Thursday night I ordered a medium fry at BK to make crab fries. I offered the cashiers and manager some becuase of that the managere gave me a larger fry for free so I made more fries. They were oh so yummy! After that I went to ESN to dance the night away with the girls.
On Friday - Becca, Raven, Susannah, Emily and I all ventured to Kadikoy on the Asian side of Istanbul for a lovely Turkish lunch and jewlery. After that Emily, Raven and I visted the Spice Baazar were I tried cinnamon Turkish Delight for the first time, whic is one of my favorites. I also picked up two beautiful scarfs that called my name. lol. In the same store was shown plates that were made with moon stone and glow in the dark and the most expensive scarfs that are made in Turkey. They are called shatoos and are made out of goat beards and cost around 1000TL.
On the bus back to campus an old Turkish man sat accross from me and stared me down. After about 10 minuets he spoke in perfect English and asked me if my hair was real. I replied yes and said the steps that I take to retwist my hair.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Customs day
I took my final Wednesday morning and immediately headed to the exchange office to meet Fernando from Spain who also had to go to customs. On the bus to Kabatas I looked out the window to see a Turkish man blowing me kisses. SMH. (Shaking My Head) I pointed this out to Fernando and we shared a good laugh. We proceeded with our conversation which was Fernando's desire to hijack to Syria with Michal from Poland. I explained to him that hijack was an off limits word to an American and that the right word was hitch hike. After that a Turkish woman shushed us. I got pretty annoyed since it seems that Turkish people only have something to say to non-Turkish people talking on the public transportation but it's completely fine for them to talk.
We reached Kabatas and took the tram to Topkappi and then headed over to customs. What a primative place. I can truly say I am thankful for the accurracy of the USPS. I started at window 1 to show my notice, window 5 to hand in another paper then window 6 for customs to go through my things. then back to window 1 and window 6 to pay. All in all my process took only 30 mins and cost 2TL. Fernando on the other hand was running arround because his mother declared his package to be 300Euros or 600TL. I sat down while Fernando was sorting things out and a few seconds later the TA, Emre that proctored my final was getting his own package out of customs. He waited around and helped out Fernando since we were heading back to campus. Thankful Emre got Fernando's charge down from 200TL to 100TL.
On the way back we took Emre's way - the Metrobus to Medickoy. Immediately on the bus Fernando and Emre conversed in Spanish and English as Emre lived two years in Spain. I on the other hand listened and snacked on some of Fernando's Haribro Gummy Bears. The real kind. Once we got back to Sariya we boared the dolmus were Fernando immediately opened a pack of his Serrano ham. He said this taste better because it's forb-i-den not forbidden. I corrected him and he laughed and said all the same at this point my ham is for me. He offered me a piece but I could not express the same love.
Later on that night, Becca cooked dinner - herbed chicken and bruschetta inspired pasta. Yummmy.
We reached Kabatas and took the tram to Topkappi and then headed over to customs. What a primative place. I can truly say I am thankful for the accurracy of the USPS. I started at window 1 to show my notice, window 5 to hand in another paper then window 6 for customs to go through my things. then back to window 1 and window 6 to pay. All in all my process took only 30 mins and cost 2TL. Fernando on the other hand was running arround because his mother declared his package to be 300Euros or 600TL. I sat down while Fernando was sorting things out and a few seconds later the TA, Emre that proctored my final was getting his own package out of customs. He waited around and helped out Fernando since we were heading back to campus. Thankful Emre got Fernando's charge down from 200TL to 100TL.
On the way back we took Emre's way - the Metrobus to Medickoy. Immediately on the bus Fernando and Emre conversed in Spanish and English as Emre lived two years in Spain. I on the other hand listened and snacked on some of Fernando's Haribro Gummy Bears. The real kind. Once we got back to Sariya we boared the dolmus were Fernando immediately opened a pack of his Serrano ham. He said this taste better because it's forb-i-den not forbidden. I corrected him and he laughed and said all the same at this point my ham is for me. He offered me a piece but I could not express the same love.
Later on that night, Becca cooked dinner - herbed chicken and bruschetta inspired pasta. Yummmy.
I want to go home!
Tuesday, I received an email notification that my package finally arrived. (USPS Express mail still takes 2 weeks in Turkey.) So I run to the PTT Office before class and I'm given a form in Turkish to read. I look at the guy and ask for an English verison and he laughs. I waited about a minuet before a Koc student came in. The PTT guy asked the Turkish student for help and the student proceeded to laugh and then roughly translate that I needed to go to the customs location 2 hours away. I was so mad when I left. (That is part of the reason I've waited to post this.)
I arrive to class with customs heavy on my brain. My least favorite professor Canir Bakir who teaches International Political Economy arrives late and decides to finally take care of house keeping items. He started talking about the midterm and I replied when can I see it since we took it three weeks ago and I am taking my final tomorrow morning. The professor seemed to have a bit of an attitude and continued on with the class. A few minuets later he takes out a Turkish newspaper to read to the class. The only thing he translates is the header. I got annoyed and speak with Lexie as the professor has conducted atleast 25% of every class in Turkish. He turns to me and asks if I have a question I say no. Then I reply to Lexie why would I ask a question when he told a guy during midterm review not to ask questions in class. The professor turns to me again and asks me what he just said. I replied I understand what you are saying when you speak in English but not in Turkish. I'm pretty sure this made him angry as he cut me off numerous times while I recited his words.
After class I headed to his office with two other exchange students to see my midterm grade. I wasn't thrilled about the grade but I expected it since he's still of test was theory based and I'm not good at it. So any way the professor turns to me, looks me in the eyes and asks is it higher or lower than I expected. At that point I was fed up and had decided to write a letter to the Dean of Academics.
I left the professors office for the exchange office and I was told that I had to go across town to pick up my package and to bring 100TL with me in case I had to pay a huge amount for my package.
Overall this day was one of two bad days at Koc. As I felt a weight on my shoulders and my patience thining.
I arrive to class with customs heavy on my brain. My least favorite professor Canir Bakir who teaches International Political Economy arrives late and decides to finally take care of house keeping items. He started talking about the midterm and I replied when can I see it since we took it three weeks ago and I am taking my final tomorrow morning. The professor seemed to have a bit of an attitude and continued on with the class. A few minuets later he takes out a Turkish newspaper to read to the class. The only thing he translates is the header. I got annoyed and speak with Lexie as the professor has conducted atleast 25% of every class in Turkish. He turns to me and asks if I have a question I say no. Then I reply to Lexie why would I ask a question when he told a guy during midterm review not to ask questions in class. The professor turns to me again and asks me what he just said. I replied I understand what you are saying when you speak in English but not in Turkish. I'm pretty sure this made him angry as he cut me off numerous times while I recited his words.
