Sultanahmet Camii in the Evening

Annnd They're Back!

The students have arrived. My routine is beginning to take shape once again, and this is helpful. I've been having fun creating unique lesson plans that are hopefully exciting and memorable for the students. At times though, I've found myself compromising a full-fledged smile for a stern look and a few moments of unspoken condemnation. In general, however, I'm flattered by the appreciation and warmth shown by my students. They understand that I'm a normal 22 year old, with the same humor and the same exuberance.

Having taken over a few new classes, I've confronted students far behind the class material I taught last semester. It's frustrating mainly because I realize it's no fault of the students. Some of them have simply been left behind by instructors who don't care. I've truly inherited a sense of what it takes to be a good teacher, and for the record, I think I'm a good one.

So much of being an effective teacher is establishing a culture of confidence amongst students. I don't shy away from humor, and I do my best to keep the classroom environment light albeit focused. But enough of that.

While the last number of days were spent in a sort of suppressive haze, birthed from somewhere inside, today was different. The liberating effect of routine kicked in. I donned my new suit, my modern-day suit-of-armor, and tore threw my classes with grace. This weekend, I travel to the most beautiful city in the world to walk along the Bosphorous, smell the salty air, and feel the buzz of the Grand Bazaar, or nighttime in Besiktas, Istiklal, or Beyoglu.

As always, feel free to stay in touch.

Refugee by the Sea (Lake Iznik)

Shenanigans in North-Western Turkey

Before I forget.. my friend from Egypt and I visited Iznik as part of our tour of NorthWestern Anatolia. Iznik, known by Christians as Nicea, was a quiet, subdued town on the edge of a great lake. It was peaceful, insanely historic, and surprisingly close to my very own hometown of Bilecik.

Places like Iznik (Nicea) make Turkey such a treat. Here we find a small Turkish town, devoid of the trappings of touristy glits and glam that come to encompass parts of Istanbul, the Aegean coast, and areas to the Mediterranean South. It was authentically Turkish in its quiet, gentle disposition, only it, as my friend aptly declared "pooped out artifacts" in insane quantity. Not only were we able to enter the Aya Sofya Church, where the ancient Christian Nicean Council essentially established the Christian doctrine, but we walked through passageways and overhangs inscribed with ancient Roman text. We stumbled upon an ancient amphitheater where we found the only other tourists we'd seen all day. It was marvelous.

Besides nearly firebombing my lungs (we smoked cigars on the lakefront), it was a tremendous day and the perfect capstone to a series of adventures. An uncorrupted, small Turkish town of the most incredible historical/religious significance! Who knew? Just another day in Turkey, I guess.

And this time, I'm serious. Goodnight!

Classes begin... sort of...

The week really took it's time coming to end, unfortunately sliding into an even slower, more mundane weekend. After fending of illness, I was excited to begin classes. I looked forward to meeting my new students. Even the classroom changes had me walking with an extra bounce in my step. But alas, while classes have indeed started, the students have not.

It was a long week, then. I would visit my empty classrooms and walk around a bit before walking out the door and back to my office or my flat. I tried to make myself busy by doing taxes, running, hoping from cafe to cafe, or trying to count the dust particles on my shoes. I read online today that Gene Hackman played the voice of Nuclear Man in the 1987 film, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. I also learned that too much incense can cause cancer of the respiratory tract, similarly to too much of anything. I tore through a fair amount of a book I've been reading, and wanted to go exploring Bilecik a bit more, but my legs were drained from the morning run. And left to my own devices, my mind creeps, and slips and slides around, lingering on the bad spots. When I'm bored, I'm bothered, melancholy, and all-together anxious.

So I'm going on a day-trip tomorrow. I'm going to Eskisehir to walk along the canal, relax at Khave Dunyasi, hopefully find a park to look at. Next weekend? Istanbul. I always have things to look forward too, and I'm fortunate for that.

I could be suffering from vacation withdrawal - a very real possibility considering the stimulation, excitement, and insanity of what I've confronted and witnessed this past month. Home was beautiful to see. It was beautiful to see my parents, my beloved dog Otis, and those closest to me. And of course, Cairo.

Or, maybe, it's the empathy I'm feeling for those confronting difficult times and events in their lives. It hasn't been one instance this week of something gone wrong, it's been several, and my heart devotedly extends to the people in my life in tough times. We all go through 'em, that's for certain.

Now it's time for my students to get over whatever's ailing them and show up next week. If you're a student of mine, and you're reading this, come to class. Come to class because I love teaching and I need something to do.

Finally, I've been saving the latest episode of 'MadMen' for tonight. I'm suped. What a show!!

Goodnight all! Stay in touch and keep it real.

As I write this, CNN and all of the major networks are announcing Mubarak's resignation. And despite having been relieved to get out safe and sound, part of me wishes I was back there where the electricity and the promise of change buzzed, sparked, and cracked. Egypt is free!

Demonstrations in Tahrir