Munich, I'm in love with you, but I think we should see other people

Okay then. I am in Munich. I have been here since the 10th of April. I will fly home from this fair city on April 22nd... what to tell... so, I after spending to much money on fleeting internet connections, going to a dodgy bar/casino/internet cafe down the road where earlier today I spied the man in front of me watching porn, I finally paid to have wireless in the lobby of the hostel (which I should have done initially, but it somehow didn't occur to me). Anywho, not important as far as the deets of this trip go, I miss my mama, etc keep emailing her, and am currently hogging the plug from the invisible people clamoring to use their laptops sans battery like myself.
So. I have time. Loads of it. What I am low on is creativity and skrilla. I have done an incredible amount of walking all over this place-- makes me pleased to be alive, let me tell you. Turn a corner, be astounded by incredible beauty I didn't know existed a moment before. Lovely.
When I am not walking I am getting fat off of bread and cheese and contemplating the meaning of life... I have done quite a bit of this in the last year. I think I have also become a quieter person/maybe a little more mellow as a result of my occassional self imposed solitude in Seattle/Istanbul/now Munich. But enough introspection... ha!
I have been successfully keeping a journal for the first time in my life, so I'll save the questions regarding personal growth/mistakes/lack of regrets/ever expanding waistline to that. what I will say-- the first day here there were two young guys from seattle in my hostel room. That was nice. I hung out with them a little, although once again realized I have no interest in clubbing, regardless of where I am on the planet. Also, one of the young men and I shared an acquantaince from Seattle, a fact that was supremely interesting to me, although he seemed unfazed by it. Must be a little more worldly than myself.
At the moment the only other people in my hostel room are two hungarians-- a young woman named angela and her manfriend whom she seems to be perpetually waiting for. When I wake up she's sitting, watching him as he sleeps. The day she sits in the room, going onto the balcony to smoke a ciggarette occasionally (this i witness as I pop in and out between jaunts). When he comes back it seems they watch tv and go to bed. I wonder what she's here for, but we don't speak the same language. I share my food with her in an attempt to be friendly, but Angela and her companion remain a mystery to me...
Speaking of food, the grocery stores reopened today, praise the lord! They closed, i think for the easter holiday and I had heard that they wouldn't reopen again tomorrow. the pickle juice that I spilled all over myself this morning as I ate breakfast outside of the store was the sweet stech of success. Breakfast was a cheese sandwich and pickles... mmm... the exchange rate is killing me, and having to feed myself-- and for some reason not willing to just go a little hungry :( was not pleasant.
So, this is loooong. I would like to share pictures with intersted parties upon my return. I probably should have written a little more about the city itself? Ummm...

Aaaaaya Sofya! or, swingin singles in the old city

First, i must start off by saying that I am leaving Istanbul. I am flying to Munich (beautiful city) on Friday, where I hope to safely and happily spend a little time (days) before flying back to California. While this is an embarrassing admission, I will count this as a positive experience, no matter how brief my stay turned out to be. The family I lived with/worked for was lovely, Istanbul seems to be a place I would otherwise love to get to know... but it is not where I will be right now.
That being said, with little time ahead of me, and few sights seen (I was sick last week and thus napped/tried to recoup much of the days), today i decided I to return to the old city, where I had spent about an hour my first (and apparently one of the last, go ahead, laugh at me) weekends here. As I walked towards Hagia Sophia (however you chose to spell it, wherever you hail from) I saw swarms of school children, crowds of people on tours. Overwhelmed, I decided to first check out Sultanahmet. As I was walking I was intercepted by a nice looking older man who told me that he owned a rug shop in the city. we talked and he directed me to the mosque, where prayers were beginning, asking me if I would have tea with him when I came out. I said yes, and as I was in line I realized I had forgotten a headscarf, so no entry for me. The man was waiting as I came out. He and I walked some together, and he showed me his tile/rug shop (beautiful things) and gave me a cup of tea. He was a lovely person and was intent on spending sometime with me, but I am not as open as I often appear (good thing) and have a healthy distrust of strangers, especially strange men, who have historically surprised me with their motives (and I'm no beauty queen; attention in this respect makes me uncomfortable). While he appeared to just be showing hospitality I didn't want to go to an unknown place with him or drink a beverage from his kitchen. I didn't want to appear rude by not accepting his kindness, i excused myself quickly... anywho, just as I was walking away from him I was intercepted by another man. I tried to politely leave him, and somehow he helped me to cut in front of the massive line outside of Hagia Sopia-- not something I would do, but somehow I went with it.
I went into Hagia Sophia feeling incredibly uncomfortable... I knew I was overreacting, this is exactly my personality, people are nice to me and I act like a freak. In any case Hagia Sophia was beautiful; my camera battery promptly died, but I got some pictures.
As I left I was intercepted (I keep using that word... interrupted? not accosted... hmmm) by a third man, also wanting to have tea with me. At this point I fled, like a big chicken, and ate chocolate, bread, and oranges until my hands were sticky and my belly was full and I was relaxed (mmm) . I can handle language barriers, I can handle uncertainty (to an extent) but i could not handle this. I cannot handle a lot of things actually, apparently, as I examine my recent life choices. Rather, I don't want to handle them...
Each of the men said that I did not look like an American (I think this was supposed to be a compliment), yet they spoke to me in English... or maybe they didn't. Actually, Turkish might have been first. Anywho, i thought that was funny.
So this is a lame blog, Rachel the glamour queen... no, who knows what these people want. To be friendly probably. I should be more open. But, gotta be smart. In anycase, I am leaving, so... thanks for reading, perhaps a Germany entry will come, if the mood strikes...

