We landed in Izmir around 7:00 on Friday night, got home, and a few hours later, a coup happened. How's that for a wild Friday night?
Actually, things were pretty calm in Izmir the entire time. Around 11:00pm, we got a Facebook message from a friend saying there was a possible coup in Turkey. We ran out to our balcony to see what was going on and all we saw were people drinking tea. A normal Friday night. When we turned on the news, they were reporting about Trump's VP pick (side note: we get American news, not Turkish news). In a matter of minutes, though, things changed. Trump was cut off mid-sentence to show images of Istanbul in chaos and Facebook and Reddit started exploding with reports of the coup. We were told by the US military that we were to stay inside and not leave.
Still, the people of Izmir drank tea.
We quickly packed a bag in case we had to leave and sat and waited. We watched things unfold on the news and finally people here started to get wind of what was happening up north and in their capital. Around 1:00am, cars started honking and flags waving in what we think was in support of the coup. At some point, we watched Erdogan address the nation via FaceTime and ask his supporters to take to the streets in unity. Around 3:00am, we decided to go to bed. Things didn't seem to be changing in Istanbul, Ankara or in Izmir.
Still, the people of Izmir drank tea.
When we woke up on Saturday, we saw that the coup had failed. We were still supposed to stay inside, but things in Izmir were calm. The only people outside on Saturday morning was one guy wandering around playing Pokemon Go. Even that night, things were quiet. We heard some more cars honking, but there weren't any protests that we saw. Actually, it was probably one of the calmer weekends we've experienced here.
Still, the people of Izmir drank tea.
By Sunday, we received word that the commissary would be open for two hours and that we would be allowed to leave our house for food. Mike went and stocked up on stuff to get us through the next few days, while I stayed at home and prepared for the movers that were coming the next day. Things outside stayed calm, but more and more people were out and about. We heard about ongoing protests in Istanbul and Ankara and some of unrest within the government, but things in Izmir resumed as normal.
Still, the people of Izmir drank tea.
We went to bed on Sunday ready for the movers to come, but unsure of when we'd be allowed to leave the house...or the country.
Showing posts with label violence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label violence. Show all posts
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Prayers for Istanbul
"Ubunutu. I am a person through other people. My humanity is tied to yours."
-Zulu proverb
I'm not even sure where to begin when it comes to yesterday's attacks on the Istanbul airport. My heart is so heavy for the Turks and for everyone involved.
Yesterday after the attacks, text messages started pouring in from friends to make sure Mike was okay. Thank you so much. It makes me feel so good that you all care as much about Mike as you do about me. Luckily, he was in Izmir with friends. Those friends were supposed to go to Istanbul today, but their flights were cancelled and they are spending another day in Izmir with Mike. We are so thankful for their safety, but also heartbroken for the people who were not as lucky.
As all of the texts were pouring in, my best friend and I were talking and she said something that rings so true for this attack, as well as the attacks in Orlando, Paris, Belgium and around the world.
"It's just really sad that this is how people feel they need to act to insight the change they desire/have been inspired to think this is honorable." -Anna
It's so true. It is so sad that people must resort to violence and anger to get their point across. Fighting fire with fire does not solve any problems, it just makes the fire grow bigger. People in Turkey and around the world are now angry and heartbroken after yesterday's attacks. Yesterday did nothing but make the divide between terrorism and the rest of the world deeper. My biggest fear is that, as more and more violent attacks happen around the world, people will associate Turkey with violence and anger and I would hate for the minority to be seen as the majority. I have so many fond memories of Turkey and of the people there, none of which involve violence or anger.
Right before I left Turkey for good, Mike and I went to the local bazaar where most people do their shopping. I wanted to get some souvenirs, so our first stop was the ceramics shop. As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by the owner, Can. In English, he said "Welcome brother Mike!" and expressed his gratitude on meeting me. He offered us tea, talked with us and helped us pick out some ceramics for us and our friends and family. We were treated like family.
