Tuesday, December 25, 2007

It's Christmas today!

It is 50 degrees in Istanbul...there are a few Christmas lights scattered around the city, but it hardly feels like a holiday. There are even exams and tests....BUT my parents will be here in just a few hours, so I am absolutely excited!

We haven't had Internet at home, so I've been a little behind in the blogging, but here are a few pictures from last week.


My friend Denis went back to the US, it was sad and made me not want to think about leaving!


For the "slaughter" holiday...you visit families and they feed you the fresh meat. There were veggies though too and chocolate...so I was okay!


My Greek friend Sotaris...it's his first time bowling!!

Saturday, December 22, 2007

I painted Nelly! (and another naked girl!)


Another naked girl...she was suppose to be laying down, but it really looks like she is flying and I kind of like it that way.

This is Nelly...if you couldn't tell, or if you couldn't tell by the title of the post. I love and miss her so much!

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Probably the worst "holiday" ever...


The red is blood...and you can see the cows in the back ground waiting for their death.

Yes, this is hanging cow, freshly slaughtered.

So in Islam, they celebrate the angel coming to stop Abraham from killing Isaac. They do this by sacrificing cows and lambs in the streets, then eating it. I saw little girls this morning carrying bags of meat to their family members...Nothing like giving dead animal to someone you love!

I can't be completely sarcastic, although I do find it disgusting and barbaric. A lot of the meat is also given to the poor, so there are good intentions behind all the killing. But aren't there supposively good intentions behind war too?

sorry for the absence.


Tanju's two little cousins and me. His mom gave me a head scarf from Mecca. (which I'm wearing) The girls were adorable. We played cat's cradle with string. It's universal I suppose! I can't wait to go back!

Tanju's awesome parents and me! I love his parents! They made me so many great meals. And his mom kept saying "Eat eat eat" but in Turkish, of course!! It was so funny. I definitely felt at home!

The boat/yatch! My friend Deniz has this boat that we went out on the Bosphorus on. It was great, but so so cold. Reminded my of walking down Michigan Avenue when it's 10 below zero...

Freezing! Even below deck!!

The captain!

Monday, December 10, 2007

Latkes!


Katie, Jason, and Bryce grating potatos and onions!

Gabe forming the latkes......

Everyone is sooo full after latkes!!!!! Edie gave me the best recipe!!!

O

I still love Oprah, even on the campaign trail.

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

First night of Hanukkah (and third!)


Martine and I lighted the candles! Well, she did it and I sang the prayers. I think it was her first Jewish experience! Really, it was quite lovely. (I changed the picture because Martine is a lot cuter than what the first one looked like!! This is actually the third night, many people were over and it was good Jewish times!)

All the Jewish boys want me to make latkes, so in the next 8 days sometime we'll be frying up some potatoes! YUM!

(Now we made plans to make them on Sunday at one of the girl's place!!!!!!!!!)

Sunday, December 02, 2007

Saturday painting.

I think I have already mentioned that my best friend lives with an artist and there is a studio in the apartment. We were both drawing with pastels, but then Mustafa (the owner/painter) graduated us to paints. So I have painted two pictures now. I really love it, it's relaxing for me. Although I have used water colors when I was little, I have never actually painted. And yes, my mom is an art teacher, but we always did different things like ceramics, print making, photography, paper marbling. But for some reason, we never really just painted.


This was my first painting. I like it, she's so happy!

I painted this one yesterday. I like her too. My friend teases me about another naked girl. But I think bodies are so beautiful and vulnerable when they're naked that you can really see the emotion more than if it's covered in clothing.

This is Troy's first painting, it's not done though. And he really was challenged because I drew on the canvas first and then used the other one so he had to cover up the lines that I left. It's funny when we paint together because I do mine really really fast and he is so slow and intricate. He has many details and thinks about what he is doing a lot. Where I just paint what feels right....but I think Troy is very good and more importantly, unique.

Mustafa asked me yesterday if I would still come over and paint when Troy left in January and of course I said yes. So I am excited that I can still spend time with Mustafa and still be able to paint.