Obamarama in Istanbul

Obama is in Istanbul... it's weird as an American that this is such a big deal. i mean, it's expected I know how these things work, but half of the roads are closed, it's all over the news... I don't know. Says something about our place in the world, although I'm sure the same thing happens to some extent for any foreign leader. still...
Anywho, this morning as I was coming back from taking the kids down to their school bus, the doorman tried to talk with me... I couldn't understand... it made me think of people speaking more loudly at other people who don't speak the language, like that helps (how many times have I subjected non-english speakers to this). Not that the man was rude. Actually, he was quite lovely, smiling and whatnot. The people I have met are very kind. The other day I was reading on the steps and another doorman brought me a cushion... I can't speak with the maid, Melahat (nice lady! a new hero), but a lot of the time at home I forget that I am in Turkey because English is spoken... and if it isn't, well, it isn't. No big deal.
Tonight I am filling in for a storytime at a family friend's bookstore (their au pair is on vacation), at this child-themed concept mall called Mohini (I saw the children's movie "Dog Hotel" in Turkish there the other day. As you can imagine, kid's movie, plot driven, easy to follow)... this child's mall would be a dream to me if I were a kids. Ah, market to the young ones... by the by, never realized before how uncomfotable toy guns make me. I'll say it! love, rachel
Also, hearing turkish children saying "oh snap" is one of the funniest things I have ever experienced. as my friend scott little back in davis commented, clearly they have been watching television... very much introduced to much american culture... luckily, i feel like not everything is foreign to me. I've had halva before. I know Rumi (not that anyone's mentioned him)... yep, Turkish expert in the house!

the whining/crying/screaming of children will greet me at the gates of hell

If anything, Istanbul thus far has been a lesson in patience. Something I historically have had to work on... now I have to remember that I am the adult,and they are only five years old-- maybe grandpa bob was onto something when he questioned if I was old enough to take care of two kids. I think of my mom having 3 of us all at once at only 25 years old and I shudder... great lady.
Merits- not having so much time to get into trouble; discipline is being foisted upon me. I wake up early. Eat regular meals (lots of bread and cheese! oh, changes in diet. I don't see eating meat in my future, although it's been predicted by a few)... make my bed. Go straight to be after shower/kids go to sleep. Yes... a good experience. And after this I will not be having children of my own for maybe as many years as biologically possible. But no one wants to hear about those things, not ladylike.
Dude,my spacebar is all wonky and my words keep getting jammed together.
Now for the main question: Do I nap now (good idea)? Go for a walk (I need fresh air and new scenery like nobody's business)? Buy some chocolate (yes please!)... and facebook...
Also!Before I forget-- people drive so differently here. Turning into oncoming traffic is normal, blocking intersections... it's all pretty aggressive and there seems to be much different etiquette/laws perhaps. Also, clearly I am a foreigner. I dress worse than most of the people i've seen, and I didn't think about it before I left, but my short hair is pretty unusual here too. Over and out.