Who is the Christ in Christmas?

Just some thoughts from reading Luke 2:

That baby, Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem so long ago, who was he? He was both "Christ the Lord" (vs. 11) and "the Lord's Christ" (vs. 26). The baby born to Mary was both the Divine Redeemer of the world and the God-appointed Leader of the saints for all time. Even in these two names we see both the deity and the humanity of Jesus. Glory to God in the highest!

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Cappodocia

So, it's taken me a while to finish out updating you on our trip. Brad and I spent our time doing various stuff over the last couple days, and then yesterday I was sick. Thus, slowness in doing the blog and email updating that's been needed.

The major point of our trip to Cappodocia was not to see some new city or explore ancient ruins. Brad had been told by a fellow-traveler that he'd met that he really should go to Cappodocia (particularly Göreme) if he visited Turkey. So, we did. We saw some interesting things, met some interesting people, and relaxed. It was a good time, and the scenery is definitely quite different. Above you can see the rock houses where people stay sometimes. They are quite interesting looking and not too uncomfortable apparently, even though they are a little cold.
One of the days, we went and visited the old Underground City in Derinkuyu. It goes down 8 different levels. Apparently it was an old Christian place of some sort.

On Friday we went to visit the city of Kayseri (below) where we were met by a new Turkish friend (he's a friend of a friend). We stayed there and enjoyed that city's excellent food, before heading on to Ankara. We stayed in Ankara for about two days and enjoyed a good time of fellowship with some American friends there.

Pamukkale and Hierapolis

Drinking from a hot spring... the redness comes from the iron content in the water.

After Ephesus Brad and I headed to the Pamukkale/Hierapolis area. Pamukkale is an area that has a number of hot springs and some of them contain the calcium that gets deposited on this hillside.
The Hierapolis section of the area are the remains of an ancient city. They are nearly as extensive as Ephesus and may well be more impressive than it someday. Below is an old olive oil press.
Above is me in the stadium in Hierapolis; it has survived the centuries quite well and is now being given a really good restoration. Because of how widespread the ruins are, it looks like it could someday pass Ephesus as the best ruins in the eastern Mediterranean (clearly a matter of opinion.
Finally, it seemed necessary to include this stunning picture of Brad, taken as we walked down the cliffs of Pamukkale shortly before the big storm began.

Related posts: Seven Churches Intro and Miletus; Sardis, Thyatira, Philadelphia, Smyrna; Colossae, Laodecia, Hierapolis; Pergamum; first trip to Ephesus; trip to Cappodocia

Selçuk/Ephesus

So, last Friday, Brad and I started our trip heading for Izmir. We ended up passing through there rather quickly and stayed the next two nights in Selcuk, which is the 6th settlement of Ephesus. The settlement that is of Biblical interest is the 3rd settlement, and it is the only one that is being worked on right now from what we were told. (By the way, most of the pictures are of Brad because I haven't gotten his pictures of me from him yet.)

The stadium at Ephesus, with Brad

Because we had so much time there, we ended up seeing most of the things of interest in the area. The first day we were there we saw the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. As you can see below, there's not much left of it... but it used to be big enough to fit a football field inside. (Portions of it got used to build a church eventually and then portions of that church got used to build a mosque even later. The rest of the Temple is supposed to be in the British Museum.)

The Biggest Remains of the Temple of Artemis

We also saw the Ephesus Museum and took an Ephesus tour. The ruins of Ephesus are quite impressive. It is definitely easier to have a mental picture of what was going on a couple of millenia ago after visiting. As excavations are continuing, the site should continue to get better.

The Agora in EphesusThe Temple of Hadrian

It is interesting that we were told that ancient temples were typically beautifully decorated on the outside but rather plain on the inside. Compare that with the ancient Jewish Temple.

A Main Street in Ephesus ending at the Library, mostly original

After we finished at Ephesus, we stopped by a pottery making place and enjoyed watching the master potter make some stuff and then looked at much of what they had made.

