Istanbul

Last week Carlitos and I spent a few days in Istanbul. Although the weather was terrible, cold and rainy, just like Delft, the city was amazing.

The first thing we did, once we arrived, was go to the baths. Mom had recommended, Cagaloglu Hamami, where she had visited a few years back, which was also noted in the book "1000 Places to See Before You Die." While I have to admit that I own the book, though interesting, I find it a bit pretentious. At the baths, the books logo was plastered everywhere on everything. I found it very sad that such a beautiful and historic bath now relies solely on that book for marketing. It seemed completely unnecessary, for based on the quality of my bath I would assume that word of mouth would be sufficient.

I was first lead into a changing room and given a high school locker room size towel (maybe slightly bigger and definitely softer) to cover myself. Wooden sandals were also provided. I was then taken to the bath. It was a beautiful columned room with marble floors, dozens of faucets and sinks along the walls, and a foot high platform in the center. I was brought to a warm basin full of flowing water and with a quick flick of the wrist my guide/massuse had removed my towel and instructed me to "wash!"

I spent about 20 minutes just pouring water over myself until I was instructed back and laid on the marble slab for a scrubbing. I was scrubbed within an inch of my life. As a friend of mine has said, "You go in with a tan and come out without one." A bit more washing followed. Then was the massage. It was so relaxing that I almost fell asleep. Then another rinse. Finally I was soaped up, my hair was washed, I was rinsed off again. By that time I was absolutely exhausted and could not do anything but sit and sip tea in the beautiful entrance hall until I could gather the strength to meet Carlitos on the men's side (women were allowed to be in the men's entrance area but men were not allowed in the women's).

Carlitos' experience was a bit different. Before we went to the baths he got a shave. He seemed a bit apprehensive at first, questioning the barber on his experience (25 years) when he saw the straight razor. The barber was quite thorough. After the shave he brought out what looked like a big cotton swab that the then set alight and used to burn off excess ear hairs! After that I went off to my bath and he went off to his, but Carlitos said that his massage was not as thorough and paid a bit extra for a second one and that his whole experience was not quite as long as mine and became a bit anxious having to wait for me for almost an hour. But on the whole we both enjoyed the experience.

The rest of the holiday was spent seeing the big sites and trying not to buy a carpet. The first site was the Topkapi Palace. This was where the sultans lived for hundreds of years. In honor of Bin, our first stop was a tour of the harem, the former home of the sultans' many concubines and children. The rest of the palace was full of small museums and treasures. Then to the Aya Sophia, a church built by Emperor Justinian that was used for almost thousand years before being transformed into a mosque for the next five hundred years, and is now is a museum. It's a mammoth structure. Across the plaza was the Blue Mosque, which was just as beautiful, but a bit more slender. We also spent some time at the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar. As many of you know, I hate shopping. I hate looking and looking for something that may not be perfect and is probably overpriced. I do like spending money, but that is completely different than the act of shopping.

At the Grand Bazaar everyone was trying to sell us a carpet. The whole ceremony is quite interesting. If you even glance at carpet you will be invited into the shop. You enter reluctantly, and take a seat, trying not to look at anything for too long. You are asked if you want tea, and when the response is yes, the assistant is sent out to fine a tea boy wandering about the market. Then the carpets begin to be unrolled and piled, one on top of the other. First you narrow down the size, then the style, then the colors. Finally you have a rug that you like, not necessarily love, but like. And the negotiations start. They say a number, you say a number, you think it's too high, the price is reduced a little, you say you are a poor student, the price is reduced a bit more, you say you need to think about it, the priced is cut by a bit, you say that you need to go to the bank, and suddenly the price is a bit less. Then you take their card and say you will return. And you don't.

I actually saw one carpet I liked. It was cream and light blue and made of silk, about five feet wide and eight feet long. It would have probably cost almost the five figures (in dollars). I am glad that I did not start the negotiations on that one...

Photos will be posted later, maybe a few more stories too. But not today, I need to pack.

The Visa Raj

I'm going to India during the winter holiday. One of my best friends from IHE, Bin, has returned home and I shall visit him. I need a visa for India. Apparently everyone needs a visa for India. I know this because I googled it. I also found the application online, as well as the address and list of fees. It should be easy. But, of course, it is not.

