Modern Art and Updates

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Yeash, it has been awhile. So for starters, you all haven't missed much. Things have slowed down considerably lately due to high heat, a mid-term exam, and recently being more caught up in little league baseball than the average bear.

However, the other day my roommate and I did go on a grand adventure to the Istanbul Modern Art Museum. This was one of the many times I am grateful for being a student in this country, there are so many discounts! Once we were inside we were greeted with a "plane" emerging from one wall, four glass walls puckered with bullet holes surrounding a staircase in the middle of the room leading to the bottom floor, and a mural of colors that covered a wall completely from floor to ceiling. Now personally I have never been to a modern art museum, let alone a simple art museum, but i have to say that I was genuinely impressed with some of the works. One of my favorites was a hanging light sculpture that displayed an array of colors across the walls. Another of my favorites was a picture of a shark that upon close inspection I found was completely made of clothing tags! It took an entire hour to simply walk around the first floor to see all the paintings, sculptures, and video presentations.

The bottom floor is home to a specific "exhibit" that changes over time. When we were there they had a set-up that was to combine auditory sounds with visual arts. The total vibe though was one of slight creepiness. There was a rock and roll section, a room that was to look exactly like that of a house where a famous Turkish song was written, and then there was a set up of (and I'm not joking) Russian doll tables and little Lego pieces while some kind of opera played in the background. I found it a bit too "modern" for my brain to understand. Overall though it was a really fun afternoon, and afterwards a group of us got together and watched the World Cup at a local restaurant. Yay Germany!

So an update on me and my general state. I just took my mid-term exam Monday, our fan, vanti, overheated last night leaving us with no sort of air conditioning or air flow for the first time in a few weeks, my sleep schedule has completely been thrown out the window, our dorm has ants now, and I'm fairly certain that I may be funding the local grocery store with my frequent visits. The cashier has even taken up trying to speak English with me because he recognizes my face. It's been a long trip and I still have another 29 days to go. Hopefully I will survive them without going completely bonkers.

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