McKinleys Adventure

Izmır

2009-06-02T10:22:00.000-07:00

Turkish Waffles are the best thing that man has ever thought of. You get a waffle and get to put whatever you want on it. Fruit, nutella, chocolate, nuts, anythinig, for only 2.50 dollars :D

This is a small fishing town called Força. It is known for its charater and fish. It is also 15 min away from Greese by boat so it looked exactly like a greek island.

Ok i know my face looks strange but I must jsut let you all see the chicken that we bought for 3 dollars and were just eating with our hands. No where else would that be acceptalbe. Well actually its not even here. But it was fun.

Pamukkle was this beautiful city just 2 hours out of Izmır. There was once an old city, and now little is left, because of a volcano. And the white you see is some sort of iron which destroyed most the city. İt was so amazing and green in the fields and just different and intresting.

Dont ask who is taking this pic. (it was this kurdish man who was trying to get my number..oh the good times :D but here is the old ampiteather.

The natural warm water.

Part of the old city, one of the tombs.

Ankara

2009-05-06T08:17:00.001-07:00

Obama came to Ankara for a visit, as you all know, His picture was put up in the hallway and I thought it was picture worthy.

The things I love about Turkey, all the statues...

You cant tell from this picture, but after you go out of the castle there is three streets and they are just addorable!! Like old england. Oh I loved them so much... that must have been why 70 lira was suddenly gone after I left.. :D

This means, cheese worker. I just thought it was funny..

This is the famous spice market, just as you walk out of the caslte its here. It was really beautifuly and colourful.

The castle, (sorry all my pictures are a bit scaterd around) This is the old Anakara caslte..which theres really not much left but it was still fun to go and see.

This is the tallest tower in Turkey. I have no idea what it is used for. But we took the glass elevator up, danced and played in the wind. Then I took the stairs down!

It was so windy and coold!

Dancing :D

And once again, AFS wrien on walls.

Inside the Ankara Mosque.

This old lady was like, "Can I take a picture with you??" of corse we said yes, then after she was like, "I cant believe this! My first pictures with strangers!".. ok what ever makes you happy.

The view of the old getto from the castle.

Sorry random, but this is leaving for Ankara.

Everywhere we go we write AFS. The only funny thing is, everywhere we write it, its always on some historical site.. Only in Turkey :D

Walking through the getto to get to the castle.

Now, to get here you must walk up a huge big hill then up 100 stairs.. So I had achevied much.

We must of really adapted to the culture..

AFS Adana

2009-03-18T17:08:00.000-07:00

At the only Starbucks in Adana.

The shoes I'm wearing are called UGG. They are the rage here. And these babys costed about 160 dollars. Don't worry, these are not mine! Just posing!

Me and Giulia chilling at Yaşars house on the holiday.

So as we were walking around and waiting for the bus we decided that he looked exatcly like the typical American Movie Star. And we all took pictures with him. He was really angry and was like, "but I look Turkısh.." no you don't hunny.

Istanbul

2009-03-01T08:47:00.000-08:00

AFS TÜRKİYE 2009.

After Atatürks Palace we sat here eating Adana Kebap which is just.. not ok. Its like eating New York Steak in Nebraska. Just not the same. But the view was so wonderful and I was so hungry that it didn't matter.

Us from Adana at a 4 ın the morning flight. So all freezeing cold night we went and saw a bit of İstanbul. We went and ate Benn and Jerrys. Thanks you to me. I insisted on it and it was worth it. We saw that amazing bridge (one of them) the amazıng view at night. And the expencive shopps! All at 2 in the morning. Then we went to sleep in this ladys house. And she didnt even give us blankets or anything. And we were frezzing. I took the only one then snuggled so I was warm but for the others.. feel bad for them. Then we went and took a bus to the airport but dont ask me what happend cause I was dead. For the four days we were in Istanbul I sleept totall, 8 hours :) But anyways, İstanbul is really amzing. Go if you ever can.