After the ceramics shop, we went to the carpet shop where we met Can's uncle. We were once again offered tea and things to eat. We looked at carpets, but we also sat and talked with Can's uncle. We talked about our lives in Turkey, why Mike and I didn't have children yet ("You have been married nine months yes?" said Can's uncle) and about the world. I will probably never forget our discussion because religion came up. This man, a devout Muslim, wanted to know about our beliefs. When Mike told him some of his hesitations when it came to religion, he nodded his head and said that he too had had reservations. Then, he said "Whenever I have questions about whether God exists, I think about the wind. You cannot see the wind, but you can feel it's effects. Just like the wind, you cannot see God, but you can feel His effects." The passion in his eyes and his love for his religion was so apparent, it brought tears to my eyes. He was not trying to push his religion on us, but yet explain something that was so important to him. I could tell that his beliefs were his guiding light and the reason for his peaceful and accepting demeanor.
After experiences like the one in the carpet shop, I am constantly reminded of Ubuntu. I hope that when people think of Turkey, they think of people like Can and his uncle, not of the terrorist activities that take place there. There are almost 80 million people in Turkey and my humanity is tied to theirs. My year there made me a more open-minded, loving and accepting person because they were open-minded, loving and accepting to me.
I just hope that terrorist groups will realize this too.
Inshallah. God willing.
-Zulu proverb
I'm not even sure where to begin when it comes to yesterday's attacks on the Istanbul airport. My heart is so heavy for the Turks and for everyone involved.
Yesterday after the attacks, text messages started pouring in from friends to make sure Mike was okay. Thank you so much. It makes me feel so good that you all care as much about Mike as you do about me. Luckily, he was in Izmir with friends. Those friends were supposed to go to Istanbul today, but their flights were cancelled and they are spending another day in Izmir with Mike. We are so thankful for their safety, but also heartbroken for the people who were not as lucky.
As all of the texts were pouring in, my best friend and I were talking and she said something that rings so true for this attack, as well as the attacks in Orlando, Paris, Belgium and around the world.
"It's just really sad that this is how people feel they need to act to insight the change they desire/have been inspired to think this is honorable." -Anna
It's so true. It is so sad that people must resort to violence and anger to get their point across. Fighting fire with fire does not solve any problems, it just makes the fire grow bigger. People in Turkey and around the world are now angry and heartbroken after yesterday's attacks. Yesterday did nothing but make the divide between terrorism and the rest of the world deeper. My biggest fear is that, as more and more violent attacks happen around the world, people will associate Turkey with violence and anger and I would hate for the minority to be seen as the majority. I have so many fond memories of Turkey and of the people there, none of which involve violence or anger.
Right before I left Turkey for good, Mike and I went to the local bazaar where most people do their shopping. I wanted to get some souvenirs, so our first stop was the ceramics shop. As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by the owner, Can. In English, he said "Welcome brother Mike!" and expressed his gratitude on meeting me. He offered us tea, talked with us and helped us pick out some ceramics for us and our friends and family. We were treated like family.
After the ceramics shop, we went to the carpet shop where we met Can's uncle. We were once again offered tea and things to eat. We looked at carpets, but we also sat and talked with Can's uncle. We talked about our lives in Turkey, why Mike and I didn't have children yet ("You have been married nine months yes?" said Can's uncle) and about the world. I will probably never forget our discussion because religion came up. This man, a devout Muslim, wanted to know about our beliefs. When Mike told him some of his hesitations when it came to religion, he nodded his head and said that he too had had reservations. Then, he said "Whenever I have questions about whether God exists, I think about the wind. You cannot see the wind, but you can feel it's effects. Just like the wind, you cannot see God, but you can feel His effects." The passion in his eyes and his love for his religion was so apparent, it brought tears to my eyes. He was not trying to push his religion on us, but yet explain something that was so important to him. I could tell that his beliefs were his guiding light and the reason for his peaceful and accepting demeanor.
After experiences like the one in the carpet shop, I am constantly reminded of Ubuntu. I hope that when people think of Turkey, they think of people like Can and his uncle, not of the terrorist activities that take place there. There are almost 80 million people in Turkey and my humanity is tied to theirs. My year there made me a more open-minded, loving and accepting person because they were open-minded, loving and accepting to me.
I just hope that terrorist groups will realize this too.
Inshallah. God willing.
Monday, June 13, 2016
We stand by you.
I had big plans to finish posting about our trip in Croatia and Bosnia, but it felt weird. It didn't feel right to post about how much fun we had traveling when there are so many people mourning after yesterday's tragedy in Orlando. As I thought more and more about what I wanted to say, I realized how difficult it is to put in to words how upsetting this is. I saw the following on Facebook by Jen Hatmaker and, while it doesn't cover everything, I think it does a good job.
