(no subject)
Greetings!!! I'm bored. Now who thought I'd say that while I'm here. Seriously. I mean, I really have no right to be saying I'm bored - its just that we've been so busy and going around from one place to another in the past few weeks that I don't know what to do with all the free time that I've suddenly been granted. So update time. :)
Going backwards - this place is fullllll of hills. And we're near the waterfront, so that means everything is uphill on the way...I guess its better to be going uphill on the way somewhere than on the way back? But yeah, a couple of us went to this park today and just wandered and enjoyed the greenness that you don't see anywhere in the city despite the heat. Class today - we kinda did a brief summary of the Arab-Israeli conflict, which was quite interesting, because I really didn't know anything pre-1948. I just wish the profs here spoke English as fast as we do and as fast as profs at home because that makes a huge difference - its so easy to get bored when someone is speaking slowly. And you just don't get through as much information. Its not that they can't speak English faster, its that they are used to the Turkish students who need them to speak slower, so I mean, its completely understandable...but I feel like there are so many interesting subjects that we don't cover in enough detail because of that.
Last night - we went to this club (yes on a Wednesday night) called Reina. Its basically where all the celebs go (Paris Hilton apparently showed up there in a g-string...ummm. I chose to be more clothed hahaha.) and so its really expensive on the weekends...I mean it was expensive last night too, but not unreasonably so. No cover, but 240 Euros for 15 (?) of us to get a table in the place - and getting a table is really the only way you get in. Anyway, when we walked in, they were playing a remix of Juanes "La Camisa Negra"...yeah I knew at that moment it was going to be a fun night haha. :) Not too much techno!!! And whatever, I totally bhangra-ed to the techno so I win. The club was open-air on the waterfront under the bridge to Asia which changes colors every few minutes...gorgeoussss...pictures will be going up soon, though quite honestly, I was too occupied with dancing (hey I've been missing decent music like no other) to take good pictures. Anyway, the point is, they played songs I actually know besides Juanes and that made my night and I danced like mad crazy and it was wonderful. And I also think I can write a book right now titled "The Reasons I Don't Drink"...lol...I mean, honestly, I'm sure its fun if you keep it in moderation, but judging by the experiences of other people, it seems challenging in certain situations to keep yourself in moderation haha...*shrug* Whatever, I am just scared of the idea of being impulsive and uninhibited and all that...geez, I do enough stupid things as is. :)
What else...oh man, we found this little street full of vegetarian restaurants yesterday...me and my roommate were quite happy (she's vegetarian too) haha. And I still need to look up the Indian restaurant. I mean, I'm up for trying any new foods that I can eat, and I love the Turkish eggplant, their way of cooking rice and the spices they use on their vegetables and all...but the options are really limited for vegetarians. So I'm definitely far from healthy right now...living for the bread that the street venders sell - most amazing bread you will ever eat. :)
Its a pretty exciting weekend coming up between the elections and Harry Potter (which I guess I get at the same time as you guys because the bookstore is open Saturday morning...they were so amused by how many English copies we wanted to reserve...though I think I'm going to have to buy a book at home too because otherwise this will be the only one with the British cover. (Random: Backstreet Boys - "As Long As You Love Me" just started playing on my iTunes, and its making me smile like a fool. And a couple nights ago at this pasta place on the waterfront they were totally playing NSync - God Must Have Spent a Little More Time On You - lol). I need to take a video sometime of the election campaigners. Basically they go around in vans through the city blasting their music and now there are mobs of people dancing around these vans in front of all the large buildings, ferry stations, etc. Its crazy. Can you imagine that at home? LOL, vans with Hillary Clinton's picture plastered across the side blasting her Celine Dion song or whatever...? In any case, this weekend should be interesting...apparently Iraqi authorities claim that 140,000 Turkish troops are waiting on the border to invade depending on which party wins...most news sources say this figure is way too high, but there definitely is are troops on the border...hmmm. And then there is the independent candidate who was shot two days ago while in traffic on the highway...hmmm. Its definitely an interesting time to be here. :)
Going backwards - this place is fullllll of hills. And we're near the waterfront, so that means everything is uphill on the way...I guess its better to be going uphill on the way somewhere than on the way back? But yeah, a couple of us went to this park today and just wandered and enjoyed the greenness that you don't see anywhere in the city despite the heat. Class today - we kinda did a brief summary of the Arab-Israeli conflict, which was quite interesting, because I really didn't know anything pre-1948. I just wish the profs here spoke English as fast as we do and as fast as profs at home because that makes a huge difference - its so easy to get bored when someone is speaking slowly. And you just don't get through as much information. Its not that they can't speak English faster, its that they are used to the Turkish students who need them to speak slower, so I mean, its completely understandable...but I feel like there are so many interesting subjects that we don't cover in enough detail because of that.
