Picture-perfect İstanbul

With a lot of work from the Internet cafe worker, I'm all set to post a few shots from İstanbul...

Fresh-squeezed portakal suyu (orange-juice)!

Ornate roof of the Ablutions Fountain of the cathedral-cum-mosque Aya Sofya

Jane and I delight in two desserts at the Hacı Abdullah restaurant in Beyoğlu. (We walked for over an hour to get there. Don't judge us.)

Dried delights for sale at the Mısır çarşısı (spice bazaar)

More colourful offerings at the Mısır çarşısı (spice bazaar)

Fires burning, fires burning

In the wise words of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, DON'T PANIC. As per the standard among the residents at the Gazi University hospital, we were taking a prolonged break mid-morning today and wondering a) why the power went out all of a sudden, and b) why there were lots of sirens outside the hospital (we were on the 8th floor with the door closed). Then, the fellow's cell rings: there's a fire in the building and we have to evacuate ASAP! It was mass chaos: 15 floors' worth of patients and hospital staff crammed into the few staircases in the dark. They took 'every man for himself' to a whole new extreme, with most patients having to make their own way out of the labyrinthine building. Fortunately the fellow was very concerned for my safety (more so in fact than for that of the patients') and ensured that I got out safely. As far as I know so far an electrical fire started on the 15th floor (Neonatology) forcing a chaotic evacuation of the whole building. There was no organized plan for how to handle a fire and with the power out, no announcement systems or the like to help direct the patients. Although it looked crazy, I don't think anyone was hurt. I was a little shaky, needless to say; I got particularly upset when I thought of you all and realized how worried you would be if you knew what was going on. There were cameras all over the place so I'm sure it will get lots of coverage (though likely only on Turkish TV). Maybe all that good karma I'd accummulated in London for my first aid duties is running low?? At any rate, I've escaped the whole affair unscathed and only a little shaken. Although the Halifax Infirmary's perpetual testing of the fire announcement system drove me near-crazy in the past, I've never been so relieved to know it exists!

Fire trucks parked outside a panicked Gazi Hastanesi

For more evidence, click here and here and here and here! Craziness!

Ankarama

Merhaba,

Turkish computers appear to be really picky about picture posting, so you may have to sit tight and wait with bated breath until I reach a more USB-friendly country (which may or may not be Canada in August).

I had my first day at the Gazi Hastanesi (hospital) today. In tribute to Mike Belding, I feel that my experiences thus far merit a top 5 list of things that shocked me to the core:

1. 30+ degree weather. No AC to be found in the hospital.
2. Sandals, bare legs and t-shirts are standard dress for hospital staff and doctors.
3. Smoking. By doctors. In the hospital.
4. Hand-washing? Manorapid?? Huh??
5. The ever-popular knock AS you open the door into exam room technique is favoured by patients and hospital staff alike.

Well, I'm cheap and my internet time is ticking... don't want to move into the next one hour bracket! To the supermarket!

Casey

Anchored in Ankara

İyi gunlar!

I've made it safely to Ankara, for those of you who have been keeping track of my whereabouts. Leaving Istanbul was quite sad; our small hotel had begun to feel like home in the few days we'd been staying there, and we got to know the staff quite well. Jane and I said a teary goodbye yesterday morning as I was whisked off to the Karaköy ferry station in order to take a short ferry trip to the Haydarpaşa train station.

It was a seven hour train ride with non-functional AC in deadly heat; adding insult to injury, I had been feeling a little "off" all morning (sensitive gut and all that). The whole combination might have pushed me over the edge if not for the kindness of strangers. It seems I was the only non-Turkish speaker aboard, and therefore a bit of a curiosity for the other passengers. I first met a pair of university students who kindly invited me to join them in the restaurant car. There, we chatted for quite a while and taught each other about our respective countries, cultures and languages. At the end, we did some photo-taking and swapped MSN contacts. When they got off the train I met another really friendly group of women (this time, who didn't speak English) who insisted that I partake in their picnic meal. All the while a third older woman, very conservatively dressed, had been eyeing me suspiciously. Then all of a sudden she started speaking with me in excited Turkish, explaining that she had two daughters and wanted me to sit next to her. With the help of my handy phrase book (A GODSEND!) and a ot of frantic gesturing, we managed a rather simplistic conversation over the next few hours. She shared her frozen water bottles and some baby wipes to help me stay cool, and was really very sweet.

I rolled into Ankara at 5 p.m. and met up with my friend Banu (my Turkish teacher in Halifax) and her sister Başak. They brought me to their lovely apartment where we feasted on some mantı (a lamb-filled ravioli-ish pasta) and tea and other treats. They have been really delightful hosts and I'm glad to see how people live a little bit. The plan is to head into the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations today, which I've heard is really delightful.

If all goes according to plan, I'll be moving into my new longer-term accommodations in the city tomorrow. Word on the street is it's a hotel for hotel management students in training. Sounds like I'll get my own room and stuff, which will be a welcome upgrade. I don't know how easy it will be to find internet access from then on, so no guarantees about the frequency of these posts.

