I just want to unpack my suitcase!
They laugh at us, that we brought snow from Poland. On the third day there were only 2 degrees, so we apologized everyone for that.
Yesterday, we decided with Mehmet that we will get up at 10am, get ready and go to our university, straight to our supervisor, Mariana, who will help us with housing. Of course, Mehmet again wasn’t in a rush, so we were pissed off and we wanted to go to the university by ourselves. Even without knowing where this university is, how to buy tickets for Metro bus or even how to get from our house to the bus stop. We were completely depending on others. Again we wanted to tell Mehmet what we think about it, but he came to us with amazing breakfast so one more time he appeased us.
Our school looks like a hotel, a very modern hotel. In front of entrance we have gates. We did not have legitimacy, so we told at the door who we are. Mehmet took us to Mariana. She is a very nice girl, originally from Romania, she graduated economy. She was on Erasmus in Belgium and on the internship or something like that in Turkey, and after that they offered her a job at the university. We immediately asked about our accommodation and if she can help us. Unfortunately she couldn’t really help us. She showed us only websites with rental housing, which we have already browsed from top to bottom. Mariana’s friend from office say that she remembers that one of the professors of our university has a luxury apartment located just fifteen minutes from school. Only his friend’s son lives there and pays for the entire apartment. Twice a week cleaning crew comes there. We would have to pay 200 € per person, which wasn’t very satisfying. We had to meet with the professor and talk about the price‐cut.
The professor was very nice and understanding guy who knows the situation of Erasmus’s students. He offered us a price of 100 € per person. It couldn’t be better! We only have to meet our new roommate, who is also a student of Aydin. He will show us the apartment. In a meanwhile, Mariana took us to the university’s canteen, where was a great party atmosphere.
Music played on the full volume, smell of food wafted everywhere, laughing
people sat around. We were very impressed. It turned out that our roommate is the type of man that I hate. He is a fat, overgrown outsider with long hair, a rich guy in dirty tattered sneakers. His English even though it supposed to be good (apparently), was completely incomprehensible. I was constantly saying "slower", "louder" "repeat again" and "we do not understand anything." It was a tragedy.
But it really was a luxury apartment. Unfortunately, the climate there did not suit us. And we know that it is very important. It was terribly depressing, quiet, sad. And passing this guy every day ... Oh no! Well, but it was cheap and close to the school. If you look rationally we should take it!
We were depressed, but didn’t show it. We were very hungry so we all went to eat something. We wanted something quick, which you can take in hand and go with it. But no! Mehmet took us to the restaurant. They had only Turkish menu, so we had to depend on boys. We ordered something similar to what we had eaten for dinner the previous day ‐ vegetables wrapped in a meat pie. Good, but I cannot compare it with anything. During a dinner our "wonderful" new friend all the time was smiling and staring at us as at fools. I understand that we couldn’t eat this dish properly, what looked quite comical and, therefore, he looked at us with his black, full of pity eyes.
But he was staring strangely even when I was drinking the water. Finally I could not stop myself and I asked us if there is anything wrong, why is he looking at us in that way, if we are doing anything wrong?! He said that he is smiling because he remembers a funny situation from the past.
Please! Even I could think about better excuse in English. We decided with Kate, that this is over the top. The guy was at least strange. We asked Mehmet to go to the apartment of his friend. That which we had already arranged in Poland, because it turned out, that the owner changed a price for 100 € per person instead of 150 €.
It turned out to be very good. We decided to stay here. Kadir lives here, his presence just makes you smile, Hakan, half‐Turk half‐Bulgarian, with fair hair and extra‐blue eyes, who greeted us in a green sweat pants and lion slippers and Mufasa, called Doctor, he is... a dentist. All of them are students in Aydin, we are approximately the same age. The best part is that they do not speak English at all! Only Doctor understands a little bit and he is trying to say something. The atmosphere turned out to be way better. They served us tea, we laughed and we fooled around, because we couldn’t understand each other. They talked to us in Turkish, we spoke in Polish. We all understood each other perfectly!!! Imagine that you come to a student flat in Poland and what do they serve you? Vodka of course! Here we had a tea party!
Finally I said: "we're going to party"! Firstly, only the doctor agreed, but then he also convinced Hakan and Kadir. During the ride in metro bus to Taksim ‐ the city center, I have fallen in love for the first time there!
Unfortunately, the object of my affection, who was sitting next to me, did not even look at me, so I explained it to myself that surely he was gay.
We walked through the Taksim Square, the famous street in Istanbul. We ate roasted chestnuts, which tasted like a mixture of potatoes and nuts. In shop windows I've seen shoes which looked like from Carl Lagerfeld's show! Awesome!
The Turkish music was everywhere. It was ordinary week day, but each bar, disco was full. We were losing Doctor all the time, so the phrase of the evening was "The doctor is lost, again."
We were looking for the club, where supposed to be Erasmus party, but it was a dud. We did not feel well there, and there were literally few kids from Erasmus.
We went to another club. The Doctor and I drank an orange juice, it is because he cannot drink alcohol because his religion does not allow him, and I because I was tired and a beer would completely kill me. Kate drank the most expensive beer in her life! For two, served in small mugs she paid 20 TL, so about 10€! She said it was her last time. I became an observer, and the Doctor, completely sober, was dancing and fooling around all the time.
I note that the Turkish women who do not wear headscarves and wear European clothes are beautiful. By contrast, almost all Turks are unshaven, wearing beards, the only handsome Turk I have ever seen is the one mentioned earlier from the Metro bus. Eh...
We went home by taxi. 7 passengers sitting in a taxi with 5 seats! The taxi driver didn’t mind. Almost sleeping we went back to Mehmet’s flat, which is located about an hour from the Taksim. We were basically sitting in silence because of tiredness.
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