Finally more on our Xmas!

Photos:

1. Trying to make Latvian gingerbread cookies

2. Cengiz, Ange, Murat at the dinner table

3. Me and Emrah out in the snow

 I finally have found a bit of time to myself to sit and write up the recent happenings.  Aside from the first snowfall, and the second and third, we had a great Christmas party at my place on the 26th of December.  

About a month ago, the foreigners who are here were talking about Xmas plans, and we decided that we should have a dinner with our closest friends, and no Turkish food.  Everywhere you go, all you can find is Turkish food, and albeit it is tasty, it was time to change it up and put together a USA/New Zealand style Christmas dinner.  

Me and Angelique planned most of it, planning out food and decorations and gifts.  We wanted to enjoy a non-Turkish evening while also showing our Turkish friends the foods and traditions of our countries.  We decided to do the dinner at my new place, since I live alone and it is big enough for many guests.  We bought many lights, candles and other kitchy Christmas stuff to decorate my scrubby apartment, and the day before our dinner went to work decorating my tree (Emrah added a hockey glove as topper), putting up lights, setting out candles and scrounging together enough plates for 12 people.  

The day of the 26th was a whirlwind of cleaning, going to the salon for a haircut, more cleaning, and cooking of course.  I tried to make Latvian gingerbread cookies, but my little toaster oven (noone has real ovens here!!) quit on me halfway during first batch.  So i finished up the cookies on a makeshift oven that i made on the stove top by stacking a few pans together, and baking them on a pie tin.  But it worked out, and everyone got to have a taste.  After cookies, I made creamed carrots, stuffing, and gravy.  Then Ange came over with more food.... pasta salad, lettuce salad, roasted potatoes, onions, and pumpkin.  SInce there are no real oven available for our use we had to resort to ordering chickens from the local chicken shop.  A bit embarrassing, but with no oven, getting four spit-roasted delicious chickens delivered to our door for about $15 was a good deal.  

While me and Ange were busy in my tiny kitchen trying to get all the food warm and ready all at once, the beer and wine were flowing in my living room.  As soon as the chickens arrived, dinner was on the table and all of us sat down to eat.  Funny thing though, since we are used to sitting down and then passing the food around so everyone gets everything.  Here, our Turkish friends are not used to that, and so they pretty much just ate whatever was in front of them, and missed some of the things that may have been on the far end of the table.  But, really, we got good reviews, especially the roasted veggies, creamed carrots, and gravy.  It was nice to sit with so many friends from all over the world and especially to give our Turkish friends a different dinner experience.  We were 12 people in all... Me, Emrah, Angelique, Cengiz, Jim, Leen, Burc, Nazli, Teksin, Ozan, Irem, and Murat.

After dinner, we took a break, and just had a good time until it was time for gift opening.  We told everyone to bring two cheap gifts, and so the first round of gifts was just everyone picked one and opened it.  Second round, we taught them the white elephant gift game, where gifts can be stolen or traded.  They really enjoyed it, and many of the gifts were quite funny.  More hanging out, more drinks, and then dessert, which was cheesecake, sweat chestnuts, and fruit salad.  More drinks and good company followed, and people slowly headed home, with everyone gone by 4am.  

It was a great evening, of good food, good friends, good times.  We succeeded in bringing in the Christmas spirit to Turkey at least for a day, and we were lucky that it has snowed a bit each day over the past week, to give us a white Xmas.  The day after Xmas, Emrah and Leen helped with clean up, then we went out for a nice dinner.  That evening, it snowed again, so me and Emrah headed out for a late walk to play in the snow and throw some snowballs.  

Today it was back to normal life, with waking up late, going to the gym, and later I have hockey practice.  But tomorrow night (4:30am) we are heading out of town for some more holiday festivities!  Me, Emrah, Angelique, Cengiz, Jim, and Leen are going to Cappadocia, a three hour drive south.  It is a region with bizarre limestone formations, caves, etc.. Maybe a little bit similar to the badlands of South Dakota.  We will spend a few days there at a nice hotel, having good times and company and sightseeing and ring in the New Year!  It will be nice to get out of town and experience something new with good poeple. 

Xmas

A few photos from Xmas dinner night..notice hockey glove as tree topper..  more to come...as soon as i get some time to sit and write..

