May 2012
168 posts
mancinis asked: hi i saw your post about studying abroad in istanbul, made for a good read. what kind of treatment do you think i can expect as a 20 year old female londoner? i have some bulgarian blood and could easily be mistaken for a local. i'm studying there for a year and am in the process of learning some of the language. thanks!
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Things to expect when studying abroad in İstanbul
The city is beautiful in the sunlight. People are happier, the stray animals play in the grass, the Bosphorus shines and you’ll feel inclined to take a long walk with no particular destination. However, the weather is inconsistent here. It will sometimes change its mind once or twice a day. Nonetheless, the city is still beautiful, even in the snow. Bring clothes for every season, even if you’re...
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love you love you love you love you love you love...
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“We’re speaking the language of lasts, now, in the teary-eyed past tense. We’re...”
– Thoughts on the end of a semester abroad.
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The next 12 days:
Wednesday, May 30: Find a café to work on essay/project for FLED 543 (Computer Assisted Language Learning). Best case scenario: finish the essay portion. Submit my last annotated bibliography. Eat cheap lunch. Get a drink with friends at To Stage to say goodbye to Renee.
Thursday, May 31: Sleep in, then get working on that essay/project. Best case scenario: finish the project portion. Should be an...
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Need a vacation?
Listen to this, close your eyes,...
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Listen
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The real Turkish test
Sure we just finished our Elementary Turkish final, but, in a way, we’re still taking the Turkish test. The real one. We’ve been taking it since we got off that plane, all those months ago, back before we knew each other or anything about this country. Back before we moved into our lofts and dorms, back before we knew any vocabulary or understood the transit system. We started filling in the...
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“I don’t want to write an essay. I want to get drunk off wine and watch...”
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Stop studying for exams and listen.
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Signs of the end...
Ten trends showing the closing of my Istanbul chapter:
I’m posting old photos from earlier adventures. I’m not renewing my cellphone plan. I’m out of money. I’m counting down the days (19) I’m working on ‘final projects’ for classes. I’m enrolling in classes for Fall 2012 in California. I’m looking forward to checking out of the Superdorm....
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ISTANBUL
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Twenty 'til
In less than three weeks I’ll zip shut my duffel bag and, with a lump in my throat, bid farewell to my little dorm room forever. I’ll make sure I’ve cleared all the shelves. I’ll take one last look out the window at the quiet road and the hillside and the trees, and maybe I’ll leave the curtains drawn open so as not to leave the room in the dark. I’ll step into the hall and lock the door and, with...
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The night belongs to the storm
Your thunder’s sounding good tonight.
Those lightning flashes really bring out
the curves of your clouds.
I love to watch your rain fall,
dripping down my windowpane.
Never seen puddles splash like that before.
The way you make the trees sway…
The way you turn side-streets into slip-and-slides…
You’re playing it rough tonight.
I like that.
It’s a shame...
