Mavi Kelebek

tow move

2008-05-20T14:43:00.000-07:00

I am moving my blog on to this address

bluekelebek.wordpress.com

See you there!
kelebek

tow everyone is having a baby

2008-04-17T01:22:00.000-07:00

Everybody is having a baby, I don't know if there is something in the water. I am baby free as of now and hope to stay that way a bit longer ins.
Yesterday I found out that a friend I haven't spoken to in a while had a baby last friday, a boy. In Milwaukee there are three more boys on the way and another baby that we don't know the sex of yet. It gives me a great excuse to knit and crochet adorable little baby things!!

I also finished up a baby hat for a boy today. I really hope there will be a girl on the way soon so I can make some frilly girly things. I am up to my neck in blue yarn (it's mine and ACA's fave color) so I have been using that up. I am also making a seamless top down cardigan for myself and I also started a pair of gloves again for myself. It will be exciting to wear gloves for fashion reasons rather than to avoid frost bite!

There is the cardigan. It needs a bit more work.

My attempt at making knitted lace. It so much easier with crochet!

Wearing the shawl I have crocheted. My mom got me my brown top!
We are in fall now in Australia. It feels like a very cool spring. I was completely weirded out by the whole summer in December thing a couple of months ago. It doesn't get too cold here, nowhere near Wisconsin cold! I will probably make a nice lacy scarf for myself. In Wisconsin I wrapped the scarf around my neck, mouth and nose to protect myself from the wind. Now I am hoping I can drape it under the lapels of my light jacket oh so prettily!
I finally got a job. Well it is a "casual" position. It is whole another category of working that I haven't heard of when I was in the US. I got this position at the local library. What it means is that they will call me in when they need me to work. I had applied for a part time position but they gave it to someone with more experience. I hadn't started working yet, I have to go through "induction" which I think is "orientation." I have been thinking about what postgraduate path to pursue. I have thought about going into teaching. That's still an option. Now I am entertaining the idea of Library Science. I don't have to make up my mind now because I won't be eligible for government funding for another year and a half. But it is good to keep my mind on my goals.
And here is a photo of Hermoine napping on ACA's Excel book.

Why, hasn't your cat read the "VBA and Macros for Excel?" Tsk, tsk!
kelebek }{

tow anane

2008-03-10T23:18:00.000-07:00

ACA (the hubby) and I were in the kitchen preparing pizza for dinner. It was around 7 PM. The phone rang and I went to answer it. When I heard my mom's voice I knew it couldn't be good news (it was around 3 AM in the US). She wanted to talk to ACA. I heard the word "cenaze" meaning funeral and I froze. He hung up the phone and didn't talk right away. Then he told me my anane (maternal grandma) died.
She's been ill for a while, some kidney and heart problems. I spoke to her a few days ago before she checked in to the hospital. She sounded good, I told her "onbeslik genc kiz gibi konusuyorsun" (you sound like a 15 year old girl!) We chatted about my new sweater project for ACA and she asked about our cat. The next day she went to the hospital. When I called my uncle to ask about her, he told me she was not in any pain but she had trouble breating so she had a oxygen mask. And yesterday she died.
I am going to miss her.
İnna lillah ve inna ileyhi raciun (To God We Belong and To Him We Will Return)
kelebek }{

tow knitting

2008-02-12T16:36:00.000-08:00

My father keeps sending me screen shots from the accuweather website showing the weather in Milwaukee. I have lost my ability to comprehend windchills being 30 minus zero. I busted out the long sleeves when the weather dipped to 60 F (14 C if I remember correctly). I am still trying to adjust to the Celsius vs. Fahrenheit business. When the temperature was supposed to hit 40 degrees ACA was kind enough to figure out that was 104 F. Then I realized, whoa it's going to be hot! Same goes for measurements. I find myself trying to figure out what 125 grams of butter would be, trying to visualize a beaker from 10th grade chemistry class. I have recently started driving. The obvious challenge is of course driving on the left side of the road. But another unexpected challenge is the speed! 50 km ACA tells me is the speed you should be driving if there is no other signs. There is a stretch of road that has a speed limit of 80 km/hr and I start freaking out when I start driving past 70. The the US the cars have both miles and kilometers on the speedometer but here they only have km having switched to metric system ages ago. I am also having trouble with length measurements. I have recently picked up knitting and my needle is 23 cm. There are also 33 cm needles as well. I was telling ACA this much (holding my fingers apart an inch or so) shouldn't make too much difference. Well 10 cm is longer than an inch (yes I know 2.54 cm per inch but it is hard to visualize).
My grandma (anane) is a champion knitter. The woman probably knit enough pieces of clothing to clothe half the world. She taught me how to knit when I was around eight or so. I started working on a hairband thinking it would be easy and I would finish it quickly. I ended up spending more time stretching the headband over my head to see if it was big enough than actually knitting it. That was the end of my knitting adventures. I also tried to make lace but couldn't figure out how to hold the hook and grandma gave up on me rather quickly. It was around this time last year I got interested in crocheting. I can't believe how much I have advanced in that one year. I didn't realize it until ACA pointed that fact out to me. I have recently completed the most challenging project I have ever tackled. A long openwork coat. It needs to have buttons so I will post a photo when it's done. My next project was going to be to crochet ACA a sweater. However I haven't found one that ACA liked. There was one in the Crochet! magazine but the yarn it requires is not available here. Then I decided that I can learn to knit. I bought a pair of needles from a craft fair ACA was so kind to take me and got to work. The firs thing I tried was a baby cardigan worked from top down. Unfortunately the yarn was too thin for the needles and Hermoine (my cat) ended up dragging the work halfway across the living room while we were sleeping. I gave up on that pattern and started a different one. When I told my grandma that I picked up knitting again she asked me excitedly "hazirlik mi yapiyorsun?" (are you getting ready?). I assured her no I am not getting ready for having a baby. I am only making a baby cardigan because it is a small project therefore I can finish it quickly before tacking the hubby's sweater.
When I am not knitting or crocheting I am filling out job applications. It is frustrating to spend so much time crafting a nice cover letter or answering "key selection criteria" with mini-essays then not hear anything. I mean not even a "thanks, but no thanks" There is a part time job at a local library. I am going to apply for that. I really really enjoyed my job in the bookstore, so the library should also be fun. Grad school is on hold until I can find funding for it. But I am determined to get a higher degree ins it'll be sooner than later!
kelebek }{

