Early November events

Hi everyone, it has been a while since I last updated my blog.  So I am going to try to do a two-part update here tonight.  The first part will go back to the beginning of the month.  After the blue cruise, we returned to Tarsus and continued sunny and warm weather.  The first weekend in November, four teachers from our group rented a car and drove down the coast towards the Kiskalesi area.  We went to an area known as Heaven and Hell.  Ironically, Heaven was a much more difficult hike than Hell.  Here are a few photos:

Beautiful day for a November hike!

View of Hell

After the hike, we spent some time at Kiskalesi, swimming out to the castle and relaxing in the sun.  It seemed surreal to be enjoying sunshine at the beach in November.  Having a frozen daiquiri delivered to my beach spot was really the perfect way to end the weekend.  November seemed to be the month for luxurious treatment, as the following weekend I stayed at a 5 star hotel in Adana!  A group of teachers went to a blues festival in Adana, and Kathy and I decided to stay a night at the Hotel Seyhan. We enjoyed some awesome Italian chardonnay (Turkish white wine is usually dry, so this really hit the spot!) and a salon hairstyle at the hotel before making our way to the Hilton for the blues festival.  The bands were really fun and it was nice to hang out with some of the Turkish teachers outside of work as well.  The next morning (feelings the effects of all that yummy wine!), I finally made my way down to the hotel spa and workout facility.  Talk about a hangover helper.  An hour of relaxing in the steam room, sauna, and jacuzzi, and I felt like a brand new woman.  Five minutes before check out, Kathy and I were still sitting in the jacuzzi when I came up with the brilliant idea to stay another night.  AND so we did!  We even discovered an outlet mall in Adana to do some retail therapy.  People who know me well will understand that a weekend filled with good wine, music, spa treatments, and shopping is my idea of a perfect weekend.  It was awesome, and I can't wait to go back and stay at the Hotel Seyhan again.  

School has been going really well.  The third grade students are really sweet and it's fun teaching them new vocabulary and seeing how their English develops and improves.  They always make me laugh, and surprise me.  This past Saturday was Teacher's Day in Turkey, which is a nationally recognized holiday.  It was celebrated at school on Friday.  I had the morning off, and then arrived at school to see smiling students wishing me a happy teacher's day, and giving me little flowers and gifts.  It was so sweet, and I was actually speechless at the beginning of my first lesson.  After school, there was a social hour with snacks, cake, and speeches made by the administrators.  Then they bussed all of the staff to a restaurant in Adana where it was all you could eat, drink, and dance all night!  It was really great night.  

Dance party at the dinner!

My teaching partner, Gulcan and I at the teacher's appreciation day dinner