Alas, I did not take any pictures of this week, and have only now recharged my battery. Atiya and Muhammad Baba took quite a few, and said they would send me some, so I will post a few when I get them, in sha Allah.
Saturday - 11/22
Alhamdulillah, I got to the airport with time to spare. Their Lufthanasa flight was to arrive at 1240 in the afternoon, and I reached at about 1220. I took the Metro to Taksim, then the microbus to Aksaray, and the other Metro all the way to the airport. The trip was about an hour or so, and I was able to sit the whole time, alhamdulillah.
Muhammad Baba and Atiya came out of customs about an hour after the arrival time, so I just hung out a bit. I had a hot chocolate, and just leaned on a pillar in front of the exit area, waiting. I was a bit hungry, haven not eaten breakfast, but I figured I would wait, as we had lunch plans.
As I was waiting, I saw three African Americans walk past security and into the customs/baggage area, just flashing their passports. I would have thought that was crazy, but I had overheard one of them telling an earlier guard that they were there to pick up Mike Tyson, who was coming at 1pm, and that one of the guys was Tyson's brother. I thought that was crazy, but the guards let them past. I guess the one guy was stocky like Tyson, so who knows. It would have been a crazy coincidence, seeing as the only other time I had seen Iron Mike was at a DC area airport. Alas, he didn't show at 1pm, and they headed back out - I don't know what happened.
Anyways, alhamdulillah, Muhammad Baba and Atiya came out without any trouble and we made our way to the taxi stand, as my mom had sent three suitcases (completely unnecessary, but they were pretty much full of clothes to give away). It was great to see them, alhamdulillah - I haven't had much of a social life over here, to put it mildly.
The first taxi we tried could not fit all of the bags, because there was a huge, oversized, unnecessary tire in the trunk. Someone offered to call another, larger vehicle, but I didn't want them to call those shuttles that cost YTL 70. Another taxi driver had a larger vehicle, so we fit in alhamdulillah. He asked me if I wanted to take the regular way, or a way that is 8km longer, but with "no traffic." I opted for the longer way, even though the meters run by distance, hoping to save time, but you really can't give these guys an inch. It took over an hour to get back, and the alternate route had incredible traffic. My guests weren't even able to get a nice view of the city, becuase we were on back routes. The trip cost YTL 50, compared to YTL 30 when I came the first time. Still, better than the shuttles, I guess.
Atiya napped during the trip, but Mobaba and I caught up a bit. We carried the bags up the stairs when we got to the apartment. Muhammad Baba took two suitcases up at once for the challenge of it, but I think he rather regreted it by the end.
I think the place was reasonably well prepared for their visit. Obviously, a hotel would probably have been more comfortable for them in a number of ways (elevator, cleaner, etc.), but alhamdulillah, they were happy enough. It was Atiya's inspection that I was most worried about, but I think the place passed muster.
Atiya and Muhammad Baba brought me a nice gift - a picture frame with several pictures from the wedding for me to rotate periodically and remember home. It was good, since I didn't have anything like this (although some images are still stored in the digital camera). It is still set at a picture of me and Mobaba.
We snacked a bit - cookies, sticks, cheese, and juice. We skipped lunch, as they were still full from several meals on the plane. The cheese was a big hit, alhamdulillah, as were the juices. I sent some cheese back with them. I think Muhammad Baba broke out some brownies my mom had sent as well - he was initially under the impression that the whole suitcase was full of them, but thankfully, there was just one box.
It was wierd - for the first time in two months, there were other people besides me in the apartment, other voices than the TV. For the first time in two months, I led prayer (Asr). A nice pace of change, of course, but a little surreal too.
After the snacks, Muhammad Baba and I went to pray Maghrib at the mosque. He really liked Konyali (which he refers to as Coney Island), and wants to bring something like that to the US (as opposed to my barebones ideas). Certainly, it is beautiful.
Atiya and Muhammad Baba napped a bit before dinner. I cleaned up a bit and waited. At around 615pm or so, I woke them up, so we could eat before the game. We went to Profilo's food court and had some Burger King. It was good, and both Atiya and Muhammad Baba were somewhat impressed by the size and nature of the place, I think. Mobaba changed some money at the Doviz, but I told him to change more money at Ayman doviz later on.
We had felt some rain entering Profilo, and it was raining quite hard when we left. Atiya got an umbrella and we headed to the internet cafe. I was pretty drenched by the time we got there, and I think Mobaba was also quite wet.
Although Mobaba tried to find some online sources of the game, we Skyped with mom, and she put the camera on our little TV back home - the picture was poor quality, but the audio was great. Of course the game was horrible. Next topic.
