The Cats Take Over!

In honor of all the cats of Istanbul, I've got a cat challenge for you today! 

MUTTS by Patrick McDonnell | 09/05/13

I see cats everywhere I go, and I'm sure you do too. Take a snapshot of the cats you see during your day, put it up on Instagram, and tag @faithful_nomad and #theCatTakeover on your picture.

 

If you don't have an Instagram, right now is a good time to sign up :) And, if you aren't following @faithful_nomad and @k_rover_explores_the_world yet, go ahead and do that too. Can't wait to see the cats of your neighborhood. I'll be sure to post some pictures of cats I see today, so keep a watch on @faithful_nomad for some cute kitties to brighten your day.

Adventure at Prince's Islands

Istanbul has its own set of islands called the Prince's Islands, located in the Sea of Marmara. A bunch of exchange students (including me!) went to the largest island - Buyukada - today and it was a real adventure.

First, we rode a bus from Bogaziçi University to Kabatas, where we hopped on a ferry. Ferries are super-cool...they are an inexpensive mode of public transportation, and double as a sight-seeing cruise! It only cost us 5 tl (about $2.50) each way, and it was 1.25 hours of sea-time.

Istanbul looks so amazing...and so big!...from a Bosphorus view.

We <3 Turkey!

We decided to walk to the monastery at the top of the island. It ended up being about a 10 km (6 mile) walk round-trip. Here we are wondering if we have made the right choice...well, it's all up-hill from here.

We nick-named this dog Spunky Bear. He found us and led the way to our destination and followed us almost all the way back. He was a very friendly companion, and even waited outside for us when we went to a cafe or stopped for a rest.

We made it to the top! It was totally worth it. The view was gorgeous!

Here I am enjoying the view!

We saw these guys sitting out on the ledge and we stopped to take pictures of and with them :)

People tie pieces of cloth or plastic to trees as they make wishes on their way up to the monastery.

The monastery was beautiful! Unfortunately, couldn't take pictures of the artwork inside, but here are some pics of the outside of the church.

Church

Because there are no personal cars on the islands, people get around by horse and buggy. A lot of people would rent the buggies for a ride instead of walking like we did. 

Our treat at the end of our journey...ice cream!!! And it is so inexpensive in Turkey...even at a tourist attraction, I paid 5 tl for a nut-covered cone and 4 different flavors. That's about $2.50. 

Enjoyed going to a cafe for balik ekmek (fish in a sandwich) with Anne after shopping around a bit.

Gule gule, Buyukada!

Taking the ferry back to Kabatas.

Beautiful sunset over the islands.

Reading in Hebrews...

This morning during my quiet time, I have been reading in Hebrews. You know how Chapter 11 is so many times referred to as the Hall of Faith chapter? Well, I was reading it this morning and realized that we as Christians are included in this Hall of Faith as well. Here it is in verse 3:

"By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we see did not come from anything that can be seen."

Now, this verse smacked me in the face because it is about a very important topic for all of us, especially those of us in the science world. The Origin of Life has been debated for so long, and this debate has even seeped into the Christian way of thinking. I have met several Christians who said that they believed God could do anything, that they had complete faith in HIM, that HE did raise Jesus from the dead, that HE promises us eternal life in heaven...and yet, if you asked them about how the world was created, they were still undecided. The scientific facts and theories were still clouding their minds as they tried to believe GOD and prove the origin of life by evolution at the same time. They don't have the faith that is specified in this verse. Now, for me, if GOD decided that faith in HIS creation of the world was so important that HE would inspire Paul to credit us with that faith in the letter to the Hebrews, then I think we should take note. Believing GOD can do anything really means believing GOD can do anything. Even create the entire universe in 6 days from nothing.

Reading my Bible in English this morning, with my new Turkish New Testament by my side. So glad to have found a Chritian congregation in Istanbul who welcomed me in with open arms. Will be practicing my Turkish with a new fervor as I hope to be able to participate more in these Turkish services in the future weeks. 

