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Tis the season to be crowded.
I went to our mall today with the Anti and the Botanist. The Anti has recently learned to drive a stick shift and was willing to drive us out there. They were going for a movie. I was going for some Christmas shopping. The place was absolutely packed! You'd think it was the last weekend before Christmas. Oh wait... It is! With the holidays fast approaching, everyone was out picking up those last minute stocking stuffers. Or not.
Yesterday was probably the biggest single day in the Islamic year. It's called Kurban Bayram here, the Sacrifice Holiday. Every family buys a sheep and kills it to help them draw closer to God. It's in rememberance of Abraham sacrificing his son on the mountain. Everyone travels home to be with family, sacrifice the sheep, and eat a big meal complete with the freshest of meats. It's a huge holiday and most people had the day off yesterday. Judging by my quick estimate, about half the city had today off too... and they were all at the mall. Add to the mass of people crowding the stores the constant heat that was pumping out of only God knows where (Turks are deathly afraid of the cold.) and the many frustrations that come with living here (examples forthcoming), and I think you can understand why it brought back all the worst memories of holiday shopping.
You check the cheese. I'm going to get some dinner.
With that said, I can remember how difficult it is to shop in America around Christmas time. I remember the long lines, walking for hours in the mall, trying to figure out how much you should spend on someone based on how much you guess they will spend on you, etc. But there are some things which happen in this country that just don't make sense. Even though I understand that these people are extremely busy on days like today, there's just no logic behind it, and that adds to the frustrations of the HOT, crowded mall.
Case #1 I'm trying to return a jacket to the store I bought it in two days ago. The man says that I can exchange it for whatever I want. But I don't want an exchange, I want a refund, I tell him. He goes into a long explanation which, due to my limited knowledge of the Turkish language (esp retail vocabulary), the extremely loud Euro-Pop being played over the speakers, the low roar of the other 1500 people in the shop, and the fact that I am sweating profusely and trying to remember if I wore deodorant or not, I don't understand. I simply ask, "Can't I get a refund?" His simple answer, "No, it's a holiday." I clarify, "So, if I want to buy something, I can. If I want to exchange it for something else, I can. But if I want a refund, I can't have it." "No, the banks are closed. It's a holiday." I glance over and notice that the 12 credit card machines are all working. Yes, he assures me, I can buy anything I want. But I can't have a refund. "Come back Monday," he says. And adds, "Merry Christmas."
Case #2 I go into the supermarket just to get a Coke and something sweet to eat. I find some pretty good little doughnut-esque goodies called "Berliners" and the coldest Coke in the cooler (to offset the 120 degree [Celsius] heat coming from the vents) and head to the row of registers. Just like at Wal-Mart back home, there are numerous lines to choose from, but twice as many lines not open. Why places like this feel the need to have 100 registers and only 8 employees to run them is beyond me. But I spot the express line and jump in line behind two people. The man directly in front of me just has some blank CDs and some sort of electronic wire. But the man in front of him seems to have exceeded the 5 item limit. He looks to have close to 10 things on the belt in front of him. I furrow my brow and wonder if this atrocity will be allowed and as I am trying to put together a mild rebuke in Turkish without coming across too condescending, yet forceful, I notice a young child to my right. The bright eyed youngster is holding, excitedly, two packages of chocolate pudding mix. Dad with double the allowed number of items already waves him in to bring the total up to a cool dozen. Then, as the lady behind the register starts to explain to the man that he can't have that many items, his loving wife shows up with an armful of other assorted goodies. The register lady says what I assume is the required and rehearsed speech in this situation and then proceeds to ring him up like nothing was wrong. I was appalled that a man with close to 20 items would try to check out in the "express" lane, more appalled that the company representative manning the retail goods and services invoice calculating station would allow such a travesty, and even more appalled, flabbergasted, really, that the man would have the nerve to pay for his quadruple the limit purchase with a stinkin credit card.
Case #3 The Anti and the Botanist bought a bunch of groceries at the same time (and went through the appropriate lane). But, for whatever reason, the bar code on the cheese they wanted to buy wasn't recognized by the scanner. So, what to do? Punch it in manually? Trust the consumer to tell you the stated price? Or, wait for five to ten minutes, then call a stocker from the warehouse, wait for him another five or ten minutes, explain to him the problem, send him to find either a new pack of cheese or the proper price, ring up the next three customers, continue to wait, close down your register, leave on your dinner break, and leave the foreigners waiting indefinitely for a strange warehouse worker to come back with the cheese that the foreigners haven't actually paid for yet? If you guessed the last one, you'd be correct. The only positive that came out of that whole deal was that I got to break open the Berliners a little earlier than I would've otherwise.
Me make fire. Me eat meat. Me man.
For all these, and a few other reasons, I really missed the mountains today. Yesterday, my two roommates and I took off for the hills. Since it was a holiday, none of has work to do, nor any family to spend the day with, we decided to do something. I talked them into going into the mountains to find snow to play in. We invited some other men, but in the end, it was just us. I was busy Wed night, so I just set my alarm for 9:30, expecting my roommates to wake me up earlier since, surely, we'd be on the road by then. In actuality, I had to wake up one of my roommates and the other was making himself breakfast when I finally got up. We didn't leave the house until after 10, giving us a short day to work with. But, no worries, we still had a blast in the time we had. The ride up was an adventure in itself. My roommate has a new car (twenty years old, but new to him) and had never driven it outside of the city. In fact, he had never driven any car outside of an urban setting. We might have fish tailed once or twice. We may have drifted dangerously close to the opposite shoulder after a turn or two. Special K may have let out a few of his patented wooooooooow's. But getting there is half the fun, right? It became obvious that the snow was just out of reach after we had been driving for almost 2 hours. I thought we would find it at the top of a pass and when we got there we noticed that the snow was actually on the next set of peaks. We were one valley away. But the roads were all dirt roads already, we didn't really know how to get there, and there was no telling how long it would've taken us to get over to it. So instead, we made a picnic.
We just pulled off the side of the road, parked, and made a fire in someone's plowed field. We made a small fire ring and collected firewood. I explained the basics of fire making to the guys and we lit'er up. All there was to work with was pine, so the fire burned fast and cool and made a lot of smoke. But it was good enough for us to cook some Turkish sausage, peppers, and tomatoes. We cut open some loaves of bread and had us a half meater sandwich (Get it? Half meter, meat. Oh well.). We sat around that fire for the rest of the day. We shared stories from our lives. We discussed what was going on in our lives today. We tried to solve the problems of the local church. We dreamed big dreams about seeing this city and this country reached with the Gospel. We told funny stories and some really personal struggles.
There's just something about sitting around a fire with other men that bonds you to them. I can't think of too many other times and places in life that you would just sit in one place and talk and yet never feel bored. Staring into the flames dancing around. Breaking twigs and feeding them to the fire. Poking at the coals with your stick, which you found and whittled to your own liking. It's nothing special, and yet at the same time, such a magical time. Up there in the peaceful countryside bathed in warm sunshine and being watched over by the majestic mountains, time stood still for a while. We weren't English teachers or Turkish tutors or out of work bums. We weren't the guys in church that everyone just laughs at. We weren't at home alone, bored and lonely. We didn't have to hear about how we were coming up short or what was expected of us next. There were no deadlines, no meetings, no place to be except there. It was wonderful.
Though we never found snow and I never got the solitude I was looking for, getting away with those two guys in that field is a memory that I will always cherish. It was a special time spent with two special men. They are incredible people, living incredible lives here, in an incredible place. As Christmas approaches, things have become extremely busy. I have every day planned until I leave for my long-awaited vacation to Italy (more on that later).
Happy Holidays to all of you! (Even if I don't remember which country you live in.)
I may not get to really take time to post my thoughts again like this, so I want you all to know that even though I miss my friends something terrible at times, I am happy. I am glad to be here and glad to be working, living, and worshipping with the people that I have been given. The family I have been given here (the Vs) can't be replaced. The team I get to work with is a great blessing. The church I get to serve with is truly a small and growing portion of the body of Christ. This Christmas is going to be one of the best ever for me. Though I miss Gouge and Paul. Though I wish I were sitting around Ginger's table. Though I wish I could get the apple and orange and peppermints that my Grandma always put in our stockings. Though I can only imagine how excited my little pup Allie is to get her new bone. Though I won't be listening to Dr. Winburn give one of his classic sermons. Though my Dad will probably still be working on Christmas Day again this year. And though I have yet to sing a Christmas hymn this year, in English, I am excited about the holidays. We have a lot of fun, exciting, and worshipful events coming up in the next few days. I hope and pray that you all have as much fun and laughter as I have over these few days. I hope and pray that you all are blessed and loved as much I as I will be over these next few days. And I hope and pray that you all will see God anew, and worship the Saviour who left His place in the heavens to be born a helpless babe in a dirty manger, as much I believe I will over the next few days.
God bless you all and have a Merry Christmas.
(Pictures from the snow hunt will be coming and I will try to have some holiday pictures to post too, since these pictureless posts are getting old. Also, flabber gasted, separately, is underlined in red as being misspelled. But flabbergasted together seems to be correct, in case you were wondering.)
Friday, December 21, 2007
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Nifty Little Counter, The Cold, Freedom from Stuff
I added this neat little deal on the left hand side to see where all my readers come from. I know that I don't get the traffic that some of my blogging buddies get, but I always wonder who reads my blog and where they come from. I've already had one hit from Malaysia! I can't say that I know who it is off the top of my head (My apologies Malaysia!), so that's exciting.
In other news, it's still cold here. After summer temps lasting through October, it's gotten cold fast. I know, I know. It's winter, it's supposed to be cold. I agree. But up until yesterday, we had had rain every day for the better part of two weeks. I love this type of weather in America. Whenever I walk outside in that cold drizzle with the low clouds and a slight breeze, I can't help but look to the horizon for that group of widgeon (ducks) coming up the river. I have this incredible urge to go stand in knee deep water before daylight and slowly and precisely place the little plastic decoys in their hospitable formation. To see Orion, my only hunting partner on many mornings, holding his post, steadily gazing off to the horizon, looking for that first flock of wood ducks. It really makes me miss the rivers, swamps, and ponds of home. Plus, it's ALWAYS cold here. The concrete houses, tile floors, and lack of good indoor heating means that I am colder inside my house than I am outside of it. A lot of nights I can see my breath as I type out these updates. I'm not really looking for pity, just venting a little.
