Plans?

Well, I heard from that school, and they decided to hire someone who was already in Istanbul since they could start the training right away... bummer. :/ But, I have continued my job search. It's quite difficult to find a job without being there. I might have a phone interview tomorrow for a certain language school, and I am thinking of taking that job and maybe looking for something better when I arrive...? The lure of a real school teaching kids as opposed to a language school is mainly the hours: no weekends, no evenings, and 2 months holiday in the summer... Of course you have to teach bratty kids, but the way I see it is... what's the difference between teaching bratty kids and teaching bratty adults? ;) 'Cause I definitely had my full share of bratty adults. Nuff said.

I'm so ancy... Of course it's sad that one of my best Turkish friends, Kaan, is now here in the states now that I'm pretty set on going back.

Next Step?

I am very unsure of my life right now. I'm not sure where I fit in, or where I even want to for that matter. I long to return to Istanbul, the city is calling to me. :) I have applied to a position teaching children in a private school, but I have yet to hear back from them since my phone interview. I'm hoping for the best: that they accept me and that the salary they offer me will be what I need to justify going back there... ;) Those who have spent significant time in another world will understand me when I say that I just feel incomplete not being there. The other choice that I am deciding between (other than staying here) is S. Korea. The money would be good, and the benefits are great (prepaid airfare, single accommodation, a larger foreigner community, at least 2000 a month) but the question I keep asking myself is why I would want to start over. I would be starting over in so many ways. I had just begun to come to terms and understand the culture quite a bit (at least I was used to being stared at like a piece of meat all the time by the men... ha) and really have a desire, and a good foundation, for learning the language. I have a few friends there. Starting over in all of those respects seems like a harder task than what I'm up for at this point.
There's also the option of staying here. Being with my family is great, but that in itself can't be the only thing keeping me here... it's not really enough. My job is crap, I have too many bills to afford the things that contribute so much to my happiness being the highly independent person that I am: having a car of my own, a place of my own and being surrounded by the things that make me feel like me. So basically, barring the incredible miracle that a job opens before me that will allow for me to be happy about something in my life other than that I'm near my family, I think that this option is out of the running at this point. Now, I'm up for suggestions, job offers, or even large monetary gifts... let me know if you have any of the above to offer. ;)
So all of that said, this brings me back to where I was at the beginning. Waiting to hear from the school, hoping and praying that I'm starting in the right direction. ?

Leaving on a jet plane....

Well, my bags are packed and weighed, all of my stuff is cleared out of my room, my bedding is in the washer, and somehow sitting here this still feels like my room... My last morning in Istanbul. I really don't know what to say. I'm about to go into Dilko and say goodbye to everyone who is working, and my students. It's been a good year. It's really hard for me to say goodbye to this "home" of mine, and yet I know that this ending is really just the beginning to a new adventure, whatever that may be: coming back in a few months, going to Korea to teach, or any other place that I may end up.
I'm off to London to visit Charlotte and see the sights! As exciting as that is, I'm quite sure that I'm going to be crying the entire way there. It's really neat because Charlotte knows exactly how I feel, having left Istanbul only six or seven months ago. So I'll have someone to cry to that knows what I'm going through.
For now, farewell. I'll see you soon enough.

We had another picnic with that class on Friday, which was really fun. One of the older ladies that used to be in the class (she's super rich) hired a little band for the picnic, and it was quite the surprise when they came marching in playing traditional Turkish music!! Everyone started dancing and it was very fun. Then, Ali (my manager) hung up flags when we were inside getting some food, and when we came back out we saw that they were these huge flags that had all pictures of us and the Dilko logo!! Haha... Mine was all pics of me, with the phrase "we will miss you, but we'll never forget you" across the bottom, with the top full of writing from some teachers and students. Anthony's was for his birthday, which was last week. That was so nice, and unexpected! :)

The last week or so has been pretty good. The universities here have concerts all during the summer, and I went to one at Istanbul University. Of course, I had no idea who the band was (Kargo), so that made it a little bit boring, but it was still a pretty fun time.
























































Then, on my last day teaching my morning class, for the last hour we went bowling! I'm gonna miss my students so much. Well, most of them anyway ;) haha.

Summerishness...

