(no subject)
I've had the loveliest day so far today. Met Alex at the Galata Bridge and we had lunch at one of the restaurants underneath, then went to another place -- a coffee shop -- and lolled on bean bags playing tavla (backgammon). It's a fabulous day, incredibly sunny, the Bosphorus an incredible shade of indigo. It does such a good impression of being clean. Alex whupped my ass at tavla, but it was still fun, and we stuffed our face with mezze but it still only came to YTL11.50 each, with food, drink, and tavla-board rental. (That's about eleven bucks Canadian, maybe eight or nine US.)
Now I'm at the Taksim branch of English First, which faces out onto the Bosphorus... just a spectacular view. I think looking at that view every day -- and walking down İstiklal Caddesi to and from work! -- might be enough to make me happy, I really do. If all this university-chasing-around-business falls through, I might well consider working at EF. It's got a nicer vibe than Interlang. Where the general manager at Interlang, the infamous Abdulkadir, didn't know our names and didn't talk to us, ever, if he could possibly avoid it, the GM here, Cengiz, always says hello, is usually sitting in the reception area when we come in, chatting to the secretaries, and seems to be constantly buying sweet things for us -- it's profiterol today, cake-like balls covered in chocolate sauce. He also does madly hands-on things like helping Alison with her photocopying a couple of weeks ago when she was having trouble. Katherine told me yesterday that he'd just bought a massive fridge for the kitchen area, and I went and looked at it today and it's already equipped with olives, cheese and piles of water bottles.
If only it weren't for the horrible books. They really are dreadful. I'm still coming in three hours early for two hour lessons just to be safe. If I could stay under 25 hours a week maybe I could get used to working around them. Elna says there's a job waiting for me if I want it.... Well, at least I have a fallback.
Now I'm at the Taksim branch of English First, which faces out onto the Bosphorus... just a spectacular view. I think looking at that view every day -- and walking down İstiklal Caddesi to and from work! -- might be enough to make me happy, I really do. If all this university-chasing-around-business falls through, I might well consider working at EF. It's got a nicer vibe than Interlang. Where the general manager at Interlang, the infamous Abdulkadir, didn't know our names and didn't talk to us, ever, if he could possibly avoid it, the GM here, Cengiz, always says hello, is usually sitting in the reception area when we come in, chatting to the secretaries, and seems to be constantly buying sweet things for us -- it's profiterol today, cake-like balls covered in chocolate sauce. He also does madly hands-on things like helping Alison with her photocopying a couple of weeks ago when she was having trouble. Katherine told me yesterday that he'd just bought a massive fridge for the kitchen area, and I went and looked at it today and it's already equipped with olives, cheese and piles of water bottles.
If only it weren't for the horrible books. They really are dreadful. I'm still coming in three hours early for two hour lessons just to be safe. If I could stay under 25 hours a week maybe I could get used to working around them. Elna says there's a job waiting for me if I want it.... Well, at least I have a fallback.