Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	QUOTE When I was living in Turkey I watched the shows Menekse ile Halil (drama/romance), Avrupa Yakasi (comedy), Elveda Rumelli (about a family living in Ottoman times), and Kavak Yelleri (drama/romance) with Onur...I didn't I understand what they were saying for the most part, but I liked guessing and making up the story in my own head Onur is going to be thrilled to see this site! Is Avrupa Yakasi the one with ppl working in an office and then it shows them at home sometimes and there's an old grumpy woman wearing "village" clothes?? I think we might have been watching that the other day. Ozzy was laughing so hard, so it must have been hilarious. I was, like you, making up my own story line	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-02-13 19:13:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	QUOTE (wendya @ Feb 11 2009, 03:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks so much Tanya!! I can share my favorite show "Lost" with Yilmaz!! I hope you feel better soon!! Just think of the reward!!! Hey, I never realized "Lost" was on there! We'll have to check it out! I used to be into that show years and years ago but kinda lost track of what's been going on.... Thanks for pointing that out Tanya	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-02-13 19:05:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	QUOTE Hi Tanya, I have been thinking of you! How are you feeling? Any special plans for Valentine's Day? Anyone? Yilmaz just called me, now if I know him (and I do) he will forget to call tomorrow and I will have to punish him!! Hi Wendy! As of this moment, I am happy to say I feel much better. I saw my midwife today and she prescribed me the most awesome stuff! I just took my first dose and I could feel it settling my stomach within minutes. Lets hope it stays that way! LOL typical guy!! We don't have any big plans for tomorrow but I scheduled us for a couple's massage on Sunday. That's just my way of giving him a gift that is sorta a gift for me too Not sure what else he has planned....he's probably afraid to take me out for dinner as weird as my stomach has been lately He keeps asking me what I want for "Valentino's day" as he calls it, and I keep telling him "I don't know". We'll see if he comes up with anything... Tanya	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-02-13 19:00:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	QUOTE (JULIAFERNO @ Feb 13 2009, 08:39 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (tanyakaraman @ Feb 11 2009, 02:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Oh BTW, something I've been meaning to post....for the enjoyment of everyone who didn't already know about it (I had certainly never heard of it before Ozzy showed me), especially those with loved ones who are newly here in the US or soon to be arriving: http://www.fulldizi.com/ Click the dropdown menu under "kategoriler" and there are lots of shows to choose from that you can watch online...many are in Turkish and some are in English with Turkish subtitles. Ozzy and I love to relax with his laptop and watch some of these together. Watching the Turkish ones, I can still get the main gyst of things and he translates the important parts, plus it helps me learn. The English ones with the Turkish subtitles are also great because we can both relax and enjoy and get the humor and everything without having to stop and explain to each other Our personal favorites are Son Aga (a Turkish soap - sort of) and How I Met Your Mother...oh and Kurtlar Vadisi. We also find lots of old Turkish movies posted on YouTube...Sekerpare, Cicek Abbas, etc. Anyway, enjoy! ~Tanya Awesome, Tanya! Thanks! I know Onur will love to watch his Turkish shows when he is here in the U.S....IN 2 WEEKS! He received his visa in the mail yesterday! Just one week after he sent in his passport and new medical. He is planning on arriving in the U.S. on Feb. 27th but hasn't bought the ticket yet. I am sooo excited! YAY!! I'm so excited for you two!! Don't things seem to be moving all so fast now?? After all those months of waiting and wondering... I hope he has a safe journey here and an easy adjustment to life in the US! Keep us updated!!	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-02-13 14:56:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	QUOTE (camistanbul @ Feb 11 2009, 02:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> That looks like a great website, Tanya! Thanks for sharing. I have to try and hunt down my favorite shows.... I got hooked on a soap this summer with my mother-in-law.... Hope you're feeling better! Keep drinking that mint tea! Thanks! They are addictive, aren't they? I am at work right now sneaking in an episode of Son Aga	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-02-11 14:52:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	Oh BTW, something I've been meaning to post....for the enjoyment of everyone who didn't already know about it (I had certainly never heard of it before Ozzy showed me), especially those with loved ones who are newly here in the US or soon to be arriving: http://www.fulldizi.com/ Click the dropdown menu under "kategoriler" and there are lots of shows to choose from that you can watch online...many are in Turkish and some are in English with Turkish subtitles. Ozzy and I love to relax with his laptop and watch some of these together. Watching the Turkish ones, I can still get the main gyst of things and he translates the important parts, plus it helps me learn. The English ones with the Turkish subtitles are also great because we can both relax and enjoy and get the humor and everything without having to stop and explain to each other Our personal favorites are Son Aga (a Turkish soap - sort of) and How I Met Your Mother...oh and Kurtlar Vadisi. We also find lots of old Turkish movies posted on YouTube...Sekerpare, Cicek Abbas, etc. Anyway, enjoy! ~Tanya	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-02-11 14:40:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	QUOTE (ErikaAndHamit @ Feb 10 2009, 09:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (tanyakaraman @ Feb 10 2009, 03:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Erika & Wendy, so happy to hear you have interview dates now! Exciting stuff!! Mina, I think what you're going through is completely natural...I'd have felt the same way if my hubby had been away