Well, I did my first 'summery' thing on Friday. Natalie and I wanted to go walk by the Sea because it was so nice. So, we hopped the train to Yeşilköy and, after much searching even though it also took us that long to find it last time, found the Sea. It was really nice walking along the sea on such a nice day. We came to one of the small, cleaned up beach areas and there were some paddle-boats there! We were curious enough to ask how much they cost, and it turned out it was only 10lira for an hour. We didn't want a whole hour, so we payed five lira for a half hour of paddle-boating around. It was so nice. And even just walking around Yeşilköy was so nice, seeing all of the gorgeous roses everywhere that are seriously the size of a small child. Well, maybe not but they're huge anyway. And as soon as we stepped off of the train I kicked myself, OK so I didn't kick myself, but I wanted to. I forgot my camera! So, I took a few pics with my cell phone, but that doesn't help me because I have no way to get them onto my computer. I've tried sending MMS messages to like facebook but all it does it charge me an arm and a leg and then not actually show up! grr...
So, Camy popped her head out! :) I'm sitting here wishing I was there with everyone... but I will be soon enough... and I'll get to see both my babies. Actually, all of my babies (ori, ronin, tierney included)!

so close to home...

Well, it's getting so close to time to come home! It's pretty crazy. About a month exactly... I still haven't figured out a way to send a bunch of my stuff home so that I won't be overweight at the airport (and have to drag around such heavy luggage in London...) If anyone has any idea.... lemme know.

Last Friday one of my students had a BBQ for his bday at his summer house and invited my class, us teachers, and our boss Ali. The weather was quite nice, and it was a nice time. Notice how beautiful my girl students are! Oh and the crazy Jordanian in the blue shirt with the cigar is Ali...

Driving... in Istanbul?

So, I've been going through driving withdrawls. It's been about 8 months since I've driven a car, and even longer since I've driven a stick (which I love). It seems everyone around here drives a stick, and so whenever i get in a car, I am like, "pleaasssse let me drive!" Of course I had no real intention of driving in Istanbul because people here drive like maniacs... There really shouldn't be any lines on the roads, as nobody uses them and they drive in the middle and swerve back and forth instead. Forget turn signals... Any-hoo, today I was shopping and got a call asking if I had a driving license. Of course I said yes and my boss, Ali, told me to come to Dilko and speak with him. I finished my shopping and headed back to work and he asked me if I could drive his car. HAHA! So I was like uhh.... where... how far....will anybody be with me....etc. His car was at the service place and he had forgotten his wallet at home this morning but wanted to go pick it up. There was nobody else around who had a drivers license.. so I agreed. Luckily (and I wouldn't have agreed if it hadn't been) the place was quite close and he was coming with me to pick the car up. So, yay! I got to drive, and it was a stick! (I was quite nervous about that with how long it's been.. I actually don't remember the last stick shift I drove...) But it went all right, and was super easy. It took awhile to get used to the touchy brake because the car is so new though.



I'm loving this nice weather!! All the tulips and other flowers are out.. it's beautiful. I can't wait for a trip to the Islands! I'm going to have a picnic with my class again on Friday. Should be much nicer than the last one since the weather is much warmer... They want to play football, so I told them we must play American Football instead... they agreed, but who knows if we'll be able to get a real football... Should be fun. :) MMMM barbeque!

P.S.

P.S. It's 65 and beautiful here, what's the weather like there?

Oh, and mom the Romania slideshow is working again, but the music stops working after the first song... strange.

Oh, and does anyone know about sending a big box home by like freight or something... who I could do that through, how much it would cost, etc? I really don't want overweight luggage when I go home... :(

Birthday etc.

My birthday was quite uneventful. We had cake in the staffroom for both Omens and I, who share the same birthday. That was nice. I started an Advanced class that morning, and I told them that it was my birthday, and that I didn't want to teach so we went out after the first hour. My afternoon class signed a petition to let me go home after two hours. They also bought a bunch of little brownies and put candles in them and sang to me. :)




























Here are some other random pictures of me and people from Dilko. The blonde curly haired girl is Pınar, she's the receptionist that is in the teacher's room. She was also my student for Elementary and half of Pre-Intermediate until she switched classes. :(