Thursday: Victory Day.
Abdullah and his brother Yasin took me on a real food tour-- I tried pide (Turkey's answer to pizza) and the portions were gigantic, Bolu chocolate with hazelnut (and caramel?), and ayran, a refreshing, salty yogurt beverage.
Yasin is in his first year of medical school and hopes to study in England next summer. I hope I can help him with some conversational skills before he leaves for school in October.
Yasin is in his first year of medical school and hopes to study in England next summer. I hope I can help him with some conversational skills before he leaves for school in October.
They're really hospitable. I remind myself that it's good to be a guest for a little while, and already I am scheming about preparing the menu for a meal typical of my childhood. (Of course there's a plan in the works for apple pie, but) I am thinking hard about my auntie Marianna's tarragon chicken recipe. Any other suggestions would be helpful.
In town, we also visited a number of markets, an historical mosque, and the cultural museum, which housed a number of artifacts from the Roman Age, including a skeleton and what we thought were "death ashes".
Out of town was Akkaya, the mineral water spring that has been bleached white from [calcium?], and Lake Abant.
Out of town was Akkaya, the mineral water spring that has been bleached white from [calcium?], and Lake Abant.
Over tea (both brothers agreed that the only drawback to the guesthouse is its stale tea), I was warned against making friends with my students on facebook.
Friday: Apartment-Seeking.
I got lost on the way to the Language Centre (this is where I'll teach), but Abdullah's colleagues Sinan and Aylin were late, too, so we were all on 'Turkish time'. They had been at the bank finalizing paperwork for their new apartment-- it turns out that bureaucracy here is phenomenal (read: a thing unto itself). I may end up renting their new apartment, which is in the city centre. There were other apartments to look at, too, but these ended up being too expensive.
Because I am the earliest to Bolu, I've been given some of the responsibility for choosing housing for all three ETAs here. I hope we can all be satisfied if the best option is for us to live together. It would be much easier to learn Turkish by living with residents, but that may not be possible.
Sinan and Aylin have two children-- one of whom is Eray, a charming five-and-a-half-year-old who likes to dress like his father.
We ate a meal together, and I had kebab rolls; certain Turks are convinced that Greeks stole the idea for kebabs and sold them back to Turks as gyros. Perhaps more on this relationship later.
Sinan's incredibly well-connected and informed, it seems. He let me know about an adult learning center where I could take culinary, painting or hand crafting classes.
Aylin makes very professional (read: fantastic) Turkish kahve, and she plans to introduce me to some women who can read fortunes in the grounds.
My godfather would be relieved by the many reminders I've already received to be careful, especially in the evenings and especially around men (at construction sites, if you'll believe it!). My acquaintances tell me that Bolu is a very safe town, but that I want to behave in such a way that does not put me into uncomfortable situations.
Note: I was told to look up the story of two 2010-2011 Fulbrighters in Karabuk, and initially I was given the impression that this story was about harassment. However, it appears as though it addresses the suspicions surrounding Fulbrighters cum intelligence officers. Hmm?
Note: I was told to look up the story of two 2010-2011 Fulbrighters in Karabuk, and initially I was given the impression that this story was about harassment. However, it appears as though it addresses the suspicions surrounding Fulbrighters cum intelligence officers. Hmm?
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