I love birthdays!

Well, here we are in week 3 in Istanbul!! Sometimes it seems unreal that I have been in Istanbul this long!! I feel so lucky that I got to see so much of my family on this trip. Even my aunt who lives in Indiana came to Istanbul on Saturday so I got to see her too!!

This weekend was much more uneventful then the others due to bad weather. We had planned to do a boat tour on the Bosporus on Saturday which had been predicted to be sunny and lovely but woke up to gray overcast skies. We ended up hitting up the malls instead. It was a successful trip I would like to say complete with lunch and a new pair of shoes (please ignore the ugly carpet in the picture). You can't beat that!
Saturday night I went out to dinner 2 of my aunts, my uncle, two of my cousins, my cousin's fiance and my cousin's finace's mom. It was a double celebration celebrating my cousin's fiance's birthday and my aunt's arrival in Turkey! Just like all our meals here it was delicious and huge! Afterward the younger half of the group went to Taksim to meet up with some of my cousin's friends and do some dancing.

They played some pretty awesome songs that you wouldn't normally here as much in the U.S. like Ace of Base and some Aretha Franklin! We left the first bar around 3 am and I thought we were going going home but apparently we were just heading to the next bar! You can always find a party at any time of the night in Istanbul!
In between getting from one bar to the next, a small party broke out in the street. I tried my best to get a picture of the dancing!
We ended up having to drive past my cousin's apartment on the way to the second bar and decided we were all exhuasted and passed on the after party. Instead we stayed up talking and rehashing all the good times we had as kids and talked about the fun we're going to have this summer when we come back for my cousin's wedding! My cousin's apartment has a great view of one of the bridges that connects the Asian and European sides of Istanbul which they recently added lights too.
Sunday we slept in and then I was dropped back off at my hotel which I've now started to call home. I secretly love living in a hotel. I love that I have a bathroom that's attached to my room. Plus I have a huge closet, fresh towels every day, and someone comes in every morning to make my bed, and every evening for turn down service and leaves me a little snack. What's not to love?

I feel like I still have so much left to do while I'm here and not enough time to do it all. Working for most of the day really gets in the way!

A little talk about music

So, I'd like to touch on two topics here.

1. Has anyone else seen the video to "I Hate This Part" by the Pussycat Dolls? They play it constantly on the music channel that I watch here and I'm a little confused. Nicole Scherzinger does all the singing in the song. The other 4 girls just dance or hang out and look sadly (or maybe it's supposed to be seductively) at the camera when it's put on them (which is rarely considering they're not singing). So why are they even there? And didn't this Nicole girl try to break off on her own? Maybe she just needs the name of the band. I don't know. I just felt the need to tell someone.

2. They have been playing a song here called "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga (who also sings Just Dance). I don't know if it's already made it to the U.S. or maybe it never will because it's not as catchy as her first one. But I rather like it. I'm going to suggest that you all listen for it or if you really trust my taste in music, go ahead and download it.

Dinner and Dancing

Last night a couple people from the office here took us to dinner at the Galata Tower located in Taksim. When we arrived in Taksim we walked around for a bit. We first went to the Cicek Pasaji just to see it. The Cicek Pasaji is a famous passage in Istanbul. There is not a lot too it but it's pretty inside.As you exit the Cicek Pasaji you end up in the fish market. There are lots of restaurants along this street and they try to lure you in by showing you all they fish they have by putting it on display.
Next we went to the French Street in Istanbul for some drinks. All the houses have been restored and are now available for an open air road festival. 29 Houses, 43 shops in between two small roads, all are now hosting new cafes, Brasseries, Patisseries, wine houses and restaurants. And they all are in French style. We went to the Artiste Terrace for a good view from the top. My favorite part was that it was really dim in the restaurant so they attached an LED light to all our menus! Here is some history on the tower. I should probably put that all these history facts (and some of the pictures) I've been putting in my blog are from Wikipedia. The Galata Tower is one of the city's most striking landmarks, it is a huge, cone-capped cylinder that dominates the skyline on the Galata side of the Golden Horn. The tower was built as Christea Turris in 1348. It was the apex of the fortifications surrounding the Genoese citadel of Galata.