After class I headed to his office with two other exchange students to see my midterm grade. I wasn't thrilled about the grade but I expected it since he's still of test was theory based and I'm not good at it. So any way the professor turns to me, looks me in the eyes and asks is it higher or lower than I expected. At that point I was fed up and had decided to write a letter to the Dean of Academics.
I left the professors office for the exchange office and I was told that I had to go across town to pick up my package and to bring 100TL with me in case I had to pay a huge amount for my package.
Overall this day was one of two bad days at Koc. As I felt a weight on my shoulders and my patience thining.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Phone Home
I finally spoke with my friend Tameeka today. We spent a couple of hours on the phone talking about my experience in Egypt and Ethiopia. I love talking with her because she challenges my thinking and overall is a very knowledgeable person.
While on Facebook I decided to see if my brothers were on and they were. My 15 y.o. brothers are no longer my babies. I just hope they stay focused in high school. I spoke with my mom about my Serenity. I've had a hard time speaking with her while in Turkey. I hope things will change when I come back. I love Serenity as if she were my own child. Serenity has helped me change in so many ways and it would be heart breaking not to be able to see her like I used to when I get back.
Finally I spoke with my God Mom Esther and God Brother Bernard today. Speaking with them was a reminder of how home is where the heart is. Every year I have Thanksgiving dinner with them. This year I called in for dinner from Rome but things were not the same. (Man I miss the food and falling asleep at the dinner table.)I say that to say this. I have become a young adult and ventured off into the world to find and create myself. Along the way I have lost many friends and family which often times have left me feeling lonely. Speaking with them made me realize that I am not alone. That my family is proud and I am doing the right thing.
I don't know about your family and friends but mine are real 24/7 or as they say in Turkey 7/24. They never beat around the bush and they do not stroke egos. They are anything but phony. They do not judge me based on assumptions because they take the time out to ask questions. Lately, I have been feeling as though people have jumped to conclusions because I am in the simplest of terms complex. I speak when I have to. I ask questions when I need to. Lastly, I am blessed to have the opportunity to go abroad on the weekends and see other countries. My eyes are not only soaking in knowledge for myself but information for all the people I know from home who have not been able to see what I have.
Remaining humble.
Salaam
While on Facebook I decided to see if my brothers were on and they were. My 15 y.o. brothers are no longer my babies. I just hope they stay focused in high school. I spoke with my mom about my Serenity. I've had a hard time speaking with her while in Turkey. I hope things will change when I come back. I love Serenity as if she were my own child. Serenity has helped me change in so many ways and it would be heart breaking not to be able to see her like I used to when I get back.
Finally I spoke with my God Mom Esther and God Brother Bernard today. Speaking with them was a reminder of how home is where the heart is. Every year I have Thanksgiving dinner with them. This year I called in for dinner from Rome but things were not the same. (Man I miss the food and falling asleep at the dinner table.)I say that to say this. I have become a young adult and ventured off into the world to find and create myself. Along the way I have lost many friends and family which often times have left me feeling lonely. Speaking with them made me realize that I am not alone. That my family is proud and I am doing the right thing.
I don't know about your family and friends but mine are real 24/7 or as they say in Turkey 7/24. They never beat around the bush and they do not stroke egos. They are anything but phony. They do not judge me based on assumptions because they take the time out to ask questions. Lately, I have been feeling as though people have jumped to conclusions because I am in the simplest of terms complex. I speak when I have to. I ask questions when I need to. Lastly, I am blessed to have the opportunity to go abroad on the weekends and see other countries. My eyes are not only soaking in knowledge for myself but information for all the people I know from home who have not been able to see what I have.
Remaining humble.
Salaam
7 weekends later
This weekend was my first time being in Istanbul since Halloween weekend. On Thursday night I cooked dinner - chicken, tomatoe, spinach and pasta soup. I invited a few people over because I didn't want leftovers. After dinner we headed to Besitas for "the best nargile in town". I beg to differ especially since the service was so sucky. After about an hour the 9 of us headed to the main road to find a cab to take 4 and 5 of us to Taksim. One cab driver had the nerve to say to me that he would get a ticket if he had 5 people in his cab. I told him I had be living in the country for 3 months and witnessed drivers driving up the wrong side of the road and many other things...
Our first stop in Taksim was BBQ Chicken (the restaurant name) for seasoned french fries. The store had been closed for an hour when we arrived but Lexie went in and flaunted her blonde hair and magically the fryers were on. 10 minuets later 7 of us had patatas. We left to find a good place to dance. We did find one place Club Purple, where men were throwing napkins in the air for our group to dance. Weird I know. The other weird thing was how many times I was called Beyonce or how many times people tried to convince me to get my friends to come into their club.
The night was wrapping up and we were waiting for Jasmine to come out of the bathroom of a Kumpir (baked poatatoe) shop. While waiting I saw a polis pick up a beer mug in the middle of the street. He looked at me with disdain and hand it over. Score! Another souvenir was added to my collection. We walked up Istakkal St. for a cab for the 11 of us. Before hopping in a cab a few people decided to try wet burgers. Yuck! After that we split into two cabs. (Ha! Remember the cab driver earlier said that wasn't possible.)
The next morning I headed out to Sultanahmet area to buy my train ticket to Sophia, Bulgaria for New Years with Lexie, Melissa, Becca and Raven. It began to snow for the first time while I was waiting on the dolmus. I was not thrilled as I thought I would miss the snow in Turkey. On the way to Sultanahmet we decide to stop in Taksim for 2 hours. Melissa, Lexie and I decided to go to BBQ for food. Our favorite person, the manager Mehmet was there. Mehmet has a crush on Lexie, so he purchased a bracelet for her while we were there, taught us some Turkish, gave us free food and drinks and mugs.(I call that a successful trip.)
In Sultanahmet we went to the Spice Baazar or Egyptian Baazar. There Lexie and I picked up match shirts, some jewlery and some tea. While in the Baazar the group of us were referred as Spice Girls and I was called Obama on atleast 6 occassions. After purchasing my ticket with Becca and Raven we headed out to the Mosaic museum and then the baazar (open market) that was there. I finally purchased my nargile, a pretty ceramic one with bronze accents.
