Well, it is late Sunday night and we are tired and ready to come home. The trip has been amazingly blessed and we have been able to do what we came here to do. Tonight we were even able to give a book to one of the restaurant servers we have visited a few times. Practice went very well today and the kids and their parents are sad to see us leave. We will remember them in our thoughts and prayers often and hope to return, perhaps next year, to see them once again. Thank you all for following our journey here and for your thoughts, we have truly felt you with us.
Saturday has come and gone…
Today we found ourselves back at Kent State and Avruppa working with the Baseball Academy Titans. We had the little guys in the first session and the older players after that. Alper had to fly to Germany for a European baseball conference, so we were trusted to conduct the practices ourselves today and tomorrow. Only one person got hurt, but after thirty minutes of tears she returned to the action. Practice went well, but was fun considering Joe’s limited conversational Turkish is the only Turkish any of us knows!
Not much else to report, other than the fact that the other half of our team is returning from Antalya tonight. Tomorrow we have our final practice and the Antalya group is going to shop. It has been a great trip, and the smiles on the faces of the children today served as steadfast reminders of why we are here.
El Toro no, El Torito yessss!!!
For all of you back in Baytown who share our admiration for El Toro we wanted to share another bit of Istanbul with you. There are multiple locations of El Torito in this city, but we aren’t brave enough to try Mexican food in Turkey. These pictures are the only taste any of us will get, so enjoy!
Fridays in Istanbul, the end is near…
Today was a good day. First of all, Lindsay woke up to realize her fever was gone and she felt fine. This was cause to rejoice! Thank you again for remembering her in your prayers. Since we have baseball all day long the next two days, we decided to spend the day walking around our favorite part of the city, Beyoglu(particularly Istiklal Caddesi), and taking a few last photos for all of you back home. It will be weird driving our cars when we get back to Texas, as we are used to walking and using public transportation to get everywhere. We have probably walked five or so miles every day, at least, over very hilly terrain consisting of rough cobblestone streets.
We had a delicious lunch at Cilgin Durum(www.cilgindurumcu.com) on the streets surrounding Taksim square and then walked up and down the Istiklal(http://www.jorgetutor.com/turquia/estambul/estambul/istiklalcaddesi/istiklalcaddesi3.htm) and checking out most of the side streets. We tried to take pictures of some of the cool architecture, but there are so many beautiful buildings we could not even begin to do so. We walked all the way down to the Golden Horn and across the bridge, dodging the many fishermen and salesmen, and through the Egyptian Market. We then wandered around Eminonu a little longer before heading to Sultanahmet for some delicious kofte.
Tomorrow and Sunday we will be back at Kent State and Avruppa for baseball with the Titans before we fly home Monday morning.
These are most likely the last pictures of the city, as the weekend will be dominated by baseball. Enjoy what you can of this fabulous city, it truly is one of the most extraordinary places on earth!
Questions and answers, hopefully…
This is a quick post to answer some questions that some of you have listed in your comments.
First of all, that is a “squatty” toilet pictured in one of our previous posts. They are found in almost all of the public restrooms here in Turkey.
We both like the taste of lamb, as long as it is prepared correctly, but neither of us has had any during this trip. There is so much great food here that we are sticking to what we like the most. One of Joe’s favorites is Iskender Kebap, but he has not had it since he lived here in 2004.
The baseball equipment here is the same. In fact, most of it has been donated by Americans like us. The richest kids order gloves and other gear online and have it shipped from the USA or Japan.
The kids here in Turkey are awesome, and they are everywhere. We were told yesterday that over 50% of the 70 million people in Turkey are under age 25. One of the things we really like is that the kids in Turkey have a great amount of respect for their elders, very much more than even the most polite American youth. It is a different culture here, and elders are revered. Kids are kids, though, and in many ways they are the same as American kids.
Magnum bars are the second greatest dessert item on earth, next to the Chili’s chocolate molten cake. They are available all over Istanbul from street vendors for about $1.50. They are basically glorified dilly-bars(from Dairy Queen), though they deserve their glory!