tow yarn

2008-01-23T01:14:00.000-08:00

Yarn addicts should be banned from visiting e-bay. I have informed ACA that my new hobby was looking through e-bay for yarn. He informed me it was fine as long as I don't want to buy more than I need. Oh but how do you define "need"? Do I really need the six balls of extra soft merino wool yarn in a shade of blue that makes me ask "who's having a baby boy?" And do I really need anymore yarn considering I already bought the yarn for my next project?
When I started crocheting I heard the term "yarn stash" or simply "stash." No not me I thought. I will only buy enough yarn for my next project. Then I saw the cotton yarn on sale and well think of how many projects you can do with cotton! And so began the "stash". My stash in the US stayed under control because I knew that I would be moving to Australia and I can only take limited amounts of yarn with me. Then in Turkey I completely lost it once I saw how cheap beautiful yarn was! I had assured myself that I would somehow get them over to Australia and made three trips to the yarn lovers heaven. I still haven't figured out how to get that yarn over here but darn it I will get my yarn! And now in Australia I have e-bay and this other wonderful crafts store we've visited when we went down to the city. I will be making ACA a sweater, which is challenging since it is the middle of the summer here! But I promised him a sweater and now I have the yarn for it so I shall make the sweater!
The job hunt continues. I get very motivated some days and whip up great cover letters and send my resume in its merry way to the employers. But some days I just sit around and look through job ads wondering if I'll ever get a job! Who knew that once I finished college everything wouldn't fall neatly into place. When I was in high school I was thinking get to college. When I was in college I was thinking graduate, graduate. And now that I have graduated I am thinking "now what?" I was a journalism major but I don't think I want to pursue a news reporter career. I am considering grad school but God that price tag is sooo steep! I am thinking of going back to my original career choice, teaching which will require me to do one more year of schooling, unless I want to get masters which brings me back to the steep price tag! I wish they had a used book store here that I could work like I used to work when I was back in Milwaukee. That made me happy...
kelebek }{

tow a new year

2007-12-31T14:29:00.000-08:00

The year 2007 was very kind to me. I can sit here and try to make a list of all the incredible things that has happened to me but me getting married to the most amazing man in the world is the ultimate highlight of the year. This was also the year that I got to visit Turkey for the first time in nine long years. I did a ton of traveling from US to Turkey and from Turkey to my new home in Melbourne, Australia this year. And of course Hermoine, our new kitty joined our small family.
I can't really predict what will happen the next year. I am hoping for a bit of peace and quiet since 2007 really tired me out! I am looking forward to getting a full time job and starting to drive by myself. Getting more used to the Aussie way of doing things (it's day, month, year NOT month, day year!) And getting more adventurous with my cooking! Hmm maybe that should be my new years resolution. Learn to cook a bigger variety of foods. I like it!
kelebek }{

tow too much time in my hands

2007-12-11T15:13:00.000-08:00

This is why I need to find a job and find it fast. It's late in the afternoon and I am watching a movie called "Leprechaun 4, in Space" In the short while I took to check my e-mail and open up blogger the leprechaun became giant sized, the leading female somehow lost her pants so she's in her black undies now. And the leading male lost his shirt so he's topless. I believe this is a sequel to the previous three Leprechaun movies, which I know nothing about.
On brighter news we now have a cat! I named her Hermoine because well, I like Harry Potter! If we got a male his name would have been Optimus Prime (ACA's idea, not mine). She's a strange cat. At the moment she's tearing through the sheet I put over our new futon. She has very spectacular jumps and she likes sleeping on her back with her paws up in the air. She is not much of a lap cat, but she'll let you pet her if you're next to her. And she's crazy about twisty ties. ACA keeps the twisty ties he gets from his computer stuff and now we have a cat who has a twisty tie fetish! Here are some pictures of her.

Check out the "mole" she has!

Most cats sleep on the pillow, but not Hermoine. I have not idea how she managed to squeeze herself between the pillow and the pillow cover.

She's a very long cat. She likes laying between the window and our couch. Especially if it's sunny.

I put the towel there to dry. She must have dragged it down so she can sleep on it! She also likes doing acrobatics on top of our drying rack.

We could her bought her a bed, but I know she'll still be sleeping on the 99cent cloth shopping bag!

And my favorite picture of her. Just so cute!

I've been steadily working on getting the house organized. Other than the everyday mess of things the place is in good shape. Now that we've bought the futon we can actually invite people over. I am a bit nervous about the idea of playing the host. My mom was always so good that I never really needed to do much. I hope it'll all go well!
On the crochet front I've finally got around to blocking the shawl I made for my mother in law. I've been thinking that I should take pictures of my projects as I finish them. I also finished the squares I've been working on for the afghan for our couch. I made sixty 6 inch squares. It was a looong project but I am almost done with it now, whee! I just need to join the squares together. I made up a pattern of placing them together in an interesting way.
Like this,

And there is Hermoine checking out the blanket.

I am still trying to adjust to the weather situation. On TV I hear "coming this summer" and I am thinking "Oh, that's so far away" When in fact it is now! Believe me I never thought "summer" and "Christmas" would exist at the same time! I hear Christmas music, I see Christmas promotions yet there is no snow, no bitter wind but there is the AC (or Air Con as they say here) blasting because it's so hot! Strange country I live in!
kelebek }{

