Back to School-Back to the Beat ya'll

     Fall is here according to the sun and I see pumpkins, squash, and apples in the farmers carts, but it's still in the 80's. School is in session and the streets are full of kids in uniforms. A country is, as you know, 90+% Muslim yet all the kids look like catholic school students. Same uniforms. I see them in the streets at all times of the day. Come to find out there are two sessions, so they are either coming or going  to school and hit the streets for lunch too.  I see this as I hang out at a pastry shop drinking tea and trading language with my new friend Veysi.
        Rena is enjoying her job. Learning the differences in education philosophies and adjusting to the Turkish ways. Her co- English teacher is Turkish. She is a fantastic teacher, a graduate from SEV. Rena is fortunate to be under the wing of such an organized, well respected professional. Learning the kids names has been the hardest part, so far.  Rena's ready to dive in.
     Me.......I hang out. I am the home maker. Breakfast on the table, dished in the sink, laundry and such. Take walks, shop and hang out with Veysi. On Wednesday I bus down to the bazaar. This bazaar is mostly farmers markets and on Wednesday it's calm. I wonder through and pick the best looking stuff with list in hand and My Bible/Koran in back pocket (translation dictionary). I have met a few great farmers, whom I visit every week. I walk out with bags of the freshest food, including farmers cheeses and eggs. This country is the 100 mile radius diet!
      I often find a recipe in this Turkish cookbook and translate a list for shopping. I was in the grocer for an hour in front of the spices with my dictionary.  I was looking for baking power. I learned a lot. I was offered help by at least 6 people. I must have looked either crazy or totally clueless. Some truth on both accounts. Come to find out, like back home, the packing powder is over by the flour, but was in a yeast type packages. I was there for another hour learning too!
                     "bu ne,?bu ne? bu ne?"
      My tongue and throat is getting use to the words and my vocabulary is growing. Still haven't mastered verb tenses. The words have such minor pronunciations changes, I am easily confusing things. I hope I haven't offended someone (i.e. Su/ water, Sus/ shut up ).....yipes! My favorite thing to do is to ask bu ne? (that's what?) and point. I get some weird looks, like, you don't know what water/grapes/tomatoes....are????  Hey I'm illiterate and gotzta learn me some words. evet!

Bobrum Bayram

   
We celebrated the Bayram in the seaside town of Bodrum, 250 km south of Izmir with a group of nine teachers. The Sugar (Seker) Bayram marks the end of Ramadan. Time to celebrate the end of the month long fast.

     We took off early Saturday morning boarding a luxurious bus. The Turks know how to travel via bus, first class. Three hour ride with service. Tea is poured, water is served, snacks included with comfortable seating. Our Otel in Bodrum was just a minute walk from the Autogar.  Small rooms but private, with Turkish TV ( Steve Martin is still funny, even in Turkish). A garden patio cafe/bar and poolside lounge chairs. It was close to everything and off the main streets.  Quite nice!

     We strolled to the marketplace and found a recommended lokanta ( a family restaurant that serve a few daily specials) Delightful! Topped off with tea and off to tour the Castle.

     The Castle was built starting in 1402  by Knights Hospitaller as the Castle of St. Peter. The castle also host the Museum of Underwater Archaeology.( No the museum is not underwater.) The collection comes from sunken ships from the Aegean Sea. Underwater excavations of shipwreck dating back to 16 Century BC.  The oldest Nefertiti gold seal and clay scroll stamps from Mesopotamia found on a wreck from 15th century is on display. Along with a vast collection of amphoras, ancient glass, bronze, clay, iron items. It is the biggest collection of underwater archaeology. We stormed the castle. Took in the spectacular views from castles walls all afternoon.  Our eyeballs full,  in awe, we are ready for an Efes and a swim. We lounged by the Aegean sea with the call of prayer, and cannon blasts echoing the bay.
     Sunday was a day of fun in the sun. Cruising the Aegean on a yacht. Stopping in a variety of coves. Swimming in crystal cool seas. Swim..cruise..swim.. lunch..swim..etc....what more can I say! Oh! As we swam in one cove and ice cream boat came cruising by! Ice cream boat!?! Of course we did... Ice cream boat...come on! Brilliant. What a day!
     Sunday night the girs hit Halikarnas disco, which can host 5000 guests. It was ladies night free at "the best night club in the world". After dinner we met the group. Of course guys cover was astronomical, so the ladies hit the dance floor as the two men drank in the cafe planning for Monday's scooter memoirs.
      As the ladies slept in, Brant and I rented scooter and were free. We headed out of town and rode across the peninsula. If one turned, we both turned without second thoughts. Its amazing how little two guys talk, and still have so much communications. We hit dirt roads, over desolate trails and into "untouched" coves. Finding postcard beaches without footprints. Discovered tombs, and trailed into ancient ruins of Mindos. Wind in our face, free man, free!  The best day!

      Met back with ladies around 4pm and traded stories. The girls had a great day shopping in the marketplace, lunch and topped it off with a cleanse at the Hamam.  A few ventured to Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus. One of the seven ancient wonders of the world. Our hearts full and exhausted from our adventures we boarded the bus for the luxurious sunset ride home...tea, and this evenings travel treat- ice cream.

A bit sad that the holiday times were past and knowing the routine of life will begin. Back to school.
 

