Prelude to Christmas

Due to the autumnal weather conditions and the notably non-Christian environment, Christmas approached with surreptitious swiftness this year.  Sneaky guy...

We decided to take action.  With the help of some festive music from Reuben, Hilary's phenomenal penchant for cookie-baking and some modest art supplies we were able to uncover some dormant holiday spirit.

Merry Christmas everyone.  We love you.  We miss you.  We wish you well.

- Mike and Hil

Hello, Everyone

Our blog has been a bit quiet lately, so here is a quick bite to eat.  Hopefully the video works.

Recently, we are pondering the many questions and life lessons that are thrown our way.  Of course we have no answers.  If the answers were so readily available, everyone would know them and there would be no questions.

That being said, we are trying to live intentionally and using our more solitary social situation to think about many big, vague things like What is? What was? and What will be?

We can't believe it's already December.  It does not feel like it at all here.  The year is going really fast so far.  I guess time passes regardless of location.

Happy Holidays.
Mike and Hilary

Storming Snake Castle

Hey Folks,

Since it's late on a Sunday night and we've been swamping the blog lately with lengthy, monotonous posts, this post will be breath of fresh air.

We'd been feeling the homesick dings, dents, and doldrums of daily life in a foreign country.  We decided we needed another overt travel experience - to take advantage of the opportunities we have before us.  One of the prominent reasons we left the comforts and pleasures of our home in Minnesota.

On Saturday (after some delicious apple cinnamon pancakes Hilary made from scratch) we hopped on a bus to the neighboring town of Ceyhan and stopped the bus 10 minutes before the city limits at the road to Snake Castle.  The castle was 3 km away at the top of a big old rocky hill.

We spent the next few hours exploring the ruins and eating a picnic lunch of granola bars, corn nuts, dried apricots, and apples.  Here are the pictures: https://picasaweb.google.com/102414639040665306959/SnakeCastle?authkey=Gv1sRgCKDKtseM1YnWaA  We walked back to the road, flagged down a bus, and rode back into town.  We felt invigorated and revived - our appetite for adventure satiated for the time being.

Arriving home, we discovered our power was still shut off from before we left for reasons unknown.  It was finally fixed this evening.  All told the power was out for about 32 hours.  That adventure was unwarranted and less invigorating, but I suppose we must take the good with the bad.

Hilary's birthday and Thanksgiving are on the horizon this week, so we look forward to both.  They will surely be bittersweet without so many loved ones nearby.

We miss you and love you all,
Hilary and Mike

Antakya/Antioch/Hatay

After returning home from our backpacking trip at 8:30 on Friday night, we scrambled to unpack, repack, freshen up, and try to rest for our whirlwind trip to Antakya early the following morning.  We were instructed to be at the bus station (a 20 minute walk from our place) at 6 or 6:30 am.

Perhaps we were running on fumes, but we felt pretty refreshed and invigorated walking Adana's empty streets to the station.  The city had not yet woken up and the familiar streets and storefronts adorned new character.  We were excited to see Antakya and we were traveling about 70 pounds lighter than the prior three days.

At the station we bought our tickets and were shuttled to the Otogar - a bigger bus station on the outskirts of the city.  We were both too energized by the prospects of Antakya to sleep on the ensuing three hour bus ride.  Hilary read a few different Antakya travel guides while I was sucked into a Turkish-dubbed action movie on the seatback screen in front of me.  Complimentary, delicious coffee was served at some point.

Two hours into the journey we were riding on the edge of some foothills overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.  With the Nur Mountains on our left and beautiful, sprawling port of Iskenderun below us to the right we were struck with wonder.  It was amazing.

We arrived in Antakya around 10 am and took another shuttle to a random intersection where our friend Can was waiting for us.  He brought us to his childhood home where we had coffee and treats with Laura and the rest of his family.  Rest assured it was delightful.

Then we set off to experience the city.  With Can as our guide we received an insider's tour better than we could've found at any price.  A student of history, literature, religion, and Turkish culture - he shared the stories, secrets, and rich history that the truly enchanted city is swelling with.

First we went to the catholic church where we were staying the night to drop off our bag and tour the grounds.  The church was like a cross between a castle and a convent.  Its courtyard was really cool and we went up to the roof to take our version of the apparently iconic photograph featuring the church's bell tower with the nearby mosque's minaret in the background.  The city is a landmark of religious tolerance with prominent bases of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism on display throughout.

