12 hrs from Istanbul to Washington, DC!

Once we stepped inside of the plane, I prayed there will not be anyone sitting with us. My husband made our seat choices, and left one seat empty between our kids. Most of the times this method works, people do not want to sit in the middle, and there is a chance that seat can be empty. Once we settled I tried not to make an eye contact with other travellers like it helps:) My kids were already going crazy, opening their trays, jumping on their seats, putting the head lights on and off, I was praying not only to have a safe flight but also for an empty seat! There were six seats left empty and one of them was the seat between my kids! Lucky traveller! Imagine you have to sit between two crazy kids:)

After take off, I did not waste time and took a half of anxiety pill, I was so worried to take a whole, was not sure if I would fall asleep or not. After two hours of flight, I took other half! Put aside falling asleep I was not only wide awake I was also way too nervous, keep checking the flight info to see where the plane is (it makes a big difference from my end if the plane is over the ocean or not!!), not sure what is the logic behind it, but sometimes there is none in life!!!! By the end of long flight, there were only few pills left, the good news is, I did not take all those pills for nothing, it worked:)

I was so happy when my little one fall asleep after 4 hrs of nonstop toilet trips, eating and drinking. However, there was another toddler behind us (never sit close to people with children!!!!), and my son was wide awake in less than an hour of his sleep! This little girl was just screaming and yelling nonstop, as much as I felt bad for her parents, also as a parent I was just holding my breath! The worst part was all the kids in the plane started crying! You now know why I took so many pills!

We always fly with Turkish Airlines, and best thing about is food, they even have a chef who really cooks in the plane! During 12hrs of flight, eating becomes a main entertainment, I found myself eating every piece of food being served, watched 5 movies, played sudoku and free cell! 

Once we landed, I was so relieved, my tummy was full for couple of days and promised myself I would not watch TV for sometime. 

Because it was right before Christmas, Dulles Airport was very quite. Best part is, now US citizens do not have to go through regular entry points, there were small ATM type of machines for citizens to scan their passports and take own picture. We were done with entry less than five minutes, such a luxury for a woman travelling with two children:) 

Once we stepped outside, it was good to be home again after over 6 years:) and quitely I said to myself 'Welcome back home Zeynep...'

On the go again!

An uneventful week has passed and I literally put my foot outside after little bit of health scare. I became a couch potato for the first time in my life, only ate and watched TV without moving! Thanks to my mom, she took care of my kids, and my sister came over for help. By the way, I might have watched all Turkish soap opera out there! Some of them are really good, just check youtube:) 

Like in every visit, I looked forward to visiting my grandparents, even though every visit reminds me the truth about their ageing and health conditions. They are both in mid 80s and I am very grateful to be able to spend time with them, take my kids to their house, to see my kids play cards and games with them. This time, because of his age, my grandfather was very emotional, he gave me one big hug that made me very sad, as much as I tried, couple tears fell off...and I was not very successful hiding it... The truth is, I know I will not be able to see them as much as it used to be. Living in Kenya is one thing but living in US is totally a different story, with 12hrs flight and 7hrs difference! After each goodbye I pray and hope there would be a next time...

It was time to pack again, my sister came from Izmir she insisted on taking us to the airport. Even though I am never a fan of saying goodbyes at the airports, I was obliged due to my condition (I was not allowed to lift anything).  There were six luggage's to do, two kids to be prepared and me, I had to be ready not only physically but also emotionally as well for another air trip! This time I have decided to get help for my anxiety! By the way there is a great deal of benefit having a psychiatrist sister:) By Saturday I was ready with my anxiety pills in hand:)

Our driver came to pick us up around 9:30am, four hours earlier! If you want to be in a certain place at certain time you gotta leave hours earlier in Istanbul! Traffic is horrible! Anyway, somewhere in the middle, I suddenly remembered I forgot my little vanity bag (my mom's gift, I have it since I was 12!). I've never travelled without it, I know it sounds weird but that's the truth. It is my lucky charm, some people carry pendants, rings and etc. me? I carry I little vanity bag that has little bear pictures on it! Our driver was shocked when I told him we had to go back, and was even more shocked when my mom gave it to me. He was kind enough to not to make any comment, and I was not brave enough to tell him what it was!

Luckily, Istanbul traffic was on our side, for some reason Monday morning traffic was just not there, even the big trucks got disappeared. I know, why, because I was carrying my lucky vanity bag with me, seriously I do believe that:)

TVT pain!

Should I write about it or not, that was the question. But I have decided to write about my life experiences and since this was definitely one of them. Here it is!

Finally a week has passed and now I can sit and walk freely, can I also say I can go to toilet now (how would I know going to toilet is such a relief after all!) .It was one of the most painful week so far. I had two surgeries at once (I know I gotta be crazy to have two surgeries at once, sometimes after I have done something, I even cannot believe myself!) , thinking it will be a quick recovery. At least that was what my doctors told me! I had these health complains after my son's birth. I have done everything I could like exercising, pilates and doing lots of but lots of Kegels, but at the end I needed a surgery! You probably know by now what I am talking about, especially if you are a woman and had natural birth! Even though I read lots about pre and post surgery articles, nothing could have prepared me physically and physiologically what was awaiting for me! Tons of pain, 2 nights at hospital, no appetite at all, difficult to walk and go to toilet!, very low blood pressure, so much more. I once heard the term 'cold sweats', but never knew what that means up until last week! Besides, I had to have another surgery in three days. Imagine me, thinking I will be in better condition after the surgery, worst happens. There I am in surgery room, making jokes with nurses about going to "la la land" in second row in 3 days. When I entered the surgery room, anaesthesia technician saw me and said 'Are you back already?!" Like this is something I look forward to!!! My doctors decided to loosen the TVT tape and told me I should be fine (should or would or will! can I have a definite answer please I thought!!!) But in medical world there are no straight answers, always possibilities that something can go wrong no matter how easy or non invasive the surgery is. I have been sent home with surgically implemented little device to help me with toilet business!!!! I looked my tummy and I was like ok, at least this is easier than the other options! Than I thought about my total barre classes, exercise regimen and abs that I have been working so hard to have! All gone in one second!!! Not here to complain, do not get me wrong, I am happy to be healthy and know that there are so many bad things happening around that people have no control over. But still, we are all humans, right??

Anyway, I have been sent home again by my doctors and told me to try to go to toilet and let them know. I hardly hold myself, it is not about me trying, it is just not happening!!! After painful and sleepless sixth night (I was so worried that I can trip over and block the tubes accidentally) By the way, I am not gonna mention how many phone calls I was getting from friends and family members to check on my toilet status that I have to tell the same things over and over again, it was not only my problem anymore!!! One of these phone calls' was happened to be in a taxi, I again was covering the all details to my friend. After I hanged up, the taxi driver turned around and told me, 'miss do not worry, my wife had the same operation, it takes three to four months to feel well"! Here I am in a taxi, a man I do not even know giving me an advise! And finally after week long painful experiences, dark clouds disappeared and finally mission was accomplished:) I have to admit I literally cried of happiness...!Little device that became my best friend, was taken off very next day, with another very painful experience, but hey I am not complaining at all!

