This week has been a combination of I'm so tired and hot I'm not going to make it days, and hustle and bustle all around days, but there has been no in-between. There was a Polish culture night earlier this week, and I got to sample some Polish caramel candy. mmm.

Yesterday during work, all of the folk dance groups walked down the major street (where my office is) parade-style, and I got to preview all of the different ethnicities. I was extremely tired yesterday and knew that today would be a long one as well, but after seeing that fantastic display, my mind stopped arguing with itself about how I really should go home and take it easy and I told myself to suck it up and go. Who knows if or when I'd get another chance to see groups from Greece, France, Lithuania, Bangladesh, Estonia, and an Ottoman-style band complete with soldiers doing crazy combat dances and moves, dance for me live under the warm night sky without leaving my little chair? And all that for 1YTL!! That's less than $1!!! I, unfortunately, couldn't stay for the whole thing because I had to catch the metro-d'oh!

Tonight there is a welcome party for the newbies, so I won't get to attend-oh, I forgot to mention there is folk dancing every night from the 7th-12th-but I would have loved to have gone. Tomorrow I'm pretty sure I'll go, and as many nights as I can after that. I really want to try and see the groups from Japan and Egypt.

Some points to note: Yesterday (7/7) was Will and Joe's birthday!! And today is my host sister, Bensu's birthday! She turns 13, I believe. This evening she will go with her father for summer vacation, but we're not sure how long, could be one week, could be one month. We'll see.