Merhaba all,

Wow where can I start this place is culturally so different to the typical Turkey I thought I was coming to! Istanbul is a very much a normal cultural European city, I mean they even dance to YMCA in the night clubs! It is very beautiful place as well and lots of history all around me .

When I arrived late last Wednesday night my first impressions were interesting, so met someone at the airport and then the taxi ride well I thought we were going to take off into the air!!! they drive like bloody maniacs! and the traffic well it is always something very visible and noisy!!! for example a pedestranised area here really means that taxis, cars, and even trams pass after nearly succeeding in running you over!!! but hey I am still alive...just.

Do not start my job till tomorrow so it has a big holiday so far here, seen the Blue Mosque, ate kebab got they taste sooo nice here!, been a lovely boat rip on the Bosphorous from where you can view both the European and Asian parts of Istanbul and this what makes this place very interesting and different to what I read before I came here.
I am picking up words and sentences as I have already made a few Turkish friends that stay in the dormitories where I live, although we are due to move soon as it is really meant for boys only! but that is another long story.

weather is warm 25-28 degrees but quite cold in the evening as we are near the sea.
the other lasting impression this place has left already is the 100,s of wild cats and dogs on the streets as people feed them!

Thanks to those who emailed me sorry I cannot reply to you personally, I am having a bust time seeing and of course talking too much, everyone here wants me to be their English teacher as this is how everyone communicates if no turkish is spoken.
lots of love to all, and I have a turkish mobile (it was very cheap, please text or phone me)
tel: +0090 536 7183741
Charlotte x