By this time the weather is hailing, sleeting and mighty cold. The group split up to buy specific things in the area and met again on the tram. While on the tram we met an American man who moved to Istanbul 18 years ago to teach and was moving back to the States in January.It's funny that we met him because last week we were questioning where would we live outside of the US. The group split again and this time I went with Raven and Becca to try kumpir (baked potatoe) on Kumpir Sokak (baked potatoe street). I had a kumpir butter, cheese, corn, red cabbage and cabbage mayo. But there were lots of other toppings to pick - hot dogs, american salad, bulgar, olives, olive paste and more.
We arrived back to campus around 8pm and I was exhausted. I cancelled on hanging out in Taksim with the girls and the 57km/hr winds. Instead I opted to catch up things and ask Becca, my roommate 30 questions. She's quite interesting.
The next morning I woke up at noon when I was suppose to be up at 10 to make brunch with Becca and Raven. Becca was the star today. Last night she told me she could not successfully cook eggs. So I taught her and she made amazing scrambled eggs with cheese, spinach and tomatoes. I'm so proud. My stomach is too!
Our first stop in Taksim was BBQ Chicken (the restaurant name) for seasoned french fries. The store had been closed for an hour when we arrived but Lexie went in and flaunted her blonde hair and magically the fryers were on. 10 minuets later 7 of us had patatas. We left to find a good place to dance. We did find one place Club Purple, where men were throwing napkins in the air for our group to dance. Weird I know. The other weird thing was how many times I was called Beyonce or how many times people tried to convince me to get my friends to come into their club.
The night was wrapping up and we were waiting for Jasmine to come out of the bathroom of a Kumpir (baked poatatoe) shop. While waiting I saw a polis pick up a beer mug in the middle of the street. He looked at me with disdain and hand it over. Score! Another souvenir was added to my collection. We walked up Istakkal St. for a cab for the 11 of us. Before hopping in a cab a few people decided to try wet burgers. Yuck! After that we split into two cabs. (Ha! Remember the cab driver earlier said that wasn't possible.)
The next morning I headed out to Sultanahmet area to buy my train ticket to Sophia, Bulgaria for New Years with Lexie, Melissa, Becca and Raven. It began to snow for the first time while I was waiting on the dolmus. I was not thrilled as I thought I would miss the snow in Turkey. On the way to Sultanahmet we decide to stop in Taksim for 2 hours. Melissa, Lexie and I decided to go to BBQ for food. Our favorite person, the manager Mehmet was there. Mehmet has a crush on Lexie, so he purchased a bracelet for her while we were there, taught us some Turkish, gave us free food and drinks and mugs.(I call that a successful trip.)
In Sultanahmet we went to the Spice Baazar or Egyptian Baazar. There Lexie and I picked up match shirts, some jewlery and some tea. While in the Baazar the group of us were referred as Spice Girls and I was called Obama on atleast 6 occassions. After purchasing my ticket with Becca and Raven we headed out to the Mosaic museum and then the baazar (open market) that was there. I finally purchased my nargile, a pretty ceramic one with bronze accents.
By this time the weather is hailing, sleeting and mighty cold. The group split up to buy specific things in the area and met again on the tram. While on the tram we met an American man who moved to Istanbul 18 years ago to teach and was moving back to the States in January.It's funny that we met him because last week we were questioning where would we live outside of the US. The group split again and this time I went with Raven and Becca to try kumpir (baked potatoe) on Kumpir Sokak (baked potatoe street). I had a kumpir butter, cheese, corn, red cabbage and cabbage mayo. But there were lots of other toppings to pick - hot dogs, american salad, bulgar, olives, olive paste and more.
We arrived back to campus around 8pm and I was exhausted. I cancelled on hanging out in Taksim with the girls and the 57km/hr winds. Instead I opted to catch up things and ask Becca, my roommate 30 questions. She's quite interesting.
The next morning I woke up at noon when I was suppose to be up at 10 to make brunch with Becca and Raven. Becca was the star today. Last night she told me she could not successfully cook eggs. So I taught her and she made amazing scrambled eggs with cheese, spinach and tomatoes. I'm so proud. My stomach is too!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
My skin
I went to the nail salon on campus a few minuets ago for a color change. The older woman that was there last week when I went for a manicure painted my nails today. Before painting my nails, she put my hand next to hers and said "very beautiful. In the summer I get darker."
Two months ago, I would have had mixed emotions about that statement. Now I'm just happy that she saw me as a person and not an object to stare at.
Two months ago, I would have had mixed emotions about that statement. Now I'm just happy that she saw me as a person and not an object to stare at.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Where are you from?
I've had the pleasure of being named something unique, Aquiera. Many thanks to my mother and my god-mother, Leese. My name has many versions and meanings - A queera, Aqui-era, Aquieria, Ackee and Salt Fish, Acura, Aquarius (Are you an Aquarius? Well yes, but my name has nothing to do with that.), A quiera (to want), Akira (Japanese Princess) and Aquiera (Ghanian for born on a Tuesday. I was born on a Saturday.)
I believe the uniqueness of my name is why many people do not believe I am American. Throughout my years at Drexel, I have been told that I was Ghanian and Dominican.In Egypt and Ethiopia I was referred to as South African. In Lebanon, I was referred to as Nigerian. I think it's quite amusing.
This past weekend in Beirut was probably the first time in my life where I have gone somewhere and multiple people were surprised that a group consisting of two whites, one black and a fair skinned Indian could all be American. More importantly be friends.
I'm proud of the diversity I have at home. I'm proud to be American.
I believe the uniqueness of my name is why many people do not believe I am American. Throughout my years at Drexel, I have been told that I was Ghanian and Dominican.In Egypt and Ethiopia I was referred to as South African. In Lebanon, I was referred to as Nigerian. I think it's quite amusing.
This past weekend in Beirut was probably the first time in my life where I have gone somewhere and multiple people were surprised that a group consisting of two whites, one black and a fair skinned Indian could all be American. More importantly be friends.
I'm proud of the diversity I have at home. I'm proud to be American.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Just some thoughts
I am ever so thankful and humble for being blessed with the opportunity to study abroad and country hop on weekends. This was almost not possible in September but God made a way.
Each day abroad is another learning experience. Another day for me to be humble and thankful for what I have and do not have. It is interesting to see cultural differences but one day my vast experience will mold my personality yet again.
Before Thanksgiving I applied for an opportunity of a life time. To go to Chile during my Spring Break in March with my college. Well I got accepted! I know many people of color espeically women who have not been granted the same opportunities as me. I hope they continue to strive to reach their desires.
I hope I'm making my mother, family and friends proud.
Salaam
Each day abroad is another learning experience. Another day for me to be humble and thankful for what I have and do not have. It is interesting to see cultural differences but one day my vast experience will mold my personality yet again.
