Counting the ships going by...

I'm starting to understand what Orhan Pamuk meant exactly when he described counting the ships on the Bosphorous. Counting becomes a very subconcious activity, one I'm not sure I could or would do on purpose. But sitting here in Bebek in a coffee shop all morning, staring out the window to rest my eyes from reading or typing, I find I have counted about five large oil carriers. All of which have been sailing North to the Black Sea, to Russia. Of course I have not acquired, and doubt I ever will acquire, the knowledge of the specific type and names of each ship. Yet I have learned this summer that when a ship seems extra large and immerging from the water so a great deal of the red painted bottom half is showing, then the ship is probably not carrying oil. And often when returning from the North, and sailing South to the Mediterranean, the ships will be fully submerged in the water with only the tip of the black rim above water, thus weighted down with oil.

'Paistey'(i.e. Rachel) and I are currently staying at our friend 'Pascal's' (i.e. Can/John in eng.) apartment near Bebek as of last night. We left with him this morning when he went to work so his father could have some time to work in the house. Last week we had spent housesitting for the CatLady of Robert College. I have to say, as much sneezing occured while living there, the numerous pets did do a very good job of replacing the numerous campers we had become used to hanging around us everyday for the previous seven weeks. Paistey laughed at me when I started calling the cats by Campers' names....well, we didnt know they're actual names, so it was good I called them something and usually they were campers I liked. Today Paistey and I are spending the day in Bebek. She has some travel writing to finish for her job and I'm just wasting the day away with uploading pictures, net-surfing, facebook-stalking, and reading. We've been at Cafe Nero all morning, its about time now to change locales though and maybe get some lunch. Then its very possible that we'll be at Starbucks for the remainder of the afternoon. Thats how these chain coffee cafes get you -- free internet, lack of observant waiters, and real coffee and cappucinos. As much as I enjoy a good Turkish coffee...the Turks are not so good at straight coffee or espresso drinks. They will either offer Nescafe (instant coffee) or 'Filter Coffee' which is often way too weak. Therefore Starbucks and Cafe Nero bring in the business.

My registration for school is next week and the following week I should (hopefully) have my housing settled. Not sure where I'll be living next week, but for the remainder of this week I think Paistey and I have come up with an excellent option. Tomorrow night we'll be catching a bus overnight to Canakkale on the South coast of the Dardanelles, the strait between Asia and Europe at the entrance to the Aegean from the Sea of Marmara. When we arrive on Weds. we are planning on doing a tour of Troy and possibly Gallipoli on the North Shore. Then on Thurs. we'll catch a ferry to the island Bozcaada at the mouth of the Dardanelles. The island is supposed to be gorgeous, and it can't be all that bad if its in the Aegean:) I just can't wait to really get to a beach! It never feels like a complete summer, especially a summer spent so close to the Mediterranean, with a relaxing day at the beach (without 100 kids to be responsible for) tanning and eating and drinking local wine. Friday we'll mosy our way back to Istanbul, possibly stopping along the way, possibly not. Then I might be going to another football game friday night, though I'll have to switch my loyalties because it is a Besiktas game and not a Galatasaray game...(just as long as its not a Fenerbahce game, hah).

well, enough of my rambling for the time being...off to lunch somewhere...