Hope everyone is well back home.

Güle güle!

Casey

Images of İstanbul

A 'little prince' and his sister at the Sultan Ahmet Camii (Blue Mosque)
Obelisks in the Hippodrome
A family stops to wash at the Hippodrome
A seagull perched upon a colourful boat on the Bosphorus sea
Birds atop the Sultan Ahmet's minarets at sunset

Medic Alert in London and 24 hours in İstanbul

Merhaba!

I can barely begin to recount of the past few days; it has been action packed and full of adventure!

Saturday in London was meant to be low-key before we flew out Sunday. Once Jane and I met up and found her brother Andrew´s flat, we decided to meander along the Thames in search of supper. After great debate we settled on roast beef at a carvery, then continued our walk... until we came across a pair of women, one of whom looked unconscious or near to it. We stopped to help her up, and her friend insisted that she would be fine and that they would get a taxi ASAP. We carried on but i felt guilty, so we circled back to find them. The woman was grateful for my concern and near-expert opinion, and so rewarded us with their pair of tickets to see Titus Andronicus at the nearby Globe Theatre!!! We snuck in time for the beginning of the gore, so opted only to stay for about an act or so. As we walked back home, laughing at our fate, we stumbled upon another person on the ground: this time, a young man looking confused and bruised who´d reputedly been in a fight. Our consciences once again got the better of us, so we stayed to help him out. He was thoroughly disoriented and had taken a blow to the head (and ribs) so we stuck around and figured out how to use his cell phone to summon his friend from across the city. We even fetched him some water and ice from a nearby pub! We finally got him into a cab, better oriented, about an hour later. We reasoned we´d accumulated mega-karma by the end of that evening!

The trip to İstanbul was uneventful. The flight was comfortable (though warm), and they kept us contented wıth delicious sour cherry juice and hazelnuts. Navigating the Atatürk airport was no problem, and we even found our driver OK, just in time for a harrowing trip at breakneck speed across the city. We settled into our modest hotel and were pleased to discover we had AC and a balcony. The appeal of the latter wore off when we realized that with our proximity to the towering Blue Mosque, 4:30 am prayers blasted city-wide on loudspeakers could be heard exceptionally well from our bedroom.

After our breakfast on the charming rooftop terrace (with exceptional view) we wandered off to the Grand Bazaar, where Im proud to announce we DID NOT get lost! We even tried our hand at bargaining (thanks to inviting sales pitches like, ´Can I hassle you??´) and scored a few really nice finds, including a lovely woven scarf which came in quite handy for our afternoon visit to the fantastic Blue Mosque. I´ve collected quite some lovely photos so far but am not sure how the whole transferring process will go... may have to wait for a few days until I splurge on a transfer to CD.

Much love to all!!

Romsey-o-Rama 2

It seems I can only include five photos per post; either that, or Blogger is just being ridiculously irritable. At any rate, here are a few more hilights from my walk around Romsey today:

A view over the River Test

The River Test "Salmon Leap", where salmon used to jump up when spawning upstream. There used to be hay bales tied up here so they wouldn't bonk their heads if they overshot.

The Market Square in Romsey

In celebration of all things historic, the small road sign to the right of this building reads "Elderly People" and has a silhouette of two people with walkers crossing. Delightful! A would-be-geriatrician's dream :O)

Romsey-o-Rama

Terrible pun, I know, but I dared not start title yet another post "Adventures in..."

We had a lovely relaxed evening last night. After a nice walk and a visit to the supermarket, we caught the local BBC news on the telly. I happened to notice in the TV guide that the British Royal Marines were performing a televised beat retreat in honour of Prince Phillip's 85th birthday. It was SPECTACULAR! I got all misty-eyed when they played The Globe & Laurel, Royal Salute and Life on the Ocean Wave.

Today I took off with camera in hand to capture some of Romsey's sights:

99 The Hundred, my home in Romsey

Tea in the Maddicks' lovely garden

Bruce Maddick waters the lawn, complete with darling hat and "wellies"

Gravestones by Romsey Abbey, built 960 AD. Apparently the local townspeople pooled together the resources to buy back the church's contents that had been pillaged by King Henry VIII, something they're very proud of!

Romsey Abbey School, where Jane and her brothers went as children

Alive!

I'll keep this brief as my English breakfast tea has steeped and I've been invited to join the ladies in the garden.

So, I've survived the trip to London, and the London --> Southampton --> Romsey, with no snags... just a few colourful characters on the way. I'm soaking up the full-on Englishness of the place here. After a relaxing cup of tea in the garden, I went for a walk about town with Jane's Mum, Gill. I saw all of the sights of this quaint little town, including a duck crossing the main square (which I was assured is a very English event.) I got the lay of the land so that I can do my own little walking tour of the area tomorrow, after I've done my best to sleep off the jetlag. So far, so good. And this tea is great!