Now, I can walk by myself in a very slow motion, sit and sleep. You cannot imagine how I felt when I was able to turn in bed last night, I fall asleep with a big grin on my face:)

We had air plane tickets for this Saturday, but I am nowhere to have 10 hours flight. Besides, I could not even go out yet, so I have changed our plane tickets. I cannot wait to join my friends for a fun Istanbul night. It will be a slow motion outing though, but who cares:)

Should I continue writing???

When I started this blog almost two years ago, my aim was to provide up to date and useful information for newcomers, have a journal for myself and keep myself busy. In such a short time frame, I have accomplished so much, got wonderful feedback from my readers, without much of planning created job opportunities for myself, and discovered love for writing. I was even stopped by people in Nairobi whom knew me/reading my blog before they moved to Kenya. One of them had a daughter, she was eventually became Dilara's classmates, and believe it or not our daughter's became BFF:) Later on she told me, she used to read my blog when they were living in Israel, and was shocked when she saw me at school! Is not that something to smile about?

Since we left Kenya, I have been thinking if I would continue with my blog or not. If I do, my scope would definitely change, I can still write about Kenya though, but I also want to share my experiences in everyday life. So after lots of thinking, I have decided to create a website, move my blog into a more professional platform, and finally go ahead with my Life Coaching practise. It is something I have been working on past year. I am aware, all these will not happen too quickly, I am still in Istanbul for two more weeks, lots of things await for me in US. But I am so looking forward to these new exiting developments.

Just keep continue reading me plssss:)

XOXO:)

Rain rain go away go away!

We arrived Istanbul in a rainy day! We ran from one rainy place to another one!

Before the flight, my sister, who is a psychiatrist, called and tried to prepare me. She even said 'Zeynep you need a therapy, but do not worry it is very simple"! Is not that good to know!

Of course as usual, my anxiety was over top during the flight! I spent whole flight using breathing techniques and tried to calm myself. It is proven, it just does not work that way! Luckily my children sleep like an angel. Dilara at one point woke up and said "do not worry mom, it is just a turbulence" and went back to sleep:)

After landing you cannot imagine how I felt! I was not excited to be home, I was just excited to put my feet on the ground!

Years I go after some research on the web, I came across with a company that provides private transportation in the city. Since that I do not use taxi. Even though taxis are very easy to find in every corner in Istanbul, and comparing with other metropolitan cities their fees are very reasonable, I still opt to use private transportation. Having a private transportation is such a luxury and believe it or not an affordable one. When you have two children, and at least six luggage's in a row, to be greeted at the airport, with children's car seats ready to be used, what a relief after hrs of flight.

So if you come to town, and need a transportation search for these companies, they run professionally, clean and very dependable. The one I use is Istanbul Airport Transfer, highly recommend it.

Empty house

After big loading day, our house looked so empty and lifeless. I think personal items make the house warm and characteristic, not TV, or big couch or dining table. Small bits and pieces show style and uniqueness. But with less to clean I had no complain at all! Besides kids loved to run around or play hide and seek!

It was not easy to plan what to sell, keep or donate. Luckily, I am one of those people who is overly organised and disciplined. When I showed my sale list to my friends with pictures, details and dimensions, they were in shock! Being organised is such a helpful thing if you move every other years!

So what we left in the house: two single and one double bed, and three sets of sheet, few utensils, pots and pans, two sets of plates, a simple iron, and very few clothes to wear in Kenya. I also took languages out before the moving day. And put the winter clothes and shoes in them to make sure winter clothes will not end up in the container!!! Whatever we had in the house also donated equally among the organisations and families we already were part of.

All the kids toys, outside playhouse, table set, TV and many more donated to a wonderful disabled children centre in Karen, Heshima Children Centre. I wanted to give the name here in my blog, because Heshima is one of the best, caring and loving and true to itself children centre I have ever seen. We went there with Dilara, (probably you already know, that's my daughter:)), before we left Kenya, and admired and moved by what have been done for these children, the impact of their hard work, in such a short time frame. It was so remarkable, and is something I will never forget...

My kids excitedly helped loading their toys into truck and gave a big hug before they said goodbye:)

We had couple sleepover parties for Dilara, for some reason children love empty houses:) I also prepared some food and put them into freezer for my husband (that's called being a good wife!:)), I made few trips to Masai Market (it is never too late to shop!). And we were ready to go.

It was not easy to say goodbye to our home of three years. On our flight day at 2am, when I looked back before getting into the cab, I felt heartbreak, but at the same time I know this is life and it is again time for us to go...

Farewell

It is never easy to say goodbye to home, for me where we make a living is called 'home'.

 Even though I am quite fan of moving, every move comes with it's own pros and cons. I was busy with planning farewell parties for my children at school, we also gathered at friend's house for dinner, there was also another gathering with expat wives club:) for lunch. With every hug and goodbye, I felt sad...I want to say Farewell to:

My friends at total barre class: When we hugged each other with my lovely instructor, Jess, I remembered the first day I heard about this class, how excited I was. It was not only a class for me, it was also a social place where I got to talk to people and made new friends. I looked forward to every Tuesday and Friday mornings.

Dr. King, my pharmacist: who was always there for me, found any medication I needed. We even talked about Turkish and Kenyan politics, and learned so much from each other.

My friend at KPS: John, who always helped me with carrying my grocery, and always asked about my children, brother and husband. With that little morning chat I felt a friendship and care. By the way, he was the one who always picked the freshest mangoes and avocados for me:)

There was also my florist, John, he was my first stop every Monday morning, my fresh lily bouquet would be ready for pick up:)

Our night security guide, Big John, whenever he saw our kids he would just put them on his wide shoulders and run around. He made us felt safe and secure.

Thank you my friends, you made Kenya a lovely and warm place for me and for my family.

Dilara's farewell

Last week I spent my whole day for baking chocolate cakes and cupcakes! I would not complain much if I had proper baking tools! But with what I had, I had a miracle! Imagine, you have to bake 100 cup cakes! At one point, I was numbed! Besides, cup cakes are not my favourite to bake! For some reason, little cups tend to go either right or left! So they never look picture perfect! Well, I think I know the reason, I just try to finish it quickly, so I put more than enough into these tiny cups!!! Rushing is never good, that's one thing I teach to my kids, but what kind of an example I put out there with myself, I am not sure!!!! Anway, after baking 100+ cup cakes and two trays of two colored cake, I was ready to go to school. We had two farewell parties at school one for my daughter, Dilara and other for my little man, Onur.

Dilara and her friends were waiting for us excitedly. What I baked for two days, was gone in 20 minutes, and believe it or not, not a single cupcake left behind! After serving, me and my husband , just listened, recorded their conversation and took pictures. They talked about what they would be missing about Dilara. Their comments were so naive, sometimes silly, sometimes funny, but at the end as a mother I felt very happy and honored. On the other hand, at times, my little angel, who changed many schools in this young age, again was very cheerful, funny, and excited. I have much confidence all these experience will make her a better and accepted person. Is not that we all want for our children?

"

Xmax Box @ Marula Lane

Almost every few month's, Nairobi suburbs, particularly, Runda and Karen, is home for open bazaars. Their advertisement can be spotted anywhere, from roads to malls. So far, I have not missed a single one. Local artists, vendors, cute little shops display and sell their products, from textiles to arts and crafts to accessories. Especially, Kenyan crafts are beautifully hand made and hand paint, colours are so vibrant. Most popular items are Kenyan sandals, wall arts, and wooden hand made bowls with beads. Majority of sellers only accept cash, negotiations are again welcome, but not as much as Masai Markets.

