Turkey: Istanbul

13.03.2014

• Turkish Air - blah - stop in Entebee - sleep- read inflight magazine - concept of Khairat - plural of khayr, a Quranic concept meaning charity - how this was a cornerstone of Turkish society - 99% muslim
• arrive in Istanbul - not super friendly but effective help getting around airport and metro - subway car, transfer to tram - arrive near Blue Mosque - follow my directions to arrive at Cheers Hostel - smells of cinnamon - golden retriever - Tarek - check in - internet - what to do here - how to get to Vienna - Amit - http://www.humansofnewyork.com/ 
• EMAIL TO KEVIN: I felt so close to Kevin and so far away at the same time while riding the metro from the airport that I almost started crying. This feels like a place I should be with him! We should be wandering down alleys together and ducking in for tea at little cafes together and checking boxes of Turkish delight for tummy-upsetting ingredients together. It also doesn't help that it is Seattle weather, not to mention Seattle style, all around. And, there is this overwhelming smell of Christmas everywhere! Why a largely muslim country would be teasing me with cinnamon and spice and everything cozy-warm-snuggly-cuddly smelling feels a bit like mockery. I will handle it, I suppose. My hostel is lovely. Turkish Airlines is Blah. Metro is great. Customer service many places seems to leave something to be desired. Overall, Istanbul is batting a 900 and is already writing itself as one of my favourite cities in the world. We'll see if it lives up to the expectations I have lofted upon it in the last 2 hours. Sidebar: there is a golden retriever at the hotel who would steal precious attention from me but I wouldn't mind because he is adorable! 
• Worked on the computer for a bit - chatted with Leika - works for Tommy Hilfigure - coordinates opening of new stores - working from hostel for the day - 
• Long shower and shave - talked with Tarek - headed out to see the city - lunch of meze plates at ____ - people watching - beautiful people in a beatutiful city - first baklava and Turkish delights - box of rose and pommegranate with pistachio - owner was kind and patted my belly to imply that I could have eaten a lot more and then told me to come back to eat again - met David along the road who pulled me ever so gently into his shop and enticed me with teas and nuts and a variety of spices - I promised a return visit before I leave Turkey not wanting to carry spice bags longer than necessary
• Walked up to the _____ mosque - one of the most beautiful spaces I have been in - woman caught me inside to share in a moment of appreciation for how beautiful it was after her prayers - light coming in the windows of brilliant jewel coloured stained glass - she is from Istanbul and did not speak English - asked the security guard outside to get me a free copy of a book called ______ Isalm - I understood that she wanted to me to know more about the religion and to share with people back home, probably to dispel the images that they know many people have of muslims - book even has a section called " Terrorism"  and Jihad - 
• Situated next to the _____ Grand Bazare - wandered the shops in the cavernous arched hallways - painted ceilings - amazing smells and sights - such a glistening display of the new next to modern versions of old art and decor - bought gloves - bought sweater - shaking lots of hands and turning down a lot of offers - looked for hats - enjoyed the cool evening air - 
• back to the hostel to write for a bit and catch up on some things - talked with woman visitin from Ukraine - home near the border with Russia - tanks and military - wondering if Putin wants to take over more of Ukraine than just Crimea - talked with dad

14.03.2014

• Lovely breakfast - Chat with Leika - worked a bit more - talked with group of Yale law students - shower and head out with Leika -
• walked down toward Sophia - busy with prayers at noon so walked through the neighborhood for a while - bought roasted chestnuts
• Back to Grand Bazarre - people praying at mosque on street- lost in the streets - back to bazarre - book section - found our way to Istanbul University - had lunch near the U, outside on the street - in the sun - quite happy
• Walk back into town - visited a mosque - she had to wear my scarf on her head and borrow a skirt - lovely
• Walk down to Blue Mosque - wait outside of prayers to end in courtyard - read about the history - watched the sun set - stood in line - looked around inside - 
• Tried to go to Sophia but closed for the day - walked home - rested and worked on plans on the computer - sat and read while owner, Omer, played chess with one of my roomies, James - chatted with Michelle and Lexi, the two from DC - all getting hungry - Omer said he would take us to his other restaurant
• Piled in his BMW and drove (fast) down the narrow streets to Cheers Lighthouse - has 5 spaces now and another to open soon - wine - liquor - great meze plate - amazing aubergine poached with milk - stuffed grape leaves with amazing spices - family from Sao Paulo, Braisl sitting outside laughing with us and staring as we got more and more uproarious - toasted through the galss - ate filled dough with cheese - two older couples from England who we thought we were annoying but who loved us - Lexi entertaining them - eating and drinking - joined by two of Omer's friends in from Croatia - media marketing and events coordinator - dancing and laughing
• Taxis to _____ area - 360 - man dancing in leather with women on chains - so much for Istanbul and yet still gender submissive - drinks with sparklers and fresh fruit and nuts - dancing - rooftop with view of the city on the other side of the river - fireplace outside - taxi home - Lexi had someone throw water out their window which hit her

