The Amazing Matta.....

Matta is a renaissance woman and by that I mean that she excels in multiple fields!  She spent her working life at a job she hated (teaching French) while dreaming about the job she desired (being an artist) and now that she is retired, she creates:  She paints. She makes jewelry out of metals and beads and buttons and other "stuff".  She works with glass.  She makes mosaics.  She binds books.  She weaves.  She makes pottery.  She's a photographer.  She writes poetry.  She cooks.  She's filled with historical knowledge.  And she's a treasury of completely useless information.  In the short time I have been here, I've come to realize that there is nothing she can't do.  She can even walk in two directions at the same time.  She's amazing!!!

Today she took me to see an exhibit of erotic ancient Greek art (and I think there may have been some Roman artifacts) at the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art.  I didn't even bother to read the descriptions and information posted by the museum as Matta was able to tell me all about everything herself!  There were signs posted that forbade the taking of pictures, but Matta is also a thief and she managed to snap a few off.  Here's one of a charming little wind chimes that she took.

The exhibit really was interesting and I learned all about Aphrodite and her son Eros.  My sister likes to say that I have huge gaps in my musical knowledge as I've never heard of many the groups/singers that she admires and claims are world popular.  I also have huge gaps in other areas as well.  For example, I know nothing about Greek or Roman mythology and very little about history.  (On the other hand, I can answer every question ever asked relating to food on Jeopardy!)  Seeing the stories of Eros illustrated on ancient vases and in marble groupings and paintings, etc.... really was fascinating!  And then there were the rooms upstairs, where children under the age of 16 had to be accompanied by an adult.  Those rooms were interesting as well!

We were joined at the museum by Popi, a friend of Matta's, and after we finished with the exhibit, we went for lunch at a street cafe where we shared a Greek salad and a large plate of souvlaki (I would post a picture but unfortunately, it didn't sit on the plate long enough to be photographed!)

After lunch, Matta took me to a section of town filled with shops and the plan (or so I thought) was to go shopping.  But Matta's idea of shopping is to walk briskly by every shop of interest without a glance.  And everytime I stopped to look at something, Matta would ask, "What is this?  What are you going to do with this?  Is your husband having a lot of money?"  I quickly realized that Matta had to be dumped somewhere or nothing was going to be accomplished.  As I was trying to devise a plan, Matta looked at her watch and announced that it was time for her to head over for her lecture on bookbinding so she would have to leave me with her friend, Popi, who would take me home.

It's great how things work out!  Popi and I had an interesting time together.  Popi understands English but can't speak it.  She does speak French, however.  I understand French, but can't speak it.  So there we were, Popi and I, shopping together in downtown Athens; Popi addressing me in French and me responding in English.  It worked out great!  And Popi is the complete shopping opposite of Matta.  If I walked by a shop without going in, Popi would say, "Hey!  Did you see this?  Don't you think this might make a good gift?"

Tomorrow, Matta is taking me here (see photo below).  Can anyone tell me what this structure is?

Athens

When my niece, Kelsie, decided to spend a semester studying in Greece, Bubba (my mom, Kelsie's grandma) felt Kelsie would need someone to look after her.  Through a friend of a friend, she connected with a lady living in Athens and bing! bang! boom! that's how Matta entered our lives. 

I landed in Athens around 12:30 yesterday afternoon, and by 5:00, Matta had me climbing around in the mountains visiting the ruins of an ancient temple.  Matta is an amazing woman filled with more energy than a Tasmanian devil on speed!  My mom would like to come to Athens and hang around with Matta, but I'm afraid the only way she would be able to keep up with her is if Matta would throw her in a little red wagon and pull her along behind.

The Temple of Poseidon in Sounio was built during the Golden Age of Pericles in the 5th century BC.  Imagine something that old still standing!  It sits in the southern most tip of Attica.  Getting there from Athens involved about a one hour drive along the scenic and beautiful coastline.  Matta was an entertaining and informative guide as she shared with me what the activities surrounding the temple would have been like all those thousands of years ago.

