Monday, November 15, 2010

The Post That Needed a Title

I used to think there was never enough time for anything, but since starting work, there really is no time for anything, not even for all the stuff I have to do at work. I really do intend to keep up the dear blog, but I admit it falls pretty low on the list of things that need doing right away.

So today I have the first real day off in awhile. The boy is having a Man Day at the office with Baba, and there's really nothing that needs my attention. I even watched part of "Breakdance," a movie that is such crap I kind of liked it, though eventually the dialogue just hurt too much. Apparently it was Ice-T's film debut. He was little and skinny, and billed as "Rapper DJ." Indeed.

On the yellow sticky pad program on my computer, I have a long list of blog posts topics that I've been meaning to write. Some are so old I no longer remember what they're about, or I've already done the idea to death in my mind. At first I was planning to do one long post of little ideas, but then I decided to pack as many separate posts as I could into one day and schedule them to go up in the future. I thought that might make me look cooler somehow.

And I noticed a couple of weeks ago that dozens of comments appear to have disappeared from several old posts. I didn't do it, for what it's worth. They're just gone. I looked around on the Blogger forums, mostly for reassurance that this is just Something That Happens. Which it is. I never bothered finding out why, or how to fix it because eventually I just got into reading the forums (which are annoying and crap), then I realized I'd wasted several minutes of my life doing this, and decided to laundry or something.

In unrelated news, this was the first year I really missed Halloween, probably because LE would have liked it so much. He apparently is at the peak time of Cuteness in his life-- right before turning into a weird little 4 year old boy, but still kind of a baby. There's a trash bin near our house that attracts scavenging animals (and people) from far and wide. Sometimes the scavenging kids are cute in a sad and troubling way, but the families of kittens are way cute and much less troubling. The other day I rescued one from a tree (it didn't really need rescuing-- it was just nervous about getting down and its mom was curled up above having a nap, so I decided to give her a break), and its sibling appeared when I set it on the ground. They scampered after us for a little while, and seriously, the cuteness synergy created by LE and two kittens all hopping along was almost enough to make my head explode.

And he got a low-budget Halloween anyway.

Though he wanted to make most of his pumpkins sad.

Nevertheless, they suited his tendency towards the Picasso-esque in his artwork.

Plus he got to wear lipstick, which he's totally into, and because it was Halloween his father hardly grumbled at all about what lipstick on little boys leads to.

Another bit of unrelated news is that last weekend, I had a bacon cheeseburger. It was so freaking good and totally worth the 22 lira. Made my day. Apparently, there's pork scattered all over this town, but they're hiding it among the rich people. Or a certain type of rich people, I should say. I wonder if they actually eat it, or if it's for the foreigners who turn up. Whatever. I'm glad it was there, even if it was just on principle.

The post went long anyway. I'd better start on some others before the menfolk get home.

13 comments:

Nomad said...

http://www.mcphee.com/shop/products/Bacon-Gumballs.html

And imagine your husband's surprise and horror when you plant one with THIS smeared on your pucker. http://www.mcphee.com/shop/products/Bacon-Lip-Balm.html

And finally, if you want to make yourself totally undesirable to a Muslim man, try a long shower with this, http://www.mcphee.com/shop/products/Bacon-Soap.html

Thought you might enjoy those. :)

Stranger said...

Oh, ew. Now I'm not even sure I like bacon anymore.

No, wait. I do still totally love bacon. I don't need to own any of those products, but I get where they're coming from...

Bulent Murtezaoglu said...

Hah, didn't I tell you? I must have -- though you probably knew it already. Yes, if you are willing to and can afford to live in a world where a hamburger costs $15, Istanbul has part of that to offer too. Next step would be putting some staff between you and the state and acting and living as though 70M people don't really exist (there's some change attached to that population figure, that would be your new students and their folks).

Stranger said...

Bülent, the pork for rich people is a beautiful fairy tale I'd only heard about on my former income. I've never even been friends with the sorts of foreigners who get to hang out in such quarters. That class of foreigner generally looks down on us teacher types. Last weekend was the first time I've ever set foot in Bebek.

But don't worry. I'm not bleaching my hair an affecting a nasal accent. I feel an incredible amount of shame for the price of the burger. It's only because it's goodness still lingers in the cockles of my heart that I can live with myself. I don't expect to repeat the experience anytime soon. I'm not yet one of "them."

