We Welcome Them With Love

You've heard of the refugee crisis. It may seem very far away. It may be something that you notice every day, as you see new people join your community.

Watch this video to see what being a refugee might be like.

Providing refuge and love to others is definitely something that God has a lot to say about.

Isaiah 1:17 - Learn to do good. Seek justice.
                      Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans.
                      Fight for the rights of widows.

Psalm 34:14 - Turn away from evil and do good.
                          Search for peace, and work to maintain it.

Hosea 6:6 - I don't want your sacrifices - I want your love.
                     I don't want your offerings - I want you to know me.

As we end a crucial week in American history, you are needed. You need to stand up for love. You need to stand up to help the oppressed. You need to stand up to maintain peace. 

Here's a message from World Relief. They are an organization who works to welcome refugees into our country. Please take 1 or all 3 steps to let our elected officials know what God has to say about refugees, and how we wish to welcome them with love.

Greetings, Your voice is needed now more than ever. President Trump is planning to issue an executive order that would suspend the refugee resettlement program for 120 days, halve our current commitment to refugee arrivals, and ban Syrian refugee arrivals for an indefinite period of time (with potentially other nationalities on the line). We need an outpouring of signatures, calls, and emails to your elected officials to say that this is not OK. Would you do the following 3 things? 1. Sign a petition Sign and share this petition expressing solidarity with refugees.

2. Contact elected officials Email your elected officials here and call your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives by dialing 1-866-940-2439. Once connected, you can share: Your name, city, and state Your support for the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program One or two reasons why you personally believe in welcoming refugees Another great way to make your voice heard is by commenting on White House Facebook posts or submitting a message at whitehouse.gov/contact.

3. Use social media Tweet this message to @realDonaldTrump, @WhiteHouse, and your Senators/Representatives: "[Insert @TwitterHandle], my community stands w/ ALL refugees! The US should continue to resettle #refugees! #WeWelcomeRefugees" Have you had the experience of getting to know refugees who are being resettled into your community? Please comment below and let us know!  One of my stories:  I had the opportunity 2 years ago to go visit a refugee family in their home. I had gotten to know them through a program I was volunteering at. They lived in an attic apartment, and the stairs were hard to climb. Once we arrived, they welcomed us with open arms and lots of cheek-kissing. They brought us in, and we sat on their floor with them. Even though I knew that they were struggling to provide for their large family, they made a delicious meal for us and shared everything they had with us. My heart overflowed during that meal; I had gone into the situation feeling like I was giving and helping them. They ended up blessing me more than I could ever bless them. Their hospitality and love, generosity and selflessness overwhelmed me. They showed me love. I will never forget it.

Free Learning. Say What?

Have you ever stopped and thought, "Man, I wish I was back at school." 

Or maybe you haven't gone that extreme yet (and you are thinking that I'm crazy). But you probably have thought at some point of time, "I wish I could learn more about (this) or (that)."

I loved the environment of learning at school and being able to spend so much time filling my brain with knowledge. That's something I do miss (although I usually just have to recall back memories of finals weeks of the past, and that longing disintegrates into piles of gold and white confetti).

However, I've found a way that I can keep learning in my life, and it doesn't even involve the finals week madness! I can learn more about energy and sustainability (some of my favorite topics), or I can practice a new language. And for free.

Free is a beautiful word.

Here are two sites that I use for learning that are extremely value-filled, but don't cost me a penny.

#1 - Coursera

Coursera is a site where MOOCs (Mass Open Online Courses) are offered from top universities around the globe. You can take the course for free, and if you would like to get a verified certificate to show a future employer, it is $50. I have currently finished two courses: Fundamentals of Global Energy Business from the University of Colorado, and Energy 101: The Big Picture from Georgia Tech, and both of them have taught me so much about energy technology and economy. It felt so great to get university-level content about a topic that I'm passionate about, and I could even do my work in my pajamas at home. In one course, I had to write and pass both quizzes and two papers, and in the other there were simply quizzes after each lecture. Coursera is very valuable to me because it helps me grow without any financial commitment. I'm simply learning.

#2 - Mango Languages

When browsing my public library website last year, I found that they have a free language learning program that offers great online instruction in just about any language you could want to learn. For my public library, it is Mango Languages, and I've heard that other counties offer it and other programs as well. I took some of the first lessons of French before a trip to France and found that it gave me a new-found confidence in my baby-language-speak before traveling to this new place. I'm looking forward to using it to advance my language learning, as traveling abroad has shown me just how valuable this is. Language learning is one thing that I don't believe can ever be a waste of time. Try it out and see your world open up!