Photos:

1.Our Xmas tree.

2.Me and Emrah

3. Burc, me, Emrah

4. Cengiz, Angelique, Me at dinner table

5.Jim, Murat, Me, Cengiz, Ange, Leen, Nazli, Burc Teksin.. on my couch

SNOW!!!

Last night it snowed for the first time! After putting up the fake tree last night, it began to snow.. this is the view this morning from my apartment. Half of it has already melted..

To be continued soon...

Shopping

This week has pretty much been more of the same.  Stay up late, sleep in late, go to the gym, hang out, go to practice, go out for a beer or food, and repeat.  Last night, we played about three hours of hockey and so it was another late, but fun, night and late wake-up time today.  

And thus today, which was a day off of hockey, I decided to stay away from the ice rink and go shopping instead.  I met up with Angelique, the New Zealander, and we took the metro to the center of the city, called Kizilay.  From there, we walked about 10 minutes until we got to an open bazaar, which can be seen in the photo.  As you can see, its packed full of people and has items for sale from floor to ceiling.  If you are looking for Adidas track pants, you can come here and choose from hundreds, all at an unbeatable price of less than $20.  And no, of course they aren't real.  Just like all the Abercrombie & Fitch clothes, or the Nike hats and bags.  Along with fake brand name clothes for cheap, you can find anything from window curtains to kids' toys to pots and pans to underwear.  I bought socks, a cutting board, a hat and 4 DVDs for about $20.  DVDs also surely illegally made, but hey, they are cheap and they play on my turkish DVD player.

  

The sales people are very kind and they yell out their prices to any passerby, hoping to make a sale.  When you do pick out an item, they quickly take it, put it in a plastic bag and stick out their hand for the couple of Lira the item costs, then, on to the next costumer.  

After shopping through every aisle and feeling frozen through to the bone (it was hovering right around freezing for the first time this winter) we headed to a cafe to have a sandwich and coffee.  Instant coffee, that is, called 'Nescafe' and pretty much the only kind of coffee available here.  After warming up a bit, we were back out on the street stopping in here and there to shop a bit more.  The Kizilay area is laden with small shop and street vendors, most of which sell the same or very similar items, most of which are hats, shoes and handbags.  Almost everyone i know comes to Kizilay for cheap shopping, as the malls are nice, but much more expensive.  

After an afternoon of shopping out in the cold, we took the metro back to our neighborhood, and I plan to spend the rest of my evening watching one of my new movies and making an attempt to fall asleep before 3am for a change.  

More to celebrate. Kind of..

Photos:  1.) Big group is our team 'owners' and the team, at a post-game dinner.  2.) Me and teammates at post-game dinner.  From the left: Nazli, Yasmina, me, Mine, Ilkim, Elif.  3.) Team celebrating on ice after winning.


Well, its been a week again, and aside from the day to day, the only thing of somewhat interest that has happened is that my hockey team won a big game.  Without me.

As with most things in Turkey, I've learned, rarely is anything done on time or correctly.  And so in the week leading up to the biggest game of the season, rumors started that my playing license had not been done on time, and that i would not be able to play.  This game had been scheduled back in October, a few days after I arrived, but postponed until now because our opponent was out of town during original game.  Long story short, my team owner didn't get my license before that game, and thus, even though the game happened this weekend, since I didn't have my license before the original date, I could not play.  Of course everyone thinks this is a stupid rule, but the opposing teams manager made sure to look into it to make sure that I would not play, since he knows that with me on the ice, his team wouldn't stand a chance.  My problem with the whole thing is that my owner should have taken care of my license, especially since this was really the game i came here for in October the reason I HAD to come when i did.  Its over now, but still, not a good situation.  Even though, as usual, people here just say 'well, that's Turkey'.

So instead of playing, I was on the bench and coached, and the team pulled out a dramatic 3-1 win!  Very sweet, especially after all the trouble the opposing manager went to to make sure I couldn't play.  We saw him quickly leave the rink after the game, going on vacation a day early.

This week, the whole country is on Bayram vacation, but more about that later.

