Just had another fight with a cab driver! I walked walked walked tonight, and just wanted a cab ride up the "hill". Now this hill isn't an ordinary hill, it's soooooooo steep that when I walk down it I have to lean backwards to keep from toppling forward. It's about 1/2 mile long. I caught a cab at the bottom of the hill - should have been about 2 Liras? It was almost 18 because the a$$hole took me for a ride around the city! When I got to the apartment I pointed at the meter and said NONONO! I got Nihal out to translate. We both yelled at him - Nihal in Turkish and me in English. I finally threw a 5 at him. He threw it back and yelled at us. Then he went to the guard shack and complained, they called the apartment and Nihal then called the cab company. Oy.
There is an oh so posh set in this neighborhood. (See picture of shoes below - who wears stillettos and diamonds to a swimming pool? Well these women do!) They don't dare get their faces wet or their make-up will wash off. They run their servants all the time...."blow up the float for my daughter! (usually HUGE pool floats of some kind) Bring my dinner to the pool! I said I wanted a PEACH martini! Crush the ice!) etc. It's amazing to watch!
I went to my first expat party last Saturday. Only one other American there...mostly German, Turks, Brits, French and Asian. It was a blast! It was in a small bar on the first floor of an ancient wooden Greek house, run by two German/Turkish women. There is a small patio outside but at some point a neighbor called the police and we all had to go inside. Which was ok because it had cooled off by then (around 1AM) and then everyone was feeling pretty good and then the karaoke began...although people didn't sing alone, everyone sang together - UK style. I left at 3AM and heard from a guy who said he didn't get home until 10AM :-)
That's it for tonight!
Thanks to Mert and Husnu for the free all-day boat trip on the Bosphorus to the Black sea!
When I win the lottery...
Expensive homes on the water
Rumelihisari Castle along the Bosphorus
The non-students at the fish restaurant
Swimming in the Bosphorus - it's SPIDERMAN!
Husnu and me
Relaxing on the boat-VA Tech Study Abroad Students
---------------------------Exterior of shop - cottage industry - Anatolian - Asian side of Istanbul
Craftsman at oven where wood is shaped and dried. He's been doing this since age 13.
Frame made of chestnut
Raw materials - this is what is woven over frame
Finished product
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2 comments:
I love viewing the photos you've taken and actually think the shot of the Dior shoes by the pool worthy for a magazine ad. It's kind of artistic seeing these fancy expensive heels in this type of element. :-)
Monty: Thanks :-) I was sort of trying to go for "artistic"! When I have some time I'll play with the photo and see what I can come up with! It's not a very sharp image though...I got a new camera before I left and I haven't used any settings on it yet except for "auto". Tomorrow I'll get the owner's manual out and experiment!
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