Foça or Bust

We left the house early Saturday in search of a bus for the city of Foça! This part of the story took 3 hrs! Short version- went to wrong bus depot. We asked for directions. Hopped on the correct city bus for 45 minutes to the main terminal, the otogar. This bus center looks more like a airport. It's huge! Wandered around the 100 kiosks and discovered we were on the wrong floor. Yes it's multi-leveled! Up the stairs and the first bus we see "foça"! We did it! Grabbed a tomato/cheese sandwich and hopped on. It's a hour, forty five minute ride to the town. Making stops along the way to pick up anyone flagging it down. The bus was a nice ride through the country. Something we miss since we are living in a city the size of Chicago.
We are finally arrive in town at 3pm. Walking the streets of shops that sit on a sailing bay. This is place home to Homers sirens, natural beauties, crystal clear water, seals, small coves, ancient walls dating back to 5 BC and the best calamari in the world! From here you can hop on a ferry to the Greek Island of Lesbos. Maybe next time.

A day in the life with Gary

Rena has been in the classroom the last few weeks. Today the students start!
Let me tell you about my days. Usually I am up by 7am and put the kettle on. I spend the quiet hrs checking in on e-mails and such, between that, I am in the kitchen. I clean it up to make it dirty again. We have breakfast looking out onto Izmir, and then she's out the door and I am....???
I work on the language for a few hour, making grocery lists, direction sheets, translating fliers or washing machine info.... anything to gain vocabulary and confidence for the day. I'll walk to the park and hit the outdoor public exercise facility giving my mind time to mull over words. A great public resource for promoting fitness and preventative health! I jog home and hit the shower. Now I'm ready for Izmir. I hit the streets to run errands, ya know, post office, film developer, bank, grocer. Simple things take a lot of language preparation and patience. Not to worry. Time I have, communication skills, not always.
Izmir is fairly easy to get around. I have a bus pass and have hopped on random buses to go somewhere. I have roamed allies and followed stray cats. I have also had a job interview! The company teaches English to corp. folks but they only offer evening schedule, and folks I just left 10 yrs of not seeing my wife. I turned it down for the domestic life and travel.
Instead, I am meeting with two locals to exchange languages. One is a waitress. We meet in the morning before her shift at a cafe. We are equally linguistically challenged. A lot of charades, dictionary flipping and tea. I am developing daily tutorials for us. Mostly functional and conversational lessons. In the afternoon I meet with the pastry chef. He knows plenty of English and wants to practice pronunciations. We hang out in his shop and talk. I am learning the ingredients and kitchen vocabulary. Of course there is tea.

Home to make dinner, more dirty dishes and an evening with Rena. So far, so good!

Sunday Living

On Sunday, after Ephesus, we ventured around Izmir. It was a beautiful sunny day 90+f. We started the day walking to the public market/bazaar to grab our weeks groceries. This bazaar is about 1500m (1m) from our house, open Sundays and Wednesdays. It is were the locals shop, not your tourist place. It's huge! Fruit, vegetables, dried dates, fig, olives, nuts, fresh farm cheese, eggs, fish, and meats as well as odds and end electrical supplies, socks, cloths.........It will be our weekly grocery adventure.
After returning from the bazaar we met Matt (one of Rena's colleagues) and took a bus to Konak (city center). Here we were to find the main bazaar shut for the day! We decided to wander through the empty allies and wind our way deeper into Konak, in search of the old Hamam. Problem yok! We stepped in and tried to get information. We went for it! An afternoon in the Turkish bathhouse! Wow! Beautiful wooden interior w/ private rooms to change, including a small bed, if you decide to rest. We were lead through a small door into a warm, steaming room. All marble. Clean with water flowing for hundreds of years. We started with a sauna, and were relaxed when a big guy gently gestured to lie on the marble slab. As you look up into the dome ceiling with windows of moons and stars to let in a sublime natural light. There he gives ya a few slaps and cracks the back. Now, time to exfoliate. Scrubbing the entire body with a rough pad. The old skin that comes off is astounding! After a cool rinse you are then covered with a foot of olive oil soap bubbles and he washes and massages you. Another cooling rinse and a hair wash and head message. aaaahhhhhh! Relax and stay as long as you like. When we stepped out we were met with fresh towels and a personal towel off, head wrapped and a cup of tea. I have never been so clean!

Ephesus

On Saturday, we took a guided tour of Ephesus. Outside of Pompeii, Ephesus (efes in Turkish) is the largest and best-preserved ancient city around the Mediterranean. Situated by a fine harbour of the overload trade routes, and beneficiary of the lucritive cult of the Antolian mother goddess Artemis, Ephesus led a charmed life from its earliest times. The worship of Artemis melded easily with that of the indigenous Cybele and the original Ephesus was built in 1000 BC. Alexander the Great visited in 334 BC. Later Christianity took root. St. John the Evangelist arrived in the mid-first century and Saint Paul spent the years 51-53 AD. They continue to unearth portions of the site, after an earthquake and the receding ocean filled in much of the city (a quarter million people used to live there, not counting women and slaves).When you walk around it is amazing to think only 70 percent or so has been unearthed. Much of Ephesus is built from marble and rock from the surrounding area. There are tons of mosaics and pillars still standing after all these years. Also there was an extensive plumbing and indoor water system (both hot and cold). Our favorite part was the Terrace houses and the Library. The terrace houses are the best preserved roman domestic environments. These were huge houses meant for the wealthy. You can see an Huge bathroom, living area, bedrooms and cooking and eating areas. Again, everything was done in marble. There is even a brothel, hospital, shops and public bathrooms.