When we got back, unfortunately, our water supply had stopped. I'm still not sure what the cause is. We ended up going to my office to make use of the running water there. Mobaba and Atiya liked the view, but I was careful to point out that the skyline they saw was just a fraction of a fraction of the city.We didn't stay up too late on Saturday.
Sunday - 11/25
I went and picked up some simit for breakfast. We had it with cheese, honey, and juice. It was quite good, and I think Mobaba might have become addicted to the stuff (sorry Atiya). I might have to bring him a fix of the stuff when I come back in sha Allah.
Alhamdulillah, the water was running in the morning. However, when we tried to plug in a hair drier with a outlet converter we had bought, the apartment's power went out. I couldn't figure out how to turn the circuit breaker back on from the apartment, but alhamdulillah, when I went to the basement, it was clear enough.
After breakfast, we headed down to Topkapi. We took the Metro to the funicular to the tram, so alhamdulillah, Muhammad Baba and Atiya got a good overview of the public transport system. I was using my recently purchased AKBIL (YTL 6), but alas, the discount only works on one person, not all three of us, for connections.
We prayed Zuhr at the Sirkeci mosque near the train station. Some nice brother there who had lived in Germany told us that today was the last day of certain sacred relic exhibits at Topkapi, so it was a good day for us to be visiting. I thought initially it was the whole exibit, which would be a disasterous loss for the museum but it was just some clothing and other items of the Prophet's family - still important, but not everything.
Alhamdulillah, we spent a few hours at Topkapi. Mobaba went and got the tickets (YTL 20 each), and we explored it ourselves, without a guide. We didn't get a chance to go to the Harem area (another YTL 15), since it closed at 3 or 330 or so, but I think by the end, we were tired anyways.
Obviously, the treasures and sights of Topkapi are well documented - we saw just about everything. We had some tea/apple tea and some snacks in a cafe overlooking the Bosphorus (way overpriced place - about 4x too much). I prayed Asr in the complex's mosque.
Alas, we were too late for Dolmabahce, and didn't feel like heading to the Galata tower, so these line items were skipped from the itinerary.
We decided to have dinner at a place near Sirkeci train station, instead of going to the water front or up to Suleymaniye - it was just too cold. The food was quite good - we got a mixed plate of different kebab types, upon the waiter's recommendation. We thought we were getting a good deal - a family platter type thing for YTL 12, but it ended up coming to three times that - they gave us three of the plates, which was the most expensive item. You really can't give these guys an inch. Alhamdulillah, at least it was good. As usual, I drank Ayran, but neither Mobaba or Atiya really developed a taste for the stuff during this trip.I thought we could salvage our trip down to the Eminonu area by a visit to the Spice Bazaar at least, in lieu of the Galata Tower or Dolmabahce, but alas, it was closed.
We took a bus back to the apartment, and Mobaba and Atiya both took a nap. Mobaba only thought it would be 5 minutes of shuteye, but I waited for a bit, and when I heard some snoring, I headed to the office to check my email. It was certainly the jetlag effect making its presence felt. I left my Turkish cell phone with a note for them to text me when they woke up.
They texted me at around 1030 or so when they awoke, when I was on my way back. We ended up heading to starbucks for some hot chocolate and baklava. We stayed until closing (midnight), and then chatted about this and that when we got home for another couple hours. At least it wasn't raining, and and the power was working at this point, alhamdulillah.
Monday - 11/24
Mobaba picked up some borek and simit for breakfast, which we had together. Mobaba and Atiya thought the borek was okay, but it had nothing on the simit and cheese in their opinion.
I went to work and left the AKBIL for transportation and the cell phone for communication. Work was a bit rough because of the late night.
First, Mobaba and Atiya went to pick up the Galatasaray tickets, which had finally gone on sale on Monday. We ended up getting some "seats" in the Galatasaray fan section for YTL 30 a piece. They looked around Cevahir a bit, but not much at this point.
After that, the plan called for Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque in the morning. Alas, Hagia Sophia was closed on Monday. I don't know what is up with these Turkish museums - they have very strange schedules, hours, and pricing schemes. Alhamdulillah, Mobaba and Atiya at least saw the Blue Mosque and liked it very much, although they agree with me about the wires.
They had some Sultanahmet Koftecisi for lunch. They also spent some time walking around the Spice Bazaar and shopping. Atiya really liked the plates that my mom also admires. They were still in that general area (at a Starbucks) when I came down. I left work at 715 or so, and got to Eminonu at 8pm using the Metro/funicular/tram. Alas, there was a bit of confusion on the train, so Mobaba and Atiya were held up a bit near the Blue Mosque. We met at the Yeni/new mosque, and then walked over to the Suleymaniye. Alas, it was rather cold. I was wearing only my suit, as I hadn't had a chance to change, coming straight from work, and would have liked a warm coat.