After the game, the 'owner' (its actually just a family, with a kid on the team, who has enough money to sponsor our team, and pay my salary...) took us all out to dinner.  It was fun, and all of the girls were extremely happy, as this was the first win against this team (Polis Akademi), and it almost guarantees that we will be champions.  We play another game against them, but if we squeaked out a win without me playing, its almost a for sure win with me playing.

After dinner, we went back to the rink to watch the men's game, and then the festivities continued at the local bar, which we kept open much later than the proprieter wanted to!  But, as usual, we had a large group of good friends, our team and a bunch of men's team players, and so it was a nice night all together.  

The next day, yesterday, I met up with the three other foreigners, and we went to the mall to look for Christmas decorations!  One Target-like store in the mall had one small pathetic aisle with very cheesy over-priced Xmas decorations.  But hey, what can we really ask for in a muslim country?  So, we sticked up on pretty much one of each small ugly trinket, had some lunch, strolled around some more, and headed home.  I plan to move into my 'new' apartment this week, and also plan to have a Xmas dinner there, so decorations are a must.  

To be continued.. off to practice...

Life

Photos: 1.) Group L-R, Emrah, Jim, Cengiz, Ange, Murat, me.  2.) Ange and Cengiz 3.) Me and Leen 4.) Emrah and Galip 



Since it has been a week, I thought it may be time to write another update and post some photos of my friends.  The problem is that life here is pretty simple, and everyday is similar.  It's like living the the movie Groundhog's Day, where Bill Murray wakes up every morning to the same day all over again.  Since i went to Abant last weekend, I have had many hockey practices, two games, and a birthday celebration.  

First, practices.   My girls team has ice three times a week, and two weeks ago I coached two of those practices, yet this last week, I only got to do one practice.  Too bad, since the girls like my practices better, as they at least learn something and skate a lot.  But one is better than none, and we played better in the game the day after my practice, as they are slowly understanding a bit more about hockey.  Last week I also practiced twice with my men's team, which even though it's horrible hockey, allows me to skate fast and work hard.  Then, last Friday night, I went to another men's team ice time, but it was at 1:30am, so it was just me and a bunch of the best men's players, who are my buddies, and we just played pick up hockey til 3:30am!  Its hard to get a nights sleep here anyways, so why not just play hockey all night?!

Last weekend we had a game against a weak team, and won 18-1.  This Saturday, we played another weak team, and won 12-0.  So far this season, our team has played 7 games, and we have scored an obscene 100 goals!  The people here still don't understand that good hockey is not just about how may goals are scored.  Our next game night be this next weekend, but that is not for sure as it is a make-up game, and still needs to be approved.  If we play, it will be against the next best team in our league, the team that won the championship last season.  There has been ton of talk about who will win, even bets made, etc..  I am pretty confident that my team will win, but who knows. 

So on to life outside of hockey... Well, kind of life outside of hockey, since all of my friends are hockey players.  We often hang out at the ice rink, if someone has practice or a game.  Saturday night, my team had a game, and then there was a men's league game, and so we all went out afterwards.  It's always fun and the guys are really good company.  Most of them speak a lot of english, and the guys that don't speak much try, or else they are good to try to talk to for me to practice my Turkish.  Sunday night, we went out after a game to celebrate Angelique's birthday.  It was the same old group of friends.  Me, Leen the Estonian, Angelique the Kiwi, her Turkish boyfriend Cengiz, Jim the Canadian, and Emrah, Burc, Galip, Baris, and Murat, the Turkish guys.  We went to the bar called 'Last Stop', where we have been regulars lately, to have some beers and stayed until they kicked us out at 3am.  It was a fun but long weekend, as going to bed at 6am leads to sleeping until 3pm, as i did today!

This week will be more of the same, but i will try to get back into more of a regular schedule.  I have to sleep more and feel good, in case we have to play the big game on Saturday.  Also, I hope to move to a different apartment at the end of this week!  The one bedroom apartment I currently live in is just too small for two people... 

more photos from Abant...

