In Turkey!!!!

So I made it... I'm tired, and still not in my place yet. I arrived at2, and I'm now at the school. I'll be working in the Kadikoy branch, and living on the Asian side. It's pretty cool here in this area. There's no flat available for me yet, so I'll be living in a hotel for a few weeks. I've just met some of the teachers here and they arereally nice. They-ve told me that the hotel is nice but it has arather peculiar name.... It's basically the Turkish for the "Ace Hotel" but it is "As Hotel" in Turkish... (continued from yesterday...I started this blog saturday, yesterday, and now it's Sunday) pronounced like "Ass Hotel" in English. As you can well imagine, there are lots of jokes among the english teachers here about staying in the ass etc... It's not bad at all though, and it's only temporary.

So it's Sunday now. I came in this morning to observe some classes, so I will have a clue when I start teaching. Speaking to the teachers, seeing the school, meeting the students, has got me looking forward to teaching. I've just found out that I'll be doing a private class for 2a dvanced students 3 days a week. The classes here are hardcore... 4 hours at a time. I thought it would be tough, because in training theclasses were 2 hours, and we only ever had to prepare an hour at most. But after observing this morning, I feel much better, there's a lot less pressure when teaching a 4 hour class. You don't have to worry that students will leave and be clueless at the end of it. There's time to address al the problems that come up, and do all sorts ofrelated activities. I will also be teaching a beginner class onweekends, saturday and sunday afternoons. 4 hours at a time. That's also exciting, there will be 12 people in that class to start with, although it may increase to up to 16 by then. 16 is the maximum class size here.

I'm in Turkey again. It's so wonderful! I woke up this morning and it's glass-enclosed and has a view of the Bosphorus, so I can see the Blue mosque and Ayasofia Mosque across the sea. Oh yeah, I thought Iwould be at the new school that they are opening in Taksim, which is in the centre of the new city on the european side. I'm actually inKadikoy, which is on the Asian side. It's a nice area though. I've never lived on the Asian side before, but when I was an exchangestudent, we used to come over here a lot by ferry or seabus, and hangout. The main street on the Asian side looks more like a European city than any part of Istanbul! But I'm not on that street. I'm in an area near the seabus and ferry terminal (about a 4 minute walk). The school is on a main street, and the streets around are chock full of stores, restaurants, cafes, internet cafes, language schools and random otherstuff. There's a huge mall about 3 blocks away, and that other streetI was talking about starts about 3 blocks in another direction. There are cinemas, and all the movies are in the original language, but withTurkish subtitles, as opposed to dubbed like in Spain. The Kadikoy market is also nearby, with fresh fruits and vegetables, a meatmarket, a fish and seafood market and all sorts of stuff.

So as I was saying, I woke up and went to the terrace cafe and had aturkish breakfast. It's served every morning in the hotel. Chay -Turkish tea, Orange juice, and a plate with beyaz peynir - 'whitecheese' similar in texture to feta, but nicer, kahsar peynir - a cheese similar to a mild cheddar or maybe gouda, a boiled egg, olives,jam and butter, and a basket of fresh ekmek - the delicious turkishbread that i've missed all these years.
Anyway I have to go (someone else has to use the computer).
Later! :0)
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went up to the terrace cafe on the roof of the hotel for breakfast.It's glass-enclosed and has a view of the Bosphorus, so I can see theBlue mosque and Ayasofia Mosque across the sea. Oh yeah, I thought Iwould be at the new school that they are opening in Taksim, which isin the centre of the new city on the european side. I'm actually inKadikoy, which is on the Asian side. It's a nice area though. I'venever lived on the Asian side before, but when I was an exchangestudent, we used to come over here a lot by ferry or seabus, and hangout. The main street on the Asian side looks more like a European citythan any part of Istanbul! But I'm not on that street. I'm in an areanear the seabus and ferry terminal (about a 4 minute walk). The schoolis on a main street, and the streets around are chock full of stores,restaurants, cafes, internet cafes, language schools and random otherstuff. There's a huge mall about 3 blocks away, and that other streetI was talking about starts about 3 blocks in another direction. Thereare cinemas, and all the movies are in the original language, but withTurkish subtitles, as opposed to dubbed like in Spain. The Kadikoymarket is also nearby, with fresh fruits and vegetables, a meatmarket, a fish and seafood market and all sorts of stuff.

So as I was saying, I woke up and went to the terrace cafe and had aturkish breakfast. It's served every morning in the hotel. Chay -Turkish tea, Orange juice, and a plate with beyaz peynir - 'whitecheese' similar in texture to feta, but nicer, kahsar peynir - acheese similar to a mild cheddar or maybe gouda, a boiled egg, olives,jam and butter, and a basket of fresh ekmek - the delicious turkishbread that i've missed all these years.