Güle güle!

I'm off on the Orient Express!

Dear friends and family: as most of you know, I've been hired as an English "communication skills instructor" at Bilkent University in Turkey for the 2010-11 academic year. I'll be living in a campus apartment in Ankara for a year, teaching Turkish undergraduates the finer points of English in a conversational setting, and hopefully studying a bit of Turkish for myself. It's a fantastic opportunity to get experience in a modern Middle Eastern country, and I look forward to the work.

Of course, before I settle into my job, I want to see the country for myself. And with that in mind, I'm setting off on Thursday for a week-long stay in Istanbul. A friend of mine who lives there has warned me of the "sweltering" weather the city is currently experiencing--I'm arriving at perhaps the hottest part of the summer. But all of Turkey, save perhaps the eastern-most reaches, is hot right now. I'm keen to find a destination that isn't too much of a jarring transition, and which, perhaps more importantly, will have restaurants and museums that stay open for Ramadan.

So I'm flying out tonight and arriving in Ankara tomorrow, where I'll deposit my heavy luggage and take just one bag on the five-hour train ride to Istanbul. I'll be bringing a camera and a meager Turkish phrasebook, sleeping in cheap hostels, and eating street food--in other words, I'll be just like the thousands of young Europeans who are no doubt there right now.

I plan to blog throughout the year, although those of you who followed me in Jordan two years ago will know that my posts may well be sporadic. If you'd like to receive e-mail updates, enter your address on the right and click "Subscribe," and you'll be notified when I write a new post.

Much love, and best wishes!