What I’ve learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0036

1751.  The Turks sure do love their (boiled) corn, bagels (i.e., simits) and (roasted) chestnuts;

1752.  There are little shops and street vendors everywhere in Istanbul. . . . They’re along the streets, in underground thoroughfares and even under bridges;

1753.  Istanbul is a pretty clean city.  They are street sweepers and garbage collectors working everywhere;

1754.  The Turks aren’t as concerned about public safety as Americans are. . . . They’ll work on repairing a public set of steps without blocking off the area to pedestrians;

1755.  I didn’t think heaven and hell could be in the same place at the same time;

1756.  The Turks are serious jaywalkers. . . . It’s amazing that more people aren’t run over;

1757.  There are fish in the Basilica Cistern (i.e., Yerebatan Sarnıçı);

1758.  I’m not sure if Turkey has child labor laws;

1759.  Little boys in Istanbul like to play with toy guns;

1760.  There are amazing views of the city (i.e., Istanbul) atop Galata Tower (i.e., Galata Kulesi);

1761.  Guardrails make pretty good tripods;

1762.  Lightning only has to strike once for it to work out;

1763.  When it rains in Istanbul, it really rains;

1764.  October 29^th is Turkey’s Independence Day;

1765.  Robbie doesn’t like it when people read over her shoulder;

1766.  Shopkeepers in Istanbul like to sit on the steps or on a stool outside of their shops and drink tea, smoke or play with their phones or some combination of that;

1767.  The Turks don’t seem all that concerned about roping off museum pieces like they are in the U.S.;

1768.  The detail on Alexander the Great’s sarcophagus is amazing;

1769.  Some gladiators had their own (carved) gravestones;

1770.  The Hagia Sophia (i.e., Ayasofya) was originally a Christian basilica;

1771.  Windowsills make pretty good tripods too;

1772.  Lahmacun is sometimes known as Turkish pizza;

1773.  Watch out for the unordered dishes that show up on your table in Istanbul restaurants;

1774.  When you take a cab (i.e., taksi) in Istanbul, ask for the taksimetre (i.e., taxi meter);

1775.  5. Kat Restaurant & Bar (5Kat.com) also has amazing views of the city (i.e., Istanbul) too;

1776.  Chocolate baklava! . . . Who knew?

1777.  Florence Nightingale created the foundations of modern nursing practice in the Selimiye Army Barracks in Istanbul during the Crimean War. . . . They brought down the mortality rate from 70% to 5%;

1778.  General Mustafa Kemal became Atatürk (i.e., “Father of the Turk’s”);

1779.  There are no religious marriages in Turkey only civil ones;

1780.  Pistachio shells in the U.S. seem harder than the ones in Turkey;

1781.  Robbie was raised Baptist;

1782.  I think Robbie is a very good, kind and understanding person;

1783.  Daylight savings time ends on October 28^th in Istanbul (at least in 2012).  At that time, they’re only 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, not 7;

1784.  The Turks don’t really celebrate Halloween;

1785.  I should smile more;

1786.  No regrets;

1787.  The Turks are really into juicing;

1788.  Fresh kiwi juice is a little chalky. . . . I think it’s because of the skin;

1789.  Turks sure do like sugar in their tea. . . . It’s probably why Nestea iced tea is popular;

1790.  The “Rule of Thirds:” 1.  Divide your (camera’s) viewfinder into thirds horizontally and vertically; and 2.  Make the focus of your picture a third of the way in horizontally and vertically with the horizon being on the top or bottom third. . . . Usually the sky is more interesting than the ground;

1791.  Robbie likes beets . . . and, generally, any purple colored food(s) . . . and garlic;

1792.  The sanitation works in Istanbul tend to be Roma (i.e., Gypsies);

1793.  Robbie likes to have a drink with a cigarette;

1794.  Apparently, my upper (left) thigh makes a good cat pillow. . . . Just ask “Nameless;”

1795.  By the time she turned twenty-one, Robbie had visited every continent across the globe except Antarctica . . . of which she has (absolutely) no desire ever to see;

1796.  Apparently, slugs eat pigeon droppings;

1797.  As sad as it maybe, sometimes the stray cats in Istanbul are hit by cars;

1798.  Sultans had 8-10 wives and could remarry when one of them died;

1799.  Atatürk died from cirrhosis of the liver. . . . He sure loved his rakı;

1800.  The clock in the bedroom, where Atatürk died in Dolmabahçe Palace, is stopped at 9:05 AM, the time of his death;