My New Haircut

                Classes start tomorrow so I figured I’d do one more update before I get caught up in that. It’s hot and humid here and I can’t leave the house without soaking a shirt in sweat. The worst news is that I have another month of this to look forward to, but I’ll be spending it in a classroom that I have been assured is equipped with a “fierce” air conditioning system.  The cats look like opium addicts the way they’re draped over the armchairs trying to cool off, and I’ve gone through about five gallons of drinking water in under two weeks. As I write this, I can feel beads of sweat racing each other at a snail’s pace down my back. Meanwhile, CNN keeps going on and on about Russia’s heat wave and I’m trying my best to care.

                I got a haircut, and was more than a little tense due to some expat reports on the internet (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, just youtube “Turkish haircut” – I personally can’t because Turkey has banned it, jerks). I had prepared myself to be slapped in the face by flaming balls (not a joke, go youtube it), but was happily disappointed. It was a pretty standard haircut with the exception of being served tea beforehand and getting a neck rub in the process. I showed them a picture of Jude Law to give them an idea of the style I wanted, and they told me that I looked like him (I’ve included that detail purely for the purpose of letting you know that somebody in Turkey thinks I look like Jude Law, so there!). My barber might as well have been the Sundance Kid the way he handled the blow-dryer, and after a few cups of gel, I came out ready to fist-pump my way to Barcelona.

                I spent Saturday walking around for about an hour in search of a nearby market. Turns out I made a wrong turn very early on – the market is a two-minute walk from my door. It was awesome, they had everything. Downstairs is food, upstairs clothes, and the whole thing is in a parking garage. I bought two kilos of figs only to discover that I don’t particularly like figs. I might be making preserves out of them soon. There’s some sort of crepe thing that some old women were selling that looked very good, but I’m too afraid to try buying anything without a way of knowing how much to pay them (you’d think it would be easier to pick up numbers, but I haven’t really been studying). Next week.

                I was saddened to find that Gabe’s blog is much more interesting than mine, but I wouldn’t want to invent stories about filming basketball players just to hold your attention. This is my blog, it’s for me, and I’ve got nobody to talk to. And if you have anything to say, please comment. It makes me feel good. Also skype me at jamescthorne, I’m on during your morning to midday.