Do you have other sites that you use to continue learning? Have you taken a course on Coursera, or learned a language through Mango? Comment and let us know!

Read any good books recently? Here are a few that I have been learning from (click on them to view on Amazon).





*All Amazon links allow you to buy items at no extra charge, but using those links does help fund my adventures just a bit through commission.

What's Up, Culture? Why Differences DO Matter in Life

"Wow, you really like our traditional desserts." My native friend watched as I ate a piece of baklava before our meeting began. 

"Yep, they are really good." I licked my lips, savoring each bite of yummy syrup and flaky dough.

"I can tell." And he motioned towards my stomach and chuckled.

I felt gut-punched.

What? For clarification, I am not fat. Not a bit. We laughed and walked off to join the meeting, but this comment sat heavily in my stomach a lot longer than the baklava did. I was so offended. 

Why had he been so rude to me? 

Or, had he actually been rude at all? 

Was I being too sensitive?

You live around people from different cultural backgrounds. If you are like me, you may even live completely inside of a culture other than your own (welcome, expat readers!). We hear a lot about cultural differences through the media, but many times we think that they are over-stated and don't really make a huge impact on our day-to-day relations.

Well, that's wrong.

They make a HUGE difference in both relationships, jobs, and every-day interactions.

Take my example. This isn't the first time that someone in this Central Asian/European culture had mentioned my weight. Sometimes, if I see someone after a long absence, the very first comment they make to me is based on a, sometimes imagined, change in weight. Either good or bad. "Wow, you've lost weight" or "You've gotten fatter." Now, when I first started living abroad, this really caught me off-guard. In American culture, weight is very taboo. If a guy tells his girlfriend that she is looking a bit chubbier, he can pretty much write off the whole relationship. We are quite sensitive when it comes to body image. However, that isn't the case in a lot of Central Asian cultures. People talk about weight and a host of other body topics quite freely, without the risk of offending each other. It's considered normal.

There are a heap of other situations where I have realized that culture makes a difference. In Western culture, we are very particular about our space and privacy. We don't like to "intrude" on others or be intruded on. Case in point: If I am going to have a friend sleep-over, we will plan this at least a week in advance. Friends don't normally ask to sleep over because they don't want to impose on hospitality; they will wait until invited. My guest will bring her stuff with her, and I will have made sure that her staying-over fits in with my other plans. HOWEVER, Central Asian culture is completely different! If I go to a friend's house for dinner, she will most likely insist that I spend the night. She will give me a pair of her pajamas to wear, and I'll just wear my other clothes again in the morning. I will most likely sleep on a fold-out couch, which is a must-have in every home here because guests are so frequent. In other situations, if I'm visiting a city in which I have a friend, it is a given that I will stay with her or her family. In this culture, it is completely accepted that I can ask to stay at others' houses without being accused of imposing on them. "Mi casa, tu casa" is a real thing, and it isn't spoken with a hint of bitterness; generosity is currency.

Phone conversations. Wow, can they be different. If I'm talking with a friend in America, I might ask her what she has been up to, because this leaves room for her to choose how much she shares; but I won't call her and say "What are you doing?" - this would seem really intrusive. When people call their friends and family here, they will literally ask "What are you doing?" In addition, they might have called them to ASK JUST THAT. For me, when people first started asking what I was doing, my knee-jerk reaction was to answer, "Why do you need to know?" or "What's it to you?". I felt that they were intruding on my privacy. This was a cultural clash, and one that I had to become aware of and adjust myself to.

So, what do we do in the face of these cultural clashes? We live in a multi-cultural world, and it is imperative that we are able to deal with these situations with consideration to ourselves and our friends.

#1 - We must realize that our culture is not necessarily right and their culture is not necessarily wrong; they are both just different.

#2 - Think about the situation or the exchange of words from their perspective. If you felt offended, do you think that they meant to offend you from their cultural perspective? Analyze how you should take the action or comment from their culture's lenses.

#3 - Take a deep breath and move on. Culture can be a great thing, but it can bring about misunderstandings. We don't want to let these situations cause rifts in our friendships; it's not worth it.