The trip has been amazing. We can’t wait to share with you all face to face when we return!
Update…
It has been a long day, but we want to update you all on Lindsay’s condition. She spent the entire day in bed and her temperature dropped to 100, which isn’t great but is much better. She felt good enough to walk a mile or so to the closest McDonald’s for a cheeseburger. Apparently a taste of home is what she needed to lift her spirits, as she is feeling much better.
Joe had a good day today, spending the day with Alper talking about the future of baseball in Turkey. He will write more about that tomorrow. We are going to get some rest for now, but we thank you for your prayers and your support. If you are reading this, you are an awesome person!!!
A request…
I would appreciate it if you would all keep Lindsay in your prayers. It is early Thursday morning and Lindsay has a fever of 102. She started feeling bad yesterday and began to develop the fever then. Her entire body is aching and she didn’t sleep very well. I am heading to the pharmacy to find some medicine for her and she is going to spend the next day or two in bed. She is a trooper, but it is so hard for me to see her in pain like this. She has done very well so far on the trip, but it has been very physically demanding, i.e. lots of walking up hills and around the city, and the weather changed for the worse yesterday. It got colder, in the 40s, and rained all afternoon. The rain continues to fall, but it is supposed to finish up this morning and the weather is supposed to be beautiful again for the remainder of our time here.
I don’t like to blog without her, but I will offer a brief recap of yesterday. Our day started with a ride across the city on a tram that was very overcrowded. It was the most crowded transport we have used yet. At the stops, people were pouring out every time the doors opened and had to fight their way back in. When our time to get off the tram came, we found ourselves on the opposite side and I was forced to become a fullback. With Lindsay behind me and the guys behind her, I lowered my shoulder, shouted “pardon” repeatedly, and plowed the road. I’m not sure of the total carnage, but Turkish men wept, German tourists ran for the hills, and at least one fez went flying. Needless to say, we made it off the tram.
We then boarded a sea bus, or ferry boat, and enjoyed a 20 minute ride across the sea of Marmara to the Anatolian(Asian) side of Istanbul. The sea was very choppy(the picture below doesn’t do it justice) but the ride was surprisingly relaxing. We then walked through the streets of Kadikoy to experience a different face of Istanbul. We visited a bookstore that had many works by CS Lewis and even some Harry Potter Books! They also had a rather large Christian book section downstairs and that made us all smile. We then walked up some more hills and visited a Turkish coffee company. Inside the place, Coffee Haus, it smelled amazing! Though not a coffee drinker, I can appreciate the smell of hundreds of pounds of freshly roasted beans. We ended the morning with a trip to a Turkish mall and decided to go American for lunch. Lindsay and Steve had Arbys, Richard had some Burger King, and I had KFC. Needless to say, by the afternoon we were all paying for it. We had become used to eating a diet of very fresh whole foods, so the processed Americanized stuff made us all feel sluggish and wanting for a nap.
After lunch we visited some Americans in there home, and then headed to the International school that we were going to help with practice. When we arrived, we were greeted by an American woman who told us she was a parent and the main new teacher recruiter. When she discovered Lindsay was a teacher, the sales pitch began. She gave us the hard sell, but we made it clear to her that we are perfectly happy in Baytown and that we weren’t planning on leaving there anytime soon. After she got over her disappointment, we discovered that we had some common friends back home! It is a small world, ya know! It was fun visiting the school, but it was weird because about 75% of the kids were American and the other 25% Korean. It was like being back in the states and felt out of sorts. Then came time for practice.
Since it was pouring down rain, we were forced to practice indoors. When it rains the school rents a indoor soccer arena that is conveniently located right across the street. Though not as ideal as a field, it was a very nice place to practice. The lighting wasn’t great, though, so the pictures are poor. The lighting was so frustrating for Lins that she gave up trying to capture the event in pictures very quickly. There were about 20-25 kids at practice and it was a lot of fun. Practice lasted for about two hours and then we began the long journey home.
