Be Fit In Turkiye

Hammer up me some beer!

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 01:35:19 PDT

Who is the genius who came up with this invention? A hammer slash bottle opener. I was at Bauhaus the other day (the equivalent of Home Depot) and saw this tool.

I'm all for the 2-in-1 thing for efficiency (hey, it worked for the shampoo and conditioner industry), but construction and beer? Couldn't there be a potential problem here? Isn't this just a finger-slammin', pain-causing 'boo-boo' waiting happen?

Well, maybe they thought a few beers would help dull down the pain. In some bizarre way, that actually makes sense.

Would ya like some Hookah with that?

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 01:24:50 PDT

The other day I was at a hippie market, browsing around, minding my own business. When I came across this couple, smoking a hookah and playing Backgammon (a very popular game among the Turks - called 'tavla' in Turkish).

Aaah, tis da life, isn't it?

Carbaholics!

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 01:16:54 PDT

Turks must love carbs! In addition to the various breads and simits, another edible street phenomenon is the kumpir. It's basically a baked potato on acid. The baked potato is nothing new to our culture, but imagine ordering one on the street and eating it as you site see. Uhm, not so familiar...

When you order a kumpir, similar to ordering a sub sandwich, you select the ingredients you want to include inside this massive vegetable. You can load it with pickles, cabbage, radish, corn, peas, butter, cheese, carrots, sausage, mayo, ketchup, olives... you name it...

Last week, my parents and I ordered one... I tried to keep it healthy of course - stuck to carrots, cabbage, peas, etc... (no meat, no cheese).

Below is the product of our edible masterpiece:

Driving Under the Influence

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 01:03:45 PDT

Never drive while under the influence of this incredible city. With its spectacular views, your driving will certainly be impaired.

The last few days, I've been driving my parents around in the city. And lemme tell ya... NOTHING prepares you for Istanbul traffic. (Especially none of my years of Arizona driving).

I've decided there are 5 things you need to know (at least what I think you should know) in order to avoid death-by-car in this city:

1. Red means go... well, let's just say that you should already have left the intersection when the light has turned green.

2. Pedestrians *do not* have right of way. People should avoid you, not the other way around. If you slow down for these yayas (Turkish for pedestrian), you're bound to get honked at or perhaps even rear-ended.

3. Speed limits don't exist. Well, technically they do exist. But no one follows them. If a fast car approaches you from behind, it's best that you get out of their way.

4. Honking is the language of the road. Different honks (long, short, etc) mean different things. There's the "get out of my way (politely)" honk and the "get the f**k out of the way (not so politely) honk. Of course, the "Watch out, I'm in your blind spot" honk; the "Are you looking for a taxi?" honk... the "light's green-go you idiot tourist" honk; the "I'm trying to get your attention" honk... you name it, there's a honk for it.

5. Right of way rule - if a vehicle is bigger than you and can do more damage to your car in the event that you hit each other, then it has the right of way. Period. (So basically, the only power our rented sh**ty Ford has, at this point, is over squat tiny motorcycles).

Interesting vehicle observation: the driver's side rear-view mirror is a wide-angle lens, similar to the passenger side mirror. Everything is distorted and "objects may seem closer than they appear" - I wonder why this is. Although it's awkward for eyes to adjust from the rear-view mirror to the side mirror, it does eliminate that awful blind spot thing...

Quasi-Wedding Crashers!

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 02:56:12 PDT

I will probably never be able to crash a wedding in the same fashion as Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson in the Wedding Crashers, but Friday night I found myself quasi-crashing a wedding I was unofficially invited to.

Let me 'splain. No there is too much - let me sum up.
My aunt was invited to the wedding reception for the daughter of an old elementary school friend (who she's known for over 40 years - can you believe that!?) Somehow my aunt managed to get my mom an invite (sisters have to do everything together, I guess). And since my mom didn't want to be third-wheel to my aunt/uncle, my dad was also was included on the guest list.

