Amsterdam

The first thing I noticed about Amsterdam was how it felt to be out of Turkey and somewhere new. I felt vulnerable and strange. But in a good way. Quiet streets! Bicycles! I wonder if everyone in the world could experience a city like this, if cities around the world would suddenly start to improve. Sonia took me from the airport and we went out to a bar with friends right after dropping off my things.

I had set my mental city gauge to 'Copenhagen', but immediately noticed several major differences.
In Amsterdam,
- there is water everywhere
- it seems like every other person is a tourist
- the city is a bit more compact

My first day out, I was handed a map and a bike with the mission of finding Misa so as to say hi and procure my jacket which had been transported from the US. I got lost and the weather was cold, so I stopped inside a coffee shop to warm up, drink a coffee and take a long look at my map. I walked into the shop and then realized what I had walked into. The guy was holding a BUCKET of marijuana. With a friendly smile and an accent reminiscent of that shadowy guy from Spartacus: Blood and Sand, he said "welcome, what would you like?". I said "Actually, just a coffee." With my coffee, I studied the map. I discovered that I was about 2 blocks from my destination. I knew I was close, but I didn't think I was THAT close. I left and found Misa at work. She decided to take the rest of the day off and we got on our bikes.

Misa with her bike, Spartacus:

Misa took me around to some interesting and busy parts of town such as the outdoor market. She had to run a couple errands anyway. The evening we were joined by Robin. First meet-up with Misa and Robin at Gambrinus (one of the most excellent pubs I have ever been in):

Notice how I'm drinking a De Koning (the King) from its special glass. What a delicious ale. The day hadn't yet run out of coolness. Later that evening, Sonia had a really cool surprise planned for me for which I was totally unprepared:

Die Antwoord!!
There are videos on YouTube from the concert that are far better than what I took from where I was. Here are a couple that I found:
Video 1 - Intro and Ninja
Video 2 - In your face, Sail Away and Rich Bitch

The concert was certainly awesome. More than that though, it was such a nice surprise. I don't know what was going through Sonia's head when she bought the tickets, but it was so much fun to be there with her and enjoying the concert. Afterward, we went to one of Sonia's favorite bars, The Last Waterhole. The most notable thing there was that the guitarist of one of the live bands looked just like Patrick Stewart. I tried to get a good picture without seeming creepy, but I think I failed on both counts. So you'll just have to believe me.

The next day, I was running errands with Sonia. When finished, we had a coffee.

I noticed how things were a little busier with it being Friday. In the evening, Sonia had some work to do and I went to meet up with Misa and Robin. I was late getting to their apartment, but we had time for pizza. It was really really good. After dinner we went to go bowling with lots of friends. It was boys vs. girls on two lanes. There was a lot of trash talk and the first round was pretty close, but in the end the guys pulled away with the victory. The second round wasn't close, but to be honest I think the girls were having more fun. The beers kept coming which caused noticeable improvements in some of us and a noticeable handicap in others.

After bowling, we all went to Gambrinus. 

We stayed there a long time.

 

Saturday morning was actually Saturday afternoon. Exiting the apartment at around 2pm, I felt like it was 9am. It was not because of the previous evening's activities... It actually LOOKED like 9am. The sunlight could barely reach the street over the buildings (which were not that tall). The light and everything would make anyone not accustomed to such an extreme latitude guess very wrongly about the time of day. Anyway, Misa, Robin and I went to a Turkish restaurant called Bazar for breakfast. It was a strange experience for me in there. Imagine visiting a living open air museum in the distant future meant to depict the life and time you live in today. The atmosphere and the food was clearly inspired and reminiscent of Turkey, but at the same time was also it's own unique combination of other influences. What I mean to say is that it was all at once quality, enjoyable, interesting, unexpected and yet very familiar. I would go back to that restaurant in the future not in a desperate attempt to relive my experience in Turkey, but rather for it's own original atmosphere, product and presentation. It rocked just to have a hot meal with Misa and Robin after a long night, but for the location it was additionally special.

On the way back we passed a cheese stand in the market.

And as we neared the apartment, there was Gambrinus.

I said goodbye to Misa and Robin. It had been nearly a year and a half since I had last seen them, but Misa and I agreed to see each other again soon. It's much easier to do now that I live a bit closer (about half the distance from Amsterdam that I used to live in the US). As for Robin, he was preparing to move to Thailand for a year. That's where he is now. I was happy to see him and sad to see him go, but I am thankful that we were able to find time to get together on such a crazy weekend, the three of us.

