sunday morning breakfast...

eggs, bread, tomatoes, carrots, cheese, chocolate, and juice.

tea and coffee.

what music to listen to?

i wonder if there is a website, sort of like pandora, where you could put in the time of day, the weather outside, and what you are presently doing (eg. homework, cooking, reading, etc.) and it would come up with the perfect playlist for you to listen to...

if there isn't, there should be...

okay, back to 'doing' my homework and listening to the rain....maybe some carla bruni?

Orhan Pamuk's new book and museum...

NYTimes book review of Museum of Innocence

NYTimes article on Pamuk and his real 'Museum of Innocence' in Istanbul

food and dead ducks...

first of all I am very appreciative of Turkish mothers. Especially those of my friends and roommates who come and cook for their daughter (or son) and friends. And then they stick around to clean our kitchen and dishes!? Also fathers of roommates who send gi-normous boxes of multiple kinds of borek for the entire house. I should/would have taken a picture of all the delicousness if i hadn't been overwhelmed by the supply of food for my breakfast, and which lasted almost a full week (for 6 girls mind you). It was a lot of food. If it ever happens again I will be sure to photodocument it just to prove it happens.

also, today, while checking up on my supposed mailing address...i found out that my 'street' or 'road' is called, in translation, something like 'butcher's meadow place.' this name might explain why a classmate of mine witnessed a woman carrying a dead duck down the road and disposing of the guts, etc. in the middle of the street. There are also a lot of cows and sheep, in addition to some meadows, down the road. it's good to know with all this abrupt, modern developing projects that some things will remain the same...

morning traffic in the meadows of the butchers

life changes...

in addition to the very large changes that may occur in one's life when you move abroad there are also many small changes that only you may notice. Some that i have noticed lately are:

- i now put yogurt on EVERYTHING, especially pasta. it is delicious.

- and for the first time in my life i have wanted, and thus went out and bought, a yellow article of clothing. never EVER in my life have i ever worn yellow, by choice. and its a strange, muddy yellow color too. i'm not sure if this change has any positive or negative conotations, but i do find it extremely curious. it's just a plain pullover, v-neck sweater by the way. and i did buy the same sweater in brown as well, just to offset the novelty of the yellow sweater. i didn't want to completely abandon my comfort zone of clothing choices.

this is my life...

first i wake up in my bed and in my tiny room...

then i can open up my window and look at my view...

then i walk down the hall past my living room...

then end up in the kitchen for breakfast...

and if i have time i can eat breakfast out on my balcony...

then i walk out of my apartment complex...

and wait on the corner for my minibus to school...

then i go to class...

the end.

for now.

Diary of a Foodie: Gourmet.com mmm, Turkish food!

Diary of a Foodie: Gourmet.com

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pictures...

a few more pictures from the summertime...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11710788@N07/



photos from my current life are in the works...


p a t i e n c e i s a v i r t u e

Affirmation...

it's nice to find reasons to support doing what you want to do. I found the following on the back of an out of date tourist map of turkey a few weeks ago:

CULTURAL HERITAGE IS FRAGILE

The world's cultural heritage is like a big puzzle. Each monument, each object, is an irreplaceable part of the overall Picture which gives us insight into our origins, our development and our lives today. It helps us to understand and appreciate other cultures. Each discovery, each new interpretation adds to the puzzle and makes the picture clearer. We must ensure the protection of every single piece today, so that future generations may have the opportunities to enjoy the puzzle.

Many people are not aware that our cultural heritage is under stress from natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods, and from slower acting processes such as pollution and human actions. Even the most innocent gestures such as collecting ancient pieces of pottery or mosaics as souvenirs have a destructive impact if repeated by thousands. Touching an object of stone, metal or textile leaves traces of grease, acid or sweat on its surface. Climbing a monument wears down the structure underneath and can dismantle it. Writing or engraving names inflicts permanent damage. Strolling around narrow crowded places with bulky bags or backpacks might knock over an object or scratch a mural painting and ruin it. There are countless ways in which one can unknowingly contribute to the destruction of cultural heritage.

In 2020 there will be 1.6 billion visitors per year worldwide. Let us raise awareness of this issue so that we may join together to protect and enjoy the diversity and richness of our cultural heritage.

-International Organization for Conservation of Cultural Heritage (ICCROM)