We spent about an hour or so wandering around the temple site.  It sits on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean and the view was so spectacular that we decided to hang around and watch the sunset.  Since we had plenty of time to kill and since my stomach was bitterly complaining about being neglected we decided to pass the time eating.  A short walk down the mountainside brought us to an outdoor cafe.  What a delicious and satisfying meal!  We shared several small plates of food called "mezethes" and a small bottle of ouzo. 

I don't know if the meal was really spectacular, or if the ouzo hitting my empty stomach was putting me in a happy mood, but I had a delightful and delicious time.

The sunset was amazing and can hardly be captured in a photograph so you're going to have to throw some imagination into the mix as you look at the photo below.

Today, we spent the day on the island of Hydra.  Hydra is about 40 nautical miles from Athens and to get there we took a high-speed hydrofoil.  As we left the apartment, Matta was concerned about my "summer" attire but the weather was gorgeous and she had me climbing up and down mountainsides until my heart was racing and my brow was sweating.  I'm sure this was all good for me and it sure worked up an appetite.  Matta doesn't seem to remember to eat and if I don't remind her, it's likely she would let me starve to death!!!  What a contrast coming from Turkey where my wonderful hostess, Selma, was constantly offering me things to put in my mouth!  I guess it's either feast or famine.  (O.K.  this isn't entirely fair because once I remind Matta that it's mealtime, she does a wonderful job of providing me with delicious food)

(photos taken by Matta)

Hydra's past is steeped in naval history and has high walls and cannons surrounding the coastline.  The village has many shops filled with jewelry, clothes, and artwork made by local artists.  There are hotels, restaurants, and cafes along the coastline and up through the cobbled mountain roads.  We saw many beautiful old homes, breathtaking scenery, and the monastery Kimiseos of the Theotokos which was built in the 17th century.  But one of the highlights for me was the cemetery.

To reach the cemetery was a long hike up the mountainside, but it was worth it!  The graves were surrounded by wild flowers and Eucalyptus trees.  Most of the graves had a windowed box as the headstone and these boxes contain memorabilia of the dead person's life; often times even photographs!  Some of the photographs were so old and it was fascinating to look at them and realize that the body belonging to that face was buried right below.

From the cemetery we headed back down to the seafront for a late lunch (I say late, but Matta would probably disagree!)  The island is populated with cats of all colors and sizes and these beggars hung around our table patiently (really!) waiting to be fed bits of fish.  The were all calm and polite until a scrap of food was tossed down and then they grew downright ugly; hissing and scratching each other as they fought over the food.

After lunch, it was time to catch the hydrofoil back to Athens.  I'm glad to be home a little earlier than last night.  Matta is just back from visiting a sick friend in the hospital so we are going to eat and then I'm looking forward to spending some time with my nose in a book!

Dıd you know......?

Today I saw the Bosphorus Brıdge.  The Bosphorus ıs the body of water that separates Europe from Asıa and the brıdge that connects the two contınents is, creatıvely, called the Bosphorus Bridge and was completed in the 1970's.  Actually, there are two bridges.  They are called the Fırst Bosphorus Brıdge and the Second Borphorus Brıdge and I got to see them both!  (o.k...... the second brıdge ıs also called Fatıh Sultan Mehmet Brıdge).  One of the many thıings that I did not know about Turkey before taking this trip is that part of Turkey sits in Europe and the other part sits in Asıa.  (Please don't think any less of me for not knowing this before - Dad, I'm talking to you!)  In the photo above, Europe ıs on the left and Asia is on the right.  The photo below is of the other Bosphorus Brıdge and in this photo, Asia is on the left and Europe is on the right.  My sources tell me that there are plans to buıld yet a third Bosphorus Bridge.

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I had another really great day today.  Akıf (the youngest son of the "lıttle old man") was my guide.  He picked me up around 11:00 and took me out for breakfast.  We ate at a lıttle outdoor cafe whıch was surrounded by many other little outdoor cafes and shops selling jewelry.  Akıf is a pediatrician and he is absolutely charming!  The corners of his eyes have tıny laugh wrinkles and he gives the impression of a very compassıonate and happy man.  His phone rang almost non-stop from patients calling him for one reason or another and even though it is Sunday, and his only day off of the week, he took time to talk to and advise each one.  Breakfast was delightful, except for the coffee.  I just didn't think I could choke down one more cup of Turkish coffee and asked if they had regular coffee.  I was assured they did, they told me it's called nescafe in Turkish.  Turns out, it's really and truly Nescafe and it was horrible!  They made it with some funky tasting milk and I just couldn't gag it down.  That's it sitting in the cute yellow cup and looking all ınnocent and delicious in the photo below.

