Summertime sadness...

Hey guys, 

I am really sorry for not posting anything in such a long time. I suck with blogging this semester, I know. It is just that this semester is so exhausting. I have literally no time for eating, let alone blogging. Every now and then I want to scream and cry at the same time because the amount of work for this semester is crazy. Summary writing, pronunciation diary, Proseminar paper, German exams, the list of tasks seems to be endless. I cannot wait for Christmas, and especially for February when this crappy semester will finally be over.

What keeps me going are the great memories from Lisbon this summer. I remember how hard I worked last year to be able to award myself with an awesome trip, and that is what I want to do next year too. Let me give you a brief description of why you should visit Lisbon!

1) Tiles or "azulejo" in Portuguese

There are very few places in the world that can pride themselves of maintaining the tradition and artistic use of tiles. They are used to decorate interiors or whole facades of houses or churches. Azulejos are present in so many corners of the city, at viewpoints, metro stations, church fronts, or on walls of important buildings. In Alfama, the “azulejos” show the images of saints. They are placed at the entrance of houses as a form of protection. Throughout the Bairro Alto or the Chiado areas, some of the facades of houses are filled with this Portuguese form of art. Each group of them tells a story. Azulejos are a big part of Portuguese history and culture. They are the symbol of Portugal and hence are found on every corner in the city. „What the ...., are those azulejos? This looks fabulous“, this was something I was saying to my friend almost every day.

2)  People

My friend Jasenka and I were staying at a hostel on Praça dos Restauradores (city center). It was our first hostel experience. We were skeptic in the beginning but it turned out to be the best place we ever stayed at. Our hosts were amazing young people from all over the world who made us feel at home, when I say home, I really mean it. They would make pancakes for us every morning, organize typical Portuguese dinners, sing karaoke or take us out to Bairro Alto to experience the nightlife in Lisbon. People in Lisbon are in general very nice and will try to help you as much as they can and as much as their language skills let them (their English language skills are not the best) Oh before I forget, that is the hostel: http://www.goodmorninghostel.com/

3) Beaches
Swimming in the ocean was on my “To do list in Lisbon”. I almost did not do it because one week was not enough for everything me and Jasenka had planned. The last day of our trip we managed to arrive at the beach around 6 pm. Even though the sun was still out, there were not many people there. Jasenka refused to go into the water since it was really cold, around 12C. The only people in the water were surfers trying to catch a good wave. Without hesitation and without listening to Jasenka, who was screaming at me because I might get a cold or a bladder inflammation, I ran into the water like Pamela Anderson does in Baywatch hahaha :D. The minute I was in, I was happy. It did not bother me that the water was freezing or that the sun was going down, I did what I came for. Portuguese beaches are in general very beautiful because they are sandy; the problem though is that the water is freezing in comparison to the Mediterranean Sea.

4)  Food and beverages

I do not think I need to talk about Portuguese wines, do I? They are world famous for a reason. I could easily get used to drinking them every day ;) Then there is Ginjinha or simply Ginja, a liqueur made by infusing Ginja berries (sour cherry) in alcohol and adding sugar together with other ingredients. Ginja is served in a shot form and is relatively cheap. Only one euro per shot!!! What is really cool is a little shop that sells Ginja in chocolate cups. After you drinking your Ginja you eat the chocolate cup. Delicious! A must try while in Lisbon!

5) Nightlife

Oh my gosh, what do I tell you about the nightlife? I cannot put into words what a great time I had in Lisbon. Prior to flying to Lisbon we didn't really inform ourselves about the nightlife, we just wanted to get surprised by it and boy did we get surprised! The first night we went out, we ran into a Croatian bar. Can you imagine our surprise? The guy that worked there is from Serbia and his name is Kristijan. Kiki is the party king of Lisbon. He knows everyone and everyone knows him. Not only is he fun to be around and a great host but also a wonderful person. He took us to the best places in Lisbon, introduced us to many interesting people and gave us the time of our life. We also met Tom and Maxi, two brothers from Germany, Andreas and his friend from Switzerland, a lovely gay couple from Russia, two French guys who are models for Gucci and Marc Jacobs and the owner of the best nightclub in Lisbon. I want to thank every single one of them for making our holiday unforgettable. They are a great bunch of people who have the heart in the right place. I truly hope to see them all again next year. If you are ever in Lisbon you should visit Urban Beach Club. It is a club above the ocean with a breath taking view of Lisbon. While dancing through the night you can see the skyline of Lisbon and the stars and the moon and in the morning you see the sun coming out and greeting this amazing city. An experience I will never forget! 