from me for so long. I hope you can work through it though! My thoughts are with you. As for me, I have been soooo sick (so much for all that energy I had just a couple weeks ago!). I ended up in the hospital all dehydrated on Sunday because I haven't been able to keep anything down. It's getting a little better now, and Ozzy is being so sweet taking over responsibilities for me, but I really hope this morning/all day/all night sickness is over soon....I don't know how much more I can take! ~Tanya Wow Tanya...that is horrible!!! I am so sorry...now I am more frightened for myself later dow the road....did you get a bolus of fluids? Do they give you anything for nausea nowadays when pregnant? Wow...hope this won't get any worse There is way too much action going on here Yeah, they gave me a bolus of fluids and a prescription for some phenergan...which, besides not helping the nausea, made me verrry dizzy and sleepy My first day trying to be back at work today started off really rough, but they have this mint tea in our kitchenette at work that I love and it seems to be helping with the nausea. I have been drinking that all day and have so far managed to keep my lunch down for the first time in almost a week, so that's an accomplishment!!	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-02-11 14:13:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	Erika & Wendy, so happy to hear you have interview dates now! Exciting stuff!! Mina, I think what you're going through is completely natural...I'd have felt the same way if my hubby had been away from me for so long. I hope you can work through it though! My thoughts are with you. As for me, I have been soooo sick (so much for all that energy I had just a couple weeks ago!). I ended up in the hospital all dehydrated on Sunday because I haven't been able to keep anything down. It's getting a little better now, and Ozzy is being so sweet taking over responsibilities for me, but I really hope this morning/all day/all night sickness is over soon....I don't know how much more I can take! ~Tanya	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-02-10 17:30:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	Julia, I'm not sure how different the time frame will be after completion of AP, but Ozzy received his visa via UPS on the 3rd business day following final approval (he was approved on a Thursday and the visa was delivered the following Tuesday). Hopefully they'll expedite Onur's considering how long you both have waited for this!! ~Tanya	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-02-04 13:05:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	YAY!! That's such wonderful news Julia!! I'm so happy for you two! So perhaps Valentines day is a real possibility?? Tebrikler!! ~Tanya QUOTE (JULIAFERNO @ Feb 2 2009, 07:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hi all! I have wonderful news - the embassy emailed us today and told us that Onur's AP has been completed. They requested his passport, refusal sheet (that specified AP), and new medical exam papers (have to re-do it b/c it has been over 6 months) and said that they will process it as soon as possible and send his visa to his address in Turkey! WAHOOOOOOOOOOOO! Onur texted me today at school and said "babe please call me" and I knew something was up...I was just hoping it was good news. Luckily the students were at recess and I was able to step outside and call him - I was jumping around outside my school with joy! I hope this means good news for Sibel and Muhammet is near! Thanks everyone for your support. Julia	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-02-03 08:22:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	QUOTE (sardes @ Jan 29 2009, 11:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> That is right!!! very good.. only a minor thing here ; ogrenmeye calisiyorum.. Turkce cok zor cunku cok farkli ama ogrenmek calisiyorum. Was that right? BTW I emailed to the embassy to ask if our documents complete or anything missing and if we need to provide 2008 and 2006 tax returns and W2s.. Their answer is below.. According to our records, you need to provide the followings at the time of the interview: -Passport -Medical report -$131 Fortis Bank receipt -Proof of bona fide relationship Please note that, for some cases further documentation may be required after the interview and they can be provided by mail. Our office does not recommend visa applicants making specific plans, as visa processing may take extended amount of time They say I shouldn't make any plan before, but i feel that i will be returning home with my husband fingers crossed.. Have a great to all!!! Good luck Feliz! I hope your interview goes well! ~Tanya	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-29 14:22:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	Thank you Awaterlily, sardes, & Debbie too! Strange but I have so much energy right now. I hope it stays that way! I'm going to need all the energy I can get to make it thru the next 9...well actually 11 months ('till school is over!).	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-25 14:38:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	QUOTE (miamiwife @ Jan 24 2009, 09:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Congratulations Tanya! You must be so excited. I keep hoping for the day I get to start a family. Thank you! Inshallah, your time will come soon as well! Edited by tanyakaraman, 25 January 2009 - 02:29 PM.	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-25 14:28:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	Well.... I was planning on being tight-lipped for a little while...but with all this talk about babies, I might as well come out and say it. Ozzy and I found out on Wednesday (well I should rephrase that...I found out on Wednesday...he found out last night after he got back from his trip and we found a minute to spend alone together LOL) that we'll be expecting a little one, probably in late September/early October! The timing isn't the greatest, as I'll still have ~2.5 months of nursing school left to get through after the baby's here (we were hoping to wait until after I graduated), but we're ecstatic nonetheless...Allah will give us wisdom to sort out the details and I firmly believe everything will work out perfectly fine in the end. BTW, Awaterlily, your daughter is absolutely precious!! She is just getting cuter and cuter! ~Tanya	