Times, they are a changin'

Like, literally. This morning I woke up and got on my computer for a second and noticed a discrepancy between my bedside clock and my computer clock. Honestly didn't think twice about it, and as half my mind was still in Zonkistan, I reset my bedside clock and went about my day. Fast forward like twelve hours later and I get a call from my dad, so I open up my computer to peep the world clocks. WHAT THE!!! All of a sudden there was an hour less of a time difference between Ballerfornia and Türki-YAAAY. So, basically, it took me talking to my dad who is halfway around the world to realize/consider the fact that we "fell back". We (America & me) just got a lil closer in time and space! For one week only! Bonus round!

Am I drunk right now? Did that last paragraph even make sense? I don't even know. Whatever, it was funny at time time (i.e. when my dad and I were talking and I realized that I was a Hugh Idiot).

Some boring shit talking re: work: I got a text message telling me to let them know the hours I worked for the last bit of September. I promptly emailed the number of classes I taught, along with the one B.S. meeting I had to go to. I received an email back immediately telling me, "As it says in your contract, you do not get paid for meeting hours." I replied back instantly, "Okay on my contract it also says I will get paid on the last day of the month, is that true?" I sent it off with a chuckle knowing I would get no response. And then...No response. Five hours later still no response. Why no response, you wonder? Well, because I won't be getting paid on the last day of the month but some unknown date later. That is to say, they (the MAN, if I may be so bold) picks and chooses what part of the contract they want to acknowledge. Cool. For some reason I find the email interaction today mildly hilar on the hilarscale. I guess I'm just getting my laughs where I can nowadays, yaheard?

This coming week I only work Monday, Tuesday, and a half day Wednesday. But my half day Wednesday is actually only one 40 minute class. Originally only the half day Wednesday and Thursday were a holiday, but then the governor of Istanbul announced that all schools would be closed Friday, too because of the swine flu. Article here.

I have a bunch of random shit to say - what else is new? - but I think I'll just leave you with some flicks instead and bother each and every one of you individually with my random stories. Yesterday's adventure with my aunt, etc. was really seriously awesome, and my hooversteins were all sorts of tired by the end of it. We went to the Spice Bazaar, the Grand Bazaar, got lost in some wild back streets that reminded me way more of eastern Turkey than Istanbul, and sapped brewskies in Sultanahmet. Unfort it was not the clearest day when we headed over on the ferry in the morning so the first flick below isn't as crisp as it is some days. Either way, it's tough stuff to capture. I would just highly recommend you come over and do it up right. Dare I say: click to enlarge?!







1. Asia to Europe. The. ultimate.
2. Shit I need to trim my bangs and de-dread ASAP.
3. "Maşallah"! Could mean a milly things, but perhaps: magnificent! wonderful!
4. Turk ponchos...needless to say, I need that in my life. Collect 'em all yes/no?
5. Lil side alleys with hidden treasures absolutely everywhere.

I am resubmitting my membership application to the book a week club, as I have almost finished the book I started a couple days ago. Oh daaaang and tomorrow I'm going to peep another potential living spot. Wish me luck.

Smoochily yours,

Dérive, "Special Memories", &c.

Is this real life? When I got "home" from work today I was just about to do some workin' out when my aunt walks in with a beer. Uh, YEAH!!!, that's a way better idea am I right? So I get to sappin', we hang out on the balcony, had the normal i.e. DELICIOUS fish for dinner, etc. Afterward, I'm sitting in my "room" reading when my uncle walks in with this pudding thing...oh, my, word. Can't move. Why was I thinking about moving out on my own again? Oh yeah, because I'm stubborn.

I. Better late than never, or whatever. So, I "should have" updated on Tuesday while this was still hell of fresh in my mind but I think the abstract will still work. [Then perhaps I could have updated Wednesday but was too busy video chatting with my mom for her birthday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AGAIN!/having real talk with Moira; & last night? There was company over/I was a zombie.] Remember how I was/have been constantly complaining about not having any books to read? Ohhhh well I'm going to get a book alright.