Abant Gölü (Lake Abant)

About a week ago, a friend on my hockey team invited me to come along with her on a work retreat trip.  Since i have been in the city now for a month, I jumped at the chance to get out of town.  So yesterday morning I got up at 7am , by far the earliest since I've been here, and met my teammate Nazli to go to the bus that will take us to Abant.  While waiting for everyone to gather around I was introduced to many people, and as I've commented before, Turkish people are all very nice and welcoming, so I felt totally comfortable.  When the bus pulled out around 8:15 (everthing in Turkey happens late), we were all given a cup of tea and a snack.  The ride was about three hours, on the road toward Istanbul.  I slept for most of the way, though i did try to keep my eyes open to see the scenery, which reminded me of the small, scrubby hills of Wyoming.  We passed many small towns, each of which had a mosque with tall minarets jutting up into the sky.

As we neared the town of Bolu, the landscape changed.  The hills got bigger and were now covered with conifers.  32km past Bolu, we arrived at a hotel on Lake Abant.  It was extremely windy and cold outside, but we all piled out and headed toward the dock on the lake to take some photos, then went inside to drink warm tea and wait for lunch.  Lunch was inside the hotel, and it was an incredible buffet with many different salads, about six main courses to choose from, and 15 or more different deserts!  

After lunch, we went for a long walk around the lake, maybe about 6km.  It was very nice to get outside and be surrounded by hills and trees instead of concrete and cars!  At many places around the lake, we came across groups of men with horses, trying to sell horseback or carriage rides.  It was nice to see the local people, as they all looked different from the Ankara city people.  They all looked kind of short and very weathered, but thus more interesting.  Nazli opted for a short horseback ride, which they said would be 5 Lira.  They led the horse around for two small circles, and then asked for 10 Lira, since they did two circles.  Oh well.  

When we finally returned to the hotel we were exhausted, so what else would we do, but drink tea!  I have never had as much tea in my life as i have had so far in Turkey! But since it was cold out, we also drank salep, which is a warm thick sweet drink made from Orchid roots.  I thought it was like sweet, thick milk, which was very good when just coming in from a long, cold walk.  So we sat around, had salep, tea, and more food, and waited for our bus to depart, which it did at 5pm.  

On the way back I slept again, but had to listen to guy up front playing guitar and singing Turkish songs into a microphone for the whole bus to hear.  The first three songs were okay, and it was fun and interesting to hear a whole bus singing along, but after an hour, it got old.  But he didn't stop until we were all the way back to Ankara!  Oh, how i love the Turkish experience!

Just don't ask what's in it..

(Photos:  A sidewalk cafe, sitting outdoors with Leen, an Estonian, in November!  The three small dishes in the middle are: cig köfte, a salad, and a spicy sauce for dipping bread.  Big plate in front is yet another pide with mixed toppings.)



Whereas in the States, a 3am post-bar food craving might bring you to a White Castle, in Turkey, it will most likely bring you to one of many small all night street food vendors to order a kokorec.  Now, a kokorec is a delicious sandwich, with delicious fillings, but you might not really want to know what's in it until you're done.  I think it's lamb intestines, mixed with greens and spices, but really, it's so good it doesn't matter.  Especially not at 3am!

Now that I've been here almost three weeks, I've had time to sample many of the foods here.  I often go out to lunch with other foreigners or some teammates to pass the time.  And, since I don't really have a working kitchen, food prep is difficult.

My first night here, I had Little Ceasar's pizza, but since then, it's been mostly only Turkish food.  There really isn't much of a choice anyways.  Unlike my 'Eat Street' neighborhood back in Minneapolis, where i could find Asian, German, and Mexican food all on one street, here the choices are limited, not that it's a bad thing, as the food here is amazing.  I have been told that some of the shopping malls have Asian food, and maybe even sushi, but i have yet to see anything other than Turkish food shops, with an occasional McDo or Burger King mixed in.  

Turks love to eat meat, and being a vegetarian in Turkey might be tough.  Every other shop seems to have a döner kebap (meat roasting on a big spit, like Greek Gyros meat) turning in their window, and about 30 choices of how you want to eat your döner kebap meat.  You can often choose between goat or chicken, and then choose whether you want it on a sandwich, a wrap (dürüm) or in one of many traditional Turkish dishes, the most famous of which is the Iskender Kebap.  The Iskender is served on an oblong plate, with yoghurt on one end, rice pilav on the other, and in the middle, a flat bread covered with strips of juicy dönner meat and some kind of sauce.  I have had this twice and it is exceptional!  The other specialty is the Adana Kebap, which is a couple of long pieces of minced meat, served with flatbread and onion salad.  Walking along sidewalk cafes, I often see people eating one of these two dishes.  Turks love their Turkish food, just like Latvians love their meat and potatoes!

