Getting ready . . .

Well, everything is beginning to come together. Our flight is set for Sept. 14, flying from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, changing planes in New York City, then landing in Istanbul, and on to Ankara. Our landlord has kindly offered to pick us up, but first we’ll have to pick up a shuttle bus from the airport and get off at the first stop—Ulus, where we will be picked up. This is a bit unorthodox, but understandable given airport parking in nearly any airport I’ve been in. My memory of Ulus is that it is the lovely old section of the city of Ankara. Most of the city is quite bureaucratic looking—it is after all the country’s capital – with some commercial sections looking like any other cosmopolitan center, and surrounded by gece condular or “night houses,” residences for the poor. These are constructed at night whereby, following local custom, they are not subject to local building codes (as long as they are built at night). Over time, the city steps in and provides customary municipal services, such as water, sewers, electricity, and so on. I’ve been told by a few people that Turkey, and Ankara in particular, have changed dramatically since we’ve been there. We shall see.