Baklava and Supermarkets

So guess what ladies and gentlemen...yesterday was a pretty GOOD day! I haven't written in a while and I don't know where I left off so I'll just put the highlights.


So yesterday was my first (and last for quite some time) day without a kid. DF finally went to school...and stayed there. I got up when A did to ask her to exchange my cash for me. We had talked about me going to a shopping mall to do it and look around...so I could get out of the house basically. But since Df stayed home so much I never got to so at 8:08 I say this to her and she says, "well if you leave with me now Yilmus can drop you off"
"When are you leaving?"
"Ten minutes."
Ugh! She does this to me all the time! The day before she's literally walking out of the door and says, "Ah, you could have gone with me today to the other side"
And I would have loved to but if I'm not informed I can't plan!
So she said if I left now I could be dropped off but not picked up for about three hours. I told her that I wouldn't mind spending a lot of time there but I'd prefer to rest today because it was my first chance in 7 days.
"Ah, I understand" (appreciated) "then we'll just tell Cavit to take you to the supermarket so you can get what you need and I'll exchange your money"
As I handed her my money I told her we'd need to talk soon about my salary and she said it'd be easier to give it to me monthly which I agree with so I'll be getting a lump sum at the end of everymonth. I still need to find out when I'm getting my first one though and I went online and calculated exactly how much that will be with the conversions...just to be safe. And PS...I still don't have my leera back yet! BUT she gave me 50 for the store so I don't think she really has any intentions to screw me over, so no worries. BUT this is when she says, "You need to learn how to use the public bus systems, but I don't know how to teach you...I only know you need to know it."
"Okay..."
"And I can't take you and show you, you know I don't have the time for that."
"Okay..."
"Hmmm, how do foreigners adapt to Istanbul?"
"Well, I wouldn't know. I've never done it."
Are you kidding me?


So she left, Sirin showed me how to do laundry (kind of...it'll take a while to figure it out as it's all in Turkish AND in Celcius degrees) but at least now I have clean clothes! So anyway, at 12 Cavit and I headed to the grocery store! It was all very exciting. He put on an American station in the car and it cracks me up because they are so behind us. "I Will Survive" came on and I sang while he whistled the tune. It was quite fun. So we pulled in to the store and he came in with me and left me to get what I needed but checked up on me periodically. Then he helped me through the ticket line and we were gone...I bought pringles. I NEVER eat Pringles but I saw them and couldn't help myself. So anyway, we were out within 15 minutes I think and we got to the car and there was another supermarket across the street. He asked me if I wanted to go just to see it and I said it was ok because I didn't know what he had to do at the house or for the kids and I didn't want to waste his time. But he took me anyway..."It's really big, you should just see it" (again, when I describe these converstions they are as a imagine them to be supposedly going in my head haha)

So in we went and it was HUGE. They had a book section, appliances, bakery, grocerys, phones, etc. Moments like these are awkward because I don't know if he wants to walk around and I should go off or if he wants me to wait...so I just walked away to get out of the way but I turned around and he was running to catch up with me and he took me around showing me different things. He was showing me some jar with nuts on it and I said "I don't know"
"Turkish Peter Pan" he said with a grin.
Then he took me by the bakery and showed me the Turkish baklava. "It's so good! You have to try some"
So he got the lady to give him a sample which I assumed he was buying because we don't sample things at stores in the states but then he got a different kind for me to try. It was all very confusing because then when he handed me the other one I didn't have anywhere to put the other so I pointed at him, trying to say "Why don't you eat it" but he thought I meant "hold it" so he did while I ate the other and I kept saying, "No I want you to have some too!" so he finally just said (in English) "no problem" and shoved it in his mouth haha. It was all very silly. He asked which one I liked better and I told him and then he bought me a thing of it! I tried to pay for it but he pushed my wallet back in my purse. So then we left with my baklava and he bought himself some cold tea (a big deal) and we were off.


