Istanbul Part Deux

I have done so much in three days that I can't remember it all to write here...

DAY ONE (after I got off the plane):
I got a cell phone and a sim card (Turkcell) so call me in Istanbul! I learned that night that the bakery is a block away and that all the bread we buy is baked fresh. "Bir ekmek, lütfen." (One bread, please.)

DAY TWO:
I found out that Starbucks is exactly the same... except it's in Turkish of course. I learned some more Turkish and walked around Nişantaşı (where I live). I saw so many new things and had such a great time!

DAY THREE:
My host brother, Burak, has a friend named Okan whose birthday was on my third day in Istanbul. We went out to lunch at a cafe where I got Börek. Mmm... Then we went to Starbucks again. Burak and I met my host mum at our apartment and we walked the two blocks to the polis station to get my residence permit.. which didn't work out. Rotary is going to do that for me. We walked across the street and I got registered at my school and purchases my school books. I learned that some of my classes are actually in English! I met the principal and he told me (via my host mum, translating) that I should relax: he is trying to get my lunch meals to be free and my grades aren't important as long as I am passing, etc. It is very nice and he is right--I am more relaxed about school! Then we purchased my uniforms... at United Colors of Benetton. No joke. My school has customized United Colors of Benetton uniforms. After that I went with Burak and his friends to a coffee shop (apparently they do this a lot). From there we took a taxi down to a cafe on the Bosphorous where everyone was smoking hookahs and playing backgammon and drinking tea. It was the image that nearly everyone who hasn't been to Istanbul thinks of when they think of Istanbul. It was comical. We joined the crowd and relaxed for a few hours, chatting and laughing. When we returned to Nişantaşı we walked through the City's Nişantaşı mall and went to the arcade for a Turkish game that, I found out, was foozball. I was brought home by a couple of Burak's friends and ate some dinner and slept the sleep of the dead. I was so tired.

DAY FOUR: (Today)
I have posted on this blog. :)