And lastly, just a few thoughts on stuff. As Christmas approaches, we Americans inevitably think of presents. We do the nice thing and make long lists of things to get others. I enjoy the process of thinking of everyone, trying to decide what they'd really be excited over, and then the search through the narrow streets of downtown and the bright shops at the mall to find that perfect gift. But I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't just as excited about what I'd be getting. Even here, where I've been stripped of most of my most loved hobbies (like duck hunting), I still long for new things. But why, I wonder.
I don't know why I am so hung up on stuff. I know people here that live in one room apartments. Not one bedroom, just one single room. Everything they own can be put in the back of a station wagon. They live happy lives. They lack nothing. Why do I, with all my cool toys and nice clothes, continue to long for new things? Why do I feel the need to have the nicest of this or the newest of that? Even after I find the answer to these questions about myself, I still have to figure out why I judge the people I meet by what they have or what they wear. It frustrates me. I think back to my time at Clemson when, for the most part, I was the poor college kid. I didn't wear trendy clothes. I didn't have a car for a year or so. Yet I didn't really care. I can't remember ever lacking anything or wanting anything that I couldn't have. Where has that attitude gone? Do I feel like I need to look good now that I'm a professional? That may be legitimate to some degree. But why does that same attitude have to set my standards for others? In short, why do I judge my own worth or the worth of those around me by the stuff they own? People are more than the things they have collected. Sadly, considering all that I have and the attitude I have towards it, I may be less.
In other news, it's still cold here. After summer temps lasting through October, it's gotten cold fast. I know, I know. It's winter, it's supposed to be cold. I agree. But up until yesterday, we had had rain every day for the better part of two weeks. I love this type of weather in America. Whenever I walk outside in that cold drizzle with the low clouds and a slight breeze, I can't help but look to the horizon for that group of widgeon (ducks) coming up the river. I have this incredible urge to go stand in knee deep water before daylight and slowly and precisely place the little plastic decoys in their hospitable formation. To see Orion, my only hunting partner on many mornings, holding his post, steadily gazing off to the horizon, looking for that first flock of wood ducks. It really makes me miss the rivers, swamps, and ponds of home. Plus, it's ALWAYS cold here. The concrete houses, tile floors, and lack of good indoor heating means that I am colder inside my house than I am outside of it. A lot of nights I can see my breath as I type out these updates. I'm not really looking for pity, just venting a little.
And lastly, just a few thoughts on stuff. As Christmas approaches, we Americans inevitably think of presents. We do the nice thing and make long lists of things to get others. I enjoy the process of thinking of everyone, trying to decide what they'd really be excited over, and then the search through the narrow streets of downtown and the bright shops at the mall to find that perfect gift. But I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't just as excited about what I'd be getting. Even here, where I've been stripped of most of my most loved hobbies (like duck hunting), I still long for new things. But why, I wonder.
I don't know why I am so hung up on stuff. I know people here that live in one room apartments. Not one bedroom, just one single room. Everything they own can be put in the back of a station wagon. They live happy lives. They lack nothing. Why do I, with all my cool toys and nice clothes, continue to long for new things? Why do I feel the need to have the nicest of this or the newest of that? Even after I find the answer to these questions about myself, I still have to figure out why I judge the people I meet by what they have or what they wear. It frustrates me. I think back to my time at Clemson when, for the most part, I was the poor college kid. I didn't wear trendy clothes. I didn't have a car for a year or so. Yet I didn't really care. I can't remember ever lacking anything or wanting anything that I couldn't have. Where has that attitude gone? Do I feel like I need to look good now that I'm a professional? That may be legitimate to some degree. But why does that same attitude have to set my standards for others? In short, why do I judge my own worth or the worth of those around me by the stuff they own? People are more than the things they have collected. Sadly, considering all that I have and the attitude I have towards it, I may be less.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
God gave you style, he gave you grace.
Lots of things to write about, but they're all jumbled. So here they come.
We had another installment of our Global Cafe last Friday night. It was a smashing success, I thought. We had some fun games planned, but I was a little nervous. They were kind of simple games, but at the same time, I was worried that they may be too advanced for some people. Plus, I was afraid that they may be too childish. But, they turned out to be great. I will admit, I love a good group game. I made another friend in the English teaching department at the university. Hopefully that will develop into something that I can call a friendship and open doors to a new niche for me out there.
That day was one to really remember too. Zach and I had lunch with one of the most interesting people I have ever met in my life. He's a guy that we met through our weekly basketball game. He actually used to play pro ball here in Turkey, but was forced out because he was translating socialist books into Turkish. After that, he went off to Canada for a while. After being fed up with the big city, he made friends with some local native americans and moved in with them. They gave him the name, "Wild Wind from the East" and he loves them dearly. Somewhere in all this, he made some good friends in Cuba too. I'm sure his socialist and atheist beliefs was the common denominator there. Back here in Turkey, he is a lawyer now. He has worked on cases for a local Islamic group as well as for the local Catholic church. He gives a lot of free legal advice, bootleg DVDs, blues remixes, and, as I found out last Friday, free Cuban cigars. He fed us a nice kebap lunch, though he just ate leftover breakfast food. After our kebap, we made our way to his office where he offered us cigarillos from his last trip down to the island. He packed a pipe and we all lit up. He had a lot of business to attend to, so it was mostly Jared and I having nice conversations, but it was a great afternoon.
While we're talking about smoking, let me say that I had the chance to smoke a nargile again this week and it was just as good as I remembered. Such a sweet, mild taste. I love it.
Since Zach and his wife are leaving soon, and going on vacation even sooner, we had a small gift exchange the other night. It was such a fun time to spend with the people who have really become my family over the last few months. It's going to be hard to see them go. But I will always have a part of them here with me.
Especially Zach, since he left me enough clothes for me to postpone washing for a whole week. I doubled the number of t-shirts I own in a week.
I know this is mostly just stuff that I've done, and not what I'm thinking. But I don't know that I'm exactly sure what I'm thinking right now anyways. I need to take a little time and sort through it all. I have a lot of joy in my heart right now. I love this country and this city. I love the people I know here. I am really looking forward to seeing Italy soon (more to come on that). I am ready to meet God all over again.
And I'm late.
We had another installment of our Global Cafe last Friday night. It was a smashing success, I thought. We had some fun games planned, but I was a little nervous. They were kind of simple games, but at the same time, I was worried that they may be too advanced for some people. Plus, I was afraid that they may be too childish. But, they turned out to be great. I will admit, I love a good group game. I made another friend in the English teaching department at the university. Hopefully that will develop into something that I can call a friendship and open doors to a new niche for me out there.
That day was one to really remember too. Zach and I had lunch with one of the most interesting people I have ever met in my life. He's a guy that we met through our weekly basketball game. He actually used to play pro ball here in Turkey, but was forced out because he was translating socialist books into Turkish. After that, he went off to Canada for a while. After being fed up with the big city, he made friends with some local native americans and moved in with them. They gave him the name, "Wild Wind from the East" and he loves them dearly. Somewhere in all this, he made some good friends in Cuba too. I'm sure his socialist and atheist beliefs was the common denominator there. Back here in Turkey, he is a lawyer now. He has worked on cases for a local Islamic group as well as for the local Catholic church. He gives a lot of free legal advice, bootleg DVDs, blues remixes, and, as I found out last Friday, free Cuban cigars. He fed us a nice kebap lunch, though he just ate leftover breakfast food. After our kebap, we made our way to his office where he offered us cigarillos from his last trip down to the island. He packed a pipe and we all lit up. He had a lot of business to attend to, so it was mostly Jared and I having nice conversations, but it was a great afternoon.
While we're talking about smoking, let me say that I had the chance to smoke a nargile again this week and it was just as good as I remembered. Such a sweet, mild taste. I love it.
Since Zach and his wife are leaving soon, and going on vacation even sooner, we had a small gift exchange the other night. It was such a fun time to spend with the people who have really become my family over the last few months. It's going to be hard to see them go. But I will always have a part of them here with me.
Especially Zach, since he left me enough clothes for me to postpone washing for a whole week. I doubled the number of t-shirts I own in a week.
I know this is mostly just stuff that I've done, and not what I'm thinking. But I don't know that I'm exactly sure what I'm thinking right now anyways. I need to take a little time and sort through it all. I have a lot of joy in my heart right now. I love this country and this city. I love the people I know here. I am really looking forward to seeing Italy soon (more to come on that). I am ready to meet God all over again.
And I'm late.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Happy Birthday to Me!
No, I'm not trying to get a second birthday. Gouge already beat me to that trick. I'm just celebrating my "REBirth-day." After a couple years of watching a group of strange high school kids act out their faith, countless hard questions and emotional conversations with a special girl, and reading through the dusty Bible I found in my house, I finally gave my life to Jesus on Dec. 2nd of 1999.
I was driving home from work on interstate 77 in Columbia, SC, just crossing under the Percival Rd. exit sign when the truth of my sin and Christ's redemptive work became real to me. I remember the first words that I really heard from God and the first words God really heard from me. I said, "I'll never get this life right. I can't do this." God said back, "No you can't. Just give it all over to me." The only response I could give was, "You're right. I give it all to you. I can't do this anymore. Not alone."
That's how it started.
Since then it's been a wild and beautiful ride. I've conquered sin and felt conquered by it. I've felt close to God and far from him. I've been a part of great things and been a part of active rebellion. Daily it's a struggle.
We're asked to believe so many contradictions. God chooses us and we choose God. Jesus was fully man and Jesus was fully God. I am a sinner and I am righteous. So many times I feel that one of these "opposites" is pulling me. I think about myself now and it's really easy to see myself as a sinner. There are a lot of times when it is really hard for me to see myself as righteous. In the same way, I hear almost everyday about how Jesus was just a man. And though it is true that he was a man, he wasn't JUST a man. And during this time of year, when my spiritual birthday comes around, I look back on my life and my story. And sometimes I can't draw a clear line between what I chose and what chose me.