In the case of my "baklava" situation, I realized that from the cultural perspective, the comment made to me was in jest and wasn't meant to offend me at all. Although I personally felt offended, I knew that holding that bitterness would only spoil the friendship. In some cases, I would have felt it appropriate to let the person know that I was offended because of the cultural difference, but I didn't mention it in this situation. I took a deep breath and let it roll off my back.

Just because my culture says one thing doesn't mean that it's essentially right and other cultures are wrong. They are just different, and learning to live with these differences and taking them into consideration is important for building lasting relationships and having good communication.

Have you experienced a "clash" of cultures? How have you dealt with it? Did it help you perceive your friend's culture in a new light? Comment below! I really would love to hear about your experiences as we get better at living in this exciting, multi-cultural world.

Oh, what 1 year can hold...

Today marks one year since I flew to Istanbul on a one-way ticket, knowing that I was going to learn Turkish and not knowing much past that. The first time I was here, I stayed for 4 months as an exchange student. This past time, it was with more long-term in mind. It has been an amazing year, with lots of blessings and unexpected surprises. Here's the run down of what this year has had lots of. 

>>>----------> Lots of visits with friends.

I started off the year celebrating my best friend's wedding both in a small village and then in the big city. I literally danced my feet off at both of these big events (in my mind, looking just like a Turk, but I know they were all just being kind). Months later, during the summer, I was invited to celebrate one of the holidays with a great Turkish friend and her family in Konya. And then, a trip to see my sweet friend Emily (of Emiloid on YouTube) became my first mini-roadtrip with my sister. We loved spending time with Emily and discovering her new city! Here's to hoping and praying that the coming year involves even more visits to see and spend time with my besties :)

>>>----------> Lots of learning.

My road to being bilingual has many more footsteps on it than a year ago. It has involved hours and hours of classes, watching foreign films, and getting up the courage to talk to strangers in a strange language. It's funny to even see that you have a different sense of humor when you speak in a second language. Learning another language definitely gives you a new insight into the culture and life of another people group, and even into yourself.


>>>----------> Lots of coffee. 

If you haven't figured it out, coffee is my comfort food. And maybe my love language. I love sitting down with a warm mug, whether it is with a friend or my journal or a great new read. My parents brought me my very own filter coffee machine (yes, that is a special thing here), and I love cuddling up with a warm mug on the weekends. To be quite honest, I had 3 pumpkin spice lattes...in the first 4 days of October. Yep. #pslatte #whyamihashtaggingmyblog #becauseitsthepslatte


>>>----------> Lots of friends from every nation.

I am blessed to call people my friends who have intersected my life here in Turkey but who began their journeys in many different places. Some came here to seek a new experience. Others were forced to flee their war-torn homes to seek freedom and opportunity. I'm so thankful for our friendships and also for how they help me understand reality better.

>>>----------> Lots of tears.

It would be wrong to act as though life is a walk in the park. It's not. Being on the other side of the world from my family is especially rough. To be honest, every time I say goodbye to them, I go through weeks of withdrawal: depressed spirit, lack of motivation, even loss of appetite. I would have a hard time going on if it wasn't for...


>>>----------> Lots of knowledge that I'm where God wants me to                          be.

Life may be far from perfect, but that is expected - it's not heaven yet. But this life with God is certainly good. And HE promises so much to those who chase after Him. It is worth it. It is all worth it. HE proves it to me day after day.

"God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 

God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.

God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.

God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called children of God.

God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 

Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.

You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

You are the light of the world - like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.

No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.

In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."

Matthew 5:3-16 

(New Living Translation)

Thank YOU, GOD, for a great year. Here's to many more.

~ Faithful Nomad

When I Laugh on the Bus...

it's probably because I am listening to Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me! Like, sometimes I have literally had to start listening to something else because I was starting down a road of uncontrollable, that-girl-is-nuts, tears-streaming-down-my-face kind of laughter. All because of a podcast.

Most of us spend some part of our days on a commute. You may spend yours in a car. I spend mine on a bus, metro, school shuttle and walking. But no matter how you get somewhere, there is always that little voice in the back of your head saying that you are wasting part of your day. But what if you weren't? What if you could reclaim that time? What if you could transform your commute into a time of learning, laughter, and growth? That's where this little tool comes into play. The podcast. Something that sounds so archaic can actually be the light at the end of the tunnel. Your underpass tunnel, so to speak. Or my metro one.

