Phillip and Rebecca Mefford

Hangi takımı tutuyorsunuz? Which team do you support? One of the most common questions, not to mention a great fall-back when conversation becomes sparse, that we (especially Phillip) hear is hangi takımı tutuyorsunuz? or “which team do you support?” Of course, this is referring to the only sport that really matters in Turkey – futbol . Though it hosts five total, three of İstanbul’s professional soccer teams are in constant contention with one another: the Beşiktaş Eagles, the Fenerbahçe Canaries, and the Galatasaray Lions. Besides being novices in the art of watching soccer, we are utterly torn as to which team we should support. Out of the top three, the biggest rivalry lies between Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray. Pro’s for Fener’: the stadium is on the Asian side of the city, not far from our house, which also means that most of our neighbors are Fenerbahçe fans. Pro’s for Galatasaray: their colors— red and yellow -- match Phillip’s team back home in the field of American football, t

Sevgililer Günü Valentine’s Day Valentine’s Day, a special time to celebrate companionship and love, established by Pope Gelasius in 496 A.D., has caught the fancy of romantics as well as greeting card companies worldwide. And so, here we were in İstanbul , Turkey , celebrating our third Valentine ’s Day together. The holiday may not be native to this land, yet dove-eyed lovers have caught on to its charm, filling restaurants and candle-lit cafés on the evening of February 14th. Last year we braved the bustling street of İstiklal , umbrella’s colliding and shoes drenched by rain. To avoid the milieu this February, we planned an afternoon out followed by dinner and a movie inside our warm, dry home. Though not necessarily romantic, we enjoyed spending time with each other wandering through remnants of history: the walls of Constantinople . Far into the European side of the city, in an area known as Topkapı , stand these formidable walls; a model of strategic military prowe

Yıldönümü Anniversary January 21 st , 2010 marked our one year anniversary of living in Turkey . Having come back to America for Phillip’s sister’s wedding, we weren’t even in Turkey on our anniversary, although our homesickness for İ stanbul made us realize how much of a home it has become. As we begin a new year of life in Turkey , we assess and ponder: 1. How far along have we come in learning the language? Can we carry a conversation about anything besides the weather? 2. Have we made a good effort to get to know Turkish people? What kind of a start have we made in knowing our neighbors? 3. What positive aspects of Turkish culture can we incorporate into our lives? 4. After being so warmly welcomed in 2009, what can we give back to our community this year? Us back home in İstanbul.