But that's what gives me comfort. Knowing that the God I worship is far more wise than I am helps me trust in his perfect plan. I didn't know what that plan was on Dec. 1st, 1999, but I have been learning a little more everyday since. Looking back over my last eight years is a somber and exciting time. Success and failure. Victory and Defeat. Faithfulness and unfaithfulness. The only constant has been the love and grace of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
To him be the glory.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Tarsus, Ultimate, and Don't Close Your Eyes in the Shower
The last tourist stop for my friends was Tarsus. I'll go ahead and say it now, I was tired pretty much the whole time. We had a good time, but it's all a bit fuzzy to me. We, again, left way too early for me. The first stop was the Roman Road. It's a road that has been there for over a thousand years. There have been a few famous people walk along this road throughout history. Here's a short list for you: Marc Antony, Cleopatra, Paul, Barnabas, Myself, Julius Caesar, and anyone else passing between Rome, Istanbul (Constantinople), Anatolia, Galatia, or Cappadocia on their way to Antioch, Jerusalem, Syria, or Jerusalem by land. Pretty impressive. It's a favorite spot of mine because of how quiet it is. It's far away from anything and on top of a good ridge. You can't hear anything from up there. It's very peaceful.
On the road again.
From there it was on to the city of Tarsus. I can't remember what order we hit everything in, since every time I've been there I've taken a different route. But we saw all the following sites.
Cleopatra's Gate
Cleopatra's Gate was built to welcome it's namesake, Cleopatra, to Tarsus. Marc Antony and her met here in 41 BC. Tarsus, like most cities of the time, was surrounded by walls. It had four gates, one to the north, east, and west, and this one, the Sea Gate, to the south. This is the only gate left standing today. Also, at one time it was right on the water, where as today, it's many miles inland.
I wish I had a dollar for every old church turned mosque/museum/pile of rocks that I've seen in this country.
St. Paul's church was once an Armenian church. It was claimed and restored by the Catholic church but the Turkish government later realized that the Catholic church had never held any rights to it. Today, it stands only as a relic of what once was. We stopped here for a quick history of the Christian church in Tarsus which is a pretty somber story.
The curly tailed S should be said with a SH sound. Very important for you to know that in order to understand the humor in this story.
Ulu Camii means Grand Mosque in Turkish. Every city has numerous mosques, but each city also has one that is the greatest and grandest of all. Usually they pick the grand mosque based on which one is the oldest, biggest, or most noteworthy for whatever reason. This one, in Tarsus, has quite a history. It is said to be built on ground where Seth, Adam's son, lived, as well as the same ground where Mohammed's personal "prayer caller" lived. On top of that, it houses the graves of a couple famous locals.
The funny story here has to do with Seth. I was showing these pictures to a Turkish friend of mine a while back. It was before my Turkish had reached it's current level of fluency (beginner-mid anyone?), so we were speaking in a mix of Turkish and English. When I got to this picture my friend asked, "Do you know Şit?" The i makes more of an E sound, meaning that he said something close to "sheet" but also closely resembling other words. I laughed and explained to him what he had said. Then I answered, "No, I don't know şit."
Under a different mosque is, according to local tradition, the grave of the prophet Daniel.
Who would you hire to excavate such a great religious figure's grave? Your cousin, brother-in-law, and the guy that shined your shoes this morning of course!
The small handout we were given says that Daniel came to Tarsus "after a starvation." Not sure where that fits in the whole exile and return to Jerusalem story of the Bible, but it's worth a good laugh. They have finished excavating what they believe to be his tomb, but we may never know. They can't open it to see who it is because the two people who have approached the tomb have both fainted. I wonder what would happen if they were ever able to open it? Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark anyone?
Shahmeran, the Snake... King?
Next we stopped in front of the statue of Shahmeran. This is a local legend that I have yet to get straight. As you can see from the statue, they depict him as a man. The first story I was told was that he fell in love with the daughter of the local king and was killed when he fell in the bath house were she was bathing. This bath house supposedly still has the red spots to prove that his blood was spilled there. However, after doing some research, the most credible story I have found is that Shahmeran should actually be considered the Snake Queen. She is mostly depicted as a half woman, half snake in ancient paintings. She was the goddess of wisdom and of secrets. According to legend, she was found by a man who had fallen in a well. She allowed him to leave on one condition, that he not tell of her location. The man could not keep his mouth shut and the Sultan heard of her location. The Sultan was ill and had been told that the only cure was eating Shahmeran's flesh. The Sultan had the Snake Queen killed and boiled. An evil adviser drank some broth first and was poisoned by his greed and died. The Sultan drank next and was cured of his illness. The man who had found Shahmeran drank last and was given great wisdom and went on to be the Sultan's top adviser.
Make that two dollars in Tarsus alone!
You can just see the edge of it on the right hand side of this picture. Right near the Shahmeran statue is another old church turned mosque. I can think of at least two more in Adana and two more in Istanbul that I've visited just like it. Sad.
The big pile of old rocks in the picture is the remains of an old Turkish bath. It was actually a Roman bath, since Tarsus was governed by Rome at the time and the Turks were still in Central Asia somewhere, but Roman baths have such a bad connotation to them. Turkish baths are much more refined.
What's that? Another Roman road?
Sadly, it seems that the Roman roads around here are in better shape than the modern ones! During my short stint with the Georgia Department of Transportation, I learned that our modern roads don't last very long. Granted, they do have massive cars and trucks driving over them almost constantly. But still, this thing is in great condition hundreds (and possibly at least a thousand) years later.
The story is that they were digging to build a parking garage and unearthed this gem. It's right in the center of the city. It was one of the main roads, this one running east and west, to each city gate. The center road is made of black, volcanic rock, which is very hard, to absorb the punishment of being traveled on. It is arched, to allow rain water to drain off into the ditches to the side. Also, the sewer system under the road is still in use today by some parts of the city. You can't really see in the picture, but behind that tree branch is a market center with granite columns. More than likely they were brought in from far away, since we don't have any granite here, for some special occasion. Also, on some of the stonework, you can see crosses, showing the Christian influence that was once here in the city. The road probably continues on for miles. We'll never know, since we can't relocate the whole city. In a place like Tarsus, if you dig anywhere for long enough, you'll find something ancient.
"They come here for salvation."
That's part of the story Mr. G was telling his tour group. We eventually found out that they were from the local air force base, but not before we got to take some wild guesses about where they were from and whether they knew this dude was full of crap or not. We were at St. Paul's Well. This is an old well in the area of Tarsus that they believe was where Paul lived. Whether it's actually his neighborhood or not, no one can know for sure. But Mr. G, short for the Turkish word for "trust," was anything but trustworthy. He was telling his tour group a bunch of crap about how the water from the well gives salvation to Christians. Ally busted out her Bible and was about to lay the smack down when we finally made contact with someone from the group. She was a nice lady who said she was a believer and knew it was crap, so we felt better about the whole situation.
Nice view from the table.
Next was a lunch stop at the waterfall restaurant. They serve some really good stir fry type stuff that we all really love. It's Ally's favorite dish and this is the best place around to get it. Not only is the food good, but the view is pretty nice too. After filling our stomachs and taking a few pictures at the waterfall, it was time to head home.
We grabbed a "taxi" at the restaurant. Actually I think one of the waiters just yelled at his brother to take us to the train station. On the way, Steve was trying to learn how to blow a bubble inside a bubble with his chewing gum. The pressure was just too much and he ended up shooting his gum into the floorboard. But, no worries, he just picked it up and put it back in his mouth. That's my kind of guy. We had a short wait in the train station before we headed home.
Again, I love this country.
We didn't have many Turks show up to play ultimate that day, but we had enough foreigners to have a good game. We tried a new field which had been lit up the week before, but my attempts to get the lights turned on were unsuccessful. We had a good time though and I think it was good for my local friends to see some girls playing. It's hard to cross that gender boundary in this part of the country. I don't know that we ever will, but maybe now that they've seen that girls can play, and play well I might add, maybe they'll try to recruit some for us.
It was sad to see the group go. Not only was it a nice break from the everyday grind here, but it was very refreshing to have people come in with the energy and excitement they had. They brought a bit of joy with them that really brightened up the place for those few days. It was a great blessing to share life with them, even if it was just for a short while. Thanks for everything and I hope you come again someday!
Changing gears totally, I wanted to share a quick story with you. We don't have a hot water heater in our house. A lot of apartments don't. Instead, they have solar powered water heaters on the roof to provide their hot water. We don't have one of those either. In fact, the only hot water I have in my house is provided by a small little box that is mounted on the wall of our shower. The water goes in cold and comes out in varying degrees of warmth. It's usually very good. There's only one problem with it... it is a major drain on our electrical system. It's such a drain that you can't have anything else running at the same time as it is, or else it will flip the breaker for the whole house!
Case in point: I was enjoying a nice warm shower the other evening. It's been cold here for the past couple weeks and the shower is one of the few places where I can warm up. I was enjoying it so much that I just closed my eyes and let the water run over my head. It was so nice and warm. Then, all of a sudden, it was ICE COLD! I let out a girlish squeal and opened my eyes to find myself in total darkness. After a quick moment of "Oh my gosh, I've been blinded by the cold water," I realized that the breaker had been flipped. I had to dry off and walk all the way out to the stairwell of our building to turn our power back on. What else was pulling the power in our apartment, you ask? Our mini-fridge and two laptops. I might've been charging my cell phone too. I'll have to be sure and unplug that next time.
On the road again.From there it was on to the city of Tarsus. I can't remember what order we hit everything in, since every time I've been there I've taken a different route. But we saw all the following sites.
Cleopatra's Gate was built to welcome it's namesake, Cleopatra, to Tarsus. Marc Antony and her met here in 41 BC. Tarsus, like most cities of the time, was surrounded by walls. It had four gates, one to the north, east, and west, and this one, the Sea Gate, to the south. This is the only gate left standing today. Also, at one time it was right on the water, where as today, it's many miles inland.
St. Paul's church was once an Armenian church. It was claimed and restored by the Catholic church but the Turkish government later realized that the Catholic church had never held any rights to it. Today, it stands only as a relic of what once was. We stopped here for a quick history of the Christian church in Tarsus which is a pretty somber story.
Ulu Camii means Grand Mosque in Turkish. Every city has numerous mosques, but each city also has one that is the greatest and grandest of all. Usually they pick the grand mosque based on which one is the oldest, biggest, or most noteworthy for whatever reason. This one, in Tarsus, has quite a history. It is said to be built on ground where Seth, Adam's son, lived, as well as the same ground where Mohammed's personal "prayer caller" lived. On top of that, it houses the graves of a couple famous locals.
The funny story here has to do with Seth. I was showing these pictures to a Turkish friend of mine a while back. It was before my Turkish had reached it's current level of fluency (beginner-mid anyone?), so we were speaking in a mix of Turkish and English. When I got to this picture my friend asked, "Do you know Şit?" The i makes more of an E sound, meaning that he said something close to "sheet" but also closely resembling other words. I laughed and explained to him what he had said. Then I answered, "No, I don't know şit."