tow kelebek rounds up the last few months

2007-11-08T16:30:00.000-08:00

I am sitting in the kitchen with all the doors closed due to the big huge ugly spider that is currently on my living room floor. I am not generally scared of spiders, I found and placed a rather large one outside just last night. I have a feeling this might be the father of the darn thing. I saw it sitting on the ceiling and I had to get it down so I can trap it and kick it outside like I did with the other one. I took the long duster and prodded it to get it to move. It didn't budge. I tried again and BAM it fell on the floor. I don't know where it fell because I was too busy screaming hysterically while making sure it didn't fall on me. I ran to the kitchen and called the hubby on the phone. Between a lot of "it's huge" "it has a butt" "it's black" I managed to explain to him the situation, well he guessed most of it. He called my father in law for me. I am expecting him to come over any minute now and find the spider and get rid of it. I have things to do around the house!
The question I hear most often is "how is Australia different from America?" Honestly it is not that different. They do drive on the left side of the road and spell "tyre" and say things like "take away" instead of "to go" The portions are smaller and I haven't come across Super Jumbo sized things yet. We bought a box of microwave popcorn the other night, and there were only three packages in it! The streets look very familiar. ACA and I went for a walk yesterday. I told him I felt like I was just walking down South 16th street in Milwaukee. The lawn sidewalk arrangement here is identical to the one in Milwaukee. They don't have four way stop signs though, instead lots and lots of round abouts! I was able to get my driver's license quickly because I have one from the US. They let you change over your US license for an Australian one without taking any tests. I haven't attempted driving yet, I am still freaked out about the left side of the road thing. I feel like we're turning into the wrong lane everytime ACA makes a turn! One difference from Milwaukee is the amount of Turks! We are everywhere! We went to the mall and ACA started pointing out the Turk owned businesses and places where a lot of Turks worked. Walking around I heard so much Turkish! Australia is very different from Turkey obviously. But I felt more at ease in Australia the first day I've arrived here then I did the entire 4 months I was in Turkey. I simply couldn't adjust to the Turkish way of life. The life here is very similar to the life in the US, so I had a rather easy time adjusting.
I won't be going back to school this year. The deadline for the application has passed (the seasons are backwards here, we're going into summer now!) and I am not eligible for government aid for another two years. I feel like this is the right time to start looking for a part time job because I pretty much ran out of things to organize or clean in the house. Everyday tasks does not fill up enough of my time to keep me busy, and when I don't have enough to do I revert back to my natural state, which is sleeping!
Aight, picture time. I finally got around to uploading new photos to Flickr. Flickr orders the photos on my main page in a very strange way, so they are not in any sort of sensible order. Grr at Flickr for that.

This was taken on June 27th, at the chicago airport.

Strange to think this was the last time I saw my brother! He's probably a foot taller now, at the rate he's growing!

We arrived in Istanbul safe and sound. Our house is in part of Istanbul called "Eyup" However it is high up on the hill. So to go to the heart of Eyup you have to go down the huge hill. Going down the darn thing is ok, but going up not so much fun. It is nicknamed "40 merdiven" meaning "40 stairs" To quote ACA, that's false advertisement!! There are a heck more than 40 stairs to that hill!

We walked up the hill to come to Pierre Loti Cafe. It is situated on top of another huge hill. There are cable cars that will take you to the top of the hill but for some reason we started climbing it. As you can see from the photo it is very, very high up. I was dying for some water by the time we reached to the top. The view from the cafe is unbelievable! That is the "golden horn" behind us, known in Turkey as "Halic"

On the way down we did take the cable car!

After spending about a week in Istanbul we went to Ankara. The hubby has family living there. He was actually raised in Ankara!

We had fun going around Ankara's hot spots. ACA showed me all the places he once lived around. We even visited his elemantary school friend! This is us having "kumpir" in a restaurant. Kumpir is basically a baked potato loaded with stuff like pickles and cheese and hot dogs and mushrooms and mayo and well whatever else you like! On our last day of our stay in Ankara we went to the Australian Embassy for our visa interview.

Then came the honeymoon. That was fun!

ACA left on July 19th. And as you've read on my blog I stayed behind in Turkey until my visa arrived. That was not fun. Well I did manage to have some fun in between my bouts of misery and depression.

I got to hang out with my friend from elementary school, Pinar. That was loads and loads of fun!

Me at Taksim Square. I went there quiete a lot to meet with friends etc.

And then came the happy day I traveled to Australia. I've already wrote about that in my last post. Since I came here we've been doing a lot of shopping. Most of our weekends are spent getting stuff we need for the house.

Having way too much fun at IKEA.

As a Turk I was scandalized by the size of these "Dolma"

We went to the Eid Festival, Bayram Senligi.

And attended our first wedding as a couple.

Here are some photos around my house.

Entrance to my kitchen. Do notice the "Yemekhane" sign. "Yemekhane" meaning the mess hall! I found the sign in Turkey and it just cracked me up so much I had to get it for our kitchen.

And a wider view of my kitchen. You can see exactly where I am sitting as I type this.

I have declared our house to be an official Turk's house once we put the tea kettle on top of the stove. However my friend Jess was quick to point out since I don't have these

covering every surface of my house my house does not yet qualify.. The sample photo is from my lovely mother-in-law's kitchen.

Our couch which I've named "chaisey" Do note the lack of doilies around the living room as well.

Our TV, which ACA named "black beauty" And behind that you can see ACA's computer, Blitzy.

And my wall'o'stuff. We have a huge collection of Simpsons DVD's. ACA is starting to get me into family guy as well.
I am happy to report that my father-in-law has arrived and destroyed the scary spider. He's currently on the roof fixing some stuff there. I need to get going if I want to have a dinner to eat before the hubby gets home!
kelebek }{

tow kelebek has landed

2007-10-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

Elhamdulillah I've arrived in Melbourne safe and sound on October 12th after a 33 hour journey! I flew with Malaysia Airlines and I have to say they rock! The seats were awesome, the crew was awesome and the food was rather good. I landed in Malaysia after an 12.5 hour flight. I had a 13 hour lay over in the airport before I had to catch the next plane. They have an hotel right inside the airport, Airside Transit Hotel. I booked a room for 9 hours and slept 8 hours there. The hotel was great as well. Large comfy bed, TV, bathroom with a bathtub! I killed rest of the time eating and walking around the airport. Then I caught my next flight to Melbourne. After 7 hour flight (and lots of fun with the "select" TV built into the back of each screen) I landed in Melbourne 7 AM in the morning. Everything went smoothly with immigration and customs. I went through a large metal door and BAM there was ACA waiting for me. I had a hard time letting go of hugging him so I could have a look at his face.
My in laws are incredible! ACA says he never seen his mom prepare breakfast like this! We went over to their house for breakfast then we came home. I've been asked what I was most looking forward to. This was before the wedding etc. I said "landing in Melbourne, going to our house, and closing the door" And I can confirm that was the best part of this entire journey. Finally arriving home.
ACA went back to work on Wednesday. I've been on cleaning organizing mode for the past three days. Mom would have been proud! After writing this entry I will go clean the stove. I think the renters before us never cleaned the darned thing. My hand got stuck on the knob when I tried to turn on the stove! I cooked our first dinner yesterday. My attempt at cooking was sabotaged by the afore mentioned stove. You have to push a button to ignite the burners. However the electricity to the button is provided by a battery. While trying to get the battery to work so I can use another burner the burner that was working went out. This was the burner the pasta was boiling (what you didn't think I would be making lobster thermidor on my first cooking attempt!). So I was stuck with a pan of half boiled pasta and a stove that won't light up! Thankfully ACA bought a lighter on his way home from work so we were able to cook the rest of the meal. I did manage to burn my finger on the lighter of course.The evil stove, with it's companion "Baroness the oven"
kelebek }{