Before Thanksgiving I applied for an opportunity of a life time. To go to Chile during my Spring Break in March with my college. Well I got accepted! I know many people of color espeically women who have not been granted the same opportunities as me. I hope they continue to strive to reach their desires.
I hope I'm making my mother, family and friends proud.
Salaam
Home is wherever I am! Thanksgiving in Rome.
I arrived back to my campus on Monday November 22. On Tuesday night Lexie and I decided while studying for our International Political Economy midterm that we wanted to fly to Rome to spend Thanksgiving with Olivia, who is studying in Rome and Adam who is studying in Mannheim, Germany. Adam and Lexie were both my residents two years ago in Myers hall. Talk about being a good RA.
Lexie and I headed out to Rome on Thanksgiving Day. We arrived around 3pm and met Liv and Adam at the airport train station. From there we headed to Liv’s apartment in Trastervre and shortly after went to the Colosseum which was only a 10 minuet bus ride from her apartment. It was a bit weird taking transportation in Rome because at the time they had Siesta which means a big break is taken from work during the middle of the day. The other weird part was that you could get on trams and buses without purchasing or validating a ticket. If you did see a ticket man coming one would hop off and get on again to avoid paying. Any ways the Colosseum was mind blowing from the outside; unfortunately I didn’t get to go inside because they closed down at 4:30. After that we walked over to other sites in the area and then to dinner. Along the way for dinner we turned a corner and walked past a park. I said I hear bats. Lexie, looked at me like I was crazy and said I don't think so. Next thing I know 100s of bats are flying over head into the trees.
For dinner Adam and I split ravioli and sausage pizza, we all shared a bottle of red wine for 20Euro. It is faux pau for one to drink white wine or coffee with dinner. We were wrapping up dinner when it began to rain. It rains everyday at some point of the day in Rome. Even stinkier was the fact that it was chilly around 50 degrees outside. After dinner we went for gelato around the corner. AMAZINGNGESS! I ordered coconut and cachi (persimmon). Adam had some amazing cinnamon which Lexie and I craved for the rest of the weekend.
We went back to Liv’s apartment to put on more layers in order for us to sstay warm at the Ice Bar and to try El Vino Nuevo a new style of red wine((The wine is made in months and not years.). The Ice Bar is exactly what the name implies. Each month 40 tons of ice is brought in and carved on sight. We entered the bar for 15 Euro and were given a poncho, gloves and one free drink. The drink itself was served in an ice cone cup. The bar was pretty dead for a Thursday but we livened it up by sharing jokes in the igloo.
The next morning we woke up at 6am and headed to Naples. We missed our train by 7 minuets so we waited around looking for Adam who had over slept and had no way of contacting us. I decided to purchase a snack while waiting, a nice apple pie. YUMMMY!
Upon arrival the train to Sorrento and Pompeii was on strike. The weather was rainy and cloudy so there were no available boats to Capri. There were men in the train station offering us taxi rides but Liv said those men were a part of the Mafia. Yikes! Eventually we figured out a regional train to take us to Pompeii because we could no longer see both Pompeii and Sorrento. While waiting around we decided to get pizza in Naples. It was pretty yummy but nothing to go gaga over in the city where pizza was invented. Naples it self is not the best looking neighborhood compared to other parts of Italy. There were a lot of street sellers and supposed Mafia affliated workers on the streets.
After a 3 hour train ride for the cost of 11 Euros we arrive in Pompeii. We began walking to the site in light rain to save money. About 10 minutes into the walk we saw a cab driver and decided to get in. Unfortunately none of us noticed that there was a 10 euro fair already on the meter. In the end we paid 15Euro to go down the block. The tickets for Pompeii were 11 Euro. Surprisingly enough after paying the rain cleared up and the sun came out.
Pompeii was once covered under 13 feet of dirt and was below farm land. Today one would never think so but the excavation still continues. The roads through the city were made of big rocks so water and horse manure could run down hill. The people of the city even put bigger boulders in to act as a walk way (cross walks). Pompeian’s were the first to have running water to their second floors. Unfortunately they used lead for this and in paints as well and in the long run suffered with brain damage. On the streets were fountains that women would get their daily water from and say a prayer at. I could see the indent in the marble from many people leaning over the sides. We checked out the amphitheater which was neat because of the amount of green, red, orange, blue and white marble that was in the floor. After that we stopped by the whore house where men would pick their sexual pleasure and go into a room with the woman where there was a rock bed and pillow. Remember Italians believed there was nothing wrong with sex being an integral part of everyday life. Lastly we checked out some remains of people that died in the Mt. Vesuvius eruption. I think the saddest remain is of a woman who lay on the ground to cover her pregnant belly. For a long time scientist believed the ash killed the people but it is now believed that the hot temperatures from the volcano had the same affect that an atomic bomb would have on the air.
We left Pompeii and immediately ate gelato. At that time I purchased a hybrid grapefruit/orange which wasn’t very sweet. On the way back to Naples I saw the beautiful island of Capri and lots of graffiti covered walls. In Naples we had to take a regional rail train up to Rome. We were assigned seats in a train car room. There we met a cool guy who lived in the US for a bit, was a MMA fighter and played American Football in Naples. We met up with Adam when we arrived in Rome and went in search of a cheap Italian restauarant that served gnocci. Everyone at the table except for me ordered gnocci, instead I ordered fried artichoke which was pretty good. I also ordered seafood linguine (This is when I realized I did not like mussels.) and lamb chops which were filled with bone spurs.
We shared stories about being abroad. Olivia shared her first steak experience, when she couldn’t remember how to ask for a well done steak so said black and that is just what she was served. I erupted in laughter when I heard that. I’m sure people in the restaurant will remember my laugh. We went outside towards a square to find Italians sitting together on steps. Liv informed us that Italians only talk to and date people that they know or are introduced to by acquaintances. That was pretty stinky to hear but understandable because I constantly felt like a tourist that weekend.
The next day we slept in and Lexie and I headed to Vatican City. The lines were extremely long so we decided to come back to see Piazza San Pietro and the Sistine Chapel the next day. We left to come across some amazing thin crust pizza and sweet gelato! Then we started on our walk around the city. We went shopping for shoes and bags, and then walked up a main street filled with lots of shops. This is where I saw the Lush Rome store and some BBoys breaking. We continued roaming until we got to Trevii fountain and then back to the cat sanctuary. During the walk I decided to participate in normal Italian habits and drink from a water fountain outside. I mean an ornate fountain. It was nice to drink tap water not in a bottle for a few seconds. For dinner we decided to have Chinese food since we had eaten so much Italian food. After that we had the wonderful gelato and headed back to Liv’s apartment for warmth and TV. In total we had gelato three times and other dessert that day.
