BEYKOZ im the Nanny, thats why!: Networking

   This post is all about networking. As you may or may not know, I can be a very pro-social person and while I value my alone time, I thrive on esteem and companionship. Both have been sorely lacking since I left Hawaii. Moving to a foreign land full of foreign people speaking a foreign language living a foreign culture may not sound like the most comfortable situation for someone that loves people but is afraid to approach them alone. Fortunatly for me--and you my reader since I am about to share the wisdom--my best friend Emily has several tips for making friends while abroad.

   Emily (pictured left) has been my best friend for somewhere around 7 years but I have known her for over 20. In 2008 my friend moved all the way to Chengdu, deep in the interior of China to teach English for 8 months. If the Turks are foreigners to an American girl, then the Chinese are Martians. When Emily returned from her Oriental Adventure she had a lot to tell. So she did a lot of talking and I did a lot of listening.
   She expressed her loneliness in the strange culture and her insatiable hunger for WASP companionship. What Emily began doing in order to find other Euromericans to play with was hang out at Youth Hostels (even though she wasn't staying in one) and Expat-frequented bars and cafes.

   Knowing that I would probably have a harder time attracting the attention and friendship of expats then Emily--as I am shyer and more reserved then my more flamboyant friend--I began seeking expatriate networks online several weeks ago.
   The very first network I relied on was http://www.expat-blog.com. Although you have to weed through the lonely Middle Eastern men who have no real business on an expat network to begin with a bit, through this website I have been able to connect with other expats, read blogs about food travel and live in Turkey, and even contact a Turkish Language tutor with whom I may begin lessons once I arrive. One of my contacts there linked me to another expat netword called: http://www.sublimeportal.com/forums/forum.php which is even more specialized and even sets up weekly outings for expats to meet for drinks every Thursday!

   I realize that I still have a lot to learn about Turkey and that most of it can only be learned by actually going there, still it releaves some of my obsessive need to research and know more than a native by the time my plane lands. So the moral of the lesson is: Networking, do it. The internet is amazing. And Hawaii friends: I miss you everyday with a burning pain akin to amputation.

What follows is a tribute to just some of the people I have loved. Miss yous.