Turkey

Just a fair warning to anyone out there: if you ever plan on going to Turkey, be prepared to use up all of your saliva trying to finish a meal. Your mouth will be as dry as an Arizona summer, and you'll grow extremely self-conscientious after asking for glass after glass of water. Granted, this just goes to prove the biggest lesson I learned about Turkey and Turkish people. It is an amazing country full of some of the most generous and hospitable people I have ever met. I'm so lucky to have been able to go. Jeannette (host mom)'s family lives there, so last Tuesday night she came home and said, "Kate, you have your passport, right? Great." Then she shut herself in the computer room and came out a half hour later with tickets to Alanya, Turkey.

Two days later we were off. Traveling with two kids under two is more terrible than I could ever have imagined, especially when your airline cancels the flight without telling you. Let's just leave it at this - we left the house at 1 PM and arrived at Jeannette's Aunt and Uncle's at 5:30 the next morning. It was 15 hours of pure hell and I was afraid it was going to set the tone for the whole trip. 20 minutes after my head hit the pillow, however, I was roused from my oh-sleep-is-so-close state by the ezan, or the call to prayer. It was both one of the eeriest and most beautiful sounds I have ever heard. Thank God I knew what it was (you're a gem, Prof Asher) or I probably would have been thoroughly freaked out. As I walked to the window the sound just filled everything completely. The sun was coming up and I had the most amazing view of the city and the Mediterranean. The voices (one from each mosque) were all slightly off time with one another so it sounded like a chorus. It lasted for four or five minutes and it was after this that I realized how special this place was and what I was in for over the next week.

As I've already mentioned, Jeannette's family is just amazing. Living in the house are her Aunt, Uncle and their son Mehmet (at first, whenever anyone would say his name, my mind would race DAVID MAMET DAVID MAMET DAVID MAMET on a continuous loop. Later, thankfully, it died down to just, "Sure David Mehmet, let's watch a movie."). Their daughter, Malick, lives 10 minutes away with her family but they were at the house just about every minute that we were. They have two young sons, Mette and Sayhan. They were cute but sort of terrible too.

Everyday we went to the beach for a good chunk of time. It was always me, Jeannette and Julie and some of the days her Aunt and/or cousins would come. Max always stayed home with Malick. I thought this was great for Jeannette, but I always felt bad that Malick had to stay behind and look after the baby. Jeannette assured me there was nothing either of us could do though. After the beach we would wander the streets. There are things for sale EVERYWHERE, along with the mobs of people trying to get you to buy them. We'd make our way back to the house (by taxi, bus or David Mehmet's motorbike) and just hang out there the rest of the night. This is when Julie made me want to pull out all of my hair.

Ohhhh the food. There was so much food! We'd have breakfast around 11:00 and dinner at 8:00 or 9:00. Breakfast was always eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese and bread. In short, it was delicious. Dinners were always different. I love Turkish food, and I'm glad that I can still say this after having eaten FOUR fish (in one sitting) that were staring at me, begging me not to eat them. They tried to get me to eat more, but I had to put my foot down.

One of the most surreal moments I've ever had in my life took place while having dinner at Malick's house. There were probably 12 people crammed into the small living room, dinners on laps, watching TV. David Mehmet put on some Spike TV-like-thing that kept showing people fall over paired with huge explosions. Then there was this five minute clip of a Nikon digital camera being put through a blender. In slo-mo. When the music started I thought it was some intense song from Tristan and Isolde or something. That would have been comical. BUT NO. It was the Lord of the Rings theme song! It was really sort of amazing. And oh man, the food that night. Huge main course with soup. 30 minutes later Malick brought out five bowls of nuts. Then two cakes. 30 minutes later five plates of fruit! Just, wow.

On Tuesday David Mehmet and I went on a boat trip. Starting in Alanya we sailed probably 20 km down the coast and back. So unbelievably gorgeous. There were lots of swimming breaks. Ah! And David Mehmet scared the crap out of me by jumping off a 40 foot cliff. Silly local showing off. His English isn't that great, which makes conversing all the more interesting. The best is that he answers every "no" with "why" or "why not?". Just like a four year old.

"Do you want some more bread?"

"No, thank you."

"Why not?"

"I'm full."

"Why?"

"Because I've had enough to eat."

"No no no no. You eat."

Really, it's hard to describe the charms of a town like Alanya. Yes, it's a gorgeous beach town on the Mediterranean (that's the first time I've spelled that correctly in years), but there's also a lot underneath the sun and sand that make the place so special. It really boils down to the people. They're the type that will give you the shirt off their back, just so you won't get sunburned. Please, if you ever get the chance to visit, take it. It will be unforgettable.

I'm sorry that my attempts to be more diligent at keeping this puppy alive have been so... awful. I'll keep trying?

So what's new? Three weeks ago I was lucky enough to have my parents visit and let me just say it was AMAZING. We went down to Munich, over to Austria and then back up to Berlin. It was an unforgettable trip. I think I'll just put a few pictures up as they can describe it much better than I ever could.

Thanks Mom and Dad, for everything!