Then, as I read on in Chapter 11, I found a reference to us being nomads in verses 13-16! So, I just had to share it.

After discussing people who lived by faith... "All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them."

So, we are all faithful nomads together, eagerly awaiting the perfect heavenly homeland that God has created for us!

Well, that's your daily dose of The Faithful Nomad. If you didn't read the post from Saturday, or if you read it and now want to join the challenge to save a person's life, click here. It is never too late to use the blessings God has given you to bless someone else's life. 

Also, if you have an Instagram account, go follow @faithful_nomad and @k_rover_explores_the_world. I have been posting a ton of photos on Instagram as I go about my daily activities in Istanbul, and they will help you get an even better idea of what life is like here. 

Have a great day, or as they say in Turkey, iyi günler!

"Save a Life" Saturday Challenge!

Good morning and happy Saturday! A lot of this blog is just me talking about things that I'm doing and sharing experiences, which is all great, but today I want to do more. I want us as a group of readers, parents, students, and friends to make a difference on this Saturday. You know I'm a pretty extravagant person with high expectations, goals, and aspirations, so I want to end out this amazing week right. You with me?! 


Today, I have a challenge for you and I. A challenge to change the world. A challenge to save someone's life. 

If you were walking along in your best tuxedo or dress, and someone fell into a deep pool and was drowning, would you jump in and save them? Even if it meant ruining your clothes and tossing lots of money down the drain? I have thought about this question many times, and I sincerely hope that I would react out of compassion and selflessness in a situation such as this. Well, today, I am challenging myself and you to do just that. I'm dubbing today "Save a Life" Saturday. If you've read this far, then you're in. You really do want to make a difference. So keep reading. Here's how it works:

1) Go to libertyinnorthkorea.org. Take a few minutes to read "Our Work" and some rescue updates to find out more about the North Korean crisis. Right now, as we sit at our computers in comfort, there are people half-way around the world living in slavery, starving and watching their families die of starvation or torture. Learn more about it. You need to know. 

2) It takes $2500 to fund a rescue mission for one person. What if this person was your sister, brother, child?? Just thinking about this gives me chills, because I am desperate for all of these people to be rescued so that they can experience freedom and liberty just like I have had for all of my life. $2500 is just 100 people giving $25. Such an easy gift can make such an amazing impact on a person's life. Join me in giving and we will make a difference together! In order for us to see how we are doing in reaching our goal, I have set up a fundraising page, so click here to go to it. I have no incentives for raising money through this page; it is just an easy way for us to keep track of our goal. I have faith that we can do it if we work together.

3) Most of these blog posts are read by almost 100 people, but make sure we reach our goal by sharing this message so that more people can get involved on this mission.

The goal is to fund 1 person's rescue by midnight Eastern time on Saturday, September 14th. We can do it! 

Please comment below as well with your thoughts on the North Korean crisis as you learn more about it through Liberty in North Korea and other sources. This is a crisis that has been in the dark for far too long. As I was reading The Hunger Games this past year, the crisis in North Korea kept coming to my mind. Living in Panem in the books by Suzanne Collins is portrayed as being very similar to North Korea, and yet people read it and think that some place like that doesn't exist in the real world. Does anyone else see the similarities that I see? After I had made this realization, I came across this article. I'm not the only one who thinks this, it seems...http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/04/opinion/la-oe-harden-north-korea-camps-20120404

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!!!

Landed in Frankfurt!

Hello all! I have successfully landed in Frankfurt, Germany for a lay-over on my way to Istanbul. Got to see the prettiest site as we landed - there are wind farms everywhere!!! I haven't traveled abroad since 4 years ago, and it is crazy to see and hear so many different languages around me. I had a flight attendant ask me if I wanted tea or coffee this morning, but she asked me in German. Guess I look sort of German??

Have to say that Lufthansa is an amazing airline. The flight attendants are wonderful and so helpful!

Will keep you all posted! Love to all, and sleep tight - since chances are, it is the middle of the night where you are :)