Uludağ- Skiing Holiday-Day 1

Took off Friday, 15th of Feb, to Uludağ, Bursa, the most popular skiing site in Turkey, with a
group of colleagues from work, as they organised it, and two of my friends, Halil and Hatice. Bursa is only 4 hours driving distance from Istanbul, so it is a great place for a weekend get away. (or is it?)

We arrived there Friday night, the temperature difference up in Uludağ Mountain was huge for us, we were all tired, so went to sleep early to start an early day Saturday.

Started an early Saturday morning, earger to start our skiing journey, beginning with renting skii equipment, finding the proper gears, getting our chair lift pass, and getting ready for a restless day. We also arranged a private lesson with a trainer at 11am, but we were ready and steady at 10.00 to start, so what do we do? We though we would do some practice before the trainer meets us. Good idea? No way!

The ski blades are sharp like a hot knife through butter and if you don't know how to stop, you better not stand on them. Ofcourse how do we know that? So thats how I ran into an equipment store with all my speed! Poor people they could only see something coming towards them and before they know, I bumped in!
After the discouraging start, we got our trainer and learned how to do it properly, as we should all do. He gave us the basics and took us to the top of the hill and we could ski! It was ever so easy and effortless, except for the moments we fall, as it is so difficult to get up again. The ski boots are so heavy and hard that you can not move when you fall.

The rest of the day was just practising and enjoying the skiing experience, going up and down the slopes. We had the famous hot wine, tasting like punch, and also had a detour to the military area, thanks to a bright (!) friend of mine. By the time we climbed back from the military area, we were way too tired and it was time to go back to our hotel. What a day it was... to be continued...

Valentines Day

Snowing softly in St Valentine’s Day, still got the hangover from last night's entertainment in Greek Tavern for all HR team, with plate breaking, belly dancer, Greek music, Turkish music, dancing...
Lot's to do, work to finish, organising for trip, acting class, tv work, but no time... No panic, watching the snow fall so slowly can almost slow time for me...

And then I was called down the reception to my surprise as I received these lovely bunch of flowers. I made them check twice if It was me, ho ho. It was a complete surprise to me but they made my day, thank you.

Did I say last week was crazy? No, I was wrong, this week is even crazier. It is like in Britney's song, everybody wants a piece of me! So, It's a good job, I am taking this skiing holiday for the weekend to Uludağ! I'm so loooking forward to it (http://www.agaoglumyresort.com.tr/).

Recap of last 3 weeks

Woke up to a rainy Istanbul morning, lots of the dreams I was having still fresh in my mind. Indeed the last one was a pure nightmare, left me with horibble feelings, I think I was influenced by someone. Then I woke up, saw the horrible dark weather, remembered it is my weekend, time to rest after all that rush, which left me with no time to write on my blog...

After I had breakfast and become fully awake, I was ready to put all that happened during last 3 weeks during which I did not write. (has it been that long?) First I have to start with flatmate coming to visit me for a week. It was a crazy week althogether. We had many friends visiting home, which kind of reminded me of the university time again. Then another visitor came which made it even crazier and complicated. I was promised and contracted for things but let down by certain people. Sure It's their loss, but what goes around comes around.

After two crazy weeks, last week was a total busy week at work! On top of that I enrolled to an acting class given by a well known actor, with many awards. Happy about that as the classes are really fun... Finally time to relax and unwind at the weekend. Oh, at least I have my weekend... I even cook, ho ho...

So confused by time

Having made new plans for the weekend, and a to do list, yes I am one of those people who make lists. It may be a left brain activity but works for me, I can organise myself. It's a great feeling to cross things off your list. From today's list, I was able to cross off many items, jobs. So it was an effective day for me. I sticked to my plan.
I came back home and watching the news, as I heard them saying it's been one year since the murder of Hrant Dink, the Armenian journalist, this is the first anniversary. I was so shocked! It was like they were playing a joke on me, broadcasting the news of a different year, or like buying a paper and seeing the date 1981. It's impossible, right?
I was so shocked because it felt like yesterday since this event happened. One year? No way! Impossible. It could be maximum a couple of months. One year? No way! My brain went funny and confused. So confused. Can't be true... First I denied, they must be mistaken or making a joke. But no. God time flies by so fast. So fast. Somebody said, after your twenties, it is like you are on a train and you can't get off at the stop that you want to. Oh dear. So depressing. May be this is why people after some age forget what age they are and act like they are twenty..
Just had a call from a friend who will come by, great. So I should go.

After a long, tiring, stresful week had a sunny, easy going friday and finally finished the week. Started my freedom hours by going to the mall only to shop for more hotpants and t-shirts and ofcourse a take-away. Shopping on top of a stressful week helped me unwind but still my body could not take much and let myself to the chair at home. So good..
Having heard that the weather will be all clear and sunny all weekend, started to make weekend plans. Yes! New plans, as the old plans that I made for the weekend was different. I used to extremely annoyed when I plan for something and something gets in the way. If I planned to do 3 things that day (things can be going somewhere, meeting someone, buying sth, dealing with a job, etc) and for some reason I couldn't do one or two of them, in the order that I want, then it would be a disaster for me. But life is nothing like that ofcourse and I pretty much dropped that. For this weekend in particular, I was weary of not making any serious plans, as you probably have heard of the saying 'cry wolf', in the tale of the shepherd and the wolf. The shepherd boy watched a flock of sheep close to a village, and winds up the villagers, telling that the wolf is coming but nothing happens. After so many times of crying wolf, no one believes the boy. I had this happening to me many times, people give promises to meet, to do things, to go to places, but when it turns out that they are not capable of keeping their promises, we learn not to care, like the villagers did. You will eventually care for them as much or as little as they care for you. May be they like variety and that is the way they are, they want to keep it that way, then tough, let them have variety but if that's not what you want, then you will eventually let other people who have been trying so hard to become close to you. Happiness is when you spend your precious time with people who really care about you, and be there for you, who will take you to that special concert regardless of where it is. Somebody that only knew me for 2 days made a very correct analysis about me and said that I tend to generalise/simplify things, or tell things at a high level, as we call 'chunk up' in Nlp terms. I will chunk up this subject as well, as I have to close it now.. Next job: put some muscle relaxant as my neck is killing me...

Shop shop shop

Woke up at 09.00am on a Saturday morning to go for shopping! If somebody told me there was fire next door I wouldn't move, but shopping, that's something else...

Not only did I wake up early, but I had to cross a continent, going across to the other side of Istanbul, from Europe to the Asian side over the Bosporus with a ferry to Kadikoy, as there was a big sales in Mango. I know that sounds crazy but that's how our brain works guys, I'm sorry...

Well, I wasn't the only one least to say. But our efforts paid back and we got out with nice pieces of clothing.

After the shopping we deserved breakfast after which we went to Bagdat Street or Cadde Bostan, the posh area of the Asian side with my friend only to shop more and have coffee...

A long day it was but what else can a girl want? ho ho

Hot and Cold

Snowy days did not last long and we have sunny bright days now. I am lucky to have a great view of Maslak, the business centre of Istanbul, from my desk at work, having a terrace acting as a meteorology center to me. And the weather has been really changing and unstable lately. I love the sun, but one moment its there and the next moment its gone. You can't really trust it. And I have to adjust myself to the changing weather conditions. If I wear a t-shirt and the next moment it is snowing, I will be ill.

Just like with people, where the other person could be hot and cold all the time. One moment its great, next moment its not there. It's always hot and cold, and I want it to be warm all the time. I need time to adjust between hot and colds. It is making me ill. I will take extra warm jumpers with me to keep me warm. And jumpers got nothing to do with bumpers of cars.