This week, Marula Lane is home for Xmax Box. Even though I will be leaving soon, I could not stop myself going:) I evem made a last minutes shop, got two pairs of sandals! It is never too late to shop! Even the owner took a picture of my feet when I tried them on. Finally some part of me got famous:)

There are also lots of activities for children, face paint and jumping castle, plenty of space for them to run around. There are also stalls for food so while you take a bite you can also shop:)

If you are around, do not miss it!

Big day!

How can I forget the day when our container arrived to our house three years ago. Dilara and Onur were so exited, they were screaming, clapping their hands. Dilara just run over to boxes and hugged them:) My son, Onur, was not even walking by that time, but it did not stop him to crawl through them. Me? Ah, it was a big welcome party from my end as well. We were living without our furniture for four months, and I missed so much my comfortable couch, orthopaedic bed:) and personal items. Trust me, It is not easy to live in a pair of leggings and few t-shirts!!! By the way since last week, I am where I was before!

I was able to finish my part of packing in two weeks, it was not an easy job! I had to organise clothes for warm weather and cold weather! I checked the temperature for Washington, DC yesterday, it was showing -3! How I not miss that! Ok, no complain here:)

I have also put up a list of items to sell! I seriously planned to downsize our items for a long time. The sale list went on and on, with total of 62 items! at one point I said to myself, there is no way I can sell all of these. With an optimistic mind, posted it any place I can think of and started to wait. My sale adventure will be covered in next piece.

Boxing and packing went very smoothly.  With five people, AGS team worked productively. After downsizing our stuff, we had 20ft container. As a start, I did have some hesitations, it seemed like packing would never end and there is no way we would fit into 20ft. At the end our furniture fit just perfect, when we looked inside there was not a single spot left empty behind!

Nonstop packing!

For some, it is never easy to pack a luggage put aside moving the whole house every few years! I am not even mentioning moving to another country here!! You would think moving companies do everything for you, right? But let me tell you something, it is a myth! I have done this so many times (I fell ashamed to put actual number here:)) that I know what to expect! I kinda became a professional mover. With every moving experience I become more practical and problem solver:)

Since my husband is very much always busy, I started my job by contacting international moving companies. I did not research too much though, because what I heard and experienced, there is one company majority of people use, that is AGS. It sounds like I am marketing them, but it is what it is. Since AGS was the company that helped us moving in, and they were very professional and efficient, without a second thought AGS was our first choice.  Of course, if you do not have many items, you may opt to go with another company, but if you are a family of four like us, and got many many items you do not want to experience any problem at all!

I have contacted AGS via the website, got the response in less than a week. This is how it works: First AGS sends over a rep to go over the house and makes a list, then another rep send the quote via email. After deciding on a specific moving date, you get to sign bunch of paperwork's. Than AGS provide you vessel info and approx. arrival dates. Once the decision is made, you are ready for the big day!

When we moved here, we had a 40ft container. Since the day we moved in, I have been planning to downsize our furniture. You cannot imagine how many unused items we had! But I think it is always the same case for everyone, sometimes we see something and without a second thought we buy it, at the end it is no surprise that we only use it for few times...(isn't it that called consumer economy!). Since I never like the idea of people touching my clothes and personal items, I went ahead and started with my packing. Ikea sells these great foldable boxes and they are life savers during the move. By the way they are very durable, you can use them over and over again. At the end, I got what I deserved, it took two weeks for me to pack our personal items!  At one point, I thought I was going crazy with clothes, toys, shoes scattered on the floor! No matter what, it was a great opportunity do donations and give away.

Probably not every three years (!) but sometimes in our life time, we all need to move to do a house cleaning! Do not you all agree?:)

Allergy!

Unfortunately my daughter is very prone to allergies. Thankfully she never developed a food alllergy. But few years back she developed a myte allergy, which is very hard to control. After many doctor visits and allergy tests, we learned to live with it. With doctors advise, we had to change her pillow covers, bedcovers, remove the books, we removed any toy that keeps dust on it, removed all the carpets in house, even replaced the vacuum cleaner! It was such a detail job! Poor girl she was only 3,5 that she had to use inhaler to open up her lungs... As a result, it was drastically reduced, we even gave away all the plush toys and stuffed animals (they are major magnets for dust)! It was gone for some time up until last week, for some reason it is back! I first though it was the cold, took her to the doctor, but nope, it is alllergy again! Not sure if it is because of rainy season or all the constructions going on around, she is again sneezing and coughing...The cough is pretty bad, especially at night, probably we need to make another round of doctor visit tomorrow. Lets hope it will go away soon:)

A lesson learned!

I am big fan of Masai Markets, an open bazaar where hundreds of items are sold by locals. Masai Markets can be located different part of town in specific days. Negotiations are expected, with never ending talks between the buyer and seller. You can refer to my blog for more info.

Whenever I get a chance, I go to Junction and just enjoy walking around, watching dancers and checking the new items. Last week, I went there to buy animal graved glass set. There are only few vendors that sell it, so after some talk I have decided to buy 8 sets of glasses. We negotiated and talked. She said she does not have the number (4 pieces of beer glass was missing) I wanted but she would call the shop and they would bring it right away. After I checked my watch to see how much time I have, I took her words and said ok (I pick up my children from school at 3:30. It was 12pm when she called. And I patiently started to wait, each half hour passed she said the guy is in the traffic, parking lot, stairs and on on. By that time, trusting her words, I was already paid the cash. She gave me whatever she had and was waiting on my last items. It was three a clock I asked again where the person is, and again mentioned her I am going to be late for my children. She gave me the same reasons, there I started to be suspicious (sometimes being too patient is not a good thing!!!). This time I asked her where this person is, and she said he is downstairs and waiting for elevator and I told her, lets go down, thinking I can go from there to my children's school quickly. We went down, there was nobody! And I asked her to call, she said she left her phone upstairs. Finally I got it! I have been fooled! That made me not only angry also dissappointed personally....So instead of dealing with her, I went to the security straight. After many many discussions and explanations (Not sure how many times I explained what have happened!!!) and long waits (because they also discussed between each other!!!) finally the items I paid for arrived and it was 5:30pm!!!

Luckily, one of my friend picked up my kids from school and when I told her what have happened, she said it was also happened to her, and later on she learned from her friends, even though you are physically there you should never pay up front! This is something some sellers do, take the money from buyer, but never deliver and until buyer just gives up on waiting for only few items!!!!

So lessons learned: be open minded, do not be too naive, DO NOT PAY UPFRONT, make sure you have everything in front of you before you PAY! If there is any issue at all, DO NOT DEAL with the seller, CALL the SECURITY!

I was there yesterday:) but this time I was more experienced! It is never too late to learn, right? :)

News to share...

It was over three years ago when my husband told me about a job opportunity in Kenya. Until that day we never thought about leaving Istanbul. It was only three years ago we moved there anyway. (There is something with number '3'!) Right after we talked, I started my research on the web, read as many as I can and learned as much as I can. And in less than 3 months (another number 3!)  we have decided to take the job offer and sailed to a new place. A place is like anywhere else in the world, Africa...We made a quick trip to Nairobi in January 2012, looked for a house and a school and went back to pack! By March, right after we celebrated our son's 1st birthday we hopped onto a plane and came to Kenya.

