Third Family and Almost the Bus Trip!

So, I've successfully moved into my third family (three weeks ago). It's at my friend's house in the countryside, which means the pool has great views of the mountains, but I've found two huge black spiders in my room two nights in a row. The second night, my host sister wasn't there and I didn't want to go running to the host mom so I killed it myself with the broom- yet another instance of my increasing maturity thanks to Rotary. I have the host sister who's my age and my friend, and then another host sister who's nine. She and I have cherry seed spitting contests by their little cherry tree.
It's so weird to think that I only have two weeks left here... it's so sad because this year really has been incredible and I've made so many friends that I don't want to leave! I'm determined to get a job when I get back so I can come back to France and visit my exchange friends. Also, Pauline (my host sister) and I have made plans to go to Northern Europe in two years. Sooo, if anyone knows of  a job opening...!
Anyway, tomorrow morning I leave for the bus trip- we're going to Germany, Austria, Italy, Monaco and Switzerland all in eleven days! I'm so excited and I'll be sure to post photos when I get back, along with photos of my new host house!

Farm/Carnaval/Surgery

We went for a walk with the family to a farm near the house that is also a restaurant and makes their own ice cream (I had chocolate ice cream, it was delicious). There were lots of cows along the way and we were literally walking through the fields.

Cows.

At first I thought it was weird when Claudie and other people would go on about how beautiful the cows were and comment on the different ones, which one was prettier but now I think that they're really pretty, too. This one is one of the uglier ones, some of them have black around there eyes that looks like eye-liner.

The farm.

We also went to the Venetian Carnaval in Annecy. It's based off the one in Venice. There's a stage in the park right next to the lake where all of the characters start and then they walk through the park and around the town so you can see them up close even if you haven't gotten a spot along the stage or the parade route. They would pose for all of the cameras and people would even shout at them to turn one or another, and shout at other people to get out of the way. Some people came with their kids in costumes, too. Lorraine, my host sister, and I had put face paint on but then we took it off because nobody else was wearing any...

There were lots of them on the church steps.

Along the canals.

In the park, I think these two were my favorite (or close).

She was one of my favorites, too.

This was by the fountain in front of the town hall.

Along the lake.

She was really pretty, too!

 

 

 

Then last Thursday, a week ago, I had surgery for my torn ACL and meniscus. The surgery is successful for now, the doctor replaced the ligament and also managed to sew my meniscus back together. The ACL has an 85-90% chance of taking, and the meniscus has an 80% chance. I'm on crutches for a month, and have to stay home from school for two weeks. But, I've restarted physical therapy and he says that my knee is doing really well. I'm excited to go back to school to see everyone and I'll be even more excited when I don't have my crutches anymore! Everyone on the bus looks at me funny when I have the crutches... but now lots of people have them after they all went skiing over the February vacation. It's become a pretty common sight.

Medipole, the hospital where I had the operation, from the bus stop. That's the emergency room, where it says "Urgences." I could see in their windows at night from my room. But not where the action was, I think I had the view of the recovery room.

View from the path behind. My room was on the other side, the front.

This is what they did to me!!! No, just kidding. That's Tiger Woods. But, same idea. Except that now they've advanced and instead of making the big incision, they just make four small holes.

I think it was more like this, but with an even smaller incision.

The doctor had taken pictures for me, but then when he brought his hard drive to put them on my computer, Time Machine came up on my computer asking me if I wanted to back the pictures up on my computer and so I clicked yes, but that actually just deleted them and everything else from his hard drive. I felt terrible, but everything was still on his computer so he can just but everything back onto the drive but I still feel really bad... so you get a picture of Tiger Wood's leg instead of my own! (Actually, when I first clicked on it, I thought that it could feasibly pass for my own but then I noticed that it was in fact more black than my own... although not that much.)

So, Basically...

So, basically, Turkey was so much fun and I loved it! We were like a big family, playing cards and The Question Game (where you go around in a circle asking questions and you have to think of a question immediately when it's your turn and you have to avoid responding to the question that the last person asked you) on the bus and at night. Also, our tour guide, Shaban, was really informative. And my leg didn't hurt at all! I had my MRI Friday, which was less scary than I expected because my head was out of the tunnel and it only lasted 10 minutes. My ACL is completely, completely torn, with "no recognizable fiber connecting the two pieces" and I have a slight tear in my meniscus that maybe they'll stitch up during the surgery or maybe they'll just leave alone. I have a meeting with the surgeon on Tuesday, so I'll know more then!

Turkey in Photos

The city hall of Ephesus.

The library at Ephesus, which was the 3rd largest of the Ancient World.

Sophie, Zoe, and Etienne.