Oh and I just found out today that I'm going to Turkey on Thursday (!?) so - and I'm talking to you, Abby - don't expect another update for at least a week and a half. At least this time I have a legitimate excuse, no?

JANET GORDON HAS ARRIVED! She's a little browner than I remembered, and she keeps talking about these magical people called Pat Smith and Mary Sanborn. Other than that, it's like I just saw her yesterday.

Time for a game of Who Has the Best Family. Oh no wait! We don't have to play because I already know it's me. Thanks for the sign Donahue family - it meant a lot! I miss you all very much.

Friends!!

My past couple of weeks have been pretty dang good. Julie (gasp)... hugs me willingly now! All of her own accord, I swear. She cried when I left the house today. I've never been happier to made a kid cry.

I suppose we've just been mostly chilling. We went to the beach a few times and to the zoo. Julie went crazy for the tigers and kept growling the whole day. It's been an exciting past few days because Julie is starting to potty train! She's doing a pretty good job too. She doesn't speak yet (she's 18 months) so she goes "shhhhhhhhhh" when she needs to go. Then she claps and claps when she's done.

Last weekend Sarah and I went to the women's marathon that took place on the last day of the World Athletics Championships here in Berlin. It was great! There were so many people and everyone was so excited. The finish line was Brandenberg Tor which made it seem all the more grand (as if the World Championships needed a boost). Fun fun fun.

Friday night Sarah and I decided to have some more fun. We met up with another au pair named Vanessa and went out. What I learned:

1. Always be up for an impromtu pub crawl.

2. People from Panama are excellent.

3. When a self-absorbed though nice British boy starts talking to you about his own conceptual art that involves "lots of stolen gold" and is exhibited in found places you can just smile and say "yeah" a lot. Don't worry, he won't ask you anything about yourself.

Best of all, I really mean it when I say things are looking up. Julie's great AND MY PARENTS ARE COMING NEXT WEEK! Hallelujah. Eight freaking days until I see my mother!

It's my nephew's birthday today. Happy birthday, Evan!! Congratulations on making it to two.

London was sooo wonderful. I did the same old stuff, really - coffee, museums, meandering - but I think it was a much needed trip.

I stayed in a hostel in Victoria and while my roommates were not the greatest, I did meet a girl called Christina. She's from Austria and was so fun! Friday I got up early and headed to Borough market followed by yet another amazing performance of As You Like It at the Globe. Saturday I went to the Tate Britain and saw a movie at Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square. It was called In The Loop and if you haven't seen it you should really try and go! It is gut-wrenchingly funny. I've heard it described as The Office meets The West Wing. The plot is all about confused relations politics involving the UK and the US after a dim-witted minister states matter-of-factly that a likely upcoming war is "unforeseeable." The movie is hilarious but also incredibly angry - thanks mainly to the Prime Minister's foul-mouthed Director of Communications. The whole thing is smart and makes you feel uncomfortable and self-conscientious - a la Curb Your Enthusiasm- and I think it's my favorite movie the year so far. Sunday I did a little shopping and walked all around. And I sat in parks! Four of them. Oh, how I miss the parks...

Being back in Germany this week has been okay. Julie really is getting a lot better when it's just the two of us - but I also think she's getting worse when one (or especially b0th) of her parents are home. Oh well. Hopefully it will get better.

Now I just can't wait to go back to the UK with my sister in October!

Now before anyone campaigns for me to have my blogging rights taken away you should let me explain myself. I have an excuse this time. A pathetic one, but a valid one nonetheless. I haven't been able to find my camera cord for over two weeks. Now, I thought this was because I had irresponsibly misplaced it. I've been pulling my hair out trying to find it. Imagine my surprise, then, what is discovered while picking up in Julie's room today. Yes, that's right, at the bottom of her toy basket is my trusty cord. Thanks Julie! You're a gem.

Maximilian is SO cute. If I were prone to hyperbole (which, okay, maybe I am sometimes) I would say he is practically the cutest baby ever born, second only to one Evan Breidel. And he's such a good baby so far. Barely any crying at all. I love him a lot already.

Julie and I have been having a good week so far. Monday we went to a nearby beach. She's crazy for the water. Today we went to the German-American festival, which I was excited for although I'm not sure why. I hate fairs even in the US. I think I was just starved for something familiar... The website described it as an event to celebrate German-American relations. I thought there might be something cultural going on. "Experience the northwest in our American village with painted and printed highlights based on the Northwest theme." Or, in other words, come to a crowded carnival with lots of German food and candy apples. I think Julie had fun though. She sure had fun laughing and pointing at the many depictions of fat Americans. Um, JUST KIDDING. Jeez. She's not even two.

Tomorrow I leave for London! Three full days in the holy land. You could call me excited if you wanted to.

Anyway, happy August everyone. I'm off to dream of the Queen and custard cremes.

It's Baby Time

Baby Max has arrived! He was born 3:30 Saturday morning and is doing very well. He's freaking tiny though. 2.8 kg or a bit more than 6 lbs. Mom and baby come home from the hospital tomorrow - pictures to come then!