My black friends taught me something important, particularly after the mass shooting in Charleston at Emanuel AME Church, which was a targeted mass murder like this one aimed specifically at a people group:
When people anywhere have been targeted and murdered that share something specific with you - race, sexual orientation, religion - it is not only terrorism against the victims but psychological terrorism against their people group. It shakes down your sense of security and safety, because truly, it could have been you, your brother, your best friend, your dad. It IS you, your brother, your best friend, your dad. What hurts one, hurts all.
What my black friends taught me is that the ancillary offense, where grief is compounded and loneliness sets in, is when their friends and colleagues outside of their tribe say NOTHING. When their churches don't stop and grieve. When their coworkers are silent. When their neighbors look the other way because they aren't sure what to say, so they say nothing.
Our gay friends and kids and church members and neighbors are particularly hurting and scared today. As are their mamas and daddies and sisters and children. This targeted hate and violence is not just shocking the Orlando community (and the rest of us), but specifically the LGBT community and everyone that loves them.
Here is what we can do:
Call your gay friend, neighbor, daughter, college roommate, son, coworker, church member, brother - call them voice to voice, or even better, face to face where you can put loving arms around them and say:
"This was unspeakable. This was horrible. This was unconscionable. I see this evil and I condemn it fully. I will sit right here and grieve with you. We will not gloss this over or forget. You might feel unsafe or insecure or scared today, and I want you to know you are not alone. I love you and I stand by you."
Don't say nothing. The way to battle this kind of evil is to overcome it with love according to Jesus who, by the way, would be smack in the middle of Orlando if he was still walking around down here, attending to wounds and souls and beloved hearts. Put your arms around your gay friends and family members and speak love and solidarity and presence and hope into their lives.
God in heaven, be near.
We love you and we stand by you. Those words are so simple and, yet, so powerful. So to the LGBT community, as well as the millions of Muslims in the United States, Turkey and around the world who are honest and genuinely good people, we stand by you.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Istanbul Bombing
I like to give myself some time to process when something like the bombing in Istanbul happens. I need a good 24 hours to get my thoughts together, otherwise it comes out like whydidallofthishappenandwhyarentpeoplemakingabiggerdealaboutthisandwhyandwhyandwhy.
Yesterday, there was a suicide bombing in Istanbul. Ten people, including the bomber died. Perhaps the scariest part about this attack was the location, the Sultanahmed District, which is the hub off all touristic sites in Istanbul. Just three weeks ago, Mike, Poorna and I were there. Previous attacks in Turkey have targeted Turks, whereas this was a blatant attack on tourists. While there have been other bombings and violence in Turkey, this attack definitely scared me a little bit more.
It's always interesting to watch the aftermath of something like this. Sometimes, I am overcome with the amount of love and support for the victims and the people of the country. When the bombings in Paris happened, there was an outpouring of support for the victims via social media. People changed their Facebook profile and updated their statuses with condolences. Other times, I'm heartbroken with people's anger and lack of understanding.
Recently, I've seen a lot of stuff on Facebook about how Islam promotes violence and that Muslims hate non-Muslims. That scares me more than the bombing yesterday or in Paris because it's just not true and beliefs like this are what is fueling the violence around the world. I think it's so important to know and understand the basics of the world's three main religions (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity) because religion plays a huge role in our world. Not understanding the basics of each religions allows groups such as ISIL and Al-Qaeda to claim representation of Islam, when they are as Islamic as the Westboro Baptists or Hitler are/were Christian.
As President Obama said last night in his State of the Union Speech,
"When politicians insult Muslims, whether abroad or our fellow citizens, when a mosque is vandalized, or a kid is called names, that does not make us safer. That is not telling it like it is, it's just wrong. It diminishes us in the eyes of the world."
His sentiment was echoed by Nikki Haley who gave the Republican response to the SOTU when she said "During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices. We must resist that temptation. No one who is willing to work hard, abide by our laws and love our traditions should ever feel unwelcome in this country."
I know that people are scared. I am. But I also know that people are scared in Syria, Iran, Iraq and the rest of the Middle East. I think about the eleven year old in my Turkish class who is from Syria. She doesn't understand why her cousins must take a "jet ski" to move to Greece and why they must leave in the middle of the night. I think of the Syrian scientist featured on Humans of New York who lost half of his family, but still wants to make a difference through research. If I'm scared, I can't imagine how the innocent people living in these war torn countries must feel.
