Istanbul

My time in Istanbul was short but lovely. The weather forecast was definitely not pleasant looking, but the weather stayed sunny and warm for 4 days anyway! Then it became quite rainy and cold for my last day and a half. Oh well.

I got a chance to visit all my favorite spots. I went with my cousin to Ortakoy where you can sit by the Bosphorus river, eat Kumpir (a kind of baked potato that’s 1000x more awesome than your typical baked potato), and watch the ferry boats go by. Ruya, her roommate, friend, and I sent out to Taksim for dessert and a little bit of Istanbul night life. I did some shopping at the saturday bazaar at Ingirli, as well as some in the Grand Bazaar--some clothes and turkish things. It’s SO much easier for me to find clothes in Turkey where the people are small like me. Also, the prices for good quality clothing are a lot cheaper than anything you’ll find in the US. I also went to one of the old Turkish Hammams with beautiful architecture and got scrubbed clean! I tried a new food - stuffed mussels, and ate some of the foods I miss: taze fasulye, bamya, doner kebap, kazan dibi, salep, just to name a few...and drank a ton of Turkish tea.

Sorry about the sideways pictures.I'll try to fix them when I have more reliable internet! It took about a million years just to upload them and I can't figure out how to turn them without having to upload them again :(

It was really lovely getting to know my cousin Ruya as she reaches adulthood. This is her first year away from home in Cyprus-she just started college back in September. It’s really neat to see her transform from a wild and free child to a fun loving (but more aware of responsibilities) young adult.

I’m in Cyprus now! My cousins keep posting pictures of us together on facebook, so check my page to see what I’ve been up to or check back here for more updates :)

Croatia!

Alright, today I’m going to start off by showing you the set up I have to accomplish in order to charge my computer:

It’s a little ridiculous. My voltage converter thingy should be able to plug directly into European outlets and then have US plugs plug into it...but of course it’s not that easy. The European outlets are inlayed, so I have to use another plug thingy to get it into the inlay. Then my voltage converter only accepts 2 pronged US plugs...and my computer uses a 3 pronged. So I have to use a US to US plug converter. But it works!

My time in Zagreb, Croatia with Selene and Marko came and went so quickly! Croatia seems like me a cross between Portland climate and Cypriot culture but with a Slavic based spoken language. They got an unusual amount of rain this summer (which was also cooler in temp), so everything was green! It was sunny and beautiful while I was there up until the day I left--it thunderstormed and rained with strong, cold winds.

Most of my time in Croatia was just seeing the daily life of the people. I love seeing the different ways that us humans live. Croatians (much like the Turks) dress up to go anywhere--even just to run to the market down the street. They have a daily farmers market (the Dolats) with vegetables, beans, dried fruits, honey, flowers, crafts, etc. in a big square in central Zagreb. They insist on having their coffee outside every day--cafes put out heat lamps and blankets if it’s cold. Having coffee is not a drink; it’s a social event and you sit for at least an hour if not three. There’s the flower square close to the Dolats where you can buy every type of seasonal flower arrangement. There’s little bits of history interspersed among the shopping centers, markets, trams and alleyways in the form of statues, plaques, or beautiful old buildings. It’s beautiful.

With Marko’s best friend and sister alternately joining us, we also spent time visiting the green spaces; the botanical gardens and on a different day Sjeme (I forgot how to spell it but pronoucned roughly Slee-yeh-may) the nearby mountain (big hill). We hiked all the way to the top in a couple of hours, enjoying the view every inch of the way. I, of course, insisted on stops to sip tea from my thermos and just soak up the view. Marko allowed it but was itching to keep going.

I love that Selene and I are able to stay in each other’s lives. When I last saw her in Portland, we set the intention to keep in touch even over time and distance. I’m not very good at communicating over long distances; and as Selene adjusts to being in Croatia she has not been either, but getting together felt like no time had lapsed at all. I don’t really know how to explain our friendship. We compliment each other. We are moving towards the same goals from opposite directions; I work more physically, she works more energetically. I’m better at the details, she’s better at the big picture. She is my sister.