When they heard the bride was my age and the couple lived in the states, they assumed there would be guests from America and figured I might enjoy myself if I came. (Gee, how thoughtful - considering weddings tend to be quite awkward and uncomfortable when the only people you know are your parents, aunt/uncle). So despite my pleading and "Oh, don't even think about it" looks, I was thrown into the plans, too.

Of course this all had the potential of being somewhat bearable had I known of these plans much earlier in advance (I could have had time to warm up to the idea). This all went down Thursday morning, less than 24 hours before the reception which meant I also had no formal attire. (C'mon, I'm on vacation, here! I'm all about the flip flops, shorts, and tees!) So Thursday afternoon I scrambled around to buy a dress and put together a last minute outfit.

To make matters more interesting, my aunt/uncle didn't even show up at the wedding (due to circumstances 'out of their control')! So there I was on a Friday night, me at one table with some folks from Amsterdam (of all places), my parents on the other side of the room. I didn’t know anyone, nor speak any Dutch. Wearing a dress that looked more like something Sarah Jessica Parker could pull off in an episode of Sex and the City, wondering how I ended up here...

Given the variables of the evening, I did what any respectable unofficially invited guest would do...

A toast to the bride and groom - hoppa!

... I danced all night!

Supersized Baklava!

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 13:08:33 PDT

We've all heard of the famous Turkish delicacy, the baklava! (And for the record, it's a Turkish creation, not a Greek - in case there was any confusion on that...)

In America they supersize hamburger and fries. In Turkiye, they supersize the baklava. Except Turks call their supersized dessert the havuc baklava (which means 'carrot baklava') This translation has nothing to do with carrots, though. It acquired its name purely because it looks like a carrot.

At some point during my holiday, I had to cave and order one (which I shared with my dad). The baklava may not the healthiest thing on the menu (can't imagine how many calories a supersized one has), but at least the Turks know how to make it *sound* healthy.

That should count for something, right?

It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got that Swing!

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 12:45:10 PDT

I'm a huge fan of jazz; my mom, classical to the core. But despite our differences in musical preferences, from time-to-time we accompany each other on various concerts. Rarely do we find that our tastes overlap, but sometimes we'll share similar opinions after a show. Last week we both realized that neither of us really enjoy chamber music. :)

Last Tuesday evening at the Topkapi Palace, inside the Hagia Eirene Museum, we listed to a musical trio (piano, violin, violoncello) playing selections from Ravel, Schumman, and Shostakovich. Although we both didn't care much for their musical selection, the venue in which the concert was held, was pretty phenomenal!

We couldn't use cameras during the show (not that you would get much from watching it online), but I did capture footage quickly before showtime so you can see the great architecture of this place!

I would love to see Pink Martini play here... now that would be a concert worth attending!

Instructors Just Wanna Have Fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:11:09 PDT

Every Monday at 2pm, the Hillside City Club fitness staff get together for their weekly meetings to talk about upcoming club events and various facility issues. This week I was invited to sit in on the meeting and get the inside scoop.

The meeting was similar to those we have at the clubs in the US - how to increase memberships/clients, how to promote classes, avoiding tardiness and limiting your subs, etc. I suppose one can find some comfort in knowing that we all deal with similar issues world wide. But at the same time, we shouldn't be surprised since much of the fitness programming is structured from ideas developed in the U.S. first.

After the meeting, the department head suggested I do a brief master class on the BOSU to show the staff a few ideas and answer various fitness questions (not that I would necessarily have the answers, let alone articulate them clearly in Turkish). Although I was happy to oblige, I was completely caught off guard since I hadn't prepared anything concrete (nor had I practiced cueing a BOSU class in Turkish - though I was pretty sure 'BOSU' in Turkish was called 'BOSU'). I simply thought I was there for a meet-and-greet.

