u da one

Hello from Istanbul
I cannot escape Rihanna. And I don't know how to put up pictures.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=u+da+one+rihanna&oq=u+da+&aq=0&aqi=g4&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=469917l470334l0l471883l5l4l0l0l0l0l189l574l0.4l4l0

 It has been two weeks exactly since I arrived in Turkey and realized that my bag had not arrived with me! Fortunately, it was recovered within a few jet lagged, confusing, and overwhelming days in Istanbul. Following our short and freeeeeezing cold stay in Istanbul myself, and my roommates from Ottawa, Evie and Willow, took a 12 hour overnight bus to Antalya. Which is about 800km South of Istanbul on the Mediterranean sea. the next ten or 11 days were spent on the mediterranean. From Antalya we made our way on buses to Kas, Olympos and Fethiye before heading back to Istanbul on another, but restful, overnight bus.

We decided to try our luck with couchsurfing in Antalya and somehow managed the kindest most gentlemenly men I've ever met. Our hosts picked us up from the bus staion and would procede to feed us homemade breakfast and dinner...*it appears there are just two general meals that people eat* also I can't figure out how to use brackets, every night that we stayed there. We went to see some wack Roman ruins, took a sweet boat ride, and learned more about Turkish and Kurdish culture than the rest of the trip combined. Hospitality is a reallllllllly big deal here, and when you are guests at other peoples homes they go WAY WAY WAY out of their way to make sure you are well fed and well rested.

We went to a rock bar in Antalya where I was stoked to hear a cover of Psycho Killer by the Talking Heads and Gogol Bordello's, Start Wearing Purple, and well as many covers of Turkeys famousish grungeish band
Duman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V47nffPavWI&feature=related
I have no idea if this link will work or, what I did. But this song Seni Kendime Sakladim roughly translates using google to I hid myself. 



More, later

Larissa








  

11:11, 23:11 or the last supper

It was 11:11 or 23:11, a few minutes ago now. This evening I read the Sunday comics, and let me say just this.

I don't understand Marmaduke. And I'm not sure many other do either, yet this strange comic somehow makes it into every times colonist issue since I don't know when. But when I was trying to find a comic strip to post, I found this instead; another blog. 

http://marmaduke-analyzed.blogspot.com/2009/08/sunday-august-23-2009-marmaduke.html

And it's funny.

In fact, there are actually dozens of blogs dedicated to trying to explain this comic. 

My evening of relaxing with the Sunday comics and an ice cream cone has come to a close however, and after a long struggle with many lists in many different notebooks, I am nearly finished packing. 

A general suggestion for women, do not buy a large men's backpack four years ago and then not return it. It will probably make your life easier in the future.

In following my friend Jenny's recent suggestion, I have packed my ipod with many different podcasts, the one I know I will like is WTF with Marc Maron. A neurotic, and slightly aggressive comic who interviews other comics and also dishes about his messed up relationships, mental state and his home life at "the cat ranch". I first came upon this podcast during a solo driving venture across Canada, I remember listening to this podcast and eating an ice cream cone from a lone gas station on the borders of Manitoba and Ontario, misguidedly believing that I was getting close to Ottawa. 

-a landfill somewhere in Manitoba, getting closer to Ontario

Three long days, 1 speeding ticket and 1 royal wedding later, I had been proven wrong. 

So now I begin a new set of travels, albeit at a different pace and style. 

More, later

Larissa

trypanophobia and will they have gossip girl in Turkey?

Part 1: Gossip Girl, main concerns and questions. What does 2012 hold for Gossip Girl?

as I am sure everyone knows, Gossip Girl returns to television on the sixteenth of January. The series took a break for Christmas after a particularly intense Princess Diana-esque episode; and so I have been patiently waiting in suspense for the season to resume.
What do I like about gossip girl, you might ask? well, everything.
And particularly chuck bass, who it turns out, in real life, is english, but the real kind.

                                                                  from 2008, a surprising four years ago.

my priority question, do people in turkey watch gossip girl, and will i be able to?

answer appears to be yes.
http://www.diziizle-tr.com/watch-series/gossip-girl-1-sezon-izle.html


Part 2: Trypanophobia- Inoculation, hazardous to my health.

I had to have a needle today. Though I have, in my life, had multiple needles, I find that the older I get the more terrified I become. At first it's all fun and games, I know what's coming but I'm laughing, and running around somewhat nervously; then I begin talking louder and louder, in higher pitched tones, and I begin to inch towards the nearest exit. I know that my mother (a registered nurse, so don't freak out) has prepared the needle for me in the living room. She comes down to the front entry, takes me by the arm. I resist, just a leeetle, and then a leetle more, though still laughing (kind of). Then I start shrieking a little louder, feel a bit out of breath and lightheaded, and finally concede to having a seat on the couch.
From this point I try to convince her that I don't need a needle, who needs a shot, are you sure this is safe? what if the needle breaks in my leg? what if you're just giving me hepatitis A??....and so on.
she tells me to look at the wall and think about other things but all I can think about it is that needle.

AND THEN SHE GIVES ME THE SHOT-----> RIGHT IN THE RIGHT LEG.
and it doesn't hurt a bit, but when I look down I can see a little bit of blood and I can feel the medication distributing outwards from the injection site. I look up and down and start to feel woozy, and I can feel all the blood leaving my head, I'm all cold and clammy and I have to lie down for like 10 minutes before I feel sane again.

the fear of needles can be cured by hypnosis, unfortunately it is too late for that.

more, later

Larissa

teenage pregnancy

   During the wee hours of the new year, I stumbled home to find a progressively increasing litter of yellow lab puppies. A strong pack of eight, these ever growing sausage rolls have occupied a fair amount of my winter holiday. If you ever crave a steady stream of phone calls and company, raising puppies would appear to do the trick.

friends and puppies!

At two weeks the puppies have just started to open their eyes, but these lazy porkers can't seem to stay awake long enough for it to matter much anyways. 

It's tough being a single mom. 

In addition to overseeing the raising of the puppies, I was also fortunate enough to embark on a 

"WILD BC: WILDERNESS SAFARI TOUR" 

highlights of this tour included driving through large amounts of water, locally produced, hand crafted "oreo s'mores" and swimming in the pacific ocean

one of the eel  fisherman

More, later

Larissa

late night in Cowichan Bay

Well I'm about to jet off on a whirlwind adventure and tonight I learned that Wales is spelled without an "h". In light of this enlightenment I have decided to talk about some other things which I do know about about and also like. 

Firstly. I like sharks, for those of you who do not know what a shark is, it is a large kind of fish. 

This image truly captures what a real shark is about. google image search-sharks

Secondly. The Marx brothers are a hilarious group of siblings, and more importantly entertainers, from back in the days of black and white film. From a young age my father and I would get up early to watch movie reruns whenever they were playing.The Marx brothers are famous for their slapstick comedic style and of course Groucho's one liners. 

://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3FZ_jtDMVg&feature=related - an excerpt from the film "duck soup" 

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/g/groucho_marx.html

Thirdly. I really dig mass wasting, which is, in general terms, the destabilization of a slope. What happens when slopes become unstable? They slide downwards and the houses built on top of them slide too. This should be a major concern when considering housing developments, especially the case of my home village, a seaside community. 

-cowichan bay estuary

And Lastly.  I hold this ditty, dear to my heart. 

"Iran, slipped on Greece. Got Hungary and ate Turkey"

I'm getting excited to leave for Turkey. 


More, later


Larissa