Exams and More!

Hi All,

Hope everyone is doing well. I think Springtime in Istanbul has finally arrived. Not only are the flowers blooming, but my nose is running and my eyes are bloodshot! Gotta love allergies. Springtime here has been beautiful, everything that I already thought was spectacular is so much better in the warm and most importantly, dry weather. Hopefully the nice weather is here to stay. Although, as I scan the weather reports its forecasting rain tomorrow.

Anyway, I've been fairly busy with school related activities. Last week I had three mid terms and I have another one this coming Friday. I'm also trying to get ahead in writing the three papers I have due on the last day of classes in May. I don't want to have to think about work while Mom and Bailey are here! I'm one of the few exchange students who really has to focus on grades and classes. For most, the grades they receive here will never appear on their transcripts, but mine do.

On Friday night I ventured out with a few friends to Reina, one of the "hippest" and most popular night clubs in Istanbul. While I had been to a few so-called clubs in the city this was definitely the real thing. The club is located on the European side with a terrific view of the Bosphorus Bridge. I can't adequately describe the club, but it was HUGE. Multiple levels with several restaurants and bars all rolled into a giant club. I had to look it up online to get more information, but it can hold about 2500 people. Clubs aren't really my thing, but this was a surprisingly really fun time. Needless to say, I got back very late and had a leisurely Saturday. I think the biggest thing I miss from my daily routine here is the gym. In Glastonbury or in Boston, the one constant of my day was always going to the gym. I don't know why, but I love going. I love having that one or two hours of my day where I can be in my own world. There's a gym at the university, but I've only been a few times. It's relatively small (but then again every gym is small compared to BU) and it is INCREDIBLY hot in the room. You also have to pay every time so I haven't gone too much. Instead, I've been taking long walks everyday. Luckily, I've been able to keep up my endurance by walking up the massive hills from Bebek to the University. Taking these walks keeps me sane!

On Sunday, I was invited to go on a Bosphorus boat tour which is something I've wanted to do since I arrived, but the opportunity keeps eluding me. Yesterday, I could not go because I had to be in my room in the afternoon to register for classes at BU for the fall. I'll have to hold off for a couple weeks and do the boat tour when Bailey and Mom are here.

So I know I've talked a fair amount about the stray cats and dogs around, but I have a couple interesting stories about both. I've adopted one of the dogs on campus and have named him Buster. Buster is a mix and I'm thinking he's part black lab and bernese mountain dog. I really have no idea though. I'll try to get a picture of him up soon. Unfortunately, about 300 pictures on my camera were accidentally deleted. For the first couple weeks of classes, Buster would greet students at the gate leading to the university. Eagerly awaiting students dropping their crumbs, Buster would patiently sit. At first, I ignored the dogs as I wasn't sure how healthy they are. I've since been assured that they are fine (Let's hope so!). Even still, I limit my interaction with Buster to a few back rubs and his daily treat: a sesame bagel type thing (shaped like a bagel/pretzel and sold on the streets for about 60 cents) that I buy on my walk to class. Some might say that I'm probably harming him, but after seeing what these dogs eat, they can stomach anything.

As for my cat story, I was taking a walk after registration yesterday and came across a woman on one of the streets leading from campus down to the water. She was speaking frantically to me in Turkish and of course I had no idea what she was saying. Luckily, she quickly switched to flawless English and told me to look inside the sewer grates along the side of the road. Sure enough, in one of them was a small black and white cat. I have no idea how the cat managed to get inside the grates as there was no hole and most of the grates were bolted closed. I was able to pry loose one of the grates about 20 feet farther down the street and we coaxed the cat out. The cat seemed really frightened, but happy to not be trapped! I think that counted as my good deed for the day!

That's all for now. Talk soon.

Love,

Brett