Brian and I went to the sixth largest mall in Europe this weekend. It was insanely large, with six levels and a roller coaster inside the mall!! We spent the day shopping amongst familiar brands like Loft, The Row, and a Victoria's Secret that was strangely dark..like movie theater dark. I was ecstatic to see a Converse store as I need a new pair of walkabout kicks, but apparently I have an extremely common shoe size and they were out in the three styles I wanted.(School just started here, so I think that had something to do with it.) Still, Brian was able to find some pieces to expand his professional wardrobe and we had a very enjoyable time.
On Friday, I joined the team for dinner at BAR 360, a rooftop place that turns into a nightclub between midnight and five am. There are places here that with your admission, you are allowed entry to breakfast after six at the same location! The team works really long hours, usually they get home after nine, so I'm struggling to adjust to dinner between ten and eleven. (It's currently four pm as I type this, and I'm just now thinking about lunch.) We shared sushi roll appetizers and bottles of wine before our meal and were entertained by some bizarre 'dancing'. A young lady did a fantastic hula hoop routine that reminded me of something off 'America's Got Talent.' One of her later numbers was accompanied by two assistants. The assistants LIT HER HULA HOOP ON FIRE and she continued her routine. It was crazy and the crowd went wild. I was duly impressed, and Ezra, our Turkish team member said it was very unusual and not anything she had seen before.
Three of us left 'early' around three am and like usual, we took a taxi home. I had thought the drivers in Paris were dangerous, but wow!! We went down the wrong way on a one way street and the driver shrugged off our concerns, saying 'That is the street we need, down there. It is oh-key." The Turks use their horns every couple of minutes. A driver explained as we drove down the middle of the yellow dotted line that separated two lanes-we became imaginary lane number one and a half- that the horn lets other drivers know we're coming-HONKKKKK. And there are no seat belt laws!! The drivers don't wear them and most of the taxis we've taken haven't even had them in the backseats!! I find that I travel easier with my eyes tightly closed, gripping the seat back in front of me, wedged against Brian or the door. The drivers seem to get exasperated every time I'd gasp, which is quite often. Now I just tell myself it's like I'm on Space Mountain in Disneyland. It's a fluffin' nightmare and Brian and I both agree we're grateful that at least we don't have to drive in this madness.
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