I spent the next hour (struggling) coaching a room of 20 people through various exercises. (Talk about putting your teaching skills to the test!) I had to use more hand gestures than normal, depended a lot more on making visual cues, and incorporated more repetition in my class - but somehow I managed... But I can't imagine how silly I must have sounded "BOSU up, BOSU down, right of BOSU, now left of BOSU." LOL!

Also, on Tuesdays of every week, the instructors get together at 3pm to hang out and share ideas and choreography. They wanted to show me a sample of what they do, so I stopped by. Although the afternoon was very informal (and more of a random workout session than a time to share ideas), I still had a lot of fun (and had a great workout, too)! It was another opportunity to get to know the instructors better. (And get a picture of some of the instructors - this is only half of the staff).

One major observation I've made so far is that most people in the fitness industry here do both personal training and group exercise. Obviously this is not something new since we know that you can't make a living with teaching group ex alone. But it's also not easy to get around in this city. I can't imagine teaching at multiple clubs and for various companies, either. People stick to teaching at one place, full-time. This probably explains the close friendships among the staff and the community-centric culture you experience at the fitness clubs. (Something that unfortunately, we don't see a lot of at our clubs in the US - instructor loyalty and group camaraderie.)

Fish Over the Sea

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:09:34 PDT

My mom took me to dinner at Borsa, an amazing restaurant upon this hill overlooking the Bosphorus. There are two restaurants, one on the Asia side (which we ate at) and another on the Europe side (the original).

Whichever one you go to, the views in Istanbul (especially overlooking the sea) are amazing. Always fluid, constantly changing. You can spend hours gazing at the view and never get bored. There are always interesting things going on worth watching.

In the couple of hours we spent at dinner, we saw the city transition from dusk to night, the lights sparkling off the water... sigh... unlike anything else in the world!

In case you were wondering what I ate. Catch of the day - fish, of course! :)

Party at IKEA

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:12:42 PDT

Going to IKEA was a monumental event for us that took two attempts on two different days to find. First day consisted of us driving around in city traffic, getting lost, and missing the direct streets to get there. We circled for an hour before heading back home. The second day we caught the right exit ramp off the freeway and finally landed on the IKEA planet.

Touring IKEA is something you'll definitely NOT find in any Istanbul tour book, but when you're here for almost 2 months, every day can't be a party day, right?

Actually, it can.

Because on this particular day at IKEA, there was a huge summer blow-out! Everything was on sale! And to celebrate the event, they hired a killer DJ who spun tracks that kept the customers grooving through the showrooms. It was as if I were in a disco club at Ibeza, except I've never been to Ibeza and I was looking at displays of a kitchen.

Needless to say, it was a helluva party...??

I love the nightlife... I like to boogie!

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 16:17:28 PDT

My cousin took me out again Saturday night to Taksim Square. This time, instead of karaoke, we did an mini pub crawl and hit the live music scene! Although it's tempting to be cliche and say "What happens in Taksim, stays there" but I'll spare you the mystery. Because in my case, what happens in Taksim gets edited into a short video montage.

Isometric Exercise

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:39:45 PDT

I swear I am not obsessed with bathrooms! But I can't help but find fascinating things about them on this trip. While traveling to the Buyukada last week, I had to take a restroom break after lunch and came across this little hole in the wall... er, ground.

I'm relieved to say - good thing we do isometric squats in my aerobics classes. Otherwise, I may not have been able to utilize my full range of motion and perform my biological duties without some major quad burn.

That's all I have to say about that. :)

The Lunch for a Princess!

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:21:41 PDT

The main delicacies in Turkish cuisine are the kepabs, meatballs, and variety of fish. Since I don't eat meat, but love fish - when I visited the Buyukada, for lunch I ordered the fish. And nothing brings out the flavor of a "fresh from the water, to the grill, and to your plate" fish than a tall glass of EFES beer and a side order of french fries. Mmmm...

