Define: "need"

It is very funny what things make you happy, what things you really take for granted, and especially what things you find that you can live without!

Let’s start with the things I thought I couldn’t live without. Honestly, there’s not much that I need. BUT I have done the living abroad thing before and one of the biggest things I have to get used to is the issue of mobility. I am so used to getting in my car and driving wherever I would like in the States. Living in Champaign was very easy because I could ride my bike most places. I was actually excited to get rid of my car for the year and just walk everywhere… being abandoned on a hillside, however, has me wishing I had my car! A bicycle in Turkey is more dangerous rollerblades on the Dan Ryan in Chicago but the quads I would have from a year of biking up this “mountain.

The one thing I cannot live without is a kitchen or somewhere to prep food. I love cooking and secretly love to dry dishes haha. I think it is a symptom of OCD that is really relieved to see a nice clean and dry dish J SO- for the past month I have lived without a kitchen, but finally, after a showdown with some head honchos here, there is a brand new kitchen in our guesthouse. I am somewhat of a hero to the others who are there because it was because of me that they finally finished it… well not because of me per se, but because that Fulbright says we are to have a fully furnished housing option and honestly it was so much easier and cheaper for them to throw me in the guesthouse, something they were going to finish anyway, than for them to find me an apartment in the city. I am proud of the them for taking initiative to try to satisfy my basic needs of life and even more happy that some of my colleagues in similar situations are taking note and beginning to stand up for their own inadequate living situations. Get ‘em Sarah O!

Finally, for some of the things that I am so grateful for –those of you who really know me can attest to my strange love of ironing! It’s sort of like the dishes thing. The only thing that has kept me going these past few weeks is the extremely nice iron and ironing board in the guesthouse. The funny thing is, I had to buy an iron within 2 days of being in Turkey because in Ankara we had so many official meetings and I couldn’t look wrinkly like the others, could I!? I found my iron in the Migros, a Walmart sort of store, for only 16TL which is about $11. That was amazing considering there were irons for over 400TL. I think we have one that is in the middle.

Enough iron talk, let me go back to what I have been surprised to find I can live without. Normally, we don’t really think about clean clothes as something we can live without unless we are on a trip where the things in the suitcase are starting to smell funny. I guess I am speaking for myself because I have had a washer and dryer in my apt for a long time now. Here, however, I have learned that just because something has touched my skin for days doesn’t technically make it dirty. I refuse to budge on certain articles of clothing and have found myself washing clothes by hand in my shower three times. That is COLD and dreadful. I also found myself wishing for an old wringer to get my clothes dry. Now that our washing machine is fixed (you’re welcome misafirhane) I look forward to washing my clothes and getting my jeans back to the right waist size. Only problem is, the older couple who run the place have been monopolizing the machine since it was plugged in. Fine, maybe they have clothes that have been dirty for longer than 5 weeks!

The one thing I have a hard time living without, and I think most would agree these days, is the internet. This is my connection to the world. I know I am not alone in this whole thing when I can read other Fulbrighter blogs and post on our google group (thanks Kate, great idea!). I had my iPhone unlocked and pulled the ugly AT&T sim card out and replaced it with the Turkcell one. It works! Last night I turned on the data and guess what- internet! Since the internet on campus is either broken or blocked by the university, this is a wonderful discovery. To make it even better- I can tether my iphone to my Mac laptop and voila, internet on my computer… best part, seems to be free for now! I will milk that to the max and you will receive more posts!

Now for two new things I am finding I need in order to survive:

1. Nescafe packets of premixed coffee, sugar and milk (fındık, Hazelnut, is my fav) Just add hot water- which we have plenty of since they put a huge water cooler/heater in the commons area of the guesthouse. Excessive and somewhat embarrassing that they did it for me, but we are not complaining!

2. Tea. They drink sooo much tea here that if I go too long without it I actually crave it! Which is why I am going to stop writing. I am going to go try to buy a real Turkish teapot. I might also pick up a coffee grinder and French press while I’m at it.

A happy Donnie = a successful English language program! Does that mean I get to give the receipts to the uni?!