Related posts: Seven Churches Intro and Miletus; Sardis, Thyatira, Philadelphia, Smyrna; Colossae, Laodecia, Hierapolis; Pergamum; first trip to Hierapolis; trip to Cappodocia

Kapadokya

Well, Brad and I are now in Cappodocia, having arrived this morning.

Yesterday we saw Pamukkale/Hierapolis and that was good.

The picture below ıs the Ephesus library. I´m hoping to do a complete picture presentation of the trip once we get back.

Selcuk...

We're in Selcuk; we've managed to see the stuff that's here... Pictures may occur at a later (faster-internet connection) time. Tomorrow should be Ephesus and then head to Denizli. ttfn

Monday-Thursday

Many adventures:
Monday, Brad and I went and visited Topkapi Palace which is very well worth the admission price. The jewel collection is excellent; the gun and weapon collection is also outstanding. For additional pictures of that you will have to wait, although I may upload some to Facebook soon if you want to see them there.

Tuesday and Wednesday, we did a smaller variety of things. Tuesday was a very nice day, and Wednesday (and today) were very rainy. Thus, our plans occasionally got rearranged. The Grand Bazaar is one of the places that we went during that time.

Today we visited the Ayasofia (Hagia Sofia). It is BIG! :) I have a much greater appreciation for it now that I have been inside. The museum is very tastefully done and manages to show the history of the building quite well; thus the picture of me in some sort of "preaching seat" apparently from the Byzantine times... but I'm not sure. Very impressive place if you ever get a chance to visit.

Tomorrow, Brad and I are hoping to visit the Turkish Military Museum and then begin our trip south. Tentative schedule should be Izmir, Ephesus, Denizli, Goreme, and Ankara. We are planning to spend about 8-9 days on the trip. And I have no idea if I will post during the trip or not.
Till later...

Just a word or two about life

Since I know my loyal readers are waiting with bated breath to see what happens next in my life...

I unceremoniously (badly) failed this month of Turkish classes. The fact that we had covered a ton of material was very consoling, and I plan to retake the course in January most likely, since I think I can gain a lot by doing so.

And Brad arrived this morning... late as expected. But we did make it to our 10:30 meeting very close to on-time. Maybe the most exciting part of his coming was that I had to get up early enough to see the sunrise, as demonstrated by the pictures... it's been a while since I've done that. :) So, tomorrow begins our weeks of exploration of history and culture throughout Turkey. We've already added one new stop to the proposed itinerary for our trip which should start Friday.

Wednesday update

Turkey won the soccer match that I mentioned in my post last week! That takes care of old news updates.

Last Thursday I had a normal day, since Thanksgiving is not a holiday here. But in the evening, one of the other Americans I know here invited Dersan, Duygu, and I over, and we had an excellent Thanksgiving Dinner. (And no, we didn't have turkey; apparently those are only readily available around New Year's.)

Saturday was a time of much frisbee playing; and in the evening, some friends with twin girls came over to visit. So, the picture is of D&D and I with the twins. :) Two cry twice as much as one... profound truth!
Those have been the main events outside of my continuing Turkish class. But today was the last day of lessons, and tomorrow we have the 4 major exams. Then, on Friday, Brad should get here in the evening. And then we will be doing stuff together for about 3 weeks. I am definitely excited about the five week vacation from Turkish and also looking forward to traveling and learning in different venues.
I may forget to post for a bit, but you can always email me if you want.

And a poem from July

Help, O Lord
7/27/07

In desperation, my cry goes up,
“My feet know not their way.
My heart is weak; my soul unsure;
O Lord, light up my way.”

In resolution, I seek His face,
“Thy hand I would grasp tight;
Yet if I slip, or if I faint,
O Lord, still hold me nigh.”

In calm assurance, I plead His truth,
“Thy promises are sure;
I will but cling and walk by faith.
O Lord, fulfill Thy Word.”