The next morning we woke up at 5:30am to get to Vatican City to see Piazza San Pietro and the Sistine Chapel. The church was breath taking and filled with beautiful marble sculptures and colored marble floors. Then we went outside of Vatican City to the Sistine Chapel. We paid 25 Euro to skip the line and be in a tour. I felt like crying when I saw the chapel. As a child I was obsessed with Michelangelo. Seeing his greatest work in person was such an amazing experience. My favorite piece was how Michelangelo depicted God and seeing his famous piece when God created Adam.
After leaving we decided to get pizza one last time from the delicious place outside of Vatican city. The day before I had fresh mozzerella, tomatos and basil. That day I had rice balls and proscuitto and ricotta pizza. You may have noticed that I did not refer the pizza as a slice, that is because a rectangle was cut off the sicilian style pie. It was toasted and reheated in the oven and then folded in half and wrapped with parchmen paper for stablity. I must reiterate that eating this pizza was heavenly!
We decided to get gelato one last time after pizza but the server was so rude that we walked out. (When we walked in the server said pay before you taste in a rude town. Trust me I have no problem paying for what I am suppose to but I refuse to allow people to talk to me any way they please. Get another job if you don't like yours. Take a break if you need one to cool off your temper but whatever you do do not catch an attitude with me and think it will fly.)While outside I got into a heated disagreement with Liv about service standards around the world. I was very much so offended with his service since Lexie and I had just went less than 24 hours ago to the same place and were treated better by a different server.
We headed back on the bus and took the tram to the train where we said our good byes. Rome’s Fiumicino terminal is HUGE! It took us a while to get to check in and pass two security points. Inside the terminal you can find lots of duty free shops, cheese, grappa, high end stores like Ferrari and more.
Our plane arrived safely back to Istanbul. Lexie and I took the bus to Taksim and met up with Melissa to have Chinese food again for dinner. This was interesting as Turkish men served me my food. Please know Yeni (New) Hong Kong is a Chinese run establishment. The food was okay but not the New York Chinese food that I had craved for weeks. I spent 35TL on dinner and said to Lexie and Melissa don’t let me forget the food. When we were walking out a fellow exchange student heard us speaking English and came over to introduce herself. We then headed out to the bus and that’s when I remembered I left my expensive dinner in the chair. Lucky for me it was still there when I got there!
Lexie and I headed out to Rome on Thanksgiving Day. We arrived around 3pm and met Liv and Adam at the airport train station. From there we headed to Liv’s apartment in Trastervre and shortly after went to the Colosseum which was only a 10 minuet bus ride from her apartment. It was a bit weird taking transportation in Rome because at the time they had Siesta which means a big break is taken from work during the middle of the day. The other weird part was that you could get on trams and buses without purchasing or validating a ticket. If you did see a ticket man coming one would hop off and get on again to avoid paying. Any ways the Colosseum was mind blowing from the outside; unfortunately I didn’t get to go inside because they closed down at 4:30. After that we walked over to other sites in the area and then to dinner. Along the way for dinner we turned a corner and walked past a park. I said I hear bats. Lexie, looked at me like I was crazy and said I don't think so. Next thing I know 100s of bats are flying over head into the trees.
For dinner Adam and I split ravioli and sausage pizza, we all shared a bottle of red wine for 20Euro. It is faux pau for one to drink white wine or coffee with dinner. We were wrapping up dinner when it began to rain. It rains everyday at some point of the day in Rome. Even stinkier was the fact that it was chilly around 50 degrees outside. After dinner we went for gelato around the corner. AMAZINGNGESS! I ordered coconut and cachi (persimmon). Adam had some amazing cinnamon which Lexie and I craved for the rest of the weekend.
We went back to Liv’s apartment to put on more layers in order for us to sstay warm at the Ice Bar and to try El Vino Nuevo a new style of red wine((The wine is made in months and not years.). The Ice Bar is exactly what the name implies. Each month 40 tons of ice is brought in and carved on sight. We entered the bar for 15 Euro and were given a poncho, gloves and one free drink. The drink itself was served in an ice cone cup. The bar was pretty dead for a Thursday but we livened it up by sharing jokes in the igloo.
The next morning we woke up at 6am and headed to Naples. We missed our train by 7 minuets so we waited around looking for Adam who had over slept and had no way of contacting us. I decided to purchase a snack while waiting, a nice apple pie. YUMMMY!
Upon arrival the train to Sorrento and Pompeii was on strike. The weather was rainy and cloudy so there were no available boats to Capri. There were men in the train station offering us taxi rides but Liv said those men were a part of the Mafia. Yikes! Eventually we figured out a regional train to take us to Pompeii because we could no longer see both Pompeii and Sorrento. While waiting around we decided to get pizza in Naples. It was pretty yummy but nothing to go gaga over in the city where pizza was invented. Naples it self is not the best looking neighborhood compared to other parts of Italy. There were a lot of street sellers and supposed Mafia affliated workers on the streets.
After a 3 hour train ride for the cost of 11 Euros we arrive in Pompeii. We began walking to the site in light rain to save money. About 10 minutes into the walk we saw a cab driver and decided to get in. Unfortunately none of us noticed that there was a 10 euro fair already on the meter. In the end we paid 15Euro to go down the block. The tickets for Pompeii were 11 Euro. Surprisingly enough after paying the rain cleared up and the sun came out.
Pompeii was once covered under 13 feet of dirt and was below farm land. Today one would never think so but the excavation still continues. The roads through the city were made of big rocks so water and horse manure could run down hill. The people of the city even put bigger boulders in to act as a walk way (cross walks). Pompeian’s were the first to have running water to their second floors. Unfortunately they used lead for this and in paints as well and in the long run suffered with brain damage. On the streets were fountains that women would get their daily water from and say a prayer at. I could see the indent in the marble from many people leaning over the sides. We checked out the amphitheater which was neat because of the amount of green, red, orange, blue and white marble that was in the floor. After that we stopped by the whore house where men would pick their sexual pleasure and go into a room with the woman where there was a rock bed and pillow. Remember Italians believed there was nothing wrong with sex being an integral part of everyday life. Lastly we checked out some remains of people that died in the Mt. Vesuvius eruption. I think the saddest remain is of a woman who lay on the ground to cover her pregnant belly. For a long time scientist believed the ash killed the people but it is now believed that the hot temperatures from the volcano had the same affect that an atomic bomb would have on the air.