The small handout we were given says that Daniel came to Tarsus "after a starvation." Not sure where that fits in the whole exile and return to Jerusalem story of the Bible, but it's worth a good laugh. They have finished excavating what they believe to be his tomb, but we may never know. They can't open it to see who it is because the two people who have approached the tomb have both fainted. I wonder what would happen if they were ever able to open it? Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark anyone?
Next we stopped in front of the statue of Shahmeran. This is a local legend that I have yet to get straight. As you can see from the statue, they depict him as a man. The first story I was told was that he fell in love with the daughter of the local king and was killed when he fell in the bath house were she was bathing. This bath house supposedly still has the red spots to prove that his blood was spilled there. However, after doing some research, the most credible story I have found is that Shahmeran should actually be considered the Snake Queen. She is mostly depicted as a half woman, half snake in ancient paintings. She was the goddess of wisdom and of secrets. According to legend, she was found by a man who had fallen in a well. She allowed him to leave on one condition, that he not tell of her location. The man could not keep his mouth shut and the Sultan heard of her location. The Sultan was ill and had been told that the only cure was eating Shahmeran's flesh. The Sultan had the Snake Queen killed and boiled. An evil adviser drank some broth first and was poisoned by his greed and died. The Sultan drank next and was cured of his illness. The man who had found Shahmeran drank last and was given great wisdom and went on to be the Sultan's top adviser.
You can just see the edge of it on the right hand side of this picture. Right near the Shahmeran statue is another old church turned mosque. I can think of at least two more in Adana and two more in Istanbul that I've visited just like it. Sad.
The big pile of old rocks in the picture is the remains of an old Turkish bath. It was actually a Roman bath, since Tarsus was governed by Rome at the time and the Turks were still in Central Asia somewhere, but Roman baths have such a bad connotation to them. Turkish baths are much more refined.
Sadly, it seems that the Roman roads around here are in better shape than the modern ones! During my short stint with the Georgia Department of Transportation, I learned that our modern roads don't last very long. Granted, they do have massive cars and trucks driving over them almost constantly. But still, this thing is in great condition hundreds (and possibly at least a thousand) years later.
The story is that they were digging to build a parking garage and unearthed this gem. It's right in the center of the city. It was one of the main roads, this one running east and west, to each city gate. The center road is made of black, volcanic rock, which is very hard, to absorb the punishment of being traveled on. It is arched, to allow rain water to drain off into the ditches to the side. Also, the sewer system under the road is still in use today by some parts of the city. You can't really see in the picture, but behind that tree branch is a market center with granite columns. More than likely they were brought in from far away, since we don't have any granite here, for some special occasion. Also, on some of the stonework, you can see crosses, showing the Christian influence that was once here in the city. The road probably continues on for miles. We'll never know, since we can't relocate the whole city. In a place like Tarsus, if you dig anywhere for long enough, you'll find something ancient.
That's part of the story Mr. G was telling his tour group. We eventually found out that they were from the local air force base, but not before we got to take some wild guesses about where they were from and whether they knew this dude was full of crap or not. We were at St. Paul's Well. This is an old well in the area of Tarsus that they believe was where Paul lived. Whether it's actually his neighborhood or not, no one can know for sure. But Mr. G, short for the Turkish word for "trust," was anything but trustworthy. He was telling his tour group a bunch of crap about how the water from the well gives salvation to Christians. Ally busted out her Bible and was about to lay the smack down when we finally made contact with someone from the group. She was a nice lady who said she was a believer and knew it was crap, so we felt better about the whole situation.
Next was a lunch stop at the waterfall restaurant. They serve some really good stir fry type stuff that we all really love. It's Ally's favorite dish and this is the best place around to get it. Not only is the food good, but the view is pretty nice too. After filling our stomachs and taking a few pictures at the waterfall, it was time to head home.
We grabbed a "taxi" at the restaurant. Actually I think one of the waiters just yelled at his brother to take us to the train station. On the way, Steve was trying to learn how to blow a bubble inside a bubble with his chewing gum. The pressure was just too much and he ended up shooting his gum into the floorboard. But, no worries, he just picked it up and put it back in his mouth. That's my kind of guy. We had a short wait in the train station before we headed home.
We didn't have many Turks show up to play ultimate that day, but we had enough foreigners to have a good game. We tried a new field which had been lit up the week before, but my attempts to get the lights turned on were unsuccessful. We had a good time though and I think it was good for my local friends to see some girls playing. It's hard to cross that gender boundary in this part of the country. I don't know that we ever will, but maybe now that they've seen that girls can play, and play well I might add, maybe they'll try to recruit some for us.
It was sad to see the group go. Not only was it a nice break from the everyday grind here, but it was very refreshing to have people come in with the energy and excitement they had. They brought a bit of joy with them that really brightened up the place for those few days. It was a great blessing to share life with them, even if it was just for a short while. Thanks for everything and I hope you come again someday!
Changing gears totally, I wanted to share a quick story with you. We don't have a hot water heater in our house. A lot of apartments don't. Instead, they have solar powered water heaters on the roof to provide their hot water. We don't have one of those either. In fact, the only hot water I have in my house is provided by a small little box that is mounted on the wall of our shower. The water goes in cold and comes out in varying degrees of warmth. It's usually very good. There's only one problem with it... it is a major drain on our electrical system. It's such a drain that you can't have anything else running at the same time as it is, or else it will flip the breaker for the whole house!
Case in point: I was enjoying a nice warm shower the other evening. It's been cold here for the past couple weeks and the shower is one of the few places where I can warm up. I was enjoying it so much that I just closed my eyes and let the water run over my head. It was so nice and warm. Then, all of a sudden, it was ICE COLD! I let out a girlish squeal and opened my eyes to find myself in total darkness. After a quick moment of "Oh my gosh, I've been blinded by the cold water," I realized that the breaker had been flipped. I had to dry off and walk all the way out to the stairwell of our building to turn our power back on. What else was pulling the power in our apartment, you ask? Our mini-fridge and two laptops. I might've been charging my cell phone too. I'll have to be sure and unplug that next time.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Antioch and Go Tigers
Continuing with the series of stories from the Big City folks coming to the village, let me tell you about our day in Antioch.
We were blessed to have Zach Morris and his family join us on our Antioch voyage. We borrowed the Party Wagon from Papa V and hit the road earlier than any man or woman should ever wake up. It should go unsaid at this point, but yes, believe it or not, we had a blast. The drive down there takes a couple hours, but it was full of good conversation, so it passed quickly. Once we were in Antioch, we had to find our way to our first stop, Seleucia.
The picture doesn't really capture the beauty of the place. The waves were incredible!
You might remember that name, but you probably won't. It's the port that Paul and Barnabas set sail from on the first missionary journey (Acts 13). The port isn't there any more and there isn't even a city there, just a few small villages sprinkled around. But there were some neat ruins.
There we explored Titus Tunnel. This is a tunnel that is dated to at least 79 AD by inscriptions found near it. It bears the name of Titus, Roman emperor who, before he became emperor, was the general who took Jerusalem and silenced the Jewish revolt in the late first century. His father, Vespasian, was the emperor who succeeded Nero, to give you a time frame to go by. This tunnel was worth seeing because it's really big (6 meters high and 6 meters wide) and long (220 meters) and old.
Approaching the tunnel. Even before you got to the actual tunnel, you had to walk through this amazing gorge.
Also of note was a place known as the Necropolis or "City of the Dead." It looked really cool, but the best part was the description on the sign. Read close.
"There are many grave. Yards can be seen."
I love this country.
Yes, that's an Elvis prayer rug in front of the Necropolis. I think it's actually funnier if you don't know the story behind it.
From there it was off to lunch at Liverburger. If you remember my quick description of Liverburger from last time (here, though unnamed), you'll remember that it was supposed to change our lives. Well, this time it was rather unimpressive. First of all, they seemed to have cut back on the mayonnaise a little. I'm not sure if there were some law suits or what that caused that. But probably most important, to me at least, is that they completely remodeled the whole place. Before it was a grungy, college bar-type place with old Coke ads on the walls and wooden furniture. This time it was a bright red and white plastic hell. Atmosphere is so important in a restaurant and they totally ruined it with the renovation. While letting our lunch settle, we strolled by the Orthodox Church.
The church has Peter on one door and Paul on the other as well as above the doors in a painting showing each of them offering the church up to Jesus.
From there it was off to St. Peter's church. My visitors and the Botanist were troopers and braved the tunnels above the church. This is the same place that we almost lost a few team members back in the spring. After crawling through these super short and sometimes pitch black tunnels, you pop out in a well that's probably 20 feet straight up. There's just a few small hand and foot holds on the way up. It's doable, but a bit intimidating for anyone I think. I have to give some major props to Ally for being the first one up (without any help from our Turkish guide that went up before her) and a lot of credit to everyone. Everyone made it up and no one really had any trouble.
Not that great of a picture, I know (but not because of the ladies). I didn't have time to take many since we were on our hands and knees most the way and then hanging on to the slick rock walls for dear life at the end.
After that adventure, we made a pit stop for some kunefe (awesomely sugary desert) that came out warm with a good glass of Arabian tea. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day. The ride back was pretty chill, with some hot jams getting the van jumping from time to time. When we got back to Adana, the two guys made me proud by ordering yet another Adana kebap (their second in three days). They enjoyed their grilled meat perfection while we all watched one of the greatest films of all time... Tombstone.
And before I wrap this up, let me say GO TIGERS!!! I can't believe the score was as close as it was. It seemed like we did everything we could do to lose the game. Despite being able to move the ball almost at will, grabbing turnover after turnover, and blocking two punts, we still had to kick a field goal on the last play of the game to win it. But Buckholz redeemed himself, after missing two field goals earlier in the game, by nailing the game winner. There's no way to describe the joy I get from seeing us beat USuCk. To go into their house and do it makes it even sweeter. To know that it really hurt their bowl standing (and maybe whether they get a bowl at all) is very satisfying. And honestly, the tease we gave them, letting them think they were going to win, though it aged me beyond my years, made the victory all that more sweet for me, and all that more sour for them. Way to go Tigers! 9-3 and looking at a real good bowl and a chance to win 10 games for the first time since 1990. I love Clemson football.
