Paces

Well sleep last night was a nice change: rather than awakening restlessly half an hour before my alarm, I slept for a lovely 9 hours.

Mustafa and I left to pick up Dr. Cynthia Paces from the airport. Mustafa waited in the car and I inside. However, Cynthia did not get off at 11:05 as she should have. I asked the info desk if they could tell me if Cynthia got on in Istanbul, and they told me to take my handbag to lost luggage. They didn’t understand that I had lost a person rather than a bag! Mustafa came in and we figured out that she was on the next plane! So much for making it to Turkish class today….With Mustafa’s help (he is invaluable) we got her settled in on campus and she came to see my sculpture class.

My professor invited her to see the class. Pita was on the roof again. Cynthia really likd the class and hung out with the professor for a while before going to her first meeting with METU people. I am trying to figure out how to make my sculpture lean forward, but I keep hitting the nail on the support stick when I try.

The bass section of our choir is not very good. They gut-sing everything without any sort of musical influence. I wonder if this push for pure volume without any form of musicality is a masculinity thing. Also, I keep trying to sing with the Altos. Whoops~!

Cynthia and I went to dinner at the place where you weigh the food. It was quite good! We got there at about 8PM and stayed talking and such until around 10PM… I like her a lot. =)

I accidentally dropped my phone in Mustafa’s car today, so I have to go Cankaya tomorrow to pick it up @.@;

~Hannah

 

Pita kitty

So my neighbor, who yelled at me for showering before 10AM a few weeks ago, also gave me a dirty look for trying to shower at noon today. At this point….I couldn’t care less what she thinks. I’m going to shower when I want to. I’m not the one leaving dirty, used dishes in the kitchen for a week plus at a time.

In Sculpture today, I learned I am not really allowed to use my hands to sculpt. I have to beat the clay into place with a stick. Since I’m sculpting a torso, I sometimes feel like I am spanking her!

No one else in the class is doing the torso, and I’m not particularly sure why. Everyone else is doing the man’s head. It’s rather interesting.

Kitty was on the roof again.

The professor got her down.

She’s very sweet, but yowls for attention alllll the time when on the ground as well! We are calling her PITA. I’ll let you guess why.

Whenever I am confident that I can say something in Turkish, the woman at the reception is the only one who can speak English. So when I try to struggle through pronouncing something, she switches to English, haha.

I went to Akife and Mustafa’s for the night tonight. Professor Cynthia Paces is coming tomorrow and needs help getting from the airport to campus. The man at METU that she has been in touch with just isn’t exactly the brightest crayon in the box. So she’s pretty confused.

Akife asked me some very interesting questions tonight about my experience here since I’ve been here for a month. Mustafa and I discussed differences in sociality between home and here, and how learning it makes relating to people in the future so much easier. He also mentioned that since by room is of the more expensive variety, it is likely that the girl is from a higher class and simply expects others to do whatever she wants for her. Which I totally believe.

I discovered these vaguely cheese flavored sticks today that remind me of salty-type pocky. They excite me. And are quite yummy.

I was also informed that I’ve lost weight. I’ve been eating a LOT! But….I’ve also been walking much more than I am used to. That is probably why. =)

~Han

 

Valentines Shopping~!

Rahime and Grammy and I went shopping today! Well, first I moved from Yurt 1 to my permanent dorm. Fastest, easiest move I have EVER done. xD After that, we met with Rahime and went shopping.

We went to a pizari. It was so fun! I bought a lot of things I needed:

mini alarm clock

slippers (are we surprised with the pink?)

key chain

hangers (not interesting enough for a picture)

and some things I didn’t need…a tunic, and a new trendy dress (in picture), scarves, and a hair pin. Only a few things left to purchase for my school stuff, like a dictionary and index cards, but I hope to take care of that tomorrow.

Looking for a size

Trying to bargain

Definitely a unique way to showcase underwear?

Clown selling for charity we think.

We went on a car tour of Ankara, and went to METU’s lake. It was so gorgeous. <3

Had a snack at a cafe on the lake. This is Gokcer’s family

Two tired shoppers!

Another shot over the lake.

Grammy’s old house in Turkey~

Found this picture hiding on Grammy’s camera! So sweet.

My new bed

My new closet

Our kitchen

Our lovely LARGE bathroom!

That’s all for now.

~Han