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-24 19:06:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	Well I don't have any stories about Turkish women looking at me funny, but I learned very quickly (the first time I was in Turkey, before I met Ozzy) not to make eye contact with men or speak to them at all (unless I wanted to get followed down the street and around the corner, and not ever get left alone!). I got followed around several times by men - including a couple police officers - who I had unintentionally sent the wrong message to, and almost ended up getting raped in the grand bazaar, just for being what I considered "friendly". I kinda learned that as a woman, you have to be more or less "aloof"...dont' look, don't speak, don't even respond if someone speaks to you, unless you want to lead them on. Considering all that, it's kind of a miracle I met Ozzy at all, because the night we met (after several really bad experiences as noted above), I initially refused to speak to him or even stand next to him! LOL. Guess he was pretty persistent tho 'cause he won me over in the end	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-19 14:14:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	QUOTE (wendya @ Jan 17 2009, 10:30 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well said Tanya!! Hi Julia. I love your picture too!! Such a beautiful couple!! As far as the visa, we are still waiting for the approval notice to arrive at the Embassy. Nothing can be done until they receive that. Oh well, more time to lose weight!! (hopefully!) Thanks for asking. Hope its FAST Wendy! At least you know what the answer is now......just a little longer until he's here!!	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-18 08:45:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	QUOTE (ErikaAndHamit @ Jan 18 2009, 02:04 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yup....I had a meltdown today. I didn't go to meet with my friends as promised, yelled at my kids for making such a mess while I was at work all week and canceled our movie date AND skipped the daily chat Hamit and I have. To make matters worse, I didn't break out any wine and instead I popped some Benadryl and fell asleep for 4 hours because I was having a true meltdown. I just didn't want to deal with anything at all. God only knows where packet 3 is to top it off. I guess one doesn't realize just how much stress they deal with until it comes to a boiling point. and Hamit really doesn't understand us complex Americans (how did we get this way and how do we stop?) and I tried to explain to him why everything was a crisis and it never seems to get through. Life is so much simpler in other countries without deadlines, live to work, crazy psychobabble, norms and political connectedness and where responsibility for self is expected. I mean this in a very positive way. I mean, we make mountains out of molehills. Look at our damned language for example; it is full of metaphors and similes, whereas Turkish is straightforward, as are most other languages. Hell, maybe it is just me. Anyhow, I ended up apologizing to my friends, taking the kids to a drive-in movie albeit late. Chatted with Hamit before I left. Still need some wine. I know Tanya, I sure didn't want to tella anyone either, but people ask so many questions at work that I slowly started telling people I trusted then others would overhear or see pics meant for 1 person and all hell has broken loose, but since I have worn a nazar (maybe a coincidence or not) people have been mostly well-wishing me and want me to have some kind of party....hmmmmm And yes, as soon as my dad found out, he tried to convince me HAmit was going to want 500 wives and so have 2 other nurses at work who worked in Saudi...but ummmm that is Saudi and not Turkey and Hamit is HAmit and not some polygamist. I remember these people got me worried and so I ended up grilling Hamit on this topic even though I knew he wouldn't do this....people.....gggrrrrrrrrrrrr Julia, do you have anything planned when he gets here? Wendy? I am so jealous of Tanya's wedding...so romantic and sweet!! I think we are just doing the courthouse and imam thing and calling it a night when he gets here... small party later. Anywho....how is everyone else? Wow, you really did have a meltdown! I thought you were just joking earlier! LOL. But sounds like you made it up in the end. You just needed that 4-hour nap first! I like what you said about Turkish being straightforward, it's so true! Even the word for marriage - evlenmek - is straightforward....just means "making houses" And their names....I mean, here our names have meanings too, but you have to look them up to see what they are....their names are the actual word. So simple and nice. Thanks for what you said about our wedding! It was nice, but I kinda wish my family & friends, etc. had been there. Although maybe it was so *perfect* because they weren't LOL. That's an awful thing to say, I know. We really want to have a second wedding in Turkey someday, but I'm not sure how or if that's ever going to happen. I would have liked to have an imam do ours too! Yes, I heard the whole shpeal about polygamy too. Ppl were telling me (before he came here) that he probably had a wife or two already in Turkey and was just seeing me on the side! This was perpetuated when I explained to a couple ppl that I had to stay in a hotel because his landlord didn't approve of me staying at his apartment....they were like "yeah, right, its not his landlord who minds....it's his other WIFE!!!" Aggghhh! Well, if it makes you feel any better, I didn't break out any wine either.....just studied and studied until my mind went numb and I fell asleep. Hope everyone has a happy Sunday!	