing this! It was really nice of him and all his idea.



Ayse, the baby, really adores Sinan and the same goes for him (he's started calling her 'his girlfriend'). Here she was feeding him some of her french fries.





Sinan's friends and roommates, really really nice, funny, and good guys.



A perfect shirt...so perfect that...



I got two of them! How funny is that?



Turkish cookbook from my roommate



Stroopwafels - a Dutch cookie that I discovered when I let a Dutch girl stay in my room last year - THEY ARE SO GOOD! When I befriended Arnout, another English teacher in Istanbul, who is from Holland, I got him to hook me up with the cookies whenever he went home.



Books about Turkey from Sinan!



Sinan's attempt to make me a die hard Galatasaray fan (his favorite football team) - by giving me soft fuzzy things with the logo on it.



Hamza gave me a large frame with different spots for pictures - it's perfect and I've already started to fill it up with pictures from my trip!



So...much...birthday...cheer



I think someone else is a little worn out...



More cake! At work now.



If you made it this far, thanks so much for reading and looking at the pictures! I'm sorry this one was so long, like I said, it's been a busy week and a half. I hope you all are doing well - take care!