Alas, the Suleymaniye was closed at this point, but we walked around the complex. We had some fasuliye, which was quite good, alhamdulillah. Then, we headed down to the same downstairs plaza where Omer and I had gone earlier this year. We sat around the fire and had some apple tea. They really enjoyed this. I wish I could come sometime when it wasn't so cold though!We thought we would return on the bus, but after waiting for a few minutes, it appeared as though the buses were done for the day. We went to the Eminonu tram stop, which was rather empty, and went back up the funicular/metro instead.
Tuesday - 11/25
Bad news today at work - alas, my boss back home lost his job. I'm not sure what that will mean for me, but it can't be good, and I only see downside at this point. Khayr in sha Allah. Not much good news coming out of Michigan these days. I sent a letter to hundreds of state senators, representatives, other leaders, analysts, and press to spur thought about my ideas/suggestions for Michigan to help itself. I had been thinking about it for a while, and decided to get people thinking. I drafted the letter, had Zeshaun Ahmad, Aamir, and my mom review it, and sent it out after collecting the contact info. Basically, Michigan should take a stake in the Big 3 (like VW) if the US government is slow to act, and we should also have a gas tax that is used to pay for new jobs. We'll see what happens. So far, not much response, but that might be because of the holiday week.
Again, no joint breakfast, but I think my guests had some Simit and cheese - they really liked that cheese. Mobaba and Atiya decided against Buyukada and went for the Bosphorus cruise instead. They liked it, but didn't feel the need to see the fortress up close. They had Iskender kebab for lunch and enjoyed it quite a bit. After that, I think they checked out the grand bazaar before grabbing some baklava while waiting for the Dervish show. Alas, around this time, the cell phone I had given them was lost, so our communications was rather crippled for the rest of the trip. Alhamdulillah, I don't really need it, and it was not a terrible loss, but it made things a bit more inconvenient. They didn't think the show was too great either, after the first few minutes of spinning.
I had gotten out of work early, so I was at the apartment when Muhammad Baba and Atiya rang the bell (first time I heard that). We decided on pizza for dinner and went to Domino's. We got a couple - one called the Turkish pizza, and I forget the other. They were both good. I told the Domino's staff that the order was for Mehmet Bey - I think they both got a kick out of that.
Alas, Mobaba fell asleep early, so our night was cut short a bit.
Wednesday - 11/26
No joint breakfast today unfortunately, although I think Mobaba and Atiya made it to one of the numerous Simit cafes in the area. Alhamdulillah, things were busy at work, but I was able to take a half day for Thanksgiving at least (I am down to 1.5 personal days left now). I took the brownies in, and everyone liked them. Our Bahrain partner came in to visit - it was nice to see him. I hope he has some work for me soon in the Gulf.
Muhammad Baba and Atiya started the day at the internet cafe - they hadn't been online in a couple of days, and there were some urgent messages that needed to be sent. After that, they went down to see Dolmabahce. Alas, they went the wrong way from Taksim and missed it, going toward Kabatas. Still, they enjoyed a nice walk - the weather was beautiful on Wednesday, alhamdulillah. They also stopped at some five star hotels to ask about Turkey dinners for Thanksgiving, but no such luck. They saw the Hagia Sophia, went back to the Blue Mosque, and did some shopping. They picked up some interesting gifts. They also had lunch on a waterside restaurant - nice view but bad food/service unfortunately.
We had pre-arranged to meet at 730 at the apartment, as our means of communication had been eliminated. I was caught up in a meeting at 730, and headed back home at 740. It was raining and I forgot my umbrella at home, so I briefly considered waiting at the Astoria. Alhamdulillah, there was a lull of merely light rain, so I quickly sped home, but did not find them waiting. I was really worried that they had come and gone. I went up, changed, and then came back down to look for them at nearby cafes. Alhamdulillah, right as I left the building at almost 8pm or so, they came around the corner - I hadn't been too late.
We dried up and recovered a bit, and debated where to eat. Johnny Rocket's was the plan for Thursday's lunch, but we decided to prepone it. We headed out to Cevahir mall in the rain and made it in one piece, although we all took at least a little splash damage, I think. I don't think Muhammad Baba and Atiya were too happy with the walk, but what can you do - taxis aren't really an option since they don't like short distances and are typically full when it rains anyways.
Muhammad Baba and I split the Smokehouse burger. We also had some chili fries. Atiya ordered a salad (Turkish Johnny Rocket's doesn't have the same appeal to her as it does to us). It was all good. I'm glad we split the burger, because I was quite full by the end. Our waiter was a bit confused by our English - some things were lost in translation. Still, he was nice and pleasant, so we left a good tip.
