Bowling and Tying

Many of my friends and family in Minnesota have been curious to know what it is that we do for fun here in Turkey. For the past few months, as the rains have been pouring down, the answer has been mostly "keep dry," with a group of us beginning a book club to give us an excuse to get together and get out of our houses. Another favorite pastime of RC teachers is bowling, although I have been unable to join in the fun because my back has been bothering me and I'm no longer willing to risk injury in the name of a good time (I must be getting old). Last weekend, however, my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to go along for bowling night if only as a spectator. Well, I'm here to report that bowling in Turkey is pretty much exactly the same as bowling anywhere else in the world, smelly shoes and all, though instead of the usual baseball game on TV in the background, here it is usually a soccer match that has the locals shouting and screaming. On this occasion the local team, Besiktas, won, so the mood at Korukent Cosmic Bowling was decidedly jubilant.

The national elections are on Monday, so the Minister of Education has decided to cancel school for all Turkish schools, a move that has made him exceptionally popular among my students (and, yes, my colleagues). Today I have decided to take advantage of the three-day weekend announced only yesterday to catch up on one of my own favorite pastimes: fly tying.