I highly recommend visiting Lisbon. It is a city with rich history that offers so much to its tourists. In my opinion it is not as beautiful as Vienna but it is certainly a city worth visiting. Lisbon, as well as whole Portugal, was hit very hard by the global economic crisis. Poverty is visible on every corner. High unemployment rates caused many people to leave their homes in the center of the city resulting in lots of abandoned buildings. They are rotting away because no one is taking care of them. Another thing that was rather disappointing to me was the fact that Lisbon is dirty. People throw trash on the streets and no one cares about it, no one will pick it up. It is not something I am used to. In Austria you could get punished if you throw something just like that on the street. There is so much more I would like to tell you about Lisbon but I do not want to bore you out and I think you should all check it out by yourself. TAP Portugal offers really cheap flights (mine was 140 euros from Zagreb) to Lisbon and hostels in Lisbon are also very cheap and comfortable. According to one survey Portugal has the best hostels in the world! My trip motivated me to start learning Portuguese. The grammar is not that hard but I am still struggling with pronunciation.  But I can do it.

Now, I need to get back to my English homework. Oh joy. You gotta do, what you gotta do.

Have a great week guys! :)

XOXO A. 

"Once a year, go someplace you have never been before..."  :)

My kid has more chromosomes than yours!

During my senior year in high school I had to do a presentation on Down syndrome as part of my final grade in biology. Maybe some of you don’t know what Down syndrome is so let me tell you. Down syndrome (DS) or Down's syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. Down syndrome is the most common chromosome abnormality in humans. It is typically associated with a delay in cognitive ability (mental retardation, or MR) and physical growth, and a particular set of facial characteristics. In my presentation I was mainly focusing on children with this genetic disorder. In a little place at the Adriatic coast where I have a beach house close to me live two families with children who have Down syndrome. Both of them are girls, Matea and Lucija. Even though I don’t really like kids, Lucija and Matea immediately stole my heart. They are so precious. Both of them have great and strong personalities. Sometimes they can be very stubborn. Down syndrome symptoms vary from person to person and can range from mild to severe. Both of my little neighbors have mild forms which gives them the opportunity to do a lot of activities. In many important ways, children who have Down syndrome are very much the same as other children. They have the same moods and emotions, and they like to learn new things, to play and enjoy life. Lucija and Matea enjoy swimming, dancing, running around and playing other games that children love. This presentation of mine was mostly inspired by them and is definitely one of my best because I truly put my heart and soul into it. I could go on about Down syndrome and how you can tell if your child has it and inform you about all the medical stuff related to it but instead of that I am going to let you read a letter from a mother whose child has Down syndrome. The letter is aimed to other mothers who have just found out that their child has this genetic disorder. This letter made me cry and be thankful once again for being healthy.

Dear mom who just received a prenatal Down syndrome diagnosis,

I know how you feel.

Except — unlike you, I was holding my new baby, Kate, in my arms when I found out. She was wrapped in a blanket, looking up at me as I cried, listening to the Neonatologist on staff tell me — only minutes after she was born — that she had Down syndrome. And what that meant.

He said that it meant she had an extra chromosome. And that she would have learning delays. He said that it meant she was significantly predisposed to certain medical conditions, including congenital heart defects — and that we should get her heart tested right away. He said that it meant she had low muscle tone and may not be able to breastfeed. He said that it meant she would do things on a different schedule than other kids.

And in those first few days, after hearing those statistics, talking to doctors and researching online, I thought I knew what it “meant” to have a child with Down syndrome. And quite frankly, I was devastated.

And so it is with you.

But let me tell you — from one mother to another — those facts are not what it means to have a child with Down syndrome.

Many of those facts may not even apply to you. Some might, but many might not. I’ve learned this with all of my children. And I never allow generalizations to set my expectations. (For the record, Kate breastfed like a champ and continues to break stereotypes.)

What those facts didn’t tell me about Kate is that — along with almond eyes and slightly lower muscle tone — she would also have my thick, blond hair and full lips. That she’s a Daddy’s girl. That she loves peanut butter waffles and rocking her baby doll to sleep. They didn’t tell me that she’s a nurturing big sister, a doting little sister — and the star in the room wherever we go.

Those facts didn’t tell me that she would make funny faces and dance like crazy to Fresh Beat Band. That she loves to sing. And swim. And go to gymnastics. And unload all of my kitchen cabinets.

What those facts didn’t tell me in all that they “meant” is what she would mean — to me, to our family, to our friends.

I look back on those first days and I remember the feeling of craving normality. I didn’t want to hear how life would be forever altered in some big way and that I would just learn to accept it. I just wanted life to be the way it was before — routine, “normal.”