Walking through the streets again it seemed like we would turn down one winding alley only to turn again into a smaller, more winding alley and eventually end up in some quaint street filled with sidewalk cafes, artisans and gift shops.  We stopped at Can's cousin's store where we ate homemade hummus and bakla (a lightly-spiced, garlicky version of refried beans (sans garlic)).  Then we walked further to another restaurant to eat some doners for lunch where we met up with Can's nephew as well.

Next up was the Hatay Archeology Museum featuring one of the world's foremost mosaic collections.  I'm sure our photographs won't do it justice.  To spare some length I'll zip along for a little while.  After the museum we got some milkshakes in a remarkable courtyard cafe.

We then headed out to St. Peter's Church - reportedly the place where the term "Christian" originated.  The story is that Luke donated the cave on his property to Peter, Paul and others to congregate.  Sadly the church was closed for maintenance - until August 2013!  We climbed around the rocks and saw a few figures of Greek mythology carved into the rock's face.

Next we explored the endless web of the covered bazaar.  People, shops, clothes, toys, foods, and knick knacks everywhere.  We stopped and ate some hot kunefe - a dessert comprised of crispy shredded wheat, mild melted cheese, crushed pistachios and some type of syrup.

Then we headed back to attend mass at the catholic church.  It was my first mass so I may have been lost even if the whole thing was in English - not Turkish.  It culminated all of us linking pinkies and doing the Dance of David around the Eucharist table.

For supper we had some local fare at a traditional-style restaurant.  We let Can choose the dishes and we ended up with a table full of unique dishes to share.  We ate until we couldn't anymore, parted ways with Can and Laura, and went to bed.

The following morning Hilary and I ambled around in search of some coffee and a bite to eat.  We found a nice little patisserie and restfully welcomed the morning.  We walked around some of the streets we'd been on the prior day and eventually ended up at Can's mother's house for a fantastic home-cooked lunch.  Shortly after we headed home to Adana.  We were lucky enough to catch a ride with Laura, Can and his mother.

Our trip to Antakya filled us with gratitude, memories and amazing food.  The city's buildings, streets, and rich history are more ancient than either of us have yet to encounter.  Steeped back in the mundane details of daily life for a few weeks now, we cherish the joyful experience and look forward hopefully to whatever future journeys await.

Here are the pictures.  https://picasaweb.google.com/102414639040665306959/AntakyaTripFall2012?authkey=Gv1sRgCK7qhcjeqoLcVw

Backpacking in the Mountains

If you were to tell us this past June that we'd be trekking the mountains of Turkey this fall, we would've thought you were crazy.  We were still looking for work in South Korea, Turkey wasn't on our radar whatsoever, and we didn't have any backpacking gear - or a very strong desire to go backpacking.

It's four short months later and here we are.  Through no powers of our own we were able to go on an incredible, beautiful adventure in the Taurus Mountains in southern Turkey.

When October began we still did not know what we were going to do for our upcoming break, but God provides.  Over the course of a few days our friend Luke invited us to join him on his adventure in the mountains, our friends Curtis and Annie generously offered to let us use their equipment, and our friends Can and Laura graciously lent us their tent.

The first morning we took a 4-hour bus ride north from Adana.  The bus company sold more tickets than seats so we spent the 4 hours rotating between squeezing the three of us into two seats, sitting on laps, and standing in the aisles.

The bus dropped us off at a desolate intersection about 4km from the nearest mountain village.  We started walking and were soon picked up by a farmer on a tractor pulling a trailer full of live sheep.  Luke and I sat on the wheel wells of the tractor while Hilary stood on the narrow platform on the back.  Our bags were 45, 52, and 35 lbs respectively.

The farmer dropped us off in front of the general store in Demirkazik Village and we spent the night in a villager's backyard garden.  While we set up camp and made supper, the man's 7-year-old daughter stood nearby - watching, whistling and smiling.  The man invited us into his home to warm up and discuss the following day's journey.  Luke knew enough Turkish to communicate with him, but Hilary and I mainly warmed up.  The man's wife served us hot, fresh milk and we headed outside to get some sleep.