Still, I bet Jello Biafra would freaking hate me.

Bulent Murtezaoglu said...

I didn't mean to make you feel guilty though I suspect my putting the price down in US$ was probably not all that unintentional.

Are you serious about Bebek? Did it not even occur to you to go there even once? Ortakoy to Sariyer is walkable IMHO (not all at once, perhaps) and not unduly expensive if you stick to cay, tost and durum sold from minibuses. There should be teahouses around Hisar with roughly Beyoglu teahouse prices. (Which is isn't saying much. I paid $1/thimble for tea around Tunel recently. Why? 'Artik boyle oldu abi, kusura bakma.' Basimiza tas yagacak, hell in a handbasket etc. etc. insert more grumpiness here)

Ayak said...

Oh my goodness...a bacon cheeseburger..how wonderful that must have been! I agree with you...I do believe there is pork hidden all over the place...but just for the rich people...which is clearly why I've never found it!

Nice to see you back xx

Unknown said...

Great to see you back too.

The rich foreigners who look down on teachers always reminds me of going to the British Community Council Fete at the Consolate and the look of horror we got from the rich types. I felt like a hell's angel at the balet.

31

Nomad said...

Last year, I went to a picnic with some friends and they were approached by a hunter who had killed a wild boar and was selling it from the back of his truck. My friends- who were from Spain- were planning to have a big BBQ. Personally, I wasn't all that excited due to the possibility of parasites and I have apparently lost my cravings of ham and all pork products.
Except perhaps some sausages. That sagey smell of sausage frying in the pan in the morning. Ah...

Stranger said...

Apparently, I had been to Bebek once before (BE informed me of this), but it was a winter night and I don't really remember. Also, my grandmother had recently died and while we were having tea somewhere, the family phoned from her memorial service and I sat shivering by the seaside talking to each one and feeling really freaking bad I couldn't be there.

So I was a little preoccupied.

The expense wasn't the only thing keeping me from Bebek. It's also that I really had no interest in going. Rich people, overpriced restaurants and cafes, the chance of spotting some TV actor I've never heard of... Not really my thing. I tend to be wary of rich people and their hotspots.

And I'm like toastytoasty (I don't think I'd ever go to a similar function at the American Consulate)-- I could barely deal with the one IWI (International Women of Istanbul) thing I went to. I go somewhere like that and feel like I'm Laverne. Or Shirley. No, Laverne because Shirley was always trying to fit in and land a rich husband. I feel like I'm out of place and everyone knows, and that I'm just there for the food, shoving choice bits into my coat pocket for later. I'm out of place enough in Istanbul without getting looked down on for not being rich or fashionable enough.

It was awfully pretty in Bebek, though. And a bacon cheeseburger once or twice a year is something I think I can live with.

I have a future post on this topic somewhere...

Papa said...

Our sad news is that the old Gray Goose is dead. So sad, in fact, that That Woman Who Lives Here is thinking a drive to Reno for T'giving is just what we need. Reno. Duty free-minus at Costco for 1.75 liters, except (a) you have to drive there, (b) see, um,..., (c) drive back. In the winter. On the warmer side, DO NOT MISS Sarah Palin's "reality" show. God, marvelous! Like Glee for real. See some clips on my FB.

Stranger said...

Oh no! Go tell Aunt Rhody!

There must be other ways to acquire Grey Goose, though I agree with the allure of duty-free...

JP said...

I love your blog.

Anonymous said...

I absolutely love Bebek; and agree with Bulent - that distance is totally 'walkable' :). You should visit Emirgan park(gorgeous place, family oriented, kids friendly ... it is a picnic heaven) and The SSM(Sakip Sabanci Museum - my all time favorite one ... great exhibitions and a grrrreat view:)). More info on the bacon, I heard they sell it at NAAN(a bagel shop in Resitpasa- http://www.naan-bread.com/en/ ... Oh, how i miss a good NY bagel ... will try one .. soon ... i hope...). And about the IWI - there are some stuck up B*****s, yes, ...but I ignore them and enjoy the events I choose to go to. The IWI Xmas Bazaar last week , for example, was great :).