Of course, I wasn't alone in these thoughts. On this particular day, a hungry little stray cat also shared my opinion. He (or she) politely tapped my shorts - as if to say, "excuse me, can you be so kind to indulge a poor old cat, such as myself, to a bite of your fresh fish?"

I'm definitely not much of a cat person, but I just couldn't deny him (or her) food - just look at those eyes! So, a few pieces of fish may have slipped off of my plate throughout the course.

So there we were, two total strangers, a cat and a human, sharing this amazing lunching experience together.

The Big Island of... Istanbul?

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:23:28 PDT

When we think of the 'Big Island' we think Hawaii. Well, in the Sea of Marmara and off the coast of Istanbul, there are nine islands called the "Princess Islands" - four are inhabited and house some of the richest residents of Istanbul (who often keep their summer homes there). The biggest island is called "Buyukada" (buyuk = big; ada = island). Duh... :)

Last Wednesday I spent the day at the Buyukada. The best part about going to the island was the remarkable views of the Istanbul coast. For transportation, they only allow horse/carriages and bikes (the occasional mule is okay, too). No cars! So the weather was nice and the air was fresh (well, smelled of sea water, of course)!

For 10 liras (about $10 bucks) I rented a bike for the day and pedaled the entire island! The ride was quite spectacular and the complete tour took me only an hour. I wish was able to video tape my ride (then I could have shown it in one of those video-based cycling classes)!

Halfway in my tour, a police officer on motorcycle drove up along side me. Nice guy doing his island rounds. (Can't imagine there being any major police action 'round these parts, but...) As we were talking (and riding), he asked me to join him on a Fanta break. (Didn't know people actually asked to "wanna, wanna - Fanta, Fanta?") We stopped at the local gazebo and talked for a few minutes about places to see on the island. (Though this sounds like the perfect set up for an island fling, don't get any flirty ideas - he was just a nice kid in his early 20s trying to help out the lost tourist.) I never saw him after that. (Get your mind out of the gutter.)

Anyway, after my sugar high, I headed to the top of the island where there was a restaurant overlooking another island. I parked my bike and enjoyed a wonderfully delicious meal!

After lunch I rode through some of the side streets and residential neighborhoods to check out some of the old, traditional summer homes. I was so close to pulling a "can I use your bathroom" stunt so I could get a peek inside the houses - but I decided against it. Good thing, too, because I later found out that the signs outside the gates that read "Dikkat, Kopek var" meant "Beware of dog" :)

Overall, it was a great day! Got a lot of sun, a lot of exercise and explored a place I'd never been to before. :)

Curb Your Exer-thiasm

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 02:15:16 PDT

I had a funny morning. I went to my first two group exercise classes at Hillside City Club - the nearest gym by my parents' apartment.

First class was awesome! It was called "workshop" which meant it was a rotating class, a different format each week. Today's class was aerobic dance, high-low mixed with a hint of Turkish folklore. Totally different, a little out of my element and I looked entirely silly doing the routine. But, at least I had fun! The class was packed for an 11:30 am time slot, and the teacher was hella entertaining to watch. He was really motivating and kept charming the ladies. He didn't use a mic - he didn't have to. He broke down his routine with whistles. He whistled once to show us the next move, twice to take the routine from the top. That's it! Now, hoppa!

The next class was even crazier. It was a Schwinn indoor cycling class, not to mention, my fave format in group fitness! But outside the amazing euro-tech disco music and the Penn Badgley look-a-like instructor from the show Gossip Girl, the class had a few contraindicated moves. For one, sprinting as fast as you can with minimal load while standing up isn't my idea of an effective drill. And two, cuing the head down (actually looking down, head below heart) then head up... and doing this repeatedly "up for 4, down for 4, up 2, down 2" is probably asking for trouble. What's the Turkish equivalent of 911? However, if the paramedics look anything like the cast of GG, then sure, I'll bob my head up and down until I pass out anytime.