We woke, packed up camp, ate breakfast, and started walking before the sun rose over the mountains.  On the way to our base camp a pack of six Kangals - a local breed of sheepdogs - aggressively approached us.  We picked up rocks, preparing to defend ourselves if necessary.  Luckily they continued up the hillside without incident.

Four hours into our hike we arrived at a field which seemed to be the base camp.  We set up our tent, ate some food, and rested.  It was only 10am but we were exhausted.  We lightened each of our packs and headed further up the mountain.

After an hour and a half we met some other hikers from Istanbul who were staying at the actual base camp.  The camp was about an hour's hike from the village, but we unintentionally took the scenic route...

At one point we saw another Kangal on the path ahead of us.  As we cautiously approached it we noticed it looked sad and harmless.  We passed him and he followed us up the mountain until we decided to stop climbing for the day.  We were in a beautiful spot with mountains on all sides of us.  The dog ended up being friendly so Luke and Hilary pet him and let him nuzzle up on them.  We soon noticed that the dog's mouth and paws looked wet and greenish.

We headed back down the mountain to make it to base camp before nightfall.  The Kangal followed us down, but stopped at the same point we first found him.  15 feet further we saw a dead goat with its legs splayed to the sides and green, rotting innards spilling out of its gut.  We spent the next fifteen minutes cleaning the green gunk off of Hilary and Luke's hands and clothes.

Side note: along the way, there were several mountain springs running through pipes into water troughs for the sheep herds that are commonly driven through the area.  Cold, pure water was delicious, picturesque and readily available.

We returned to our base camp, dropped our bags, and laid on the rocky ground - 10 hours after we set off in the morning.  I walked around gathering sticks and dung chips, hoping to make a fire that night.

We ate supper, drank hot drinks, and worked on starting a fire.  Through Luke's handiwork and a lot of thorns and light brush he soon made a roaring fire.  It was amazing to be able to thaw out and actually feel warm for around half an hour.  The temperature ranged from about 40 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit during the three days we were out there.

The next morning we hiked back down to the intersection where the bus dropped us off.  We hitched a ride into Çamardı and waited four hours until the bus came to bring us back home to Adana.  

We stopped at Luke's house to redistribute our belongings.  His wife Emily was waiting for us with a delicious, home-cooked meal.  We were so grateful.  And hungry.  

We made it home to our apartment around 8:30 pm - just enough time to unpack and rest for our journey to Antioch/Antakya the next morning.  We set our alarm for 5 am.

Here are the pictures:
https://picasaweb.google.com/102414639040665306959/BackpackingTripToDemirkazik?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ3svIux37O4OQ

For more pictures with more informative captions, check out Luke Olson's album on Facebook.

Kurban Bayram

Kurban Bayram is the sacrifice holiday.  For Islamic Turks it means that it's time to sacrifice some sheep, goats, cows, camels, etc. in public places throughout the city or village.  For Hilary and me it meant our first of two vacations this year.  It began on Wednesday and today (the following Monday) is the final day.

Hilary and I certainly made the most of our time off.  With little preparation or forethought and a heap of incredible blessings, we returned home last night from our amazing adventures.  We celebrated our friend Can's birthday, went on a 3 day backpacking trip in the Taurus Mountains, and spent two days in the beautiful city of Antioch.  We will give a more in depth account of each trip in separate posts to save a little sanity for our beloved readership.

Today we are soaking up the blessings and acclimating back to life as we know it here in Adana.  Upon returning home, we really felt comfortable and content in our new place.  After vigorously exploring the mountains and Antioch, the streets, sights, sounds, and smells of Adana were familiar and endearing.

We are loving our new surroundings, friends, and lives here.  Of course we are also really missing everything and everyone at home in America (and China, Reuben), but we are so grateful for this incredible opportunity and these fantastic experiences.  We feel so blessed.

I'm sure we'll crash back to reality when classes begin again tomorrow morning.  Until then we'll relish the moment and the new memories that we hope to never forget.