Now, it is time to sail again...but this time a place we know, US.

I feel fortunate enough to live in three continents and three different countries (another number '3'). Those three countries not only far from each other, they also have different cultures, different type of living and dynamics. All of them came with challenges and easiness, and every challenge taught me so much that made me a different person. My view for life has changed so much, I learned the real meaning of appreciation and to be grateful. And I know this is not the end, only the beginning...

New Bicyle Path!

Few weeks back after we dropped off our daughter to Hardy Stud for horse riding we decided to drive around and do little bit of fun discoveries. And there we found a nice, quite not so busy roads with pavements! Real pavements, they are very hard to come by around here, put aside good roads. But interesting enough, this area (Kipevu Rd, very close to Banda School) is very well kept, there are no holes on the roads, each street has side walks big enough to walk or bike. Following week, without thinking much, we took our bikes and parked on Hardy Stud and started our bike journey. If you take all the streets cutting Kipevu Rd.,it takes around an hour or an hour and half which is perfect if you are riding with children. Roads are very safe and wide, there are lots of road signs (you do not get to see road signs here much...), and people take leisurely walks, best part is there are no matatus at all!

When we were biking one Sunday, I took a look at my left side and almost fall of from my bike, a giraffe was basically staring at us while eating the leaves from the tree. I first thought I gotta to be dreaming, where on earth a giraffe would be coming from! Then noticed there was not only one but four more giraffes walking in the huge green area, which covered with a tiny fence. We could easily reach there or they could easily reach to other side. But these amazing creatures do not worry or care about humans, they basically ignore us! (How can I blame them!!!).

Unfortunately there are not many places you can bike with your children safely, so if you like biking as a family you must try this area, I promise you are going to love it!

Last night!

It is time for the rainy season. Not only farmers but regular people like myself also have been waiting for it. It has been very dry, even some days little bit of humid and yes very dusty. Greens and big trees covered with dust, in some cases you cannot even spot the green anymore! During short rain season, it mostly rains at night, and in the morning there is a little breeze and fresh smell of soil with the birds singing at the background. And my favourite parts is have a cup of tea while I go through my blog and plan through my day. Karen area gets more rain than other areas and I am loving it:)

Last night we had a sudden rain in the early morning hours, first my daughter appeared on our bed side, looking at me with a sleepy face, she said she cannot sleep because of rain. Seriously rains are very noisy here, something can even wake you up from your deep sleep. Anyway, so I put back my daughter to sleep went back to bed, just before I fall asleep again ( unlike my husband I am never be the one who falls asleep in one second!!!!), I heard the crack from the hardwood floor and opened my eyes, this time it was my son! He said he cannot sleep because of rain beside his mosquito net fall on him!  And I thought this is gotta be a joke, is everyone in this household waiting for the same night to wake up! I went back with him and put him to bed, sure enough wasn't in the mood of putting net up at 3am! I had another try with sleeping, but believe it or not, this time it was my husband who woke up and of course had no idea what I have been up to! His concern was the mosquitoes!!! Ok, here is the thing, since we moved to Kenya, he had developed this weird habit of obsessing with mosquitoes and in some instances he talks to them!! Seriously! And this happens at night!!! So there I was trying to fall asleep again ( I knew I got no chance with the third round!), and my husband was trying to catch the small mosquito in the room. Just imagine the situation!!!
While I am writing this piece, he is in his deep peaceful sleep! Me??? I almost could not sleep all night and having my fourth cup of tea since 6am!

Have a wonderful Sunday to everyone😀
Zeynep

Looking for the right school?

Even though priorities change from person to a person, there are major qualifications and necessities have to be there when you look for the right school. Of course our priorities dramatically shift depending on the geopolitical situations and dynamics in the country we live in! It is really hard to make a decision from outside, as a parent best decision is to go and see, talk to other parents, walk around the school and take a close look at surrounding areas and make sure safety and security measures in place.

Since my daughter started preschool (we were living in US by that time) my priority was never the food that the school served as long as my children did not get food poison, or fancy toys they play with. It was rather the playground, amenities that the school offer, qualifications and experience of the teachers and school management team, and more than anything safety and security. Last item was always our number one priority and it became more important when we moved to Kenya.

Unfortunately my daughter had to change her school during our first year! As much as we try to control and make sure of the conditions sometimes it does not work that way...And there we have to come up with solutions without much impact on children...

So notes below are my opinions and they are based on my experience in Nairobi...If you are an expat and looking for school for your child make sure:

1- School is a SAFE environment, by saying safe: school is running by a private security firm,
schools perimeters are in place in every corner, gates are closed all the time, cars are searched accordingly in a professional manner.

2-If you have small children, make sure to check teacher's qualifications, if he/she had early
childhood training, understand basic rules of child caring, knows and applies basic hygiene in the class!

3-If there is a pool, make sure it runs professionally, all the hygiene rules are in place as well as people who are in the pool with children trained for first aid, got training and approved as life guards. I have seen and heard so much on this issue that this is not something should be taken lightly! I am not even mentioning if there are showers and changing rooms!!!! Have not I mentioned priorities shift:)

4- There is an link between school management and parents. effective and open communication is very important. Whether it is about the good or bad, parent should know what is going on in the school. There are certain things school management hears first, and you do not want to be the last person to know if it is about safety and well being of your children.

5- For quality education purposes and standards make sure the school is accredited by international associations at least by Council of International Schools (CIS).

6- No matter what age group children are, obviously teacher has to have qualifications, recommendations, necessary training, and university diploma! Do not assume, they already have, believe me you would be surprised to hear the background of the teachers!!

I made a list, again this is solely based on my personal view and experience.

1- ISK: well established internationally recognized IB school, located in Runda, in every angle this is one of the best school in Nairobi, note: Funded by US., early years have waiting list!

2-Breauburn: they have different locations in town, most of the them have waiting list, once you know you will be moving to Nairobi, do not waste time contact to school. It is a good school both academic and athletic wise.

3- Banda: More like a boutique school, more than half of children population are expat kids. It is a very competitive school in every angle!

4- Kenton: Another good school, has one of the best school ground I have every seen! School amenities are the best in town. Kenton does not have high school education. Very popular among expats.

5-Brookhouse: it is popular among wealthy Kenyan politicians, majority of the students are African (Brookhouse have also boarding section, very popular among other African countries) roughly 20% of children are expat kids. It is highly popular, dream like school ground and buildings, has number one auditorium and libary in Kenya! Even Kenyan govrnment uses it auditoriom for political events.
Their curriculm is British and Kenyan, preparing kids mostly for UK schools and universities.

A great event at Kasarani Safaricom Stadium

We had a great event last week at Kasarani Safaricom Stadium, there were 10+ schools attended this annual competition, it was fun and friendly.

Kasarani is the biggest sport venue in Kenya, all major national and international sports events take place in here, grounds are well kept and run professionally.

This was where parents got really carried on, screaming, yelling, taking pictures, running from one end to another, just to get a glimpse of their kids!I was one of the parents' who were yelling and trying to take hundred of pictures! One picture is never enough, we gotta take pictures from every angle, right:)

Children competed in different venues, 100m, 400m, 800m, jumping and throwing ball. My daughter, Dilara, was one of the ball throwers, I had a huge grin on of my face when she was on the ground competing and also she was just trying to make an eye contact with me after each throw:) I felt as much proud when I watched the young boys and girls run for 100m to 800m, they all finished what they started, how all the parents looked so exicted, like they were the ones who were competing....By the way all the first runners were Kenyans, not much of a surprise there:) 

I love these competitions not only they are fun, they also teach children to be fair players.