For quicker bites to eat, I have ordered a kebap wrap, or Cig Kofte, which is a spicy bulgar and spice 'pattie'.  It is kneaded by hand, formed into small nuggets, and served with a flat bread and lettuce leaves.  It is often served as an appetizer before your meal is brought out, and is usually eaten by sandwiching the nuggets in the lettuce leaf, and eating some bread along with it to help relieve the spiciness.

I have also eaten plenty of 'pide', which is like a Turkish Pizza.  I really haven't figured out what exactly the toppings are, but I think it's almost always some kind of minced meat, though just cheese or mushrooms is also available.

Since i do often eat at least one meal a day out of the house, it's  good thing i also play hockey and run everyday, as the food here, though delicious, is very oily and heavy....  

And finally, the hockey!

Last night we had our first game with me on the team.  We are called "Milenyum" and it is actually a figure skating club.  Yes, a figure skating club.  And our jerseys are purple.  That aside, it's a great club to be involved with.  The girls on the team range in age from 13-31.  There are a handful in high school, and a handful in their low-mid twenties.  I am the second oldest, at 29, and as you can see in the picture (second row, third from the left) I think I am also the tallest.  

Most of these girls have never really worked out, so they were in shock when did our first leg workout.  Apart from two or three players, they were or are still figure skaters.  Actually, for a beginning team, this is a good start, as at least they can skate!  Now, we just need to teach them everything else!  

The team hangs out together a lot, and has great team chemistry. We are always having fun together, and I've spent many evenings going out with the girls.  I've said before that I like the people here, and they really are great.  Often after practice some of us and maybe some guys from the men's team go out for food or a beer.  

So on to the game.  We drew a pretty big crowd, (well, for Turkish women's hockey at least) as so many people were curious to see me play.  Pressure!  We were playing the Ankara University team, and were supposed to win by many goals.  We started okay, and I think it was 3-0 after the first period.  I had an assist maybe, but no goals.  Then, between periods, i was told that i need to start scoring, even though I would much rather pass to the other girls and help them improve their game.  But, alas, i had to start scoring, so once in a while I would skate the length of the ice and put one in.  Some were slap shots, and one or two were semi-pretty dangle goals.  In the end, we won 11-0, i scored 5 goals, and everyone was happy.  I am happiest for the other girls that scored or just felt like they could play hockey.  I motivated them to skate more and to give and receive hard passes.  Obviously we have many things to work on in practice, and the game was a good way to gauge where they are.  We have potential, I just have to teach them how to think and play hockey.

Aside from playing, i am also now in charge of two off-ice trainings a week, as well as i get to coach them on-ice on Fridays.  I am looking forward to that, and hope i ca help them improve their skills!  Our next game is in a few weeks against a very weak opponent, but the big test that we have to prepare for will be in December or January against the team that won first place last year.

The streets...

Aside from the crazy drivers, the busy streets are fun, alive, and full of anything that you might need.  My street, 8th street, is packed with shops.  7th street has a similar feel, but even more people.  I can stop at any small grocery to pick up a snack, or buy slippers from the next shop over.  I could find bed sheets one door down, and cables for my TV in the next place.  It really is great to have so many separate shops, instead of megastores!   And by the way, my first day here I went with some teammates, and we bought my bed sheets at a grocery store!  

There are two metro lines, forming a cross through the city, and go to most parts of Ankara. I have a stop right by my apartment, but have only used it once.  I was surprised by how clean and bright the metro is!  The walls were shiny, and the lighting was bright, unlike in some cities, where i am nervous to go down at any time of day, here i feel totally safe.  That is a general feeling here for me. I feel safe at any hour of the day, as there are always people on the streets.  The walk from the rink to my apartment is along a busy street, so even if I walk home after a late practice (some nights we have played until 1am!), I feel totally safe.

7th street is lined with many cafes, and it is a good place to meet friends for a coffee or tea.  Turks say that they themselves are lazy.  Im not sure about that, but they do seem to love sitting around with friends, drinking tea.  I can imagine that the outdoor cafes are extremely busy during summer here.  That is, is everyone has not gone south to the coast for vacation...   