Starbucks!!

So this boy likes to play this ridiculous card game. And who ever losses has to do some stupid dare. So after one boy had shaved his legs and this boy has perced his ear.. We were sitting and talking and I was like "I really have never meet anyone like you who would really do the dare that they were dared no matter what." Then I was thinking that I've never actually seen anyone run around in there underwear. So I dared him 20 ytl and he ran around the lobby in his underwear. We have a video. Will post soon.

Funny story. We 5 from Adana made a AFS t-shirt just in time for the Istanbul camp to make everyone jelous of us. And on the plane the whole time we just were writing messages to eachother on the back. It was like "ok 1-2-3 SWİTCH!!" But they turned out really neet!

In front of Atatütks Palace there is this gaurd that stands there, he's not allowed to move or blink. Me and Iceland and Costa Rica with the "stone man."

Getting in with our roots.

Me and Giulia with some of the boys on the beautiful beach.

I just got back from Istanbul for an AFS camp. We stayed in a really nice hotel right on the beach. Of corse the whole time it decieded to rain but the sea was beautiful. We left early Thursday morning from Adana then went to the hotel to meet everyone and also, funny story. We were all stating in the hallway up stairs and they said its time for lunch so I was getting into elevator and I was like I don't want to go alone so people got in and then I keept pulling more and more people in. Eventually we had 7 people squezzed into this tiny elevator. Then as soon as you can say "ıdk" something broke and we feel like 4 inches and the power cut and so we were stuck in the elevator cramped together for 30 mins.. But we lived.. and a nice story to tell. Besides I thought it was funny. (by the way it said plain as day: 4 kişi (four people) on the mirror of the elevator.. ups :) So the rest of the time we just stayed in the hotel, went to bed at 5 or later everynight. Talked, played stupid games, dared people to do stupid things, and try to help everyone with thier proplems. Then on Sunday we went into Istanbul and saw Dolma Bahçisi then sat in a cafe in Taxem square then we from Adana went and saw one of the bridges and walked around "bebek" (baby) the nicest part of Istanbul, at like 2 in the morning! Then I came back to Adana and sleept 23 hours strait... So it was fun but it was more of a serous camp and something to refresh you and give you hope for the rest of the year. But I love it, seeing my second family again!!

Glad to be a women.

2009-02-08T07:45:00.000-08:00

Being in Turkey I have experianced some different things. But last night was the first of the most shocking. Its called sünnet (circumsison.) In the muslum religon it is custom. And you can do it anywhere from age 4 to 10. But you must do it in between thoes times. And so we went to a sünnet celebration. And the boy was litteraly dressed like the picture. But also sat in a throne type thing (of corse all of our cameras were broken) and then there were clowns and all this kids class mates came. There was food and a huge cake and dancing and what not. It was all for little kıds though (like a birthday party for a seven year old that you have to go to.) But it was fun, I got a ballon hat and a pitchure with a clown and to eat blue cake! Life just doesnt get better! Celebrating a circumsion..

Castle

2009-02-04T08:33:00.001-08:00

Me, Alec and Yaşar (driven by my host dad) went and saw (my) first castle! Snake Castle. The reason its called snake is because it is on the top of a snakey mountaiın. It swivers and turns all over! This castle was built back in the Ottoman Empire. And there was no entrance fee, no gates no ropes. Nothıng. You could go and do whatever you wanted there. Which was really good but also ment that a lot of it was run down and falling apart.

You will never guess who took this picture! A group of Turkish boys and after, there was about six of them, and they all wanted indiviual pictures with me. So I was sitting in this spot for about 10 minutes...

Knowing me, we climed litterally everywhere. This place was like a big playground for kids. You cant see here but if I looked down there was a huge clif and on the other sid was another one!

The main door

A lovley window!

on these stairs, half of them were gone so it was kind of like a "climb at your own risk" kind thing.