My Dad first introduced me to podcasts on long-distance road trips. Soon, after many silent and boring commutes here in Istanbul, I found myself downloading Podkicker onto my phone. This was indeed one of the best free downloads I have ever installed. Suddenly, my commute had all of these opportunities opening up in front of it. Did I want to listen to international news? Or learn about how perfumes work? Or get some Turkish studying in? The options were countless.

My main 3 podcast areas are these:

News
Listening to the news helps you to break out of the bubble of your reality. It helps you remember that the world is moving along just as you are. My favorite news podcast is the Global News by the BBC and I also greatly enjoy listening to the Diane Rehm Show.

Learning
I have started using some Turkish phrases in my daily conversations that I didn't even learn in class...I learned them from podcasts like Turkish Tea Time. Funny side note: Many of my friends here  in Istanbul listen as well to Turkish Tea Time, and it is actually produced here in Istanbul. We have heard the host's voice so much that we joke that if ever we hear him out in public, we are going to shout "Justin!!!" Podcasts aren't just great for learning a new language (which is a wonderful thing to do, by the way - http://www.bbc.com/news/health-27634990). Stuff like RadioLab, Freakonomics, How Stuff Works, Stuff You Should Know and more can help you learn about any and all topics.

Laughter
It's true. Laughter is the best medicine. And sometimes it's just what you need after a day at work or school. So try Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me or The Prairie Home Companion by NPR if you are up to getting a few laughs (and probably tears) in while you drive.

Comment below with the podcasts that you listen to and recommend, if you are already transforming your commute!

If you want to listen to some books on your commute, try out Audible! Doing the free trial also helps fund my traveling through Amazon Affiliates :)

Expert Tips for Study Abroad & Exchange Students

Studying in Istanbul, Turkey last fall changed my life in more ways than one. In the next few weeks many students (and maybe even you) are heading off on international adventures, whether to do study abroad, exchange programs, or working abroad. Here are some expert tips from students who have gone before and conquered the road less traveled. They fought through visa applications, bought plane tickets, moved into cities where they may not have known the language, and took every day as a challenge and an adventure to soak in a culture other than their own. Their advice is great for knowing how to get the most out of this crazy and amazing experience.

Aileen -  Chicago, Illinois -> Istanbul, Turkey for an exchange semester
Expert Advice: Make a purposeful effort to ignore your inhibitions in communicating with other people, whether with other locals or your study abroad mates. Aileen says - "I think it is really about mindset and opening yourself up to opportunity through communication."

Case in point: Aileen shared a story with me about travelling to another city in Turkey with several exchange students that she had met at her Turkish university. They wanted to rent bicycles, so they all walked into a homey-looking bike rental shop and found the shop owners sharing in Turkish breakfast (which is a very important meal in Turkey). She noticed that they were eating menemen (a delicious dish made of eggs, butter, and cheese), which was one of her favorite dishes. She used that as a conversation-starter and started talking with them about how amazing Turkish breakfast is. As soon as she remarked on their menemen, they immediately asked her to try some of theirs (the foundation of great Turkish hospitality is based on sharing what you have with others). This is where her advice kicks in. She says - "I ignored my very American mindset of rejecting the offer out of courtesy and I instead tried their food, and of course it was incredible. It was a very surprisingly intimate thing to eat a stranger's food, but I did not let that stop me and I'm glad I didn't!"

Karen - Atlanta, Georgia -> Madrid, Spain for a Study Abroad Summer
Expert Advice:
#1 - Guard your belongings, and travel with as few things as possible. Keep valuables (money, phone, passport) out of sight, as some places you may travel may have pickpockets.
#2 - Learn about cultural differences before you go and be open to experiencing them. She notes, "Many people try to live as Americans abroad, but if you embrace the culture you learn a lot more."

Emily - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -> Berlin, Germany for Summer Language Study
Expert Advice:
#1 - Don't underestimate what you will learn from other expats. Emily had roommates from Finland and Russia, and also made friends with a girl from Macedonia during her stay in Berlin. She enjoyed learning bits of their languages and learning about their cultures as well.
#2 - Keep looking for chances to interact with locals, especially if you are there for language immersion.

