Welcome back, you're homeless!

Arrived back in the Bul on Saturday. Note to self: never fly Delta on international routes and avoid on domestic ones too. Suck it up and pay more for competent staff, newer fleets and leg room.

As always, Istanbul had some surprises in store, with my soon-to-be-ex announcing soon after my arrival that our landlord had insisted he clear the apartment so he could re-rent it immediately, though he had previously said I could stay till the end of the month. So after 4 legs of flying (Asheville-Atlanta, Atlanta-WA, WA-JFK, JFK-Istanbul) and my lack of ability to sleep on planes I got to figure out where I was going to spend my final week and a half here. Nevermind trying to find the stuff that I will need for my trip, which was boxed and distributed between Ev's offices and the flat in Beyoglu.

So here I am at an interesting little establishment in Taksim, waking up to the sound of jackhammers every morning. It's at least a great location, where I can easily reach the various consulates I need for my trip visas. And the court date for the divorce is coming right up on Thursday at a location that is also nearby. After that I will certainly reconsider accommodation options. And if I feel like observing the stream of global life that is Istiklal, all I have to do is walk about 20 steps from the hotel door, and voila!

Yesterday, wandered down to the waterfront at Dolmabahce and just watched all the boats float by. This morning headed out to apply for my Indian visa, or shall I say attempt to apply. That is a story for another day...

Yasu to 2008

Evren and I brought in the new year at a small Greek restaurant in Taksim called Yasu. This cosy establishment is on the 5th floor of the Tomer building. The first thing we noticed as we made our way there were the long line of police tanks by Taksim Square, which I found a bit excessive since the city's New Year's celebrations had been cancelled in Taksim. Upon entering Yasu, I noticed the Christmasy tinsel hanging from the ceiling along with Christmas ornaments, an example of the amusing fusion of Western holidays by Turks. The meal was excellent, with the main course being perfectly done turkey (making up for the turkey I didn't get at Thanksgiving) and a pilaf with chesnuts. Our table had a great view of the Bosporus and Sultanahmet and two different bands spangled the night with Turkish and Greek music. At midnight, I was able to see at least five different fireworks displays going off simultaneously.

After Yasu, we headed to Egemen's house on the Asian side of Istanbul. I was surprised at how open traffic was on the bridge. We arrived and were quickly met with tequila shots, which kept coming through the wee hours of the morning. Because I had started with white wine earlier and continued to drink beer in between shots, I thought I would be hurting today, not a good thing since I have to work. But surprise, I woke with a clear head, and of course, an exhausted body. So in one last toast, here's to 2008!