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-18 08:34:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	QUOTE My Grandma said once "That's so sad that he doesn't celebrate Christmas" with a look of sorrow and pity on her face. Oooh Grandma. She has also repeatedly asked me where he is going to live when he comes here (her way of showing her disapproval that we will be living together before marriage). That's funny... As if he (and a couple million plus other ppl in the world) have been missing out big time because there's a holiday they have never celebrated. There are so many nice holidays in Turkey too, like Children's Day, that we don't have here...and I love the way ppl come together for iftar during Ramadan. Like Erika said....the family values are so much more intact there, whereas Christmas, in my opinion, has become so commercialized these days, its hardly any fun any more. Or maybe that's just because I'M the one spending all my money on it now LOL! And, well, you won't be living together for very LONG before marriage...90 days at the very most! QUOTE Then there are those family members who won't even recognize the relationship and won't ask me about it. Do they think if they don't talk about it, it will disappear? As if their lack of congratulations on our engagement, their never asking about Onur, our relationship or the visa progress isn't blatantly obvious to me. It's like they will ask me/talk to me about everything else but that and act like everything is perfectly normal while completely avoiding that topic. I don't get it. I guess it's their way of showing their disapproval, or discomfort with it. Who knows. People need to get over themselves. Ugh, yeah...they're probably just too uncomfortable & don't know what to say. Funny 'cause to those of us IN the relationship, it's the most natural thing in the world (take away all the immigration process, etc.) and to everyone else, I guess it seems...strange. Yeah, they do need to just get over it!	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-18 08:14:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	QUOTE Tanya ...I am up to poo in all ways and forms...work I am soooooooooooooo burnt from and poo is just one of the substances I deal with. I got yelled at yesterday by a family member losing it, because as you know nurses are responsible for everything...every facet of the patients life...................I want to lose it too! Ugh, that is one thing I'm not sure I'm up to dealing with....I don't yell at ppl and I don't expect to get yelled at...ever. I know ppl are under stress when their loved ones are sick, but is that a good enough reason to abuse the person trying to help them get better? Guess it comes with the territory tho....I was yelled at by a pt my first semester lol. She called me a liar (cause she wanted her bed up more and I tried to tell her it was up as far as it could go already), then ordered me to "get out of her room and get the REAL nurse!!!". Way to rip someone's self confidence to shreds, huh?! QUOTE So this doesn't let up (all the naysaying) once he is here Tanya? Nice.............. Ha, that's when the real fun begins! Or did for me anyway....of course that might have something to do with me giving out as little information as possible to ppl who didn't need to know (and some ppl who prolly did need to know!) prior to him coming here. Verrry few ppl had a true inkling of our relationship prior to that, so as you can imagine, our wedding came as quite a shock to a lot of folks LOL. My grandparents, for example - who mind you, had never met Ozzy and had certainly never spoken to him regarding religion (or any other subject for that matter) - sent him a book for Christmas last year that was meant to try to get him to convert from Islam to Christianity! They might as well have signed the card: "Our religion is superior to yours (or at least the religion we assume you follow)....well Merry Christmas anyway and welcome to the family!" Ugghhh! QUOTE Now break out the wine Amen sista......I'll bring a nice bottle of reisling! Edited by tanyakaraman, 17 January 2009 - 11:13 PM.	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-17 23:09:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	Julia, I love your new pic! You and Onur look so cute together! Don't worry about the naysayers. They'll always be there, making inappropriate, unhelpful, insensitive comments, sometimes well intentioned, sometimes not. That is often still the case after the foreign SO gets his visa and comes here, trust me. Just try to tune out the upsetting things they say. And go ahead and vent anytime you need to...that's one thing VJ is great for. Someday all this will be in the past and you two will be able to look back and laugh about all the crazy things ppl have said to you.	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-17 08:41:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	QUOTE (ErikaAndHamit @ Jan 15 2009, 09:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hey Tanya.....yea..I know the whole jealousy selfish thing you mentioned...I was the same way when something similar happened to us back in September and I had to almost cancel our trip. I know exactly how you feel. But yea..we can't help it...we love them sooooo much and we worked so hard to be together that being apart would definitely suck for me too...I would be a big pouty baby feeling sorry for myself and ashamed at the same time That's funny you had the same problems as we did. I had no idea and neither did he....so we were scrambling last minute. (hotels) Where did you end up staying? You remember? SO what are you doing to keep your mind off it all? Poo, of course? Yeah, I remember when you thought you were going to have to cancel your trip. Glad it turned out good tho. The place we stayed in Istanbul was calledthe Gencler Hotel. It was a *beautiful* hotel...right on the shore of the Marmaris. Beautiful breakfast buffet every morning by the sea...lawn chairs and umbrellas for relaxing on the beach and music playing all day (even if it was Kool and the Gang, old Madonna, etc., LOL)....and a guy walking up and down the beach selling midye dolma...aaaaaaahhhhhh how I love midye dolma! I could die happy eating those things! http://www.hotelleri...cler~hotel.html I always tell him I wanna go back there someday. I have a funny story to tell you about when we checked out tho LOL. I'm cracking up now just thinking about it... Oh trust me, first week of the new semester and I'm loaded down with work already! No poo yet tho, that starts on Tuesday How's the poo in your world?	