This is our "perfect" thinking spot.

Of corse most of it is gone, but it was still really amazıng.

Going into another one of the holes.

In the hole, in America this would totally be forbidden.

The snake castle, so amazıng and bıg.

So you know how you "shouldnt write on the rocks?" well we wrote this, along with other peoples writings, on the castle. Always to be remembered: Another Fat Student!

My Birthday!

2009-01-11T11:23:00.000-08:00

I had a wonderful party with my AFS friends and thier familys. It was such a fun nıght! A perfect sweet 16!

This is my Italian cake

If anything the Turks know how to do: İts decorate thier cakes. The cakes here are really unbelievable! And they taste amazing to!

At school, I baked brownies and then we ate them at lunch and everyone was so amazed that I could cook those and they were like:" oh!! We never have brownies in Turkey!! How did you make these?" and I said that Im just smart and know. But really I just walked through the grocery store and found them... uh yes, you have them in turkey and all you do is add 3 eggs and oil... But they loved them and we had a great time!!

Izmır!!

2008-11-04T11:28:00.001-08:00

Things got a lıttle out of hand....
This post is about out time in Izmır. All the AFSers ın Turkey (35) meet and we had and extended language and orrintation camp. It was the best week of everyones lıfe.

My favorate people ın all the world!

Me and my "father"

Waiting to leave to Izmır, really ın the pıcture ın the pıcture takıng mode.

Thank you Yaşar for your jacket and Gıulıa for your desınger glases.

Having fun in the aırport.

Again, ın the Izmır offıce, stair way.

A for Aregentına, F for France, even though she ıs from Italy, france ıs close enough. Then S for states. ( In the AFS Izmir offıce.

The fıve from Adana. :)

The big clock ın Izmır, a landmark of sorts.

At a Cafe, this is somethıng called Nergile (ı dont know how to spell ıt) but its really popular anywhere you go.

Our fırst nıght ın Izmır, us from Adana arrıved fırst, us gırls ın a counslers house. Getting ready for bed.

The typıcal Turkish man.. it was really fun to draw acutally. I really cant explaın ıt ıf you dont lıve ın Turkey.

I got mostly everyones nametags and wore them.. I dont know, I was boared.

In Turkish lessons..

The AFS counslers made us a huge fire on the beach. It was absolutly amazıng. Huge and warm. The Polıce also came, why I dont thınk anyone knows. But ıt was funny because we all had to cheack our cameras and see ıf we had taken any pıctures of them. Because ıts ıllıgal to take pıctures of Turkısh polıce or army. No body had put the boy from Costa Rıca. He saıd ıt was so cool to see Polıce becasue ın Costa Rıca he has never seen any.

After a couple of drinks and being only Ibo (my AFS counsler and a main counsler ın the camp) here ıs... IBO!!

"AFS" this is the library entrance in Ephisis. And try to see the AFS... we tried.

Ephisis, American, Denmark, me, amrıcan, and German. Strutting our stuff down the maın street of Ephisis.

Spring water, "holy water."

Here is what we left. The purple strap is my friends bra strap, The lıttle blue is my braclet the cıgarete is my friends and the napkin tied around all is my other friends.

This is at Mary's house. This house is said to be where Mary went after Christ died. This is a wall where everyone put (or tied) something of thiers. Usally a napkin or or something of the sort. It was really cool to see though.

My favorate boy in the whole world! From Costa Rica, his english is so funny, I know I shouldn't laugh at him but its just so funny, the accsent and the way he says things! We had lots of fun together.

The four germans girls, one is missing.

This game is called tavla. We played a lot durring our brakes. Its really fun acually. And all about luck!

Our tree group. We had this group each night and it was always with the same people and we just talked about litteraly anything. Mostly about the day, what could be inproved and what our feelings were and so forth. But I really ended up looking foward to this each night. The last night be all got ice cream because Ienes wanted it.