tow goodbye to Istanbul, again

2007-10-08T00:40:00.000-07:00

I have received my spouse visa, finally. I bought my ticket, and ins I will be leaving on Wednesday to go to Melbourne and start my new life with my beloved husband. As the day of my departure comes nearer I've been feeling a mixture of feelings. I am incredibly happy that finally that the thing I've been waiting for all summer has arrived. I am elated that I can finally start my married life. I am nervous about moving to a strange new country (for the second time in my life). I am feeling guilty for leaving my grandmother when she finally had a member of her family back with her. I am saddened that I will be leaving the city that I've reconnected with so many old friends. I am sick of packing, repacking, looking for companies to ship the rest of my stuff. I am anxious about going on a journey so far away by myself. I am giddy at the thought of seeing a koala. I am looking forward to having the eid (bayram, Ramadan holiday) breakfast with my in-laws and driving to our home. I am so excited at the though of ACA's and my home.
Bu Istanbul'a ilk elvada degisim degil tabii. 9 kusur sene once bunu bir daha yapmistim, Amerika'ya gitmeden once. O zaman 14 yasindaydim ve bu tasinmanin hayatimi nasil degisterecegini, ve bu sehre tekrar 9 sene gelemiyecegimi bilimiyordum. Istanbul'dan ayrilmadan bir kac ay once yazdigim bir yaziyi buraya koyuyorum.

Ayrilik vakti geliyor Ist
Hayatimdaki bir cok sey gibi senide arkamda birakip gidecegim. Temmuzda 14 yillik bir hayati gerekide birakacagim. Istanbul hakkinda cok yazip cizerler, benim edebiyat yapmaya hic niyetim yok, zaten bana gitmez. Hayatimda hic bir zaman sana bir tepeden bakmadim, kaldirimlarinda yagmur yagarken dolasip serserilik yapmadim, sokaklarini akilli uslu bir kiz gibi adimlamadim. Eyup'te oturuyorum Piyer Loti'nin yolunu bile bilmem. Sen beni bilmezsin; senin sokalarinda az top oynamadim, az arkadas kaybetmedim. Hayatim hep senin icinde gecti. Ama gonlumce seni dolasamadim, dolasamayacagim. Sulari sicratarak yurumek artik bana gore degil, salincaklarin bende ki hatirlarini sen nereden bileceksin, kumdan yaptigim kalelerin bozulmasina ne kadar kizdigimida bilemeyeceksin. Ama benim tum hayatim burada, senin icinde gecti, umutlarim senin icinde basladi, senin icinde birer birer yok oldular. Sevdilerim senin icinde kayboldular. niye bu kadar buyuksun ki sanki? Senin sinirlarini kim cizip "bu sinirlar icindeki yerler 'Istanbul' olacak" dedi bilmiyorum, ama benim sinirlarimi cizenler yine senin icindeler. Hayatimda nefret ettigim, sevdigim, kactigim, kendime yakin hissettigim her sey ve herkes senin icinde bir yere dagilmislar. Kolaysa bir araya topla. Kocamansin iste, insanlar senin icinde birer birer yok oluyorlar, ne buyuk bir girdapsin sen!.. Evet Istanbul, herseyinle hic degismeden kal. Seni geldigimde ayni bulmak isterim. Ama tabii kide biliyorum ki "giden 'benlerin' yerinide de doldurakcalar." Lutfen beni icinde kaybolmus bir yetiskin olarak degil, olmak istedigim gibi "guclu, mutlu" bir cocuk olarak hairla...
Bir gun geri gelebilmek umuduyla

kelebek }{

tow we are not there yet

2007-09-24T01:29:00.000-07:00

I have to suppress the urge to call the Australian consulate and ask "can I go yet? can I go yet? Can I go yet?" I keep telling myself they have a ton of applications to go through, and they'll get to mine, when they get to it.
I think the spouse applications should get priority over the job applications. Not only because that is the type of visa I am going for, but also because it is a matter of heart. The applicants like me are waiting to hear the news that they are allowed to go live with their beloved. I wait for those news everyday. During the weekdays I check my e-mail obsessively hoping to see some news. The weekends are rather difficult because, well, the consulate does not work on the weekends! This means I get my hopes up all through the weekend, and it all comes crashing down on Monday when again there are no news.
The worst part is not knowing when. There is an expression in Turkish "sayili gun cabuk gecer" Meaning that if there is a set number of days for an event to happen, it'll go quick. Well the thing is, I don't know the set number of days. Or as my teacher said "kaca kadar sayacagini bilmiyorsun." It could happen tomorrow morning, or it might happend three months later. You just don't know. I just hope it's sooner rather than later...
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Homer: Are you going to torture me?
Lenny: We can't tell you, now knowing is the worst torture of all
Karl: Well that and the rat-helmet
-- Simpsons