Brian - Atlanta, Georgia -> France with the European Council program, Valdosta State University
Expert Advice: Keep an open mind. Brian found that it was important to "Just try to explore what is around you and don't be so quick to judge if something seems strange." Those are the experiences that make study abroad adventures so unique.

Maeve - Atlanta, Georgia -> France with Georgia Tech Lorraine program
Expert Advice: Try to become fully invested in where you are living. Maeve noticed that "Too often, I've seen students flock to places like Pizza Hut because it reminds them of home when they could be exploring new, exciting places." She also found that getting lost in new cities is the best way to explore.

My advice? Get to know local students at your university and in your community. Yes, it is really hard sometimes because of the language barrier, but it is totally worth it. I made several great friends in my classes in Istanbul, and their friendships mean the world to me. They helped me when I needed advice and guidance, they shared meals (and lots of tea and coffee) with me, they helped me learn new Turkish words and phrases, and they have become life-long friends. 

Special thanks to all my friends who contributed their expert advice!

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You know you live in Turkey if...

#1 - You hear the Islamic call to prayer 5 times a day.

#2 - You forget that there are lines on the road because nobody actually uses them. 
#3 - All meet & greets include touching cheeks (at least once on each side) with your friends and new acquaintances. And you ALWAYS say goodbye to everyone in the group before leaving. No sneaking out of the party here!

#4 - You have bread and çay with every meal. Yes. E-v-e-r-y meal. 

#5 - You know that real men have tea parties. Well, they wouldn't call them tea parties, but they are. They sit outside of cáfes with çay and a cigarette in hand and talk for long periods of time. Tea parties.

#6 - You don't think twice when you see 20 cats and dogs on your way to school or work. It is a well-known fact that they are legitimate neighbors, deserving of your extra food and loving kindness. 

#7 -  You spend half of your life on some mode of public transportation.

#8 - One of the most important decisions you make is what futbol team you support. Go Fenerbahçe!

#9 - A simit cart is never more than a few steps away. 

#10 - you are a girl and you don't go anywhere without a scarf. I mean, they are the best fashion accessory ever! And they are great for if the weather turns cold all of a sudden :)

#11 - You can't buy granola bars at the grocery store...but there is a whole aisle dedicated just to cookies.

#12 - You eat olives with your breakfast. And tomatoes. And cucumbers.

#13 - You don't normally shop at huge stores or supermarkets. Everything you need can be found at one of the tiny Mom&Pop places on your street. I think this is directly related to the fact that most people don't go driving to run errands, and so there are more options for buying within walking distance of everyone's houses and apartments.

#14 - Coffee = Nescafe or Turkish coffee. Which means that it is either 'fake' (as I like to call the instant stuff), or as thick as coffee mud (but utterly delicious). Unless you go to Starbuck's or Dunkin Donuts, where you will pay much more money for your American-style cup of joe.

#15 - You know that drinking water is not ever free. You pay for each bottle of water you order at a restaurant, and you drink bottled water at home as well. The tap just doesn't make the cut here.

#16 - You read "c"s as "j" sounds. Jacket = ceket, jazz = caz, etc.

#17 - You have a huge appreciation for being near large bodies of water, and you love being near the seaside.

#18 - If it's nice weather, you would never imagine eating inside! Actually, even if it is bad weather, you will still sit outside under an awning or inside a temporary shelter with blankets and a heat lamp provided by the restaurant.

#19 - Images of cigarettes and alcohol use on TV are fuzzed out.

#20 - You have a habit of haggling for everything you buy.*

#21 - Entering a mall means going through a security checkpoint.

#22 - When you talk about breakfast, you get a dreamy far-away look in your eyes.**

#23 - You call cake "pasta."

#24 - There is intermission at the movie cinema...and they always pick the MOST intense part of the movie to cut at. You're all like, "Say whaaaat?" 

#25 - If you don't see mountains on your horizon, you're probably not in Turkey anymore.

#26 - All of your friends' names mean something, like a certain type of flower or wheat, heart, sky, angel, light...

#27 - You add "yaaaaa..." to the end of most of your sentences. And you know you do it just to sound cool. 

#28 - You say "yes" by winking both of your eyes at the same time, and "no" by jutting out your chin and "tsk"ing your tongue.

#29 - You NEVER wear your shoes inside a house...and they even give you plastic covers for your shoes once you enter the gym!

#30 - You have mad jaywalking skills, because it's not jaywalking here...it's called crossing the street. 