Well, that about sums up our day. I will post later on regarding some questions we have received from your comments. Today we were going to have the honor of experiencing a Turkish festival/holiday presentation, but it was canceled due inclement weather. Very few foreigners ever get to witness this, so it was to be a great honor for us. Oh well, maybe another day in the future. We are waiting for the weather to clear and then we may try to meet up with some of my Turkish friends for lunch and/or dinner, but we aren’t sure. Lindsay is ill and Richard and Steve are pretty tuckered out, so a day of sabbath might be just what the doctor ordered. I thrive on chaos, new challenges, and trips like this one – so I feel great. I am going to try to spend the day in study and contemplation, while tending to my lovely wife during her affliction. Thank you for your prayers on her behalf, and for us this entire time. We are who we are because you are who you are in our lives and we appreciate ya!
Super Tuesday!
It is hard to believe that a week from now we will be home. We have such a heart for what we are doing here that it is hard to leave, though we do miss home, FPC Baytown, and our students there. We are still believing for big things the rest of our days here. Today we spent the entire day at Kent State and Avrupa College. It was a delightful day spent interacting with Turkish students and teachers.
Our day started at 6 AM and at 8 AM we found ourselves on a whirling dervish of a taxi commute where the driver did his best (or worst) to double the speed limit at all times. As always we somehow reached our destination safely and spent the first part of the morning talking with the principal of Kent State College in her office. Richard, the awesomely crazy and energetic member of our team, decided he was cold and pulled his pants out of his backpack, took off his shoes, and put on his pants (over his shorts) mid-conversation! He even stood up to greet a visitor during the middle of the process. The funniest thing is that Alper spent the day telling all the other teachers, every chance he got, exactly what Richard did. They all said they wished they could change in the principal’s office. This was one of many hilarious moments we have had this trip that can be chalked up to crazy Americans not understanding cultural propriety.
After the eventful chat with the principal we were introduced to the English department, who we spent much of the day with in various capacities. One of the teachers we met was form South Africa, another was Spanish, and another speaks eight languages fluently! We then were privileged to spend a couple of periods with English classes of various grades answering questions they had prepared for us about America, baseball, and ourselves. Some of the kids asked some very intelligent questions and we really enjoyed the conversation/interviews. Here is a sampling of questions we were asked:
“Do you like insects?”
“What is your favorite part of Istanbul?”
“Do you like muscle cars?”
“Why in America are casinos in Las Vegas and not in L.A. or NYC?”
“What is your favorite futbol (soccer) team?”
“Do you like Turkiye?”
“Which is better, Turkiye or America?”
“What is the most striking difference between Turkiye and USA?”
“What is your least favorite part of Turkiye?”
“Do you like Turkish food? Which is your favorite?”
We were asked these and many more, and these sixth graders were awesome!
Next we joined Alper as we attempted to play a game of baseball with the 3rd grade boys and girls. It ended up being a glorified game of batting practice combined with tag, but all of the kids enjoyed it very much! You see, baseball is still very new and most kids aren’t exposed to it. Only those who sign up for and pay to be a part of the sports club know anything about it, and it isn’t like they can turn on the tv and catch a game. It was a lot of fun seeing them hit the ball and run around the bases, though! Next we were treated to a typical Turkish school lunch, which was pretty tasty and very healthy, and then we headed into another classroom(8th grade).
At the end of the school day we watched the entire student bodies of both schools combine for a rehearsal regarding celebration of a national holiday that occurs Thursday. As you will notice in the pictures, two lambs walked right into the rehearsal, which was outside. Apparently this is not usual, as many of the kids and several of the teachers were quite put off by their arrival! We will write more Thursday, but we have been invited to experience something truly rare then and we are very excited. After the rehearsal the guys had baseball practice with the boys and then we headed back here to the hotel. Tomorrow we cross the Bosphorus to experience the Asian, or Anatolian side of Istanbul where we will be working with a different baseball club.