I had discovered some hot chocolate packets in one of the bags my mom sent, so I boiled some water and we had that and some cookies to warm up. There were a lot of different flavors - so far, they have all tasted good.
Everyone stayed up reasonably late today, alhamdulillah, although Mobaba did try to drop off early again. We had a nice discussion anyways about a variety of different issues.
Thursday - 11/27
I wasn't able to eat breakfast again with my guests on Thursday, as I was running late. Work went ok, but was a bit busier than it had been - I had to go back in briefly after lunch, despite the half day. I delayed lunch until Muhammad Baba and Atiya came to the Astoria (they slept in to prepare for the short night and decided against going to Eyup Sultan), so we could have manti together at the smoothie bar. Somehow, they became lost and the 7 minute journey took half an hour, but we fortuitously ran into each other at the elevator. They really liked the manti (if not quite as much as the simit!). They shopped around the mall for a bit while I went back upstairs - Atiya debated buying galoshes do deal with the constant rain. In the end, bags around the socks seemed to be the optimal option instead.
We headed from the mall back to a super market to pickup some things to take home (e.g., cheese, cookies, etc.). Then, we went to my place for a short break, before heading out. We stopped at Starbucks and Gulloglu to pick up some coffee/sweets, then head down to Istiklal street on the Metro. It was already getting dark by this time, but at least it wasn't raining, alhamdulillah. The road had a decent amount of traffic, and I think Muhammad Baba and Atiya liked it. First, we went to a Starbucks to enjoy our spoils. Then, we stopped and prayed maghrib at the large mosque, then headed to Ali Muhideen Haci Bekir to get the Turkish delight. We spent about half an hour there, and received some advice from some German immigrant who hadn't heard about Roland Berger, but really recommended some coconut variety. I bought one kilo of mixed cookies for YTL 20, and then 10 half kilo mixed turkish delight boxes for YTL 10 each. I didn't really allocate the 10 boxes to anyone, but just wanted to send them to my mom to distribute as she saw fit.
At about 6pm, we headed to a KFC we had seen for our Thanksgiving dinner. Instead of basing the meal around a bucket, we took an alternate approach. We each got the same thing - two pieces of chicken, two biscuits, and some mashed potatoes. I had it with Ayran, which was interesting, but it doesn't really go with Thanksgiving. Then again, I am not really sure what our traditional Thanksgiving drink is in our family, come to think of it. I think Popeye's might have had a slight advantage with the corn, but it was decent. It filled us up I guess, although I wanted seconds (at the next door doner place) just for tradition's sake. However, we were running late, so we left Taksim at about 7pm. Thanksgiving was Muhammad Baba's treat - thanks Mehmet!
We got back to Mecidiyekoy at around 730, but we had to go back to the apartment to get the tickets, so by the time we reached the stadium it was 750 or so. There was no time to check out the Galatasaray store ahead of time, though we were afraid it would be closed after. Adil was waiting near the bus stop. We headed toward the game - I will detail the rest in another entry in sha Allah.
After the game, we went to the store, as it was open. The place advertises 40% off, but the jerseys, jackets, and other good stuff is still full price. Muhammad Baba found another outlet branch across the street which was even cheaper, and he ended up getting some stuff there. I will have to come back later and check it out in sha Allah.
We briefly stopped at the office, as Mobaba had to contact home and Farah Auntie in Germany before leaving, and we couldn't find a payphone. I also took the opportunity to bring back the leftover brownies.
After that, we headed back and hung out/rested/chatted a bit before preparing for the early departure.
Friday - 11/28
Muhammad Baba and Atiya's flight was at 530am on Friday, so there wasn't going to be much sleep in any case - they needed to leave around 3-330 or so to reach on time. Still, they both got at least a little shuteye before leaving. After our midnight snack of hot chocolate and cookies, I emptied the three bags mom sent finally, and packed them with various gifts and the things I felt I didn't need anymore. I sent some turkish delight, extra prayer rugs, some clothes, other sweets, towels, cookies, cheese, etc., and that pretty much filled the bags 80% volumewise, if not weightwise. Alhamdulillah, there is a taxi stand just outside my building, so we didn't have to go looking for a cab. Muhammad Baba called one over after we took the bags down, and they were off. It ended up costing YTL 45 I found out later - cabs are more expensive in the evening - but at least they got there in half an hour. As I trudged back up to the apartment, I felt the emptiness right away. My place was no longer bustling - I doubt anyone else will come in now before I leave in a few weeks. It is certainly never good to be alone - I will have to continue to keep busy until I leave, in sha Allah, to fill the gaps.
Work was tough on Friday, seeing as I didn't get much sleep, but alhamdulillah, I didn't doze off, even without caffeine. I was awake enough to see Osmanli Cumhuriyeti in the evening as well.
