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Tagged from Gypsyprincess with Turkey

Travel blogs tagged with Turkey:

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I Though Chewing Open My Veins Would Be A Solution

25. September 2006 | en

Abducted and Held Hostage by 6 Deranged Berzecker Monsters -

Ok, so they were children, but much in the same way that the Voltron robots formed one super robot (as did their lame rip offs the Power Rangers), so can ordinary children once gathered together morph into crazed Berserker monsters. But not cool Berzcker monsters aka Alix going ninja style to break Gabe and/or myself out of whatever, deranged and dumbassed trouble we’ve got ourselves into in whatever dodgey country we happen to be inhabiting. No. This is an inch of checking into a mental hospital after screaming “Fuck this SHIT” and laughing maniacally as I run down the road my suitcase bouncing behind me.

Its called small apartment, Bayram (think the chocolate induced super hyper nature of children at Easter and you get close to that with Bayram. A month of fasting followed by 3 days of sugar treats. Even if you don’t fast you still get the sugar goodness.) Mix in no intentions of listening even if they spoke your language and you get my week.

5 days.

No Internet.

No Privacy.

No Breaks.

All kids. Of which 3 are new additional ones.

Friday night will involve copious amounts of liquor, the water zombies shall be slayed without mercy., (no dancing though unless Patrick will let me put it on video). Then I escape Istanbul for the ruins of Troy.

Next post I hope to have something exciting. If nothing else I’m sure to humiliate myself as I drink for the first time in 6 weeks.

Of course none of the present feelings are helped by the fact that not 1, but 2, family members, upon seeing my desktop photo of Skye, asked me if she was a boy or a girl. Skye Justine is so obviously a girl, and easily the most beautiful baby in the world, that all involved are extremely lucky that Auntie Sherrie didn’t go Princess Dropkick and ninja their ass.

Tags: izmir Turkey
Map: N 38° 41.869 E 27° 12.968

Created at: 22. May 2008

To logbook | Author: Gypsyprincess

The Slaying of Water Zombies Has Commenced

26. October 2006 | en

The revolution has begun 3 days ahead of schedule. An advance guard has taken the present 6 week plague of the Zombies into their own hands. Taken advantage of an unexpected weak tactical point of the water zombies1, the LOA2 has an unexpected victory. Yes folks, the last night in Izmir (that is tonight, but last night when I access Internet to post), I was invited out with the parents, and the parents only (by that I mean the parents and their friends, no kiddies), for supper. And the night began with “Would you like a mojito?” Images of a slimey yet still so sexy Colin Farrell3 from Miami Vice danced in my head and I accepted. In fairness, that these people are my employers and I cant quite wrap my head around if I see them as parental figures or bosses, or as people almost my own age (which they are, the mom is only 5 years older), I left it at the one and then proceeded to drink red wine to the point where the night was wonderfully pleasant even if the conversation was conducted in Turkish. Fuck complaining, I was hanging out with adults!!!!!!!!!!!! ADULTS! The majority of my day is spent with 3 people whose combined age just makes them legal in Quebec and still not in the rest of the country! Wooooooooo ooooooooooooooo They even asked me if I was bored. WAHAHAHHAHAHHAHHHAHAHHAHHAHHA ahem no, I was drinking alcohol and eating delicious food. Good night everybody!!

P.S. Kiss my digressing inappropriately footnoted ass!!!

1 Those bastards so secure in their superiority have weakened their vigilance. There is also talk of a proud yet mentally unstable leader who underestimated the power of the secret league of alcohol. What matters is not the why but the how. Sherrie has once again tasted that sweet intoxication known as inebriation.

2 League of alcohol

3 This is not a blog on my poor choice of sexually appropriate men. This is me tipsy folks. And right or wrong I think Colin Farrell is sexy. Maybe even because of, rather than despite of, his slimyness. Let the LOGF (League of Good Feminists) arrest me. Just make sure that it involves honey and lesbians. Mother stop reading right about now. Actually stop reading 5 minutes ago and move onto the next post.

Tags: Istanbul Turkey I need a F*&KING drink
Map: N 41° 01.237 E 28° 97.592

Created at: 22. May 2008

To logbook | Author: Gypsyprincess

Day 1 TT Princess Makes an Unexpected Appearance

28. October 2006 | en

For those of you lucky enough to have lived with me for any period of time (namely my family, John and Patrick), and those of you luckless enough to have been an unsuspecting spectator, you may guess that I am not really a temper tantrum princess, but rather the reigning queen. I believe in quality not quantity in my outbursts. I like to think its part of my charm. So tiny, so angry. Or “5 feet of anger” as one near and dear said from the safety of an MSN chat. Toss in some work related stress and I have been a ticking time bomb.