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-16 08:45:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	QUOTE (ErikaAndHamit @ Jan 14 2009, 02:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Wow how sad that story was....Aya means miracle...how sweet and appropriate. On another note, Tanya that sure is funny about Ozzy....I know I will have similar problems I'm sure...Is this the first time you two will be apart since he arrived? I hope some kind of a solution is found regarding your FIL (Not your elephant) On yet another note...where did you stay Tanya when you went to Ankara? Which hotel? Anyone else? We had a helluva time getting a hotel in Istanbul who would take unmarried couples...it was so annoying. I even got on the phone with one of the owners and he explained to me how prostitutes could come and get a room for you know what...how do we know you aren't one they said... I said but we are engaged we cant get married because of the visa we applied for...he tells me "you think that will help you get a room?...good luck" and he laughed. They didn't care I was American and Hamit was my foreign fiancee....grrr. He wanted to see a marriage license! I am sure Ankara is no different. Anyhow, at least it is funny after the fact....I kept my reservation and never called him back and canceled my card so he couldn't charge me...he was a jerk. Yeah it is the first time we've been apart since he got here...well, other than a couple days he spent in NYC for work. I'm feeling a weird mixture of sadness & jealousy. It was so hard to see him all excited looking for airline tickets when that was me just a couple years ago, and the tickets were taking me TO him and not him AWAY from me....then feeling a bit jealous cause I love to travel and I'm getting left behind this time... Silly/selfish of me I know. He is going where he needs to be going and his dad needs him...and I think he feels guilty too that he hasn't "been there". I sure hope they can help his dad too. I remember the first time I went back to Turkey to visit Ozzy....I couldn't even stay at his apartment 'cause his landlord didn't approve...and yeah, we drove from hotel to hotel until we found one that would give us a room, two young ppl living in sin! The standards there are very different, aren't they? We didn't have a problem like that in Ankara tho (and didn't need a reservation either). We just asked the taxi driver to take us to a place near the American Embassy. I don't remember the name of it. Apparently there was some kind of "scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" deal going on between the taxi driver and the hotel though. They charged us an inflated price and gave a cut to the taxi driver. Ozzy was really mad about that and he was planning to cuss out the owner before we left, but I guess after he got his visa, he decided to just let it go LOL. QUOTE regarding your FIL (Not your elephant) Going off track a lil here, but isn't it funny the number of common English words that mean something completely different/really bad in Turkish? Edited by tanyakaraman, 14 January 2009 - 07:39 PM.	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-14 19:34:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	Wow, how sad. I guess you just never know when it's going to be your time to go. Prayers for baby Aya...I'm sure she's going to have lots of challenges ahead of her. ~Tanya QUOTE (Debra&John @ Jan 14 2009, 10:29 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Touching story.......... http://www.timesonli...icle5503544.ece	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-14 10:38:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	Thank you Debra for putting my mind at rest Well, mostly.....he just called me from a gas station somewhere and I tried (unsuccessfully) to explain over the phone how to put air in a car tire. Ugh! QUOTE (Debra&John @ Jan 14 2009, 10:24 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yes, he is good to go.	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-14 10:29:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	I've a question...Ozzy is leaving today to visit his parents in Turkey for a week. I made sure he had his passport, green card and the letter from the Turkish military service stating that his service is postponed until 10/2009. He should be good with those 3 things, right? My major concern is that all he needs to get back into the country is his green card, correct? This is his first time leaving the country since receiving the green card...we had his advance parole papers before...so I just want to make sure the GC is all he needs to get back in. He's leaving for the airport in about an hour, and of course procrastinated packing until the very last minute, so I hope he's got everything!! Edited by tanyakaraman, 14 January 2009 - 08:59 AM.	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-14 08:54:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	Wow, wait...wait.....wait.....and more wait. Oh, and just when you thought you were done waiting, you get to wait some more! How frustrating! Are they sending the letter from the US or from Athens? I wonder why Yilmaz got his letter already and they didn't get theirs? Weird. Hope they get it soon! ~Tanya QUOTE (wendya @ Jan 13 2009, 04:29 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Merhaba Herkes!! I just got off the phone with the Embassy in Ankara (my eyes are a little blurry, it is 4:20 AM here in PA!!) Can you believe it, they have not received Yilmaz's waiver approval from USCIS yet. And of course they don't have a time frame of when they will. She said we can start to get ready for when they schedule another interview for Yilmaz. We have to prepare the same K-1 papers as before!!! Oh well, what is that saying, "Good things come to those who wait". Well there must be some awfully good things coming our way!!!! As an aside, when I called, I missed the prompt for questions on the immigrant visa and was switched to the switchboard. The lady very nastly said, "Didn't you listen to the message" and just clicked me back to the start again! At least she didn't disconnect me, but geesh! Not very nice!!! Have a good day everyone!!	