Brief update

Hi everyone, it has been a while since I updated.  Unfortunately I don't have any photos to share this time.  It has been pretty busy at school and I have been trying to save my lira for the blue cruise coming up in a few days!  There will be no school from this upcoming Wednesday to Monday.  We fly out to Antalia on Wednesday evening, take a bus to Olympos, and then depart from Olympos to Fethiye on the blue cruise for the next few days.  Here is the link to my itinerary, if you want to check out what I will be seeing:

http://www.bluecruisesturkey.com/Cabin_Charters/Olympos-Fethiye.html

This past week at school, I had my first parent meetings.  My teaching partner did most of the work and translating since most parents only speak Turkish.  I thought the meetings went well and the parents seemed happy so that's a good sign!  On Wednesday all of the third graders went on a shopping field trip to Carrefour (kind of like a little Target).  I ended up being asked to go last minute, and it was really entertaining.  I think the trip was planned to go along with what they are doing in their Turkish social studies class.  I even bought little lamb steaks to season and grill on our new bbq at the apartment.  I had never grilled lamb before but it was actually really good.  That's about the most adventurous cooking I have done since I've been here.  On Friday, the students all dressed in red and white to celebrate Republic Day (celebrating Turkey's founding as a nation).  The students are otherwise required to wear uniforms, so it was fun to see them in their red and white outfits.

Tennis lessons continue to be a fun way to get out and get some exercise.  Our tennis instructor wants us to compete in a tournament at the beginners level but I don't know if I'm ready since I can't really serve :)  We'll see.  It's been nice to chat and skype and email with people from back home.  Since I took the job in Turkey, five couples I know have gotten engaged!  It's exciting to hear about but I do feel bad that I am not around for any of the celebrations and wedding related activities.  Maybe some people need to think about planning honeymoons over on this side of the globe so I can crash them :)  After this break, the next one is around Christmas, which I will be coming home for.  Then there is a two week break in January/February that I do not have plans for yet at this time.  Maybe Germany with my favorite mother :)??  If anybody has a hankering to do any travel at that time over in Europe, let me know and maybe we can meet up!

Rainy Days and Tuesdays Never Get Me Down!

Hi everybody,  this post is going to be about the rain that I have experienced here in Turkey!  Up until this week, it has been hot and humid.  Everyday.  If I could have gone to the beach or pool everyday, then I would have.  Some of you may have seen the photos from Kizkalesi beach (the one with the castle) that I went to a while back.  On Saturday, some of the elementary English teachers planned a trip to another beach called Kaprikali Koy.  This is a more rocky swimming area where you have to jump into the water to enter.  When we arrived, it did not look promising as there were dark clouds in the distance and no sunshine, not to mention no Turks at the beach.  But I did go in for a swim since we came all that way.  It was a very strange experience as the water at the top was cold (from the rain) and the water at the  bottom was warm.

Looming storm clouds at Yaprikali Koy

The storm clouds finally burst and it downpoured for about ten minutes.  I was fortunate to be under a roof at the time, but a few teachers, Donna and Kerry, were still out there swimming!  They said it was even hailing.  After all of that excitement, we were all ready for a seafood lunch.  Our department head recommended a seafood place that was incredibly delicious.  Fresh shrimp, calimari, and sea bass enjoyed right by the sea where they were caught.  It was an amazing meal.

The elementary English teachers who braved the rainy beach:  from left to right, Kathy, Stefanie, Athena, Kerry, me, and department head Donna.  DJ Donna is in the back :)  Taken at the seafood restaurant.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving in Canada, and the Canadian staff at the school hosted and organized an awesome dinner, with turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, and even pumpkin pie.  Yes, I am really happy to say that I finally ate turkey in Turkey....I wish I had a photo!  It was a fun evening, and once again it ended with some torrential rain!  Luckily, my principal was leaving school at the same time and she gave the teachers who live off campus a ride home.  It was a funny ride home, and Pelin had a great sense of humor about us being wet and goofy (and maybe feeling a few glasses of wine!).  