Here's the irony of the whole morning's experience: despite my history in the commercial fitness arena, somehow I ended up looking like the fool in both classes, the newbie participant who couldn't 'keep up' with the routines. The uncoordinated dancer. The weak girl cyclist... sigh. I so wanted to go up to each instructor and justify why I couldn't move my hips in both directions or why I opted out of the (unnecessary) sprints. But of course, I couldn't do that.

So I overcompensated. And when I went to thank each instructor for a great class - I sounded like a retarded Japanese boy going through puberty. Tan Kee, Tan Kee. I figured if they thought I was foreign, then maybe they would forgive my performance. You know, chalk it up to "maybe she couldn't keep up because she couldn't understand what we were saying."

But I think I made the situation even more confusing when I asked the front desk lady to call me a cab in Turkish with an American accent. I really do have an accent when I speak - really.

Talk about a Curb Your Enthusiasm/Larry David moment. The Turkish girl pretending to be an American girl with slightly foreign Japanese accent so the hot instructor won't mistake her for a loser weakling participant, only to reveal she clearly knows the Turkish language. Sigh...

Anyway, I was happy to have gotten a few hours of activity in my day, burn a few calories... what more can you ask for?

I want to ride my bicycle!

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 02:17:47 PDT

Although it was a relatively overcast weekend (even rained a bit), that didn't deter us from our bike ride by the seaside on Saturday. My cousin Ozer, his friend Sirin, and I headed out for an afternoon out.

The casual ride was more for experience than for any cardiovascular challenge, and the manzara (Turkish for the 'view') was exceptional (as always)! Having lived in the desert for so long, it's easy to mistake a body of water to some kind of mirage. LOL.

We didn't ride any long distances - about 10 miles total, but veering through the streets of Istanbul, avoiding pedestrians and cars made the excursion last well over 2-hours. There were many people running, having picnics, flying kites, biking, walking, relaxing, playing near the seaside. Lots of families, couples, friends hanging out! Quite pleasant, actually.

At the half-way point of our journey, we stopped to take a snack break. And in Turkiye, you can usually find vendors selling simit, roasted chestnuts, or corn on the cob - these are the most popular street delicacies. We stopped for corn, of course. Who doesn't like a good piece of corn mid-bike ride, right? (joke) In Turkiye corn vendors are the equivalent of a hot dog stands in US.

We arrived home tired, but just in time for the first soccer match of the season: Turkiye vs. Portugal. Unfortunately, Turkiye lost 2 to zero but the team is only warming up! :) I suspect they'll make a come back in the next match.

(top photo credit: Bilgin Esme)

Surpriz!

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 01:46:39 PDT

The word 'surprise' in Turkish is surpriz (pronounced soo-preez) which probably comes as no surprise. Pop star Gülben Ergen sings the song entitled 'Supriz', which seems to be topping the music charts lately.

The sound that you'll hear from the video below is very typical of Turkish pop musik - a little traditional flare mixed with dance-tech beat. These type of songs are generally one-hit wonders, a summer trend, and the singers often disappear after their initial peak. A slightly different visual approach than Gece with "Asik Miyiz" but entertaining, nonetheless.

Give it a few seconds to load (you might have to watch a quick advertisement). But if you can not view the clip, go here.

Buzz Off Mozzies!

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 02:39:51 PDT

Summer is the season in Turkiye where mosquitoes like to 'spread the love' and cash in on their vacation time.

We all know that these annoying little buzzards leave a series of bumpy pink 'love bites' on your skin. And although they are a bit itchy and uncomfortable, they are also just another part of our ecology.

Since my arrival here, I've been blessed with 7 love bites (that I can see). About 4 on my arms and three on my legs. (I'm sure y'all wanted to know that.) And seeing as I still have a few more weeks of vacation, I anticipate receiving a lot more of their affection.

Of course you can take preventative measures to avoid the health risks associated with mosquitoes. They are, after all, vectors for Malaria. Rest assured that I will not be traveling much in the Malaria risk areas of Turkiye.

