Caught by the Polis

Ahh, it's my last day of what has felt like an endless vacation. Class starts tomorrow. This is funny because spring break starts next week at umich. The schedule is so different here! I start my day with a photography class... but I don't know if I can actually take it because I don't have a manual camera... just my digital. My friend, Ozgur, is also in the class so he is walking with me there so I won't get lost, and I can find out about the camera thing. And then I have Turkish for Foreigners -- finally a course in this confusing language! Although I heard it goes painfully slow and I will probably learn faster just by hanging out with my Turkish buds.

Anyways, I got nargile tonight at a place right near campus with some people from the dorms. While we were there two policemen come up and ask for ID. I don't carry around my passport, just a photocopy in case of a Lindsey-incident (aka I do my usual and leave my purse somewhere, the contents only to be found in a ditch 2 years later). So I give him that and he (via translation from my Turkish friends) asked for my student ID card. The school appears to be really slow with this sort of thing and we aren't even expected to get ID for three weeks. And to apply for residency you have to send away your passport, so one kid didn't even have any "valid" ID. When the polis walked away with all of our ID's (including the Turks') our friends were really confused -- they said they had never had something happen like that before. They were even wondering if they were even real cops. Apparently something had happened because the polis checked every person's ID inside, but it was still an interesting experience.

Our 4th roommate came yesterday, so our suite is full. She is in her English prep year here, learning English before taking courses. So she has had a few months to learn, but is still quite shaky. Hopefully we'll be able to help her -- I told her I talk faster than most people so to stop me if I go to fast. She is super nice and offered me tea withing about 5 seconds of meeting her. A typical, friendly Turk. She is from Edirne a city on the European part of Turkey, about 3 hours from Istanbul -- very close to Greece/Bulgaria. Her name is Gunce (remember c = j) and so far I like her alot! It's exciting to finally have a Turkish person in our room!

Anyways here's a pic of our cloudy Istanbul from the ferry. It is supposed to start getting nicer again by Tuesday! And I guess vacation doesn't really end here because after class Sarah and I are heading over to do some more sightseeing. Maybe see inside the Blue Mosque or the Aya Sofya, visit the Grand Bazaar since Sarah still hasn't been, or perhaps even a Turkish Bath? We have so much left to see and do, I'm glad we'll be here for four months! My weekends are already filling up... Bursa with the exchange program this weekend. Skiing (hopefully!) plus the big rival football match -- Besiktas v Galatasaray next weekend. A trip to Barcelona in March. Scissor Sisters in either Germany or Belgium in April. Antalya for spring break. I am not complaining :)