- MCC

Two Poems from June

My Lord Cares – 6/5/07 (by me)

“He careth for thee”
And not just for thee,
But for all of the “thee’s” on this earth.
He bled and He died;
He lives – glorified,
Declaring “thee” consummate worth.


I John – 6/25/07 (by me)
Love with
Holiness
The balance sought;
Pure with
Charity
Our life-work taught.

The happenings

So, what has been happening in the last while? Well, last Thursday, Dersan (one of my housemates) had a birthday, so we celebrated that. But the power was out, until just after the celebration was done. So, thus a picture of a candle-lit cake.

Tonight is a major soccer match of the Turkish national team, so that will be this evening's important event. A win is crucial for advancing to the next round.

Today I gave a speech in Turkish class on Davy Crockett, so my head is full of random trivia about him right now. (Did you know that he wasn't called Davy during his life? Did you know that he had 6 kids, three of whom were likely teenagers when he died?)

Final note, today is the beginning of Thanksgiving Break at NBBC. So, that's nice for someone special. Bethany's spending the break with a friend in Michigan.

A word or two

şüphelenmiyorsunuzdur - "(I hope) you are not suspecting me" (of the crime)

There was something of a collective groan when we read this word in class the other day. But the teacher rattles it off no problem. :)

şüphelen + m + iyor + sunuz + dur = main verb + negative + present continuous tense + 2nd person + "maybe" suffix

There has really been nothing outstanding to report here in the last week or so. The weather is getting cold and rainy; I've bought a coat for the winter. Other than that, it's been Turkish class as normal; and time with various friends talking and doing random things together. That's why there hasn't been a recent update, but I figured I should let people know I'm still alive... just in case they'd noticed the absence of posts. :)

There and Back Again... Bulgaria

So, details since Friday, the train to Bulgaria left promptly at 10PM, just as scheduled. I was not sensible and instead of doing something minor like homework and then going to sleep, I read The DaVinci Code which I thoroughly enjoyed until about 2:30. Then I slept till being awakened at 3:30 for a long stop at the border, and again on the other side of the border and by customs..., I think I managed about 4 hours of sleep in the 11-hour trip, since I squandered the best sleeping time.
Upon arriving in Plovdiv, I commenced walking about the city. This first picture is of an area of the city that reminded me very much of NC in the fall (weather and atmosphere). The general terrain of the country reminded of Ohio... boring, small hills, and kinda brown.
I wandered the city for basically the entire day, seeing a good portion of it, getting lost only occasionally, finding little eating or drinking spots, learning tidbits of the Cyrillic alphabet, reading more of my book, spending time at the local McDonald's, :) and other various things. The second picture is the Ancient Stadium of Philippolis, according to the sign. The third one is the statue of Philip II of Macedon for whom the city was named (more famously, he was the father of Alexander).
The trip back was far more restful than the trip there although, and although it left about 2 hours late, we were only a half hour late getting back. I got the visa I needed and saw a bit of Bulgaria; mission accomplished.

The only other news that comes to mind is that today we started learning the future tense in Turkish class; it's very difficult to pronounce, but not hard to understand. :)

And this is just an interesting picture I took.

brief update

Well, I have passed Level 2 and am on to Level 3 Turkish.
I am also off to Bulgaria in about 15 minutes... visa renewal and a touch of sightseeing, all in 36 hours.
TTFN

Some news

News items

1. I have continued to have a very good and profitable time doing stuff with Dersan and Duygu. A couple of people have asked how my time with them has been, and it has been very good. We get along quite well and enjoy doing lots of random things together when we have time. Last night I took them out to eat because they have been very generous a number of times, and it was a small way to repay that. The meal was an outstanding Pistachio Kebap (kinda like have chopped nuts in a meatball... but that doesn't do it justice, you'll just have to come try it.) Then, today, I followed them and a couple of their friends around and we enjoyed spending time together shopping ("enjoyed"), eating (!), and playing games. :) 2. Language school: This month's course is all over except for the exams which will be held on Tuesday. Tomorrow is a national holiday, and so there is no school. I have to pass the exams in order to advance to the next level of Tömer. Please remember me in this.
As far as actual language progress this month: the first month's stuff began clicking practically; we learned the imperative and subjunctive moods, the past tense, and how to use the direct object. Some of that is simple and other of it is NOT! So, I will need much wisdom in taking the test.