#31 - when a bus pulls up, you don't wait your turn in line. Instead, you push and shove your way to the front (but do give way to older people or those with children). Without this maneuver, you would never actually make it onto the bus. Like ever.

#32 - You give up your seats on buses and public transportation to those who are older/elderly, pregnant, or have children with them.

#33 - The public transportation advertisements involve reminding you to watch out for having too much body odor, not using other people's transport cards in order to get the discounts, and not falling over and sleeping on your neighbors. 

*Courtesy of Martin, a fellow exchange student in Istanbul

**Courtesy of Tara, a fellow exchange student in Istanbul

Turkish Breakfast, Hamamonu, and more... Ankara Part Three!

Ok, here's the last installment from my first trip to Ankara, the capital of Turkey. My Sunday started off at around 11am with the best breakfast ever...

A complete Turkish breakfast. Gozleme, french fries, olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese, fried eggs, bread, çay...the list goes on and on. I could get used to this. Just so you know, though, this was a special brunch-like spread at a really nice restaurant...Turkish people don't eat breakfast like this every day. They usually have a few of these things, not all of them. We decided to go all the way :)

Me enjoying this delicious meal outside under the trees on a crisp Sunday morning.

And my bestie!

We went to old-town Ankara, called Hamanonu. There was the most cute bazaar where all the ladies had hand-made a ton of jewelry. This lady was a real seller...we both got a bracelet from her, and she made us make a wish and then she put the bracelet on us. She was so sweet :)

Pelin and me at the bazaar.

The buildings and roads in this area are just gorgeous.

Nobody was at home... :)

Going to definitely make some of these for my room when I get home. They were so beautiful. And you know how much I love color!

After Hamamonu, we went to the mall and found an H&M (I know it sounds touristy, but it is really nice to go to a store where you know what you will find). Got dinner at the mall and headed back to Pelin's place. Not pictured is our awesome game of Okey that we played that night - you play with tiles just like Rummicub but it is a little different and the strategy is fun. I didn't win a game against the experts, but I will conquer next time. Stayed that night and then headed back to Istanbul early Monday morning. Really enjoyed Ankara and visiting Pelin's family! Can't wait to go back :)

Stay tuned...last night we went on Day 1 of Joost's "Istanbul Eats" food adventure and I will be blogging it up in the next few days. In the meantime, you should definitely see if there are any Turkish restaurants or cafes in your area (they are sometimes camouflaged as 'Mediterranean' places). Make sure you try kebap, durum, çorba (soup), mezzes (appetizers), and kofte! Comment and let me know what you think :)

Exploring, Shopping, and More Partying! Ankara Part Two

Party crashing wasn't the only thing I did in Ankara this past weekend. Pelin, my bff, and her brother were amazing tour guides! Here's what we did (because I know you like pictures)...

This is the mausoleum above where Ataturk is buried. Ataturk was the founder of the Turkish Republic.

The guards at the mausoleum. They have these cool boxes they can stand in if the weather gets bad! I don't think I could stand still for that long...

Me, Pelin, and Polat inside the mausoleum. We also went through the museum on Ataturk and the War of Independence, but we couldn't take any pictures in there.

Such a beautiful place! This is the walkway up to the mausoleum. (By the way, who likes my awesome Istanbul shirt from Mavi? Repping my lovely city!)

Watching the changing of the guard. Pretty cool!

More watching of the guard. 

Enjoying çay and famous Ankara simit in Kizilay during our first mad shopping trip of the weekend :)

Pelin and I at a really cool bar with live music...everyone was singing along with the Turkish songs and the atmosphere was amazing!

We are waiting patiently for our mezzes to arrive...

Live classical Turkish music at the restaurant...we pretty much just walked around and went wherever we heard some good sounds :) Worked for us!

Tamam (Turkish for "ok"), so that concludes my Saturday in Ankara. Sunday was another adventure too, so part 3 of Ankara will be coming soon!

Gunaydın!

Gunaydın (Good morning) for those just waking up in America. I am drinking çay (hot black tea) in my friend  Yeliz's office right now at Doğus University on the Asya (Asia) side of İstanbul. Got to sleep in this morning to recover from my 10 hour bus ride back from Antalya the other night. Yeliz (who I met at GA Tech last year when she was a post-doc researcher) has been so hospitable and shown me around İstanbul and let me spend several nights in her home. So many great friends...a real blessing from God!