I had really wanted to camp this week, but given that Patrick arrived with one large suitcase dedicated entirely to my stuff, there was no room for the tent. With shopping and the INSANE traffic in Istanbul it was already after 6 and dark by the time we escaped the city. Patrick decided he had a good solution to the lack of tent problem. We would merely sleep in the car. I admit to being initially hesitant. But then I remembered the joy of being allowed to sleep in the car as kids. (why we slept in the car I have no idea, we always camped before dad built the cabin, but I have the distinct memory. Mom please step in and clear that up). So after driving for almost 3 hours we decided we were already tired and it was dark, we went to a supermarket, bought a can of beer each and found a long dirt road. We were lucky enough that not only was it not busy, but we were lucky enough to find a spot that promised us a fantastic view in the morning.

Mistake one: Patrick mentioned my work and told me I just had to meet friends. After 6 weeks of being here and the disaster that has occurred with each new “friend” I was already predisposed to being cranky. But happiness with the camping place made it all good.

The Catastrophe: Our car made funny, unsolicited, and unexplainable clunking noises, despite it being parked and turned off, and these noises woke me up. Now I was crooked. I was angry that we chose to stay in the car. Even after moving the car and checking under the tires we could not find out what the noise was. I had an image of not getting back to sleep that night. This would mean Sunday would be ruined as I would be tried and cranky all day. I would face a full night counting the seconds go by. I grabbed my computer to watch some Naruto and then filled with a rage at the injustice that had found me in this situation. Anger over my lovely holiday being robbed from me by the stupid and consistent clunking filled me with such complete rage that I did what any sane McCarthy child would do. I began to systematically kick and punch the inside of the car while crying and screaming about how I hated everyone and everything and that if Patrick wasn’t such a meanie he would let me drive all night, and then in the morning he could drive and I would sleep. That we had no map and were relying entirely on the lonely planet meant nothing. That Patrick said lets find a hotel instead I deemed stupid given the lateness of the hour and pointless. Driving in the dark in Turkey without a map or plan made much more sense. Finally I screamed that he (and his extreme selfishness) should just go to bed and leave me to suffer alone. More than a little bewildered he did just that. But not before offering to make me earplugs out of tissue which I turned down to the “dirtiness of trunk where the tissue was bopping around.” Either accepting I was crazy or there was no appeasing me I’m not sure, but he left me to my Naruto until the laptop battery died where I then found myself so tired and exhausted I did actually sleep.

The next morning it was so sunny and beautiful and we had a lovely drive to Pergamon. I recommend to all! :P

Tags: bursa Turkey temper tanturms wild camping
Map: N 40° 10.830 E 29° 02.826

Created at: 22. May 2008

To logbook | Author: Gypsyprincess

Onwards To - Starbucks??

29. October 2006 | en

So after a lovely breakfast at the MinTech bath and towel store/cafe restaurant1 that was unexpectedly on the side of a lonely stretch of highway we hit the road. I refused to drive in Istanbul but I was only too happy to drive on the highway. And then as we are speeding along I see it rise. At first I thought I must be dreaming. But that hair there was no mistaking it. From 150 to 0 as I pull tightly into a giant mini mall of capitalism and that we love to hate in the West.

In the land of Nescafe and tiny (though delicious, TINY) Turkish coffees, here was a Starbucks.

Say what you will, but there is something blissful about 2 dollars buying you a bucket of coffee.

A bucket of coffee that I proceeded to dump over my lap that resulted in again going from 150 to 0 as I practically roll the car into a gas station and Patrick takes over again.

But because its a bucket of coffee there was still lots of goodness left! Hurray!!!!!!!! I was left to overdoes on caffeine and enjoy the ride to Pergamon.

1 Here they also plied us with gifts. First because I needed to buy a towel. The towel was 3 YTL, or about 2.50 Canadian. When I tired to pay with cash the woman behind the counter became visibly stressed at the 50 YTL note. So I offered her my Mastercard where she became overjoyed and proceeded to toss in another free towel as a gift for my kindness. Then as we finished our breakfast we were given a pair of free slippers as a “MinTech gift.” Maybe because they were appalled at how I pounced on them and declared them “MINE”, a waiter chased our car waving another pair of slippers declaring “free MinTech gift.”