Giorgia came with me to Den Haag. She had some documents of Bin's that needed to be certified by the Dutch foreign office, as well as the Indian Embassy. We left Delft at 9AM. The foreign office was simple, very Dutch. An orderly line, a simple fee schedule, and done in 10 minutes. Then we walked to the Indian Embassy. Once we found it we followed the signs and arrow that read "Passports and Visas" to a small basement office. There, I was informed that, no, in fact they do not process visas there, but that had outsourced it! The Indians are outsourcing now. Anyway, the visa office was down the street, about a 10 minute walk. I left Giorgia at the embassy to get her documents stamped.

I went to the visa service office, took a number, and waited my turn. When I got to the desk and my application had been approved, I was informed that the fee would be €90! But the form says €50? Well, she explained, the normal fee is €50 for the visa, but for Americans it is €75, plus a €15 service fee. I asked why that was not noted, she replied that it was noted online. I disagreed, and said that the form online was the exact same form as in the office that showed both the wrong address and the wrong fee and that if the current information had been accessible online that I would have found it. What other explanation did I have for showing up at the visa office with only €85!

Yes, I was €5 short. I've been waiting on a tuition refund from the institute that is still yet to come and I did not take out extra cash besides the €50 that I had assumed the visa would cost. So I had to wait for Giorgia. She was having her own problems with the embassy, they needed document copies and the copy guy wanted to be paid above and beyond the €50 it was costing to get the documents stamped. She said some choice Italian words to him and got the copies made and met me at the visa office minutes before it closed for the morning. Once I paid, I was informed that I had to return at 4:30PM to pick up the visa.

So Giorgia and I spent the afternoon in a cafe. Well, I spent the afternoon there and Giorgia left for a short while to meet her professor at the train station. I have no idea why they decided to meet at the train station in Den Haag, but apparently it was a useful meeting. The afternoon was much more relaxing, Giorgia was able to pick up her documents from the embassy early and I was able to get my visa without anymore hassle. And we were back in Delft by about 5PM. Only 8 hours to get the visa.

Epilogue
I was lucky to get my visa so easily. A Brazilian friend waited all day in Den Haag then found out the misspelled her name in the visa and had to return the next day for the corrected copy. Her boyfriend didn't fare much better, since he will be going to India for a three day conference, plus two weeks of tourism, he was informed that he could not get a tourist visa, but needed a business visa, thus a letter of invitation. I was lucky.

Fire!?

This afternoon I was heading downstairs for futbol. I always take the stairs when we play behind Mina. As I was approaching the second floor it smelled a bit burnt. I began to curse the boys who had a BBQ on the other side of the building the day before. Didn't they clean up? As I approach the first floor I notice the door open, and thought, what assholes have decided to keep the door open on this cold, windy, rainy day...

And then I saw it. On the ground floor. The wall was covered in smoke. The door was charred. The floor was a mess. And we have no idea what happened...

Quick Dutch Lesson

Eight=acht. Night=nacht. Therefore, N8=n+acht=nacht=night.

Last Saturday was Museum N8 in Amsterdam. From 7PM to 2AM, 42 museums were open, each with special events. We had been to something similar in Budapest in June, but we only went to one museum there. This time, we made to about half a dozen, which was quite an accomplishment with a group of ten people.

We started at NEMO, the science museum. It was like being a kid again, playing with bubbles, lifting with levers, and refracting light. Next was the Stedelijk, the contemporary art museum that had an Andy Warhol exhibit going on. Then was a boat ride to Rembrandt's house (which I declined to enter since I had been there with the family the month before, I had a beer instead). The Hortus, the botanical gardens, was next. They had a Persian theme with belly dancers, mint tea, and dates. We walked past the aquarium, and after talking with the doormen, decided to go in (not quite the Shedd, but nice). Our final stop was the Tropenmuseum, aka museum of tropical cultures, where we danced until closing.

Hungry and tired we went for a drink, since we could not find a place with an open kitchen. Gabi, Alejandro, Carlitos and I left the bar at 2:30AM, waited until 3AM for the bus to central station. At the station we saw Julia, Ruben, and Gabriel, who we had left at the bar half an hour ago (the had taken a taxi, much smarter than us) and waited for the 3:42AM to Delft, which only arrived at 4AM, and got to Delft at 5AM. We were all asleep on the train. Great night.

Spaaaah

I spent last weekend in Frankfurt, with Connie visiting Pia and Ingo. We had fun. We ate well. I adopted Connie's favorite German breakfast as my own: raw meat with raw onion. We stank for the rest of the day. But that was alright, because we sweat it out at the spa on Saturday.