AK80 (Aaron Kelly), who missed the game winner against BC last week, came up huge. His two biggest catches were the 14 yarder on 3rd and 18 and the 12 yarder on the next play, 4th and 4, that set up the game winning field goal.
Speaking of game winning field goals... Mark Buckholz had already missed two very makeable attempts earlier in the game, but came through when it mattered the most.
Enjoy a few more random pictures from our Antioch trip.
Rickety old bridge over the gorge. A truck drove across that old thing as we were approaching.
The Anti posing on the nice bridge over the gorge.
Looking out the mouth of the tunnel.
Well, I am a haus, but...
Almost out.
MC graduate-miş. These are the people I am forced to work with.
Another shot of the Necropolis.
Peter and Paul on the doors of the Orthodox church.
And finally, the streets of Antioch.
We were blessed to have Zach Morris and his family join us on our Antioch voyage. We borrowed the Party Wagon from Papa V and hit the road earlier than any man or woman should ever wake up. It should go unsaid at this point, but yes, believe it or not, we had a blast. The drive down there takes a couple hours, but it was full of good conversation, so it passed quickly. Once we were in Antioch, we had to find our way to our first stop, Seleucia.
You might remember that name, but you probably won't. It's the port that Paul and Barnabas set sail from on the first missionary journey (Acts 13). The port isn't there any more and there isn't even a city there, just a few small villages sprinkled around. But there were some neat ruins.
There we explored Titus Tunnel. This is a tunnel that is dated to at least 79 AD by inscriptions found near it. It bears the name of Titus, Roman emperor who, before he became emperor, was the general who took Jerusalem and silenced the Jewish revolt in the late first century. His father, Vespasian, was the emperor who succeeded Nero, to give you a time frame to go by. This tunnel was worth seeing because it's really big (6 meters high and 6 meters wide) and long (220 meters) and old.
Also of note was a place known as the Necropolis or "City of the Dead." It looked really cool, but the best part was the description on the sign. Read close.
I love this country.
From there it was off to lunch at Liverburger. If you remember my quick description of Liverburger from last time (here, though unnamed), you'll remember that it was supposed to change our lives. Well, this time it was rather unimpressive. First of all, they seemed to have cut back on the mayonnaise a little. I'm not sure if there were some law suits or what that caused that. But probably most important, to me at least, is that they completely remodeled the whole place. Before it was a grungy, college bar-type place with old Coke ads on the walls and wooden furniture. This time it was a bright red and white plastic hell. Atmosphere is so important in a restaurant and they totally ruined it with the renovation. While letting our lunch settle, we strolled by the Orthodox Church.
From there it was off to St. Peter's church. My visitors and the Botanist were troopers and braved the tunnels above the church. This is the same place that we almost lost a few team members back in the spring. After crawling through these super short and sometimes pitch black tunnels, you pop out in a well that's probably 20 feet straight up. There's just a few small hand and foot holds on the way up. It's doable, but a bit intimidating for anyone I think. I have to give some major props to Ally for being the first one up (without any help from our Turkish guide that went up before her) and a lot of credit to everyone. Everyone made it up and no one really had any trouble.
After that adventure, we made a pit stop for some kunefe (awesomely sugary desert) that came out warm with a good glass of Arabian tea. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day. The ride back was pretty chill, with some hot jams getting the van jumping from time to time. When we got back to Adana, the two guys made me proud by ordering yet another Adana kebap (their second in three days). They enjoyed their grilled meat perfection while we all watched one of the greatest films of all time... Tombstone.
And before I wrap this up, let me say GO TIGERS!!! I can't believe the score was as close as it was. It seemed like we did everything we could do to lose the game. Despite being able to move the ball almost at will, grabbing turnover after turnover, and blocking two punts, we still had to kick a field goal on the last play of the game to win it. But Buckholz redeemed himself, after missing two field goals earlier in the game, by nailing the game winner. There's no way to describe the joy I get from seeing us beat USuCk. To go into their house and do it makes it even sweeter. To know that it really hurt their bowl standing (and maybe whether they get a bowl at all) is very satisfying. And honestly, the tease we gave them, letting them think they were going to win, though it aged me beyond my years, made the victory all that more sweet for me, and all that more sour for them. Way to go Tigers! 9-3 and looking at a real good bowl and a chance to win 10 games for the first time since 1990. I love Clemson football.
Enjoy a few more random pictures from our Antioch trip.
Sweet Times with Steve and Ally, Great Birthday, Merry Thanksgiving
The group from Istanbul had to split up on Sunday. The couple that came are not believers and did not want to attend church, so they took off for the coast. They had a nice day visiting the Chasm of Heaven and the Pit of Hell, the Girl Castle, and the great city of Mersin. But, thankfully, Steve and Ally follow Christ and were excited about seeing what church is like down here in the village.
I had had that rough conversation with the White Guy the Friday night prior. That was the background for a rough Sunday for me. The first thing the White Guy said to me when I walked in was, "Welcome Chris, how are your Kurdish friends?" It really caught me off guard and angered me greatly. It was extra hard for me because we stood shoulder to shoulder playing guitar in the worship band. Not only was it hard because I was angry at him and knew the hate in his heart, but I was convicted about how filthy and sinful I am at the same time. I'm tired of being so mediocre. This was what I was thinking about when the pastor asked me some question during the sermon. Of course I was off in la-la-land and looked like an idiot because I had no idea what he was asking. Add to that another awkward Kurdish conversation with the White Guy and the Shark telling me that I look "bigger," and you can understand why I've had better Sundays. Special K wanted to get everybody together at our house, but honestly, I didn't want to be there.
Not with Steve and Ally, but a good pic of the best döner place in the world.
So, Steve, Ally, and myself headed for a little cafe for dinner. We had a pretty average dinner, unfortunately. I was a little disappointed in my cafe there. But what really made the meal was the conversation afterwards. These guys were so gracious to let me blow off a little steam and to really open up and spill what was on my heart, which really wasn't that pretty or encouraging at the time. They were both full of wisdom and grace during the whole conversation. We shared some things from our lives and, to me at least, really seemed to connect. It was a great time to sit around, relax, and have some good, deep, emotional conversation. It was exactly what I wanted and needed. From there, to brighten up the night a little, we headed over to the V house. It's always warm, welcoming, and LOUD there. With four boys in the house, there's always something going on. We had a great time. Unfortunately, Tom Tom got caught by the Yeti and may have gotten a bad case of the cooties. But besides that, it was a wonderful evening.
Thanks to everyone who made this birthday special.
You da man Gouge.
I have to give a shout out to all those that made this birthday really special. I hope I have thanked you all already, but I had to throw this in here. I got a package from my boy Gouge recently and it reminded me again of why I miss that guy so much. He knows exactly how I think. He included an awesome Dave and Tim at Radio City Music Hall DVD, two good, challenging books, a stack of old magazines, a nice pair of wool socks, some tasty candy, and some quality cigars. It was awesome. I really enjoy my Peru pants and picture collection that came all the way from South America. I also really appreciate the entire fall wardrobe I got from my local friends. I don't mean to take away from you guys by saying this. But Robbie Gouge, you did good my friend. It was great to get that package and I miss you something fierce at times bud.
And finally, a great big Merry Thanksgiving! (that's for you Ding Dong) My favorite Ethnographer came over for Thanksgiving this year. Having him around really made for a great holiday. But it wouldn't have been Thanksgiving without the incredible feast the ladies prepared for us! The turkey was great, all the fixins were incredible, and whatever that secret ingredient in the rolls was, it was perfect. I ate till I couldn't eat any more, then we waited for a couple hours, and had desert. I had some amazing apple pie, some tasty and unique pumpkin pie, and a little sliver of chocolatey goodness. Yes, three slices of pie. And since everyone was in the holiday spirit, the Anti-Girlfriend sacrificed some of her Starbucks for us to enjoy. I think I drank 5 cups before it was over with. All in all, it was as good of a Thanksgiving as I've ever had. An abundance of good food, great friends, lots of laughs, and a little splash of American football made for a Thanksgiving to remember.
I had had that rough conversation with the White Guy the Friday night prior. That was the background for a rough Sunday for me. The first thing the White Guy said to me when I walked in was, "Welcome Chris, how are your Kurdish friends?" It really caught me off guard and angered me greatly. It was extra hard for me because we stood shoulder to shoulder playing guitar in the worship band. Not only was it hard because I was angry at him and knew the hate in his heart, but I was convicted about how filthy and sinful I am at the same time. I'm tired of being so mediocre. This was what I was thinking about when the pastor asked me some question during the sermon. Of course I was off in la-la-land and looked like an idiot because I had no idea what he was asking. Add to that another awkward Kurdish conversation with the White Guy and the Shark telling me that I look "bigger," and you can understand why I've had better Sundays. Special K wanted to get everybody together at our house, but honestly, I didn't want to be there.
So, Steve, Ally, and myself headed for a little cafe for dinner. We had a pretty average dinner, unfortunately. I was a little disappointed in my cafe there. But what really made the meal was the conversation afterwards. These guys were so gracious to let me blow off a little steam and to really open up and spill what was on my heart, which really wasn't that pretty or encouraging at the time. They were both full of wisdom and grace during the whole conversation. We shared some things from our lives and, to me at least, really seemed to connect. It was a great time to sit around, relax, and have some good, deep, emotional conversation. It was exactly what I wanted and needed. From there, to brighten up the night a little, we headed over to the V house. It's always warm, welcoming, and LOUD there. With four boys in the house, there's always something going on. We had a great time. Unfortunately, Tom Tom got caught by the Yeti and may have gotten a bad case of the cooties. But besides that, it was a wonderful evening.
You da man Gouge.
I have to give a shout out to all those that made this birthday really special. I hope I have thanked you all already, but I had to throw this in here. I got a package from my boy Gouge recently and it reminded me again of why I miss that guy so much. He knows exactly how I think. He included an awesome Dave and Tim at Radio City Music Hall DVD, two good, challenging books, a stack of old magazines, a nice pair of wool socks, some tasty candy, and some quality cigars. It was awesome. I really enjoy my Peru pants and picture collection that came all the way from South America. I also really appreciate the entire fall wardrobe I got from my local friends. I don't mean to take away from you guys by saying this. But Robbie Gouge, you did good my friend. It was great to get that package and I miss you something fierce at times bud.
