Party

Yes folks, that's right. Sally Gordon is writing about a party. I actually prefer to call it a "get-together" as to not try to sound like I'm trying to be cool. I guess you could say I've established a few groups of friends and I really wanted to bring them together so they could meet each other, see my new apartment, meet Cengiz, and just get out of the house! I find we all tend to get stuck in our comfortable routines and going to a new house, being with new people, can help us break it, even if momentarily. I can honestly say the get-together was quite a success, but I had no idea if was going to be or not. I have to give a BIG thanks to Anna, a fellow American teacher and friend at WSI, and she just lives down the street from me. She came over at 2:30 because we were going to bake a cake, but she ended up going to the store for me, making the (delicious) cake herself (as well as a salad and salad dressing) and being an ENORMOUS help with serving and cleaning up. I also have to thank my roommates for letting me have this get together and also helping arrange furniture, taking out the trash, putting away shoes, setting the table, and mingling with my friends. On Friday I thought it was only going to be 4 other people, but by Sunday it ended up being 13!



Anna making the cake



I love having such a nice big kitchen!



View of people from the balcony overlooking the living room. I have to brag, when people arrived at my apartment, their jaws literally dropped. I'm so lucky!



This is almost everyone, minus me and Engin. I decided to make fajitas and Spanish rice and a salad which was fun, I think hands on food makes for a good time. There wasn't quite enough but luckily there was a LOT of dessert.



Here are the different desserts. I made some lemon cookies with a lemon glaze, and also peanut butter cookies, some filled with jelly, some plain. Anna made the chocolate cake, and Cengiz brought the baklava and also a huge watermelon.



Anna and her beautiful and delicious cake.



Not a flattering picture of Cengiz or me but Sem, who(m?) I also know from Celebrity Fitness, always looks cute.



When Anna and I were clearing plates and getting ready for dessert I couldn't understand why no one was helping but everyone was so engrossed in their conversations they didn't really realize what was happening! By the time dessert rolled around people snapped into action, it was so kind. Again, I really had such a fun time cooking and seeing so many great people together in one place. I hope to do it again!

These breakfast pictures are from a while ago but breakfast/brunch on the weekends is such a Turkish thing I have to include them to help you learn about the culture. Engin is on the left, Emrah in the middle, and Engin's friend Omer is on the right.