Litttle tips for new comers

Moving from one place to another is always a hustle put aside moving into a new country! Even though moving company do all the packing and loading getting the house ready at the other end is another story. Expenses pile up! Curtains, lighting, appliances, new car, and so much more. As much as we want to believe we are prepared there are always hidden costs, just show up from the day one!

There are not many websites out there to give new comers an idea what to expect, where to find it and how to find it. So I want my blog to be a good resource for new comers. Honestly, I had a hard time myself discovering lots of things later on when it was too late! So, if you are a new comer, below is a list that can be beneficial in terms of finding used and new items.

1-If you are looking to buy and sell used items from other expats: first option is UN Nairobi Bulletin Board. You can find, used furnitures, appliances and cars along with houses available for rent. The site is open to public, and very reliable. Items mostly posted by UN employees leaving the country or friends of theirs who can post the ad on behalf of them. I had no idea of this websites existence, it was too late when I heard about it! It is followed by not expats only by locals as well! If you are not keen to spend a lot money on new items, looking for clean and dependable stuff this is the website you gotta look. New posts are added onto site on a daily basis, so page is updated almost everyday.
www.un.org/motd

2-If you are looking for a used car: Try Sarit Center upper floor, there is a huge board for used car ads. UN Bulletin Board also has lots of car sales ad almost every other day. Dealers are also an option but expect to pay higher than direct buy.

3-After deciding moving to Nairobi, do not waste anytime, start using social media! I even became a Facebook member, still cannot believe it!!!! Anyways, there are lots of Facebook pages for expat community, do not be judgemental:) Nairobi Expats Marketplace is a Facebook page is for expats who sell/buy items. In order to be able to view the page, you should be a member. This is a great page, thanks to people who came with this great idea!

4-There are also following websites, they are not as highly popular as the ones above, but still a great source: www.olx.co.ke, www.expat-blog.com , www.expatriates.com , and www.internations.org .

5-There is also a big supermarket chain, Nakumatt. You can find everything under one roof, expect to pay much higher though. Nakumatt sells from kitchen appliance to furniture to electronics. Try Mega Nakumatt, has more options. www.nakumatt.net

6-For outdoor and indoor furniture: try Ngong Rd. There are hundreds of vendors who make and sell home goods, beds, tables, night stands, TV stands, sunbeds, patio set, swings, shoe racks and much more. Be ready to negotiate, it is expected. Vendors can even build a basic furniture from a picture, they are very flexible.

Fairmont Safari Club, Masai Mara

After searching and reading on tripadvisor and google, we have decided to stay at Fairmont Safari Club Mara. Since we had lovely memories at Mt. Kenya Fairmont we thought it would be another lovely experience for us. And thankfully Fairmont did not disappoint us again:)

Once we arrived Mara Ngerende airstrip, we were welcomed by 4x4 and lovely guide named Tbukhu. There we became instant friends and he was our guide throughout our stay, and he made sure we had a lovely safari experience with our children. Interestingly he knew a lot about Turkey, we even had a long discussion on politics, who would know:) He even knew some Turkish football players names, is not that something. Life always surprises me:)

There we had some cold drinks and hot minty towels to clean our hands and than we hooped into our 4x4 and next minute found ourselves in the middle of wildlife! After may be five minutes driving, we spotted rhinos and crocodiles on Mara river, and did our first quick safari right there! It was so amazing to see these huge animals bathing together.

Mara Ngerende is only 10 minutes away from Fairmont. There were total of 100 tents situated on each side along the river. The tent was exactly the way it was presented on Fairmont's website. It was spacious, unique and luxury. We kind a hesitated that it might be too cold at night, but surprisingly it was not. I actually found it very cozy at night, with warm bottle bags tugged into our beds:) There was a small veranda in front of each tent. Tents have nice distance from each other, they were neither too close nor too far. By the way, because it was not the rainy season there was not any mosquitoes at all!

Fairmont had only one restaurant offered buffet style breakfast and lunch, the dinner was fixed with few items changed during our stay. Breakfast served indoor, lunch was served outdoor, around the pool. Food was ok, I must admit I expected a better quality and more choices though...Waitresses were very helpful and attentive. There is also a bar, where you can get some drinks while you warm up in front of a big fireplace. In terms of entertainment, there was not much. On Friday night there was a Masai dance, which was interesting and fun, and on Saturday there was a Masai talk, it was short but informative.

Unfortunately, there was not any activities for children except the pool which was not warm enough. So be prepared to keep your kids busy, otherwise they can get really bored!

Best part was Safari, all guides were very knowledgeable, they were in contact throughout each safari we took, so if one spotted an animal, he would let others know. Fairmont offers two safaris a day, one is in the morning at 6:30am and second one is in the afternoon at 3:30pm. Getting up at dark was so much fun though! We were waken up by 6:15am with hot chocolates and cookies, can it get better than this?:) Once we got on our 4x4, we were again welcomed by Masai blankets, and started our safari. Tbukhu did all his best to show us all the animals in the wild, he tried so hard for cheetah and leopard, but no luck. The day we were leaving, he came and told, he saw them with a huge smile on his face. Wrong timing I guess!!!!

If you are not one of these wild life lovers but want to taste of safari and see these amazing creatures in their home Masai Mara is the place. I think depending on your expectations 2 or 3 nights would be enough. We stayed 2 full days and one half day and it was perfect for us and our children.

Dining at Carnivore

My brother came over a month ago, like in ever visit, we made a list of things to do. We were just joking each other few days back how successfully we checked all the items on our kitchen calendar.  At lne point we were running from ine place to another, exhausted of too much socializing! That things to do list also included dining at certain places, one of them was famous Carnivore. If it was not for my brother, I probably would never dine there! Not because it is not a good restaurant, the only problem is you just have to be a meat lover! I can go without eating meat for weeks, and it will never come to my mind.

So on his final week, we went there on Friday evening. By the way have I mentioned, Carnivore is one of the touristic destination in Nairobi! I even see it in travel agency list! That I call a great marketing! 

Carnivore is famous with its Acrican style barbeque, unique and famous with ostrich and crocodile meat. It is almost like a Brazilian barbeque where you 'Surrounder the flag' when you can no more eat meat!!!! Once diners are ready, locally dressed waiters start bringing all types of meat, from pork to crocodile to ostrich to turkey. My brother and my husband tasted anything came in front of them, after some point I had to tell them to take a break! I cannot tell much about the food, But they told me ostrich meatball was good along with pork ribs,  some of them were ok. Not surprisingly, I had to dine on fajita, and it was ok which was expected. You do not eat Mexican in African barbeque!!!!

I have been there twice, and both occasions Carnivore was fully booked with tourists, locals and expats. So if you plan to go on a Friday or Saturday, make sure to have a reservation. Try to sit outside, indoor dining area is too noisy and a bit of smelly! By the way outdoor dining has a strange sound coming from frogs, seriously at one point it was non stop! Music on the background did not go well with the ambiance, I wish they were playing an African music, it would definitely make it more authentic. Price was it was in the middle, not too pricey or cheap.

