City-ots

YES, I still do have best friends in the States. The city is always refreshing in more ways than one.

I took the train to the city yesterday to visit some of my best friends: Grace, who was always my best friend at Delaware, and Deborah, my roommate from Brooklyn last year. Damn, if there is one thing that I really miss about being home, it is taking the train to the city. I know it is a daily commuting hell for many people on Long Island, but for me, a train buff, it will never get old.

What up again, LIRR

I met Grace in the city at about 1 o'clock, and we walked up to Rockefeller Center to see the tree. Maybe it's because I haven't seen the tree there since I was twelve, but it sure wasn't as big as I anticipated it to be:
"Dude, look how small it is."
"Yeah dude, I thought it would have more decorations on it," Grace said. Yeah, it was a bit anticlimactic. Well, you be the judge.

I suppose it would be better seen by night

After being unimpressed by the tree, we returned to Korea Town to enjoy some delicious Korean food (squid never gets old!) with souju. After lunch, we made our way down to NYU for a few half pints and some good catch-up talk. It was so nice to spend time with her again, and it was like nothing had changed at all. I had such a nice time with her, and I hope we get to see each other again before I make my way back across the pond. (You rock, had so much fun!!)

Still looking great!

Some friendships never die.

Unfortunately Grace had to split back to Jersey early, so I had some time to kill before meeting Deb, who postponed on me (again). I took the train up to frozen Central Park and walked though the dark paths illuminated by the city glow, stopping along the way to play with my camera to figure out how to get some good night shots (it's a learning process). I got a few good ones, but here is a nice one looking south to 59th St.


A bit later I made my way down to Cooper Union, but because Deb was so busy with rescheduled classes and me with a train I had to catch at 10.30, I only got to see her for an hour. We went for Japanese and I had a good time busting on her with Bobby, her boyfriend, who is a really great guy. I'm only sorry we couldn't spend some more time together (make some time next time for Chernobyl Ghost Hunters next time chica!!).

I had a great time ladies; thanks for reminding me who my best friends are here. Miss you girls...

Dela....where??

Last week I made a trip down to my old country home, Delaware. When I used to drive down in the past few years from New York, I would always be surprised to see a new batch of environmentally-wrecking, newly-hatched condominiums along the way, or a new strip mall or some other giant store with a hideous facade that wrecked the bucolic coastal landscape. But on the cold ride down this time, there was none of that. It was almost bizarre that there had been nothing new built, like something was wrong; the empty streets of planned neighborhoods still sat desolately by the highway as they had a year or two ago. Seeing this, I was glad to see that the housing bubble's bursting had finally stopped the runaway development of plastic mansions, yet it also reinforced my recent revelation that nothing changes at home.

First and foremost, I need to make an apology. I'm sorry to those in Sussex County who may read this and get offended, but by no means should you take this personally, as this is based on my own perceptions, and while it may solidify my pretension, this is not an attack on all my good friends and family who still reside there.

As I said about lukewarm receptions in a previous posting, I didn't expect anything ostentatious returning to Delaware. Save my visit to my father and three friends of mine, Delaware's receptions were cold...McMansionless neighborhoods, snow that no one cared about removing from the roads, and shuns from old school friends.

Probably still unplowed as you read this

First let me say that it was absolutely great to see my father and Jeanne again after so long. It was too soon to leave them, and I must say that such hospitality is unmatched even by Turkish standards. We ate some great food, went shopping, made Pfeffernuss together, slid the truck around in the snow, joked, shot pool...all of it was great. Home, no different than when I had left, but this time, the lack of change was good. I had a fantastic week with them, so if you're reading this Dad, thanks so very very much for the great time.

Snowy boardwalk

Wintry Atlantic


Merry Christmas, Kyle

So I went to my new old high school while I was back home. Wow, what a mistake that was. I thought it would be nice to see some of my old classmates and teachers and the "progress" they had been making with their lives. But when I got there it was clear that the people who I knew and used to be friends with hadn't gone far beyond Indian River HS, if at all. Nor were they even polite upon seeing me, let alone interested in making conversation with me. The biggest culprit of all was my old band teacher, Mark Marvel, whose inability to have a focused conversation with someone is worthy of a gold medal and who, unremarkably, still can't see past the perimeter of his ulcer-ridden paunch. As I left I was embarrassed to think that I used to look up to him, and that I had imagined that anyone would have reciprocated my interest in seeing old classmates.

