We pause to gape in awe

I'm sorry, but is this just the coolest goddamn thing you've ever seen? Them Greeks was a hella smart folk.

Yoo hoo

Hi-de-ho, folks, just letting you know I'm still here. Can't keep up a regular posting rate because I've been quite busy (and tired) these days. But, I'm happy to report that things continue to go pretty well. Thanksgiving was the big turning point, i.e. when I got my work permit. Now things have started to roll with the university; yesterday I signed some forms for health insurance, and today I will sign more, and I am told (cross your fingers) that I will finally be paid the money I am owed for all the teaching I have done since September. Meltem and I are starting to feel a financial pinch, so that is gladsome tidings indeed.

The psychological boost is even more welcome. For all the chipper-sounding posts and e-mails and Skype calls y'all may have gotten, my first three months here were damn hard. Culture shock is a bear (and yes, you do get culture shock when you are in a foreign place for a while, even if you think you already know the culture). Everything was a potential source of frustration and bother and depression, from the quality of the air to the manners of bus drivers to the ugliness of the neighborhoods I pass through on my lengthy commute to teaching spoiled-brat students with hopeless English at an incompetent university that's not even paying me for all my slogging. Now, though, there is the looming prospect of a real-live paying job in a university history department, with the hope of actually teaching a little art history (a hope raised in my brief conversation with the head of the department on Monday). There is also a faint glimmer of hope on the horizon that there could be a spot for me at a much higher-paying university. Besides which, I have felt much more at home with the city and people in the last few days. So it seems I am finally settling in, and now that I'm less of a pain in the ass to be around Meltem and I are going to sit down and plan out our goals and dreams for the future, like saving up for a house and what to name the kid.

Just keeping you in the loop. More to come!

A happy Teachers' Day

Yesterday, Friday, was Teachers' Day here in Turkey. Lots of propaganda banners all over the place quoting nice things Atatürk said about teachers, how the Republic depends on them, etc. Kind of nice to be appreciated.

Anyway, I had quite a nice day. In the morning I went and got a haircut. Then, since it was still early (about 11:30), I decided to take the leisurely route to work. So instead of taking the bus to Kadiköy (bus terminal on the Asian side), I hopped on a bus down to the pier at Besiktas, then took a boat ride from there to Kadiköy. An excellent idea, if I do say so myself: The weather was just breathtakingly beautiful, almost summer-warm with a wonderfully pale blue sky, and it made the skyline of Istanbul – particularly the peninsula of the old city, with the Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia looming over the water – as stunning as a painting. Riding by on the boat, with just Constantinople and the sea and sky in front of me, was tremendously soothing. Then from Kadiköy I took the bus to Yeditepe, where an appointment with the Human Resources department awaited me. There I finally signed my contract, and so as of December 1 I will be a full-time faculty member. Paid at the lowest possible rate (2000 New Turkish Lira per month, or $1364), but paid. The contract had other interesting stuff, such as how I can be fired for "talking or behaving in contradiction to Atatürk's Principles and Revolutions" (really just a way to keep religious people out – contrast the attitude at my alma mater). Well, it is a job.

I also stopped by the office of a member of the History Department of which I am now ostensibly a part. She was very nice: American born and raised, but Turkish by name and descent (her parents left Turkey in 1966 and never returned), so her students try to pressure her to speak Turkish with them. We chatted for a bit about life in the department, so I have a better idea of what to expect now. I need to schmooze with the other faculty now that it's certain which department I am actually in (they had been talking about perhaps "selling" me to the Department of Arts Management!).

Then, after teaching from 5 to 7, I went to the hopping district of Taksim to meet up with Meltem and a group of her friends from elementary school who were getting together, along with their old teacher, for a Teachers' Day celebration. The restaurant was really cool: long tables for people to eat at, and a miniature stage up front where a group of guys played Turkish music – joined by the owner of the restaurant, a burly middle-aged guy who just belted out the songs! The whole crowd was really into it, since these were songs everybody knows, and so people were singing along, dancing on chairs and tables, etc. I actually had a good time, which surprised even me (things like this aren't usually my cup of çay). Only drawback was that the place was smoky as all hell. But a good time nonetheless.

So, I continue to work away. More posts, and pictures, to come.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just a little note to wish you all a happy Thanksgiving. I came home from work today at about 8:15 (pm!) and when I knocked on our door it wasn't opened by Meltem, but by a friend of ours named Günizi. She had kindly accepted Meltem's invitation and ensured that we didn't feel alone on the holiday. This and a lovely dinner were Meltem's Thanksgiving surprise for me – surprise, because I had almost completely forgotten what day it was. We had a really nice dinner, including roasted chicken (a cousin to turkey) and a local Turkish berry in place of cranberry sauce (which went very well with the chicken). This exquisite repast was prepared in a scant two hours, according to her excellency the chef. For dessert we had Meltem's Pumpkin Pie, which was really pumpkin pudding because I can't eat a crust:



Yes, fine, I look like a complete goofball teenager. So I'm young at heart, sue me.