But then again... you can never be too cautious.

Buzzzzzz...

Bagel vs. Simit

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:43:24 PDT

In the US, Americans have their bagels. In Turkiye, it's all about the simit - especially the 'street' simit. Same round shape as the bagel, except a little wider, crispier, and with sesame seeds all over it!

You can find a simit vendor just about anywhere on the street - they're virtually on every corner. Some are traveling vendors that walk up and down your neighborhood, yelling SIII-MIIIIIT! and people come out of their apartments to buy them!

They are best in the mornings or right after lunch when they come out of the bakeries hot and fresh!!! And while most Americans couple their bagels with coffee, Turks prefer their simits with tea. Simits are usually found on the breakfast table or as part of the afternoon tea-time.

I think I've averaged about 1 simit per day. They range anywhere between 1 to 0.75YTL - Yeni (new) Turkish Liras, depending on where you buy them (or if you look like a tourist, they vendors might charge you more!).

In fact, mmm... I'm eating a simit right as I'm writing this post. So does that mean I'm blogging with my mouth full?

Topkapi Palace Brief Nudity

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:44:40 PDT

Aaah... the Topkapi Palace! One of Istanbul's greatest palaces on the European side of the city. Built in the center of the Ottoman Empire overlooking the Bosphorus Sea, this amazing landmark was home to 31 Sultans between the 15th and 19th centuries!

It's got everything a under one, er... many roofs (way too many to count, in fact). Although its rich history spans hundreds of years, there's no way to deny the fact that it's absolutely breath-taking!! (Dick Osseman has taken some 'ossem' photos of the palace!)

The kitchen was perhaps my favorite aspect of the palace, though there were much more luxurious parts of the palace (as most would agree). But there's something about knowing that hundreds of cooks slaved together 24/7 to create dishes worthy of the Sultan's tongue that puts the show Top Chef to shame. I mean, imagine having to keep 6000 residents of the palace fed throughout the day - including the big guy himself!

And boy were these sultans big!! Their portraits hung in one of the rooms, and they were either all overweight or obese. Not to mention, so were his wives (harem)! Well, I guess when you have your choices between your fast food and your fatty women (or is it fatty food and fast women?)... who cares about CVDs and STDs?

Although I know nothing official about architecture, I could deeply appreciate the time and effort it took to create such details in these structures. I mean, just look at this stuff! The building I'm standing in front of, parts of it are gold-plated, baby! Oh, don't even get me started on the 86-carat, 17 gram, pear-shaped Spoonmaker's Diamond. Uhm... hello!

If you ever visit Topkapi Palace, never spend less than 3 hours (and that's if you're cruising through - no joke!) Get there early tour the rooms, enjoy the view from the restaurant during your lunch, then relax by the many gardens around the premises. On your way out... buy a simit.

Just to tease you... here is the view from Topkapi Palace! Enjoy!

Grand Bazaar is, well, GRAND!

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:33:15 PDT

No one should leave Istanbul without visiting the famous covered market called Kapalıçarşı (aka the Grand Bazaar) - full of every imaginable thing in the world - including Aladdin and his monkey friend Abu! The bazaar is Turkiye's equivalent to a swap meet, except it's a lot more physically and emotionally exhausting.

First of all, there are about 4000 vendors on 82 different streets. It's a labyrinth. A few turns here, a few steps there, you can end up walking for miles and never find your way out.

And if you do get lost, don't even think about asking someone to help you find your way out - espcially the store owners. The vendors are highly cunning and manipulative - they will do anything, say anything to get you to buy something. They may even ask you to step into their shop to show you an item, perhaps offer you tea, then (in some cases) close the door and refuse to let you leave until you make a purchase. What do you expect, it's a tourist trap and these guys have to make a living!

