RENE IS HERE! Omg I have never been so happy to see her! Well that’s not really true but I’m so happy that she’s here. Normally we talk every day so it’s weird being seven hours ahead here and only being able to talk over email and skyping once a week.
Reuben was so excited to see her that he started calling her Nin...weird
Anyway she was a big girl and took a cab from the airport by herself so of course as soon as she got here I screamed, ran across the street to squeeze her, and fed her! We got lahmacuns and soup. I was determined to keep her from being jetlagged so I took her to the park overlooking the bridge and we took pictures and walked around the park! After that I took her to her hotel to check her in and then we stopped at this amazing Chocolate Café. Who knew those even existed?? But we got a delicious fondue platter and Turkish çay. I don't know if it's being in Istanbul that makes me so happy or what but that was literally the best chocolate I've ever had!
Fondue platter!!
I <3 chocolate
In the evening Rene got to experience her first of many growing up experiences, nargile!! We took her to Esmer, a hookah café near the apartment and my friends and I spent the whole time trying to teach Rene how to get a head rush! Oh geez what a fail, I don’t think she got it but I’m pretty sure she charred her lungs. Anyway after all that she was exhausted so I took her back to the hotel to crash.
This is real life.
Lucky for Rene she got to sleep in until noon while I on the other hand had to wake up at 7:30 for class ughhhh. Class is going well by the way. My Turkish class as usual is kicking my ass but the other ones are good. International Law is so interesting, even though she kills me with the 75+ pages of reading a week it kinda makes me want to go to law school? Foreign Policy well he’s cancelled so many classes that I’ve only had 2 the entire semester oh and guess what? Class is cancelled next week! Finally, my History of Christianity class is amazing! My professor is a visiting professor from England/Israel/US and he’s so entertaining and smart. I have learned so much and I actually really enjoy his lectures.
In the afternoon Reuben and I took Rene to the Basilica Cistern. It’s an underground structure from the 6th century, it was established and built during the Byzantine Empire and it is one of the coolest things I’ve seen here. My friend Molly described it best, being inside the Cistern is a lot like being in the Chamber of Secrets from Harry Potter! Then of course we took her to the Spice Bazaar where a vendor made her eat a spoonful of curry powder because she’s Indian haahah! I love going there, it still feels like a truly authentic experience and in a world where there is a Starbucks or McDonalds on every corner it’s a nice feeling.
Inside of the Cistern. I felt like I was in the Chamber of Secrets hehe!
In front of Medusa's Chamber.
Of course Rene wanted to take a picture with Medusa
Anyway we took Rene to Taksim to RAGE!!It was St Patty's Day so def a wild night. And of course more nargile afterwards!
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