Also, to cap off this fine Thanksgiving, it appears my work permit has come through. This means the university can officially register me as a full-time employee and actually start PAYING ME. Yee-ha, as they say. Cross your fingers lest they find another way to make me wait, but I think we've turned a corner.

So, hope you all are happy and healthy and thankful. Best to all.

Turkish food to go

Don't have any pictures of this one (sorry), but here's something funny that happened yesterday.

I was on my 2-hour bus ride to work, going through a mediocre neighborhood called Içerenköy. We're moving along just fine when the driver pulls over to the side of the road, not at a stop, and starts honking the horn. I look across the street and there, in the doorway of a kebap shop, is a guy smiling and waving at our driver. Just then a waiter (complete with vest and bowtie) comes running out the door of the kebap shop, carrying a tray with two plates of food on it. He crosses the street and gives the plates to our driver and the bus attendant, the guy who sits at a little table next to the door and sells tickets. Then we started driving again as the attendant tucked in to his lunch.

Heh. Smart driver, phoning an order ahead like that. Didn't even slow us down much.

OK, that's my Istanbul adventure story for now. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Kidfest 2006

Last Sunday was spent visiting friends and family. We went to the (beautiful) apartment of Meltem's friend Esra, where a number of our circle and their kids gathered for brunch. It was lots of fun. I'm happy to report I got my Elvin fix:





Meltem was also popular as a soccer coach:



And I must introduce Sena, Esra's daughter. She's a couple of months older than Elvin, I think, and is definitely high on the list of cuties. She's also incredibly friendly and comfortable with people, even at age 1.



And so the adults don't feel left out, here's some of them. From left to right: Derin, Ilker (Sena's dad), Ant, Durul (Elvin's dad).



And here is Tuba, Ant's wife. (The names don't sound as goofy in Turkish as they do in English; Tuba is a tree in Paradise, and Ant means "oath.")


(Yes, that's Sena in the background.)

The brunch was fun, then we went to an aunt's house faaaaar away on the Asian side. There I was buttonholed for almost an hour by an uncle who is a pious Muslim (and a surpassingly nice guy); he wanted to pick my brain about Arabic and my knowledge of the Qur'an. Interestingly, he asked me if I was "moved" when I read or heard the Qur'an in Arabic. I had only heard about this notion; some Muslims think the Arabic of the Qur'an (having been written by God, of course) is so transcendentally beautiful that you can be moved to convert even if you don't understand it. Sorry. It's not.

Anyway, gotta get prepared to face my students. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and hopefully I will post something relevant.

Checking in

Thought I'd fill y'all in on what we've been up to.

After a week of simply stunning weather (almost enough to make sitting in traffic enjoyable), we awoke yesterday to this:



Now that's a fog! But what better way to burn off a fog than to add a little sunshine:



Sure enough, it went away, but hoo boy what a cool event. So, having gawked at Mother Nature for a few minutes, I went back to my own natural habitat: hunched over the computer, writing some texts I had promised to Museum With No Frontiers many moons ago. I worked (too) hard for the whole damn day, and then Meltem and I set off for a section of Istanbul called Yesilyurt ("green village"), to visit her cousin Nabite (pronounced nah-bee-teh, not "nay-bite"!). Nabite is mom to Cansu, whom many of you will remember from our wedding. She's now matriculating at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Lousiana, having been thoroughly ripped off by a company who promised scholarships in the US to good students. Anyway, it's waaaaay too easy for her, and she's going to try to transfer to a decent school next year. Be that as it may, she's in the States, and her poor mother just sits around the house alone most of the time. So a group of us decided to descend on her en masse for a get-together.



Left to right: Hasan, Elif, Geek Boy, Meltem, Nabite, Nurten (Nabite's sister), Ahu (Nurten's daughter).

Cheesecake was served with a flourish:



(That's not powdered sugar atop the cheesecake. It's ice – the damn thing was frozen solid.)

Anyway, today it's more visiting, the docket including a brunch with friends and a stopover at another aunt's place on the Asian side.

By the way, I have the proto-intention of buying a cell phone with a camera, so I can post some pictures of my daily commute and such. So keep checking in (and leave some comments, people!).

Emirgan

The past couple of Sundays we've been really lucky with the weather, so Meltem and I have driven a couple of neighborhoods over to a park called Emirgan. Some of you may remember it as the place where Meltem took some pictures of huge beds of tulips last spring. It's a really peaceful and beautiful place, especially when there's practically no one around. You hardly realize you're in a sprawling, crowded, traffic-infested modern city.





In this next one, if you look through the trees, you see ... Asia. Yep, the continent to and from which I commute every day.



Crisp autumn weather, sunshine, and your own private forest – quite a nice way to get in your Sunday relaxation.