Tuesday morning I woke up feeling way wah wah due to awesome/awesomely bad dreams. With a bonus of not knowing when I was sleeping or awake, you know what I'm talking about? So. I am tired and I go about my day and in the afternoon I'm kicking it in the teacher's lounge, reading the newspaper and listening to music. One of the super nice teachers says to me, "Oh, did you know that there is a place to rest downstairs?" and, y'all know me, I LOVE DA NAP, so I brighten up and am like, "NO! TELL ME MORE!" And then...are you sitting down? (DUH!) She says, "Oh, yes, it's also where we pray, you know how we pray 5 times a day?" (DUH!) aaand to cut a long story short not just her but TWO OTHER TEACHERS surrounded me and inquired about my religion and informed me that "I had to choose" (what?) and that the best religion of all is Islam and that they were going to purchase a Koran in English for me. Oh.

Listen. I went to Catholic school for four years of my life and was signed out of almost all religious activities so that I could figure out religion on my own. From ages nothing to, like, 10th grade I was invited to youth groups/church/a milly other things. LISTEN. I don't like having anything pushed on me and it in fact pushes me further away. (DUH!) I've read a lot of the Bible, and a lil of the Koran, and no doubt religion is fascinating but YOU GUYS no no no it was just all wrong. Then they invited me to go to the prayer room with them right that second. In short: naps/my love of naps is daaaangerous.

Today one of the teachers walked up to me in the hallway and was like, "WE HAVE A PRESENT FOR YOU! WE ALL PITCHED IN! IT IS IN OUR ROOM!" so, cool, now I have a book to read. FML.

II. THURSDAY. Soooo British Bro. I don't know if I've necessarily talked shit about him, but I initially wasn't really hyping him either. Then, the end of last week/beginning of this week I was beginning to...not mind him as much? Get used to him? I don't know. But bro is back to square one, or like square negative a milly. Thursday morning we split up our class and each taught our respective halves as usual. My half went fine, and we met up after. His class did not go well, and he was pissed and venting and going off about this and that for awhile about how he wanted to re-do everything and blah blah blah zzzzzzzz BORING. In short, wanting to change shit that can not in all seriousness be changed the way he wants. So, after he is done (or so I thought) going off I asked him a question regarding getting paid at work - a question he had told me to text him the night before, which I did, and he hadn't responded. And...

He says: "You just go off on tangents, it's really frustrating," and then continues on saying that we should get what I want to talk about out of the way so he can continue sucking a d and I'm like, "..." and I reply that I don't know what he wants me to say or do/to back the f down. REALLY. REALLY? REALLY! Then a second later, when I am str8 h8ing him, he says to me: "You really need to stop going out at night. Save it for the weekend." First of all, I had not even gone out the night before but have been sleeping so poorly (that morning, I woke up with a start over an hour early thinking that I had turned my alarm off and couldn't get back to sleep/dreams dreams forever dreaming!). Additionally, you might be more than twice my age, asshole, but you're not my dad. Again, people telling me what I should do...are we noticing a theme here? Apparently I am still an angst-ridden 15 year old. I do not apprec people taking out their frustrations on me and am hyper-aware of people doing it because when I'm in a bad place I knooow that I do it myself. But it's not acceptable people! No no no do not want!

III. "I don't know if you read it in my blog..." I can't believe I said that. And I can't believe I'm repeating it right now. On Tuesday night Dan and I hung out and I ate a sandwich with french fries in it (the last time that happened: Francey pants! Remember that shit, Caitlin?). Brews (THANK YOU!) & "real talk" - been getting hell of real lately with him/Caitlin/Moira/etc. and it's good to know I'm not alone in all the random shit going through my head. I mean it. Seri!

