Turkey Trot

It's been almost a week since my last post due to being sick and trying to keep up with school work at the same time. The "sickness", most likely caused by the food here, has hit no less than five of us in the past week. I think I'm better now, until I eat out again that is...

Other than be sick and go to class, I haven't done too much in the past week. Here's a quick recap: Monday I made it about half-way through studio with a 102 temperature before I decided to go back to the apartment. I spent the rest of the day and night in a half-sleep state. On Tuesday I slept through my first class, but made it (a little late) to the afternoon lecture on Mardin. The rest of the day and night I worked on a project to "read, experience, and map Taşkişla" (our school building). None of us quite knew what to do, the project description was quite vague. I ended up doing a few sketches from around the building and a couple small maps. The class this was for was at 8:30 am on Wednesday morning, a four-hour lecture class! They didn't end up taking up the project, so I have another few days to add to it. Here are some pictures I shot of the courtyard at school and the views from the 3rd floor balcony.

After class I went to the Nike store with Chad and Adam to pick up some work-out clothes so I can start exercising at the gym on the main campus. Then we went to a place for lunch that had the best menemen (egg, cheese, meat, pepper, tomato dish I'd mentioned before); they served it with tortillas made by women sitting in the front window who are rolling out the dough. After that I went back to studio to finish a model of the site that my group had begun after I left on Monday. When I got home Jamie had made vegetable and chicken stew. It was so good!

Shortly after that I started feeling sick again.

Fast forward to Friday morning and I was feeling much better. I didn't do much yesterday. I didn't actually leave the apartment at all. It's been very cold and very rainy here for about almost a week straight. I did make tzatziki sauce though!

Today a group of us went out to get menemen at the restaurant I went to Wednesday. I was a little scared to get it again, even though it was so good, so I tried to order a dessert instead. I'm not sure if they waiter said they didn't have it right then or that I couldn't have any that early. Either way, I ended up with just some tea, which was fine with me as I'd already eaten lunch. We went to a new market I hadn't been to yet after that and I got a few different chocolate bars. It's a fairly well-sized market, not nearly as good as the one in the mall we go to though.

For the past week I've been struggling with which site to choose and what to put in the existing building. This morning I finally got it. A wine and cheese shop. Wine is made in the region Mardin is in and cheese is made in the city itself. The shop will be more tourist-oriented, tourism in Mardin has shot up in the past few years. There will be a shop attached to a tasting room as well as a restaurant/bar with a music area. If I have space I'd like to have the cheese made on-site. I'm excited to develop this.

We picked up some pastries from the market earlier for the birthday party we're having for John tonight in our apartment. It's going to be a "classy party," so we are all getting dressed up and drinking with our pinkies extended all night. That's all for now.

Oh, today when I was out it was insane the number of people on the streets selling flowers and people carrying flowers they were given or about to give. It was really pretty. Happy Valentine's Day!