Jellyfish, Octopus, Executives & Heels

     Abandoning my affected air of sophistication I broke down and admitted "no, I do not like the fish" with an apologetic smile and a small laugh at my own finickiness I handed the plate over to Bulent to distribute my fare to the real "adults" at the table. I was sitting in the nicest restaurant I have ever had the pleasure of being a legitimate patron at, eating what I am sure was the most expensive meal of my life, and I just couldnt handle one more bite. Maybe if I hadn't gorged on Little Ceasar's Pizza a mere hour earlier I could have sampled more of the rare delicacies laid out before me. As it stood, all i could think about was how to tactfully excuse myself from the table before my bladder burst.
     "Yasemin, do you have to go to the bathroom?" No. Damn.
But I won't be too hard on myself. I did afterall try both squid and octopus for the first time in the very same meal!

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"Vada....Like the British Darth Vada?" The boy asked.

Finally! Never mind that neither George Lucas nor the Star Wars Trilogy are British. In America, the most common response to hearing my name (at least from men) is 'Vada...like Darth Vada! Har har har'. Clever. Good one. Never heard that one before. Here what I get 'Elveda Vada!" (farewell) One night this week the father burst into some song about elveda and Yasemin jumped up from the dinner table to dance accompanied by the mother's clapping, all for me. I loved it

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(Rewind)
Freedom sweet sweet freedom! Errm.....actually....please....just halfway??? No? :( But but but...oh alright.
     So I walked from Sebnem's art studio in Beyoglu all the way across Taksim to meet Brittany and Eda all by myself! Stopping to ask "Hilton Hotel nerede?" ever 100 meters. The anxiety was all worth it. I am glad my friends pushed me to walk on my own; it's the only real way to learn the way. Now I have walked, taken taxis, and even taken the METRO all by myself! I think I deserve a cookie...

    I was able to go to Taksim twice this week, once just for the afternoon on Wednesday, I met Eda and Brittany for lunch and some shopping. Thursday I spent all day with my friends and had an interesting adventure. Eda was asked by her friend Barak who is in the tourism business (owns his own hotel and restaurant at 25 and is also some kind of ladies man socialite here in Istanbul--he googled paparzzi pics of himself to prove it)...anyways, back to story. Barak asked Eda to come to his office in Sultanahmet for an "interview" for a translating job.
    So down the fuicula and onto the metro to Sultanahmet we go. Walking past the great obelisks of the hippodrome into the mecca of tourism that is Sultanahmet for said interview.

     That interview really turned into two television channel executives from Star TV one of the biggest broadcasting corporations in Turkey, a police chief, one secretary, Barak, Eda, Brittany and yours truly watching an episode of "48 hrs Mystery" Brittany and me explaining what was going on in the show while Eda translated it into Turkish for the rest of the group. For 3 hours. Alla-h-allah! I think we got the job.

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     What was NOT so good an idea was wearing high heels in Taksim.
     Cobblestones, tiles, concrete, stairs, steps, hills, inclines, potholes, gutters, manholes, and grates....Lets just say that Istanbul is not exactly a heel friendly city. (Note to reader: concider carefully before donning those oh so cute pumps for a night out on the town. A nice pair of fashionably LOW HEELED boots may be a much better decision...an thanks to the open air bazaar I now possess just such an item. cherry red leather. only 20 Lira. Allah I love Turkey! Its amazing how a great pair of boots, a sparkly scarf and the perfect jacket can make a girl feel like a million bucks.
    Friends and family would be happy and shocked to know that I am better dressed then I have ever been. Ever.
     To get back to the aforementioned open air bizarre: visitors and newbies to the city need to know about this. The Bazaar (not the Grand Bazaar) is the best place to find anything from cheap sunglasses, to clothing, to home furnishings, to q tips, to nazar boncugu (evil eye) jewelry. The shop keepers also tend to be friendlier and more fair then the keepers of the Grand Bazaar whom raise the price of their items to twice the Turkish rate if you are American.