tow Ramazan in Turkey

2007-09-18T00:33:00.000-07:00

The weather is starting get cold here. Fall is my favorite season by far. The trees look incredible with the color change and the weather just invites you for a stroll outside. Though in Turkey you better watch when you step off the curb, heck watch out regardless cars do park on the sidewalks around here!
It is a bit strange to be back in Turkey for Ramazan (well since I am in Turkey I might as well use the Turkish spelling!). Again the last time I was back in Turkey was nine years ago, so I feel like I am just going through my childhood again. Just today I was in line to buy "Ramazan Pidesi' (type of bread that only comes out on Ramazan). I was in line for 15 minutes before it was my turn to buy one. When I was a kid my mom would send me out to buy the pide. It was easier when I was a kid and didn't have to fast. But as I got older and began to fast it became more and more difficult to wait in line to buy the pide while the delicious smell of bread surrounded you.
A photo of the doughy goodness is here
In addition to the pide it is rather nice to break the fast with the ezan (ah the Turkish spelling again, adhan would be closer to the way I would spell it in English) being heard from many minarets. When in US we would go by the sheet that had the prayer times on it. "Is it time yet? Well it is according to my cell phone. That should be accurate. No, lets wait a few more minutes" This was the typical conversations around the iftar table. Now, "yup here's the ezan, dig in!" Well, I don't say that to anyone in particular, my grandma is too old and weak to be fasting, so it is just me who fasts.
I do not know how much longer I would have to wait in Turkey before I can move to Australia. I would be there yesterday if it was up to me, but we have to wait to hear the word from the powers-that-be (the Australian consulate in Ankara). I am rather curious to experience bayram (eid, Ramadan holiday) in Turkey once again. Now, that would make me feel like a kid again!
kelebek }{

tow our house

2007-09-02T23:06:00.000-07:00

ACA paid the first rent for our house and he got the keys for it. The landlord has painted the walls and got the carpet washed. ACA said they've moved the stuff my in-laws brought back with them when they were going back from Australia. ACA purchased a washing machine (Ariston), a fridge (whitey), a dishwasher (snowwhite), and a microwave (sneezy). We've also bought a couch with a chaise lounge (named: Chaisey) and our bed (Titanic). The only glitch is that we are not living in it yet, because I am still in Turkey!
I had to get additional medical documentation to please the powers-that-be and it was mailed on Friday. ACA is saying he wants me there by Eid (bayram, Ramadan Holiday) but I don't know if it'll happen. I am just so pessimistic in the visa issues, I can't help it! I do miss my husband very much though. It's been over a month since he has left, and I just want to see him again!
Not much is happening around here. I was just telling my brother the highlight of my day was going to the grocery store (Tantas). I am just hoping that won't be the highlight of my week! Well I did watch two back to back simpsons episodes on CNBC-e. It shows stuff about the economy till 6 o'clock then it shows American shows, like CSI:NY, simpsons, ghost whisperer, sopranos, rome, one tree hill and tons more. It nice because it is not dubbed, just subtitled. It is making the days pass a bit easier. I am also going full power with the crochet blanket. I can not believe how cheap yarn is here!! I wish I could just take a suitcase full of yarn with me instead of the useless stuff like clothes!!
kelebek }{

tow new crochet blanket

2007-08-18T01:46:00.000-07:00

I have decided to import my blog to my facebook profile. I do not know who would actually want to read it, but it's technology and I like me some technology.
I was chatting (well IMing in AIM more like) with my little brother (who is as tall as me so I do not know how long I can get away with calling him "little") who commented on my lack of posting. Well I've told him I do nothing all day, so what do you want me to post about my adventures in crochet? Well, he gets his wish!
I have finished the purse I was working on. It turned out very cute. People have scared me about carrying a purse in Turkey, so I guess I won't be lugging it around. There is a concept of "kapkac" which means "grab and run" Apprently they do that with ladies purses. I would like to use it in Australia, except they don't call it a "purse" there. It is a bag. When I say a "bag" I think of a grocery store bag, which reminds me of Pick'n Save which in turn reminds me of how much I missed shopping in America.
Ever since I moved to America I've been dreaming about coming back to Turkey to visit. Except I've always imagined myself coming back with my parents and my brother. Instead I am here alone, with my family back in America, and my husband back in Australia. I missed the freedom I had in the US. I could go to Barnes and Noble or Borders when I was bored or go for a bike ride or even drive out to the Mayfair mall. I missed having a job. It is very difficult for me to work in Turkey as a woman who wears hijab (headscarf, basortu). My employment oppurtunities are very limited even though I am a university graduate because I wear the hijab. So I can't even get a temp position unless I want to take off my scarf.
The blanket I am working on, well it is just that I am working on it. I have a book taht has sample squares that you can work on, so I am trying to see which ones I want to combine using what colors. I will update more on that -- I am sure my brother is dying to know more :P
kelebek }{

'Cause waking up without you is like drinking from an empty cup
-- Damien Rice

tow kelebek is lonely

2007-08-10T01:57:00.000-07:00

Why is it that everytime I switch my language to English, blogger changes it back to Turkish for me? Yes I do speak Turkish, but I am not too good with the turkish equivalent of words that I am so familiar with.
I am having a good time in Turkey. I wish I wasn't so paranoid about losing the camera ACA left for me, so I could take some photos. I went to Eminonu yesterday and we walked through Mahmutpasa. We used to go to Eminonu every year before the school started so we can get my school supplies. It is mind boggling what you can buy there. We really didn't explore all of it (I went with Alex). I do hope to go back and go see most of the stores. I haven't walked through Misir Carsisi (space bazaar) or the infamous Kapali Carsi. That one I do have to go!
It is diffucult to mount up enough energy to get out of the house. If I really don't have to meet with anybody it is much easier to stay at home and read (and sleep!) I do feel I am wasting valuable visiting time -- I dont know when I'll have this much time in my hands again! I think part of the problem is that I've always imagined myself coming back to Istanbul with my entire family (mom, dad, brother). I feel their absence around me when I go out to visit places that I know they would want to go. And now ACA has left for Australia it does get lonely around here.
One good thing about being back in Istanbul is that I get to catch up with old friends. I've met with my middle school teacher (my favorite teacher ever!) a week ago. And I am going to meet with my elemantary school best friend tomorrow in Taksim. I really do think I'll take my camera. It is a historical moment!
kelebek }{