 

How to drive in Turkey

When in Turkey, there is a certain way you must drive if you want to fit in with everyone else. First of all, make sure you do not wear your seatbelt.

Lane markings, if there are any, must be ignored.  Drive in the middle of two lanes if you'd like, go as fast as you want to, and if you want to get ahead, just go wherever there is not another car.  This can be in the middle of the road or half on the sidewalk.  If there is a car in your way, or a person about to cross the street, or if someone was nice and let you by, or anything else really, honk.  The more honking the better.  

If you need to park, feel free to hold up any and all traffic and parallel park, if you are lucky enough to find a spot.  If you cannot find a spot along the curb, just park anywhere; on the corner, on a crosswalk, or even in the street next to the parallel parked cars. 

Red lights are simply a suggestion to stop.  If you want to be an honest driver, you can stop, otherwise, you can just slowly cruise through the intersection.  

If there are any people in the street, swerve around them with out slowing down.  They will either run across the street or step back onto the curb.

If you must go anywhere within the city, I recommend walking, taking one of the many of taxis, metro, or bus.  

 

Hash House Harriers

Last night I was talked in to going out, and it ended up being a good time at a live music bar, but it was definitely harder to get up this morning to make my way across town to meet up with the 'hashers'.  I had heard of the Hash House Harriers in the past, and knew that they were some sort of running club with groups in most of the world's cities.  The Ankara branch meets on Sundays at 12:30 at Segmenler Park, which was a metro ride and long uphill walk from my house.  When I arrived, everyone was very welcoming.  It seemed to be mostly Turks, with a few Swiss and a few Americans.  Not knowing much about any of it, i just tagged along, and a bit past 1pm we were in the van and on our way out of town to our running place.  I have been here over a week and it was great to finally get out of the concrete jungle.  Soon after the city building stopped, we swung onto a dirt road, followed that for a bit and parked in a makeshift parking area.  We were surrounded by dry, rolling hills spotted with a few orchards and a few sheepdogs.  SInce i had no idea what the Hashers were all about, i was in for a surprise.  There were about 15 of us, and we first circled up to hear the instructions.  There were two 'hares', who had already set up a running course by throwing out handfuls of flour for the 'harriers' to follow.  There are several checkpoints, each with its own particular rules, as well as some false trails.  When we started, some people took off running, while others walked.  When a flour marking was spotted, someone called out 'on-on', and the rest of the group followed.  If a circle was found, that was a checkpoint.  If an 'F' was found, that was a false trail, and we had to return to the last checkpoint and look for a trail in a different direction.  Whether I walked or ran, it was a workout, especially with the many false trails.  At one point we circled up and sang a song, and at the end we had more ritual type stuff to do, mostly involving standing in the center of the circle and drinking due to being a newcomer (me), or due to breaking some 'rule', or really, due to anything that they wanted to have you drink for.  It was a good time, and a very eclectic and interesting group of people.  We stayed for a bit and some people had more beers and BBQd.  BBQing is a very common in Turkey.  People stop their car anywhere, or drive out into a place such as the one we were at, take out their version of a little smokey grill, and cook some meet.  

After a bit of time hanging out, i caught a ride back into the city with the other American girl.  It was a fun but long day, though i have a few more hours at the ice rink ahead of me before the day is over...

About town

With Angelique at the mall, eating 'pide'



I finally learned how to use the metro!  After another late night of football and beers, i got up late today.  Our basement apartment is so dark, i needed to get out of the house, so i met up with Angelique, a player from New Zealand, and we went to the mall.  She has been here for a year, and showed me how to buy a metro/bus card and how to get around town.  There are just two metro lines here, but a stop is right by my apartment and so I can get to anywhere I need to go very easily.  It is a saturday, and the mall was packed!  I bought a DVD player, we had some 'pide' (like a Turkish pizza) at the food court, and shopped around a bit before heading back home.  I live on 8th street, next comes 4th street, then 7th street.  It makes no sense, but everyone knows how to get around.