Driving or flying to Masai Mara?

Driving or flying, it was a long discussion between me and my husband. Having children always make me think twice before we make a final decision, especially if it is about driving with kids for hours!!! So after reading number of blogs and searching on internet, we decided on flying to Masai Mara via Wilson Airport. Getting to plane via Wilson is much easier than Jomo Kenyatta. Lanes move pretty quickly, since most of the travel agencies book their flight via Wilson, it runs very affectively by the airport workers.


 Obviously flying costs three times more than driving, but it was all worth it! Not only it was a a short trip but it was also fun and kind a adventures. It was the best decision ever, my children had so much fun, as much as I hate to fly, I must admit, I did too:)

Masai Mara planes are old, reminding me old glamorous Hollywood movies. Inside is noisy, you sit right behind the pilot, you get to pass the candies pilots offer:) and comparing with commercial planes it kinda flies low that you can spot the homes even the animals:)

The fun part is, it is also like a bus, once in Mara, plane stops and drops off passengers for surrounding lodges, and then it takes off until it arrives to the next one! Passengers get to pick and take and carry their own luggage's! The runway is made out of sand and it is so short that to take off, plane has to turn around! Planes barely land in the wild, zebras and  monkeys welcoming it, with a look that tells you they are so used to this scene, they don't even make a move!

A heaven on earth: Masai Mara

Always wondered if there is one place on earth gives a hope for life, purity, serenity, and peace. And now, I know there is, Masai Mara. Not because it is home for the Big Five or famous for safari. For me, Masai Mara represents simplicity and serenity. I was fortunate and privileged enough to experience this amazing place. Not only I saw endangered animals and so many creatures in their home, I was able even walk among rhinos, touch the soil, sit with Masai children and have a cup of tea in their barely hand made home.

I was amazed to see the lion cubs that tugged into their moms, or baby elephants hiding behind their moms, or hyenas just laying there waiting for next meal to come. I was motionless when I saw rhinos up so close to me. They did not even bothered by humans, just going with their business, how can I blame them...Were not we the one who invades their privacy?

If only I wish I can just sit there and listen, listen to silence...

How can I forget Masai children, their barefoot touching the soil, just running after simple stick, their laughter was filling the air. They were so careless and happy. Is it because the way they live, just simple way of life, without anything we all so depend on...I wonder if that was the reason they we're so welcoming and generous to strangers like us? They opened their homes, welcomed us in, hugged me and my children with such a warmth that I barely hold my tears, their elders were sitting around the kids with a big smile towards us. How much it made me humbled...

Thank you Kenya for giving me this lifelong experince, thank you...

Guides for prospective expat wives!

If you to become an expat wife in Africa you gotta be more social than usual, that's the key! If you were born to be a natural social butterfly you obviously will be just fine. But if you are like me somehow reserved and observative, to be social is a task!!!! Trust me, this is where experience talks:)

So first place to start socializing is the school! Do not waste anytime, start making friends, next day you would definitely be invited over a coffee or drinks! It is not only you who is in that situation there are more expat wives out there who are also in your shoes:) Do not be shy, just go for it! If there is a Parent Association, do not waste anytime volunteer and be a member!

Second place would be the gym; if you are a gym bunny like me, find a gym or studio where you get to meet lots of people like you. After the class people all go to have a coffee break. Actually, I believe this is behind the scene reason, with few exceptions, people join these classes, seriously:) If you move to Karen area just go through my old postings you will find gym names:)

Go shopping especially grocery! Quite a number of my friends told me they met at Nakumat (grocery chain). Ok, I am never the one who like to chat at the lane, but sometimes you do whatever it takes to talk! You cannot imagine, how quickly you will make friends, there are people who just wait to talk to you:)

This one is going to be tricky, but if yo can afford (country clubs are ridiculously expensive here!), become a country club member. There are plenty of them in town, Karen Country Club, Muthaiga Country Club and Windsor Country Club. Clubs offer lots of entertainments and charity events, perfect place to meet and greet, just little costly though:)

Of course if you are lucky enough to find a job, it will be much easier, job environments tend to be social naturally, after long waiting hours in traffic you may not want to be more social anyway!

Do card game nights, this is fun and social. As far as I know, people are loving this idea.Only problem is people rather do not drive at night, so you gotta to know people close to your place.

If you can, make sure to search for your new home and ask around. If you have kids and want them to play outside, compounds are good choices. I have lots of friends who first lived in a single home than just becase of that reason they moved into a compound where there are other houses with children. Happy kids happy mom. And by the way one of the best thing in living here, is children get to play outside freely and they are loving it:)

Baboons are making their way!

After months of break I took my brother to Masai Market on Thursday, but since I have written more than enough about this lovely open air shopping festival I won't be covering it again:) But let me mention, vendors added new items, this is one creative place! I again got tempted and bought few more items and made a list of what to buy in my next trip:)

On the way to Junction all of a sudden traffic has stopped! Mike and I were trying to figure out what was going on, and all of sudden we noticed there were somewhere around 20 baboons crossing the road in a slow motion and funny enough they all looked so careless. Could it be because we were in their home...New Ngong Road was a forest only six months ago, and sadly this was their home...

I still did not get use to this scene and had a big grin on my face, shocked and puzzled, did not know what to do! I almost dropped my phone on the road while I was trying to take pictures. There were even moms carrying their little ones! Where on earth you wait in the traffic to give your way to monkeys...

Champagne Bar at Sankara Hotel

If you like to spent your Friday or Saturday afternoon at a nice lounge with hip music at the background this is the place! Champagne Bar is located indoor, not really indoor but it is slightly covered with a big open window. Lounge area is pretty big, so it never feels to crowded. On a Friday night it was very crowded, I would normally expect a slow service however it was excellent, servers were very attentive with big smiley face. Menu offers light options to dine, we tasted most of the items from the menu and they were all deliciously cooked and served with an excellent presentation. Up until around 9pm, music was chilling type with jazz and soul. However after 9pm it got kind a to loud (we were still able to hear each other but we had to use a higher tone of voice!) and became more hip. Our friend mentioned there is an open air movie/cinema night on Sunday afternoon, which sounded very nice (not an option for people like us with two small children!!). I imagine it would be lovely to watch a movie because they have quite a nice area with comfy lounge seats and big wall where they put the screen.

In the middle there is also a swimming pool, interestingly end of the pool bottom is made out of glass! So when you swim through the end it feels like you swim on air, pretty cool! But do not count me for that! I am never an adventurist type, you would probably know it by know!:)

Driving at dark in Nairobi!

After a busy week, we met with friends at Champagne Bar at Sankara. I will write about the place in my next blog.

Even though rainy weather did not compliment our plans much, we sticked to it! It was an adventure though! The weather has been very unpredictable this year, so we ended up with lots of rain last week! By the way Karen has more rain than any other areas in Nairobi! We were to meet at Sankara by 7:30pm, since I made up my mind to socialise I left home by 6pm, nothing would stop me!!! It took one hour from Karen to get Sankara, but it was all worth it! Thanks to our driver, Mike, we drove through the back roads, using local villages. Majority of the local population live in these shady towns, farther away from the city. So when driving around you spot tons of people, adults and children walk by foot to get home. Matatus are packed with people, tucked inside, driving crazy enough to scare you away. I must admit I am not brave enough to drive at night! Not because I worry about my safety, I mostly concern about driving in the dark, unfortunately majority of the roads have no lights, road conditions are very poor, there are huge pot wholes. After 6pm it gets dangerously dark. Because there are no lights, it is almost impossible to spot the pedestrians...Also people are so keen to jump in front of the cars, so not only you have to keep your eyes open you also have to use your five senses, may be more! So driving at night has never been an option for me. 