Will things ever be normal again? I thought.

And then one day — soon — they were. Except they weren’t like before. They were better.

Suddenly, the overwhelming facts and fears faded. Because instead of knowing a diagnosis, I grew to know her.

And so it will be with you.

Because of her life, I have the unique perspective of seeing the best in the human spirit — and not just in her spirit (though she’s quite spirited!) but in everyone else.

In a world where it’s easy to view strangers through skeptic eyes, I have seen an outpouring of love and compassion surrounding her. I have connected to those I wouldn’t have otherwise. I have had strangers stop me on the street — just to tell me how beautiful she is.

The world can seem like a scary place for any child, especially those with a disability. But I have met so many who just want to love her.

I cannot tell you what challenges your precious one might have — just as I cannot tell you what challenges anybody’s child will have, “special needs” or not. One aspect of your child’s life just happens to be detectable by prenatal medical technology. But prenatal testing cannot tell you who your child will be, anymore than a fuzzy, black and white sonogram can tell you how your child will look.

When Kate was just a few months old, I went to Target to pick up some groceries. In line that day, I met the mom of a 19-year-old man with Down syndrome. And when I shared that my daughter also had Down syndrome, her eyes softened and she held my gaze with a warm smile.

It was as if we were both part of a secret sorority and she was an old pledge member. She asked me a few questions and before leaving, softly said the words that I’ll pass on to you here:

“Welcome to your beautiful journey.”

From my heart to yours,

Lauren

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it." Hellen Keller

XOXO A.

:)

About heartbreak and Istanbul....

What is the best cure to heartbreak? I am sure we all have been through at least one during our lives. Some of us know how to get through it easier and faster than others. My friend is one of the others. I am, honestly said, a very cold person. I don’t let things get to me. Maybe it is because I have moved a lot during my childhood that I learned not to get too attached to other people. People always leave whether we want it or not and there is no possible way we can stop them. And why would we? My philosophy is simple; I don’t need anyone who doesn’t need me so if you want to walk out of my life then please do so I don’t need you anyways. But back to my friend, she is going through some serious heartbreak right now and it really got to her. I have never seen her like that. In my eyes she was always this strong and independent girl who didn’t need anyone to make her happy. Now she is just lying in her bed the whole day crying her eyes out. Besides food the best way to deal with heartbreak is to travel, to escape the town for a little while. I, being a great friend, started immediately hitting up places we could travel for Valentine’s Day.  London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Prague and all those other gorgeous European capitals started popping up on my screen.  It’s a hard decision not just because we have been to the most of them but also because they are all so interesting in their own way that it is hard to choose just one of them to go to. Then, suddenly, a special offer appeared on my screen. The offer was for Istanbul, the capital of Turkey. A big, bright smile came across my face. I instantly remembered my trip to Istanbul in 2007. That trip was one of the best I had ever taken. 

Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. Istanbul is a transcontinental city where east meets west.  Its commercial and historical center lies in Europe, while a third of its population lives in Asia. I wasn’t so sure about going for a holiday to Istanbul because of all the stories you hear from other people like getting robbed in the middle of the street or ripped off anywhere you go. Upon deciding between Amsterdam and Istanbul my mom and me decided that we wanted an adventure, something new and unfamiliar to us and that’s how Istanbul won the fight against Amsterdam. From the very moment we landed on Turkish ground I fell in love with the city. It was nothing like I imagined it to be. I thought it would be very dirty with a lot of conservative people being shocked that I or any other female from our tourist group are not wearing headscarves. I imagined people to be very unfriendly towards tourists and not ready to help them but luckily I was proven wrong. Istanbul is so fascinating. It combines history with future, old with new, tradition with modern and all that in a completely new way. People from Istanbul, at least most of them, are very friendly and open minded, ready to help you with anything you need. What was a little problem though, was their lack of English skills or any other foreign language. I don’t think they speak any other language besides Turkish and if they do, they only know the basics so they can sell you their stuff. Furthermore, Istanbul is a very clean city. Every half an hour you can see someone walking around with a broom cleaning the streets. Rome in comparison is a very dirty city. The city offers much more than what it looks like on the first sight and it is really impossible to see everything there is to it in just a week. But here is a top 8 of must-sees/ do’s while staying in Istanbul:

1)  Hagia Sophia - For Istanbul, Hagia Sophia is iconic. Hagia Sophia was initially built as a Christian basilica in the 4th century, but was destroyed twice before the current structure was erected in the 6th century under the auspices of Justinian I, who ordered a larger church than the ones that had been planned initially. Eight centuries later, the Ottomans conquered the town, and transformed it in a muslin mosque. Finally, in 1935, Ataturk (founder of modern Turkey) transformed it in a cultural museum. Today, the enormous dome (a tribute to the wonders of Byzantine architecture and engineering) and the magnificent mosaics highlight this museum.

