The news lately has been riddled with unsettling news from the Middle East. The bitter, continuing conflict in Syria, the extremist attack on the American consulate in Libya and, most unnerving and closer to home, a suicide bomber in Istanbul. While politicians and the media continue their rants about undeserved violence and possible retaliation, I just wanted to take a second to let those of you keeping tabs on me know that I am in a very safe region in Turkey.
The suicide bombing, which I will post a link to below, took place on Monday in Istanbul. It is in an area of town that someone of my ethnicity and dress preferences would never be near. The bomber was a member of an outlawed revolutionary party and appears to have acted alone. As the article notes, these attacks, which have occurred sporadically over the past few years are almost always targeted at police officers and government employees. Istanbul has seen its share of riots as well as protests occur regularly. Police are stationed all over town to quickly subdue any uprisings and those that have occurred since the Gazi Riots of 1995 are generally smaller in number and in scope.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/police-officer-killed-in-istanbul-suicide-bombing.aspx?pageID=238&nID=29852&NewsCatID=341
The campus of Koc University is sequestered in the hills of Sariyer, the northernmost district of Istanbul. The security here is unprecedented and the students very involved in local NGOs and other various civil society endeavors. Trips into the central area of Istanbul are infrequent and the CIEE Study Abroad program that I am with here has our safety as their number one priority and would never lead us to a part of town in which that security would be jeopardized. So to those of you that have reached out, I greatly appreciate it and just wanted to check in with you.
On a lighter note, I thought I would indulge you with some Toilet Talk.
Here the "toilets" can be literal holes in the floor where it is anything goes. In certain dire circumstances, it is best to bear down, spread oneself however inadequately on either side of the terribly slippery edges and cast prayers of protection in God's general direction. After the parcel has been delivered, one must then lunge at the infuriatingly distant paper roll and wad the negative-four ply toilet paper that makes Gordon's teepee seem like silk baby wipes. Ahh but the deed is not done. One must still make his way across the sloshy, newspaper laden tiles to the "wash region." Here you stare at your impossibly cracked reflection in the mirror that would draw utmost sympathy from the narcissistic Queen in Sleeping Beauty. The water which probably drains straight from the rather-polluted Bosphorus, combined with the soap that resembles liquidized, albino beetle larvae, leaves your hands feeling dirtier than whatever the worst part of the adventure may have been. Almost finished! Settle with the fact that there will be no paper towel left and make the smart, environmentally conscience choice to use the hand dryer which you swear will actually emit moisturized air to 'dry' your impossibly filthy hands. Decide to rub your ten little phalanges on your newly purchased, formerly immaculate white button down and proceed through the door. Make sure to flash your inevitable smile and give a polite "Merhaba" as you make way for the next unfortunate victim.
At my school and in the nice restaurants, however, these unfortunate urinary utilities become pristine porcelain poopers. First time I used the toilets here (which are, by the way, about 5 inches higher off the ground than American toilets. It baffles me how a generally shorter population can sit upon these toilets and not lose their aim) I felt a tremendous rush of excitement. Not only did I revel in the simple pleasure of having my refined space to contemplate my day, but I had the mental prowess to notice a fun little feature called a bidet. Now never have I had the fortune to stumble upon one of these impossibly handy inventions before so the first time was a treat! If you are unfamiliar with a bidet, I recommend a quick google search. Just remember when it's your turn to use one, check the water pressure before commencing the shelling. Some sphincters don't take kindly to the pressurized jet stream.
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