Final section

I have been reading in Galatians, and just want to mention a few thoughts that I've had, since this was never meant to be just a news blog. :) Gal. 5:13 - For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
During this book, Paul has been arguing for a believer's freedom in Christ (particularly from the Law.) Now, Paul give two parameters for the believer's freedom: Do not use your freedom to give the flesh opportunity, and do use your freedom for loving service to the brothers. The following verses flesh out what this means. For those who want to fulfill the Law, the Law is fulfilled in loving your neighbor, not seeking to gain power over them or attacking them. And there are evidence of whether the freedoms are being used by the flesh or the Spirit (16-23). Consider how a freedom affects the flesh: because if it is really a Christian freedom, it will not encourage the flesh because those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh and its desires. (24) Thus, as believers (those who live by the Spirit), let us walk by the Spirit in humility, reconciliation, and contentment. (25)

Quotes from Bounds

"A holy life does not live in the closet, but it cannot live without the closet."

"[Prayer's] results lie outside the range of human possibilities-they are limited only by the omnipotence of God."
(Purpose in Prayer, chapter 5)

The Dinner Party

And the first thing that comes to mind is a poem about a tea party (author forgotten): We had a little tea party this afternoon at three; 'twas very small, three guests in all: just I, myself, and me. Myself ate up the sandwiches, while I drank up the tea; 'twas also I that ate the pie, and passed the cake to me." Ok, so that was random and free.
Saturday night, Dersan and Duygu invited some of their friends over and we had a fun evening of great food, lots of talking, and a game of Bluff. (Next time they are planning to do Taboo.) We had lots of fun and ended up staying up till after 3am.

Other than that, I'm still working on the Turkish language; today we finally began learning the rules for the direct object in Turkish. That's about all the news that I can think to put up here right now. Till later...

The Sugar Bayram (Festival)

Well, I've managed to wait a while between blog updates again, but my excuse this time will be that I sent out an email update in-between, so for most of you, that would cover the gap. Life has been going pretty much as normal. Outside of the trip this past weekend, life is still concentrated on the Turkish language. The only other bit of news is that my plans for next semester are in the midst of shifting again, but probably not quite as drastically as the last couple times. :) Now, about the weekend...
The weekend summarized: I crossed the Straits of Dardenelles, the Sea of Marmara, and the Bosporus Straits, and swam in the Aegean Sea. That's actually a really bad summary, but it sounds grandiose and exciting, so I wanted to say it. :)
The trip was from Istanbul to Altinoluk; the occasion was the Sugar Bayram [Festival] that is at the end of Ramadan; the location was Dersan's family's home. Dersan and Duygu and I left Thursday evening, arriving in Altinoluk around 6:30AM Friday. We got some sleep, had a big breakfast and spent the afternoon at the beach. I was one of the ones that got in the cold water for a second swim and got sick for my efforts; (about all that's left of that is the head cold now. ) We had a lot of fun, played games, and talked for the other major events of that day.
Saturday we spent a fair amount of time visiting people as is traditional for this Bayram. Then we ended up playing more games and talking till quite late that night too.
Sunday we didn't do much other than travel back to Istanbul. The trip started about 11AM, and we got to the house just after midnight... it's a long story. Nothing bad happened; things just went slowly.
During the trip, we had a very fun time trying to communicate over the weekend. There was lots of crossing of English and Turkish since none of us are really good at both languages. We had loads of fun, a lot of really good food, and good quality time together.
Over the course of the trip I managed to finish/read two books which was nice, since I haven't done a whole lot of reading the last couple weeks.
Two foods of note: Homemade baklava is incredibly better than what comes from the store (Zach, you have to come visit... it won't last through the mail.) Secondly, there's a meal called yaglama. It is amazing! The closest thing I can compare it to is a soft taco pie, but that really doesn't describe it well... it is layers of soft "taco shells" alternating with layers of a meat sauce that is very good. We ate well that night, even after we were full!!!

