It's my second full day in Istanbul and so far so good! Except for the fact that I can't seem to shake off my jet lag. I arrived Thursday afternoon and was picked up at the airport by Ergul and her husband (whose name I can pronounce but do not know how to spell).
My plane ride was nothing too exciting. I flew Lufthansa (throwback to my high school Europe trips) and luckily they are all about leaving ON TIME. After surviving the arduous journey to and from Thailand, all other plane rides are a piece of cake; this one was only 6 hours to Frankfurt, that's barely enough time to sleep! I love international flights for the sole reason that they provide free booze; this one even had gin and whiskey! I pondered over ordering a gin and tonic as the guy across the aisle from me did, but realized that with the high altitude I probably shouldn't get shitfaced, so I settled on a wonderful glass of white wine. The plane food was nothing spectacular (although the little salad had TWO grilled shrimps in it!!!). On my way to the bathroom I noticed two woman eating a vegetarian meal that smelled delicious and I cursed myself for not ordering a special meal.
I arrived in Frankfurt at 11:30pm/6:30am and was fortunate enough to go through security AGAIN. Ugh. I was starving and decided to treat myself to a German meal. I settled on a frankfurter, fries, and a bottled water which came out to 17 dollars. Yes, 17 American dollars. Good thing my mom gave me that extra 20 bucks before I left.
In Istanbul, the first thing we did when we got to the house was EAT! Ah, my favorite thing to do. Ergul said to me “ you must eat something before you go and relax!” so I sat down for my first Turkish meal, and boy, was I excited. There was bread, tzatziki sauce, which Turkish people eat in a little bowl next to their plate, and two stews. One was made of minced meat, carrots and peas (delicious), while the other one was made of brussel sprouts and carrots (also delicious). Oh, and olives.
This weekend has been relaxing and my only responsibility has been to get over jet lag, which is easier said then done. I think it would be easier if I had a busy schedule, because there's been nothing to keep me from sleeping a whole lot. Both days I woke up at 4am!
The family seems very nice. The boy I'll be looking after is 7 ½ years old and his name is Bora. He's very sweet and was very comfortable talking to me from the first moment we met. My sole job is to play with him and teach him English. He speaks English pretty fluently and is not shy to ask when he doesn't understand something I say, so I basically just have to continue with his English conversation skills. His English is a thousand times better than my Thai students and I do not have to speak slowly to him. He LOVES to play! I need to work on my 7 year old boy-speak and action noises though. Today we played with action heros and car racing/crashing and I certainly did not bring my A-game. His mom Ergul, is very nice and speaks English fluently as well. The dad has limited English abilities but seems like a nice guy too. There is also a housekeeper/cook who speaks no English, which will give me the motivation I need to learn Turkish (at least basic phrases). Right now we rely on body language.
The family is well-off. Part of this is pretty obvious since they can afford an American nanny. They live in a beautiful 3-floor townhouse in a really nice gated community. Bora's school is inside this community, which also houses a movie theater, golf course, and some sort of recreation center/gym complex. I have my own room with private bath and TV! So far the hardest thing to adjust to is having a housekeeper/cook. It's a strange feeling to be served food in this way and it kind of makes me feel uncomfortable. Like when I come up for breakfast at 10am and she has kept my place setting out along with the butter, jam, and olives, and then comes in to toast my bread. I know it's her job, but I can't help but feel guilty for making her to do something that I am clearly competent enough to do myself.
Other things of note:
-it's rained continually since I got here.
-there is always delicious cheese in the house. This morning there were TWO types of cheeses at breakfast. This is the best thing ever.
-So far all the food I have had has been great. I've had broccoli soup, a chickpea stew/dish thing, and of course, bread, cheese and olives!
-there is always fresh baked goods on the kitchen counter (next to a massive bowl of fruit), along with a sweets cabinet. It's going to take all the strength I have to choose the bowl of fruit instead of the cheesecake/pie delicious treat that is always on the counter. Last night I had two pieces of the pie and it was delicious. I'm pretty sure it's homemade.
-I just helped Bora with his English homework and it was actually a lot of fun. Such a different experience from teaching in Thailand because Bora understands everything that I say!
That's it for now. So far I'm off to a good start!
