I am finally connected again...

Hello, everyone! Thanks for all of your comments about my blog and encouraging me to start writing again. I have been so busy with life here in Ankara that I just haven't had much time to write on this blog. I absolutely love writing it, so I thought I would take some time to update some of the things happening in my life.

First of all, I am happy to say that after eight months in the dark, with no cable, I have cable tv!! I bought a tv about a month ago, but getting cable has been a bit of a task. There are a few choices here, so I selected a satellite service and placed the order. I wanted English channels and as many HD channels as possible. It was really difficult to set up because no one spoke English, but a few friends helped me and the appointment was set for a Saturday morning. After my friends set up the appointment, I was told that the cable guy would come around 3 p.m. However, as time ticked away, the guy actually called my friend and said he was coming around 7 p.m. I had plans for that night, so we rescheduled for the following Tuesday. The guy came and tried to install the saelitte, but he could not the right angle. We called the apt. manager and they would not allow him to install on the roof, so I had to order cable. All of these conversations took place through friends or Google translate. I really need to work on learning Turkish.

I called another company to set up service, with my friends on standby in case I couldn't communicate. This particular company had an English dept., so I was able to set up service by myself...woot, woot! The service was set for 10 a.m. on a Friday and the guy came on time and set up the service. A friend helped me and through all of our meager Turkish abilities, we got everything set up. The cable guy told me that the English channels and my package would be activated within 24 hours. I woke up Saturday morning and the channels were activated! I was finally re-connected with the world and can watch my favorite news channels.

I must say there are some differences between the cable here and home. First, many of the channels are in Turkish and the explanations for most of the English shows are in Turkish too. The cable guy set the language to English, but most of it is still in Turkish. The remove it also in Turkish, which has taken some getting used to, but I am getting the hang of it. One of my favorite features is there are series channels that only run series of shows such as Friends, Desperate Housewives, etc. There are also many movie channels and movies you can purchase. I do have applications on my tv, but Hulu is not available outside the U.S., so I have had to buy additional connection cables so I can watch most of my favorite shows from my computer. This is the first smart tv I have bought, so I am thoroughly enjoying it. 

rainbow roll

One of my favorite places to eat here in Ankara is Quick China. They have the best sushi in town and their seaweed salad is also tasty. They deliver directly to your door, so it is a dangerous combination to be able to order on an app and the food magically appears in about 45 min. One of my favorites is the rainbow row, which is like a California roll, but with shrimp, halibut, salmon, tuna, and avocado. It is an absolute delight. 

coffee art 

The coffee and tea culture are very enjoyable here. The coffee often comes with some sort of decoration on the top and a sweet biscuit or cookie next to it. I feel like there is food everywhere here and I have gotten used to it. If you go into a bar and order a beer, they serve nuts and/or popcorn. I love the idea of eating a sweet with my coffee or snacking on something while drinking a beer. 

My friend, Basem from Syria

I love the variety of people I meet here in Ankara. I have learned so much about other countries through the cultures of the people I have met. Most of the people here are studying, in the military, or work at an embassy or university. The unfortunate thing about this city is that people are often here temporarily and leave within a few years. Still, I know that I can travel to any country in this region and have a friend who is there to help guide me. This has been a culturally rich experience!

I have started getting more comfortable here with decorating my apartment with curtains and slipcovers. The original furniture here is nice, but not really up to date. My apartment is small but perfectly adequate. Now, I am looking for some balcony furniture as the weather is starting to warm up and soon I will be able to take advantage of being outside.

I guess that is all for now. I will be meeting up with a friend in Vienna this weekend so I will blog again soon. Thanks for your support and being interested in my life. Lots of love to you and your family.