On the ride back to Sonia's, I paused to be a tourist for a moment.

Saturday up to that point had been rather relaxing, but Sonia had some special plans for us in the evening. We went to a friend's place for some Slovak food with Slovak friends.

Food was delicious of course. Friends were fun of course. I was feeling a bit more tired than I would have liked, so I chose to listen to the conversation for long bouts and try to decipher the Slovak when that started flying. I reflected on my trip up to that point and was thinking about how to spend the last day. Anyway, the food kept coming and so did the beer. I wanted to try everything that was offered to me, but I didn't have the Bols.

My last day in Amsterdam was quite a bit different than the others. It was when I had the most time alone with Sonia. We hadn't really had a great chance to talk before then, and it was nice to just have some time away from it all with her. We got on our bikes and rode all over town. We went to the library by the water, and many places in between. It was so cold though! Eventually our tour ended in a Czech pub, but since it was Sunday some Dutch guy was running the place and I was told the atmosphere was not as good as usual. Still, I much enjoyed how the pub staff occasionally brought free hot snacks by the tables. Also, all the Czech paraphernalia covering the walls was interesting to peruse with my gaze. I acknowledged to myself that Prague is very high on my list as a place to visit soon.

On the ride back home, we stopped by a coffee shop to buy a smoke. Erring on the side of caution, we asked for something mild. Back at the house, we watched one of our favorite shows, Coupling, while sampling one of Amsterdam's treasures. Turns out we went too mild and nothing happened. So we ate our munchies and relaxed. It was just as well. Before going to bed, Sonia walked me to where I would take the bus the following morning. I woke up to my alarm at 4:20am, said goodbye to Sonia and began the short trip back to İstanbul.

Some of what went on

The highly anticipated weekend with Stig and Anna was awesome. First let me back up. They got here on Wednesday night which meant a trip to Ataturk airport after work. I already wrote about the welcoming ceremony with the beer, but here's another picture. 

The following morning, I cooked a Turkish kind of breakfast that we enjoyed all together. It was tough to leave for work with guests eager to explore my city back at home. I wanted to take them all around myself. I did the next best thing: I drew a map, handed them an akbil (from "akıllı bilet" = smart ticket = for getting around), and gave them some ideas for where to go. 

 

When I got home, they shared details from the day with me and then we went out for a traditional Turkish dinner at Otantik Anadolu Yemekleri (Authentic Anatolian Foods) on Nail Bey street in Kadıköy. We tried a little of everything including mantı and gözleme. Stig and Anna both really loved the place and mentioned that meal every evening afterward for the rest of the visit. This was pretty much exactly what happened when Hyde was here. It seems like O.A.Y. is the perfect spot for the first dinner when friends visit.

Friday after work I was exhausted, yet I was energized by knowing that 9 days of vacation had just started. Here in Turkey, it's the Holiday of the Slaughter where everyone celebrates Abraham's willingness to murder his kid by slaughtering a sheep. The message I take away from it all? Child murder isn't cool no matter who you think is telling you do it and also don't be a sheep. Maybe question the voices in your head from time to time especially when they start telling you to do absolutely crazy shit. Please people? But you can't really argue with a 9-day holiday.

Anyway, the three of us spent the evening in Taksim. It was so crowded, but we had fun. We joined up with Pınar and went to Nevizade. I knew a place with a view, but it required climbing a lot of stairs. In fact at one point, I heard Stig and Anna laughing about the stairs after maybe the 7th flight. It was pretty funny actually. You think ok this must be the last flight but then around the corner there is another set of stairs waiting. The view was great. Stig and I each grabbed a 70cl beer and played the observation game. That's where you try to guess things about other people, couples, groups at other tables based on their behavior, what's on their table, etc etc. We were in the perfect place for such a game.

From up there we could see dozens of tables below us at restaurants across the street. The people there clueless to the notion that there were others observing them from high above. We took turns describing the scenes we saw. She has a pack of cigarettes but no lighter- social smoker? She asks him for a light, but he gestures that he doesn't have one. What's more, he has no pack of his own and then he reaches for one of her cigarettes. So he rarely smokes and she doesn't know him well enough to know that. She begins to crane her neck for a waiter. The man sees her doing this and holds his hand out as if to say 'I got this' and then raises his hand in the air. A waiter sees. The waiter comes with a lighter. By that time the guy has taken a cigarette. Two social smokers- no tension over the smoking question. Her phone rings, she quickly answers. Who could it be? Wait, her purse and her coat are around her own chair rather than in the chair next to her. What's more the waiter hasn't removed the dining set from that spot. More company is arriving? Sure enough, a few minutes later a young woman arrives. The adventures continued. Stig and I would almost grow fond of certain couples or groups and would be sad when they asked for the check. Anyway, I love that game! It's so mind-stimulating. I found it addicting to watch.