We left Pompeii and immediately ate gelato. At that time I purchased a hybrid grapefruit/orange which wasn’t very sweet. On the way back to Naples I saw the beautiful island of Capri and lots of graffiti covered walls. In Naples we had to take a regional rail train up to Rome. We were assigned seats in a train car room. There we met a cool guy who lived in the US for a bit, was a MMA fighter and played American Football in Naples. We met up with Adam when we arrived in Rome and went in search of a cheap Italian restauarant that served gnocci. Everyone at the table except for me ordered gnocci, instead I ordered fried artichoke which was pretty good. I also ordered seafood linguine (This is when I realized I did not like mussels.) and lamb chops which were filled with bone spurs.
We shared stories about being abroad. Olivia shared her first steak experience, when she couldn’t remember how to ask for a well done steak so said black and that is just what she was served. I erupted in laughter when I heard that. I’m sure people in the restaurant will remember my laugh. We went outside towards a square to find Italians sitting together on steps. Liv informed us that Italians only talk to and date people that they know or are introduced to by acquaintances. That was pretty stinky to hear but understandable because I constantly felt like a tourist that weekend.
The next day we slept in and Lexie and I headed to Vatican City. The lines were extremely long so we decided to come back to see Piazza San Pietro and the Sistine Chapel the next day. We left to come across some amazing thin crust pizza and sweet gelato! Then we started on our walk around the city. We went shopping for shoes and bags, and then walked up a main street filled with lots of shops. This is where I saw the Lush Rome store and some BBoys breaking. We continued roaming until we got to Trevii fountain and then back to the cat sanctuary. During the walk I decided to participate in normal Italian habits and drink from a water fountain outside. I mean an ornate fountain. It was nice to drink tap water not in a bottle for a few seconds. For dinner we decided to have Chinese food since we had eaten so much Italian food. After that we had the wonderful gelato and headed back to Liv’s apartment for warmth and TV. In total we had gelato three times and other dessert that day.
The next morning we woke up at 5:30am to get to Vatican City to see Piazza San Pietro and the Sistine Chapel. The church was breath taking and filled with beautiful marble sculptures and colored marble floors. Then we went outside of Vatican City to the Sistine Chapel. We paid 25 Euro to skip the line and be in a tour. I felt like crying when I saw the chapel. As a child I was obsessed with Michelangelo. Seeing his greatest work in person was such an amazing experience. My favorite piece was how Michelangelo depicted God and seeing his famous piece when God created Adam.
After leaving we decided to get pizza one last time from the delicious place outside of Vatican city. The day before I had fresh mozzerella, tomatos and basil. That day I had rice balls and proscuitto and ricotta pizza. You may have noticed that I did not refer the pizza as a slice, that is because a rectangle was cut off the sicilian style pie. It was toasted and reheated in the oven and then folded in half and wrapped with parchmen paper for stablity. I must reiterate that eating this pizza was heavenly!
We decided to get gelato one last time after pizza but the server was so rude that we walked out. (When we walked in the server said pay before you taste in a rude town. Trust me I have no problem paying for what I am suppose to but I refuse to allow people to talk to me any way they please. Get another job if you don't like yours. Take a break if you need one to cool off your temper but whatever you do do not catch an attitude with me and think it will fly.)While outside I got into a heated disagreement with Liv about service standards around the world. I was very much so offended with his service since Lexie and I had just went less than 24 hours ago to the same place and were treated better by a different server.
We headed back on the bus and took the tram to the train where we said our good byes. Rome’s Fiumicino terminal is HUGE! It took us a while to get to check in and pass two security points. Inside the terminal you can find lots of duty free shops, cheese, grappa, high end stores like Ferrari and more.
Our plane arrived safely back to Istanbul. Lexie and I took the bus to Taksim and met up with Melissa to have Chinese food again for dinner. This was interesting as Turkish men served me my food. Please know Yeni (New) Hong Kong is a Chinese run establishment. The food was okay but not the New York Chinese food that I had craved for weeks. I spent 35TL on dinner and said to Lexie and Melissa don’t let me forget the food. When we were walking out a fellow exchange student heard us speaking English and came over to introduce herself. We then headed out to the bus and that’s when I remembered I left my expensive dinner in the chair. Lucky for me it was still there when I got there!
Graffiti brought me
This past Friday I headed out to Beirut, Lebanon with my roommate Becca, Jasmine and Ben. The weather this whole weekend was in the high 70s with lots of clear skies. After arrival and checkin we walked around the city to find a map and a guide book. On the way we saw Place des Martyrs and a beautiful mosque. Before entering the girls and I had to put on an all black robe and scarf. The mosque was breath taking. Inside were huge crystal chandelliers and beautiful stain glass windows. The cool part about Beirut is the religious tolerance. Christian churhes, synogoges and mosques can all be found in the same area.
We continued on our exploration through out Beirut and found lots of Christmas trees and war torn buildings next to high rise condos. Eventually we found an exchange office were we turned in $100 for 150,000 LBP. One cool thing about the currency is that $1 equals 1500LBP. But you can pay for pretty much anything in either LBP or Dollars. Side not a bottle of water will be cheap as 500LBP. Eventually we reached American University of Beirut (AUB) and took great pictures of the sunset on the rocks. After that we began our journey to Hamra Street (Rue Hamra) a busy center city street. Our journey first started with us being told by hotel workers to go through a foresty walkway. From there we ascended up a nice steep hill. After complaining about my jeans being to tight from Italy, I decided to check out cupcake shop. There I had a delicious carrot cake cupcake with cream cheese frosting! Oh, how that reminded me of home. We asked the students working for dinner recommendations and they said BarBar which is a fast food joint with good Lebanese food. We all ordered mutton (lamb) and chicken shawarma and some taboleh. On the menu was a Philadelphia sandwich that included coleslaw and Russian dressing. To bad we don’t have that as a sandwich in Philly.
After dinner we strolled Hamra in search of some nargile and night life. Along the way I found some amazing graf and we met a couple who was teaching English in Beirut. They were cool but the boyfriend seemed like he wanted space. After that we hopped in a cab to Gemmayze a bar district near our hostel. Before getting in the cab we set the price for 2000LBP. Upon arrival we paid 2000LBP and the cabby hopped out the cab and got angry with us. We were all like um we set the price. At that time a Lebanese couple came out and explained to us that taxis with red licenses plates make you pay person unless you say you want a shared ride price. After that was squared off we went to a nice nargile lounge to only be told we needed a reservation. That’s their thing in Beirut everyone needs a reservation, even if the place is empty... We finally found some good nargile at a restaurant and were able to watch the bar street below us. That night was a Halloween party so there were lots of bazzare costumes. We left in search of our hostel to only get lost down the block from it and end up taking a cab. Thank goodness for the hostel card or the lack there of. The cab driver didn’t know the name of the place and had to call the owner since there wasn’t an address listed.
