A post about nothing!

Ok, so its not about absolutely nothing.

I think things here are settling into a kind of routine. Kate and I both are working our schedules that we'll have for a long time. We finally got our apartment set up in a way that is livable and we could even show company. We feel comfortable in the city and interacting in a language we only know a bare minimum of. The only thing missing from the equation are friends. Its really too bad, because the two kinda close friends we've made are gone. Sasha had to go back to Australia to get papers for her work visa, she'll be gone an undetermined amount of time. Ilker, an Australian/Turk has to do his military service because he wants to keep his Turkish citizenship. So our two contacts who know their way around the city are both gone, but should be home soon. I'm hoping our social lives will pick up a bit when they return.

Speaking of military service, one difference I've noticed about Turkey is how often and easily they will deploy force around Istanbul. You almost always see police officers wandering around Istiklal street (the huge pedestrian shopping main road), usually armed with automatic weapons. Probably about every week I see a force of police equipped in riot gear marching around in formation. When we were in the CTEFL course, there was a large Anti-Israel protest that Kate walked by, and she said they had a large force of riot police there as well as a tank. What she said was interesting was that they pretty much looking like a lot of dudes in really official gear just hanging out. A fair few were talking on their cell-phones and the rest were relaxing and chatting. This has been true of all the times I've seen police in riot gear. They march in step and have all the gear, but when they stop they all chat and take out their cell-phones. As for the officers in uniform on Istiklal, I occasionally see them chatting. I once saw a little kid, probably around 4 or 5, make his hand a gun and made gun noises at the police officer. He grinned, took his hand, and made the same noise back. Its like the Turkish government really wants to convince everyone that their police force is everywhere and totally in control, but they can't hide the fact that they are just normal dudes. It refreshingly opposite to the states, where the police take their role as a disciplinarian far to seriously.

Anyway, I think thats it for now. Not much to say. Kate and I may head out to the center of town for iftar (sundown, its Ramadan here, so there is a large meal at sundown because people can eat after fasting all day). Until next time.