tow stranger at home

2007-08-04T13:51:00.000-07:00

It is incredibly strange to say the least to be typing on my laptop while sitting on this bed. It is the bed of my childhood, the bed we bought after I broke my otherone by jumping on it too much. My grandma moved this bed into the bedroom that used to belong to my parents. That adds another level of strangeness because, I am sleeping in my parents room!
It's been over a month since I've arrived at Turkey, yet I still feel like a stranger. Not a complete stranger, I do remember that corner of the street, or that shop and the hill that led to Eyup. People I don't remember come and tell me how they used to hold me in their laps when I was a child. Everyone is agreed that I look just like my mom. I walk through the streets looking at kids playing games I remember playing. It is hard not to get terriotrial, saying hey thats our street. Yet, it is their street now. I step into what used to be my bedroom. My grandma mostly changed it, yet I do remember where my bed (the one I am sitting on) my dresser and my study desk used to be. The study desk is full of stroge space, and grandma took my parting words literally "don't throw anything away, I'll be back next summer" That next summer has turned into nine summers later. I had spend hours looking through things that was mine. My notebooks, my old books, my textbooks, my dolls, just one thing after the other that belonged to me. I get glimpses of who that girl was with every notebook I open. An interesting find turned out to my diary which I kept during my prep and 6th grade years. It is just not my things I am finding. This house I am in is like a site of an interesting archeological excavation project. Every drawer I look at I find things that are not only part of me, but a part of my family's history. I found my grandma's marriage certificate, pictures of my father when he was a soldier, photos of my mom when she was my age(yes I do look just like her, but a lot heavier!) I also found more pictures of me as a baby in addition to my parent's wedding and engagement photos. I also found the dress my mom wore to her engagement party. Even my mom is amused at how many things I am finding. My grandma didn't throw anything away!
It is difficult not to feel like a total tourist in a city I grew up in. I went to Taksim a few days ago, it looked totally new to me. However my mom says I've been there many, many times before. When you are younger I suppose you don't pay that much attention to location names and places. I am controlled by two forces, one telling me not to venture out into a strange city like Istanbul alone, yet another part of me is dying to rediscover the city I've left behind so many years ago. So far I've been to Taksim, Fatih and Eyup Sultan. I do want to venture out to Sahaflar carsisi in Beyazit, and check out the Topkapi sarayi area. I am not sure when I'll get out of my shell again, but it will be fun!

The rest of the wedding photos are on my flickr page
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kelebek/
I missed my husband......
kelebek }{

tow mr.kelebek goes to Ankara

2007-07-06T13:57:00.000-07:00

It is interesting how often I updated my blog when nothing much was happening. Now life changing events are happening, and it looks like I really haven't written in almost 2 months.
I got officially married by the lovely people in the Turkish consulate in Chicago on June 18th. The wedding itself was on June 24th. ACA and I flew to Istanbul on the 27th, and now we are in Ankara visiting his relatives and the (hopefully) lovely people in the Australian Consulate.
After ACA leaves for Australia I will be staying Istanbul until I can get the visa thingee's done. I am guessing since I will have a lot more time in my hands I will be updating more often!
kelebek }{
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ACA!!

tow china patterns

2007-05-16T00:48:00.000-07:00

Can picking out china patterns be considered the epitome of "grown-upness"? Aysun Teyze (Burcu's mom) took me out for an impromptu shopping trip this evening and now I am the proud owner of the "Noritake 'Sweet Leilani' 61-piece China Dinnerware Set" I am seriously hoping ACA is going to like them, because I didn't have time to consult him. I did debate whether or not this constitute emergency situation so I could call him at work. In the end I decided that no, his opinion about the china patterns is not an emergency.
The wedding plans are moving along. Not as fast as I would like, but they are moving along. My dress came about a week ago. I bought it from Eva's Bridal in Oakcreek. I really liked the store, nice friendly service, good selection and great prices. However when my dress came it was too big for me, and I needed alterations (bustle, hem, take in from sides) and the cost of the alterations was $65 less than the cost of my dress. So they expected me to pay a ton for the dress, and then pay almost another of the same amount for alterations. The lady was like "we are not trying to take advantage of you." Really, I mean really? I probably could have gotten a custom gown made for the amount you are charing me to take the dress in from the sides and hem the darn thing. So I paid and took the dress home with me. A friend of a friend of ours does alterations, so I took my dress to her. She agreed to do it for 1/5 of the price they quoted me at Eva's Bridal.
We also found a very nice photographer, Olga Thomas Photography. I went and met her yesterday, she is wonderful. I spent over an hour with her discussing things, looking at the pictures she took and everything else. I know the photos are going to turn out amazing. And we get the CD of the photos and they are ours to keep!
I need to meet with the Catering Manager of the hotel so we can figure out what we are serving. She is extremely nice too. I am just glad to be finding people who are so willing to work with us. That is not to say I didn't have my share of mean people, or one photographer who was I think actually trying to trick us. I don't remember the studio's name, but I think I'll put it in my blog so other people looking them up can read what I have to say about them.
ACA's arrival is officially a month away. Ins he and his (and soon to be my!) family will be arriving on the 16th of June. It's amazing how fast the time flies. I feel like it was just yesterday I was counting down the months till he came in February. I am just a big ball of emotions, I am scared, excited, nervous, joyful, stressed all at once! Allah help us!
kelebek }{

tow itching

2007-05-02T23:48:00.000-07:00

Who knew all this planning business would cause this much stress. I went to the doctor because I was constantly itching. I thought I was allergic to something. Turns out I am just allergic to my wedding. Scratch, scratch, I gotta stop itching before people think I have rabies or something.
The invitations are almost done. Mr. Beyleyseyteyrey is working his magic on them. They are just so fantastic, I think people are going to keep this one. So this leaves me with, the booked hall, my dress (put a rush order in, don't even ask about the alterations), my shoes, mostly done invites and thanks to ACA our honeymoon. God I am so looking forward to relaxing somewhere sunny! The sad part is ACA will leave for Australia almost the day after the honeymoon is over. Ins I'll be able to join him there soon!
I finished the blanket I was working on. I need to remember to take a picture of it. I left it on the couch for my mom to see, and when I come home it was gone. I asked her what happened to it, she said she was saving it until she bought a nicer couch. Ah mom, I made it for her to use it, not save it in a closet! I started a scarf for one of my co-workers. It's a blend of wool and mohair and a bit of nylon. It's a fuzzy yarn which makes it really hard to see where the heck I am supposed to put the hook in. It's not a yarn I would personally wear, but I think it'll look nice on her. In the mean time I am working on my duster (duster as in a longer jacket, NOT the thing you dust the picture frames!). It's taking a while because the stich is complicated and I can't listen to my audio book while I work. Right now I am listening to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (zumruduanka yoldasligi!). I read the series, lets see three times? The audio books are very cool too!I am completely geeked out on Harry Potter. Oh I really hope I can get my hands on the 7th book when it comes out. I'll most likely be in Turkey when it comes out, maybe I'll ship it to myself overnight or something, gotta figure it out!
kelebek }{