On another note, Lebanese do not believe in driving normal. They always peel off, its like they want to hear the tires screech. Also there are ALOT of high cars and a mixed amount of cars from the 80s. The majority of my taxi rides were in Mercedes.
The next day we started out early to see some sights outside of Beirut. Our first stop was a cable car ride up a mountain with breath taking views of the port of Beirut. At the top we saw Our Lady of Lebanon or Harissa. After that we headed on another minibus to Byblos. There were still intact Phoenician ruins right on the water. Byblos had a little street market strip with lots of nick nacks. The interesting part of the town was the high amount of military officers and an UN Peace officer because the President was coming. The military is all throughout the city to keep things safe in case of another war breaking out. Nonetheless, I felt safe. The last stop on the list was Jeita Grotto a cavern with lots of rock formations and a river tucked with in a valley. After that we made our way back to Beirut to go to the Beirut Arts Center, a contemporary art gallery. Then we got dinner at Abdel Wahhad an expensive restaurant listed in the NY Times. The food was amazing for $35 a person but a bit too much. While trying to get a cab back to the hostel we saw the couple of teachers from the night before.
At the hostel one of the owners Wale asked me again if I was American. Then in a quizzical face he asked if blacks and whites were separate on buses. For him to be a man in his 50s he surely has been sheltered from world news. After that he showed the four of us how to write some words in Arabic. He also graded us on our writing. I scored 4 out of 10. I asked him to write my name in Arabic. I think the writing is beautiful and quite unique since words are written right to left.
That night we decided to go to B 018 a club that was once a bomb shelter and now has coffins as tables and chairs. Another guy from the hostel decided to tag along with us. He was a pretty interesting guy. From Amsterdam, on the 18th he will turn 34 and still be on his journey to country hop by riding his bike. That’s right the guy started riding his bike in Amsterdam in August and will continue seeing countries by bike until March where he will end in Addis Abba, Ethiopia. I asked him how many countries have you seen and he replied 40 or so. The club was dead so we decided to head downtown to Brut an R&B club. We were originally turned down because we didn’t have reservations but a few minutes later we got in when a guy said we had to come in with him. He brought us all a round from the bar and danced his butt off with us. The club closed at 2 and we were in search of a cab back to B 018 because we originally paid $20 to get in. Two nice college guys decided to offers us a ride since they were heading in that direction, while waiting for them to leave a thirteen year old boy walked up to me selling roses. I declined but Mr. Amsterdam purchased me a rose. The little boy was very fascinated with me and shook my hand and kissed my cheek after the purchase. One of the guys got in the back of the truck and played the Oud. This time the B 018 was exciting, especially since the roofs had been lifted back.
Sunday we called a cab to take us to the Hippodrome. Unfortunately it took
us to the sports complex which was over taken by the military. Normally one would be nervous when they are faced by many soldiers with big guns. The soldiers were very nice and accommodating since they all spoke English and French and we only spoke English. At one point a solider that spoke English did come around he helped us out and asked for a kiss on my cheek. I allowed this. Boy did he get cheers from his fellows. After that we went to the Hippodrome in a cab. Before going inside we ate bread purse filled with cheese and spices. Then we went inside and walked across the track to get to the stands. Horse racing is definitely a man bonding thing because there were only a handful of women there. At the Hippodrome people bet on races, while eating doner and smoking nargile. Around the corner was the National Museum of Beirut which was pretty cool. Again we hopped in a cab to take us to another part of town. The cab driver was confused and took us to the Hippodrome and said okay. We finally had him figure out that we wanted to go downtown. Note: Cab drivers don’t have a good sense of direction in Beirut.
In Downtown we were in search of a hot air balloon around Beirut. Unfortunately it no longer existed so we settled for seeing the shopping mall. Afterwards we walked to dinner at an Armenian restaurant. Yummy, I loved the lentil kebbe and cherry kofte. We decided to go out for one last time. So we hit Gemmayze in search of a chill bar. We ended up at Porto where we saw some five guys from Spain that we met the night before and met two Lebanese women who shared lots of laughs with us. I taught the bartender how to make Tokyo Tea and Hurricanes. We shared funny stories with the bartendar. He shared the time his bose said look at this Chinese
F*ck in Arabic to the man setting at the bar. Shortly after the guy said in Arabic I have lived here for 10 years. This Chinese bleep would like the cheek. The bartender said his manager turned pale. Boy did we laugh hard at that.
The two women, Maia and Tania showed us Oriental dances and Dou Dou shots (Dollar Dollar). The story goes that a Lebanese man used to come into the bar and order two shots of vodka, lemon juice, one olive and a splash of Tabasco sauce and would pay $100 for this. Yikes he was truly generous. Any ways I had one and felt like a dragon blowing fire! At one point Maia asked me how dance like the moves in the movie save the Last Dance. I explained the background of B-Boying and that it’s not really a club move here. I did show her how to two step and wine. Lol After the bar Tania and Maia gave us a ride to a café where we had some amazing nargile. There a women with three teeth in her mouth selling roses offered them to me and said in English that she loved me. When we left a little boy tried to sell me roses as well but belched as soon as he got up to talk to me. I replied cute, in a sarcastic tone. He proceeded to let out two more belches. Lol
This morning we headed out for an 8am flight. The weather was terrible but I’m sure that was Beirut’s way of saying it would miss us.
Dear Beirut,
I love you Beirut! Your people are very warm and accepting. I hope to see you again one summer.
XOXO,
Aquiera
We continued on our exploration through out Beirut and found lots of Christmas trees and war torn buildings next to high rise condos. Eventually we found an exchange office were we turned in $100 for 150,000 LBP. One cool thing about the currency is that $1 equals 1500LBP. But you can pay for pretty much anything in either LBP or Dollars. Side not a bottle of water will be cheap as 500LBP. Eventually we reached American University of Beirut (AUB) and took great pictures of the sunset on the rocks. After that we began our journey to Hamra Street (Rue Hamra) a busy center city street. Our journey first started with us being told by hotel workers to go through a foresty walkway. From there we ascended up a nice steep hill. After complaining about my jeans being to tight from Italy, I decided to check out cupcake shop. There I had a delicious carrot cake cupcake with cream cheese frosting! Oh, how that reminded me of home. We asked the students working for dinner recommendations and they said BarBar which is a fast food joint with good Lebanese food. We all ordered mutton (lamb) and chicken shawarma and some taboleh. On the menu was a Philadelphia sandwich that included coleslaw and Russian dressing. To bad we don’t have that as a sandwich in Philly.
