Part 11: How To Use the 3rd Floor Science Building Toilet

The following will be a short but informative entry full of practical information.  Additionally, it will give you a glimpse into my daily work life. 
 

Before I get to the nitty gritty, you need some background.  The 3^rd floor of the science building at times has 3 classes going on at once several times a day.  The 3^rd floor of the science building has 5 teachers’ offices or classrooms (for those of us without an office).  The 3^rd floor of the science building has one toilet.  One.   

Now, on to how to use the toilet.  I think step-by-step instructions are generally best for this type of thing:

1.  Roll up pants to the knee. 

2.  Skirt around giant water puddle in sink area. 

3.  Close and lock door to the room with the toilet. 

4.  If toilet lid is down, lift using as little contact as possible. 

5.  Hover.  DO NOT COVER.  You will probably end up with some sort of horrible disease if you actually sit. 



Figure 1

6.  Carefully rip off toilet paper using two hands since the holder is one of those deals where you just slide the roll onto the bar that is open at one end and the open end is facing the way the toilet paper naturally moves for any right-handed person trying to tear it.   (see figure 1 for an example)

7.  Take care of wiping (I think most people who know how to read can have this figured out by now).

8.  Flush.  Unfortunately, you will have to touch the flush button.

9.  Stay close to the wall and maneuver around the giant puddle to get to the sink. 

10.  Wash hands.  This is very important. 

11.  There are no paper towels, so give hands a shake or wipe them on your pants.

12.  Work your way around the puddle to the exit.

13.  Roll pants back down before teaching or weird looks will result.

14.  Pray that it actually gets cleaned this evening. 

15.  Keep in mind that God sometimes answers prayers with the word, “no.”

Part 10: Istanbul Continued September 23-25

The next day began with Topkapi Palace.  Home to the sultans from 1465-1856, this huge compound takes at least four hours to get through, and that is if you are in a hurry.  After entering, we started out with a tour of the harem.  Although it costs you an extra 10 lira (or $5), it is worth it.  This is the sultan and his family’s private residence.  No one else, but the eunuchs who guarded it, were ever allowed in.  It is covered in painted Iznik tiles and the many of the rooms have their own domes.  There were rooms for the sultan and his mother (sultan’s mothers played a huge role in government) as well as smaller apartments for the sultan’s wives and children. 

dome in sultan's chambers

Entrance to Harem

The harem is inside the 3^rd gate.  The four gates go up in privacy.  The fourth gate is open only to members of the sultan’s family, much like the harem.  The first gate was open to almost anyone needing to conduct business with the government.  Inside the courtyard behind the second gate the sultan would take care of justice and hold audiences.  This is also where the kitchens and imperial council chambers were found.  Behind the 3^rd gate, is the Audience Chamber.  The sultan would sit here to receive foreign ambassadors and the like, but it was arranged so as to block the view of most of the rest of the 3^rd courtyard.  The 3^rd courtyard was were the sultan spent his time when not inside the harem.  Also inside the 3^rd gate are the imperial treasury and the library. 

Library

Topkapi also houses important religious relics of the Muslim world.  For example, I saw Moses’ staff and Mohamed’s cloak and beard.  As with all religious relics from any religion, I’m a little skeptical.  But, now I can add these to my list along with John the Baptist’s finger, which I’ve seen several times at the Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City (located after the suits of armor and before the mummy, if you are interested).

After we had a late lunch at a rooftop café with a great view of the Blue Mosque, we headed to the Galata district, where one of my travel companion’s friends from her old school in Dubai now lives.  We met up with him and he took us to his apartment.  The most amazing apartment.  It has hardwood floors, exposed brick ceilings and a mosque minaret 10 feet out the bedroom window (you can’t win them all).  He was really good natured about being woken up by the call to prayer everyday at 5:30 am.  His reaction, “GOOD MORNING, ALLAH!!.”  I suppose you’d get used to it.  The roof of his building has the same views as the Galata tower, including, the Galata Tower.  The Galata Tower was built in 1348 as a fortification for defense.  You could also see the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn.  That rooftop was amazing. 

Galatta Tower

Topkapi Palac overlooking the Golden Horn

We then went out for Thai food (first actually spicy food I’ve had since moving) and then went to a rooftop bar in Taksim square.  I’ve never seen more people out in one place in my entire life.  (Also, I’m not sure I want to again).  Thousands of people were milling around the roads here.  It was a bit claustrophobic, but fun.   

The next day went to the Grand Bazaar.  It was an experience.  I can’t outline what I bought here, because much of it will be shipped home for Christmas presents, but we all bought something.  The lines you hear at the Bazaar are entertaining as well.  One of my travel buddies even got a marriage proposal.  I don’t know what it is about me, perhaps my youthful appearance, but I got very few lines coming my way, whereas my two friends had to deal with them basically from the time we got left the airport until we got back to the airport.  You just have to laugh, and move on.  We got some lunch and then took the fairy over to the Asian side.  I mostly just took pictures along the Bophorus, but it was nice.  Plus it only cost an extra $2 and I have now been to Asia.