And finally, a great big Merry Thanksgiving! (that's for you Ding Dong) My favorite Ethnographer came over for Thanksgiving this year. Having him around really made for a great holiday. But it wouldn't have been Thanksgiving without the incredible feast the ladies prepared for us! The turkey was great, all the fixins were incredible, and whatever that secret ingredient in the rolls was, it was perfect. I ate till I couldn't eat any more, then we waited for a couple hours, and had desert. I had some amazing apple pie, some tasty and unique pumpkin pie, and a little sliver of chocolatey goodness. Yes, three slices of pie. And since everyone was in the holiday spirit, the Anti-Girlfriend sacrificed some of her Starbucks for us to enjoy. I think I drank 5 cups before it was over with. All in all, it was as good of a Thanksgiving as I've ever had. An abundance of good food, great friends, lots of laughs, and a little splash of American football made for a Thanksgiving to remember.
Monday, November 19, 2007
A Team from Istanbul Came to Play Here
That's the explanation one of my Turkish buddies gave to the official at the rec office when he was trying to get the lights turned on for us. With it getting dark around 4:30, we don't have much time to play ultimate anymore. But that's beside the point. The point is, friends from Istanbul came!!!
What a great host! I wasn't at the bus station when they arrived and made them wait as I took pictures from across the street.
Some of the gracious people from Turk Kasi came down for a little Southern hospitality last weekend. They wanted to see some of the sites of the Mediterranean coast and get a taste of why this area is, according to people more qualified than myself, the culinary capital of Turkey.
We took the first day to see the city of Adana. Some great friends were having an open house and we got some good food there before heading out on the town. There's really not a whole lot going on in this town, but I tried to make it as interesting as possible. We saw the Stone Bridge, built by the Romans a long time ago. It's amazingly long for a Roman bridge and is, for the most part, still structurally the same as when it was first built. From the bridge, you can see the new and large mosque and the Hilton, both built by the same man (and both bear his name), which stand opposite each other on the shores of the Seyhan River.
He gives the Adana tour a big, bronze thumbs up!
From there we glimpsed some of old Adana, including the Big Clock, a clocktower built in the 1800s that serves as a symbol for the city. It is ironic to me that this clock would be on the city emblem when it doesn't even keep time correctly anymore. We saw an old church built by the Crusaders that is now a mosque along with the Catholic church in town.
"Old Adana" could use a fresh coat of paint.
We also spent a few minutes in the ethnography museum (which is also an old Crusader church). Unfortunately, I found one more English word that I have a hard time pronouncing. Why exactly do we change pronunciation so much!? (ethnography-ethnographic, or photograph-photography)
The gang checking out old clothes, tools, weapons, and some interesting under garments from days gone by.
But I saved the best stop for last. For dinner, we had an Adana kebap from my favorite new place. For the equivalent of about $6, you get a wide assortment of salads (lettuce salad, tomato salad, cucumber and yogurt salad, raw onions with spice, grilled onions and tomatoes, and fresh mint and parsley), a nice, tall, frosty mug of ayran (think salty buttermilk), and an Adana kebap (which is something that you will just have to taste for yourself). Not only were they blown away by the taste, but coming from Istanbul, the price really just caught them off guard. The place we went to was just your average, run of the mill, kebap place. The price was middle of the road. But a meal of equal taste and quantity would easily cost you twice as much in Istanbul. I was so proud of my city. We found some baklava and made our way back here, to my apartment, for some tea and conversation. It made me so glad to have these friends here, in my apartment, sharing my life. It was nice to relax with some people my age and have some fun. It was a good first day, and things just got better. (More to come...)
Some of the gracious people from Turk Kasi came down for a little Southern hospitality last weekend. They wanted to see some of the sites of the Mediterranean coast and get a taste of why this area is, according to people more qualified than myself, the culinary capital of Turkey.
We took the first day to see the city of Adana. Some great friends were having an open house and we got some good food there before heading out on the town. There's really not a whole lot going on in this town, but I tried to make it as interesting as possible. We saw the Stone Bridge, built by the Romans a long time ago. It's amazingly long for a Roman bridge and is, for the most part, still structurally the same as when it was first built. From the bridge, you can see the new and large mosque and the Hilton, both built by the same man (and both bear his name), which stand opposite each other on the shores of the Seyhan River.
From there we glimpsed some of old Adana, including the Big Clock, a clocktower built in the 1800s that serves as a symbol for the city. It is ironic to me that this clock would be on the city emblem when it doesn't even keep time correctly anymore. We saw an old church built by the Crusaders that is now a mosque along with the Catholic church in town.
We also spent a few minutes in the ethnography museum (which is also an old Crusader church). Unfortunately, I found one more English word that I have a hard time pronouncing. Why exactly do we change pronunciation so much!? (ethnography-ethnographic, or photograph-photography)
But I saved the best stop for last. For dinner, we had an Adana kebap from my favorite new place. For the equivalent of about $6, you get a wide assortment of salads (lettuce salad, tomato salad, cucumber and yogurt salad, raw onions with spice, grilled onions and tomatoes, and fresh mint and parsley), a nice, tall, frosty mug of ayran (think salty buttermilk), and an Adana kebap (which is something that you will just have to taste for yourself). Not only were they blown away by the taste, but coming from Istanbul, the price really just caught them off guard. The place we went to was just your average, run of the mill, kebap place. The price was middle of the road. But a meal of equal taste and quantity would easily cost you twice as much in Istanbul. I was so proud of my city. We found some baklava and made our way back here, to my apartment, for some tea and conversation. It made me so glad to have these friends here, in my apartment, sharing my life. It was nice to relax with some people my age and have some fun. It was a good first day, and things just got better. (More to come...)
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Things I Hate, Tapping my Foot, Closing in on a Championship
If I had to make a quick list, off the top of my head, of the things I hate, it would look like this:
1. Injustice
2. Indecisiveness
3. Rude People (that includes myself)
and tied for fourth, Cold French Fries and Warm Pepsi
Ok, that's just the things I hate at this very moment, but let me explain why this is even on my mind. Friday night, after a wonderful prayer meeting with believers from all over the city, the White Guy came back to my place to eat and chill. Myself, Special K, the Canadian, and the White Guy had a ton of laughs. We talked for a couple hours and never stopped laughing the whole time. That is, until the topic of the Kurds came up. The White Guy has been known to lean towards racism. I have been known to get incredibly angry when confronted with racism. Friday night was no different.
I said a lot of hard and harsh things, none of which I am sorry for. I meant it and I don't think I said anything that couldn't be backed up by scripture. I was angry, but I don't think I let myself fall into sin, despite my anger. But I did tell the White Guy what I thought. I don't think you can continue in that sort of mindset and call yourself a Christian. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness, says 1st John 2:9. Racism is hate. If you won't let go of prejudices based on skin color or ethnic background, then you are going to have a hard time reading the whole book of 1st John. You will never understand how Christ could die for all the world. No people group is inherently better than any other, not even God's own "chosen race," the Jews. Paul opposed Peter to his face, according to Galatians chapter 2, for this very thing. Jew or Gentile, White or Black, Turk or Kurd, we are all sinful, in need of God's grace, unable to acquire it by any good deed of our own, but offered it freely through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is also clearly stated in Galatians 2 and 1st John 2, among a myriad of other places in Scripture.
I went to bed pretty upset that night and the feeling would come back on Sunday when the White Guy's greeting at church was, "Hello, how are your Kurdish friends?" Not a great way to start the day after making a regular butt of yourself just two nights before. It was especially sickening when you consider that not only were we at church, but we were getting ready to lead the church in worship. That's right, me and the White Guy stood shoulder to shoulder, playing guitar, leading the worship service, just a few short minutes after he made such a show of his prejudices. It was hard for me to swallow and lingered with me most of the day after that.
All of us have prejudices. I'm willing to say that most of us are racist to some extent. We judge entire people groups by the small interactions we have with them. I am as guilty as the next man. I pass judgment and talk bad about Turks all the time despite the fact that in my short time here, I have met a small, small fraction of all Turks. We all do it. It's human nature. It's sin nature. As Christians, we must see it for what it is and fight it. We can not passively just let it control our thoughts and attitudes towards others. Growing up in the family that I have, it would be completely normal, natural, and understandable for me to hate blacks. After all the crap I've taken over the past year, the horrible stories I've heard from some dear sisters of mine, and watching three brothers get slain here, it would be really easy to write off all Turks as barbaric. These are easy and natural feelings. We must, as Christians, fight them. We are commanded to love all people. It's not easy nor is it natural, but it is what we are called to. With that in mind, I still love the White Guy, but God knows how angry he made me this past weekend.
Secondly, I'd like to throw some recommendations out there for all of you. I went on a small shopping spree and downloaded some new music over the last week or so and wanted to share what's been on my iTunes a lot lately.
First of all, Michael Buble.
A very cool friend of mine dropped this name to me a while back and I finally got around to trying it for myself. He's a crooner. It's jazzy, big band stuff in the style of Sinatra. It's classic music that really gets you tapping your foot and snapping your fingers. I've had it stuck on my iPod and in my head ever since I downloaded it. Songs to try: Everything, Lost, The Best is Yet to Come.
Secondly, I have found comfort in the sounds of The Fray.
These guys came out back in 2005 and are from the Denver area. Somehow, despite me living within a few miles of where they met and started playing together, I never heard of them until recently. They are a piano based band, which lends itself to a softer sound and more relaxed feel. To my knowledge, they only have one CD out at this point titled "How to Save a Life." If you are just looking for a song or two, try Over My Head (Cable Car) and the title track "How to Save a Life."
And lastly, changing directions totally, I found some smooth jams and some music that really makes you want to get up and dance in the Gorillaz.
The Gorillaz are best known for their extremely strange animated videos and the fact that they are to my knowledge the only "virtual band" to make it in the mainstream. They are not real people, but cartoon people. The music is made by a collaboration of artists under the guise of these cartoon band members. Despite that, or maybe because of that, the music is great. For some good chill music, try Tomorrow Comes Today, 12d3, and New Genious. If you want to get up and dance, try the feel good grooves of Rock the House and (one of my personal favorite songs now) 19-2000 (Soulchild Remix).
And to close things out, let me say that your Clemson Tigers are one win away from going to the ACC Championship Game. We absolutely destroyed Wake Forest this past weekend to set up a winner take all game with Boston College Saturday night.