After breakfast, we hopped on a boat and took a one hour boat ride up and down the Bosphorus.  The weather started out perfect, sunny and breezy, but by the time our boat turned around and headed back, the sun had dısappeared and the wind had picked up and it was down right chilly! 

Yesterday, I got to visit the Galata Tower.  It was built in the 14th century and for hundreds of years was used as a lookout to spot fires in the city.  Today, it is primarily a tourist attraction and houses a restaurant.  It offers the best panoramic view of the city and I got some great pictures from the lookout balcony.

This is probably my last blog from Turkey as I leave for Athens in the morning!  I hope I can get a decent cup of coffee while I'm in Greece!

a few words about custom......

A mistake was made when I packed my bags thinking I was headed somewhere bursting with Spring-like weather.  I only packed clothes for warm weather, with the exception of one black sweater.  I've been LIVING in that black sweater!  (Thanks Lyndy, by the way).  At least I fit in as everyone here, be they male or female, dresses in black.  There is almost no color at all, other than the splashes of color ın the scarves wrapped around the heads of Muslim women.

And speaking of Muslim women, I'm suprısed at how few there are!  I only saw a handful yesterday.  I thought I was coming to Muslim country?  Most folks are dressed in tights or slacks with dark sweaters and jackets.  Most heads are bare.

The Turkish practice a tradition siımılar to the Indıan tradition of removing your shoes when you enter a house.  I like taking off my tired old shoes and slipping on a pair of warm, fuzzy house slippers.  I'm thinking about instigating a similar practice in my own house when I return home. 

I think I offended my Turkish host yesterday at the market when I suggested that offering me tea was really a sales technıque.  The more time I spent in the proprıetor's shop, the more likely I was to find more things I wanted to buy.  This technique actually worked on me!  I was all set to leave the spice shop when the owner insisted I drink a SECOND cup of tea.  While I waited for my tea to cool a bit, he offered me samples of fıgs and aprıcots which were so delicious I ended up buying some of both!  When I mentioned this to Norta, she seemed shocked at the very idea and assured me that this was just plain old Turkish hospitality.

Yesterday I met a delightful old Turkish lady who was determined to hold a conversation with me.  She sat next to me on the couch, all hunched and tiny, and told me stories.  When I shrugged my shoulders and ımplied I had no idea what she was saying, she raised her voice a couple of notches and told me the whole thing all over again.  This tıme I smiled enthusiastically and utilızed my one Turkish word, "tamam, tamam".  I wish I could of saıd something like "really?" or maybe even "oh, my!" but "o.k." seemed to satısfy her and she launched into a second and third story illustrated with gestures and various facial expressions.  Afterwards, she just sat and stared at me for a while and petted my hair.  Very charming!

One more noteworthy item.  Although I love coffee, and the stronger the better, Turkısh coffee ıs for the......well, the Turks.  Drinking Turkish coffee is similar in taste to suckiıng down a tiny cup of cıgarette butts.  YUK!  I'm switching to tea!

What I did and saw in a day.......

Today I was rememberıng a story I once heard about a group of blınd men who were experiencing an elephant for the fırst tıme.  Each man felt a dıfferent part of the elephant (such as the sıde, the trunk, the tail, etc) and came away with a dıfferent idea about what an elephant was like.  Later on, when they were sharing their ideas about an elephant, they realized they were in complete disagreement about what an elephant is like.  Truth is like that and I guess my Istanbul experience is also somewhat like that.  I realize that my Istanbul experıence is very limited but at least I can say wıth confıdence that this one day has been amaziıng!

The picture above is one I took while visiting the Basilica Cistern.  It was built cırca 540 A.D. by the Emperor Justınıanos I of the Byzantine Empıre.  A huge hole was dug underground and 300 columns were buılt to support the upper ground.  Thıs water storage area provided water for the entire city.  Aside from the fact that it is an incredible feeling to be standing in a structure so old, it's amazing to think that almost 2,000 years ago, long before the arrıval of earth-movıng equipment like we have today, they were able to construct such a structure. 

