I rarely lose it when I leave work for some time and people are too incomptent to do their own jobs, thus making me look bad. Today was one of those rare days.
A friend suggested and last night I finally sat down to watch Darwin's Nightmare on Sundance. While the nature of the documentary was certainly disturbing (and drawn out in the beginning), it was hardly surprising. Think: Real life account of the movie "Lord of War". Stunning that they actually got the footage. The scenes from the people eating fish scraps will def. leave an impression you won't soon forget.
Whats the word for when you momentarily pop into another life or a previous life? Well, I'm sure it doesn't exist in English, but perhaps the Germans have a word...anyone? anyone?
At any rate, some downtime and caffeine has fueled me to do a little recap of the past few days.
After hours of engine problems in LAX, I departed at 2am and after about 6 hours in NYC, Channy (btw, great to see you and Omar!) dropped me back off at JFK. I was early of course (I'm always early at airports, that's how I roll) so I hit the bar. I needed some (more) beers to bring me down from all the excitement. I needed my sleep on this flight! Many drinks later, I woke up to realize that that plane was also delayed 2 hours on the runway. I didn't wake up until we had taken off and I didn't realize we had been delayed until I arrived in Istanbul and saw Dig's sad, tired, mug. Needless to say I was wondering why the flight seemed SO long.
So after the American pilot had complained that they "kept switching the runways on him" down at Ataturk International Airport, I knew we were officially about to arrive in the land of Turks. YOK YOK YOK, SOL, SOL, YOK YOK, SAGA, TAMAM, DUR DUR. We finished our 20 minutes of circling the city (which I loved) and I walked out into the airport with an eyepatch on, eagerly waiting for Dig's flask. The eyepatch was just a point to prove that Turkey has the most laxed customs officials in the world. That and I'm an idiot. I guess it's better than the robe/santa cap in Wellington (Tee you were missed).
Ah, where is all this going I don't know, I don't know…
The point is my 3rd time back to Istanbul had me thinking I was a regular "pro".
I've seen and done it all. Try to rip me off and I'll curse at you in Turkish and blow nargile smoke in your face. I know the tricks of the kirolar, metro routes, and slang. Hell, I've been to Topkapi Palace so many times, I know the stories better than the tour guides! Maybe not..
Well, perhaps I was a bit "overconfident" on this trip, and Istanbul still had more to teach me "….-… ….-…. Bon-bon vericum!" Sometimes humbling, sometimes exhausting, but always exciting..it's the reason I can't ever sleep in Turkey. There is always something fascinating and amazing to discover in the city that is SO LOUD.
But, my time spent in Turkey last week made me realize something different.
Sure the city is beautiful, and probably the most beautiful I've ever seen. But, the truth is there are many beautiful cities and areas of the world, and after spending some time in one area, you become immune to the "localized" beauty in your area. I remember moving out to California and driving out to the Ocean everyday just to sit and watch the sunset over the Pacific. Haven't done that for awhile.
No, for me I realized that the city is not that much without the people. And not even "the people", "my people". More than anything my friends in Turkey are what make the trips special. None of us are in AIESEC anymore, our lives have progressed and diverged in ways we probably never would have imagined, yet at the end of the day, we'll always be there for each other..to laugh ..and if Digs is there..to cry. And I don't care how many times I return to the same country, friends will always be friends, and while traveling and exploring is important, so is catching up with people who have definitely made a mark in your life. My days and nights were filled with endless conversations, with no particular point or purpose. I had no camera (lost it the first night), schedule, intinary or real sense of time, and that made all the difference.
I'll quit rambling but I'll just say that the best memories were when I was standing around waiting to see an old face..that anxious anticipation is the best, most raw, feeling..and it's hard to explain. Looking around the masses…thinking you see that person, and then finally making eye contact…The first conversation with an old friend is like living a very real dream. Are you really here? Am I really here? Are we really having this conversation? Ah, more Raki please. Somebody pinch me! As I get older (and I am getting older;) I realize how short life really is and how we really underappreciate a lot of people, both near and far. It's so silly to me that we always take people in our lives for granted until we realize the time we have with them is short.
So, gone are the days of laughing over nargile with Can at 3am, Digs serving me cay in the morning, surprise visits to ITO with cake and cookies, morning ferries with Tugba/Ozge (with Simit and Ayran), all day chats with Caner/Merve (sit here for the "view"), Sunday afternoon boat trips with Efes and Fang (a relatively old friend and new friend, respectively), late nights in Taksim, Absinythe shots with Dig's family, chatting broken Turkish with everyone on the street, and kizlar that make you want to convert to Islam!
There's always a sting leaving that place, and I guess that's how you know you've had a good time in Turkey. Thank you all, esp to Mr. Leonard for opening his home and family to me. We're still waiting for you in Michigan, buddy! Tugba, Narin, Can, Burcu, Mustafa, Caner, Merve, Ozge, Oyku, you guys are the best! May we always be good friends, Masallah.
I'll post more pictures as they become available to me...
Don't look no farther!
just about to jump on the metro to taksim for a night of traditional drinks, foods, music...
Do you ever have one of those dreams that are so real/amazing that you wake up either a)believing it was true and b)as a result feel out of place and a bit disappointed that you aren't where you thought you were. I don't. Honestly, I hardly even remember my dreams I'm so beat by the end of the day and when I wake up I normally have 100 things running through my mind.
With our apparent loss to the mighty Czech Republic (congrats, Mart'a), I'll paraphase something I heard on the Daily Show last week...