It's been a long, long time since we have had this type of a game in Clemson. It's in the Valley, at night, on ESPN2, which means it will be rocking. I hope my boys can see this golden opportunity for what it is and not let it slip by. BC is coming off two straight losses and they are in a rut. We, on the other hand, are soaring, playing our best football of the year. Though I have to admit to being a bit hesitant in this prediction (I've seen us come up short one too many times), I am too blindly optimistic at this point to even care really. I'm saying Clemson 41 - BC 16 and we are going to Jacksonville!
1. Injustice
2. Indecisiveness
3. Rude People (that includes myself)
and tied for fourth, Cold French Fries and Warm Pepsi
Ok, that's just the things I hate at this very moment, but let me explain why this is even on my mind. Friday night, after a wonderful prayer meeting with believers from all over the city, the White Guy came back to my place to eat and chill. Myself, Special K, the Canadian, and the White Guy had a ton of laughs. We talked for a couple hours and never stopped laughing the whole time. That is, until the topic of the Kurds came up. The White Guy has been known to lean towards racism. I have been known to get incredibly angry when confronted with racism. Friday night was no different.
I said a lot of hard and harsh things, none of which I am sorry for. I meant it and I don't think I said anything that couldn't be backed up by scripture. I was angry, but I don't think I let myself fall into sin, despite my anger. But I did tell the White Guy what I thought. I don't think you can continue in that sort of mindset and call yourself a Christian. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness, says 1st John 2:9. Racism is hate. If you won't let go of prejudices based on skin color or ethnic background, then you are going to have a hard time reading the whole book of 1st John. You will never understand how Christ could die for all the world. No people group is inherently better than any other, not even God's own "chosen race," the Jews. Paul opposed Peter to his face, according to Galatians chapter 2, for this very thing. Jew or Gentile, White or Black, Turk or Kurd, we are all sinful, in need of God's grace, unable to acquire it by any good deed of our own, but offered it freely through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is also clearly stated in Galatians 2 and 1st John 2, among a myriad of other places in Scripture.
I went to bed pretty upset that night and the feeling would come back on Sunday when the White Guy's greeting at church was, "Hello, how are your Kurdish friends?" Not a great way to start the day after making a regular butt of yourself just two nights before. It was especially sickening when you consider that not only were we at church, but we were getting ready to lead the church in worship. That's right, me and the White Guy stood shoulder to shoulder, playing guitar, leading the worship service, just a few short minutes after he made such a show of his prejudices. It was hard for me to swallow and lingered with me most of the day after that.
All of us have prejudices. I'm willing to say that most of us are racist to some extent. We judge entire people groups by the small interactions we have with them. I am as guilty as the next man. I pass judgment and talk bad about Turks all the time despite the fact that in my short time here, I have met a small, small fraction of all Turks. We all do it. It's human nature. It's sin nature. As Christians, we must see it for what it is and fight it. We can not passively just let it control our thoughts and attitudes towards others. Growing up in the family that I have, it would be completely normal, natural, and understandable for me to hate blacks. After all the crap I've taken over the past year, the horrible stories I've heard from some dear sisters of mine, and watching three brothers get slain here, it would be really easy to write off all Turks as barbaric. These are easy and natural feelings. We must, as Christians, fight them. We are commanded to love all people. It's not easy nor is it natural, but it is what we are called to. With that in mind, I still love the White Guy, but God knows how angry he made me this past weekend.
Secondly, I'd like to throw some recommendations out there for all of you. I went on a small shopping spree and downloaded some new music over the last week or so and wanted to share what's been on my iTunes a lot lately.
First of all, Michael Buble.
A very cool friend of mine dropped this name to me a while back and I finally got around to trying it for myself. He's a crooner. It's jazzy, big band stuff in the style of Sinatra. It's classic music that really gets you tapping your foot and snapping your fingers. I've had it stuck on my iPod and in my head ever since I downloaded it. Songs to try: Everything, Lost, The Best is Yet to Come.
Secondly, I have found comfort in the sounds of The Fray.
These guys came out back in 2005 and are from the Denver area. Somehow, despite me living within a few miles of where they met and started playing together, I never heard of them until recently. They are a piano based band, which lends itself to a softer sound and more relaxed feel. To my knowledge, they only have one CD out at this point titled "How to Save a Life." If you are just looking for a song or two, try Over My Head (Cable Car) and the title track "How to Save a Life."
And lastly, changing directions totally, I found some smooth jams and some music that really makes you want to get up and dance in the Gorillaz.
The Gorillaz are best known for their extremely strange animated videos and the fact that they are to my knowledge the only "virtual band" to make it in the mainstream. They are not real people, but cartoon people. The music is made by a collaboration of artists under the guise of these cartoon band members. Despite that, or maybe because of that, the music is great. For some good chill music, try Tomorrow Comes Today, 12d3, and New Genious. If you want to get up and dance, try the feel good grooves of Rock the House and (one of my personal favorite songs now) 19-2000 (Soulchild Remix).
And to close things out, let me say that your Clemson Tigers are one win away from going to the ACC Championship Game. We absolutely destroyed Wake Forest this past weekend to set up a winner take all game with Boston College Saturday night.
It's been a long, long time since we have had this type of a game in Clemson. It's in the Valley, at night, on ESPN2, which means it will be rocking. I hope my boys can see this golden opportunity for what it is and not let it slip by. BC is coming off two straight losses and they are in a rut. We, on the other hand, are soaring, playing our best football of the year. Though I have to admit to being a bit hesitant in this prediction (I've seen us come up short one too many times), I am too blindly optimistic at this point to even care really. I'm saying Clemson 41 - BC 16 and we are going to Jacksonville!
Monday, November 05, 2007
The Ups and Downs of Life
After my visit to Germany with the Istanbul team, I came back to Adana determined to at least try and get a team of my own together. I love ultimate, I am here for another year, there's a large university just a short bus ride away, it all made sense.
Unfortunately, all of my friends are working people. They can't take off to play frisbee. So the first week back, it was just me and another American throwing the disc. The next week we got a boost when one of the Istanbul players was down and another American showed up. We had two random guys walk up and join us to give us enough for a small game of 3 on 3 hot box. It was fun and it gave me hope that we could build something from that. The next week I got in touch with some Americans I know that are doing some sort of exchange program on campus to see if they had people that'd like to come. Man, did I hit the jackpot! We had close to 20 people show up, with only four of us being foreigners. It was exactly what I was hoping for. Everyone seemed to have a good time and I had hope that maybe they'd keep coming back. Then, this happened.
Over the next weekend, a terrorist group called the PKK attacked and killed a dozen or more Turkish soldiers in the southeastern area of this country. That led to people taking to the streets. They were denouncing terrorism, praising nationalism, and showing their support for the troops that are trying to keep them safe. I can support that. On the other hand, there was a streak of racism throughout some of the protests and a growing feeling of distrust and even hatred towards America, since we were telling Turkey not to pursue the terrorists into Northern Iraq. Those are things that I can't agree with.
We were forced to cancel ultimate due to protests on campus. Obviously, at that point, frisbee was not the most important thing going on. It's just a small picture of how frustrating it is at times to feel like you have something going or find someone you think may be interested in what you have to say, only to have it blow up, turn sour, or be canceled due to a thousand different reasons.
I got to hand the Bartender a New Testament and then I leave for a week and have not talked to him in a month. I find a guy (the Barber) that I really enjoy talking to, is a serious, religious man, and is willing to discuss things in a friendly manner, yet he won't take a Bible at all. I meet a guy to have tea and we do the usual small talk stuff. As soon as the conversation starts to go towards some deeper, more serious issues, the house band decides to start playing. I start teaching English at our church, in support of a local NGO, and then our church leaders decide that it's not safe to have the classes there. I get invited to help lead worship at the church on Sundays and then am forced to sit on the front row and play my guitar sitting down because the pastor is afraid it would make a fuss to have an American up in front of the church during this difficult time.
Just when I think the frisbee game may become a weekly staple, politics postpone it a week. This past week, there were only 5 of us again, 2 Americans, and the 2 original Turks that came with a friend of theirs. Maybe this week we'll get back on the upward swing of things. But even as I type this, rain clouds are gathering. The way things are going, it wouldn't surprise me if we ended our 6 month drought with a deluge that washed out the field before tomorrow afternoon. That's the ups and downs of life in this country.
Unfortunately, all of my friends are working people. They can't take off to play frisbee. So the first week back, it was just me and another American throwing the disc. The next week we got a boost when one of the Istanbul players was down and another American showed up. We had two random guys walk up and join us to give us enough for a small game of 3 on 3 hot box. It was fun and it gave me hope that we could build something from that. The next week I got in touch with some Americans I know that are doing some sort of exchange program on campus to see if they had people that'd like to come. Man, did I hit the jackpot! We had close to 20 people show up, with only four of us being foreigners. It was exactly what I was hoping for. Everyone seemed to have a good time and I had hope that maybe they'd keep coming back. Then, this happened.
Over the next weekend, a terrorist group called the PKK attacked and killed a dozen or more Turkish soldiers in the southeastern area of this country. That led to people taking to the streets. They were denouncing terrorism, praising nationalism, and showing their support for the troops that are trying to keep them safe. I can support that. On the other hand, there was a streak of racism throughout some of the protests and a growing feeling of distrust and even hatred towards America, since we were telling Turkey not to pursue the terrorists into Northern Iraq. Those are things that I can't agree with.
We were forced to cancel ultimate due to protests on campus. Obviously, at that point, frisbee was not the most important thing going on. It's just a small picture of how frustrating it is at times to feel like you have something going or find someone you think may be interested in what you have to say, only to have it blow up, turn sour, or be canceled due to a thousand different reasons.
I got to hand the Bartender a New Testament and then I leave for a week and have not talked to him in a month. I find a guy (the Barber) that I really enjoy talking to, is a serious, religious man, and is willing to discuss things in a friendly manner, yet he won't take a Bible at all. I meet a guy to have tea and we do the usual small talk stuff. As soon as the conversation starts to go towards some deeper, more serious issues, the house band decides to start playing. I start teaching English at our church, in support of a local NGO, and then our church leaders decide that it's not safe to have the classes there. I get invited to help lead worship at the church on Sundays and then am forced to sit on the front row and play my guitar sitting down because the pastor is afraid it would make a fuss to have an American up in front of the church during this difficult time.