Though Stig and Anna were here just a short time, they got to see many places and experience many of this city's delights. On the last evening together, we were in Ortaköy drinking salep.


It was a nice way to end the visit. We then rode the ferry back together.
 
The following morning, we went for a walk around Moda which is near my apartment. Then we made the long journey to the airport. I thanked them for the visit and they thanked me. They said I am invited to their place for Christmas. Sounds great- I hope it can work.

After leaving the airport, I called Safiye as I was approaching Zeytinburnu. She was around, so I got off the train. We went out for lunchtime drinks in Bakırköy at Mado. It was nice to see her again, but I was so tired and could hardly think of anything else but going home and sleeping. An hour or so later, I went to the docks to catch the fast catamaran ferry back to Asia. However, the ferry to Bostancı was about to leave and I didn't want to wait for the one fo Kadıköy. Twenty-five minutes later in Bostancı, I was walking toward the train station to go to Kadıköy, when I called my friend Batuhan. As I had guessed, he was right nearby at a favorite cafe of his. He was studying some materials for work and was really bored. We drank tea and talked about stuff. Apparently there was no football game for us to play in that evening. Suddenly, Batu looked at me and said "let's go to the Galatasaray game." I checked my cellphone. We would need to hurry.

An hour later we were through the traffic and in Mecidiyeköy at Ali Sami Yen Stadium. The atmosphere there was electric. The game was a few minutes in by the time we got there but still scoreless. We got our tickets, which by the way cost 31 liras. NOTHING in this country costs 31 liras! I don't mean the price is high, I mean when you hand them 40 or 50 liras, you're gonna get a bunch of coins back --and coins are not allowed into the stadium!! I mean GRRRRRRRR. Seriously, when you go out and buy nearly ANYTHING in this country its price is a multiple of 5 liras. I was appalled and severely annoyed. Thanks GS a**holes was a thought that I was surprised to have for the team I've always supported.

I hungrily ate sunflower seeds while I watched Galatasaray struggle to take control of what should have been an easy game. In the end they lost 0-2 to Manisaspor. The packed stadium wasn't having any of it. They yelled for the coach's resignation. Funny, since they sacked the other coach only a month ago. So hasty are these fans, such little patience. The Manisaspor fans had formed themselves into an appropriate '0' shape. Then a really strange thing happened as Galatasaray's own fans were booing them off the field. The lights went out! I'm all for energy conservation but this is just ridiculous. At least let us see our way out. Back to the booing... they're YOUR TEAM! Encourage them. Let them know it's ok and we'll kick the next team's ass. I am really liking this big club scene less and less. I think I will start supporting a 2nd or 3rd tier club to help bereave myself of this nonsense.
Batu and I laughed about the match on the way home. Then we learned that the game was back on. The football game that we were going to play in. I had hardly eaten all day. We grabbed sandwiches as we looked for a bus back to Kadıköy. I was super exhausted and now I was going to play football! Insanity.

The exercise was nice, but after the game I was totally depleted. We lost but by a narrow margin. Frustrating, but that was only appropriate given the Galatasaray match. I went home and slept for a long time.

Stig and Anna

My great friend from Denmark, Stig, and his partner Anna, came to İstanbul to visit for a long weekend. We talked a bunch on the long ride from the airport. It's so cool to have visitors! At home, Stig and Anna extracted from their bags fine Danish beers, chocolates and other gifts. Stıg and I each enjoyed a Julebryg, a famous annual beer in Denmark. I drafted up some plans for them to sight-see while I'm at work these next couple days. It's gonna be awesome. Then there's the weekend. I can hardly wait. Today has been a good day and I am beginning to expect more like this one in the near future.