I love sitting next to Mike, we talk and laugh, learn so much from each other. At one point while we were driving I was trying to apply my nail polish (after having two kids this is what happens!!!!) and he was just making fun of me! How can I blame him?? I was even laughing myself while trying to put the polish when we were going over the pot wholes!!!! That's called dedication:)

When I told him my concerns about driving at night he said he used to be a taxi driver, and he had the night shift. He mentioned he feels more comfortable driving in dark rather than daytime, so not sure if that should make be comfortable or uncomfortable, still could not make up my mind!!! 

Lessons learned!

I have been thinking about my days in Kenya, how I started and where I am now not only physically but emotionally as well. It was a journey, not an easy one for me, there were more than few bumps on the way, but I made it:)

Place like Africa teaches a lot, as long as you can see with an open mind and embrace it with an open heart...It is not always easy to see as it is, there are always emotions and perceptions we carry on our back. And of course there is also the denial part, which makes it even more complicated! We sometimes do not see the truth, deep down we simply do not want it! Why am I writing all these, right? Because I have seen enough where many people were in that situation, I must also admit, time to time I was one of them...

Not long ago, I was a very impatient person, somebody who wants to get things done right away! When I think about few years back it even makes me laugh, I wonder how I looked from outside! Shopping at Nakumatt (grocery store chain) was such a misery for me, the lanes just would not move, I mean literally the cashier was in a slow motion, every transaction was taking ages at a time!!! It felt like somebody pushed "stop" button in the remote control!  There I was waiting endlessly and impatiently! On the other hand, some days I was home on waiting for never ending repairs to be done in the house, waiting for technical team to come in to fix the internet, waiting for team to repair the leaking roof, waiting for technicians to fix the inverter! Or just waiting for traffic to move even though there was nothing going on to make it stop! So, patience!, that was my first lesson! and funny enough "Pole pole" (slowly slowly) was the first word I learned in Swahili:)

Growing up in homogeneous society makes you very uncomfortable in a place like Africa...You simply feel like an outsider. Ok, I lived half of life in Turkey and half in US, and I must admit there is no other country in the world that can get more diversed than US! But when the conversation is about Africa it is different, it is not something can be told easily, you have to live to see. So to adopt and accept was my second lesson!

Before moving here, I thought I appreciate the things I have. But last few years appreciation came with a meaning much deeper than I thought....Nothing said would be enough what I have seen here, the poverty, simple human nature, smile of children who play outside barefoot in the dirt, generosity and warmth of every day people. So, appreciation is something I learned over and over again...

Personal wise, I always knew I was a reserved person. But it is does not work well if you are in Africa and an expat wife! Being reserved made me more isolated than I wanted and honestly I did like it all! Even though I like to do certain things by myself, we all have limits, and being all alone is no fun!!! So I pushed myself to be social, and it worked. Last year it made a big difference in my everyday life:) Being social is a key, keep that in mind:)

Busy days!

Lately, I cannot write as much as I want to! Once I am out of home time just flies by!
My days are filled by PA meetings, my daily workout regimen, part-time work, Dilara's school matches (she is in school team:))). I am also very active in another parent group for early years at school, and we have non stop meetings with school management in regards to some important issues! If we were to live another country, probably I would not be involved, but every country comes with its own challenges, and one of the biggest challenge in Nairobi is safety and security. I feel like I have to be involved to make the school safer place for my children! And I think if something bother us we have to be involved and know the facts! Obviously nobody can control everything, but at least having a clear idea of the reality and circumstances make a difference.  When it comes to children, suddenly our priority shifts for lifetime, and have no doubt same rule applies to everyone!

When we have friends with children in past, they used to tell how busy they were with their children activities, and we said to each other we would never be like that! Well, there is an old Turkish saying "Never talk too big!", now we are exactly like them and it comes with "involved parent" package, and with much of a surprise I am loving it:) It makes Dilara proud and happy to see me in school meetings, charity events, and activities:)

Migraine!

It has been almost a month since our return to Kenya and I have not gone outside of Karen, and after today's experience I decided, that was the best decision ever! I do not drive outside of Karen for obvious reasons, so our driver joined me today for furniture shopping, it is not actually shopping though. I just like checking the furniture, styles, wood, I really do! We went to Mombasa Road, or I must say we tried to go! It took one hour to get there, we left home at noon to thinking there wont be any traffic! But this is Nairobi, traffic has no common routine! After driving around for hours to get from one place to another my migraine started! Believe me, I never had migraine in my life, even talking about it makes me feel bad! I am ageing or what?? Anyways, by 2:30pm I gave up, I just could not do this torture to Mike anymore!

Interestingly, the never ending road constructions keep going all over the city, and it looks like all the drivers are stuck in a labirent, that they keep driving round and round, and somehow road conditions never get better! Am I missing something here?! Is there a light at the end of the tunnel! I wish there is, otherwise patient and calm Kenyans will go crazy sooner than later, expats are already gone crazy if I may say...:)

After two Panadol pills, I feel much better right now, found myself in front of my Surface and lovely blog. How much I miss writing:)

Things to do in İzmir

If I did not write a blog about Izmir I would definitely feel guilty! I mean, I got my college degree there, and at the end lived thee for 4 years! I owe at least a honest blog to this ancient city:) So, here is list of things to do in İzmir.

1-Ephesus Museum: This is a must do even though you are not into ancient history. The city built by Greeks and Romans, by that time it was by the sea, not it is miles away! Ephesus is located in Selcuk, only 30min by car to İzmir, there are signs along the road. You can either get a guide or use the rental audio, which I highly recommend. The tiles, frescos and pillars are well reserved as well as the amphitheater. Imagine the site gets 1.5 million visitor every year itself! Be prepared it is going to be a long walk, if you go during the summer time make sure to have bottle of water, sun screen and a hat!

2-Clock Tower: Clock Tower is the symbol of this ancient city, built in 1901. It is meeting point for locals, or people go there with their kids to feed the pigeons. İt is accessible by walk from Konak, Alsancak and Kemeraltı.

3-Agora Open Air Museum: If you want to see new and old, this is the place to go. Best part is, it is conveniently located, and you can also go below ground. Many paintings and church kept very well, entrance fee is very little, definitely worth to see!

4-Asansor: If you did not go to Asansor you did not go to İzmir! It is a hidden gem, for some reason it is hard to find it! Anyways, Asansor is one of the landmark for the city. It has one of the best view so far, there is also a restaurant on top where you can have a lunch or a nice coffee. Interestingly it does not look very tall from a far, but when you go up, no doubt you would love it. Try to go during sunset, it has quite an impressive panoramic view.

5- Kordon: Stroll along Kordon and enjoy a coffee or a cold beer. Just take your time, make sure to go there late in the afternoon.