The nine-story tower is 66.90 meters tall (62.59 m without the ornament on top, 51.65 m at the observation deck), and was the city's tallest structure when built. The elevation at ground level is 35 meters above sea-level. The tower has a diameter of 16.45 meter at the base, with 8.95 meters diameter inside, and with walls 3.75 meters thick. Last night we went out on the observation deck and took some pictures. It was a little foggy out so they didn't turn out as good as hoped but maybe we'll get back over there this weekend to take some better ones.
There is a restaurant located at the top of the tower. It's a set menu (which is actually pretty delicious) and then there is also a show during dinner complete with Turkish folk dancing and belly-dancing! I've included some pictures. I tried to upload a video of the dancing but it didn't work so I'll have to try to put it on Facebook later.
Side story: A few weeks before I left for this trip, I had to go get a special card for work that allows me to go to our manufacturing sites located near the water without an escort. I won't go into much detail on that. You have to get your picture taken for the card that they give. Now, I'm not really one to be shy around a camera except that they guy told me that I couldn't smile. Something about the camera not being able to process the white of people's teeth. Hmmmm...it was the middle of January and my skin is almost as translucent from the lack of weekends on the boat and yet somehow my teeth are too white? Below is a picture which I'm sure its going to be pretty close to what the one on my card looks like. That's a keeper.

Historic Istanbul

As though Saturday wasn't exhausting enough, we made a day of Sunday too! It began with brunch at my aunt and uncle's house in Istanbul. My aunt really outdid herself and it was quite a delicious meal that kept us going the whole day! Their house also has a great view of the Bosporus and Istanbul so we took some pictures while we were there.
After brunch we headed back to the European side of Istanbul. Today we were off to do some historical sightseeing. Our first stop was the Hagia Sophia. A little bit of background. Hagia Sophia is a former patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum. Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture. It was the largest cathedral ever built in the world for nearly a thousand years!

Once we were satisfied we'd seen all there was to see there, we headed over to the Blue Mosque or the Sultan Ahmet Mosque which happens to be right next to the Hagia Sophia. The Sultan Ahmet Mosque is the national mosque of Turkey. The mosque is one of several mosques known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. It was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Ahmet I. Like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. The Sultan Ahmet Mosque has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Istanbul.

As thought that wasn't enough, we went to The Basilica Cistern. The Basilica Cistern is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul. The cistern, located South West of the Hagia Sophia on the historical peninsula of Sarayburnu, was built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. They also played some eerie music while we were walking down there so it was pretty cool to just go walk around and see.
The bases of two of the columns reuse earlier blocks carved with the head of a Medusa. They are located in the northwest corner of the cistern. The origin of the two heads is unknown, though it is rumored that the heads were brought to the cistern after being removed from an antique building of the late Roman period. Another mystery is why one of the heads is upside down, while the other is tilted to one side. It is commonly accepted by scientists that they were placed that way deliberately.After all that sight seeing we developed an appetite for a small snack and walked over to the Four Seasons hotel. My uncle told me that this used to be a jail in Turkey that has since been converted into one of the most luxurious hotels in Istanbul. After a delicious piece of hot chocolate cake and a few delicious cups of tea we walked back to the docks and went back to the hotel. I have to say that after all that sightseeing, I was EXHAUSTED! So I decided to skip dinner and went back to my room to catch up on some 24. Nothing makes your life seem relaxing like Jack Bauer.

Making our way around Istanbul

Well, things have been quite busy around here!! I can't believe I've only been in Turkey for one week because I feel like I've done so much already. Work is moving along quite nicely but I really live for the times that we get to play!

Thursday night I went to dinner with my aunt, uncle, and cousin. I hadn't seen them since July so it was good to catch up! They also gave me some great recommendations for things we can do on the weekend. You'll notice in the picture of my cousin and I that when I say I have an unusually large head, I mean it.

Friday night a few of us went to dinner at Sahan which is a delicious restaurant that I've actually been to a few times before. The food was as good as I remember it and they brought a flag for each of the countries that we were representing to the table! As you can see we have quite the multi-cultural group on this trip!
On Saturday we got up early and went to the Grand Bazaar. I was very proud of myself by getting the group over to the other side of Istanbul by finding the right boat. Then we walked to the Grand Bazaar following road signs and frequently asking for directions. The Grand Bazaar is one of my favorite places in Istanbul. You could probably spend hours in that place and not see everything.
After that we walked to the Spice Market. We had lunch at a restaurant called Pandeli. I was told that Al Pacino once ate there too but I can't confirm this. Here is a little blurb I found on the restaurant.

"Pandeli first opened his restaurant in Eminonu in 1901. Ottoman stone and turquoise tiles adorn the walls and floor as they did hundreds of years ago; the views of the Golden Horn from the windows and the calls to prayer from the mosques nearby; and the sights and smells of the Spice Bazaar outside make the atmosphere here almost magical."

Below is a picture of the Spice Market from inside the restaurant.

I'd never been here before and it's a smaller version of the Grand Bazaar but it also has TONS of spices. They had your usual cinnamon and saffron of course and then some other more unusual ones as well. They also had Turkish Delight and other desserts that I took the liberty of taste testing several of.