Lots of love and warm wishes to our family and friends,
Mike and Hilary

A Brief Update in Simplest Form

Since our last blog post one or both of us have

• eaten liver
• rejected a brand new watch offered as penance from a student
• reluctantly accepted a humongous bouquet of flowers from the same student
• watched Taken: Istanbul at the movie theater and discovered Turkish movie theater's have 15 minute intermissions, even if it interrupts one of the most intense scenes of the movie
• gotten sick 
• recovered
• almost gone to a soccer match between two local, rival teams
• played ultimate frisbee
• played soccer
• grown more accustomed to teaching
• kicked 2 high school girls out of class in the first 10 minutes
• Played cards with some new friends
• Skyped with several of our favorite people
• Made friends with the lady that works behind the nut counter at our grocery store- She even learned a little English to ask ''How are you?''
• Gone to a symphony concert featuring the music of Beethoven, Wagner, and Liszt
• Eaten at Waffle House - a place that serves waffles exclusively as dessert with lots of sugary toppings
• agreed to go backpacking in the Toros Mountains for a few days and then go to Antioch for the rest of our Fall Break

Outside the Stadium hours before the local soccer match

Our neighborhood mosque - which often wakes us up around 5:30am with the call to prayer

At the Concert Hall

Day Trip to the Mediterranean

Hey Folks,

This weekend we were finally adventurous enough to do a bit of traveling.  Before the weekend, our traveling consisted of getting our bearings in our new city.  Together with a couple we've met here who are actually from Minnesota, we took the train to the neighboring city of Mersin - a Mediterranean port.

We ate a delicious dish called Tantuni and checked out an old Catholic church, the opera house, and a museum.  Then Luke and Emily - our new friends - headed off to meet up with some friends and Hilary and I were on our own.  We went back to the opera house to take a few quick pictures and one of the workers there let us go into the concert hall to listen to the orchestra and choir practice for their upcoming performance of Carmen.

Afterward we walked north along the coast.  When we returned to our starting point there was a small line of fishing boats-turned-restaurants along the waterfront.  We boarded one and tried their fish sandwich, fries, and coke.  The Turkish music, fishing boats scattering the harbor, and full moon made for quite an experience.  My first taste of the Mediterranean was certainly worth remembering.

Here are the pictures:
Day Trip to the Mediterranean

- Hil and Mike

The Views Outside our Apartment

The Views Inside our Apartment

Front Hallway

Bathroom

 Kitchen/Laundry Room/Living Room

With Hilary

Without Hilary

Bedroom

Saturday in the Park (Not Chicago)

Friday after work Laura (our friend from Mora, MN) and her husband Can (pronounced 'John') took us to the Optimum Outlet mall to setup a cellphone.  On the way, Can took me through "Old Adana" which was a dodgier part of the city where we entered a mall filled with like fifty cell phone stores, rubbed elbows with the antique dealers, and walked through a meat market which consisted   of freshly butchered animal parts (its smell is still fresh in my mind, though its smell was anything but fresh).  

Saturday morning Hilary and I walked to the park nearby our apartment.  It is called Merkez Park.  Despite the repressive heat and humidity, we managed to explore and take pictures for about an hour.  Left of the mosque is a river (not pictured) with a bridge that lights up at night which we hope to frequent this year.  

So far we've not been adventurous enough to enter the mosque, but we will soon.  Laura said if we're lucky a worker at the mosque may let us go up into one of the minarets to look around.

The rest of the weekend we laid pretty low, settling into our new apartment, preparing for our first week of classes, and visiting a bazaar/farmer's market/pazar where we bought apples, plums, and persimmons - which is Hilary's new favorite fruit. 

Transition is slow, exciting, exhausting, fun, difficult, and progressing.  We hope our friends and family around the world are doing well and really appreciate the email, skype and ESP communication we've gotten so far.  It's nice to know we're not forgotten yet.

A few photos from our new Surroundings

A cup of coffee at our new apartment

The view from Laura and Can's Apartment

Me in Frankfurt, Germany's Airport with Walter. 

Welcome to Turkey

Hey Folks,

Welcome to Turkey via our blog.  We have finally created a mass (or micro) communication forum in response to the intense demands of our family, friends, and acquaintances.

On September 4th, 2012 at 3:30pm CST I had never been east of North America or north of Minnesota.  28 hours later I had been to 3 new countries (Canada, Germany, and Turkey) on 2 new continents (Europe and Asia).  Life changed from known, comfortable, stable and familiar to the complete opposite side of the spectrum.

Why?

More on that later, I suppose.

We love you and miss you, yet we're excited to discover what lies before us.

Mike and Hilary