Yesterday (frıday) was such a long day we had our second day of classes at 9-11 we had Turkısh taught by the cutest lıttle lady Murmur she ıs too cute. Thn we had a break tıl 12:30 so some of us grabbed a bıte to eat on campus whıch actually has really good food. I got pilav and a tomatocucumber salata. After lunch we sat outside to finish our readings and one of our little doggie friends that we name babe came to see us. Its this little puppy that always comes up to us for some love. Then we had class tıl about 3:30 durıng class Said came in because he felt so bad about a misunderstanding in where we were meeting the day before so he brought us all chocolate bars mine was pistacio mmm. Said offered to take us out to Taksim Square later that evening so myself Colleen and Robyn met Said at the ferry and we would meet up with the others later in Taksim. Taksim is this really fun area where there is a lot of shops and places to eat and tons of street performers. Its a really neat area. We walked around a bıt and decided to grab a bite I got some spinach thing ıt was spinach with something in it for flavor with an egg on top and I also got some honeydew melon. Very yummy and under 4 US dollars. We walked back to the beginning of Taksim to meet up with everyone else who were out with a Turkish guy they knew because he had gone to SIUE as a study abroad. He joined us and we went to a bar. One thing ive noticed while here (and ın other countries) people dont sit and keep drinking like they do in the US. They causually drink and sit and talk with their friends. They dont get loud and obnoxious. This is why I think Amerıcans are given a bad travel rep as loud and obnoxious because a large majority of americans who drink do just that. I got some kind of martini I guess I really have no clue what it was other than good. We all had a great time though just talking and relaxing for about the first time. We left the bar around 12:30 maybe a little sooner because it takes so long to get back to where we are staying. We had to catch a bus and then a taksi (taxi) to get back to Yeditepe. The bus was so crowded which i wasnt expecting that late at night. Said made all us girls stand in a corner practically and him and the two boys stand around us for safety reasons. I never have felt unsafe here though not once. After a horrendously long bus ride Said put us into cabs and we went home getting there at about 1:30am.

Today is empty until this afternoon when we are meeting up with Said and going to Princes Islands for the afternoon. Tomorrow I believe nothing is planned and Monday we have class. But Tuesday we are going to two of the biggest and most famous mosques in Istanbul the Aya Sophia and the Blue Mosque. Im really excıted about going there. Pictures ive seen are breathtaking so I can only imagine what it will be like in person.