It's only a few short weeks away until the October Bayram holiday!  I am hoping that all of this rain stays away while we are on the boat, but I am sure it will be amazing either way.  There are 9 teachers going on the blue cruise, and there is a good chance we will be the only ones on the 12 passenger  boat.  We may get additional days on this holiday, so hopefully I will be able to take advantage of that and see some more sights.  

Leaving you all with a photo of me with my turkey in Turkey and a big bowl of mashed potatoes :)

Karatepe Day Trip

A young girl hand weaving a rug at the loom

Over the weekend, one the principals at the high school organized a day trip to Karatepe to see traditional Turkish rugs as well as some Hittite ruins.  It was a long, windy bus ride to the remote village of Karatepe.  We arrived in time for a traditional Turkish lunch outside.  Afterwards, it was every gal (and one man) for himself as people went inside to scope out the rugs and determine which ones to buy.

A display of some of the hand-woven rugs for sale

Kathy and me with our rug purchases.  I bought two small ones and a wall hanging
with pockets  and Kathy's shows a little country scene.

After our time at Karatepe, we went to an outdoor museum and archaeological site to see some Hittite ruins discovered in the 1940s.  Now, I am not going to hide the fact that I don't know everything about history, so therefore I don't know if I totally appreciated everything that I saw at the site.  The Hittites had their civilizations around 1300 B.C.  (I think!).  I was excited to see this view upon climbing the hill!

Dorky picture for you, Mom.  Maybe it can be a framer?

One of the statues in the park.  Sidenote:  I have no idea who this guy is posing,
but it was impossible to get a photo without other people in them!

One of the carvings at the site.  My favorite, hehehe

Our last stop was to see some ancient Roman ruins and castle at the Hierapolis ruins.  Rustu Bey, our trusty tour guide, informed the group that the pillars at the entrance is a sign of how wealthy this area was.  The castle was built by the crusaders later on.

Kathy and I, just hanging out at some ruin

Amphitheater used for theater performances

Castle fortress on top of a hill

Beautiful sunset over the countryside to end the trip

After the big day on Saturday, I still somehow had energy to do some shopping at the Mersin mall.  No fun shoes or clothes this time, but I did find a yoga mat and a big candle for my apartment.  The group of teachers who went ate at a place back on the Marina, where I was able to order a bloody mary (and an Efes beer chaser!) with my lunch.  On Friday night, before going to Karatepe, I went out for dinner with two of the other teachers in the apartment (we were in search of a restaurant that serves beer with meals!).  At the place recommended by the headmaster, we randomly met an alumni of TAC, the school we all work at.  We ended up talking to Refat for hours and he even bought our dinner.  He had many suggestions for places to go visit in Turkey.  He gave us his number and said to call with anything we needed.  Once again, I was impressed and grateful for Turkish hospitality and friendliness :)

Oktoberfest....Turkey style

This past weekend, I enjoyed an Oktoberfest, Turkey style (just like the title says!).  Mr. Hanna, the headmaster at the school, spent years living and working in Germany and organized this trip to Adana for Oktoberfest.  While there were no Oktoberfest beers or sausages, we did get to enjoy some Beck's and of course Efes, potato pancakes, potato salad, and some German pastries.  There was also a band that played some German and Turkish songs as well as some DJ music mixed in.  It was a fun night out and I wish I had more photos to share, however most of my photos were pretty blurry since it was night.

(Turkish) German Oktoberfest dinner

School has been going pretty well over the past few weeks.  It has been really nice having the time to plan lessons without feeling rushed or staying late after school to be prepared.  I can't remember if I mentioned this before, but I have been taking tennis lessons twice a week at the Tarsus tennis club.  That's been a fun way to exercise and learn a new sport.  For those of you thinking that I am too uncoordinated for this, you may be right but it's still fun :)  Otherwise, I sometimes go to a group workout session that another teacher on campus organizes.  Some of the other teachers have figured out ways to get VPNs for watching Netflix or American television shows, but I keep putting it off because without TV I find I have been reading a lot more.  I just finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society to stay caught up with my Minnesotan book club.  It was written as a series of letters, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a unique perspective of WWII occupation.