Even more awe-inspiring to me was the Topkapi Palace.  This palace housed the emperıal household of the Ottoman empire for over four centuries.  While the palace itself is beautiful, I was unprepared to find myself standing face to face (so to speak) wıth the staff of Moses.  Really?  And a bıt further along I saw the turban that once sat on the head of the prophet Joseph (he of the coat of many colors) not to mentıon the skull cap of John the Baptist.  (And by skull cap, I mean the bone cap of his skull!)  Housed in this same room was the preserved footprint of the prophet Mohammed.  Amaziıng relics!

Leavıng hıstory behind, we headed to the Istanbul University for lunch.  I had set a goal to learn ten Turkısh words today and so I took advantage of the wait for food to ask my hosts for a few vocabulary words.  I thought ıt might be nice to be able to say thank-you.  When I asked Shanai how to say thank-you, she responded with something that sounded like a 3-second sneeze made by someone with a mouth full of maırbles.  Attempts to learn other simple words ended up much this same way.  Unfortunately the only Turkish word I can say as the sun sets on this day, ıs "tamam", which simply means "o.k."

After lunch I did an amazing thing.....  I spent $140 in less than two hours and the most expensive sıngle item I bought was only $16!  Most of my money was spent at the shop shown below.

Here I bought 3 ounces of REAL saffron, a bottle of pomegranıte syprup (impossible to find in Fort Wayne, even at George's), a couple pounds of sun-drıed aprıcots (OMG!!! they are to dıe for!), a couple of pounds of fıgs. and a few pounds of Turkısh deliıght.  Eddy told me not to bother bringing home any Turkish delight as we had bought several boxes in Izmır last year and were not at all impressed.  But when I tasted the freshly made stuff, there was no comparisıon and I decided to at least bring some home for the kids.

Who would have ever thought that because my husband befriended a little old man from Turkey, I would end up in Istanbul having a great time?  Tomorrow ıs our 26th anniversary, and even though we won't be spending it together, I will be thinking about how thankful I am to have married such a great man!  (Kisses to Eddy, ıf he's reading!)

I made some great friends today.  The ladies that took me around town are wonderful fun.  Shanaı ıs a lawyer, exactly my age, and she took the day off to show me around.  Her great-aunt. Norta, ıs only a few years older.  She ıs a research scıentıst and a physıcs professor at Istanbul Unıversıty.  We had so much fun and I couldn't have special ordered any better hosts!

I'm feeling pleased with myself that I was able to write a somehwhat lengthy blog without even mentioning what I had to eat today.  Let me just say...... ıt was all good!

Istanbul

What a day!  Traveled to Turkey with the lıttle old man and found out that plan rides that last more than 10 hours are no fun at all!  Especially on Turkish Airlınes, whıch makes their seats just the rıight size to hold a size 6 butt.  No fun at all if you're carrying around a size 10 or 12!  Ali (the little old man) became ıncreasingly aggıtated and I was afraid that he would refuse to board the plane in Chicago.  After the first hour ın the air, he began asking how much longer.  Every time a flight attendant walked by he would stop hım/her and ask, "Escuse me, how much time?"  They were very patıent with him!  At one point he turned to me and said, "This is terrible!  It's driving me nuts!  How are we going to do to go back?"   This morning, at 4 a.m. he got up, took his suitcase, and headed for the door.  He told his son he was going back to Fort Wayne.  They spent over half an hour talking him out of it.  It's going to be an interesting day!

The people I am staying with are very friendly!  They have a small but very nice apartment.  Last night they served somethıng called "manti" for supper.  It was tiny dumplings stuffed with a meat filling then drizzled with a yogurt sauce, then olive oil and paprika and finally sprinkled with dried mint.  Very tasty!  After this first course, they served a breaded and fried meat and a salad.  I went to bed with a happy tummy!. 

(I'm typing on a turkish keyboard and many of the keys are in different places.  It's driving me nuts!)

Today I'm headed out to see the great city of Istanbul!

on again, off again

First I was going to Istanbul, and then I wasn't.  And then I was again.  And now I'm NOT. 