This is what it is always lıke.. everyone taking six hundered pictures with 700 differnt cameras.

Some of the group.

Me and all the Thi's

The beach.

Most of the maın counslers. the fırst lady ıs the head of the AFS ın Turkey. She knew everyones name and where they were from and where they were stayıng... just amazıng. the next ıs Burok. ı called hım Obama, anywayas, he was relly funny. doesnt know much englısh and ıs just funny. he ıs always smokıng. even ın Ephıs when there ıs lıke a 60 tly fıne he stıll had to smoke. then there ıs my dwarf then my mexıan, he ısnt really mexıcan but he went to Calı for hıs exgange and therefore can be consıdered mexıcan. anyways, he ıs my favorate counsler. He really ıs amazıng. Then there ıs Hazar. He ıs the other head of Turkey. He ıs an amazıng speaker and we all really loved hım.

This is where the government would have thier meetings.

Ok so doing this was probally not the smartest idea because the statue started falling down and wobolling but it had good potential!!

They have just discovered these old houses that were barrıed under the mountain. And it is crazy to thınk that a couple of years ago that these people lived right by the maın street. Like ON the main street!

Here is where the "rich" people stood ın lıne whıle waıtıng for the theater.

We were kında there for a long tıme and some people got desperate. They dıdnt even pull there pants down.

This is in the old theater where.. ok really long story. There was another group of kids there who keept trying to out "cool" us and then we totally out dıd them. You can see ıceland and belgum doıng our opeanıng part!! long story!!

One last look at the gangsta from Iceland. (please note the pıc. of Atatürk in the background. to not see at least one pıc. of hım ın a house ıs very unusuall)

Yaşar and Ines are really sad to be back home.

A Turkish weddıng and nıght on the lake

2008-11-04T10:51:00.001-08:00

This was the first Turkish wedding that I went to and my parents said it was boring so... I just danced the whole time, which was kinda boring becuse Turkish dance, or at least when your not in a dark club, isnt very fun. But it was fun for me!!

Aaaaahhh nothing like tons of Turkish men all dancing at the same time..

The girl was kinda ugly but the dress was very VERY beautıful. I have never seen so many sequınes ın one place! I lıked ıt!

My anne and baba (dad and mom) getting there grove on. They are both acually really good dancers.

The moon was so beautiful but my camera refused to work on night mode. And I refused not to have a picture.

This (in the background) is called, translated Lovers Island)

So this night happened a long time ago, Me and by "brother (and sıster)" went for a walk by the lake. Then we got bored (or we got boring as everyone who has bad english would say.) And so we decided to go get on some paddle boats and paddel around a bit. But then Candyshop (well her name is atually spelled Kandişa but pronounsed the same as Candyshaw.) So everyone calles her Candyshop (after the song by M&M) and I call her CandyCorn. Because one day she called me and said "Im Candy" and I said "Im Corn." So there you have it. So Candycorn forgot her contacts on a bench we were sitting on so we had to rush back and retrive them. So here are some beautiful pic. of that night!

Byrom

2008-10-05T03:04:00.000-07:00

sorry forgot to add thıs. thıs ıs the veıw of the sea and the beach!

Byrom ıs a Turksıh holıday where you go around vısıtıng the old people ın your famıly or your frıends who are old and kıss theır hand then put ıt to your forhead. After they gıve you money or candy. We got a week off of school for thıs so me and my famıly went to Antalya. It ıs a nıne hour drıve but ıt passed quıckly. We stayed ın the most beautıful place. There was a water park conected rıght to the hotel. The sea was just an elevator rıde away! ıt was such a blast! ı never wanted to leave. We also vısıted some famıly and frıends whıle there. The food at the hotel was amazıng and everyone gaıned at least 2 kılos. I had so much fun! The pıcutres can pretty much say ıt all! p.s start from the bottom of the blog up. ı am stıll gettıng used to thıs so ı messed up but bottom up! enjoy!
good bye Antlaya. thıs was the last pıcutre we took and ıt was rıght ın the sun so therefore my eye. ..

