After waking up and leaving the Ibis Hotel in Bucharest around 7 this morning, we arrived in Istanbul early this afternoon. Our plane was in a holding pattern over the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara for about forty-five minutes, which meant that the anticipation had plenty of time to build. On the way to the Kadir Has dorms, we listened to some Turkish pop music that Mujgan (who was nice enough to meet us at the airport even though she flew home to Istanbul the night before we got there) brought for us as we rode past the old walls of the city. It was an interesting effect. The walls, of course, are ancient and beautiful, and it's crazy to see them in the middle of a sprawling modern city, especially when the Turkish version of Lady Gaga is playing in the background.
Kadir Has is an amazing place. Some of us were talking back in Bucharest about how we like old buildings that incorporate modern architecture, so this is definitely the right place for us. The main building is an old tobacco factory that fell into disrepair until some Turkish philanthropists, led by Kadir Has, decided to turn it into a college. I haven't gotten pictures yet, but I can't wait for you to see the inside. It isn't just modern, it's modern in a very beautiful way. The roof is mostly skylights and many of them shine down on the numerous atria between classrooms, lounges, Starbucks, etc. The ground on the bottom level is largely taken up by gardens. The main cafeteria is on the third floor and on the corner of the building, and the view of the Golden Horn from there is simply amazing. I"ll get around to taking pictures at some point.
The area around Kadir Has is great too. Luckily, its situation near the Golden Horn means that a strong breeze is usually there to lessen the effects of the baking-hot Istanbul summer (when I say "is usually" I mean "was there for several hours this afternoon"). We're at the bottom of a hill, and the neighborhood on and around the hill is full of small streets and friendly Turkish people, many of whom are selling food and most of whom insist that they give you some for free. We first encountered this charity at a great bakery nearby, but my favorite example of it was when a man pulling a cart full of fruit stopped to let us try some cherries. They were the best I've ever had. In addition to all this goodness, we're also within walking distance (and viewing distance, from a few stories up) of the Hagia Sofia and Topkapi Palace, two of Istanbul's main attractions.
The dorms themselves are, in my opinion, better than the dorm I lived in last year. We're all living in a small building the size of a reasonably large house. There are three floors, and Daniel and I are sharing the bottom one with just two other guys, which is nice. There's a bathroom for the four of us, a washer and dryer, and a lounge complete with a TV, a microwave, and a fridge. Our rooms might be small for doubles at Princeton (I wouldn't really know) but they're very comfortable, especially considering the most pleasant surprise so far: WE HAVE AIR CONDITIONING! All in all, everything looks perfect here right now. Pictures to follow.
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