i like the way, the way you shake...

the weather we are getting these days could not be any more lovely than this -- there is always a perfect light, a shy but warm sun and a fantastic, chilly breeze at night. i love it.

just got back from tiny birthday party at my son's kindergarden and - like for other occasions of the same kind - ... i was stunned by the too funny for words choice of music. apart from dreary turkish pop -- people here seem to love rap and r 'n b music... and the kindergarden teachers are no exception. the only problem is that none of them know any english whatsoever - and so i am the only one slightly amused (for the wrong reasons) when i look at the wild bunch of three years old dancing like crazy and wiggling their mini-hips to lyrics like

"...i like the way...the way you shake your ass around me..."

or
"she is a monster...and i need her...and i want her...she is a monster -- but i don't mind".
oh well, i should not mind either.

the arrival of our guests in a couple of days has sent me in absolute overdrive about fixing things around the house -- so we had a couple of handymen over yesterday...+ am waiting for two more now and i have already endured a frantic trip to the local ikea.

it is hilarious to deal with any plommer / technician here... - partly because of my rather comedy turkish, partly because when (if) they show up - they usually arrive two hours late, enter and ask for tea before saying "hi" and - since you are clearly a foreigner (no bloody way to disguise it!) - try to cheat on the price...making any 40 liras become 65 all of a sudden.

received a call from a friend from rome yesterday and learnt there is a chance we are going to have visitors for new year's too. am so excited and happy i can hardly find the words to express it.

on the other hand - with christmas approaching - few of my foreign friends here are actually leaving turkey...and tonight there is going to be a small farewell do for a couple of them. it is sad to see them go, really. most of the american and english teachers i have met here so far are lovely people, with a real "can do" attitude and a sweet, gregarious sense of life. which is rare - and refreshing to say the least.

must dash now and fetch a couple of plants for my ever temperamental balcony. had placed two gigantic, very thorny / threatening looking fat plants at the entrance of the spot where the pigeons nested last year -- only to find out the evil beasts resorted to use another corner to nest once again... blast!
as mentioned earlier... perhaps "i should not mind either".
and ... i guess... will (happily) settle for that...