After dinner we strolled Hamra in search of some nargile and night life. Along the way I found some amazing graf and we met a couple who was teaching English in Beirut. They were cool but the boyfriend seemed like he wanted space. After that we hopped in a cab to Gemmayze a bar district near our hostel. Before getting in the cab we set the price for 2000LBP. Upon arrival we paid 2000LBP and the cabby hopped out the cab and got angry with us. We were all like um we set the price. At that time a Lebanese couple came out and explained to us that taxis with red licenses plates make you pay person unless you say you want a shared ride price. After that was squared off we went to a nice nargile lounge to only be told we needed a reservation. That’s their thing in Beirut everyone needs a reservation, even if the place is empty... We finally found some good nargile at a restaurant and were able to watch the bar street below us. That night was a Halloween party so there were lots of bazzare costumes. We left in search of our hostel to only get lost down the block from it and end up taking a cab. Thank goodness for the hostel card or the lack there of. The cab driver didn’t know the name of the place and had to call the owner since there wasn’t an address listed.
On another note, Lebanese do not believe in driving normal. They always peel off, its like they want to hear the tires screech. Also there are ALOT of high cars and a mixed amount of cars from the 80s. The majority of my taxi rides were in Mercedes.
The next day we started out early to see some sights outside of Beirut. Our first stop was a cable car ride up a mountain with breath taking views of the port of Beirut. At the top we saw Our Lady of Lebanon or Harissa. After that we headed on another minibus to Byblos. There were still intact Phoenician ruins right on the water. Byblos had a little street market strip with lots of nick nacks. The interesting part of the town was the high amount of military officers and an UN Peace officer because the President was coming. The military is all throughout the city to keep things safe in case of another war breaking out. Nonetheless, I felt safe. The last stop on the list was Jeita Grotto a cavern with lots of rock formations and a river tucked with in a valley. After that we made our way back to Beirut to go to the Beirut Arts Center, a contemporary art gallery. Then we got dinner at Abdel Wahhad an expensive restaurant listed in the NY Times. The food was amazing for $35 a person but a bit too much. While trying to get a cab back to the hostel we saw the couple of teachers from the night before.
At the hostel one of the owners Wale asked me again if I was American. Then in a quizzical face he asked if blacks and whites were separate on buses. For him to be a man in his 50s he surely has been sheltered from world news. After that he showed the four of us how to write some words in Arabic. He also graded us on our writing. I scored 4 out of 10. I asked him to write my name in Arabic. I think the writing is beautiful and quite unique since words are written right to left.
That night we decided to go to B 018 a club that was once a bomb shelter and now has coffins as tables and chairs. Another guy from the hostel decided to tag along with us. He was a pretty interesting guy. From Amsterdam, on the 18th he will turn 34 and still be on his journey to country hop by riding his bike. That’s right the guy started riding his bike in Amsterdam in August and will continue seeing countries by bike until March where he will end in Addis Abba, Ethiopia. I asked him how many countries have you seen and he replied 40 or so. The club was dead so we decided to head downtown to Brut an R&B club. We were originally turned down because we didn’t have reservations but a few minutes later we got in when a guy said we had to come in with him. He brought us all a round from the bar and danced his butt off with us. The club closed at 2 and we were in search of a cab back to B 018 because we originally paid $20 to get in. Two nice college guys decided to offers us a ride since they were heading in that direction, while waiting for them to leave a thirteen year old boy walked up to me selling roses. I declined but Mr. Amsterdam purchased me a rose. The little boy was very fascinated with me and shook my hand and kissed my cheek after the purchase. One of the guys got in the back of the truck and played the Oud. This time the B 018 was exciting, especially since the roofs had been lifted back.
Sunday we called a cab to take us to the Hippodrome. Unfortunately it took
us to the sports complex which was over taken by the military. Normally one would be nervous when they are faced by many soldiers with big guns. The soldiers were very nice and accommodating since they all spoke English and French and we only spoke English. At one point a solider that spoke English did come around he helped us out and asked for a kiss on my cheek. I allowed this. Boy did he get cheers from his fellows. After that we went to the Hippodrome in a cab. Before going inside we ate bread purse filled with cheese and spices. Then we went inside and walked across the track to get to the stands. Horse racing is definitely a man bonding thing because there were only a handful of women there. At the Hippodrome people bet on races, while eating doner and smoking nargile. Around the corner was the National Museum of Beirut which was pretty cool. Again we hopped in a cab to take us to another part of town. The cab driver was confused and took us to the Hippodrome and said okay. We finally had him figure out that we wanted to go downtown. Note: Cab drivers don’t have a good sense of direction in Beirut.
In Downtown we were in search of a hot air balloon around Beirut. Unfortunately it no longer existed so we settled for seeing the shopping mall. Afterwards we walked to dinner at an Armenian restaurant. Yummy, I loved the lentil kebbe and cherry kofte. We decided to go out for one last time. So we hit Gemmayze in search of a chill bar. We ended up at Porto where we saw some five guys from Spain that we met the night before and met two Lebanese women who shared lots of laughs with us. I taught the bartender how to make Tokyo Tea and Hurricanes. We shared funny stories with the bartendar. He shared the time his bose said look at this Chinese
F*ck in Arabic to the man setting at the bar. Shortly after the guy said in Arabic I have lived here for 10 years. This Chinese bleep would like the cheek. The bartender said his manager turned pale. Boy did we laugh hard at that.
The two women, Maia and Tania showed us Oriental dances and Dou Dou shots (Dollar Dollar). The story goes that a Lebanese man used to come into the bar and order two shots of vodka, lemon juice, one olive and a splash of Tabasco sauce and would pay $100 for this. Yikes he was truly generous. Any ways I had one and felt like a dragon blowing fire! At one point Maia asked me how dance like the moves in the movie save the Last Dance. I explained the background of B-Boying and that it’s not really a club move here. I did show her how to two step and wine. Lol After the bar Tania and Maia gave us a ride to a café where we had some amazing nargile. There a women with three teeth in her mouth selling roses offered them to me and said in English that she loved me. When we left a little boy tried to sell me roses as well but belched as soon as he got up to talk to me. I replied cute, in a sarcastic tone. He proceeded to let out two more belches. Lol
This morning we headed out for an 8am flight. The weather was terrible but I’m sure that was Beirut’s way of saying it would miss us.
Dear Beirut,
I love you Beirut! Your people are very warm and accepting. I hope to see you again one summer.
XOXO,
Aquiera
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