This upcoming weekend, there is a trip planned to Karatepe learn about rug-making.  I should have more photos and more interesting things to post after that trip.  Overall, I feel like I have adjusted to life in Turkey and working at the school, which isn't to say that I don't miss people back home like crazy.  It's really been amazing to be able to Skype with my family, Nate, and other friends.  It somehow makes my experiences here in Turkey feel more complete when I can share them with the people back home I love. 

To end this post, here is a funny photo I took after the cleaning lady came in on Monday.  I came home after a long and hectic day at school and this made me smile:

My stockings all hung off my porch, with care :)

First Week Of School

It has been a nice, lazy Sunday and weekend after my first week of teaching.  Yes, I did end up having to teach the rest of the week after the opening ceremony!  The third grade students seem like a really nice group of kids.  I am still getting names down and also determining their English abilities.  Overall, I would say their English language proficiency is lower than I expected, although that might change once they get back into the groove of school and hearing English on a more regular basis.  The first week consisted of getting to know the kids, basic rules, and also listening to some summer homework presentations.  Their English summer homework was to create a brief presentation of what they did over the summer.  Just like in the U.S., you get a lot of kids who didn't do their homework!  But I have had a number of students bring in flashdrives with PowerPoints or other presentations to share.  I have to think that the parents may have had a hand in preparing them :)  I was pretty amazed at how much traveling the students did over the summer.  My favorite presentation was a girl who had traveled all over Europe, including the red-light district of Amsterdam!  Luckily, that one got lost in translation and no questions were asked :)

All of this for only 6 TL!  That's about $4!

It was a pretty busy week after school as well.  I started taking tennis lessons at the Tarsus tennis club.  I go two days a week and it has been fun learning how to hit a ball.  I don't have the best hand-eye coordination in the world so I have a lot of work, but it's fun to take lessons.  I also got my residence permit, which allows me to come and go out of Turkey as I want.  One night this week I went to get some humus from Karavan, which was hands down the best humus I have ever had.  The ayran in the photo is a traditional Turkish drink made of yogurt, water, and salt.  Some people hate it but I actually kind of like it.  

This weekend I booked my blue cruise boat trip for the October holiday.  Here's a link to my intinerary:

http://www.bluecruisesturkey.com/Cabin_Charters/Olympos-Fethiye.html

As you can see from the photos, it should be a beautiful trip!  I can't wait to go, and it's always nice to have something fun to look forward to.  Saturday night I went out for dinner and some drinks in the "Old Town" part of Tarsus (really, the whole city is old!).  A number of old buildings have been renovated into nice restaurants and bars.  It was nice to sit outside and enjoy some live Turkish music and relax with some of the other teachers at the school.  Next weekend there is an Oktoberfest celebration in Adana, which should be a good time as well.  The beer of choice here in Turkey is Efes, a pilsner.  There's a dark Efes and a lemon one as well.  It's not as good as the Tuis in New Zealand, but still all right :)  The wine is pretty good here, so that makes me happy.  Any hard alcohol is pretty expensive, except for Raki (pronounced Ra-kah).  Raki is a clear liquid that they mix with water and ice, and then it turns a milky white color.  It tastes kind of like black licorice and is incredibly strong.  I don't care for it at all, but the Turkish men really go nuts over it.  I did buy a Turkish coffee liquor, so maybe next weekend I can throw some of that in my morning brew.  

Thanks for reading and giving feedback :)  I have been able to skype with some people and it's really fun to share about all of the new experiences here.  Visitors welcome, anytime :)

Apartment and school

I have been writing for a while now that I will post photos of my apartment and school, so here they are!  Today was the first day of school for students.  There were many parents that came for the opening ceremony and helped students bring their books and materials to their homerooms.  I saw some third graders with rolling suitcases of books and materials!  The opening ceremony consisted of the national anthem and speeches.  I was really surprised at how well the third graders listened throughout the ceremony (standing in lines!).  Everyone agreed that afterwards the students listened better than their parents during the ceremony.  Here are some photos from the first day:

Third graders waiting after the ceremony!

