Courtney and I have moved into our apartment here in Istanbul. It's in a great area called Cihangir, and pretty much smack dab in the middle of the city. Here's a photo of the place...come visit!


I started my CELTA certification course yesterday for teaching English as a second language. It will last for 10 weeks, but it is part time so I hope to find a job in the meantime. The class seems great--it is a mix of Americans, Brits, Turks, and a guy from Holland who is absolutely hysterical. It is an interesting range of ages/backgrounds as well. I'm amazed by the non-native speakers English fluency.

Last week I went to the Dolmabahce palace. It was the last hurrah of the Ottoman empire and completed in 1858. The palace has 285 rooms (68 toilets) and the most incredible chandelier I have ever seen. There is an incredible amount of history here (think Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires), and there is so much to see and do.