the hard day's night...

Well, it's the end of yet another week of 'holy crap today was lousy'. I was practically hysterical at my last class because it's the last class on a Thursday, no one wants to be there and they are by far, my worst kids in the 5th grade. Anyway, a small group of us got together after school to run a few errands, I took a few of the new teachers to one of the few liquor stores and all of them felt like they had done something taboo/wrong but funny at the same time. Hello contraband :). It's legal for us to buy alcohol and drink on this island but it still feels like you're doing something wrong.

Then I dropped off one of the teachers and the other two (Rebecca and Liana) and I went grocery shopping. On the way home, Liana had control of my ipod and decided that right then and there was a great time for Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. I couldn't have been happier! I needed just that moment of all three of us singing and jamming out in my car to just relieve some of the massive stress we had all dealt with today. :) I love those two!

TIB

something random and out of the blue...

Over the course of the last week or two, I've added several things to my 'things I will never do as a parent' list--that is, if I'm ever a parent to begin with. These things include:

~I will not blame a teacher for something I'm supposed to take care of (like making sure the kid does their homework, reinforcing a lesson from school, HAS A PENCIL for school)

~I will not assume that a teacher can keep track of MY kid ALL THE TIME. Teachers are NOT omnipotent.

~Teachers are NOT omnipotent.

~ I will not assume my kid is right all the time. In fact if my kid gets a note from a teacher telling me they did something wrong, more than likely THEY DID SOMETHING WRONG!

~ I will not read a book on parenting--I'll seek advice from people I know that learned from their own mistakes and not some book assuming I know absolutely nothing about taking care of a munchkin.

TIB

curiosity has caused confusion...

Out of my slight artistic thoughts, I was sitting on a bench in the park between the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia with Nick sitting right across from me...Yes, this is Nick and behind him is the Blue Mosque. :)

just a little more Istanbul

Istanbul European coast from the boat... :-D

Istanbul, round 3

The gates to the Grand Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar is much like the souq in Bahrain except, it's all indoors and better organized. :)

Istanbul, round 2

The Hippodrome: Think the Circus Maximus for Constantinople...Oops! I mean Istanbul. Actually the race track of the Hippodrome is no longer here. There are roads that are basically built over where the track used to be. However there are two obelisks that are markers for part of the center strip of the Hippodrome.

The Obelisk of Egypt.



The Byzantine Obelisk: this obelisk was created by the Byzantines with stones that were original to the Hippodrome near the end of the Empire.

Istanbul ... in technocolor!

Alright, I'm going to do a series of Istanbul pictures. Here's round one...AND if anyone has any questions, please e-mail me!


The Hagia Sophia/The Church of Holy Wisdom: Built by Emperor Justinian and Empress and Theodora in 532ce. There will be interior pics coming later. This church was turned into a mosque when the Byzantine Empire fell to the Ottomans and is now a museum. This church is the home to great examples of Byzantine architecture and mosaic art works dating to the time of Justinian and Theodora.


The Blue Mosque: This is a working mosque and the largest in Istanbul. The Blue Mosque is located right accross the park from Hagia Sophia. This mosque was built by the Ottomans in the 16oo's.

Istanbul

Good morning everyone!

This entry will not have any pictures--I'm still sorting myself out.

Istanbul was great. :) I had a great time. I needed the break. So, here's how everything went down:

day one: I arrived in the early afternoon and got to my hostel earlier than I thought--with virtually no sleep. I walked around the area that I was staying at--lots of cafe's, rug shops, touristy area. I got with Nick and we went out for food. After a wonderful dish of lamb kabab and a real nice rice dish, I slept like the dead.

day two: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, The Hippodrome, Bascilica Cistern. These are pretty much the big four historical sites and all very close together.

day three: The Grand Bazare (huge indoor market), hang out in the city/people watch in a park, The Whirling Dervishes.

day four: Katakoy (on the Asian side), lots of people watching, wondering around the city to see what there was to see.

day five: back to Bahrain.

Since coming back to Bahrain I've been showing Nick around my island. I think he's getting a better idea of how I live here and what life is like out here.

TIB