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-13 09:24:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	Whew...bet it felt good to chuck that in the mailbox!! And don't worry lovie, you DO get to do it all again....just you wait until AOS time LOL! One thing at a time though...and I don't mean to be negative...just kidding around with ya. All this stuff we have to go thru is sooooooo worth it in the end! QUOTE (ErikaAndHamit @ Jan 11 2009, 11:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> That's funny Tanya...and creepy... Yea I seen that in the end...we seen it in English with Turkish subtitles and I see they use the same Turkish wordage for all curse words in English. Hamit didn't like it much because I he doesn't like horror films (he better get used to it living in the same house later lol)and the only other people there were two teen couples getting jiggy with it behind us...seriously...uuuggghhh...I had to make noises being me ...lol but I do love scary movies! I am done with this packet...Yay!! I am so tired I am winding down to go to sleep and Hamit can copy the whole darned thing. I have had it with packets and visas, but I sure want my love here so I guess I would do it again if I had to...lol	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-12 10:35:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	Sounds like an excellently organized packet! Good luck! Our fingers are crossed for you!! How did you and Hamit like "Mirrors"? Did you see it in Turkish or English? We watched that one & loved it!! You know how at the end, the main character ends up "in" the mirrors...he's walking down the street and all the signs are backward? Well, I swear to god, we left the theater and walked out into the parking lot & there was a mall security truck. The sticker on the front that said "security" was stuck on BACKWARD! Freaked me out!!!!! QUOTE (ErikaAndHamit @ Jan 11 2009, 05:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> So this is what I put in packet 3...I am sending it tomorrow...looks like I am the only one here on VJ today (crickets chirping) no feedback for me i guess lol... TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR PROOF OF ONGOING RELATIONSHIP: 1) Letter and story of us with loose timeline included 2) Orbitz email itinerary for Istanbul trip September 2008 including proof of purchase of airline ticket 3) Receipt and postage when I sent Hamit English books in June 2008 4) 5 pages of color copies of my 1st page and all pages with my passport stamps/visas into Turkey and out 5) 5 pages of my and Hamit’s airline tickets, baggage tickets etc for our September trip to Istanbul 6) ATM and other receipts for 09/08 Istanbul 7) Movie ticket stubs/receipt for “Mirrors” we seen together in Istanbul 8) The Akdeniz Hotel business card copy and website page with photos of room we stayed in-- we stayed here in this same room both in May 08 and September 08 (see photos) 9) 3 pages of (12 photos total) pictures of us together and hotel room view from September 2008 trip 10) Supplement to proof of relationship explanation of missing chat logs 11) Screen shots of us on webcam examples 12) 1st page of daily chats: 1 per month included since May 2008 13) I full month of chats 10/2008 1st page only 14) Typical chat, full length (25 pages) example 9/10/2008 15) Random emails from day we met (December 24th 2007) online until recently.	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-11 19:33:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	LOL don't get me started on the GI probs! Let's just say that the last time we went to Turkey, I had to ask Ozzy to pick me up 1 kg of raisins at the bazaar.... ....and even that didn't help. And I've had the opposite problem too....not sure which is worse! Sorry folks, wayyyyy TMI!!! QUOTE (awaterlily @ Jan 10 2009, 09:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> perhaps it's a combination of everything you mentioned? I get it, too, along with horrible GI issues. QUOTE (JULIAFERNO @ Jan 10 2009, 04:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Random question: I've noticed that whenever I go to Turkey, my skin breaks out pretty bad and can take several weeks or longer after I return to get back to normal. Has anyone else experienced this? I do have break-out prone skin, but it always seems to go crazy when I am in Turkey. Could it be the oily food? Water? Plane travel? I have no idea what is causing this, but it sucks!	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-11 10:24:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	Julia, sounds like a perfect Saturday night to me.....well, the wine and arabesque music anyway.....sorryabout the alone part.... .....although sometimes (with my 3 wild kids) that's not a bad thing either! QUOTE (JULIAFERNO @ Jan 10 2009, 07:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (miamiwife @ Jan 10 2009, 07:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Julia, I have this problem whenever I travel--it has got to be the change in air. Since Miami is very humid, my skin is use to this. Whenever I visit Turkey or my family in California, I get bumps all over and itch like crazy because my skin is not use to being so dry. TMI? Sibel Well at least I'm not the only one! Sibel - I am sitting at home alone on a Saturday night drinking red wine and listening to arabesque music...what is becoming of me?!	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-11 10:17:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	Hmmmm....that doesn't happen to me but I do get really "dried out", like in my nose and stuff.... Did you wash your clothes there? Just a guess, but reminds me of my daughter. She has very sensitive skin & she always breaks out when she goes away and stays with certain family & they wash her clothes. I think she is allergic to their laundry detergent. Other than that, I dunno, does anything change about your routine as far as what you put on your skin, etc? Could be the water or the food or even the air too I guess. That does suck when it's completely out of your control! Have you been to a hammam? Maybe try one next time if you're game. If a day at the hammam doesn't clear you up, nothing will! ~Tanya QUOTE (JULIAFERNO @ Jan 10 2009, 04:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Random question: I've noticed that whenever I go to Turkey, my skin breaks out pretty bad and can take several weeks or longer after I return to get back to normal. Has anyone else experienced this? I do have break-out prone skin, but it always seems to go crazy when I am in Turkey. Could it be the oily food? Water? Plane travel? I have no idea what is causing this, but it sucks!	