Okay everyone, I think I have FINALLY solved the "uploading videos" problem. (Nothing a little downloaded software can't fix, eh?) The quality isn't that great, and the first time I tried this, the audio and video weren't in sync. But, at this point, I am ecstatic that you can actually see Hayden's face! Hopefully, I will get better at this! Anyway - here is my cute boy. This was actually taken in December, (see- I really have been struggling to post for awhile!) Next I will post some recent pics. By the way - his shirt says "I do all my own stunts"
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Tamam, Tamam- I'll write something
OK- (Tamam in Turkish) Michael here. I realize that we have not updated the blog in 8 weeks or so (technically it is Linda's job to update the blog but she has been busy.) but I finally got something put together to post. A while ago some of you (friends from residency and others) asked about my job. What is my job like? How is being a military doc different from a civilian doc? Having never been a civilian doc I am not entirely sure but there are few things I am pretty sure of. (this probably doesn't apply to all Military docs but just to those of us "fortunate" enough to be in a forward location (that means close to the fighting to you civilians. And while we are not very close to the war we count as a forward location).
Some of the differences include:
1) we have men armed with machine guns at the doors of the clinic.
2) You cannot enter the building if you don't have proper clearance.
3) I am authorized to carry a sidearm (9mm pistol) during patient care (I don't but maybe someday).
4) when I have a critical case it gets airlifted out of the country.
5) I wear camouflage and combat boots to work.
6) I am usually addressed by the parents of my patients (and often by the patients themselves) as "Sir".
7) If a parent "No Shows" on an appointment I can call his Commander and have him punished (have not had to do this yet. I have very few "No Shows" as you might imagine).
8) There is a bomb shelter in the basement capable of withstanding a nearby nuclear blast.
9) When we have mock codes the "patient" has frequently been the victim of chemical, biological, radioactive/nuclear, or explosive attacks (CBRNE is the acronym for this). Making sure the scene is safe takes on a whole new meaning when your patient is covered with nerve agent.
10) I have a chemical protection suit in my office just in case of a chemical attack.
11) Our afternoon conferences frequently involve topics like "Using the Pralidoxime-2 (PAM-2)injector to counter nerve agents." or " The importance of screening returning soldiers for occult closed head injuries." or "Dangers on the flight line." (that's runway to you civilians). Being the solo pediatrician most of the lectures are (unfortunately) for the Family Practitioners and their adult patients.
12) I'm on call each Wednesday and the first weekend of the month.
13) The vaccinations we give include Typhus and Small-pox (only for those soldiers going downrange (into the war zone for you civilians)).
14) My contract requires I go running three times a week to be able to pass a physical fitness test which includes running 1.5 miles. (that may not be much to you runners but it was a long way to me).
15) must wear a dog tag at all times while at work
Anyway... Those are some of the differences. Otherwise my job is not that different from yours (speaking to my pediatric associates). I see the kids, diagnose their problem, reassure the parents, chart, refer, etc.
This week has been different though. Spent Monday and Tuesday teaching ACLS. My students included 2 Turkish physicians- one is a General Surgeon and the other a family practitioner. (we have a bit of a personnel shortage here- not everyone is willing to come to Turkey so we use some local providers) and then on Wednesday we had an "exercise". It was a pretend disaster drill complete with- you guessed it- a simulated chemical weapon attack. And with a simulated chemical attack comes the joy of wearing the flaming hot chemical protection suit with helmet and gasmask. (I do realize that anyone involved in actual combat in the big sandbox especially in the summer who wore their chem suit in that environment are laughing at me- "he's complaining about wearing his suit in an air conditioned building. I wore it in the sun in 120 degree heat!!) It was not just the heat and breathing difficulty but trying to treat our simulated patients through our gasmasks while wearing our big clumsy rubber gloves. It was an absolute lesson in futility. But now that is done and I wont have to do it again for another month.
Well it is late and I'm gonna go to bed. Eat some Mexican food for me because I cant get any here.
I've included some pictures by popular request.
Some of the differences include:
1) we have men armed with machine guns at the doors of the clinic.
2) You cannot enter the building if you don't have proper clearance.
3) I am authorized to carry a sidearm (9mm pistol) during patient care (I don't but maybe someday).
4) when I have a critical case it gets airlifted out of the country.
5) I wear camouflage and combat boots to work.
6) I am usually addressed by the parents of my patients (and often by the patients themselves) as "Sir".
7) If a parent "No Shows" on an appointment I can call his Commander and have him punished (have not had to do this yet. I have very few "No Shows" as you might imagine).
8) There is a bomb shelter in the basement capable of withstanding a nearby nuclear blast.
9) When we have mock codes the "patient" has frequently been the victim of chemical, biological, radioactive/nuclear, or explosive attacks (CBRNE is the acronym for this). Making sure the scene is safe takes on a whole new meaning when your patient is covered with nerve agent.
