Day 4 Friends and Food

Day 4 has come and gone.
Here was the happy moment of the day.
I'm thankful for Couchsurfing and the diverse Community it maintains.
I was able to befriend many locals, began hosting events, and have found so many opportunities that I'd have never found otherwise. When I arrived to Istanbul a month ago I came with little money to go out and meet people or even to make food. I was really wanting to taste the local foods here so I found a group on Couchsurfing called Cooksurfing. This is a group of Couchsurfers, otherwise expats, travelers, and locals that love cooking. I decided to organize a cooking event I called Lovers of Food. And last night I had the 3rd event which brings together a really nice group of people over food and drink. So, the thing that makes me really happy is having new friends and great food.

Food and Photos!

This week has flown by so quickly. I've been settling into my new job pretty well and have been talking with more and more of my Turkish co-workers. Plus I had a huge ego-booster after being contacted for my opinion and advice on dealing with class management issues. I also had the most stimulating discussion of ...several years with a fellow CSer on facebook about whether homosexual couples should be allowed to raise children. It was a really interesting conversation because there were international perspectives playing a part and all were respectful in giving their opinions rather than attacking with their opinions. It was a real breath of fresh air and made me feel like I was back in University again debating different issues. Oh how I have missed that!  I could feel my brain synapsis flickering away as I thought how I could solidify my argument.  I hope to have more of those soon.

I've got a chalkfull weekend planned starting wtih the 3rd Lovers of Food event that I began organizing a month ago. This time it's being held on the Asian side at my friend Mehmet's place. I can't wait to taste all of the good food. I'll be cooking up some pasta with mushroom alfredo. Hope it comes out deliciously.

I'll be sure to bring some hardhats and safety goggles for the safety of the others. haha



On Saturday I'll be attending Scott Kelby's 4th Annual Worldwide Photowalk. Basically it's an all day event with a mob of people looking to get the most interesting photograph before the end of the day. What's better, they have prizes! What's best?  It's all free!  I'm planning to do some serious shooting and also making some new friends and connections in the photography community here.




On Sunday I'll  be heading to the Veliefendi Racecourse in Istanbul to photography the horse races.
This will be my first horse race and whats better is we are getting reserved spots for FREE! It'll be a great opportunity to get some awesome shots of some very impressive creatures.  I can't wait!