The plan was for me to accompany the "little old man from Turkey" back home.  His family was worried about his ability to travel alone and so had asked if I would accompany him back.  After seeing the sights in Istanbul, I was planning to catch a plane to Athens and spend a week or so visiting a friend there.  

But Friday morning, "the little old man from Turkey" woke up completely lucid and declared, "There is no way I'm going back to Turkey!  Now give me the phone, I'm gonna call the son-of-a-bitch that nailed my house shut!"  (His house had been condemned and boarded up during his season of dementia)  So, instead of spending today traveling through airports, I'm spending it trying a few new recipes from Lebanon and starting a new book. 

At least the house smells good!!!!

The Italian Connection

The other day, I picked up this Fine Cooking magazine that focused on Italian food.  My best friend in high school came from an Italian family and when I saw that the recipe for meatballs was almost exactly like the one her mother used to make her incredibly delicious meatballs, I figured the rest of the recipes must be delicious as well.  I decided to try the eggplant parmesan.  Because my son has not yet learned to love eggplant, I thought I'd make a pot of soup as well so he'd have something he enjoyed for supper too.  The soup recipe seemed almost to simple to be good.  It was made with creamy cannellini beans and cabbage.  I was amazed at how delicious (I know... that's the third time I've used that word!) it turned out!

But the eggplant parmesan.... oh my!  I don't want to sound full of myself, but this was absolutely the BEST eggplant parmesan I've ever put in my mouth.  The eggplant slices were salted and drained for two hours, patted dry with paper towels and fried in olive oil until they were soft and golden brown.  The sauce was a simple sauce made with canned, crushed tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil with handfuls of fresh basil stirred in at the end.  The dish was layered with fresh mozzarella and aged parmesan.  The eggplant absolutely melted in my mouth, it was so incredible! 

It's been a while since I've posted about food so I hope you will forgive me for posting a picture of the dish. 

I can hardly wait for lunch tomorrow, when I will indulge in the left-overs!

What did you have for supper tonight?

Final exit........

Eddy has gotten us involved with a little old man from Turkey.  He is in the middle stages of dementia and as a result, has become "homeless".  He actually owns two houses; one is a big beautiful house in a very expensive neighborhood.   The big house stands furnished, with pictures of his younger days still forgottenly displayed.  But as his disease has progressed, he has neglected paying the mortgage and utility bills.  The house has 6 inches of water in the basement and the bank is about to foreclose.  The smaller house has been condemned by the city.  He has been living there in squalor with his large dog.  The house is filthy and cluttered.  Piles of trash in the yard and a most unpleasant smell coming from the house have caused the neighbors to report it.  Eddy has contacted his relatives in Turkey and England.  His grandson arrived from Turkey the day before yesterday and his daughter-in-law will be coming from London on the 29th.  The plan is to help get his affairs in order so he can go back to Turkey with his grandson.  As Eddy has been spending time with the "little old man from Turkey" it has caused him to remember a recent experience visiting an elderly friend of ours who is now living in an assisted living facility.

He is a Haitian man who is in the end stages of dementia.  On a recent visit, he sat babbling in his wheelchair as he pulled and twisted the top of his Depends and talked about showing us his new underwear.  In his other hand, a half-filled glass of juice trembled distractingly while spittle slid out the side of his mouth.  He had been a good friend and competent mechanic as recently as a few years ago.

These experiences have been tormenting my 52-year-old husband (who, by the way, shows NO signs of dementia) and as a result, he has begun planning his "exit strategy".    At only 52, he seems to think all his good years are behind him and the little time he has left he seems determined to spend agonizing over his soon-to-come humiliating decline and inevitable demise.  

What a waste of energy!  Eddy is likely to live well into his 80's before he dies a probably somewhat painful but mercifully quick death from choking when he bursts into sudden laughter while taking a gulp of beer.  It will be his punishment for watching years and years of stupid sit-coms like Two-and-a-Half Men.

Disturbia........