Also, bargaining is the name of the game. Never, never pay for anything without bargaining your price down to, at least 50% of what they ask. The first, second, and third offers are always too expensive, you're guaranteed to find something less expensive around the corner. You haven't experienced the true essence of buying from the bazaar until you've bargained your way out!

I captured some video of the bazaar below, so you can get a highlight of the scene. But I couldn't grab too many photo ops because 1) you can find better pics on the net, and 2) any more, I would have been harrassed by them vendors. Because nothing says 'tourist' like a white chick with a camera.

After capturing my media, I put away my camera and put my sunglasses on (it's helpful in avoiding eye contact with the vendors). I walked briskly and got out of there as quickly as possible. I'll definitely go back though - there were a couple of things that caught my eye...

NOTE: Never go into a bazaar for casual window shopping... to have a successful bazaar experience, you must go in with a focus (know what you want to buy), an "I'm-calling-the-shots" attitude, and a time limit. This way, you're bound to get what you want, at the price you want it, in less than an hour. :)

Me... I'm going take the easy way out and go there with my mom, instead. I know... I'm lame! But she's very effective when it comes to bargin shopping and shop bargaining. (And you would totally understand if you saw the purse I saw and just had to have it... LOL!)

Tourist for a day!

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:18:03 PDT

On Wednesday, I took at full-day Imperial & Ottoman bus tour around Istanbul. I became your cliche tourist for the day! I visited classic Turkish landmarks - like the Ayasofia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar (with a lunch break at a rooftop restaurant). I also met loads of folks in my tour group from India, Japan, Argentina, Italy, and of course, the United States (Colorado, to be exact).

I had seen most of these places in my previous visits, so I wasn't as obsessed with taking pictures of everything like some of my other tour mates (plus, my parents were avid home video directors back in the mid-80's, early 90' - so I knew most of these places were captured on VHS tapes and collecting dust at home.) So I focused more on enjoying each place with more attention.

But these landmarks never, ever get old. You can visit many times and still be in awe of all the cultural history, inticate architecture, and unique views that (even now) continue to leave you breathless.

You can see most of my pics from my day trip in my Turkiye Flickr album.

Five Mile Run/Walk Route

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 04:03:53 PDT

I've saved today's 5 mile running/walking route on gmap-pedometer here. If you look at the route in 'hybrid' or 'satellite' view, you can get an idea of the neighborhood I am currently living in called Suadiye.

More pictures and runnin routes to come!

Gece - "Aşık Mıyız?"

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 03:25:53 PDT

I always look forward to learning about what bands are 'in' and what songs are 'hot' in Turkiye during my visit. Obviously, music is universal and what is popular in the US is also well-known here. But I also get a kick out of listening to Turkish pop musik which sometimes share similarities with the sounds we're used to in the states.

One example is a band called "Gece" (pronounced Geh-Jeh, 'c' sounds like a 'j' in Turkish), which means the night. The song is entitled "Aşık Mıyız?" which asks the question "Are we in love?"

Check out the video below and let me know your thoughts. (If you can't view the clip, go here).

Gece - Asik Miyiz by Aluxton
Uploaded by Aluxton69

I rather enjoyed this song. What do you think? Would the band translate well in the states?

Interesting Thing About Restrooms

noreply@blogger.com (Be Fit With Biray) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 02:14:23 PDT

Whether it's a restroom inside an apartment, house, restaurant, or theater, the light switch is usually located OUTSIDE the bathroom. Isn't that weird?! I've asked around to find out why, but no one really seems to know.

My theory on this strange design phenomenon is so you won't have to blindly look for the light switch when you enter the restroom - which makes perfect sense since there have been plenty of times I've found myself sliding my hand up and down the wall, searching for the light switch... haven't we all done that at some point?

But I can't help but think of the vulnerable position you are putting yourself in while attending the restroom. The idea of letting the power of the light switch rest in the hands of the people in the hallway just seems very unsettling.

Lights out. Flush.