"You are not Turkish, but he is Turkish...that is so nice."

A few bullet points from the last few days, as description of historical monuments warrant more than I have time for:

1) I used a squat/hole-in-the-floor toilet for the first time on Tuesday. I was a bit nervous when I opened the stall door and saw a "toilet" I'd only seen in photos, but I surprisingly prevailed :-)!
2) Arda and I took a taxi from Taksim to Sultanahmet, and the driver didn't know what the "Blue Mosque" was -- neither did Arda! I had forgotten the simple Turkish name for it but won't make that mistake again!
3) Emin and I met two little kids in the park yesterday, a brother and sister, who were about 3 and 5 years old, respectively. The little girl told us that her brother was 5 and that she was 10, and that they were levels 9 and 17 in school...all in Turkish of course and Emin translated. They were so adorable!
4) We made a new Brazilian friend at the top of Galata Tower (great view point of all parts of the city). She was super sweet and reminded me of the two Brazilians that dad and I made fast friends with at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin.


5) As Emin and I walked across the Galata Bridge, a man hoping to beckon us to his restaurant looked at me and repeatedly stated, "You are not Turkish." Then he noticed Emin and said, "You are Turkish...that is so nice." Hehe, it reminded me of when someone made a very similar comment to me and one of the Brits.
6) We met with another of Emin's friends for dinner, tea, walking, and ice cream last night. The ice cream was MMMgood! Better than some of the stuff I had in Barcelona for sure. It was made of goat's milk and something that comes from flowers that makes it super thick. The consistency was wonderful...we need this at home as much as we needed the banana java chip frap last summer. Oh, and one more thing...Emin introduced me to mineral water flavored with pineapple, mango, peach, and limon -- another MMMgood.


I have NO clue what I am doing today, but I guess it's time to figure that out :-)

And to answer several questions from my faithful readers (madre, padre, and Dennis!):
1) I have not tried raki but have every intention to do so!
2) Hagia Sophia is very pretty inside -- a blend between a church and a mosque. Outside the true beauty does not shine through until the sun sets and the external colors really stand out.
3) Arda and Emin are friends I met through one of my hospitality travel networks. We talked for a couple of months before my arrival and they have been super sweet in meeting with me.
4) I haven't really talked to anyone about American sentiments, but I have not met any other Americans since I have been here. I have been told that Americans don't really come here. And yes, I feel very safe. Just lost and intimidated to hop on a ferry or public transport to really get out of the city. Nothing about the ferries or trams that make me feel that way...it's my own personal reluctance and fear kicking in :-P