The spa was nice. Apparently this was a regular activity for Connie and Pia, but it was my first time at a German spa. We spent our afternoon in the naked area. There is a swimsuit area with lots of pools, but we spent our time in the area with the steam room, saunas, pools, and tanning beds. Naked. Everyone was naked. It was not a pretty sight, but everyone looked quite comfortable.

So, the really difference with every other spa I have been to is the treatments. A sauna is dry heat. Most of the saunas at this spa were about 85°C. At a prescribed time, a dressed German man will come into the sauna and open the door and window and air out the room. It's still hot. Then he will close it up and pour flavored water on the sauna rocks. We got to experience both lemon tea and green tea. Then the fanning starts. He takes his towel and throws waves of hot wet air down from near the ceiling. It hits you like a brick. You are overcome by the heat. You can barely keep yourself sitting up and you wonder how this man has the energy to twirl his towel around for four minutes...

Then he stops. Plastic bottles are passed around. They contain honey. It is slathered into every nook and cranny. The honey is not sticky like I had expected, it glides onto the skin, then slowly melts off. After a few more minutes of heat we are released. We rush outside, not just out of the sauna, but outside, on a typical gray, cold, yet dry German autumn day. You can see the steam rising from our skin. After a minute or so we go into the showers and rinse off in the cold, then take at dip in the 20°C plunge pool. Very refreshing. But apparently not cooling enough. A few minutes later a beautiful pink pattern appears on my legs. My blood is still boiling and a map of my veins appear. It soon fades after another walk outside.

The spa was great. While there we snacked on pretzels with cheese and fresh juices, a perfect salty sweet hydrating combination. That night Pia and Ingo's former neighbors came over for a dinner of pasta, schnitzel, and chocolate chip cookies, very reminiscent of dinner parties at Connie's.

And on Sunday I left, after a great 48 hours. I wish I could have stayed longer, but the lab today was almost like a spa. Instead of dousing myself in honey I bathed my glassware in acid. Close, right?

Lockout

I locked myself out of my room this morning. Not for long, but I was worried. When I went running last night I took my room key off the chain to put in my pocket without jingling. I guess that I forgot to put it back after the run. This morning I went to do laundry, while grabbing my keys I pondered taking my phone, but decided not to, the laundry room is just down the hall. Came back to my room a few minutes later and as I took out my keys I realized the room key was not on the chain.

Well, Alejandro is a few doors down, so I can just knock on his door and go through the back porch. As I peered through his window it was dark, I was afraid, he couldn't be out already, it's only 11:30AM and he stayed up late to watch the baseball last night. Buzz, buzz, uh oh I have no phone, buzz, buzz, oh, there is movement...he answers the door.

This is easy now, I can just go through the back porch since I never lock it. Hmm, it's locked? It's locked! Who the f*@k locked my back door!? Oh, but I left the window open a touch...can I get in...yes! In through the window. I am saved. Arrrgh. I cut my finger while putting the key back on the chain.

Now I need to lock the back door because people now know how to get into my room.

The Face of a Party Animal

If anyone outside my immediate family can identify that reference, I will be impressed. Last week the new students arrived. Therefore, we had a few parties. Last week I managed to attend 6 parties in three days, plus some dinners as well. Only last night did I finally get to rest (though probably not for long).

Throughout last week new students arrived, but on Thursday the program officially began. The new students were taken on a tour of Delft led by staff and old students. They were one person short, so I volunteered to lead a group. Though I had not recently studied my formal history of Delft, I thought my tour was useful, pointing out the bank and grocery stores, explaining very clearly that one does not buy coffee at a coffeeshop, it is for marijuana, if you want coffee you need to go to the cafe, but not the coffeeshop. We also took a canal cruise. After the tour, the new students got a speech from the director, followed by their first official party, the IHE Dutch party. There was cheese and pancakes, raw herring and beer, typical music but no dancing. We met lots of new students and had a great time. For me the night ended early, considering I had defended my thesis proposal earlier that day.

Friday was much busier. That was the day of our departmental party. We had been planning this party for three months, for it had been postponed since August. The students pooled our funds and made dinner, while the staff provided drinks. So, once again we took over the school's kitchen for a few hours to cook kilos or rice, dozens of chickens, and hundred of chocolate chip cookies. Mmm, cookies. Maybe because they are easy to handle, or sweet and tasty, but it seems that about a quarter of them left the kitchen before the party (since the rule is that broken cookies can be sampled, many cookies happened to break :) The food was excellent and we had a great time, but when it was over I went to the Environmental Science party for a few hours, then a salsa party. Three parties in one night, not bad.