Tags: Pergamon/Bergamon Turkey Sherrie is A Corporation Whore
Map: N 39° 13.858 E 27° 15.820

Created at: 22. May 2008

To logbook | Author: Gypsyprincess

Where Work Catches Up....

30. October 2006 | en

Pics From Bergamon

Tags: Pergamon/Bergamon Turkey
Map: N 39° 13.858 E 27° 15.820

Created at: 22. May 2008

To logbook | Author: Gypsyprincess

I Finally Got To Troy!

30. October 2006 | en

And it was a little anti climatic. :-P

Anyway long story short we made to Pergamon, ate the best breakfast ever at the Pension there (BAKLAVA WITH BREAKFAST! And we even had eggs and fruit and cheese) and then made it to Troy for the COLDEST day in Turkey. FREEZING. Then we got into Istanbul just in time to take some night shots and realize we were getting ill. There we go. No one can accuse me of leaving things unfinished. :P

But I did get the requisite tourist shot!

Tags: Troy Turkey
Map: N 39° 95.644 E 26° 23.9

Created at: 22. May 2008

To logbook | Author: Gypsyprincess

This Is Where I Cry

05. November 2006 | en

14 hours.

Id rant on but Im too fucking tired. And that wasnt writing. In fact I wrote all of 100 words. because Im too fucking tired and crooked and ready to cry. Also ready to have my ovaries removed in case I forget today and get into my head I want my own. Oh wait I cant forget today because tomorrow will also be another 12 hour, but likely 13 hour day.

Is the food and living in Istanbul worth it?

The food is amazing. Istanbul is fantastic when I can see it. Oh which is once a week. :( The family is lovely, but I cant keep putting in these hours on weekends without snapping. My only break today was when I showered. Oh and Tennis creep is still calling, only now he blocks his number. And when I told the mother she said he is a man, he likes me, this is normal, just dont answer. That route isnt working either. And why the attitude change? Because she misunderstood me last time and thought he was acting without any help from me. Upon talking to the tennis school and finding out I had agreed to meet with him on my day off its become kindve my fault. My best friend is male as are most of my closest friends. I told him I dont like him and I flat out love someone else. But he is convinced I like him so why should anything I say make a difference. Im to learn my lesson and stop trying to make friends or else expect such behavior.
I will go cry now for how crap this world is.

Tags: Istanbul Turkey do you really want to take that job as a nanny?
Map: N 41° 01.237 E 28° 97.592

Created at: 22. May 2008

To logbook | Author: Gypsyprincess

Time To Get Out Of Dodge

05. November 2006 | en

So I’m doing terrible at the NANOWRIMO challenge, but gaining spectacular colors in the throwing temper tantrums and crying sections of life. Also in the “eat vast amounts of chocolate while watching Naruto” and sending my pain in the direction of Alix. Myself and Nicole however have decided to start writing proper letters so hurray. This will also help appease my fears that my employers have the key stoke program on my computer and know just how much I bitch. Damn you Hanz for ever telling me about that and now I have paranoid schizophrenia to add to my list of problems. :-p

Tags: Istanbul Turkey I need a F*&KING drink
Map: N 41° 01.237 E 28° 97.592

Created at: 22. May 2008

To logbook | Author: Gypsyprincess

Chocolate Makes It ALL Better

11. November 2006 | en

Patrick brought me chocolate from the fatherland. I had asked him to bring some for me and the rest to add to Christmas packages. I’m so sorry people. There will be no Christmas this year. There are still bits of chocolate and wrapper on my face and in my hair. I have some big ones left for immediate family members and I’m debating how much I really do love them. I then weigh it against what they’ve done for me of late. So far mom’s bar is the only one thats safe! :P

And then I begin to feel guilt over the amount of food I eat here and the fact I’m going to rapidly gain weight soon if I don’t return to my exercise program. (which is part of the reason I went for swim tonight after the kiddies went to bed). And then I think I am far too stressed here if I’m worrying about food and my weight.

Because the fact of the matter is this is the body of someone in love with life. A rounded belly is sensual dammit! And I love food and I enjoy it, and I look at those with “better bodies” (because again there is absolutely nothing wrong with mine except I should be kinder to my heart sometimes) and they are often cranky bitchy and miserable because its all about the outside and never the inside. Well my inside is full of chocolate, wine, beer and all kinds of decadent wonderful foods. (just like me wahahahaha)

Tags: Istanbul Turkey
Map: N 41° 01.237 E 28° 97.592

Created at: 22. May 2008

To logbook | Author: Gypsyprincess