tow turkce

2007-04-19T23:21:00.000-07:00

Hmm, the blogger seems to be offering the option to change my blog to Turkish. I am tempted but I had bad experience trying to deal with computer terms before. I tried using my gmail in Turkish and I failed. I really haven't used the computer all that much in Turkey, so I am used to the english version of things. I am hoping to improve on that when I go to Turkey this summer ins.
The plans are shaping up nicely which is making me and ACA very hopeful about the future. We bought our tickets to Turkey (well more like ACA bought them and forwarded the e-mail confirmation to me). ACA is looking to book a place for our honeymoon. We do have our heart set on a place, but we didn't book it yet. It's a fantastic place, get this it has two pools for ladies only. One of them is indoor and one of them is outdoor. I am not about to bust out with pictures of me in the pool, so just take my word for it! The permanent move to Australia is scheduled for sometime late July or early August. I am looking forward to blogging from Turkey and then eventually from Australia.
On the wedding front we have: My dress, my shoes, the wedding hall and boxes to put wedding favors in. I think that's quiete an accomplishment given how short amount of time I had to work on these things. At the moment I have Excel open and I am preparing my guest list. It hurts to cut people from the list. If I could I would invite everybody I know, but there is the little issue of money!
It snowed. That's pretty usual for Wisconsin, but a foot of snow in the middle of April is very, umm, unusual! On the day we got the freak snow I was working 8:50 AM to 4:50 PM. When I got out of work I had to clean 8 inches of snow from my windshield. Nobody has parked in the two spaces next to my car, so I had to step deep into the snow wearing a skirt and tennis shoes. Augh! I called ACA and asked him to promise me that he'll take me to a place where I would never have to clean snow out of my windshield. He assured me in Australia it only snows in the mountains, I hope he's right!
My dad took some pictures of his car in the snow storm.

Crazy, crazy!
Burcu and my little boyfriend came over the other day. God I am going to miss Burcu when I move... ACA send me a message saying that he hopes I have fun with my little BF. I bought him some dinasour books from the bookstore I work at. There were a total of five books. Each time I finish one he would grab another one and say "Okay, lets read this one" How can I resist him?

The books were "Land Before Time" books. Look at how into the story he was. He knows the name of the each character. He shouted them out everytime I turned the page.

This is obviously a posed one, but I like it just the same. Look at him kicking up his heels like a grown up!

And finally there is me working on my afghan. It is much bigger now. It started out as a baby blanket, but I must have miscalculated the size and it turned out much bigger than then I wanted. So my mom said she'll take it. The ripples threw off my count, oh well!I do want to finish it at some point but my mom keeps telling me to make it bigger!
kelebek }{

tow three hundred

2007-04-10T12:31:00.000-07:00

Interesting, this seems to be the three hundredth post I've made in my blog. I suppose I would have gotten to this number quicker if I wasn't so slow with the updates!
The wedding plans are consuming most of my time these days. So far I have my dressed picked out. I had to pay the stupid rush fee for my dress to be here in time. InsaAllah it'll be here by the first week of June. I have to get it altered because the neck line is cut too low, and the jacket to go on top of it needs to be lined. My mom bought shoes for me last week. I wanted to wear flats, but she wouldn't hear of it. We finally compromised and got a very low heeled shoe. I mean I will be standing up for God knows how many hours! My friend who got married in November said that the criss cross strap of her shoes actually dug into her skin. Eeek! And they are not exactly going to show under the dress anyway!
I think I have the location picked out. I visited three places. Ough, one of them was awful. The manager said I must serve alcohol for a friday or Saturday wedding. And then in the middle of talking to me his cellphone rang. He was wearing one of those bluetooth headsets. I said to myself if the guy picks up this phone, it's over. And he picked it up and proceeded to talk for five minutes while my mom and I stood around awkwardly! The second place was pretty nice. Except the lady "catering manager" told me a very high minimum. I mean what am I supposed to do, pick people off the street to meet her minimum?! Elhamdulillah the third place was very nice. The catering manager seemed to go out of her way to accommodate what I was saying I needed. I think I am going to go with this place. But my dad wants to check out a few more places before we agree to this. ACA says if I like to place I should just go ahead and book it. I want to do just that, but gotta wait for my dad!
Along with all the wedding preparations, we are also dealing with the travel issue. His parents and his brother are flying in on the same flight on June 16th (ins) from Australia. ACA will be flying in on the same day from Australia as well but on a different flight. We are hoping to have the wedding on June 24th. On June 26th his parents and his brother are leaving back to Australia. ACA bought our tickets to Turkey yesterday (YAY) and ins we'll be flying to Turkey on the 17th. I am unbelievably excited about this development. It's been forever since I've been to Turkey. I am sooo looking forward to catching up with all my old friends. After the vacation in Turkey I will be ins jetting off to Australia. It is mind boggling to actually write down how quickly all these changes will be taking place! I will try to hold on to my head while all this is going on. I am really looking forward to finally settling down in Melbourne in my own home when all this is over. Then of course there will be grad school to look forward to ins, but I own't have to worry about that until February!
kelebek }{

tow kelebek gets engaged

2007-03-26T23:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday this little boy pointed to me and said to his dad "She's a princess, right?" The rest of the day I walked around like a princess, did a few curtsies when no one was around. It's amazing how one little comment can make your day.
I am rocking a gorgeous engagement ring, given to me by soon to be hubby, ACA. It's the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen. It's saphirre with filigree design on the band. I should remember to take close up shot of the ring! When he proposed he asked with a different, butterfly ring. I was crying so hard at that point, I don't even remember what he was saying. A butterfly, it's a butterfly ring I was saying I think! Then the real ring came out, from his "heart" (his left hand shirt pocket to be exact). Just two hopeless romantics we found each other.

Just so beautiful, masaAllah!