I don't believe that people are born bad. I look at my former students, my God daughter, my friends' nieces and nephews, and the thousands of Turkish children every day and I know that people are innately good. I also know that a religion that says
Indeed, Allah enjoins justice, and the doing of good to others; and giving like kindred; and forbids indecency and manifest evil, and wrongful transgression. He admonished you that you may take heed. (Al Quran 16:91)
and who's name, Islam, derives from the word "peace" in Arabic is not the cause of the evil in the members of ISIS. It's not the cause of the ten deaths yesterday and the hundreds of lives that have been lost in terrorist attacks in the past year. Instead, it is a love for power that has caused these horrific acts.
I don't like to think of the members of ISIL or Al-Qaeda because that's what they want and that's what fuels their power. I try to think about the Turkish newlyweds who provided dinner for 4,000 refugees instead of having a wedding reception or about my students who have welcomed me to Turkey and have spent endless number of classes trying to help me adjust to their culture while learning about mine. These are the people who are representing the true beliefs of Islam. So, while I am still scared and struggling to make sense of yesterday's attacks, I'm also trying to remember all of the good that has happened and of the millions of people both in the United States and around the world who exemplify the true meaning and beliefs of Islam.
I hope that yesterday's attacks are the last. I'm realistic and I know that they probably aren't, but I believe in a god who promotes peace and has the power to make anything possible. My prayers and thoughts are with the families of the victims yesterday and for all of those who live in fear, both in Turkey and around the world.
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."
-Jimi Hendrix
Yesterday, there was a suicide bombing in Istanbul. Ten people, including the bomber died. Perhaps the scariest part about this attack was the location, the Sultanahmed District, which is the hub off all touristic sites in Istanbul. Just three weeks ago, Mike, Poorna and I were there. Previous attacks in Turkey have targeted Turks, whereas this was a blatant attack on tourists. While there have been other bombings and violence in Turkey, this attack definitely scared me a little bit more.
It's always interesting to watch the aftermath of something like this. Sometimes, I am overcome with the amount of love and support for the victims and the people of the country. When the bombings in Paris happened, there was an outpouring of support for the victims via social media. People changed their Facebook profile and updated their statuses with condolences. Other times, I'm heartbroken with people's anger and lack of understanding.
Recently, I've seen a lot of stuff on Facebook about how Islam promotes violence and that Muslims hate non-Muslims. That scares me more than the bombing yesterday or in Paris because it's just not true and beliefs like this are what is fueling the violence around the world. I think it's so important to know and understand the basics of the world's three main religions (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity) because religion plays a huge role in our world. Not understanding the basics of each religions allows groups such as ISIL and Al-Qaeda to claim representation of Islam, when they are as Islamic as the Westboro Baptists or Hitler are/were Christian.
As President Obama said last night in his State of the Union Speech,
"When politicians insult Muslims, whether abroad or our fellow citizens, when a mosque is vandalized, or a kid is called names, that does not make us safer. That is not telling it like it is, it's just wrong. It diminishes us in the eyes of the world."
His sentiment was echoed by Nikki Haley who gave the Republican response to the SOTU when she said "During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices. We must resist that temptation. No one who is willing to work hard, abide by our laws and love our traditions should ever feel unwelcome in this country."
I know that people are scared. I am. But I also know that people are scared in Syria, Iran, Iraq and the rest of the Middle East. I think about the eleven year old in my Turkish class who is from Syria. She doesn't understand why her cousins must take a "jet ski" to move to Greece and why they must leave in the middle of the night. I think of the Syrian scientist featured on Humans of New York who lost half of his family, but still wants to make a difference through research. If I'm scared, I can't imagine how the innocent people living in these war torn countries must feel.
I don't believe that people are born bad. I look at my former students, my God daughter, my friends' nieces and nephews, and the thousands of Turkish children every day and I know that people are innately good. I also know that a religion that says
Indeed, Allah enjoins justice, and the doing of good to others; and giving like kindred; and forbids indecency and manifest evil, and wrongful transgression. He admonished you that you may take heed. (Al Quran 16:91)
and who's name, Islam, derives from the word "peace" in Arabic is not the cause of the evil in the members of ISIS. It's not the cause of the ten deaths yesterday and the hundreds of lives that have been lost in terrorist attacks in the past year. Instead, it is a love for power that has caused these horrific acts.