There were lots of cats everywhere.

I ate that! With the head and eyes on the same plate. Also, all the fish had lots of bones that we had to remove as we ate. But they were all really yummy!

The Temple of Apollo at Didymes, what would have been the largest temple of the Ancient World, but it was never finished because they converted to Christianity.

They put Medusa's head on a lot of temples, to ward away evil, I think...

Countryside by Milet.

The baths at Milet.

Entrance to the baths.

Milet.

Amphitheater at Milet. I learned the difference between "theater" and "amphitheater": "theater" used a hill or mountainside to support it while "amphitheater" was free-standing.

Fortress at Milet, with I think Vincent on the wall...

Surrounds of Milet, fun fact: the wife of Periclese (?) and lots of famous mathemmaticians and historians were born here.

Priene, which was located on a hillside in the forest.

The theater, which reminded me of Shakespeare in the woods!

We were there as the sun was setting, which was pretty magical.

Temple to I think Artemis, at Priene.

Hierapolis, the 2nd largest necropolis in the Ancient World.

The thermal spring and salt deposits by Hierapolis, Pukkale.

Exchangers! (Cassey, me, Mauricio, Rogerio)

Me, Cassey, Sophie, Zoe, and Etienne.

The promenade that goes around with good views of the valley below the springs.

Temple to Aphrodite at Aphrodisias.

Stadium at Aphrodisias that could hold 35,000 people!

In the Ancient Greek Empire, having a second toe longer than the big toe was apparently considered an ideal, so basically my feet would've been considered gorgeous.

The titles of statues were funny... "Governor with stubble beard and Constantinopolitan hairstyle."

The governor himself.

Pergamus, located on a hill overlooking the modern-day town.

The well, if you can toss a coin and have it rest on that pillar, your wish will come true.

Temple, I think to Zeus, at Pergamus.

Pergamus.

Pergamus had the steepest theater in the Ancient World.

Pictures of Ataturk, the leader who reformed and created modern Turkey, are everywhere.

The modern town of Pergamus.

Çay, tea in Turkish. They drink a lot of it, always in glasses like this. It was really good, and cost about 10 cents. We had free time in the village and I saw a man carrying teas on a tray to a shop (the shopkeepers can order tea and get it delivered from the cafes) and asked him where it was and he pointed us to this little cafe on the corner. It looked like in someone's kitchen and it was all Turkish men. They were really nice and made room for us (which we felt really bad about) and even offered us the tea for free, but we payed anyway of course.

Us, with the tea delivery man and the other proprietor. They were very, very, very, very nice.

Wall of the first Troy, the city had been rebuilt five times.

Dog standing on the first wall of Troy, obviously he has no sense of history or respect.

Troy.

Ramp where they think the Trojan Horse was brought in.

This is how we crossed the Dardinelles, our tour bus just drove on the boat and then we could get out and walk around on the boat for 30 minutes, then we got back on the bus and drove to Istanbul.

A memorial for the battle that took place in the Dardinelles during WWI, where the French and British fought the Ottomans. There were lots of Turkish casualties. The sign says something like "Stop yourself and remember all the deaths and horror that took place here."

On the boat, with Kevin on the left.

It says "Grimaldi Lines" on the boat, which I thought was really cool because when we were in Italy on the Amalfi Coast I remember seeing a Grimaldi Lines boat from the cliff.

View from the hotel room in Istanbul at night.

View of another street.

Sweets shop, there was pistacchio baklava, nougat, and Turkish delight (loukoums)!

Rogerio eating grilled corn from a street vendor, they were selling roast hazelnuts too.

Orange and Pomegranate juice= very yummy.

Entrance to the Topkapi Palace.

Marble promenade with an amazing view of the water.

Palace interior.

Fountain for ablutions.

That tower is where the royal family lived.

Blue Mosque.

Blue Mosque, interior.

Interior...

It was almost time for prayer, so we were rushed. The prayers at noon on Friday are the most important. That's when most people actually pray at the mosque and no visitors are allowed.

We had to take off our shoes, and I was wearing a skirt with legging, so I had to put this blue sheet around my legs. I was dumb, I should've thought to wear jeans.

At the Hagia Sophia, a basilica from the 6th century that's still in practically perfect condition!

Mosaics on the ceiling.

Ceiling at the Hagia Sophia.

Mosaic.

Hagia Sophia.

Kitty in the basilica. Really, the cats were everywhere!

And there.

Exchangers with the fez hats.

Lamps at the Grand Bazaar.

In the Grand Bazaar.

"Chicago" in Turkish!

"TGS" made me think of 30 Rock and The Girlie Show, except here it means Turkish Ground Services at the airport :)