When we left the Spice Market, it throws you out right next to the New Mosque (or I call it the new mosque because that's what it's name translates to). Afterward we went to Mado for some ice cream to wrap up our day. As we were heading back to the docks to catch the boat, we noticed that there was a huge crowd of people on one end of the dock. It turns out the Prime Minister came to Istanbul and they were seeing him off! That was kind of exciting even though we didn't actually get to see him.
The rest of the team headed back to the hotel and I went to go meet up with some family. I got to see my cousin's new apartment. I also got to try a different type of Turkish ravioli which I confirmed is delicious. It's not easy doing all this taste testing but someone has to do it, right?

They played Heartless by Kanye West at lunch today

The last few days haven't been as exciting because my team members remembered that we came to Turkey for work and not all play (against all my protests). The office here is nice and the people are very welcoming. Though I might be biased, I'd have to say that Turkish people are some of the most hospitable people I've ever known. Even when I first moved to Michigan, a Turkish gentleman in a different area of the company noticed my name in the office directory after a short time of me living there and invited me over for dinner. He introduced me to his wife and son. His brother also came to dinner and he tried to set me up with him but clearly that didn't pan out.

I'd have to say the best part of the office is constant supply of Turkish tea that is available. They always have a hot pot brewing in the kitchenette. I'm beginning to think that I'm turning into my mom with the mass quantities of tea that I'm consuming. I actually had to start making the tea weaker since it is caffeinated and I didn't want to be bouncing off the walls.

In the cab ride over today, the cab driver said that my Turkish was very good which almost never happens. I have an accent when I speak in Turkish here and people have even called it "American Turkish". I like to think that's a lot like "British English" and that my accent is super sweet.

There are a few things that I had mentally noted I wanted to do when I was in Turkey. One of them was that I had to eat MADO ice cream. Second, I had to drink Fruko which is a soda I can only find here. And third, I had to have doner (which is similar to gyros) because somehow I managed to leave Turkey last July without doing so. It's no coincidence that all of my "goals" revolve around food. We've only been here for five days and I'm happy to say that I've met the second and third goal and hopefully I'll get to have some MADO this weekend!!

I'm very pleased with my team members and their openness to trying new things. For the last two days at lunch we have gone to smaller family owned Turkish restaurants and had local cuisine. We have always left with our plates clean and I'm happy to say that no one has gotten sick yet either! :)

Out and about

What a day!! Today we went to Dolmabahce Palace which happens to be my favorite palace in Istanbul (or anywhere else for that matter). A little history...the Dolmabahçe Palace was home to six sultans from 1856, when it was first inhabited, up until the abolishment of the Caliphate in 1924: The last royal to live here was Caliph Abdulmecid Efendi. A law that went into effect on March 3, 1924 transfereed ownership of the palace to the national heritage of the new Republic. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founding leader of this modern republic, used the palace as a presidential house in summers and enacted some of this most important works here. Ataturk spent his last days and died here on 10th October 1938.
The palace has an area of 45,000 m² (11.2 acres), and contains 285 rooms, 44 halls, 6 baths and 68 toilets. I think we saw saw pretty much everything in it including a ridiculous amount of chairs. It's absolutely beautiful inside. There were 14 tons of gold used in the ceiling when they were making it which just goes to show that it's amazing from top to bottom.

You have to wear what look like showercaps on your shoes to help to keep the palace clean. They are pretty attractive as you can see for yourself. :)

I was pretty excited to be back in the palace.
Afterwards we went to Taksim which is the heart of Istanbul. It has a long street called Istiklal Street that just has tons of shops and cafes and all sorts of stuff.
We walked around there for a little while and stopped for a late lunch and some Turkish coffee. No one in our group really likes coffee but we all got it because it's an experience and we are in Turkey!!

On the way home we had an interesting experience. We some how managed to find the most clueless cab driver in Turkey. At first I thought he was trying to scam us because he asked if we knew which way to go. Unfortunately, that's not something you can really fake in Istanbul. The streets are super confusing and half of them don't even seem to be labeled. I had to say no but I told him to take the first bridge (since we had to cross back over to the Asian side). Then as we were driving along he kept rolling down the window and asking for directions. At one point some guy told us there was no way to get to the bridge from where we were so the guy had to go back to where we started and go in a completely different direction. Needless to say, we were all pretty relieved when we made it back to the hotel.

On to the highlights of the day...I got my luggage back!! And it was quite a miracle too. Somehow the big white sticker tag that they put around the handle of my luggage fell off. I know they put it on in Michigan because I watched them. My luggage must have at least made it overseas because the guy called me today and said "I just talked to your mom and we have your luggage." I was so confused. He said that the tag came off so I thought that was the tag with my information on it. Luckily, there is another one on the luggage that has my mom's information on it. So they called my mom and she gave them my number here which is how they got a hold of me. It's quite confusing and I'm not sure if I really understood what happened but I have all my stuff and I'm stoked!

Tomorrow is our first day in the office. It's a shame we can't just go sightseeing and have adventures every day!