Mutlu yıllar!

Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork... After a whistle-stop trip to NYC, I successfully procured a Turkish student visa. It was a race-against-the-clock as I waited impatiently for the necessary forms from Hacettepe Üniversitesi, but in the end it makes for reading that is far less dramatic than the stress the whole process inspired, so I'll spare you the details. Many thanks to Jaime and Jason in Brooklyn and to Joe and Andrea in Queens for helping me out once again with a city that I will always love and likely never be very good at.
2007 was an emotional year filled with school, travel, weddings and funerals. For me, the year ended calmly on the roof of my dear friend Sercan's apartment building, here in the magnificent city of İstanbul. I've been here for the better part of a week now and have little to report on in terms of touristy stuff. My days have been filled mostly by warm reunions with old friends and getting to know some new ones. I'm also trying to improve my Türkçe, all day, everyday, and it's usually more fun than it is frustrating. Winter here is mild compared to the intolerable cold that punishes Upstate New York each year, though it is still winter. Nevertheless, even a bit of cold weather has not darkened my spirits in this fantastic place. I haven't uploaded any new photos yet, but I'll try to do so for the next entry. The picture here of İstanbul shows the impressive Sülemaniye Camii off in the distance, though it does not do justice to its scale. I visited it for the first time a few nights ago. What an amazing thing to behold! Next week will be fılled with sorting the details of my time in Ankara: residency permit (DMV-style fun), housing, getting to know the campuses of Hacettepi Üniversitesi and a bit of Ankara itself. Hope all is well with all of you. Görüşürüz!

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