My neighborhood is great, and many locals say it is the best place to live in the city because the streets are full of cafes and shops.  7th street is the most popular, and is lined non-stop with cafes and shops.  Between the many cafes and shops, it even has a McDonald's, Burger King, and Starbucks.  In this neighborhood, it seems that every third shop is a grocery of some sort, and most of them keep their drinks and fruit outside on the sidewalk.  Some stay open all night, while others close shop but simply cover their piles of fruit with a tarp for the night.  Most restaurants have indoor and outdoor seating, and when they close for the night, they find no need to lock up all their outdoor furniture, like places do in the States.

Right now I live in a tiny 1 bedroom basement apartment.  I sleep in the bedroom on a twin bed with springs poking through, while my flatmate sleeps on the couch in the living room. It is fine, but since it is so small and so dark, i may take a look at the other apartment that i was offered, which they say is huge and on the third floor, so hopefully not as dark, but older and scrubbier.  That apartment would also be a bit closer to 7th street and to the ice rink, which right now is a 15 minute walk up-hill.  

Republic Day

October 29th was Republic Day.  It commemorates Ataturk and the forming of the modern Turkish nation in 1923.  Already the previous night, flags were being hung on storefronts.  When i went outside on the 29th, everywhere I looked i saw flags and photos of Ataturk.  Almost every storefront had a flag hanging in their front window, as did many apartment balconies.  And many of these were not small flags, but great big ones, even bigger than the ones at Perkin’s, though none as big as the ones that hang on the sides of some big government buildings.  There were some that looked to be 8 or more stories high. Some were just flags, others were flags and larger than life pictures of Ataturk.  As I made my way toward Anit Kabir, or Ataturk’s Mausoleum, the crowds grew.    Outside the front gate, there were several men selling simits (a turkish bagel), red roses, and Turkish flags.  Many goers bought a flag for their children to carry.  Once I put my bag through an x-ray machine, i walked up the hill to the mausoleum.  This is a huge place, in the middle of the city, and provides great panoramic views all around.  Hundreds of people were milling about, many posing their children, with Turkish flag in hand, in front of the rose bushes for photos.  The line to enter the place where Ataturk rests stretched across the whole plaza, as did the line to enter the museum.  After walking around, i left the grounds, bought a simit, and went to the cafe at the ice rink, where i have become a regular.

First few days...

Front of my apt. bldg. and typical view of Ankara

When my plane was arriving into Istanbul, the most noticeable sight was the many mosque minarets, which look like little rockets, jutting up all over the city.  My route was Minneapolis-Chicago-Istanbul-Ankara, and i have now been in Ankara for 5 days.  The same sight was true when arriving into Ankara, with little rockets everywhere.  The land around Ankara reminds me a bit of Wyoming, with many dry hills.  The city itself is also hilly, and once in a while, i come across a great view of the surrounding hills, most of which are covered with apartment buildings. Walking around the city also guarantees having to go up and down hills, and one of the big ones is between my apartment and the ice rink! 

My first evening here was spent sitting around in my new digs with my roommate Yeliz, who is also my teammate, and Ali, the team ‘owner’.  We had pizza delivered from Little Ceasars, and then i went to bed and slept until 3pm the next day!  My second day i went to the rink to watch my team’s practice, as they wanted to keep me a secret for a few days.  They told their friends that i was a new figure skating coach, which i think i don’t resemble at all, but they all bought it.  When i stepped on the ice last night, they were in shock.  The night after their first practice, our team and a few of the men’s team’s players that we hang out with went to play soccer as the second part of practice.  There are soccer fields all over the city, most of which are small, fenced in fields with artificial turf. They are pretty nice, and always busy.  We played for an hour, and it was tons of fun, with team chants and huge goal celebrations.  My team ended up losing in the shootout.

So far, my impressions of Turkey and it’s people are wonderful.  On my arrival at the rink on the first day, i got many hugs and the traditional greeting between friends, which is a kiss on each cheek.  The girls on the team range from ages 13-32, and all are so nice and welcoming, even if they do not know much english, they try.  Most of them are figure skaters who have changed over to hockey, so they can skate, but do not know much else about the game.  Last night was my first practice with them, and they were in awe, several of them already asking for advice on their game.  

In these 5 days, i have already hung out with the team several times, ordered food to the house, gone out to the bar to play darts and stayed up until 4am.