I don't like to think of the members of ISIL or Al-Qaeda because that's what they want and that's what fuels their power. I try to think about the Turkish newlyweds who provided dinner for 4,000 refugees instead of having a wedding reception or about my students who have welcomed me to Turkey and have spent endless number of classes trying to help me adjust to their culture while learning about mine. These are the people who are representing the true beliefs of Islam. So, while I am still scared and struggling to make sense of yesterday's attacks, I'm also trying to remember all of the good that has happened and of the millions of people both in the United States and around the world who exemplify the true meaning and beliefs of Islam.
I hope that yesterday's attacks are the last. I'm realistic and I know that they probably aren't, but I believe in a god who promotes peace and has the power to make anything possible. My prayers and thoughts are with the families of the victims yesterday and for all of those who live in fear, both in Turkey and around the world.
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."
-Jimi Hendrix
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Violence in Turkey
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Moving to Turkey has been interesting and eye opening in more ways than I could have ever imagined. Things, such as hot water (or water at all!), electricity, and reliable information, are things that I never questioned before I moved here. I think the biggest difference between Turkey and the United States is the difference in free speech.
In the United States, you have the right to free speech. There's really not a lot of questions about it. You can't yell "fire" in a crowded movie theater, but if you don't like something the government is doing, you can make your thoughts known (as most people do, thanks to Facebook, Twitter. etc.). Turkey is...different.
Last weekend, there was a bombing in Ankara that killed 100 people and injured almost double that. There is a lot of speculation over who is responsible and we have witnessed huge protests outside of our house in response to this. The government has stated that any news source that shows videos/pictures that incite fear based on the bombings will be shut down. Therefore, even though this little blog of mine is not a news source, I'll keep my photos and videos on my phone and not be posting them here.
That being said, times are a changin' here in Turkey. There is an election on November 1st, which is a cause for tension. Add in the bombing last week and people are tense. So, instead of speculating on who is responsible for last weekend's casualties, just say a little prayer, send some good vibes and think positive thoughts that this country and it's people will help Turkey become a prosperous and peaceful country.
Moving to Turkey has been interesting and eye opening in more ways than I could have ever imagined. Things, such as hot water (or water at all!), electricity, and reliable information, are things that I never questioned before I moved here. I think the biggest difference between Turkey and the United States is the difference in free speech.
In the United States, you have the right to free speech. There's really not a lot of questions about it. You can't yell "fire" in a crowded movie theater, but if you don't like something the government is doing, you can make your thoughts known (as most people do, thanks to Facebook, Twitter. etc.). Turkey is...different.
Last weekend, there was a bombing in Ankara that killed 100 people and injured almost double that. There is a lot of speculation over who is responsible and we have witnessed huge protests outside of our house in response to this. The government has stated that any news source that shows videos/pictures that incite fear based on the bombings will be shut down. Therefore, even though this little blog of mine is not a news source, I'll keep my photos and videos on my phone and not be posting them here.
That being said, times are a changin' here in Turkey. There is an election on November 1st, which is a cause for tension. Add in the bombing last week and people are tense. So, instead of speculating on who is responsible for last weekend's casualties, just say a little prayer, send some good vibes and think positive thoughts that this country and it's people will help Turkey become a prosperous and peaceful country.
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Ephesus
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Back when I was stuck in the United States due to passport issues and Mike was in Turkey, he took a little day trip to meet one of his Olmsted classmates who was traveling in Turkey. He met Jonathan and his wife Georgeanne while they were doing a tour of Ephesus. Ever since then, none of the ruins we've seen have compared in his eyes. I was anxious to see the sight, but didn't want to do it during high tourist season or while it was a million degrees. If I've learned anything from the past three and a half months, it's that it gets really hot here.
Now that it's finally cooled down a bit (it's still like 80 degrees, but that's a pleasant change from the 95 we had earlier this summer) and we had an open weekend, we decided to venture down there. It's pretty easy to get there from our house since you can take a train to the nearby city of Selcuk for less than $2. From there, you catch the Dolmus (a mini bus) and it drops you off at the entrance to the ruins. All said and done, it takes about an hour and a half.
