The Fenerbahçe game

I can’t believe how fast this trip has gone so far…
So much has happened while we’ve been here politically. The bombings occurred and the Constitutional Court tried to ban/dissolve the government today (but they did not have enough votes). It has been amazing talking to the people about their country. I have also picked up a lot of Turkish as well. Turkey is under going a lot of political stress right now; the pull between modernization and tradition.

Anyways, here is what we did today:

• Woke up at 0630, breakfast downstairs in hotel
• Took long-distance train 2 hours northwest of Istanbul to children’s orphanage for social work
• Walk for thirty minutes down railroad tracks wrong way until we find orphanage
• While there, ariated the orchard by loosening soil around trees with shovels. The orphanage services 40 children (21 who live there) who are no longer taken care of by their parents
• Lunch on tables outside under the grove of apple trees. (rice, chicken, tomatos, plum juice, water, bread)
• Continued working after tour of complex. Picked up by Dede and Tuna by bus, drive back to Istanbul
• Dinner downtown (tomato pizza, cola) and more shopping
• Dondurna (ice cream) and Turkish Delight
• Watch Fenerbahçe game at tavern near hotel with packed house of Turkish fans along with random Turkish people I met while sitting there (they didn’t know English) First and hopefully last time I’m mistaken for a French citizen…haha
• Fenerbahçe wins 2-0 against MTK Bulgaria
• Climb on top of Byzantine wall surrounding the city. Take awesome pictures