Logistics from halfway around the world

I finally turned in my application for the dorms in Turkey, about a month after I started the application. Dealing with all the small paperwork is the hardest thing for me because its so hard to believe that my forms will arrive safely though the regular post. Turkey is like a million miles away... I'd rather do it by email. Unfortunately not alot of the forms are electronic and I can't operate a fax machine for the life of me. (Honestly, fax machines should be completely outdated by now -- hello, use a scanner!) And that application is just one thing... I still have to apply for a visa, plan my travels within the main trip, pay my tuition by wire transfer (I have no clue how to do that!) and buy a plane ticket.

Overall, I'm just excited to arrive and deal with everything in person. It's so much more effective that way!

Also, on a side note, I'm thinking of changing my concentration again. Right now I am focusing on Structural Engineering, but I am working on a Green Roof Design project for a club I'm in (more about green roofs www.greenroofs.org) and am now hooked on sustainable design. I need to look into the opportunities in that field for Structural and then other types of engineers. And if I did switch, maybe then I could graduate in 4 years -- miraculous!

Pronunciation of Boğaziçi

After about two months after the initial application I have finally learned how to correctly pronounce the name of the school where I will be studying for 4 months. I thought (and I'm sure any English speaking person) saw Bogazici as "Bo-ga-zi-see". Well, as my Turkish friend pointed out, thats wrong, ha.

It's Boğaziçi (don’t pronounce the soft “ğ”, and the “ç” is a “çh”) . So it's "Bo-a-zi-chee".

TV commercial

This is me next semester. The flying mermaid.



Ha, maybe not quite, but I'm still excited.

Also, I have started learning Turkish! So far I only know the differences in the alphabet and how to count to 5. But it's a start.

Accepted to Bogazici

Accepted!

It's official... I've been accepted to Bogazici University in Istanbul, Turkey!


This pic is the bridge that connects the two sides of Istanbul. I'm pretty sure my school is right near this area.

My FIRST blog entry... am I a NERD?

Alright everyone here is my blog.

OH MY GOD. Get excited, because it is here dear friends and family, that you can keep up with my busy/studious(ish)/country-hopping/ job-searching/ amazingly uncoordinated life. Pretty much the plan is: I travel the world, comedy (and sometimes serious things) ensue and you get to hear about it.

My initial travelling abroad adventure was quite recent. I was lucky enough to spend a month in Europe this summer (my first time!). I travelled to Prague, the Dalmatian Coast (specifically Dubrovnik, Korcula, Hvar in Croatia), and in Hungary (Budapest and rurally). Pretty much amazing. Here is just a sampling of pictures below. (For the full albums look here: Prague, Croatia, Hungary).

Dining with Irish people from our hostel in Prague on the first night.



















The view from the sobe (apartment) we stayed in in Korcula, Croatia.















On a tram in Vienna (day trip) with some of the girls from the U of M program that took me through Hungary.

Anyways, my main reason for starting this is because I hope to be spending the winter semester in Istanbul, Turkey studying at Bogazici University. Right now I am waiting for my application to process and in the meantime I get to anxiously worry about logistics (how will I pay my Ann Arbor rent from halfway around the world? will I get accepted? how do you even pronounce Bogazici??). And until I am accepted I can't really start planning anything. Wa! Wish me luck.