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-10 16:30:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	Hi Erika, He's only staying for a week this time (Jan 14-22), and we are planning/hoping to go back together in April over Spring Break....Inshallah. How is your (future) MIL doing? Are you able to actually understand what's going on with her medical care? I ask about my FIL but the answers I get are sooo confusing! For example, I am told that on Jan. 19th, they are going to the hospital where the doctor will "estimate where he will make an operation with the lasers". Estimate??? I'm assuming this means they will discuss the radiation therapy, but to tell you the truth, I'm really not sure... Ozzy says the Dr. is the head professor of something or other..so I guess I just have to trust that he's in good hands (whether I understand what's going on or not) and that the best is being done for him. I guess that's all that really matters. What you said about the therapists looking glazed over....I don't know how those therapists deal with ppl like that day in and day out like that without it affecting them too. I couldn't do it! Awaterlily, thanks for posting that link! Very interesting. I always get this "feeling" in Istanbul, I know it sounds strange, but almost like deja vu. Even the very first time I was there. I think its just the richness of the history that lies beneath those streets. It's such an amazing city. I think meet-up would be awesome too! Count me in!! Tanya QUOTE (ErikaAndHamit @ Jan 10 2009, 12:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Tanya! I know what you mean about the whole CA thing and Ozzy and him leaving (Hamit's mother just got over all her chemo)...I am sorry. How long is he staying? So a small facility will involve mostly "groups"...It is still very interesting...just 50% as whacky! It WAS hard...I tried not to laugh, especially difficult in a quiet "group" therapy session and all the patients are like zonked out from being drugged and there's like 1 or 2 interested in talking and they usually are not very with it....talking about the most nonsensical s##t and you can hear the "crickets" because even the therapist looks glazed over......lol... you can't help but let out what sounds like a fart from your mouth (an all out belly laugh that is caught dead as soon as it comes out)..I would just fake it with a snort, cough and fake sneeze.....lol They don't even notice. I have been so busy working this last 2 weeks saving for Ankara in Feb or Mar.. I don't know what to do now that I am off work 2 days even though I am tired....I couldn't help but reply to all this news...I am so excited for everyone! Wendy count me in for a meet-up once we have everyone here!!! Fer sure....hopefully I don't get pregnant soon once he arrives...I know...it's nuts...but we are just going to let nature take it's own natural course....I want more babies, but insallah not right off the bat! lol Happy New Year all!! Take care	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-10 16:17:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	Yes, the AP seems to be caused by a "name hit" in one of several security databases, IOW, the beneficiary having a name that is the same or similar to someone who is "suspect". That raises a red flag and the gov't takes its sweet time to investigate further in order to "clear" the person. It's my impression that it happens more frequently to male beneficiaries but I won't pretend to understand any of it completely! That's great that she's able to visit you now. I wouldn't think AP would be an issue for her if she has already obtained a visa to visit you here (though I could be wrong about that....they are more thorough with the K1's than say a tourist visa, simply because the beneficiary has the potential to emigrate). Let's hope not anyway! Good Luck & enjoy your upcoming visit! Tanya QUOTE (Bobby_Umit @ Jan 9 2009, 12:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Sorry to see the AP problems with Ankara... Doh... and Umit will probably go through that... What is the common thing causing it? Last names? Well - She is coming here on the 23rd (for two weeks) - so yay One step at a time I guess....	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-09 20:21:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	Hi Julia! I so know how you feel...every single time I came back from Turkey after spending time there with Ozzy, I was an emotional trainwreck for at least a week or 2...and that feeling of dread would start a couple days prior to my flight home. Then I was usually a blubbering, crying mess in the airport in Turkey too...aggh. Well hopefully, he'll be here WITH you soon! As for the ring sizes, I would imagine they go by European sizes in Turkey, although I'm not sure about that. I'll ask Ozzy about it to be sure, or maybe a jeweler would know, as I've noticed that a lot of the jewelry I find in stores here in the States have been imported from Turkey. Here's a European/American size conversion chart: http://www.18carat.c.../ringsizes.html HTH Tanya QUOTE (JULIAFERNO @ Jan 8 2009, 07:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hi All, Happy New Year! I got back from Turkey this past Sunday and am going through withdrawal Onur and I spent two amazing weeks together and got to feel like a normal couple again (and got to meet Sibel!) Now I am feeling lonely and sad without him next to me. Every minute I spend with him makes me more and more sure of our love and our relationship, but only makes it harder to be apart. Onur stayed in Istanbul with his brother and sister this week after I left, and they don't have internet at home, so we haven't been able to talk much this week - which has been hard after spending every minute together for 2 weeks. I'm just feeling kind of down right now. Wendy - has Yilmaz arrived in the States yet? Congratulations Deb on your beautiful baby boy! You look so happy in your pictures - as you should be! Tanya - I am sorry to hear about your father-in-law and hope that the radiation treatment helps. Everyone else - Happy New Year and I hope 2009 brings plenty of health, happiness and good fortune to us all and our loved ones. A random question: - Does anyone know how Turkish ring sizes convert to US ring sizes? I can't seem to find the conversion anywhere.	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-09 09:54:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	I was thinking the same thing....what's everyone up to? How's your new year so far? Any resolutions being worked on?? As for us, Ozzy is going back to Turkey next week to spend a week with his parents. His father has cancer - we've known this since summer, but he's now getting ready to start radiation treatments. Ozzy's going to help them arrange transportation to and from the hospital, etc. I wish I could go too...I'd like the chance to talk to his doctor. I'm getting so many confusing answers to the questions I have, and I'm sure some of the details are getting lost in translation... Plus, I miss it there....I must admit, I'm feeling a bit...hmmph ...that he's going without me, even though I know it's for a good reason and there's no realistic way I can go with him anyway, not with my classes starting next week and the unlikely prospect of finding someone to watch my kids for a week on such short notice....	