After school, I walked into a freshly cleaned apartment!  Today was the first day my cleaning lady came and it was amazing to walk in and see everything put away and clean.  I figured it would be a good day to take some photos and share, so here they are!

Living room

Kitchen and dining room

My bedroom

And my Turkish toilet!  To be used for storing cleaning supplies

Tomorrow is the first day of teaching for me, followed by parent meetings, then tennis lessons!  If you want to see more photos, I just made a big album on facebook.  Also, if anyone has skype add me!  My username is nicole.dimberg.  Right now I am eight hours ahead of central time zone, which makes it tricky to find good times during the week, but weekends are much more flexible.  I hope everyone is enjoying the fall colors in Minnesota, I know I will be missing them!

Kizkalesi photos

Last Thursday was a national holiday in Turkey, so the foreign teachers (foreign meaning from the U.S. or Canada) took a trip to Kizkalesi to spend the day at the beach.  This is not your run of the mill beach, however!  The beach is famous for it's views of the Maiden's Castle.  It is located out on an island, about 200 m from the shoreline.  The castle was built around 200 B.C.  The local legend is that a powerful king had the castle build on the tiny island to protect his daughter after hearing a prophecy from a fortune teller that she would be killed from a snakebite.  As it turns out, a snake made it's way over anyway when someone delivered fruit to her by boat, and ultimately the prophecy was fulfilled.  I was hoping to get a look into the castle after I swam out there (in beautiful, clear water!), but unfortunately you have to pay to enter.  So maybe next time I'll take a paddleboat out there and walk around.  There was also the option of parasailing at this beach to get an aerial view of the inside :-)

Not your everyday beach view!

I love all the men on the banana boat raft!

I was hoping to go back to Mersin to do some shopping over the weekend,  but unfortunately I had to deal with some moderate food poisoning :-(  Once again this week, work has consisted of preparation and meetings.  Up until today, I have not felt very productive or even in the know of what is going on at the school.  I did get my teaching schedule today, and I will be teaching eighteen 40-minute periods of third grade English a week.  Twelve of those periods will be splits, which means I will have 9-10 students in my class.  Pretty AWESOME schedule, if you ask me!  It sounds like they keep English teachers busy when they are not teaching doing pull-out English lessons, recess duty, subbing, etc.  I still don't have a very clear idea of the curriculum I will be following, nor do I have all of the resources I am expected to use.  But at least I will know where I need to go on the first day and all of that other stuff will fall into place with time, I am sure.  

Even though I got food poisoning in Turkey, that is still not going to stop me from eating their food!  Tonight I had some amazing homemade humus, and my teaching partner promised to teach me how to make humus from scratch.  You can't buy it pre-made in the stores like in the U.S.  You have to either make it yourself or get it to go from a restaurant if you want humus at home.  And it sounds like many Turks make it themselves!  I also can't get enough of the feta cheese.  Or fresh fruits!  Right now, peaches and plums are in season.  Peaches with yogurt and honey (yogurt that's similar, but better than Greek yogurt) is one of my favorite snacks.  They also use eggplant a lot in their main meals, which I also love.  Once I get settled in to my school routine, I would love to experiment a little more with making Turkish dishes on my own here at home!

So far I enjoy living by myself.  Since I share an office/workspace with 18 other people, it is nice to have a quiet place to come home to in the evenings.  More funny office stories later....this is the first time in my adult career I have to share an office space with other adults, instead of having a classroom!  So different, but I think I will end up really enjoying it.  Next post, I will try to have photos of the school, as well as my apartment.  Maybe I will wait until my cleaning lady comes on Monday to take those :-).... Actually MOM my place is not messy at all!