Introducing Bernie

Meet the newest member of our little family: our new car. It's a spiffy little Hyundai Getz, hence its nickname of Bernie. I haven't driven in over 2 years, so it was great to take this little hot pepper out on the road. Amazing pickup for a little car. Sweet transmission too. Just don't ask it for five dollars so you and your friends can play videogames.

Dinner with the family

Last night we had Meltem's family over for dinner. Here's everybody. (For those of you who never met her, second from the left is Elif, Hasan's wife.) Also, if you look really, really closely, you can see how I screwed up building the Ikea bookcase: the top and middle shelves are unfinished-side out. Feh! Stupid instructions. Feel free to make fun of me, they all did.



After dinner we watched the DVD of the making of the Jameel Gallery at the V&A. The first part is the hour-long program they made for British TV, the second part is short video clips of us curators explaining stuff in the gallery. Yours Truly was in several such clips. Everybody commented on how I looked healthy and handsome (or at least healthy) in the TV program, for which I was interviewed in 2004, and more like an AIDS patient in the video clips, which were done last July. Yeah, well, that's what London does to a guy. At any rate, here's what I look like now, big hair, shiny forehead and all:



Meltem is holding the latest addition to our little home, a stuffed lamb that goes "baaa" when you squeeze its paw. Hasan and Elif gave it to us as a house/car-warming gift.

OK, we're both chained to our desks today, despite the nice "pastrami summer" weather. Hope all is well with our loyal readers.

The view from apt. 23

Here's what you see when you look in one direction off our kitchen balcony: the lazy strays who hang around on this patch of grass 24/7. The yellow one was here first; the black one has joined him recently and may be a new girlfriend. We're still not sure if she's right for him, but at least he doesn't chase her off snarling the way he does with other canine interlopers (of which there are a couple). Both of these layabouts get fed by kind-hearted faculty from our buildings.



Here's what you see when you look in another direction off the same balcony: the dogs of WAR! Yeah! Football! And I'm talking REAL football, not this mamby-pamby pantywaist soccer crap. These are the manly men of Bogaziçi U., out there putting it on the line against, uh, other manly men from somewhere else.



Witness my awesome action shot:



Chalk one up against homesickness: I get football in the autumn. How cool is that? (The crowd, such as it is, even does American-style rooting, and they just played a little "Sultans of Swing" on the PA system. Hmm, maybe there will be cheerleaders next...)

Remembering Atatürk

It's November 10, the date of Atatürk's death in 1938. He died at 9:05 am (in fact his last words were "What time is it?"), and at that time on every November 10 Turkey stops what it's doing and pauses to remember him. I was ready with my camera to catch the occasion. It's very impressive, and moving, to hear the air raid sirens and to see people pull over to the side of the road for a couple of minutes.



Some people even get out of their cars to stand. (You can't see it too well in this picture, but trust me, that's what they're doing.)



Like I say, it's really moving. Turks can be tacky in many ways, but this really has an air of serious reverence for the founder of the Republic. Would that the same thing happened for George Washington every year.

Bööööğk

... as they say here for "ugh!" Just spent two delightful hours in Istanbul traffic sucking bus fumes on the way to work. Great way to build up enthusiasm for teaching! At least this week I am just administering midterm exams, so it doesn't matter if I'm cranky. (Actually it's better, since this way my blood is up for catching cheaters.)

Evil Jungle Prince(ss)

Here we see the master chef researching her next amazing culinary creation. "Fish sauce and lemon grass?" she says. "Where am I going to get fish sauce and lemon grass?"



Note, at the bottom of the image, the cute slippers with pre-attached bears.



These were a gift from Sehnaz, our friend who has Elvin, the World's Cutest Baby (until ours comes along to give her a run for her money). I guarantee you we will plaster this blog with pictures of Elvin in due course.

Weather report

Oh, the weather in Istanbul. Last week was miserable, cold and rainy and generally inconducive to a good mood. Then on Saturday we got this:



Yep, our very own snowstorm, the kind with big wet soggy flakes that go smack! when they hit you in the head, as they did to mine when I went down to the car to pick up some groceries Meltem had bought. Sad to say, it wasn't quite cold enough for the snow to stick, so all we got was the show. Maybe it was for the best; if you've seen what mere rain does to the traffic in Istanbul, you have an idea of what a veritable apocalypse a couple of inches of snow would be.

After the snow, it cleared right up and yesterday was absolutely gorgeous. Cold, but gorgeous. We went to Emirgan park (where Meltem photographed patches of tulips last spring) and had the place practically to ourselves, making it even more enjoyable. You'd never know you were in a sprawling urban metropolis – it was all bright sunshine and pine trees swishing in the breeze. Rumor has it that it's going to warm way up again this week. Indian summer, or as they call it here, pastrami summer (I kid you not). Bring it on.

Meltem's first post

Barry is much fatter now than he looks in the picture!

Your happy hosts

Here we are on our Blue Voyage (August 2006), together at last.

Basliyalim!

Behold, the splendiferous new blog of Meltem and Barry, in which you can read all about their wonderful adventures in Istanbul.