6-Kemeralti: Hidden gem for crazy shoppers. It is much smaller than Grand Bazaar, so make sure your expectations are not too high:) You will be very much surprised when you heard the deals! Often quality is pretty good, and plenty of choices. There are many local lokantas (restaurants) and coffees in Kemeralti. If you like to try new tastes, this is the place! Depending on the time and date, it can get pretty crazy with sellers yelling around to get potential buyers attention!

7-St. Polycarp Church: This ancient church is conveniently located across Hilton Hotel. Inside is pretty impressive, and its door welcomes everyone. Only problem is, it is hard to find it open! So if you plan to visit make sure to ask around for hours.

8-Hisar Cami (Mosque): Hisar Cami is 400 years old and located in Kemeralti. So, you can visit all at once! It is from 16th century and oldest and largest mosque in Izmir. As long as you cover your head and shoulders everybody is welcomed inside, by the way you need to take your shoes off. Try to go during the prayer, have no doubt you will be impressed, it is very quite, calm and peaceful.

9-Synagogue Street (Havra Sokagi): This is not a miss, if you are around Kemeralti, another place to visit. Make sure to ask around, otherwise you may never find the synagogue. Inside is very impressive, calms and kept very well. It is unfortunate to think about past, cannot even imagine how was it before, nowadays it feels like synagogue is trying to hide itself...I can see how vibrant the Jewish community by that time, such a melting point and times in Izmir cultures and religions were living together peacefully and happily...

10-Alsancak: It is the melting point of Izmir where wealthy locals and expats live. It is located one street up to the sea, walking distance to Kordon or Kemeralti (ok, you gotta be fit to walk it is not that close!). You can find all the upscale shops, stores, and restaurants in Alsancak. It is a happening place! Young crowd hang out and pack the restaurants, coffees and bars at night. During the high season, summer months, it is almost empty due to the melting high degree! People start to show up after 6pm! If you have time, take a walk you will enjoy laid back lifestyle of locals.

By the way, in the second picture I am enjoying my limonate with mint (popular drink during the summer), must try!

Cute fisherman's village: Foça

Foça is place to go if you want to have a quite and boutique type of vacation. It is only 70kms away from downtown Izmir, road is very nice, especially once you are off to highway scenery gets pretty impressive. Interstingly this little town is divided into two parts, Yeni Foça (New Foça) and Eski Foça (Old Foça), not far from each other they are different by distance such that Yeni Foça is 20km away from Foça itself.

This little town gets crowded during summer with Izmir localies or tourists who like casual type of vacation, season starts in May until mid September. It is famous with its fresh fish. The shoreline is closed to traffic, there are many seafood restaurants and coffees on the line. What makes Foça different from other famous summer town, it is quiet, never gets over crowded, nightlife is not as crazy as Bodrum or Kusadasi, people are much more relaxed, does not seem to bother with wearing fancy clothing, neither never saw ladies in high heels, seriously. There were tons of fishermen boat in every corner, with big cats waiting to be feed:) Some fisherman even build a small bed for them, is not that something:)

Many parts of this little town is under strict environmental protection. Hotel or residential constructions are not permitted, it is set to preserve its natural characteristics. Foça is home for three protected marine areas. Due to the value of flora and fauna, small caves and bays Yeni Foça and Eski Foça are place to visit.

During our visit to my sister in Izmir, we spent half day in Foça and loved it. Hundred years old Castle of Foça was going through major restoration which was very impressive. We walked around the shoreline, people were relaxed, it was a very casual atmosphere. People were having their afternoon tea at their balcony, I had a sense that these people were living in a peaceful and wonderful neighborhood which I envy a lot. It is really hard to come by these days...

After we had our simply grilled fish at one of the seafood restaurant, we took a walk and surprised to see people were getting ready for a swim at 8pm! Than my sister told me, that is a tradition among locals, they do not swim really, they just socialize in the water! So we spotted many heads in the water children to adults to elderly, loved it:)

So if you are around, definitely recommend a day trip to Foça, restaurants are not over priced, you will get warm Turkish hospitality in every step you take, and you won't be disappointed.

Finally made it:)

After few unsuccessful attempts, now cucumbers, green and red leaf lettuce, iceberg, carrot and parsley are ready to eat. All I need to do just go and pick them up from my garden:) Thanks to my dear organic farmer friend, Paul, now we have beautiful little farm in our backyard. It was not an easy job! There was not much rain this year, so we had to keep the soil wet.  We had few problems on the way, like cucumber bugs, fungus soil, and yes birds !!!  Last time we tried planting tomatoes,  they ended up with bugs in them, birds did not have any complain though, at least tomatoes did not get wasted, what can I say! To keep the birds away, I tried every solution out there but nothing stopped them! Up until Paul just put simple green trash bags on sticks and put it onto soil! Just like that! and they never came back again! It was that easy, obviously no fancy solutions needed!!!!

The climate is wonderful in here, so whatever you plant, it just grows itself, just need water and you gotta keep an eye on the birds:)

Friends are forever

How can one survive without a good friend in life, a person who knows you for ages, first person to call when something happens good or bad, or who do you call when you go through a break-up, sometimes you do not even need to talk for weeks or months, but when you do, you pick up where you left off, nothing is a miss.

Me and my best friend, Senem, met when we both were 17s! We were recent high school graduates going through college transition, getting ready for big government exam, a transition of  life time! We were the opposites, she was very tall, I am average, she has curly hair so curly that you can not put a comb in! I had straight hair, she was loud energetic and very outgoing, she would say whatever comes into her mind, I was reserved, cautious, Senem still says I am way too kind! She is edgy and I am way too proper.

We met through our moms, since we both have did not have many friends our moms decided we were a perfect fit! Seriously, because of their hard work we exchanged phone numbers, and she called me and we went to see a movie together! Ah that sounds so awkward!!! Honestly, when we met I thought she was weird, after years later, I also learned she thought the same for me!!!!! So, moms were right, we were a perfect fit indeed:) That's how we became best friends. When were young ( am not that old, ok!) we did not have cell phones or ipads, we only had land line phones! We got in touch through our moms. Every six months either I would go to Istanbul to see her, or we would just meet in the middle! Because where I went to college was 9 hrs drive to Istanbul! Than  after college graduation, I made a decision to study my masters in US, she was the one who supported me and promised she would come and see me, we had no idea how though! But she did for real:)

So right after I turned 23, I moved to US and lived majority of my life out of Turkey.  But we made it, lots of things changed in our lives but our friendship was one thing never changed! Somehow if something happened in our lives, we knew it, even though we were thousand of miles away. Our friendship got stronger each and every year.  She was my witness in my marriage ceremony, I was her's (her's did not last long though, hey I have done my part!). We gave birth 5 weeks apart, we were the first people to hold our babies. We spent so many New Year Eves together. When I took my first baby to ER she was the one who came there with big balloons to cheer us up. Or when I was in the hospital she was the one who held my hand and told me our funny stories to make me laugh.

Probably she is the only one person whom I wait for the birthday phone call every year, and I know she is the same. And no matter what our birthday gifts would be ready months ahead, and we always give each other clues. And that's one gift box I cannot wait to open:) Even our husbands know this and accept it!

Still, whenever I go back home, third day is always our day, and every single person in our families know this! I jump on the car and we meet for lengthy breakfast, jumping from one subject to another!

Senem, this blog is for you and our true friendship...