Welcome to Ankara, where this weekend kind of rocks.

Well this weekend in Ankara is the festival of the fests....

all the universities in the city are having a spring festival, which includes rides, games, food and concerts at night!! It already has been a redeeming quality of the city. Last night we went to the festival at METU which i can only refer to as Turkish Woodstock. METU stands for Middle East Techonology University, and its an American affiliated university. This was apparent when we stepped onto campus and felt a much more american like vibe. We looked around and saw people dressed gothic, like hippies, like preps, like any other typical clique. Then, gasp, we saw minorities! Asian, black, hispanic, white, it was one of the most amazing things! The concert was awesome, the first band being a turkish/irish sounding fusion band. Naturally I bought devil horns to wear for the night, and jamar got an angel halo, and together we single handedly started chaos in the dust pit. there were fire spinners and hamburgers, and i thought to myself, as awesome as this is, i am a bit homesick.

Since Gil left, I have been feeling a little bit homesick, which is an a-typical feeling for me. so, i have decided to make a list of things that i miss from home (im sure more will be added).

WHAT I CAN'T WAIT FOR IN THE US (in no particular order)

1) Bacon/ pork products
2) My family
3) My Friends
4) Gil-time
5) Cool Whip
6) Fluffernutters/ good peanut butter
7) English
8) Diversity
9) Angry people who hate tourists and foreigners
10) concerts
11) Barbecue
12) Cheeseburgers
13) Potato and Mac salad (and all other bbq essentials)
14) Kraft Mac and Cheese
15) Kellogg Cereal
16) Hershey's Chocolate
17) Good chinese food
18) fried chicken
19) Political correctness (never expected i would miss that)
20) People acting their age
21) HULU
22) No internet websites being blocked
23) Blondes who dye their roots
24) People with 2 seperate eyebrows
25) Sour Cream and Cream cheese
26) Ben and Jerry's not being 10 lira a pint
27) Lack-o-Ataturk
28) Freedom of Speech
29) People thinking I am spanish, not turkish
30) cheap alcohol
31) House parties
32) Bonfires
33) S'mores
34) The Cape
35) ground beef that is NOT kofte
36) A1 steak sauce
37) Milk that is purchased cold
38) the legal system
39) threats and blackmail
40) lack of techno music
41) Mike Lee parties
42) Peking Garden
43) Mini-golf
44) driving
45) not being treated like a baby
46) no subtitles
47) substantial conversations
48) Oprah
49) Vinnie
50) clam chowder



thats all for now

G