Just when I think the frisbee game may become a weekly staple, politics postpone it a week. This past week, there were only 5 of us again, 2 Americans, and the 2 original Turks that came with a friend of theirs. Maybe this week we'll get back on the upward swing of things. But even as I type this, rain clouds are gathering. The way things are going, it wouldn't surprise me if we ended our 6 month drought with a deluge that washed out the field before tomorrow afternoon. That's the ups and downs of life in this country.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Ey Türk Kası, sen çok yaşa...
I made my international debut in Ultimate a few weekends back. A group of mixed foreigners in Istanbul have been playing twice a week for about the past year. It was started and is led by a small group of Americans, but they have drawn a fairly large crowd of Turks and other internationals from the big city. They traveled to their first tournament this past spring. They went all the way to Austria, only won one game, but had a blast doing it. They had so much fun, they decided to enter a tournament in Germany this fall.
That's where I come in. I met some of the players this summer and they mentioned the tournament to me. When it became obvious that the EU and some injuries were depleting the team, I was presented with the opportunity to play with the team in Germany. Of course, I jumped all over the opportunity.
We flew out of Istanbul late one Thursday night/early Friday morning. Everyone was in high spirits, but a delayed flight out of Istanbul bit into the enthusiasm a bit.
A rocky landing woke everyone up when we landed in Frankfurt, but we were all pretty tired. We drove for a few hours to a town called Heidelberg. Heidelberg is famous for being the place where the Heidelberg Confession was written. It has a cute little old town and a fairly well preserved castle overlooking the city. It was our first stop and we took the opportunity to walk through the old town and visit the castle.
It was a great time for team bonding and for disc tossing. For those keeping score at home, I think there were half a dozen buildings hit,
a few road signs,
two parked cars, two moving cars,
one river,
and no tourists hit (though it was close a couple times).
Heidelberg loves a hammer!
From there we drove on to the town we were staying in (I don't remember the name). It was a quaint little German town and we had a wonderful and very gracious host. We had a very good meal of sausage and sauerkraut in a restaurant that just dripped with personality (or sausage grease). Our meal was interrupted by this man though...
He came into the restaurant and sang a little song before going on a monologue in German. Come to find out, he was just giving out the evening news to the local shops. Why he needed a battle axe to do that was beyond me. After a good night's sleep, the tournament started up!
It was a cold, cold morning. Coming from Adana, where the highs are still over 90 some days here in late October, having lows in the single digits (Celsius) was hard to deal with. But all the excitement of finally getting to play some ultimate kept me warm.
Andrew teaching me end zone plays with Oreos.
As did my snazzy ski cap, which bore the marks of good hustle, and thick chalk lines.
You can't teach heart.
We played extremely well, if I can speak for the team. Everyone was hustling and playing smart. Our offense ran smooth, relying on short, precision passes for most of our scores. This was mostly due to the wind we had that first morning and the fact that one of our handlers (me) was very rusty. Though the team played well, I felt like I was out of the flow of the game for most of the day. I was always a step behind on defense, out of position on offense, and my throws just did not do what I wanted them to. But, despite my poor performance, we were 4-0 at the end of the day. Enjoy some pics from day one.
Everyone is cold, but happy.
Our cup resulted in two Callahan's the first day.
Good hands resulted in lots of points.
Rock resulted in the destruction of scissors.
Which led to victory.
Which then led to drinks for all.
Which led to everyone's Türk Kası (Turkish Muscle, aka Beer Belly).
The best part of the weekend was the camaraderie. Not only did our team really bond well, but we bonded with other teams as well. There was a team from Germany made entirely of native English speakers named Mother Tongue that we really hit it off well with. After an emotional feeling circle and throwing down on the dance floor for a while, we all got cleaned up and headed out for a nice dinner of sausage and sauerkraut with Mother Tongue.
You played well today Matt, please don't cry.
Yes, over 30 years later, it's still ELECTRIC!
They should've drank more.
I say that because Mother Tongue was our first game on Sunday. You would've thought we were the ones hung over by the way we played. We got crushed by them, and by the Junior National Team, and by Dreisden. That's right, after going 4-0 on the first day, we got beat pretty soundly by all three opponents on Sunday. We were all very tired, having left it all on the field Saturday. But in our defense, the only three teams that beat us were the #1-#3 teams in the tournament. We played the Junior National Team in the third place game and they came away victorious leaving us in fourth place. 4-4 and taking home 4th place isn't bad considering that most of the team had only been playing for a year and that their last trip to a tournament only resulted in one win. We were a little disappointed, sure. But in the end, we were very happy with how we finished. We played hard, we did our best, and we had a BLAST doing it. The pictures just can't capture the perfect weather, the festive atmosphere, or the incredible bonds that were formed during that weekend... but I'm going to put a few up anyways.
It seems that Dreisden was watching when we ran our cup.
But no cup can stop this.
We'll play anybody, anywhere, anytime.
After another great feeling circle, a shower, we hit the road headed home. We ran into some nasty traffic and had some fun tossing candy to a car-full of Mother Tongue players.
3 out of 4 ain't bad at that speed.
Yes, we lost to them.
We also passed time by playing fun car games. After a weekend being together, having a ton of fun, and toughing out some grueling games, I was not prepared to hear some of the stories that came up (Sorry Ken, but you just don't have the legs to be wearing a dress).
The smiles on our faces cover up the pain in our legs.
We arrived at the airport just in time for me and Ally to sprint through to the check in counter and catch our plane before it took off. Special thanks to the kind Turks (aren't they all) that helped us in the airport. But that was when the greatest tragedy happened. They wouldn't let me bring my twelve pack of Dr. Pepper back with me. So what is there to do?
Here's to you, crappy airplane laws.
Share! They wouldn't let us take it on, so everybody grabbed a can and toasted Germany for such a wonderful weekend.
Crappy airline laws kept the desk worker from enjoying the moment with us.
We made it to the gate just in time to toss the disc around for a few minutes and climb on board. All in all, it was one of the most fun weekends I've had in a long, long time. It was great to meet all the guys and gals from Türk Kası and share the field of Ultimate with them. Friendships were born and memories made that will last a lifetime. Hopefully this is not the last time I get to toss the disc around with the fine folks from Türk Kası!
That's where I come in. I met some of the players this summer and they mentioned the tournament to me. When it became obvious that the EU and some injuries were depleting the team, I was presented with the opportunity to play with the team in Germany. Of course, I jumped all over the opportunity.
We flew out of Istanbul late one Thursday night/early Friday morning. Everyone was in high spirits, but a delayed flight out of Istanbul bit into the enthusiasm a bit.
A rocky landing woke everyone up when we landed in Frankfurt, but we were all pretty tired. We drove for a few hours to a town called Heidelberg. Heidelberg is famous for being the place where the Heidelberg Confession was written. It has a cute little old town and a fairly well preserved castle overlooking the city. It was our first stop and we took the opportunity to walk through the old town and visit the castle.
It was a great time for team bonding and for disc tossing. For those keeping score at home, I think there were half a dozen buildings hit,
a few road signs,
two parked cars, two moving cars,
one river,
and no tourists hit (though it was close a couple times).
Heidelberg loves a hammer!
From there we drove on to the town we were staying in (I don't remember the name). It was a quaint little German town and we had a wonderful and very gracious host. We had a very good meal of sausage and sauerkraut in a restaurant that just dripped with personality (or sausage grease). Our meal was interrupted by this man though...
He came into the restaurant and sang a little song before going on a monologue in German. Come to find out, he was just giving out the evening news to the local shops. Why he needed a battle axe to do that was beyond me. After a good night's sleep, the tournament started up!
It was a cold, cold morning. Coming from Adana, where the highs are still over 90 some days here in late October, having lows in the single digits (Celsius) was hard to deal with. But all the excitement of finally getting to play some ultimate kept me warm.
As did my snazzy ski cap, which bore the marks of good hustle, and thick chalk lines.
We played extremely well, if I can speak for the team. Everyone was hustling and playing smart. Our offense ran smooth, relying on short, precision passes for most of our scores. This was mostly due to the wind we had that first morning and the fact that one of our handlers (me) was very rusty. Though the team played well, I felt like I was out of the flow of the game for most of the day. I was always a step behind on defense, out of position on offense, and my throws just did not do what I wanted them to. But, despite my poor performance, we were 4-0 at the end of the day. Enjoy some pics from day one.
The best part of the weekend was the camaraderie. Not only did our team really bond well, but we bonded with other teams as well. There was a team from Germany made entirely of native English speakers named Mother Tongue that we really hit it off well with. After an emotional feeling circle and throwing down on the dance floor for a while, we all got cleaned up and headed out for a nice dinner of sausage and sauerkraut with Mother Tongue.
I say that because Mother Tongue was our first game on Sunday. You would've thought we were the ones hung over by the way we played. We got crushed by them, and by the Junior National Team, and by Dreisden. That's right, after going 4-0 on the first day, we got beat pretty soundly by all three opponents on Sunday. We were all very tired, having left it all on the field Saturday. But in our defense, the only three teams that beat us were the #1-#3 teams in the tournament. We played the Junior National Team in the third place game and they came away victorious leaving us in fourth place. 4-4 and taking home 4th place isn't bad considering that most of the team had only been playing for a year and that their last trip to a tournament only resulted in one win. We were a little disappointed, sure. But in the end, we were very happy with how we finished. We played hard, we did our best, and we had a BLAST doing it. The pictures just can't capture the perfect weather, the festive atmosphere, or the incredible bonds that were formed during that weekend... but I'm going to put a few up anyways.
After another great feeling circle, a shower, we hit the road headed home. We ran into some nasty traffic and had some fun tossing candy to a car-full of Mother Tongue players.
We also passed time by playing fun car games. After a weekend being together, having a ton of fun, and toughing out some grueling games, I was not prepared to hear some of the stories that came up (Sorry Ken, but you just don't have the legs to be wearing a dress).
We arrived at the airport just in time for me and Ally to sprint through to the check in counter and catch our plane before it took off. Special thanks to the kind Turks (aren't they all) that helped us in the airport. But that was when the greatest tragedy happened. They wouldn't let me bring my twelve pack of Dr. Pepper back with me. So what is there to do?
Share! They wouldn't let us take it on, so everybody grabbed a can and toasted Germany for such a wonderful weekend.
We made it to the gate just in time to toss the disc around for a few minutes and climb on board. All in all, it was one of the most fun weekends I've had in a long, long time. It was great to meet all the guys and gals from Türk Kası and share the field of Ultimate with them. Friendships were born and memories made that will last a lifetime. Hopefully this is not the last time I get to toss the disc around with the fine folks from Türk Kası!
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