random news

Most recent self-portrait, while waiting for the event described below

- Yesterday, the Olympic torch passed through Istanbul on its way to somewhere. Since I didn't have anything particular planned for the afternoon, I went down and watched it... not very impressive. But it was worth the bit of time that I put into it.

The rest of the week has just been spent in school work, time with friends, homework, reading, studying, sleeping, eating, emailing, and other even more minor details of life. It's been a good week though. I'll try to say more when something more exciting happens. :)

Readings of the day

Two fine works of literature that I have read today which deserve commendation:

- Joseph Mitchell's "The Downfall of Fascism in Black Ankle County" - I am slowly reading through a book of American short stories, and this one had me laughing pretty hard. If I hadn't been in a restaurant eating supper when I read it, I would have laughed even harder... as it is I tried to restrain myself. It'd make good family reading if you like... the description of the explosions and their results are classic. But I shall leave you with that.

- Mehmet Ali Birand's article "The fight over the fine-turning of democracy" in todays edition of Turkish Daily News was very insightful on the current problems facing Turkey political structure and people. For a bit of background to the article, you can read here.

news of me

Well, the news of the last week is not particularly exciting. I had a wisdom tooth taken out on Thursday. Other than that, I spent a fair amount of time at the University and with my various friends.
Since people seemed to like pictures even more than news of me, I have decided that I will include those with the brief update. Above is a picture of BJK İnönü Stadium; that is the home of my adopted soccer team here Beşiktaş. (Unfortunately last night, we watched them lose.) :(

An old song that was brought to mind from my reading in Philippians this morning. I've adjusted a few of the words so it's closer to the way I remember it.

Running In The Steps

A lot of people think that they've attained to the height of Christian grace
They thinking that being a Christian is easy and no big thrill
But the Christian life in Jesus is something like running a race
And you're not living for the Lord if You're standing still

Forgetting those things that are behind
And reaching for the things before
Pressing toward the mark of the prize of God
I'm running like I've never run before
Counting everything I won but loss
Conforming to His will
I'm running in the steps, Running in the steps
I'm running in the steps of the Lord.

Philosophical Certainties

Some thoughts that have become more meaningful to me as I've begun studying philosophy:

- Jesus said to him, I am... the Truth!

- I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.


Jn. 14:6; Ps. 119:99-100

Pictures from recent weekends

Me with old cars at the Museum

This weekend, Derşan, Duygu and I went to the Rahmi M. Koç Museum here in Istanbul. It was a lot of fun. It is focused on things like transportation and communication; and since there is a lot of money backing it, it has some really nice things. From the pictures below you may notice that my favorite thing was the submarine. :)

The (former) USS Thornback, a diesel sub that saw action in World War II in the Pacific theatre

The other side of the Thornback

Me inside Thornback

Cockpit in an old Douglas military plane (at the museum)... scary thing is they still fly these same ones commercially, now I know why they scare me (before I thought it was just the fact that it was a prop plane.) :)

British bus at the museum

Breakfast with friends one Saturday

Visiting in the countryside

Recently

This post is just for putting up a few pictures and giving a basic update.  I am currently not taking Turkish classes and trying to find ways to practice speaking the Turkish I've learned since that is the area I'm struggling in most.  I'm taking classes at Bosphorus University, and thus I'm over there about 4 days a week.  I'm getting to know people there, and that is fun.

Outside of that I am trying to arrange for a couple of other opportunities to see and do things here that I haven't been able to yet.  

My pictures don't want to upload right now, so maybe later I can post those. :) 

Thoughts from a friend

Jeremiah 9:23-24 Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD.

Jer. 9:23-24 negates the validity of glorying and boasting in anything except God. Yet, that is astounding, because to our minds, there are some pretty incredible human talents and abilities and resources, but out of all things God is the most unknowable and the most unattainable. Knowledge of God is the farthest from us, yet He has said that the one thing in which we may legitimately glory is in knowing Him.
So all that we have counted gain may instantly become loss to us, and that which was to us the most unattainable becomes the most prized object, the only ground that we have for glorying. Knowing the Unknowable becomes to us the only knowledge that we possess with any certainty and legitimacy. Understanding the Incomprehensible One is suddenly the boast that we claim, forsaking all others. Only in His economy would such a trade take place. Only a God like Him would allow us to be confident in the possession of a knowledge and a relationship that is so utterly beyond us.

(mkc)

the week

Just a summary of this past week:
- lots of Turkish learning and practicing
- lots of university listening and reading
- lots of talking to friends
- lots of traveling back and forth across sections of the city by bus and metro
- telling a Suriname "Anansi" story in Turkish class today

Plans:
- take Turkish exams Tuesday and Wednesday (they will be very hard... I think)
- not expecting to continue Turkish next month
- expecting to spend time on various smaller ideas for the next month
- continuing university classes

Recent news

Well, it's been a while since I've updated the general populace on life, but since I keep up with much of it through Facebooking, IMing, emailing, etc. I don't feel too bad.

Last weekend we got a bunch of snow, at least for this city. It is mostly melted off now and we had beautiful spring weather today. However, that weather resulted in the snowball fight seen in the pictures as well as a snow day on Monday. But language school began again on Tuesday and is continuing along as we learn slowly.

On Wednesday, I began my university studies here in Istanbul. I am informally auditing two classes this semester. Philosophy of Science and Introduction to Modern Philosophy both promise to keep me learning and thinking, and I am enjoying the return to the classroom.

That's about all the news. Life is full of mundanities, but it is by no means boring or unenjoyable. Till later...

PS Yes, I know that neither "mundanities" nor "unenjoyable" nor "Facebooking" nor "IMing" are words...