First October update

Well, somehow I managed to not update you at all since last Sunday. I hope this doesn't turn into a habit. :) Part of the reason for that is that I have been trying to devote myself to some extra Turkish study time. Thus, not much exciting has been happening, and there hasn't been a lot of time to blog. But I think it's been paying off, since I am finally starting to feel caught up to where we are supposed to be in the course... after 5 weeks, that's a good thing.
In other news, the soccer team that we (at this house) root for lost again. That was sad, especially since the other team scored the winning goal in the final minute.
This coming Tuesday will mark the ninth week that I've been here. I have learned a lot and am definitely starting to get an idea of what it should be like when I came back to live here.

Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul

Here is a hymn that I heard for the first time this morning. This text is very powerful and well worth the time it takes to consider the words.

Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul

by Anne Steele (1706-1778)

1. Dear refuge of my weary soul,
On Thee, when sorrows rise
On Thee, when waves of trouble roll,
My fainting hope relies
To Thee I tell each rising grief,
For Thou alone canst heal
Thy Word can bring a sweet relief,
For every pain I feel

2. But oh! When gloomy doubts prevail,
I fear to call Thee mine
The springs of comfort seem to fail,
And all my hopes decline
Yet gracious God, where shall I flee?
Thou art my only trust
And still my soul would cleave to Thee
Though prostrate in the dust

3. Hast Thou not bid me seek Thy face,
And shall I seek in vain?
And can the ear of sovereign grace,
Be deaf when I complain?
No still the ear of sovereign grace,
Attends the mourner's prayer
Oh may I ever find access,
To breathe my sorrows there

4. Thy mercy seat is open still,
Here let my soul retreat
With humble hope attend Thy will,
And wait beneath Thy feet,
Thy mercy seat is open still,
Here let my soul retreat
With humble hope attend Thy will,
And wait beneath Thy feet

brief update

In the last couple days, I have primarily done two things: taken tests and spent time with some ministry friends that were here. The test-taking part ended up ok, although it did not go as smoothly as hoped. However, I did end up passing, and I have now started month 2 of language training. So far the other people in this class are ones that I know and am friends with from month 1.
Yesterday I got to see a new area of town called Findikzade. It is a pretty nice area, (although it gave me a sinus headache from the dust in the air.) We walked through quite a bit of the area, but there is still a lot of territory that could be looked at there. We stuck to the main streets pretty much. It was definitely an interesting time with a lot of good conversation and fun.
Last night I managed to be fairly sick, whether it was related to the sinus or whether I got some food poisoning as well, I'm not sure. But in any case, I seem to have recovered ok; so that's a blessing.

What's past and what's looming

Well, it's been a while since I posted much on here. That's primarily because there's not a tremendous amount of news. My life still centers on language school. The side issues are spending time with my various friends, reading and studying, and exploring my new section of town. The best is when I can combine exploring and spending time with Turkish friends, usually with Dersan and Duygu (D&D).
The weather has turned rainy here for a lot of days, so I'm not carrying my camera all the time. Thus, whatever pictures I post aren't new ones. I started exploring a new direction yesterday and will probably check out a bit more of that area this evening, unless I have too much to do for the test tomorrow.
Speaking of that test, today is the final day of class work for my first month of language study. Tomorrow are the various tests to see if I can move on to Level 2. Some of them should not be too bad, but at least a couple are pretty difficult.
On Thursday, I am planning to spend the day trying to figure out the details of what I need to do if I am going to go to the University next spring. That could well be an all-day thing, or it might end up being relatively simple. We'll see what happens other than that.

