A visit from Dad

It was really so great to have my dad come to see me in Turkey. I am so happy he finally made his way over. It makes everything so much easier when he can really understand what I'm talking about and he can picture where I am when we communicate through email and phone. I think it makes him a lot less worried about me now that he has seen the security for the dorms and the scene of the city. As far as the trip itself goes we had a really great time.

It was really nice that my dad brought a colleague of his, Terry. All three of us really enjoyed ourselves. Although I made them walk about 500 miles in total, I think they might have forgiven me after their pain and muscle soreness went away. It was quite nice to have them because they really pointed out so many things I really never took notice of before. Some of them included:

1. "Istanbul is like the Minnesota State Fair except with better architecture, shopping, and fashion, and food in some people's opinion."

2. Tavuk doners (chicken wraps) are the greatest fast food in the world.

3. The boat traffic in the Bosphorus is insane.

If Terry and Tom would fill out the little surveys I sent them with their experiences I could tell you more. However they are quite busy working on top secret projects and giving cultural presentations :-)