Saturday I slept in. But not for too long, since futbol began again that afternoon. It was nice to play with new students, but it was tiring since we hadn't played in a few months. After that I rested in preparation for the party here in Mina for new students. But in the evening, on the way over, I saw some of my classmates who invited me to their Ethiopian party (this year there are 22 new students from Ethiopia). I was on my way to meet friends, but decided to stay for a beer. Oh, but there is food, of course I will try some. It is time for the coffee? Yes, that would be nice. I cannot leave now because we are going to start dancing. For those who have not seen Ethiopian dancing, it is wonderful. I wish I had a video to share, but there is lots of shoulder movement that is almost impossible to describe. I tried to learn, but was not very successful.

Finally, there was one more party. It lasted all night, though I left around 3AM. It was lots of fun to spend time with the new students. The dancing never stopped, though I eventually did, exhausted by the busy days prior. And then it was Sunday. A Sunday that actually had sun. So Elena, Simon, Julia and I rode to town for a coffee, and I had an epiphany to cook dinner that night and suddenly it was dinner for nine at my place. While I do not have enough tables or chairs, Bin had left me with plenty of plates, forks, and glasses, plus a dishwasher too. Spend the week recovering?

Travels with Julia

About a month ago (it's been that long!) I spent a week in Corfu with Julia. I have finally posted the photos. We had a long hard summer with little time for a holiday. So when we found out we had a week free we decided to go somewhere cheap and warm. We got a deal for hotel and airfare for a week in Corfu, Greece. Maybe we went a little too cheap, while our hotel was 600m from the beach, the beach was a 5m wide strip of pebbles next to a marina. And our room fronted a road that had trucks roaring up and down all night. But after we got over these slight inconveniences, we had a great time.

Corfu is small, but not tiny. It was manageable. For three of our seven days we rented a car and explored every paved road in the north. While most of this was intentional, some was due to the lack of coordination between our map and reality. The sign would point in one direction to a town, which was on the way home based on the map, and we would suddenly end up on the other side of the island. In one case we found a cute little village of half a dozen houses and a man selling homemade wine and olive oil. How cute. How rural. I'll spend €3 for a bottle. When we returned to our hotel for sip, we discovered that it was actually vinegar. But the experience was worth €3.

We spent days driving along the coast to many beaches. Each one had its own character. Most were rocky and not sandy, but the water was clear and blue. Our favorite was Paleokastritsa. Well, I liked it alot and we were there three times, so I assume that it was one of Julia's favorites as well. There we met Nikkos, a 20 year old nursing student who rented out kayaks and paddle boats. He saw us evening out our tans, and invited us to share some ouzo. When we returned a few days later we rented some kayaks and paddled into the sea to see some amazing cliffs and caves, but within an hour my arms were aching in such a way that it could only be resolved by a bit of ouzo and a nap on the beach.

We swam. We lay in the sun. We ran for the bus occasionally. We ate well. We drank lots of cappuccino freddos. Those were excellent. It is basically an iced espresso with foam. They sweeten the coffee part before chilling it so the sugar is actually dissolved. When we first found them we had four per day until we realized what it was doing to our budget. They were perfect for the heat, every day was about 30°C, and the sun, for we barely saw a cloud. It was a really nice holiday, but a bit too short. They always are.

$20

Maybe it is lucky money. Last Wednesday was Julia's birthday so we went out for dinner and drinks (I have lots of photos to post, I know). When I arrived home at 2AM I decided to check my mailbox, which I only check about once a week. In it there was a letter that read, "...Thank you for your opinion...please find enclosed a gift voucher from American Express...you are a monthly drawing winner..." And now I am $20 richer. I was told that good things come in threes, hopefully that means my tuition refund and living expenses will arrive soon.

€20

Yesterday I waiting in line at the ATM, talking to Julia, not paying attention. The person ahead of me leaves. I walk upto the machine and try to put my card in, but it's still humming and whirring. Out comes €20. I look around, but realize that I have no idea what the person ahead of me looked like. Julia and I ask around. No one knows where the women went. Someone says, "It's your lucky day." I guess it was. I think I will use it to buy a present for my condo, since yesterday was its birthday. Maybe that's not the right word. Anniversary? Yesterday was exactly three years since I became a homeowner. Hmm, I guess I should spent the money on me...