But I can't speak for all of my old friends. Both my friends Woody and Nathan were happy to see me and spend time with me, so I am grateful to still have good friends in my old neck of the woods. And I was also pleasantly surprised to see Christina, a friend of mine from high school and university (seriously, Latin? That's way cool!). So all in all it was redeeming to see that I still had some friends back in Delaware and that they were doing well for themselves. I hope to see them again soon.

Ironically, this was a warm, friendly reception

I left with the feeling that every time I come back, I know that place less and less. The joke "Dela-where?" has new meaning.....where is my old home, and all those who I used to know? But it still is a home to me thanks to my family and handful of friends. Thanks everyone, for making my holiday week in Delaware a pleasant one.

Home & Ithaca

Home again, home again

Well, I have been Stateside for a little over two weeks now, and everything is, well, normal, and has been since the day I got here. You know, when you're away from home for so long, you build up your return, imagine how everything and everyone has changed, how thrilled everyone will be to see you, visiting people you missed, and when you finally return your wonderful, long anticipated "Welcome Home" ticker-tape parade is....well, nonexistent:
"How was your trip? Everything alright? Good....we're having chicken for dinner, glad you're back. And I need you to take the bottles back for the deposit tomorrow. And don't leave your shoes lying around." Anyway, good thing I never entertain expectations - it usually leads to disappointment. I suppose all homecomings are always a bit anticlimactic. This is reality, not a film.

I haven't done much for most of the time being home, but I suppose that's what I wanted and allotted so much time home for. I made the rounds visiting family, lent a laboring hand where needed, decided what to cook for dinner (it's easier when the cupboards are stuffed with food), dug through my stuff in the attic ("Oh yeah, I forgot I had that!!"), walked the dog, the usual. But I missed doing these things, going to the deli in the morning for a bagel, watching public television, drinking my coffee in the morning watching the river out the window - the dumb little stuff that's no big deal not doing but when you do it again you realize you missed doing those stupid little things, because that's what home is: the big things you don't really miss as much as you think you do and the little things that you miss more than you thought.

While I planned to loaf about a bit immediately upon arriving home, this was (pleasantly, I should add) interrupted by a visit from Kürşad, who I had to put up and show around. Actually, the week he was here was rather nice. I took him to Robert Moses and we went up in the Fire Island Lighthouse (finally), and went to the city drinking beer on the train. He was pretty blown away by the city, as I expected, and exhausted as well, because we hit the walking tour with a vengeance last Sunday morning (Times Square, Queens, Brooklyn Bridge, Chinatown, Little Italy, Staten Island Ferry, NYU, Union Square Park). We only stayed there for two days, but I was glad to show him around and see his eyes all agog at the city. I have to admit, it made me realize that I missed the city a little as well, a big little thing I didn't know I missed.
We didn't do much else besides that because the weather was so cold, so we mostly hung around the house like a couple losers. I feel kind of bad about that. But one day we did get a car, and we drove out to the North Fork to Orient Point in the screaming, biting wind and cold. It sure is beautiful in the winter time. Nonetheless, I think he had a good time here, and my family became quite fond of him and enjoyed his company. We missed him after he left; 30 min later:
"Man I kind of miss Kürşad."
"I was just going to say the same thing!" Mom replied. Well Abi, if you read this, we liked having you here and we miss you. See you back in Istanbul soon.

Finally made it to the top

What up LIRR

Welcome to Brooklyn.....Fuhgeddaboutit!!

The river is frozen, but our hospitality is warm!

So this weekend after Kürşad left, Mum and I drove up to Ithaca to visit Margaret and Chavez in their new house. The drive up was cold but the scenery was lovely, because it snowed pretty much all the way up there, blanketing the sleepy, New Englandish bucolic setting you dream of settling down in. We only went for the weekend, but we had a nice time - we did some hiking up a gorge to a fantastic frozen waterfall, ate some good food, talked a lot, and just took in the town. Ithaca is a nice place, but it is still a big college town, and walking around gave me memories of being at Delaware that made me shiver. Nonetheless, it still was an interesting place to visit. On our way out this morning, we bought some tasty upstate apples, and filled some jugs with clean, refreshing spring water flowing right out of the mountain. It was nice to visit the mountains, but I was more glad to visit Margaret and meet Chavez.

Looks small from down the stream....

...but is much higher than you think when you get up close


Icy mist blasting us in the face

I can still see you!

Up above...

And down below

Cayuga Lake, from Cornell

That last run upstate doesn't spell the end of my country adventures - this week I'll be returning to Delaware to visit my father, and some old friends from high school who, strangely, were happy to hear from me. More anticlimactic receptions to come, but I can't wait for the best one when I get to Italy at the end of the month! (which, of course, will be anything but anticlimactic ;)

Princess Piper really missed me!