Mondays are fun days!
Today we had a day off from baseball so Joe took our group on a tour of some other areas of Istanbul. First we took the tram to Kadakoy, where we walked up a very ancient and very very steep cobblestone hill to view Galata Tower. Galata tower is an ancient structure built by the Christian rulers to serve as a lookout for incoming ships.
Next we visited the Taksim area, which has one of the most interesting and famous streets in the world. The Istikal Street is a walking street famous for its shops, cafes, and the architecture of the buildings. There are also several foreign embassies, multiple long-standing and still-operating churches, and even a bible book store! It also has three Starbucks, a KFC, multiple Burger Kings, and a McDonald’s. It also has countless Turkish restaurants, shops, and back alley street bazaars. Joe was able to use his very humble Turkish abilities to help Richard and Steve negotiate some fabulous deals on gifts for their loved ones. We also had several fun conversations with many Turks and avoided spending too much of our money.
Richard and Steve did try some interesting fried clams in one of the back alleys, and they claim that they were delicious. We aren’t so sure, but they liked them. We also ran into a couple from Michigan and the man works in Royal Oak, where Lindsay was born and her grandparents still live. What a small world! We all enjoyed walking down the Istikal and are planning on returning to check it out at night later this week. It truly is one of the coolest streets in the world!
After Taksim we loaded a bus to head to Bogazici University, where Joe had many close friends in 2004 when he lived here. We met Gohkan and Alp and they showed us around, shared some hot tea with us, and we enjoyed some great conversation. The gym seen in the pictures is the place where the first basketball to ever be played in Europe occured. It is also one of the places Joe held his indoor practices with the Bogazici baseball and softball clubs while here. Bogazici was founded in 1863 by Americans and continued as an American university until the 1970s. All the classes are taught in English and Bogazici is the most respected degree in Turkey. There is a Kennedy guest house on campus because John F Kennedy used to visit Bogazici and it was the place he stayed during his visits. The campus is very beautiful, as you can see from the pictures.
After saying goodbye to Gohkan, Alp, and Bogazici we walked along the shores of the Bosphorus in Bebek for a mile or two. We stopped in a Starbucks to take in the view of the Bosphorus and then walked another half mile to a bus stop. We loaded on the most crowded bus ever, well second to the one last week, and returned to Taksim. We were fortunate enough to have dinner off the Istikal at Joe’s favorite Turkish restaurant and it was yummy!!! After dinner we walked through Taksim, Galatassary, and Tophane. They are all very old and very beautiful Istanbul neighborhoods and it was pleasant walking through at dusk. One of the sidewalk cafes had a board that read, “Obama was almost here!”, so of course we took a picture of it!
We then returned to the hotel via overcrowded tram and we are going to get some rest. We wake up at 6 AM tomorrow and are spending the day at the schools talking with the English classes before our afternoon baseball practice. Thanks for keeping up with our adventures and we look forward to sharing more in the days to come.
More baseball!
Today we spent a full day in the bright sun and worked with about twenty children on the ball field. The weather was a beautiful 70+ degrees and the day could not have been nicer. We worked with the very best players today and two of them are Japanese players whose fathers are important business men here in Turkey. We spent about two and a half hours scrimmaging and the rest of the day working on fundamentals. During the scrimmage portions, Joe pitched the entire time and made sure each kid had plenty of good pitches to hit and also plenty of good breaking balls to let them know what baseball is like on a different level. Every time one of the kids would swing and miss at a curve ball they would smile, because they only see good breaking pitches during international competition in Europe – which only happens once or twice a year.
Tomorrow is our only day off the rest of the trip, and we are going to visit Bogazici University where Joe spent so much time and effort working when he lived here. It is a beautiful campus located on the Bosphorus and Joe is excited to take everyone there. We will meet up with Alp and several other students Joe knows and are hoping for some good conversations.
Below are some pictures from today’s action. We are still working on getting the videos posted.