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-08 12:50:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	Oh my gosh Deb, he is soooo *adorable*!!! You guys make such a beautiful family and look so happy! I especially loved the one of you guys in your New Years hats Thanks for sharing! ~Tanya QUOTE (Deb_Res @ Jan 4 2009, 04:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I took your advice and set some pics up on Photobucket.com. Here is the link, just click on it or copy and paste it in your browser and hopefully you'll all be able to see them. Thanks for your help! http://s377.photobuc...../Baby Mehmet/ ~Debbie QUOTE (tanyakaraman @ Jan 4 2009, 12:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Wow, one month old already?!? That time sure did fly! Then again, I am not the one getting up for 4:00 AM feedings LOL... I had similar problems posting a pic in the past and photobucket worked well once I figured it out. Can't wait to see the lil guy Tanya QUOTE (Deb_Res @ Jan 4 2009, 12:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Happy New Year All! Thank you all for your comments on our new baby Mehmet! He's one month old already! Boy did that go fast... I tried to post pics of him for you all to see, but the upload keeps failing because it says the file is too large... Don't know what to do about that. Anyone have any suggestions? Edited by tanyakaraman, 04 January 2009 - 06:39 PM.	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-04 18:37:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	Oh gosh....I am in TROUBLE! I have a very hard time suppressing the need to laugh out loud at the most inappropriate moments... I'm not sure (though I guess i will find out soon enough) but I think that, because I am one of a small group of students doing our clinicals in the evening, I will be going to only one small psych facility (apparently the only one in my area that allows students to come in the evening) that is mostly for ppl who are clinically depressed and/or contemplating or have attempted suicide, not for the truly insane...which is kinda disappointing, 'cause I was really hoping to see what goes on inside the large state-run mental hospital in my state...I've heard so many stories about it. QUOTE (ErikaAndHamit @ Jan 3 2009, 11:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> it is just like a scene out of One FLew Over the Cuckoo's Nest...serious...you will have to control your need to laugh uncontrollably...I loved it....the sane ones make fun of the truly insane and you begin to realize just how thin the line is between "us" and "them"...lol enjoy your semester and let us know what you discover every day! Where is everyone (crickets chirping)??	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-04 13:08:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	Wow, one month old already?!? That time sure did fly! Then again, I am not the one getting up for 4:00 AM feedings LOL... I had similar problems posting a pic in the past and photobucket worked well once I figured it out. Can't wait to see the lil guy Tanya QUOTE (Deb_Res @ Jan 4 2009, 12:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Happy New Year All! Thank you all for your comments on our new baby Mehmet! He's one month old already! Boy did that go fast... I tried to post pics of him for you all to see, but the upload keeps failing because it says the file is too large... Don't know what to do about that. Anyone have any suggestions?	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-04 12:47:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	Thanks Awaterlily...great idea! QUOTE (awaterlily @ Jan 3 2009, 10:25 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hey all, I just put in a request to get our thread pinned. TY Mina for getting it started! We've come a long way. I don't know why it hasn't been done yet. This thread, the French and German ones are quite active and actually I think all should be pinned. Anyway, let's see if it gets approved. :crossing fingers:	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-03 16:16:00
Europe & Eurasia (except the UK and Russia)	Just Turkish	Hmm...guess it would have to be a bit more complicated than just showing up at the embassy, approval letter in hand, and demanding his visa, as I guess I was thinking...silly me! Well, here's hoping it's not too much more complicated or time consuming than that anyways! You two have waited long enough! Thanks for the good luck wishes...I'm kinda looking forward to getting back to school actually. I'm so used to having my nose in a book all the time (and absolutely NO social life to speak of) that I kinda don't know what to do with myself when I don't have anything to study for! Tanya QUOTE (wendya @ Dec 30 2008, 07:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hi Tanya, I am not sure of the date of Yilmaz's arrival to the U.S. I have just e-mailed Ankara for our next step. I don't know if we just pick up from where we left off or what. I am a little confused as to what we do next. I hope Ankara can be helpful!! Good luck on your next step in nursing!! I think it will be very interesting. QUOTE (tanyakaraman @ Dec 30 2008, 09:22 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Oh great...I'm feeling an odd mixture of relief and nausea.... Happy New Year to you too & everyone! Yeni y?l?n kutlu olsun!! So Wendy, does Yilmaz know when he can come yet? I'm so excited for you to be together finally! QUOTE (ErikaAndHamit @ Dec 30 2008, 05:33 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Tanya...yes psych is pretty much poo-free unless ya come across the ones who like to paint alone in their rooms...... ya always hear about one of those Psych is very interesting and I wish I had my pics from my rotation ....they are funny as hell...when I fix the virus on my other computer I will show ya....lol I fit right in....anyhow, I know you will enjoy this semester....interesting if nothing else Mina where art thou? HAPPY NEW YEAR!	tanyakaraman	Female	Turkey	2009-01-02 21:31:00