I came back and everyone (Yilmus, Vala, Sirin) was outside drinking tea and smoking. I offered them some pringles and they offered me some cigarettes. Yilmus told me they wanted me to teach them English but we tried and failed miserably. So I offered them some Baklava and Cavit said, "No, that is yours." So I came back in and A called to tell me that Df was coming home with two of her closest friends and she was taking E to the hair dresser so I played on the grand piano downstairs until they got home. It was an easy afternoon because once I gave them their snacks they just watched a movie which i sat through with them until A got home with E and immediately went to play with Eren since he had gotten home earlier. So I hid out in my room until I was called upon and practiced this new Turkish program I downloaded offline. I didn't get to do much but I think it will be helpful. A only called me once to call Sirin on the phone and tell her A wanted her..she told me the Turkish and I did the best I could. I heard her yell up, "That was very good, Caitlin, thank you" and then she turned to her guests and said "She is doing very well!" So then I went and played some Playstation with E until the kids' PIZZA got there. It was Dominos! And I got to eat some! It took all of my retraint not to scarf it down...and Cavit game me iced peach tea! Immediately, I knew the tea and pizza were a bad decision (my stomach alerted me) but it was so worth it :) The pizza was awful...but almost a taste of home nonetheless. A called my cell phone, "I'm sorry I didn't say bye before I left. Did you get some pizza?"
"Yes thank you so much!"
"You're welcome, a little taste of home for you" :)
Then E roped Eren into more playstation until bed time so I just let Eren handle that :) He was awful at it and I eventually kicked him out but it was a nice change nonetheless. Df was unfortunately very moody after her friends left. I went in to tell her she needed to change and she said, "I don't know what change means"
"Df, it's an hour and a half past your bedtime"
"I don't know what hour and a half means"
"Df, come on."
"I don't know what come on means"
"Why are you acting like this?"
"I don't know what why are you acting like this means"
so I tried to set the marker she was holding down and she freaked out just like E does so I just walked out and decided someone else coudl deal with it tonight. If they wanted their kids in bed they shouldn't have the TV outside their room blasting and yelling all over the house. I wouldn't be able to sleep either. But finally...they were in bed by maybe 10:30ish. Then Sirin and Vala came in my room to see if I wanted to come downstairs (I think). Vala straightened up my shoes on the way out which made me laugh. I went downstairs, for the sake of bonding, fixed some tea and Cavit and I spent 2o minutes, a piece of paper, and an English Turkish dictionary translating the sentence "I talk with my friends". After that, I came back up and got to video chat with Elizabeth! It was so exciting! And Mark AND my dad. I also got to Chat with Ryan and David kind of so it was a good day for friends! I stayed up too late but it was worth it. AND I found out Df didn't have volley ball the next day (today) so I didn't have to wake her up at 7:30!


So I slept a pretty good sleep then...miracles of all miracles...E stood at my door at 8:10 (!!!!) and POLITELY said, "Caitlin (he's fixed the pronunciation), will you please get up now?"
"Sure buddy, you want to watch TV?"
"Yes, I already put it on disney! Not 77!" (Because he knows he isn't supposed to watch sports in the morning and it's usually a battle)
"What a good boy! I'll be right there"

So we watched Disney for a while and Df came out about 20 minutes later. She watched TV and E went downstairs to the kitched to watch ligtv which I think is like our ESPN. This weekend is big for futbol...the top four teams are all playing each other so there's coverage all the time. When I went with him, Vala fixed me a waffle! I don't like waffles...but I like that she fixed me one so I ate it! Then what, A had a session so she left pretty early and told me there were no plans today because of futbol. Df had English at 11...her teacher Suzi is British and used to be E's preschool teacher. I decided today I like her a lot. I'll tell you why.


So Suzi came in and Df was already sitting down. "Excuse me!" (said in typical British form...it's not good if you don't picture it) "You're sitting in my chair! The teacher always sits before the student. You'll need to go find your own" to which I didn't hear Df's response but Suzi's answer was "that's because you're so used to people doing things for you" Hmmm. Then she asked to see E's bi-yearly report from his teachers so they all sat together going over it. Sometimes I stand in the door and listen just because I like to hear so much English. Vala brought in some cake and coffee for Suzi and E told Vala something he wanted. "E!" Suzi gasped. "Did you just call her your waitress."
"yes"
"That's not very nice at all."
"It's a joke they have." Df said.
"Well I hope it's a joke. It would make me very sad if it's not."
Then she paused and said "E, I hope you're not forgetting your manners."
"Why?"
"Because, you have to be careful how you talk to those people. They aren't your servants so don't treat them that way."
"Okay."
"Okay."
And now I like her.
While they did their lesson, I got my computer out and E came over so we pulled up the webcam because I know he loves it. We had some fun with that (posted above and below) and I'm baffled by how wonderful he can be when he wants to be...and I was also baffled that "wonderful" had lasted all day so far. I asked God at that moment to give me one whole day of "wonderful" with E, just so I would know it was actually possible. Then he asked me to pull up the video of my nephew Andrew because I had shown it to him once. He loves it! And the one of me ziplining he likes too! How cute is that!


Anyway, after she Suzi, D came out of wherever he had been hiding then we all ate while Df ate upstairs to watch the Cheetah Girl she had missed. I had weinersnitzle (spelled horribly wrong) for the first time! And it was good! So then D and E went downstairs to play Playstation until the game comes on and Df's still up watching TV. So I helped Cavit clear the table then brought my computer up to Df and now here we are. Easy breazy so far. I don't know when A gets home or what the plan is but since it's Saturday I'm sure they'll be going out so I'll have the night to myself to videochat freely! And since it's Saturday I should be able to catch Mom so it's all very exciting!

Anyway, I guess that's all for now. We'll see what the rest of the day brings...let's hope it's all equally positive :)