Julie doesn't wail so much anymore! She still hits me, but at least I can stop worrying about going deaf. And sometimes she even hugs me.

Yesterday we went to an amazing park. Given that it was the second day of summer vacation, there were kids everywhere. Julie loved it. She played in the sand for what seemed like an eternity, and at times would just lay there and not move. At first I thought it was really weird, but then realized it was actually hilarious.

Jeannette's due date is tomorrow. She went to the doctor today and they said that if Max didn't come by Monday they would preform a C-section. Fingers crossed he comes soon!

I had a good chunk of this afternoon off, which was very, very nice. On an assignment from my dad I went to the shopping area KuDamm to check out the hotel that he booked for September. I very much approved. Not only are Gucci and Hermes right around the corner, but so is his Venti Cafe Verona from none other than Starbucks. It's like it was meant to be.

Tonight I went to an Irish pub with Sarah and Stephanie (my only two friends I have here. Have I mentioned them? They are wonderful. Both are au pairs with AYUSA. We swap sob-stories and talk American gossip). We had some wonderfully greasy food and (of course) some Strongbow. Y-U-M.

Much love!

Kate

How great are my parents?

I'd wager to say they're the best there are.

No Luck on the Kid Front

So... Julie hates me. I'm trying to, you know, be okay with it. But when you're left with a 17-month-old who screams at the top of her lungs whenever her mom leaves the room it starts to wear on you a bit. The crying itself is actually pretty amazing. Last week we went to the hospital because Jeannette had an appointment. Julie literally did not stop crying for an hour and a half. 90 minutes of continuous sobs, in public. It's an impressive feat if you think about it.

ANYWAY. Today I went to Body Worlds. Jeannette bought me a ticket for my birthday. It was really cool, but I was glad that I had seen it before (thanks Dad!) because everything was obviously in German.

This past weekend I went to a concert/festival called Energy in the Park. It was huge! The band I went for only played four songs - I was seriously bummed - but the event was cool. It was at a beach and the stage was out in the water. The beach was odd in that there was no incline into the water. All the way up to the stage was a little over a foot deep. So that was rad. I went with two other au pairs that are here with AYUSA (agency) also.

Guten Tag!

Beth: "You don't update your blog very often."

Me: "Yeah..."

That conversation took place exactly two minutes ago. You happy now, sister?

Anyway - Hello from Germany! I have been here now for 19 days. That's 19 days of trying to get used to a pretty permanent change... and I think it's going rather well. The first few days were sort of iffy, but the family I'm living with is so nice. Their names are Marek, Jeannette and Julie. Julie is 16 months and adorable. Fiery, but (sometimes) sweet. I think she may finally be warming up to me. Jeannette is also pregnant - they have a baby boy due in less than a month. Their flat is located on a horse farm 40 minutes outside Berlin. It's further than I thought, and it's really the only negative thing about my situation. The town they are in is TINY. Less than 200 people and not a single business besides the riding school. Ah... hopefully it is something that I will get used to.

My first week here I watched Julie and tried to get accustomed to my new home. Marek works in Frankfurt Tues-Thurs every week so it was just me and Jeannette for a lot of it. She's really great! Extremely welcoming and just wants me to feel comfortable. Last week I took a German class in the center of Berlin. I LOVED it! It was 9:30-12:30 everyday. There were 11 people in my class and we were a very eclectic bunch. Brazil, Japan, Sweden, Ecuador, France, Australia and the US were represented. We all got along great too. Unfortunately, none of them are going to be here for more than a month. Not only was it fun, but I feel like my German did improve quite a bit. We spent the majority of the week going over an area of grammar that English doesn't use so it was definitely helpful. That, and I now know my food vocabulary!

This past weekend was absolutely amazing. I was reunited with my dear, sweet, roommate extraordinaire, Bryanna. She and four friends are trotting across this great continent for a total of 6 weeks. Berlin was the third stop (not counting their landing in Frankfurt) after Oslo and Copenhagen. We met for a great walking tour, a quick happy hour, and dinner at a great Italian restaurant. On Sunday we checked out Kaiser Wilhelm's Memorial Church on Kurfürstendamm, one of the most famous avenues in Berlin, and tried to go shopping but soon realized absolutely nothing was open. So we went for a coffee instead and then to Berlin's oldest biergarten. It was just as wonderful as it sounds. Then we happened upon this amazing music festival and outdoor market. I later learned that it was an event called Fete de la Musique. All of the parks across Berlin had similar things going on. It was great. Saying goodbye to Bryanna, Sarah, Holly, Amanda and Seija was not easy! They were headed off to Prague next, followed by Paris, Barcelona, Rome and others. Bry definitely cured me of the homesickness that I had. I am so lucky I was able to see them!

This week has been good. I had my first two full days along with Julie. They were... interesting. The second was a lot better than the first. I think Julie is starting to realize that I am not going to replace her mother.

Well, it is now most definitely time to sleep. We're good now, right Beth?

Peace all!

Kate

EDIT: I tried to post the pictures earlier, Ms. Needy, but they wouldn't load before my eyes demanded to close.