Grand Bazaar

Asian Side

That night at dinner, one of my friends managed to “out Turkish” our waiter.  He had no idea what to think of this girl.  He spent a large portion of the evening bent over from laughing.  That night we went back to Mahmet’s shop.  We had been there twice before and this was our last chance.  By this trip, he officially knew we were crazy, but I don’t think he cared since we bought a lot from him.  We kept coming back because he was very honest and nice and not full of horrible pick up lines.  If you are going to Istanbul, buy from Mahamet.  I can provide the address on request. 

On our last day, 2 of us decided to go to Dolmabahçe Palace.  It was built right on the Bosphorus in 1856 to replace Topkapi Palace with a more European style royal residence.  After standing in incredibly long lines and being cut in front of repeatedly (a line is truly a cultural thing, although knowing that does not make it less annoying), we got in.  It was very grand.  The chandeliers (the largest of which is 4 tons) came from England and France.  There was also a Steinway piano and two bear skin rugs that were gifts from foreign rulers.  It was the most over the top and grand thing I’ve ever seen (Buckingham Palace included).  Unfortunately, pictures are not allowed inside, but google image it, and you’ll see what I mean.  It retained some traditional Ottoman elements as well, such as the Harem for the family.  This is also were Ataturk, the man who led the revolution and became the Republic’s first president died.  He was a very interesting man, but I doubt you want to read an essay on him, so I’ll leave the research up to you. 

Gates over looking the Bosphorus

Dolmabache Palace (a side view)

After Dolmabahche, we jumped in a taxi back to our hotel, picked up our friend, and headed to the airport.  I would gladly go back to Istanbul.  It was a great trip. 

Part 9: Istanbul Part I September 21-22

For our second four day weekend (thank you, Bulgarian Ministry!), I went with two of my friends to Istanbul Turkey.  Istanbul is only about an hour and 20 minute plane ride from Sofia, so we left Wednesday evening after school and were at our hotel by 9:00 pm.  We stayed in Sultanhamet, the area where all the sights, such as the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sofia, are located.  We went out to grab some dinner, took some pictures of the aforementioned areas all lit up, and then went back to our hotel to sleep. 

The next day, we were planning on going to the Blue Mosque first, but apparently, so was everyone else, so we walked across the street to the Hagia Sofia.  The current building (there were two structures before it) of the Hagia Sofia was built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 537 AD and was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly 1,000 years.  After the Ottomans conquered Turkey in 1453, it was turned into a mosque.  Minarets were added and most of the religious relics and paintings inside were plastered over.  In 1931, the mosque was closed and in 1935, the Republic of Turkey reopened the Hagia Sophia as a museum.  It has been undergoing various restorations for many years and some of the original mosaics of Jesus and his Disciples and Byzantine Emperors have been uncovered and are really impressive.  Each little tile is maybe a centimeter square and there must have been thousands of them originally. 

The Hagia Sophia is massive.  It has a gigantic dome that was designed to look unsupported.  Also, there was probably over 400 people inside when we went, but it didn’t even feel crowded.  From the second floor, you can look down on the main hall and the people milling around look like ants.  The second floor has windows all around where you can get great pictures of the Blue Mosque and other nice views of Istanbul.  The Hagia Sofia also has mausoleums of several Ottoman Sultans.  These buildings were really interesting (I also found it interesting that they were open to tourists, seems weird…).  The buildings had domes decorated with tile and the sultans and their family members (one had something like 40 people buried in it) are inside coffins that have pointed tops and are covered in green carpet.  The sultan and any sons that had died had turbans on the tops of their coffins.  It was interesting, and a little morbid.
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Blue Mosque

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Mausoleum

After the Hagia Sophia we got some lunch before heading to the Basilica Cisterns.  The Cisterns were built in the 6^th century by Justinian I.  They are the largest water cisterns of the several hundred underneath Istanbul.  This cistern provided water to the Great Palace of Constantinople and to Topkapi Palace (where the sultans lived) up to modern times.  The cistern is supported by over 336 marble columns that were actually recycled from other Roman structures, so they don’t all match.  Two columns have Medusa heads at the bottom.  Supposedly the heads ward off evil spirits.  The cistern at one time could hold 100,000 tons of water, but now there are only a few feet in the bottom. 

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Hagia Sofia

After stopping for some pictures in front of the Hagia Sofia, we at last headed over to the Blue Mosque.  The line was significantly shorter so we got plastic bags for our shoes, covered up our shoulders, and headed inside.  It was extremely impressive.  It is the largest mosque in Istanbul and was completed in 1616 by Sultan Ahmed I.  Its formal name is the Sultan Ahmed Mosque.  It was designed by the greatest Turkish architect, Sinan, and incorporates both traditional Islamic features and Byzantine features, since it has to compete with the Hagia Sofia across the street. 

The inside is tiled with over 20,000 Iznik tiles.  It is incredible to see.  The mosque also has a huge dome, but it is clearly supported by four giant columns (which are apparently referred to as “elephant feet”) that dominant parts of the floor.  While I feel like most things I saw in Istanbul were impressive, the Blue Mosque takes the prize for most impressive decoration.

To be continued….