It's difficult to motivate oneself to write after procrastinating for so long. It seems too much has happened to write about it all. So, this may be more of a list of things that has happened to us in our first 2 months here in Istanbul than an actual post. It would make sense to start at the beginning, but I've lost track of the order of events. So, here are the last 2 month's highlights and things of note.
-Finding jobs was not all that difficult, choosing which to take was. We had offers from two different schools, both which wanted us to start immediately. We chose to go with one telling the other we where taking another job. We went to a school that was still being constructed for primary school kids and we felt that it was the right fit us, and told them so, essential quitting. Then, we sheepishly asked the other school that we had just turned down the day before if the job offer was still on the table. It was, and we have been teaching there for the past six weeks. Jess is teaching English to a variety of students including a woman who presented a project at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona two weeks ago. While I'm preparing students to take TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) which is required for most international students to be accepted into an English speaking university.
-We have moved from Beyoglu to Beskitas; we only need to pay for utilities, it is closer to work, we can see the Bosphorus from our bedroom window, and there is a wonderful park very close by.
- We have been able to do a few touristy things like; the Bosphorus Cruise, a day trip to Princes' Islands, walking up and down Istiklal Caddesi, visited the Blue Mosque, took in some art exhibits including Body Worlds, went down into an underground cistern built in 4th century, and spent some time in the Grand Bazaar.
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| Byzantine Fortress Anadolu Kavagi |
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| The Blue Mosque |
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| Inside the Blue Mosque |
- We are not able to get to church nearly as much as we had hoped to. Our jobs usually require us to work on Sundays.
-Jess has befriended multiple stray dogs.
-Peter has returned home and we wish him well in his endeavours back in Canada.
-We still don't know very much Turkish at all.
-We've come to enjoy Borek and Pide, some quick traditional turkish food that is also quiet cheep.
-We've eaten our fair share of baklava and lokum (Turkish Delight).
-We also miss certain things about Canada but mostly our friends and family back home... and burgers from the Toad.