More soon...

Keji Adventures: Part III

Thanks to the utter lack of structural integrity of the PVC pants, I spent quite a bit of time perched hopefully by rolls of duct tape, wishing my pants were less soggy. (Please note the absence of any coverage in the backs of my legs.)

A day of hiking in the cold wetness meant dedicating quite a bit of time to trying to dry off my feet and warm up my hands.

We did a lot of thinking. Here, Robin ponders Peter's Point. (That sounds suggestive. It isn't.)

Alex and Kyle contemplate Mills Falls.

Overall, a grand time was had. I'm sure we all have a few more blisters and bugbites than we'd care to, but it was a great opportunity to explore the Canadian wilds! Next time I'll be sure to invest in rain pants that are made of something more structurally sound than PVC vinyl. (And yes, some very angry letters were sent to the World Famous Company and Canadian Tire!)

Keji Adventures: Part II

We carried on, through various terrain

...some of it quite wet!

But sights like Snake Lake made it worthwhile!

More "Lac Snake"

We even got to see some local wildlife!

Adventures in Kejimkujik

In a blatant escape from trip planning and preparation, I took off to Kejimkujik National Park this weekend with Robin and our friends Alex and Kyle. Despite perpetually terrible weather, much hilarity ensued. Just a few photos from the trip:

In efforts to prepare for the forecasted rainstorms, I don an attractive PVC hood from a rain suit set, courtesy of our friends at Canadian Tire.

We set up camp, feeling very proud of ourselves for truly "roughing it" in the wilds of the park.

Hour one, day 2: The crotch of my beloved PVC rain pants has torn out entirely. I have to do a quick repair job with some duct tape. Robin mocks me mercilessly. See this guy? There's a reason he looks entirely miserable. He too was duped by the royal blue PVC rainwear.

Not to be dissuaded by our rapidly dissintegrating rain gear, we improvise with garbage bags. It's now pouring rain, we're in the middle of some godforsaken forest and Alex is miserable.

Despite the rain and generally nasty weather, we saw some neat stuff, such as:

This neat kind of Group of Seven island

And this moss, which Robin described as "other-worldy"

Take THAT, rhinorrhea!

I've been fighting off a cold these past few days, and rather unsuccessfully. I'm hoping at least to be uber-healthy by the time I take off next week, so I can be footloose and fancy free once abroad.

In an effort to merge my present need for vitamin C with a desire to rehydrate after a sweaty uphill journey from the grocery store, I half-invented this culinary delight:

MEGA VITAMINALICIOUS SLUSHIE
1 can frozen orange juice concentrate (12.5 fl oz)
1 canfull water
~ 1 cup frozen mixed berries
8 ice cubes

Puree until smooth in the blender.

Wham-O! That'll knock you and your cold dead. It's tasty, too.

I picked up some foreign currency yesterday at the bank. Did you know that the Brits have Darwin on their 10 pound notes? A country after my own heart.

"Cannes" not get enough of Turkey??

I haven't seen this movie yet, but Gmail magically showed me the review atop one of my windows, and it sounds neat. If you follow the link to the official site, you can watch the trailer. Looks kind of cool, huh?

Let me know if any of you find it available for rental.

And now for something completely different!

Here is a little tidbit that has absolutely nothing to do with the upcoming trip; I just wanted to share. I was having some troubles with my new (used) Sigur Ros album as it felt the need to skip like nobody's business. The solution for surface scratches on my CD laid in a bottle of wood duster: Endust. A little wipe down with a lint-free cloth and some Endust, followed by a plain water wipe... and voila! I can now rock out in Icelandic without it sounding like a poorly-done eighties remix. Apparently any mild household abrasives will do the same.

Robin and I went for some adventures at the mall yesterday. I picked up my paper tickets for my flights, so things are feeling very official. I also picked up some appropriately conservative yet breathable clothes to be worn in Turkey and beyond. Oh, and lest we forget the 2' piece of chain for lashing my backpack to assorted inanimate objects whilst I'm traipsing about assorted cities.

SIGN THE GUESTBOOK!

1/2 MDeeeeelicous!

Sweet! I just finished up my final exam of year two. That puts me half way to being able to write prescriptions. If that doesn't make you lose sleep at night, I don't know what will!

My brain was totally fried yesterday, so as I puttered in blatant avoidance of studying, I had a chance to pick up some more goodies for the trip. Another trip to MEC was in order, of course, and I found some new handy things for eating on the go: a utensil set and a magical plastic origami-like folding multidish.

I also gave a trial run to using my new favourite scarf as a head wrap. Word on the street is that women are asked to cover their hair when visiting mosques out of respect. I'm cool with that, but boy oh boy do I ever look bizarre with my hair invisible.

PS - Andrew: I chose to go with a different hit counter that had more features, so I can stalkersishly monitor who's visiting from where, and stop counting my hits. The original counter was up so high because I kept checking the page for new comments etc. The current value is a better reflection of just how popular this page is :O)