Last night - we went to this club (yes on a Wednesday night) called Reina. Its basically where all the celebs go (Paris Hilton apparently showed up there in a g-string...ummm. I chose to be more clothed hahaha.) and so its really expensive on the weekends...I mean it was expensive last night too, but not unreasonably so. No cover, but 240 Euros for 15 (?) of us to get a table in the place - and getting a table is really the only way you get in. Anyway, when we walked in, they were playing a remix of Juanes "La Camisa Negra"...yeah I knew at that moment it was going to be a fun night haha. :) Not too much techno!!! And whatever, I totally bhangra-ed to the techno so I win. The club was open-air on the waterfront under the bridge to Asia which changes colors every few minutes...gorgeoussss...pictures will be going up soon, though quite honestly, I was too occupied with dancing (hey I've been missing decent music like no other) to take good pictures. Anyway, the point is, they played songs I actually know besides Juanes and that made my night and I danced like mad crazy and it was wonderful. And I also think I can write a book right now titled "The Reasons I Don't Drink"...lol...I mean, honestly, I'm sure its fun if you keep it in moderation, but judging by the experiences of other people, it seems challenging in certain situations to keep yourself in moderation haha...*shrug* Whatever, I am just scared of the idea of being impulsive and uninhibited and all that...geez, I do enough stupid things as is. :)
What else...oh man, we found this little street full of vegetarian restaurants yesterday...me and my roommate were quite happy (she's vegetarian too) haha. And I still need to look up the Indian restaurant. I mean, I'm up for trying any new foods that I can eat, and I love the Turkish eggplant, their way of cooking rice and the spices they use on their vegetables and all...but the options are really limited for vegetarians. So I'm definitely far from healthy right now...living for the bread that the street venders sell - most amazing bread you will ever eat. :)
Its a pretty exciting weekend coming up between the elections and Harry Potter (which I guess I get at the same time as you guys because the bookstore is open Saturday morning...they were so amused by how many English copies we wanted to reserve...though I think I'm going to have to buy a book at home too because otherwise this will be the only one with the British cover. (Random: Backstreet Boys - "As Long As You Love Me" just started playing on my iTunes, and its making me smile like a fool. And a couple nights ago at this pasta place on the waterfront they were totally playing NSync - God Must Have Spent a Little More Time On You - lol). I need to take a video sometime of the election campaigners. Basically they go around in vans through the city blasting their music and now there are mobs of people dancing around these vans in front of all the large buildings, ferry stations, etc. Its crazy. Can you imagine that at home? LOL, vans with Hillary Clinton's picture plastered across the side blasting her Celine Dion song or whatever...? In any case, this weekend should be interesting...apparently Iraqi authorities claim that 140,000 Turkish troops are waiting on the border to invade depending on which party wins...most news sources say this figure is way too high, but there definitely is are troops on the border...hmmm. And then there is the independent candidate who was shot two days ago while in traffic on the highway...hmmm. Its definitely an interesting time to be here. :)