rambling babbling thoughts about music and the heart

I've been reading in 2 Samuel for a little while now, and 2 Sam. 6 is the passage that is the topic of this post. But first the context:
My personal context is the fact that the most appropriate place here for me to attend Sunday services is with a group of people who are working here but are not IFBs. I see their worship coming from their heart and I see the work they are doing in a place that others have not gone, and it makes me wonder which is the greater issue. Is the issue some people who are passionate about proclaiming Christ among the nations and who use a drum each Sunday (and this week two electric guitars in the song service)? Or, is the issue those people who focus more on whether an electric guitar or drum is sin on Sunday than they do on the nations who are lost? That's my personal context.
2 Samuel 6 is the passage where the ark of the Lord is being brought back to Jerusalem by David and all the people of Israel. I am going to assume your knowledge of the story and just note some personal observations.
1. David dances before the Lord, and Michal rebukes him using the "stumbling block" or appropriateness arguments. (You're going to make the servant girls stumble./That's not appropriate to do in front of the servant girls./You're not being above reproach.)[Yes, I think these arguments have their place.] :)
2. Michael didn't get it because she wasn't out worshiping when she should have been; she was judging. Why was she not out bringing the ark back with the others?
3. The servant girls weren't stumbling because they were worshiping too; that's why they were there. In fact, they would hold David in honor for what he did, even if Michal's opinion deteriorated further (vs. 22).
4. The fact that they were "before the Lord" does not automatically prove that they were right. It is possible to be "before the Lord" and be wrong; David and Israel had just done that back in verse 5, the first time they tried to bring the ark back.
- Compare I Chron. 15-17 for more information about the situation.

I'm not drawing conclusions, just pondering. I think we would do well to consider where we would have been in the celebration of the return of the ark. Somehow I think that there is a strong possibility that I would not have wanted to associate with those people and might have even judged them. And I would have been wrong, not them. I would have been the one whom the Lord judged; and the reality is that the issue actually went to the core of who Michal was... this wasn't a one-time heart issue for her.

news tidbits

Friday evening: I spent some time with new and old friends visiting the country for a couple days; that was fun and a blessing. We had a good supper and talked for quite a while.

Saturday morning/early afternoon: I missed ultimate frisbee for the first Saturday since I've been here! (I actually am missing it on Tuesdays too, because of Turkish class.) :( Instead, Dersan, Duygu, and I went out and visited a place called Pierreloti and had a nice time up there. We had ice cream, talked, took some pictures, and generally enjoyed ourselves; then we proceeded to go shopping for a door for my room which we should be able to get on Monday.

Saturday evening: Just as we were getting back from that, some of the friends I'd been with the night before called, so I got to show them around the area where I go to school.

Today: normal Sunday things, and getting ready for the next week.

Moved in, hopefully for a long while

Well, I figured that I should give a housing update again, since I'm sure a few of you are wondering about me. I got myself and my stuff into my new room as planned Wednesday evening. Yesterday I got my stuff basically unpacked and arranged, and that is about the extent of "moving in." The picture is of the room as is; for the observant, no that's not all my books but the desk to small for the rest of them, so they are in the wardrobe.
I am getting along quite well with Dersan and Duygu. We will probably be going out for breakfast tomorrow morning.
In other news, yesterday was the first day of Ramadan. Other than that, life is full of language learning and other more minor events and studies.