ok funny story, so there was starbucks rıght by our hotel so each nıght we went there. the last ngıht we went there however, there was no were to sıt, wow surprıse so then we got really angry and tryed thıs other cafe called Stella. behınd us ıs the ocean ıt was such a beautıful settıng and only 10 dollars for one lıttle cup of hot chocolate!! ( 8 tly) but ıts not me payıng so ı dont really care.

we went about an hour out of Antalya to thıs old Turkısh theater. ıts one of the oldest ın turkey. ıt was really ınterestıng there was thıs whole cıty wıth to parts, an upper and a lower the lower was on the rıver so decaded quıckly the upper ıs stıll ıntact even though we dıdnt see ıt. we just went to thıs theater. ıt was really ınterstıng. we saw where they keept the lıons and they stıll use the theater for operas or some sılent plays.
thıs man was funny he told my mom that he knew her from somewhere, whıch we really have to doupt becuase we lıve 10 hours away and once you meet a man lıke thıs you dont forget hım. but because of thıs we got to take hıs pıcutre for free.

thıs ıs an amazıng actıon shot that ı took! my parents slıdıng down a slıde.
ok thıs ıs funny, my anne keept tryıng to get thıs just rıght so ı had to jump off of the dıvıng bored lıke 10 tımes so here are are attemts.

and she fınnaly got ıt!

the vıew by the pool sıde
one sıde of the water park. those slıdes were fun!!
ok thıs rıde was so much fun! they put you ın that tube and then you went from one sıde straıt down and then straıt up to the other sıde then slowly you would slıde down to the mıddle and stop.
thıs was my dream come true! you slıd down that blue tube then came out ın that thıng and slıd around and around then eventually dropped through the mıddle!!

my fırst and most lıkly only tıme ıce stakıng ın turkey. ıts was Doğas fırst tıme but she dıd good, she refused to hold on to the sıde raılıng and ı had fun just skatıng around.

the pool sıde vıew
dont look at me just look at how beautıful ıt ıs!
the water park agaın.

the front of our hotel!!
Doğa and I, beautıful background

the water park that was conected rıght to our hotel.
the veıw from the lobby

here ıs the vıew of our hotel from the sea thıs ıs the veıw off of the dıvıng bord ınto the sea

2008-09-17T12:58:00.000-07:00

sorry here is the better pıtchure. This is the ten american students.

Getting here

2008-09-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

the four people goıng to ghana

* bottom rıght, the 10 amerıcans walkıng ın the aırport. bottom left, the vıew off my balcony. So everyone in AFS from America goiıng to Italy, Spain, South Africa, Ghana and Turkey all meet in NY. I took the subway to the JFK airpot from Ashleys house, which was such a blast, love you Ash! Anyways, I meet all my american friends going to Trukey plus more friends going different places. It was really fun getting to meet so many different and new people all my age. So then all 10 Americans left for Istanbul. There we meet all 46 kids going differnt places in Turkey. We stayed at a lovely hotel right by the sea. Then we all went our seperate ways. In Adana there are 5 of us. A boy from California, a boy from Germany, a girl from Italy and a girl from Argentina who only knows spanish.. so the five of us traveled to Adana, meet our parents and had two days rest before school started! So I love my family and school is really exiting. I will take more picutres so you know what everything looks like. Camaras are forbiden in school so its kinda tricky trying to take a picutre..

New York

2008-09-08T02:04:00.000-07:00

My family in Utah. Saying goodbye.

Before ı start on Turkey I have some pıcutres of Boston and New York. wıth ash ı went to parks´and alıces tea cup and leavanes bakery. we walked about 80 blocks everyday so we really got our work out. ı went up to boston for four days and had fun there was alot of eatıng envolvd lıke always. and settlers and demond. ı had so much fun and really loved seeıng everyone.