Amazed in Turkey

Wow, I feel so grateful for this opportunity my family has been given. To actually be able to live in another culture for a month. It is completely eye opening and life changing. I walk to the grocery store almost every day for fresh bread and fruit. At first the grocery clerk ignored me, but now she smiles and tells me hello (merhaba). I feel like I have been accepted! If this had been a "normal" tour for Jon, I would not have had this experience of being in one place for so long. He usually gets to the country, and they don't stay in one place longer then a few days. I think this is great for the kids as well, to be able to experience this at a young age. To really know that the rest of the world lives nothing like we do in America! It also had made me realize how blessed we are to live in America. Turks are very friendly people, they smile at you (especially at the kids), and they really do try to communicate with you even if they don't know a word in English! I have felt very welcome here.

Saturday we had a sight seeing day. After sleeping in we got up and took a train (we always take a train!), and a ferry boat across to the Europe side of Istanbul. From there we walked to the Grand Bazaar. Wow...that is like nothing I have ever experienced before! Very crowded and people doing everything they can to get you into their shops! I am not big on the whole bartering thing, but you realize you have to if there is something you really want. Because they start out REALLY high! I was interested in buying a table runner for our piano and I found one I like that is mostly silk. The shop keeper started his price out at 170 lira (about $150)...okay, there was no way I was paying anything near that price. I really just wanted to walk out of the shop, but he wouldn't let me! I told him I only wanted to spend about 20 lira on something...and he said no way for the silk one and showed me a few cotton runners that would be about 20 lira. Well, I didn't like any of them, so I just decided to keep looking. I was a little bummed because I really did like the runner, but I don't have that kind of money (even if I am American!). As I was walking out of the shop, he gave one last offer of 30 lira. That I decided I could handle and bought the runner. If it is even worth that, I will probably never know but I was amazed at how much the price went down when I decided to walk away! We were also able to buy some gifts. We also went to the Hagia Sophia which is more then 1,400 years old. It used to be a Christian Church, but was later taken over by the Muslims and turned into a mosque. It was amazing to walk around in it and look at the mosaics that are still inside. We had fun talking about the Christians who used to worship there and how amazing the singing must have sounded in that building! There are still a few other places we want to visit in Istanbul, but it will have to wait until the last few days we are here. We will be traveling back down to the Izmir area on Wednesday. Sometime during the week we will get to go see Ephesus! I can't wait to see it!
Today, we slept in and had a very lazy day at the apartment. About 4:20pm we caught the train and met up with Chris. He walked us to his apartment and we stayed and visited with him, Sara, Sara's mom (from Canada), and baby Jude. He is so cute and tiny! It was fun to hold a tiny baby!
Right now I am sitting in the apartment again, the kids are in bed, Jon is playing Nintendo DS and we are listening to the call to prayer through the open window. I don't know, I actually like the sound of it. I know some people don't, because it is part of the whole Islamic religion, but I have been using it as a reminder for me to pray for the country and it's people. It has become kind of a sweet reminder. It adds to the whole exotic, foreign atmosphere as well!
Well, we have 3 concerts left that are scheduled and maybe one more that is still in the works. I have lots of mixed feelings about still being on an adventure, and ready to be heading home as well. Well, anyway, thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings!

Us walking through the Emperors door at the Hagia Sophia




The Grand Bazaar