i love the light in our new apartment

especially in the afternoon...

Our new apartment and neighborhood

Turned out to be right across the street from our hotel! We had to pay someone to help us move our stuff though because Kevin hurt his foot and our new place is on the 6TH FLOOR. No elevator. I'm going to be super fit by the end of this month. Aside from that unfortunate detail, the apartment is perfect for us. It's right on the cusp between niceville and gypsy ghetto. There are tons of markets and convenience stores around. I feel perfectly at home here, even if for a little while.

Goodbye i'zaz

We have been living in Istanbul now for 7 days. I don't count the first 5 really because they were spend in bed recovering from jet lag and a cold. Luckily the hotel we stayed in the first few days was wonderful so it made spending time in bed a lot more fun. It's called the i'zaz (ee-zaz) lofts nested in the heart of the Beyoglu district. Living there feels more like an apartment than a hotel. There's no front desk, no keys (just access codes) and only 4 rooms.



The staff there is really wonderful too. On our last day the cleaning women who treated us like we were her own children cooked us a delicious Turkish breakfast (including a green onion and mint omelette) and told us to come back anytime. The manager helped mend Kevin's broken toe and when it came time to move, the security guard got a friend to help us move our luggage into our new apartment. But the brilliance of the place is the terrace! Full kitchen and lounge area with an amazing view.



So we are not there anymore. But I hope to return soon to have some of that wonderful breakfast again...

Some First Impressions

• Everyone smokes.
  
• The weather is amazing. Warm and sunny during the day, cool at night.
• There are cats everywhere but they seem pretty happy.
• This side of Istanbul seems like every other European/American big city. Everyone pretty much looks like everyone else I know, there products are exactly the same as in the US (including Activia yogurt and Sensodyne toothpaste), taxis are yellow
  
• This side of Istanbul is also nothing like any other European/American big city. Mosques are everywhere and you hear their calls to prayer 5 times a day. The urban layout is very intense with buildings stacked on top of each other.
• Everyone assumes I'm Japanese.
• Judging by all the stares I've been getting, I stand out. A lot.
  

Istanbul! Seriously

We are in frickin' Istanbul, I can't believe it. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would visit this place, let alone live here for 2 months. But I guess that's the great thing about the randomness of life, it changes everything you think will happen.

Unfortunately, I am too sick and jet lagged right now to be the tourist I want to be. Kevin and I have ventured maybe 500 feet away from our hotel to find some food. Luckily that 500 feet includes Istiklal Caddesi (caddesi means avenue) the busiest street in Istanbul. It's so crazy how crowded and vibrant this area can get. It's touristy like one would expect but also feels very local. Like Michigan Avenue and Wicker Park's Damen Ave smashed together. For those in the Chicago know, you can imagine that kind of foot traffic.



Everyone have been pretty nice but there are also places that push the agressive sell. We encountered this in a heavy restaurant/cafe area. You so much as look in their direction and they're all, "Come eat in our restaurant! Look at the menu! I won't take no for an answer!" In trying to get away from those guys though we did find a really excellent place that seemed more for locals called Art Istanbul. Everyone was playing backgammon and drinking çay (hot black tea pronounced chai) and no one was trying to court us so it seemed perfect. We've been back 2 more times.