A Busy Day of Nothing

I expected to start classes today, but I didn't. The more advanced students had to take an oral language test to place them in the correct class, which meant that those few of us who hadn't started learning Turkish officially at all had nothing to do today.

It did start pouring rain in Bursa, however. That was exciting. I hadn't seen rain like that since summer in Tucson. And like Tucson, Bursa has no gutters or drainage system. Within minutes the streets were so flooded cars couldn't pass through and water was washing up in waves onto the sidewalks. Of course, I was out in the rain when it started, and my Resident Director and I ended up having to grab a taxi cab just to get to our destination, which was two blocks away, since the streets were impassable by foot.

When I got home, Günce helped me practice vocabulary.

"Edermisin?" I asked her. Can you help me? She came and sat by me on the couch.

"Bunun adı nedir?" I asked, having to peek at my notebook each time to remember how to say it. (Eyüp was on the other couch, continually reminding me of the proper way to say my undotted I's). What is the name of this?

Then I drew a series of pictures in my notebook, and Günce wrote the Turkish word for it below. She found it delightful, and I found it extremely helpful. The beginning of a wonderful and fruitful symbiotic relationship! Mouse. Fare. Sun. Güneş. Moon. Ay.

And also, Nehir sang me the most adorable freakin' song in the whole wide world.