Istanbul

Istanbul was a good experience. The bad/difficult bits were getting from the airport to the hotel because even with the address , nobody – including taxi drivers knew where it was. In the end we got to the approximate location and began asking people on the street. In fact the hotel was lovely –tucked away very close to all the major attractions, but in a tumbled down bit, not seedy, just undergoing renovation should we say – the roads/pavements were being dug up and there were nice hotels and guest houses side by side with shacks. We had a room overlooking the sea and were woken by ships hooting, the Muslim calls to prayer and trains, but it was quaint and perfect as far as I was concerned. We also got ripped off by a shoe shine man and a street hawker before we wised up and FP got very good with the replies to carpet sellers who harass you everywhere.  I really noticed the difference being in Turkey with FP rather than a previous boyfriend K who looks eastern/Muslim and therefore I got left. We got a lot of grief. We did however buy a small carpet or killim from a very nice Kurdish Turk from Van in the south east.

The weather was incredibly changeable. On Friday we woke up to snow and it was absolutely freezing. The next day it was still cold, but sunny and on that day, which was my birthday, we caught the ferry up the Bosphorus to a little fishing village at the mouth of the Black Sea and then came all the way back past wonderful old houses and palaces with interesting histories. We sat at the edge of an English speaking group with a guide! On Sunday it was warm and sunny enough to sit outside and then Monday rained. We did all the museums, mosques, bazaars and had some nice meals out. It was fun. Not many English tourists go there apparently at the moment. It is mainly Italians and Russians.

I got back on Monday night to another dramatic confrontation between J1 and FH where FH tried to corner J1 in the house and because he is emotional about it got angry and loud. Then FH rang me to ‘sort it’, A* for sympathy (and she promptly went out and got drunk and had a binge eat because she was upset as she told me in the next day’s email) and J1 remains adamant. His take is that that kind of behaviour just shows him why he isn’t speaking to him and FH is hurt, frustrated and mad. I did relay messages from FH to J1 and asked FH not to drag A* into it for obvious reasons which he probably thinks are bo***cks. Ho hum.

I saw Siobhan on Wednesday and I am really worried that she will top herself – she is so down. I think a lot is connected to not having a job other than cleaning, or being able to get one. She goes for loads of interviews, but doesn’t get through. The other thing is not getting any sex. Then she feels her and L don’t have enough in common. We had the old ‘core values’ conversation – like what is really important to you deep down and are you meeting those needs? We went to the Old Moat house pub and a load of people had been in all day for a funeral and were absolutely hammered. A really nasty fight broke out – bodies everywhere, women screaming – it was uber dramatic.

I’ve been down at Hitchin Town Hall all week as the manager is still off sick and I am ringing the regular customers up about the price increases which are far more than they should be because they weren’t being charged the correct prices in the first place! This afternoon I am off to do some Scarman work where we are monitoring a big ESF learning bid.

A* is coming home tomorrow for Easter – to my house – her previous New Year resolution forgotten. Anyway, I am pleased because I like her around even if the house gets to be more of a tip, she moans about the food we have in and shouts at J1 about his dad. The romantic liaison between Rosie and Bear seems to be continuing even if he does not meet the criteria – 6’ (5’4’’), Sikh (Catholic), doctor (works on the railways). Let’s hope it stays innocent or I could be blamed!