Avrupa Yakası

I went to the European side for the fırst time in a month. I really felt like a tourists. Look how different everything is here. Wow, a tourist! These were some of the thoughts going through my head as I made my way to Taksim. Once in Taksim, I could see the location where one week ago a crazy guy blew himself up in an attempt to kill police officers. No one died, and recently the organization originally accused for the attack (and the one that the bomber belonged to), claimed that they had nothing to do with it and condemned the events. It's very encouraging that the PKK is taking a more peaceful approach to their opposition to the Turkish government. However, radical offshoots such as the Kurdistan Freedom Fighters, may continue to pose a significant threat. More thoughts as I was walking.

Istiklal Caddesi, Taksim, at sunset.

Then I met up with Nayat. I hadn't seen her in July. What happened? We used to hang out all the time. I guess we both just got swept up in our own lives on our own continents. Anyway, that just left us with more to catch up on.

In Cihangir after tea.

After tea in Cihangir, we went for a drink at a bar in Nevizade. Nayat told me about how she quit her job but then was offered a hefty raise should she rejoin. She did and life went on. Then she started some regular extracurricular activities such as taking a drawing class and also a flamenco class. I told her about my job, Sonia and my plans for the next few months.

I must be explaining something! Not sure what though.

Credit to Nayat for choosing a cool place for us to talk.

Can you tell that it's Carlsberg and not Efes?

After some beer, it was time for me to go to a meeting arranged by WPI for alums and guidance counselors in İstanbul to get together and talk about the school. I walked from Nevizade to Tünel, then across the bridge from Karaköy to Eminönü. I remember listening to Nik og Jay - En Dag Tilbage and thinking about how wonderful the air and the view were. I got to the restaurant where the meeting was to take place. I found Michelle from the admissions department at WPI. We had met once before quite a while ago. We were soon joined by a couple of others. In the end, our group was small, but we enjoyed talking about Turkey, WPI, Turkish students' interest in WPI, WPI's interest in Turkish students, and several other topics. 

I arrived at home late but feeling like I had a good day. It was nice to get out for a change and revisit the European side, though I feel much more comfortable on the Asian side. Another highlight was that I understood most of the Turkish I heard throughout the day. It seems I am absorbing the language a lot for how little I have been studying it. This is encouraging, but really I should resume studying.

For now, I'll resume studying the back of my eyelids before starting a long week of work in the morning. This week is full of goodies though...

Monday: nothing
Tuesday: Going to the Tuesday bazaar to buy some supplies.
Wednesday: Stig and Anna come to visit me from Denmark!!
Thursday: I race home from work to hang out with Stig and Anna!
Friday: I get paid, then run to the bank, then race home to hang out with Stig and Anna!
After Friday: A week of vacation!

More on that week of vacation soon. It's gonna be sweet.

Süper Lig Schedule Toughness So Far

I calculated the relative schedule-toughness of the teams of the Turkish Spor Toto Süper Lig (the primary football league of Turkey). There are 18 teams and each has played just 10 games so far. That means that some have played more of the tougher teams and some have played more weak teams. It's important to consider this when looking at the standings. For instance, you don't want to judge too harshly a team that is under-performing ranking-wise.

To account for this, I added up the total points of all the teams played so far by all the other teams. This was good, but it's not totally fair. For instance, the worst team in the league can only play teams with more points and therefore their total is likely to be higher than otherwise. Similarly, the best team can only play teams with fewer points and therefore that hurts their total. So to each team's total, I added their own points to factor this in. One thing I did not account for was home vs. away games. For instance, it's possible that a team has had more away games against the tougher teams than the easy teams, which would be a big disadvantage. Possibly at the midpoint of the season, I will analyze this.

Once each team has played 17 games, marking the halfway point of the season, their opponent strength ratings as I have calculated them, will all be the same (Since they will all have played the same teams). In the meantime, I am working on a more sophisticated rating system for Süper League to assist in predicting the outcomes more accurately.

ANYWAY... teams who have had the toughest schedule so far: Beşiktaş, Fenerbahçe and Sivasspor. Beşiktaş and Fener are both teams that appear to be doing worse than expectations but perhaps a little pressure should be lifted in light of this revelation. Sivas on the other hand is in the relegation zone. Maybe hope is coming their way? At the bottom of the list, you've got Gaziantep and Bucaspor. Buca is hovering just above the relegation zone, but in light of these calculations, I predict that they will find themselves in 2nd-to-last, while Sivas will climb a few slots by mid-season. Gaziantep is near the middle of the table, but they're going to have a tough time ahead. Three of their next four matches  feature Fener, Antalya, and Trabzon. Good luck!