Military

Pork Paranoia

Monday! I'm feeling better, loaded with brand new antibiotics, and back to business. 

An oldish anecdote from last month:

So yes. I visited Z and M in Turkey last month, and as planned, I'd taken a crap load of pork with me (ham, sausages, bacon bits) as a souvenir. I'd had some trouble getting through passport control in Germany (my stupid fault), so I was already a bit on edge. I eventually made it to Istanbul, but then I was suddenly struck by huge paranoia about how the customs officials were going to bust me for the 5+ kilos of pork I had in my backpack. I started imaging drug-sniffer dogs reacting to my meat by mistake (they're dogs, after all) and then me being hauled over to the examination room and being questioned and searched, and then eventually getting in trouble for bringing meat into the country.

But yes. In the end, nothing happened, and Turkey was awesome. End of story.

Savages

So I was in Turkey last week visiting Z&M. There I learned that the Turkish word for foreigner (yabancı) sounds a lot like the Japanese word for savage (yabanjin 野蛮人). Thanks to that knowledge I found myself reacting hypersensitively whenever anyone mentioned that word.

Well, tourists can be savages . . .

Back!

Back from terrific Turkey. I didn't have much energy to do anything at all yesterday. My body had absolutely refused to turn on my computer, so I lay reading the Amish Harlequin novel (yes, Amish!) that P sent me for my birthday until I fell asleep at around 10. But yes. I'm still snotty but I'm starting art classes at the community college tonight. Slightly...nervous. Yes. Anyway.

I'd hoped it was a sarcastic remark, but it wasn't.

**
It's 2am.
Dammit. I said I was going to bed two hours ago. How did this happen? Ok. BED. NOW!

PDA

Coming to you once again from Izmit, Turkey. I seem to have caught a cold on the airplane or something and so my entire face has been stuffy and I've been coughing on everybody (which I'm sure everyone has been enjoying). Ahem. But aside from that, Turkey has been amazing. I fulfilled my dream of seeing Hagia Sophia, which was really quite awesome. Ever since I answered the question about the Hagia Sophia incorrectly on my first year art history finals, I'd felt bad about it and have been meaning to see it in person. So yes. I won't mix you up for another Byzantine-church-turned-Catholic-church-turned-mosque anymore, HS.

Anyway. Here's another Facebook pet peeve:

I promise I'm not bitter. At all.

Turkey-bound

A quickie before I take off to Turkey!

And with that, I'm off!

**

And I'm here in Z and M's castle of awesomeness! All is awesome. I'm very happy. If I were to draw a comic of how I'm feeling now, I would have flowers sprouting from my head. Happy is oozing out of every pore.

Word of the day: anathema

Wieners

I asked my mom what she thought I should bring to my friends in Turkey.

M: "Sausages."
N: "Ok. What else?"
M: "Sausages!"
N: "Mmm, and?"
M: "More sausages!"

Don't worry. I'll bring you something else.