Yavaş (Slowly).....

The hardest part of getting used to life in İstanbul, and Turkey itself, is slowing down. I must admit, when I first came here I had culture shock for the first time in my life, but now I'm not so sure as to whether it was culture shock, or the shock of learning to slow down. Its hard for Americans because everything is instant - dinner, a phone call, restaurant service, everything (or maybe its just being young). It comes as a bit of a shock when you are used to that, and then suddenly everything slows down. My fırst weeks here in İstanbul, it was what pegged me as an American.
''I can tell you are American,'' the Turks would say, ''you are anxious, jittery.'' Relax. Have some çay (tea). Talk to us for a bit. Yavaş.
I think I am finally beginning to slow down. Since my current schedule doesn't require me to be at work until 5 or 6 in the evening during the weekdays, I woke up late this mornıng to the first beautiful weather in weeks and took a walk. Strolling through the old city walls, I was pleasantly surprised to see that two blocks from my apartment and across the roadway, there was a lovely path that ran right along the Bosphorus. Although it was cold, the sun shined brightly and warmed me, and I smiled at the lovely weather. Yavaş, very good.

Bosphorous

I bought some fresh bread for breakfast and, having time to spare, went out to walk and talk to people.

I live in a small apartment in Cankurtaran, a very small, quiet, and old neighborhood in the southern part of the Sultanahmet district, the historic district of İstanbul which houses the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, both of which are a 5 minute walk up the hill from my quaint apartment.

Kesresteci Hakkı Sok., my street

Kitchen(ette)

Living room

My tiny but toasty bedroom

Although it is a very touristy area, I am glad to have settled here, because since it is here that I first came when I came to İstanbul, I am now quite familiar with the area and I am getting to know all the working people by name. The people know me too, the ''English Teacher,'' and no longer bother me or try to tell me things. Everyday, whether it is to go to work or shopping or to meet someone, my walk takes me in between the towering Sultanahmet (Blue) Mosque and the Ayasofia. It is quite a nice walk, and sometimes when you stop and think how many people for how many centuries before lived, worked, and died in that small area, it boggles your mind a bit, and you think of what a long way, or not, people have come since the times of old.

Snowy Blue Mosque

Ayasofia

When I have time, I visit my friend Aladdin, who, yes, is a carpet seller. In his spare time, however, he keeps pigeons, and every morning I can usually find him in a back alley caring for his pigeons. It is a popular hobby here, and many people do it. Since the weather was nice today, he let them out to fly around a bit for excercise. He would throw snowballs at them to get them to fly around a bit, and seeing us throwing snowballs around like two fools, an imam came out and began a snowball fight with us. Later, our hands frozen from rolling snow, he invited us for tea and, of course, tried subtly to convert us to Islam. Yavaş. That's how it goes here.

Feeding time

Surprisingly, food here can be kind of expensive - big city, what did you expect? However, every Wednesday there is a bazaar a few blocks from where I live where I do most of my shopping. Things are usually cheaper if you buy at the bazaar, or go to different shops (bakery, bazaar, Bim for cheese and ayran, etc.), but this requires a lot of walking. Not that I mind, though. I kind of like working a little....it makes you appreciate the convenience and seemingly endless bounty of the supermarkets back home.
I have a long ride to work everyday. I have to ride the tram half an hour to the end of the line, and then transfer to the aırport train, which I ride for another 15 minutes, so it usually takes about 45 min to 1 hour to get to work. I don't mind though - it gives me some time to think or read, or brush up on some Turkish.
The surprising thing about slowing down is seeing how much time there is in each day. The days are so long. Duh, you might say, but its diffeent than that, there is a certain beauty to it. Exactly what that is, I can't say. Perhaps that what yavaş really is.