I know those of you who know Selene are curious to hear more about Marko. They are definitely a good match. I know this first year has had a lot of ups and downs from them, and there is more to come, but their relationship had to move quickly because of the distance and borders. What I see in them is the normal ups and downs of a long term relationship condenced into a shorter amount of time. The nature of their troubles are all on the physical plane; they are adjusting to each other’s living styles, culture, customs and finances. What carries them through the trouble is the most important part of a relationship, that their higher purposes match. They have so much love for one another and share in their goals and in their path to those goals.

Now I’m in Istanbul, staying with my cousin Ruya! For just under a week. I hope you’re all well xoxox

England....Croatia!

Hey everyone!
I am *attempting* to post at least once a week to keep all you folks updated on my adventures, but unfortunately I had some technical difficulties last time I tried to write a post. I brought the wrong plug for UK, then my computer blew the fuse on the one my cousin lent me. Whoops! Anyway, I have it all sorted out now.

English to American word key:
Pants=Underwear
Tea=pot of tea with a side of cream and hot water
Cream tea= pot of tea with side of cream, hot water, 2 scones, clotted cream, jam
Cider=hard cider
Apple juice=Apple cider
Pudding=All desserts, including cakes and pies
Dinner=Lunch
Tea=Dinner or Tea

My cousin Esen came to meet me in London when I first arrived in England. We stayed in the lovely Astor Hostel--very clean, nice and helpful folks, and great location. Day one most things were already closed by the time we got settled; they actually close up and go home by 4-5pm! What an awesome working/living ethic! Big Ben was much more amazing than I had anticipated; I think it was something about how it's watched over London for so much time. It feels alive in a way, like a temple or a stupa. We also walked by the Palace, though the guards on duty there had poor posture and were not dressed up like I had expected:

  

Their knees were locked and they were all stiff, definitely not ready to defend the palace. We walked through the Princess Diana memorial gardens and watched the swans and other birds, then walked all along the waterfront! I saw the re-creation of the Globe Theatre, lots of policemen in funny hats, red phone booths and red double decker busses. Day two we went to the Camden market, a really cool place. It was like the British version of the Grand Bazaar--big enough to get a little lost in. We mostly window shopped but did buy a couple items. They had a bunch of awesome food stalls there too, and there are canal locks there, so we saw some house boats and other boats go up and down the locks. Then we visited the TARDIS!!!

Yes, it's true, I'm a big Doctor Who fan. I also got to meet up with a friend of mine back from high school; Michelle Nusinov! It's been almost a decade since we last met up. It was pretty brief but enough time to catch up and share the happiness we are both currently living. The next day, we left London and stopped on the way to Somerset to see Stone Henge!!!

I was disappointed that we could not walk among the stones; unfortunately there have been problems with tourists defacing this sacred temple. Even from a distance, though, I could feel a lot of the ancient power of this place, especially from the point pictured above. There was a great beam of energy coming from the largest intact gateway. Stone Henge is still used as a temple by Druids at the equinoxes and solstices, as well as host for a party at New Years, so I hope to visit again in the future!

Then next day was quite rainy and cold, so Esen and I drove out to a nearby cider (hard cider) and brandy distillery for some tasting and to see the giant piles of apples! We then drove along all the scenic routes all the way to the coast. I tried to get a picture next to the adorable fields of sheep, but while passing cars don't perturb them, they are apparently not used to a person emerging from the car and chasing after them. We also saw wild pheasants, and breathtaking views of the rolling countryside, forested areas, and an adorable scenic town on the coast. We had cream tea (tea with scones, clotted cream and jam--I skipped the scone) and headed back.

