Istanbul

The first day I came to Istanbul I met with my friend's father to discuss my restaurant job. He spoke very little English to me that day, but he said one thing that just freaking stuck: "Istanbul is magic." At that time there was no way I could understand the truth behind those simple words. After 3 months, I can think of no better way to describe this place. This is a city that captures you very quickly and really just won't let go...and you're very glad it doesn't. I'm immensely proud I was able to find my way in this city, and when I mean "my way"...I really mean it.
Without the help and support of my incredible friends I would have been back in Germany 3 weeks in. Without the amazing people that offered me means of making money, and having a blast doing it, I would have been back in Germany 3 weeks in. Without the beauty of this city and the complete brilliance of the cuisine I would have wanted to go back to Germany 3 weeks in. When you sit at home preparing for something like this, you create a general idea of how you want things to go. The reality of it is, imagine your first steps...the rest comes so naturally that it's a force of its own. It drives you, you drive it and things just keep progressing. I know it's not for everyone, but everyone who can imagine themselves doing it, just has to go out and do it...and ASAP! Anything standing in your way can be overcome, any problem involved has a solution. Hell, it's not easy, but hot damn it's fun!
The number one thing I have realized on this trip is that there is nothing more rewarding in life than doing exactly what you want to be doing. This can easily be misconstrued though...I'm not saying go out and always do whatever the hell you want to do. What I mean is that the majority of people spend their lives doing what they "should" be doing, or what others tell them is right for them. Bullshit!! Really think about what you want to be doing, and take all the steps necessary to make that happen. It will take time, big things are processes...but you know that supposed myth "happiness" that everyone keeps talking about...it's real and it's achievable...and it's life on a whole 'nother level!

My family at Cozy Pub

My boys at the Hostel, i.e. my home in Istanbul

Istanbul it was a pleasure, it won't be long till we're reunited. Hadi görüsürüz kardesim! Kuala Lumpur in less than a day...un-freaking-real. Life is damn good. PEACE

One last thing...can you believe that this was my last ferry ride in Istanbul, on my last day in Istanbul. Do endings come better than this?

Istanbul...2 weeks left

The last few weeks I have really been on my Istanbul grind. Basically working this week to earn enough money for next week! The english teaching job took a great turn, resulting in a weeklong intensive course (2 hrs every day)...so that was nice work-wise. Not much work to be done these days at the restaurant, because it's low season for tourists...too hot i guess. These last weeks I have had the feeling of truly living in Istanbul more than ever before. Maybe, because through work I'm forced to travel more around the city. Anyhow, on a cooompletely different note:

Our translator Mehmet on the left, and Moses on the right

I spent a night at a  Turkish police station the other day. The circumstances were crazy and unfortunate, but the experience was a blast. My friend Jett and I were hanging out on a lawn in front of a mall listening to some tunes/watching some South Park clips. A few times a druggie comes over to us and mumbles away. We tell him to leave, he continues mumbling, we tell him to leave again, he leaves, he comes back, mumbles some more, repeat 2 or 3 times. The last time he comes by and sits over by a tree next to us and clearly sniffs something...obviously explaining his current state. Suddenly he comes over to Jett and grabs for his drink, which was in a plastic cup so it shoots up out of the cup and onto his Macbook! That's an expensive piece of equipment, so he calls over security and wants to get the police involved. Next thing we know, we are in a cop car with this druggie in the back yelling and spitting all over the place. We spend the next 4 or so hours (until about 2 AM) at the police station waiting to give our report, waiting for a translator, putting some use to my broken Turkish, hanging out with the cops.

The soap in the bathroom at the station

Eventful day capped off with some drinking just around the corner of the station, which apparently if caught you can get arrested for...oops. I doubt our new friends over at the station would have been able to arrest us though anyway!

On an even more cooompletely different note:

I finally have my own place to call home in Istanbul!! For only about a week though but still! It's the first time I have had all my stuff in one room at the same time in a long while. Normally I kept my big backpack at the hostel and would always repack my little one with what I needed for the week. Now I can throw my stuff all over the room!! It's really central, near Taksim, which is perfect and my flatmate is also from Germany and very cool. 

The first order of business on Sunday was to hit up the weekly market and pick up some food supplies. A kilo of delicious cucumbers or tomatoes for 1 TL, for example!! Unfortunately, I didn't take any pics of the food stalls at the market, but we did pass through a very interesting flea market on the way there. Let me put it this way...there was a small line between trash and things that were for sale!

Anyone need a Michellin doll or an Iron Man with only one arm?

                                     

This kid was making the sales...business man

This was a long post, so for those of you who made it to the end here's a reward. This was on the table in my new room. Turkish fairy tale...