When you get to the ruins, you have the option of starting at the bottom where the Dolmus drops you off, or you can catch a ride to the top via horse and buggy. We chose to just start at the bottom, so we bought our tickets and headed in. We were actually surprised at how many tourists there were. It wasn't crowded by any means, but we were surprised since it's supposed to be the off season. Oh well.
The first thing you see is this little gem.
It was built to prevent echo, which is pretty remarkable when you think what time period it was built in and the lack of technology they had. Since it was built this way, there were a bunch of people standing on what would have been the stage clapping and yelling to test it's architecture. There was even a group of Americans who started singing "Wonderwall."
We made it to the top! Look at that view!
At the top was a small amphitheater, which was still in great shape as well.
At the top, there is a model of the what the city looked like in it's prime. It was pretty cool to see this diagram to see what we had just walked through and picture how it would have looked in real life.
Back when I was stuck in the United States due to passport issues and Mike was in Turkey, he took a little day trip to meet one of his Olmsted classmates who was traveling in Turkey. He met Jonathan and his wife Georgeanne while they were doing a tour of Ephesus. Ever since then, none of the ruins we've seen have compared in his eyes. I was anxious to see the sight, but didn't want to do it during high tourist season or while it was a million degrees. If I've learned anything from the past three and a half months, it's that it gets really hot here.
Now that it's finally cooled down a bit (it's still like 80 degrees, but that's a pleasant change from the 95 we had earlier this summer) and we had an open weekend, we decided to venture down there. It's pretty easy to get there from our house since you can take a train to the nearby city of Selcuk for less than $2. From there, you catch the Dolmus (a mini bus) and it drops you off at the entrance to the ruins. All said and done, it takes about an hour and a half.
When you get to the ruins, you have the option of starting at the bottom where the Dolmus drops you off, or you can catch a ride to the top via horse and buggy. We chose to just start at the bottom, so we bought our tickets and headed in. We were actually surprised at how many tourists there were. It wasn't crowded by any means, but we were surprised since it's supposed to be the off season. Oh well.
The first thing you see is this little gem.
 |
Since it was the Notre Dame/Navy gameday, we had to support our teams. I grew up as the daughter/granddaughter/niece of a very enthusiastic Notre Dame graduate and was taught from the day I was born to always support the Irish. Mike, on the other hand, is a proud Naval Academy graduate and would never dream of cheering for anyone else. So, we've agreed to support the rival 364 days of the year. Go Irish! Beat Navy!!
As we continued along the path, we found the library, which is actually pretty cool. After three and a half months of traveling through Turkey, all of the ruins have started to look relatively similar until we got here. It's pretty remarkable to think that this building has withstood wars and natural disasters and has survived.
 |
| I love libraries! |
After the library, we walked uphill along the path to see the other ruins.
We made it to the top! Look at that view!
At the top was a small amphitheater, which was still in great shape as well.
 |
| I spy with my little eye....a Michael Vick Eagles Jersey? Mike was loving it. |
Our only qualm with this sight was the lack of information about the different ruins. We were able to identify what most of them had been, but there wasn't a lot of information about the different ruins. In the library, there were signs about the library, but they were all in Turkish, which didn't help us or probably 85% of the people there. We have realized that there are some sights which give you a TON of information that you could spend days reading, while other sights give you next to nothing and you have to research on your own.
After exploring the ruins, we spent an hour or so wandering around the market in Selcuk. We lucked out that we came on Saturday because this market was incredible. There were tons of fruits and vegetables like we've seen at the markets here, as well as some extras. There were tons of peppers, so we bought a whole strand of dried habenero peppers for Mike and some bananas for me. The bananas didn't survive the trip back and got smashed, so I made banana bread.
While we were playing tourist, we heard the news that there had been a bombing at a peace rally in Ankara. I think the death count is almost 90 now and the number of injured is well over 100. We knew that these next few weeks leading up to the election would be tense, but I had no idea that it would be this bad. When we arrived home, we got back to our apartment just as a march of over 2000 people started. As I've said before, I feel completely safe here and am thankful that Izmir is such a western and modern city, but today definitely served as a reminder that we aren't in the United States.
If you're interested, this New York Times article provides a pretty good summary of what happened, as well as some of the politics surrounding the upcoming election.
And on that somber note, I just have one more thing to say....GO IRISH! BEAT NAVY!
Step Count (after a week of only hitting my goal twice): 13,572
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