While Esen worked, I took the train to Bristol! I feel like Bristol is the Portland of England (though I think Glastonbury is more known for it's hippies?). There are people with dreads, organic/fairtrade/local coffee shops (I liked the Treehouse Cafe) and co-op markets, and tons of AMAZING street art! While you can find Banksy pieces and other art pieces throughout Bristol, I found the best concentration (and most varied art) in the St.Paul's area. They also have a number of free museums :)

This has been a very different way of travelling for me. My last trip was a lot about discovering myself; and so I had to go away from everything I've ever known and all the existing constructs of my life in order to really be able to go inward and listen. That inner voice is a little louder now that I've connected into it, but I still hope to have more extended periods of 'being away', probably later on in my trip. For now it's really wonderful to connect with many of the important people in my life. I feel like I had the opportunity to connect with Esen like I haven't had in the past. Usually it's a group of 'the cousins', or I tend to hang out more with Bikem when I'm in Cyprus since we're the youngest women of the cousins. I'm happy to see how Esen has been honoring his passions; living simply with his beautiful home and little garden, and taking plenty of time out in nature and photographing and sharing that beauty.

Well, I've arrived in Croatia now and am with Selene! I'll update again in a few days to tell you about Zagreb. Selene is my soul sister. I love her to pieces and am so happy to get this wonderful (albeit short) week with her! I love her husband already, he is a wonderful man.

The Adventure Begins!

Bye-bye (for now) Portland!!

Hello friends and family!
WOW! Your outpouring of support (financial and well-wishing) has been absolutely amazing! I'm very close to reaching my fundraising goal to pay for my volunteer related expenses. Thank you.

Well, my bags are packed and I'm ready to head overseas on Thursday night (arriving Friday morning). My bag is a lot heavier than how I usually travel; between the clinic supplies and reference books there's quite a bit of extra weight. I still managed to pack my things into my backpacking bag, a small handbag and my little carry-on bag.

My first stop is London, England! My cousin Esen lives in Somerset and will be coming to meet me there. We'll stay in London for Friday and Saturday, then head back to his side of town. He'll have to work during the week, but I'll go around and check out the town on my own. I'll be there for a week before I head onwards to Croatia! In Croatia my dear friend Selene will come out to meet me with her husband Marko. I hear Croatia is absolutely beautiful and am eager to see it for myself, but am more excited to see Selene. A week after arriving in Croatia I'll head towards Istanbul, Turkey to stay with my cousin Ruya. I'm hoping to have a trip to the Turkish bathhouse and to the Grand Bazaar, two of my favorite places in Istanbul. I'll be there for only 5 days before heading over to Cyprus to stay with my many cousins, aunts, and uncles. 2 weeks will be a very short time to visit them all, but I'll need to make it to Nepal in time to work in the clinic! My volunteer funds will not be contributing to this part of the trip. Though volunteering helped reduce my travel costs to affordable levels (I included an estimate of a round trip ticket to and from Nepal as part of my costs), this portion of the trip I am paying out-of-pocket.

I'll arrive in Nepal a few days before my volunteer time begins. I'd like to acclimate to the high altitude and buy some warm bedding--the room in the clinic does not come equipped with warm things. My volunteer time in the Bhotechaur clinic in Nepal begins November 17th and will last a full 3 months until February 13th. There are many different organizations to volunteer with in Nepal; I chose Mindful Medicine because of their focus on how treatments are carried out. There is a strong emphasis on bringing mindfulness, or meditative practice and presence to each of your patients. Though there are many people coming in to the clinic every day, reducing the amount of time you can spend with each patient, it is so important to be fully present with each person who walks through the door seeking treatment. Equally important is taking care of yourself as the practitioner. A pracitioner best able to serve patients is one who is well rested!

It's not too late to place your order for yak wool shawls, blankets, incense, or prayer flags! Check out my previous post for item details and pricing. You can still submit donations by mailing a check to 114 Sausalito Dr. East Amherst, NY 14051 (my parents have access to my checking account and can deposit it for me), or feel free to use paypal or donate directly to the Mindful Medicine Worldwide website--just mention my name when you do so.