August in Izmir

Where to start? These past few weeks have been jam packed with food, events, traveling. The first weekend the new teachers were all taken out to breakfast in a small town just about 40 minutes outside of Alsancak, the town we are living in, by one of our wonderful administrators. Our 5 star breakfast was over loaded with all types of food. Cheese, olives, tomatoes, figs, toast, eggs, sausage, and plenty of honey to go around. Once we had allowed the food to settle, we headed to a nearby cafe that sat right on the sea. There we relaxed, went for a swim, and had a lesson on how to play backgammon. After enjoying the warm weather, we headed home, only to first stop for some stuffed mussels and a fried anchovy sandwich, classic Izmir delights. As we pulled into Alsancak, we were taken back by the storm that came through town. The city had looked as if a hurricane came through. Mudslides filled the streets and under passes had been flooded. For Turkey, it hardly rains during the summer, let alone any kind of storm. Luckily the storm didn't hit where we were living, only along the bay. What a day huh?

The Monday after our fun filled weekend, we were introduced to the returning staff members at school. All the teachers were very warm and friendly and willing to lend us a hand while transitioning into our new roles. After a long day of meetings and prepping  our classroom, I was invited to play football (soccer) with a group of players that get together once a week for a bit of some friendly competition. After proving that Americans aren't as bad at football as the rest of the world, I was asked to come play again each Monday night.

The rest of the week was filled with orientation meetings at school and a light dinner to follow. A few times we headed over to watch the U21 International Men's Volleyball Championships. Fortunately, the arena is on the same block as my apartment so I have been able to watch some pretty great volleyball these past two weeks. Once the weekend came around, two other teachers and I took a day trip to Kusadasi, where we enjoyed one of the wonderful beaches of the Aegean. Although the beach was a bit crowded, the cloudless skies and clear water was something I could definitely get used to.

Along with some international volleyball, Izmir hosts an international festival full of vendors. Although the food didn't seem very international, it was pretty cool to see how they make Turkish cotton candy and other Turkish delights. The night after experiencing the festival, we headed to Izmir's own Bazaar like market. With all the shops and people walking around, it was a bit overwhelming at times, but a great experience and a great place to find almost anything you need.

We even experienced a few protests in Izmir, which were pretty cool. Never seeing a protest before, I was caught off guard and weary of the situation. Fortunately, everything was non violent so we had nothing to worry about.

So for the weeks to come, school will be starting, hopefully I will get Izmir lacrosse up and running, and plenty more of adventures out in the city.