Bursa <3

The past two days have been a blur! Yesterday, I went to the AIESEC office early and stayed all day. I had the traditional office breakfast of bread, cheese, yogurt, tomatoes, and peppers. And tea of course. I sat up on the fifth-floor terrace with the AIESECers and talked about hometowns, our studies, English grammar, and just about any topic you can think of. The Turkish students all speak relatively good English, and I have learned to slow down my speech to make sure that I am understood. A group of us went to dinner and had hamsi, a small fish that you eat cooked and whole. After that, we went back up to Topane to view the city again.

I have had trouble sleeping because my schedule has been off, but I finally had a chance to really rest last night. I had a good breakfast of bread, olives, strawberry preserves, and a tomato-ey mix. Today it was very hot by the time I headed off to the AIESEC office, and I sat in the shade on the terrace. I had a chance to see Ulu Camii, the large mosque in Bursa with 20 domes, built in the 14th century. This was my first time entering a mosque, and it was beautiful: arched ceilings, Arabic calligraphy, and half-sphere windows capping the domes. Since my independent study had partially been about mosques, finally seeing the features that I had researched so much about was particularly rewarding. I also saw the silk bazaar, an Ottoman building with a mosque in the center, used by those who would come to the bazaar to trade. Bursa was one end of the Silk Road, and silk can be found there in great quantities. I am learning so much about Turkish history and culture, and I am finding my way around parts of the city with ease. I haven't taken that many pictures, and I apologize, but I don't want to feel like too much of a tourist since this lovely city will be my home for the next two months!

Turkey plays Croatia in the EuroCup on Friday, and you can be sure that I will be watching this "football" match :)