It was fantastic having him here. I had the best two weeks of my life! My family gets along with him just great. Furkan was asking if he could trade me for him. They went to the MIlwaukee auto show together, and all three of us went to a Bucks game together. I just can't stop saying Elhamdulillah because I've never had it this good in my life.
On March 3rd we had an engagement dinner. Most of the photos were ruined because our camera ran out of batteries, and other people's photos didn't turn out as well. This was taken after the dinner at my house. We're showing of our bling!

This is us in Chicago. I crocheted a hat for him in the colors of his favorite soccer team, Fenerbahce.

We went to a pizza restaurant for lunch. We had the Mushroom one and the greek one. Man, when they say mushroom pizza, they aren't kidding!

This is us at the bucks game. They played against the Lakers. This was the game Kobe was suspended. I think we won by 20 some points. The Bucks are yet to lose a game when I go to watch them (whoa that's an awkward sentence!)

Me, ACA, and the creepy Koala at our house

My mom's rental Mazda 6. She drove that when ACA was here. I was actually going to rent that one but apprently they charge you extra $50 a day if you're under 25. So we drove around in either my dad's Geo or my mom's van.

This was a few minutes before he left. I just couldn't stop crying. But he reminded me that next time he comes ins I'll be going back with him...

Now of course I am on full on wedding planning. We want to have the wedding at the end of June. This leaves me about three months to plan, and eeeek! I am keeping my head on, thanks to ACA. He's my rock in all this madness! We're filling out applications for all sorts of things. Today I had to get blood tests done to please the Turkish consulate. More applications for visa's, marriage certificates. Pretty soon I will need to start the grad school applications as well. After the wedding here we will be insaAllah going to Turkey, before we settle in Australia. As Alex called it "My Big Fat Turkish Wedding: World Tour 2007" Coming to a continent near you this summer! Get ready for tons of wedding related rants ins!
kelebek }{

Hi cootie!

tow crochet

2007-02-01T12:19:00.000-08:00

I am getting very much obsessed with crochet! It started about a month ago when I bought the Stich n Bitch book for crochet. It's called "Happy Hooker" (no not that kind of hooker!). So far I made a pretty scarf, a crooked Fenerbahce hat, a pretty good Fenerbahce hat and a beanie for my brother. I am working on a crochet bag to carry my crochet supplies in. I want to crochet a sweater next, but we'll see if I am up to tackling a project of that size. I will post some pictures of my handywork later.
The bookstore is finally calming down. Christmas time and the after christmas sale was insane. I couldn't catch a break! But these days it's much more saner. The pace is steady, but not crazy. I can get a good amount of shelving done each day. I am learning a lot in this job. I am getting exposed to authors and subjects that I had never heard of before. I find myself recomending Dora the Explorer books to grandma's, jumping for joy when someone sells us the Eldest book or anything by Slyvia Brown, and running around looking for books that people don't know the title or the author of! I do like this job, it's not what I am planning on doing forever (ins) but for the time being, it is nice to have a job that I am good at and I enjoy.
The very important month of February is finally here. Now all have to do is wait patiently for 24 more days and... Well, lets just say things in this butterfly's world is going to start to rock! Elhamdulillah!
Kelebek }{

tow "she'll be loved"

2007-01-05T00:53:00.000-08:00

I suppose this is the time to talk about how a year ended, and reflect etc. I think my subject line sums it all up nicely, she'll be loved. I had a pretty good year, Elhamdulillah. Highlight of the year being my graduation from UW-Madison and getting my lovely Bachelors Degree in Journalism (honors mind you!) But of course I could not have predicted the kicker that came on October 21st 2006. Just wow. It's been over two months now, and I still can not believe how blessed I am. All of your life can really change in a moment, I never believed in that more than I do now. I am just waiting till February. Now, that ins will be a magical month. Oh, just can't wait, but I will!!

I realized that the last photo I posted was me in the bookworm outfit. Well, lets update!

My brother turned 12 on November 16th. For his present I bought him a box of books! I have ruined his Harry Potter set by reading it three times. I bought him the entire series in hard cover. I also got him an assortment of books that I knew he would like.

I was going to get him a icecream cake from Coldstone Creamery by my house. When my mom and me went to buy the cake we found out that that location went out of business! Weird, considering I was there last week buying icecream. So we settled for a peanut butter cup pie from Bakers Square, which was delicious!

It only snowed once this winter. I can so feel the global warming. Well, my brother doesn't seem to mind. He is not a big fan of shoveling.

Eid al Adha (Kurban Bayrami) was a few days ago. YAY for my new brown boots!

There's my friend Yasmin and I. She has some awesome news, but I am not sure if I am at liberty to post them. Hmm, I gotta check with her on that one!

My brother skipped the suit this Eid. Now that I think about it, this pic can benefit from some cropping.

We had a lot of people come to our house for eid. This pretty girl is Dine. She fell down the stairs the day before Eid. Poor baby had to get three stiches. Elhamdulillah she's ok now.

Mr. Balisterirey stopped by for a visit all the way from Princeton New Jersey. YAY!

All in all, it's been a very good year. But I know it will be nothing compared to what will be in store for me next year. InsaAllah. Can't wait!
kelebek }{

"I wake up in the morning and I feel that I already miss you so much. Could this ever be anything other than pure love? One has to be insane to suggest it is."
-- ACA

tow silky hairstreak

2006-11-28T23:26:00.000-08:00

I decided to change the butterfly on my template to a butterfly that is "endemic to Australia". It is known as The Silky Hairstreak. Pretty name for a pretty butterfly!
I never knew the expresion "when it rains, it pours" can be used in a positive sense. To me it usually meant when something starts going wrong, the rest goes downhill from there. Lately it feels like everything has been looking up, and it just keeps on getting better. Elhamdurillah, I keep murmuring every chance I get. Life has never been better!
I am coming home exhausted these days due to all the activity from the holiday shoppers. I don't mind because the day goes by quicker, but it does wear me out a lot. One of the favorite things I did for work was dressing up as a Bookworm. We went to a school and handed books to kids. And I got to entertain them in my giant green costume. Doesn't it do wonders for my figure?

kelebek }{

I don't know why you're so far away
But I know that this much is true
We'll make it through
And I hope you are the one I share my life with
And I wish that you could be the one I die with
And I'm praying you're the one I build my home with
I hope I love you all my life
-- Daniel Bedingfield