There was an insane wind tunnel/rain storm and I ended the night by skidding for days and almost eating shit. But I caught myself at the last minute - surf's up shaka gnar bro! Direct quote Dan: "That was a total walking to class in Wisconsin move." I know right?

Moments after departing from him some random asked me another question re: directions (in Turkish). Am I looking more Turkish by the day? Do I look like I know what I'm doing? Apparently, because the amount of questions directed at me is increasing exponentially (while my ability to answer is remaining consistent - whoops my b).

IV. RANDOM FLICKS! Click to get really real.


This flick is really old (read: 1.5ish? months) but BEST DISPOSABLE CAMERA EVER? Perfect for your wedding!!!!!!! SPECIAL MEMORIES. I'm still excited about this even though it's all done up R.I.P.


A shotty picture of the amazing area I wrote about in my last post which is where people jog/bike/relax/apparently pray like 15 feet away from me while I'm kickin' it. Last weekend I just started walking with no set route/destination in mind and ended up here! The weather was perfect and on the way back I saw a burned out car. Cool.


This is how I ended my tots awk day (Tuesday)...I was waiting to get on the bus and this old man who was the same height as me was asking the bus driver something without actually getting on and the bus driver closed the doors on me and started pulling away because he didn't see me behind old bro. Def broke my skin. Def got a simple "pardon" from the bus driver. Oh no big deal.


FRIDAY FISH, remember?


Yeah I am def starting a collection of drawings/notes from students. It's these sort of things that make any assholery/bureaucratic B.S. seem less crucial.

V. Hey, thanks for reading through all my bullshit. This week was...something else. I miss you.

My bangs are taking over my face,

You got my attention

By Ibrahim Usta. Link here

Today was weird. I woke up and walked out to the bus stop to wait for the teacher's service vehicle. I waited for half an hour before deciding I needed to call another teacher to find out what was going on. I almost went to school (via bus or dolmuş) without calling...I am so glad that I decided to call though because today was a school holiday in Istanbul that NO ONE TOLD ME ABOUT. October 6th, 1923 is when Turkish troops first entered the city after the last of the Allied troops had left on September 23rd. Please note: I have asked for an academic calendar like three times from the school, and there is not one online. Raaaaaaage.

I fell asleep again about two hours after I had first woken up. When I finally dragged myself out of bed three hours later, I found some crazy live protest footage on TV. It looked like the end of the world, over and over again. Multiple links below.

LINKS: [1] [2] [3]

This post sucks but [ever since finding that Sangeeta post on my old blog] maybe a year from now I'll be like, "Hey what was I doing on October 6th?" and I'll stumble upon this post and remember, "Oh yeah, I was getting screwed over by that school I worked at and watching insane protest footage on the television and sleeping a lot. That day was sure strange."

Yours,

An Istanbul style coincidence

In a city of over 13 million, it is easy to never see a familiar face.

One morning last week, as my aunt and I were leaving the apartment to go to the bus stop, I hear someone saying my name over and over again. We both stopped and looked at each other in confusion, then turned around to see a hand waving enthusiastically through the bars of a bottom floor apartment. Huh?

We walked back to the apartment's entrance, only to be greeted by one of my dad's oldest friend's sisters, Hulya, who I have met before in the United States (but haven't seen for years I would guess). As we chatted I learned that she worked in a converted office on the bottom floor of the very same apartment that I am currently staying in and, even better:

(This was the first time I heard this story, and it blew my mind...) Earlier this year, my dad visited Turkey for the first time in over a decade. Apparently he and Hulya had talked on the phone and tried to coordinate a meet-up but they just couldn't for the life of them figure out a way in which meeting would be possible. As my dad traveled around, they talked again from Bodrum, etc. but, again, couldn't coordinate. You know how this story ends: One day they ran into each other in this exact apartment building and the shock and awe that they both experienced was ridiculous.

Over thirteen million people, two continents, thirty nine districts, thousands of apartment complexes...it doesn't seem possible but, in the end, I suppose anything is.