Things aren't going as well as they should be.  Here we are, in month three of the new year and all my good intentions and healthy starts have already fallen by the wayside.  I haven't "decluttered" anything since the second week of January. In fact, it seems I've inadvertently been creating more piles of clutter that will need decluttering.  I have lost my enthusiasm for yoga..... I've discovered that I have terrible balance and many of the poses are impossible for me to do.  I've been trying to eat healthy, but somehow have managed to put on about 8 pounds after having lost 5.   I spend hours every day writing down all my "bills" for the month, adding them up and subtracting them from my "income" and then redo it when I realize the result is unacceptable.  I feel like I'm in a holding pattern while I wait to hear something about the Gates grant.  Even a "No" would be a relief at this point as it would allow me to move on with my life!  And to muddle things up further, I'm still mucking around trying to figure out what I believe and what life is all about.  There's been no progress there other than deeper uncertainty.  And to top it all off, I've made a very unsettling discovery about myself.  It seems I secretly desire for others to have bad luck in life.  This has been difficult to admit to myself but I realize that I feel a small sense of satisfaction when things don't work out for certain people.  This is very disturbing to me and I can't understand why I feel this way, especially when the events have no effect, direct or otherwise, on my life.  This is pure evil and I don't know how to change it.  In trying to understand it, I'm wondering if it's because I don't want anyone to be happier than me?  I'm wondering if everything was going wonderfully for me and I was sitting on top of the world if I'd still feel this way?  I'm trying to remember if I've always felt like this but can't remember as it's something I've only consciously admitted to myself recently.  I suppose I'm going to regret having posted that and I'll end up deleting it.

Moving on.......  I had an unexpectedly delightful experience Wednesday and Thursday when I stumbled into a very engaging book.  I had been reading Her Perfect Symmetry.  It took me a while to get through this book and I was a little disappointed with it.  It is by the same author as The Time Traveler's Wife, which is one of my all-time favorite books.  I finished up Her Perfect Symmetry on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon was looking for something else to read.  I had bought Mudbound by Hillary Jordan months and months ago.  I think I bought it back in June and took it to Haiti with me when Sean and Allison and I went down to get Maya.  But, I never got around to reading it.  So anyway.... I picked it up and began reading it even though I was not very enthusiastic about it.  Wow!  It grabbed me and held on tight.  What a wonderfully written story heavy with drama and emotion of every type.  I was so sad to finish the book Thursday morning!  Now, I'm hesitant to start anything else because I know it won't be as good.

So now, here it is Saturday morning and the weekend is yawning large in front of me and I don't have a single plan.   What should I do with the next two days?  I'm open for suggestions.....

Happy Birthday

One of my favorite people is celebrating his birthday today.  His age today matches the last two digits of his birth year.  How old is he???????

He knows who he is and I wish him a very happy day filled with grandkids, grest food, a crazy day of orders, maybe some four-wheeling in the desert, and everything else he loves in life!

Waiting for something to happen.........

Have you ever eaten a meal so delicious that you didn't want to take the last bite?  Or read a book that was so engaging you didn't want to read the last page?  That was my day yesterday.  I had such a great day, I didn't want it to end.

Lately, I've been feeling like I'm trying to swim through molasses.  My limbs are heavy and I'm beyond tired.  Although I usually feel pretty good in the morning, by early afternoon I feel like an inner tube with all the air sucked out of it.  But yesterday, I was looking forward to having a few friends over for supper and spent my day preparing.  Part of the fun in preparing a meal is imagining your friends and family enjoying it together.  The group that gathered here last night was a lot of fun and everyone seemed to enjoy everyone else.  Ahhhh.....  I wonder why we don't entertain more often?  If I had people over regularly, it would surely help me to keep the house clean!

I'm wondering if my exhaustion has anything to do with my unsure future?  I've been waiting for almost three years for an answer about a grant.  I'm in this constant state of expecting an answer in the next few months, but it just drags on and on........  In the meantime, I've been unable or unwilling to look for a different source of income because I keep thinking and hoping the grant is going to come through.  But things are reaching a critical stage and I'm going to have to make a decision about what I'm going to do next with my life.  For me, that's huge!  Because my heart has been invested in Haiti for almost 30 years and I'd love to do something that involves helping the people of Haiti.  I can't imagine having a job that is nothing more than a source of income.  I really want to be working at something I feel passionate about.  Maybe I'll give it one more month.......?????