15.03.2014

• woke up late but not late enough - worked on plans for the day and for the next two weeks - making decisions about things to do - good to have a small outline for me 
• Got ready and headed out - 
• cistern - 
• sophia hagia
• home to check emails - confirmation for dirvishes - chess with James - bad connection with Kevin
• walked to train station with event space - dinner at Orient Express - lentils on the platform - 
• dirvishes - tea and twirling - stayed to ask a few questions after - VIDEO - chatted with Ahmet - others left and we went for coffee - talked about art and life and relationships - invited me to his home to see his work - http://www.elmagicos.com/english/works/ - such a lovely connection
• home to rest - chatted with missionary - rarely get the chance to have a meaningful conversation with a missionary - long talk with Kevin - bed

16.03.2014

• palace - rug museum - chestnuts - 
• shopping - pant - tailorting!
• Spice market - new mosque
• hat - imren
• shoes - walk to warehouse space to try on
• catch train to other side - walk to tunnel car - walk to meet Amy & Friends!!
• walk to nearby hamami - massage therapist - talking with people in hamami - 
• went for food after with Rumi, named for the poet, an architect and dancer - so you think you can dance - music video - J Lo - great conversation and lovely time in Taskim at Bambi
• video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA1J0Mtmgiw  - ece seckin

17.03.2014

• woke up late - relaxed a while - got ready for my day
• went across to ____ side of water - walked to Mavlavi Tower - great views
• walked up the busy commercial street - stopped at St Anthony Cathedral - lit candles for Rita's grandmother who was born here - lit candle for my namesake, St. Anthony, born on his feast day, patron st of portugal, father's side - cried - sat for a long while 
• went for desserts - had two and tea - relaxed
• walked to Taksim Square - sunset - Starbucks - sat on the edge of the park and watched the city
• train up to Levent - lost in the neighborhood which is always fun to see life in a new part of the city - finally found my destination and it was the wrong spot - art opening - used the phone of a security guard to google the ticket office and have security guard call to find where I should be - got a taxi which was at least a 15 minute drive including freeways - dropped off at what I thought was a hotel but was actually the fanciest hospital I have ever seen - directed around the side of the building to the entrance to Besiktas Fulya Art Center - could not find entrance - just laughing at this point - ended up backstage and was led by a musician to my seat 
• Çetin_Işıközlü - Canakkale den Baris Cagrisi - Istanbul Opera and Ballet 
• Taxi to Metro - Metro ride home - close to hotel - guys chat with me - invite me to eat with them - my intuition told me to decline and go home but it was early and they seemed chummy - went with them to a restaurant which was more like a nightclub - salad and kebab - belly dancer - girls introduced to our table - woman asked if I had a girlfriend - NO - asked if I had boyfriend - YES - had a great talk about her life and working in this kind of job - entertain people - buy her drinks but just water - finally ready to leave - bill was T1,000 per person ($450) - realized I had been hussled - told them I would not and could not pay - argument ensued - agreed to pay a lesser amount which they did not agree with - walked to an ATM, took out a small amount of money while hailing a cab and threw it at them before I drove away - cab driver told me the restaurant is trouble, "mob place" - so, shaken up and pissed off and feeling embarrassed at having been taken, I was out a bit more money than I thought I would spend for dinner but safely home with an aggregating story about having dinner with dancers in a club run by the Turkish mob - life is strange

18.03.2014

• Annoying Brit Boys wake me up when they come home at 7am, trying to convince a girl to join them
• arrangements for Capadocia - run to catch ferry - found friends by fate
• boat across to Asia - walk to Tuesday market - kitch - olives - cheese - istanbul socks - guy in drag
• walk back toward water for lunch - great puza ____ (black eyes peas, chard...) - feeding cats chicken 
• walk along waterfront - balon cafe - shooting balloons - workout equipment - more cats - getting to know new friends
• different boat back - tea and chat - what cities we would live in - missing Kevin a lot and wanting to be living in any city with him and to see family
• tried to buy train ticket - looked into bus tickets - home and changed rooms so I wouldn't suffer the Brit Boys - relaxed in new room with roomie, ____, from Thailand - just the two of us in a 4 bed dorm! Much better - bought plane ticket from Romania to Austria! Now I just have to figure out how to get to Romania :) 
• Out to get a spot of dinner - talk with server who wants to move to Dubai 
• Home and chat with group of students from a boarding school in Western Mass - touring for school - up to bed

19.03.2014

• breakfast - spa - beat up by massage - soaping and exfoliating - singing in hot room - so beautiful - rest for a bit -
• hair cut - ear wax - 
• walk to Hamdi - lunch overlooking the water and bridges - pizza with walnut and pommegranite - pistachio baklava 
• walk to bazare singing - lots of cheap shirts - home - talk with people - tirp advisor - 
• big goodbyes - to shuttle - to bus station - met woman from Dubai - facilitates workshops for executives in oil and gas industry - many attendees have been scamed as I was - feels better - first time traveling alone - got to our overnight bus - sat next to French man who lives in Eugene, Oregon but really lives abroad most of the year, usually in Morocco - developing board game for mind body therapy
• sleep