Different herbal and spice teas for sale at the bazaar in Antalya. Yummy!

Yesterday, for the first time, I rode the bus and Metrobus by myself!!! And, even better, I didn't get lost!!! İf you have ever seen pictures or visited İstanbul, you will understand why this was so exciting for me. For one, everything is in Turkish and the bus drivers don't speak English. For two, İstanbul is a jam-packed city and very crowded and busy.Yeliz gave me very good instructions for how to make my way to the Asya side (which I had done with her twice before...my apartment is on the European side) and I was able to make my way fırst by a normal bus and then on the Metrobus. The Metrobus is special because the buses are much longer and they have their own lane down the middle of the highway and they run across the bridges to both sides of İstanbul. I think this Metrobus system is nice because it has the benefits of a rail system, but much less infrastructure for the city to build. Well, I made it, even after having a very confusing Turkish/sign language discussion with the busdriver, after which I thought he had gotten me lost but it ended up that he was very right and got me to the right stop :) I was able to see that right up the street from my apartment is a very fashionable street with lots of shops, ATMs, and even a Starbuck's (which I have been told is more expensive than in the US, but I may still treat myself sometime this week on one of my excursions...I haven't had coffee in a week...my US friends will know this is very unusual for me haha). I am feeling much more comfortable with where I live and getting about in İstanbul. Did you know that İstanbul is the size of a small country when compared with somewhere like Switzerland or Luxembourg??!! There are 15 million people living here! The population of Atlanta is around a half million!

My first American coffee after having been in Istanbul for 1 week. It was about $1 more expensive than in the US (4.50 tl ~ $2.25) , but it was very worth it. But, çay is so good that I have not missed coffee as much as I thought I would.

Earlier yesterday, I ventured out from my apartment in search of food (which is obviously one of the first things you must do when you move to a new apartment). I first went right across the street, where there is a small store. The selection was very small, though, and I only got bottled water and Nutella (an essential no matter where you live, and thank God a favorite of the Turkish as well). Then, I went walking, being very careful not to get hit because the drivers are crazy. I happened upon a small market right down the street, and they have everything I could need with a good produce section as well. Very blessed! A loaf of ekmek (Turkish bread. similar to a fat French baguette) was only 1 TL (approx. 50 cents). Now I know I will not starve :)

As I have been working on my Turkish, I have noticed some interesting things in İstanbul. Turkish is very nice in that it reads just as it is written...I believe this is a result of the written Turkish language in Latin letters being very young (it used to be written in Arabic letters, but Attaturk, the founder of the Republic, was an advocate of using our kind of letters). Well. several words look as though they are Turkish but in reality they are English but spelled in Turkish. For example, a Mango advertisement for a jacket said 'ceket'. The letter c is pronounced as a j in Turkish, so when you say it, it is pronounced just like in English. 'Taksi' is the sign on top of a taxi, etc. So, I make sure I read signs by sounding out the words in Turkish and I have an easier time with many of them. Knowing the different sounds is coming in handy (ç is a ch sound, ş is a sh sound, c sounds like j, etc).

Comment below with any questions you have about İstanbul or just to say 'merhaba' :) ALSO, I am continuing to build my bucket list for Turkey, so if you have any suggestions, please comment. I have already added camelwrestling, and hopefully I can find someone to take me this winter (youtube it!). Iyi gunler (have a good day) and make sure you put your email address in the box on the right to follow me!

Hello from Istanbul!!!

Merhaba!!! I am back with wifi and my laptop now, so I can finally give you an official update on my adventure :) I arrived on Wednesday afternoon at Attaturk airport in Istanbul to be greeted by my amazing friends :D They are doing such a great job of taking care of me; I don't know what I would do without them. I went to drop off my luggage at my apartment near Bogaziçi University and then went to spend a wonderful weekend in Antalya, which is a 12 hour bus ride from Istanbul but worth every second because the Mediterranean Sea is to die for! I could have floated on it for forever and eternity. We spent a few wonderful days there, and I just arrived back at my apartment this morning. I am over my jet lag and my culture shock is getting much better. So, in the tradition of The Faithful Nomad, I must give you a list! Here are 7 amazing things I have learned about Turkey since I have arrived.

The Taurus Mountains that start in Antalya are gorgeous!