Housing

The news of the day is that I officially have a place to stay for the next 4-5 months.
For about the past 2 days, I have been living with a couple of friends who decided that it was time that I quit living in a hostel and volunteered to let me stay with them until I finished arranging the details of getting another place (both offers came Sat. afternoon within a three hours of each other.) So, in any case, tomorrow evening I am planning to move to 4. Levant (Fourth Levant).
We will see how the actual details work out, but it seems to be a very good situation where I will be able to establish a strong friendship with this couple. They are Turkish and are working on learning English better. In any case, I'll plan to email or post an update sometime in the next couple weeks on how that part of life goes.
In other news, my grasp of Turkish is going from abysmal to slightly less abysmal, but at least I can sometimes communicate concepts if given enough time. :)
[The picture is the Metro exit/entrance at 4. Levant. This will probably be where I go for much of the transportation I will need.]

boring...

So, this week has consisted of language school and time with people and study and reading. I don't recall a single exciting thing that has happened to tell you about.
Language school has been good (most of the time); I am definitely learning. I wish I had a Turkish grammar that could tell me the things I don't understand, but that is not the method they are using to teach, so I shall just have to wait. Today we started on verbs. (It's very hard to do much real communication without them. :) But my progress is evident if not rapid.
And one thing that I just thought of that I should mention: I moved into a smaller room in the hostel about a week and a half ago, so I am no longer living with 2 dozen people, just 3-5. It's much nicer, and I typically get a solid night's sleep with few interruptions now.
Anyways, not much more to say, just know that I'm carrying on with a less exciting life now. :)

A day of random wanderings that started with a simple quest

  So, yesterday, my wanderings started with going to a book exchange and trading in two books (and some money) for two new books; plus, I bought a book that someone else had come to exchange since it was one I was looking for and was significantly cheaper that way. Next I wandered off with the intention of going to Istanbul University and seeing if I could find any advertisements for students needing a roommate there. But it was closed.


In my wanderings trying to find "The Old Book Bazaar", I came across the following items:









This first picture is a set of ancient columns that has had a small perimeter put around them; the second picture is a set of columns lying right beside the first ones but without any care. This country has pieces of history literally lying around that in "normal" places would be the centerpieces of museums. This is particularly evident when you see what's lying around outside museums because they only put the best stuff up inside. :)

After finding the Old Book Bazaar and examining it, I went down to a section of town that I hadn't really seen much of before even though it's only about a 10-15 minute walk from here. It has the Armenian Patriarchate and the Church of the Virgin Mary that were interesting to look at. Also, the area has a particularly high population of immigrants and refugees and seemed like an area with very needy people.

More news with some pictures

So, language school has started, and it was not too bad. There is definitely a lot to learn, and it is both slightly overwhelming and slightly exciting at the same time. But today is a holiday here, so I don't have school today. So, I am trying to work on housing and homework today.
This is Istiklal Caddesi, which is a major walking-street in Taksim, the business heart of Istanbul. My language school is a couple minutes walk off this street.
It is remarkably difficult to get a picture of a mosque with 6 minarets; then again, this is the only place in Turkey where there is such a mosque. (Sultanahmet)

about that column's captial

I agree that the answer is D, but what is the actual answer.
The column is in an archway leading into the Blue Mosque. Maybe somebody should ask Dr. Bennett... or maybe we can all just figure this is an anomaly... or maybe there are random capital-types that just aren't as usual....

Saturday evening

Well, it's time for another update. The last several days have not been particularly exciting, but they haven't been unprofitable. I have continued to explore various parts of the city and become familiar. [The US consulate here is virtually impossible to "find", even with two maps that show it in slightly different locations.]
One nice thing is that I am beginning to be able to find non-tourist places to get my meals, and so I am beginning to be able to save money and also eat with more variety as I go around.
The housing situation that I went and looked at did not work out because of various details; however, I am continuing to pursue other options with a Turkish friend.

Trivia (particularly for those who took World History with Dr. Bennett): As I was walking around last night with Dan, a friend from the hostel, we found this:

WHAT TYPE OF CAPITAL IS ON THIS COLUMN???
A. Doric B. Corinthian C. Ionic D. None of the above