2)  Blue Mosque - Unlike the Hagia Sophia, the 17th-century Blue Mosque remains a functioning house of worship. Both its exterior and interior are visually striking. It consists of 21,000 blue ceramic tiles. The beauty of it is shown best while standing inside looking at the sunshine trying to find its way through the numerous windows. That’s when the real magic starts because the huge mosque suddenly seems blue! But there is one thing to keep in mind. The mosque is closed during prayer times and on Fridays. Also, shoes need to be taken off while entering the mosque and any revealing clothes are to be avoided.

3) Grand Baazar - This lengthy, covered marketplace houses thousands of tiny shops selling food, clothing, jewelry, and more. The Grand Bazaar is exotic, colorful, vibrant and a complete opposite of the dull and same-old-same-old shopping malls around Europe and the States.  For bargain lovers, it's a dream come true!  You get to gown to half price or even less. The vendors could seem upset by you trying to lower the price but as soon as you start walking away from them they will call you back and give it to you for the price you want. You will find everything there; you name it, gold, leather, carpets, antiques, furniture, lighting, clothes, shoes, etc.

4)  Topkapi Palace – It was initially the residence of the Sultan and the royal family. In the 17th and 18th centuries, however, the Palace was overshadowed as the preferred residence of the royals by newer palaces on the Bosporus, and finally in the 19th century the Sultan Abdül Mecid I decided to move his residence officially to Dolmabahçe. In 1924, the complex was converted to a museum by the Republic. The interior of the palace is simply breathtaking just like the Sultan treasures including an 86-carat diamond (the diamond is truly stunning, I don’t know which woman would want it on her engagement ring ;)) and the jeweled dagger. Also to explore is Topkapi’s storied harem.

5)  Taksim square - Taksim square is probably the most important square in Istanbul and the heart of the city. It is impressive for its size and it holds numerous restaurants where you can eat traditional Turkish foods, shops, religious buildings and cultural centers. The square, the name of which means division or divided, comes from the statue of the same name.

6)  Dolmabahce Palace - It was the residence of the last Sultans. It was built in the 1840s and 1850s for Sultan Abdül Mecid I, who got tired of residing in Topkapi Palace and decided to move to another palace on the shores of the Bosporus. The palace itself is very influenced by European styles especially the Baroque style. Its interior design amazes the eyes.  Dolmabahce was used by the royal family as its official residence until the proclamation of the Republic in 1923, when it became the Presidential Summer Palace and a residence for Turkey’s first President, Kemal Atatürk. It was here that he died in 1923. It is now a museum that is open to the public.

7)  Egyptian (Spice) Market – The name „Egyptian Market“ is due to the fact that most of the spices were imported through Egypt. It is the most exotic and colorful market in Istanbul and the second largest after the Grand Bazaar, filled with the smell of spice and different foods (sweets, vegetables, fruits).  The smell inside the market is simply unbelievable. It’s like an orgasm for the nose.

8) Wine & dine – Turkey is a country famous for its food. It would be a sin not to eat in Istanbul. I personally wasn’t too amazed by the original Turkish kebab or some other dishes that I ate at a typical Turkish restaurant. But Turkish sweets are a completely different story. Turkish delight (lokum) is a must have. There is a wide variety of color and flavor including rose-hips, pistachios, walnuts and gum mastic. It is found on every corner and even the sellers offer it to you for free to taste it. Turkish desserts are very fatly because they are full of sugar. But they are amazingly delicious. Another Turkish must have is their tea. While waiting at the Grand Bazaar or any other market for the seller to find what you are looking for you will be offered tea. It is for free and it is not polite to reject. As well as the delight, tea varies in flavors. My personal favorite is apple tea. It can’t be compared to any other tea I drank there. To me, it’s a piece of heaven on earth.

I hope this little “travel guide” somehow gave you the perspective on what to see and do in Istanbul. It is really a fascinating city. And don’t listen to people who tell you differently! You will never know until you come and experience it by yourself. It is worth the trip, I pinky promise.

I and my friend really might end up going there again even though we have both visited Istanbul. As they say „ If you visited Istanbul once, you will come again. “ :D

   "The beauty of life does not depend on how happy you are, but how happy others can be because of you."

XOXO A.