#1 - You know how there are squirrels everywhere in Georgia? Georgia Tech students know exactly what I am talking about (If you are a Techie, give me a shout-out in the comments below with how many squirrels you think you have seen today alone!). Well, here in Turkey, there are not squirrels. There are CATS! They are absolutely everywhere, and my friend Pelin even had one jump on her in class (yes, they are even in the classrooms). People love them and feed them their leftovers, and these cats look healthy and happy. Hopefully, though, since I live on a higher floor in my apartment, I won't have any unexpected pets :)

#2 -  Long-distance buses (the equivalent to the US's Megabus and Greyhound) are amazing in Turkey. We road KamilKoç to Antalya and back, and there were TVs in front of every seat, it was comfortable and air conditioned, and the bus drivers switch out every few hours so you don't have your life in the hands of an exhausted person. Also, there are BUS ATTENDANTS who are like flight attendants, and they bring you snacks, water, and tea whenever you need it. You even have little button you can push, and they come right away. Why can't Megabus have attendants like that?! I think we should start a petition, people of the US!

#3 - Everyone in Turkey speaks Turkish. This may seem like a no-brainer, but for some reason it did not really sink in for me until I got here. I went through a bit of language shock the first 2 days, but now I am getting better. I totally understand, though, how people in the US feel when they are not good at English. It is very nerve-racking. I find myself not making eye contact and I can feel that I seem rude at times, but it is just because I am still self-conscious about my pronunciation and grammar. I have learned something else, though, related to this. You know when people are around you, and they are speaking a different language and you have the suspicion that they are talking about you? But you push it out of your mind because you feel that you are being paranoid? Well, most likely, they have made at least one comment about you :) Me and my friends have fallen into the trap of speaking in English around everyone and assuming that no one understands us. The other day, it sort of back-fired, though. My friend made a comment about this boy's curly hair and how much she liked it. A little later, I heard him speaking in English to another girl. Well, I guess he deserved to hear the compliment :)

#4 - Cars do not stop or even slow down at cross-walks in Turkey. Period. You must wait for forever or run for your life.

#5 - There is such a thing as a Sea Bus. And yes, it is a boat on the sea that takes you places like a bus. Pretty cool, right?!

#6 - People in Turkey are so very friendly! You can ask anyone for directions, and they will always help you or even walk you there themselves.

#7 - Turkish people love çay (tea) and breakfast a lot. For çay, they drink it like we drink coffee in the US...strong and often. Breakfast is a full affair with bread, cheese, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet stuff including Nutella, and more. Makes Americans who run out the door with little to no breakfast look pretty sad indeed.

Well, there you go! If you are my friend on Facebook, I will be uploading pictures momentarily. Love you all, and please "follow" and comment below!!!

A Ramblin' Post of 10 Things of Randomness

#1 - Water-splitting is a process that creates hydrogen. Water-spitting is something that makes me laugh.... Proofreading technical papers can actually be very entertaining.  

#2 - You have to subscribe to NerdsBehavingBadly on Youtube! Many of these vlog videos feature me and Emily doing crazy, random things just for the fun of it :) Hey, what's life without a little bit of crazy?

#3 - I like pizza. My favorite pizzeria in DC = We, the Pizza!

#4 - I listen to music while I work. Yes, it is somewhat distracting. Yes, I do sometimes dance in my office chair. Current favorite: One Republic's Native album, specifically "Feel Again".


#5 - Stone Mountain is not made of granite like all your elementary teachers taught you...it's quartz monzonite...yes, I just blew your world. 

#6 - Bookstores = Kaelin is happy. Bookstores + coffee = Kaelin is very happy. Bookstores + coffee + comfy chairs = Kaelin is like a kid on a carousel with an icecream cone AND a pet monkey!

#7 - When I was little, my dream job was to be in Cirque du Soleil. I lie...that's still my dream job :)Can someone buy me a trapeze or something for Christmas?!

#8 -  I bet I can make you smile. Challenge accepted? Ok, put on a big sad face and read this.


If I didn't just win the challenge, I advise you to check your pulse.

#9 - On the subject of comics, this one describes my life...




#10 - Did you know that the word pasta in Turkish actually means cake? I'm totally serious!


Hope all this randomness added a smile to your face :D If it did, I've done my job, so let me know by commenting below...or you can throw bananas at me...actually, bananas are preferred, 'cause my kitchen is pretty bare right now...