Mark and Kate in Istanbul are still just Mark and Kate

Sorry for not posting anything thrilling lately, but unless you want to hear about ALL our furniture acquiring escapades, there's nothing really to post. We've reached the point where living here is exactly that - living here. Of course, it's all still an adventure, because everything's a bit on the edge when you can't quite manage to ask your waiter if your köfte (meatballs) have been cooked properly (don't worry, they were) or when you don't quite know where this bus is going to take you. But now, we're at the point when we're no longer getting here, we're being here, if that makes sense. We walk down Istiklal Cadessi to Taksim Square - the most famous place in the country, really - every day. We've hit the main tourist spots of the city (except for Topkopı Palace, because every time we say we're going to go there, some important piece of furniture breaks in the middle of the night - it's very weird), and now we're just kinda working and hanging out. Granted my daily commute involves a ferry ride with views of the whole Bosphorus and all its water-side beauty, and it's really quite glorious. But as far as really exciting things to report, there aren't a lot. I suppose it's a bit of an excitement curve - everything's worth noting in the beginning, because everything is strange and exciting. But now you all know all that stuff, so there's not a whole lot to tell that you'd care to read.

Our days tend to consist of some reading, some work with our Turkish books or flashcards, commutes, eating, teaching, and sometimes relaxing playing Magic or watching Sex and the City. Pretty much a lot of the lame stuff we did at home. But really, did you expect Mark and I to become party-animal city folk just because we left the country? We're still kinda...socially lazy, maybe? Anyway, maybe things will/should liven up a bit when Sasha, who does like to go out and live it up, gets back from Australia. Or maybe when we finally get paid - that'd probably help our going-out drive, too.

We do have photos of our apartment, our neighborhood, and our kitties, and as soon as we get some of our flatmates, I will supply a virtual tour of our place. I also forgot my flashdrive when we left for the internet cafe...again. So, I suppose that's, for now. Iyi günler!