10) I have a chemical protection suit in my office just in case of a chemical attack.
11) Our afternoon conferences frequently involve topics like "Using the Pralidoxime-2 (PAM-2)injector to counter nerve agents." or " The importance of screening returning soldiers for occult closed head injuries." or "Dangers on the flight line." (that's runway to you civilians). Being the solo pediatrician most of the lectures are (unfortunately) for the Family Practitioners and their adult patients.
12) I'm on call each Wednesday and the first weekend of the month.
13) The vaccinations we give include Typhus and Small-pox (only for those soldiers going downrange (into the war zone for you civilians)).
14) My contract requires I go running three times a week to be able to pass a physical fitness test which includes running 1.5 miles. (that may not be much to you runners but it was a long way to me).
15) must wear a dog tag at all times while at work
Anyway... Those are some of the differences. Otherwise my job is not that different from yours (speaking to my pediatric associates). I see the kids, diagnose their problem, reassure the parents, chart, refer, etc.
This week has been different though. Spent Monday and Tuesday teaching ACLS. My students included 2 Turkish physicians- one is a General Surgeon and the other a family practitioner. (we have a bit of a personnel shortage here- not everyone is willing to come to Turkey so we use some local providers) and then on Wednesday we had an "exercise". It was a pretend disaster drill complete with- you guessed it- a simulated chemical weapon attack. And with a simulated chemical attack comes the joy of wearing the flaming hot chemical protection suit with helmet and gasmask. (I do realize that anyone involved in actual combat in the big sandbox especially in the summer who wore their chem suit in that environment are laughing at me- "he's complaining about wearing his suit in an air conditioned building. I wore it in the sun in 120 degree heat!!) It was not just the heat and breathing difficulty but trying to treat our simulated patients through our gasmasks while wearing our big clumsy rubber gloves. It was an absolute lesson in futility. But now that is done and I wont have to do it again for another month.
Well it is late and I'm gonna go to bed. Eat some Mexican food for me because I cant get any here.
I've included some pictures by popular request.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Videos and Other frustrations
I am still trying to figure out how to post videos on my blog. At the moment, I am messing with a you-tube clip of one of my favorite comedians. If everything goes well, and you actually see it, I will post my darling children next. I chose this video to practice on, so I can laugh a little instead of screaming and trying to throw my computer. (Did I mention that I have been trying to post videos since AUGUST!!??)
If anyone can help me with this, I'd love it. I know there is a way to do it, but I just keep getting error messages!
There is not much in the way of news this week. I am holding our Relief Society meeting at my house. That has taken some getting used to. Because I am the only councilor in the RS, I am in charge of the activities. And because we have no actual church to meet in, we meet in my living room. As a tiny branch, we improvise a lot! =)
Oh, and I wanted to mention to all of you who have posted comments- Thank You! We do read them and appreciate them, even if we don't answer. I'll be the first to admit I am terrible about staying in touch. Thus the reason we began this blog....
If anyone can help me with this, I'd love it. I know there is a way to do it, but I just keep getting error messages!
There is not much in the way of news this week. I am holding our Relief Society meeting at my house. That has taken some getting used to. Because I am the only councilor in the RS, I am in charge of the activities. And because we have no actual church to meet in, we meet in my living room. As a tiny branch, we improvise a lot! =)
Oh, and I wanted to mention to all of you who have posted comments- Thank You! We do read them and appreciate them, even if we don't answer. I'll be the first to admit I am terrible about staying in touch. Thus the reason we began this blog....
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Shout it from the rooftops!
I am sure you all remember that Michael went back to the states in October to take his Board Certification Exam. You know, the one that cost us 2,000$ for him to take and was the culmination of 11 years of school? Well.....HE PASSED!!!!!!!
Of course, I never had a doubt. Though it sure is nice to see the weight lifted from my husband's shoulders. We thought the results wouldn't be available until February, so I had quite a surprise waiting for me when I checked my e-mail yesterday. Unfortunately, they only sent a note stating the results were available on the Pediatric Board Website. What that means is, from 4pm till 11pm I was frantically trying to access his results along with every other newly graduated Pediatrician in the entire United States. The site literally crashed eight times! I almost ripped out my hair! When I did get through, we screamed and cried and tried not to wake our kids. =) Thanks to all those who fasted for him.
Oops- gotta go, Hayden is quietly giggling to himself.....he probably figured out donuts fit in the VCR.
Of course, I never had a doubt. Though it sure is nice to see the weight lifted from my husband's shoulders. We thought the results wouldn't be available until February, so I had quite a surprise waiting for me when I checked my e-mail yesterday. Unfortunately, they only sent a note stating the results were available on the Pediatric Board Website. What that means is, from 4pm till 11pm I was frantically trying to access his results along with every other newly graduated Pediatrician in the entire United States. The site literally crashed eight times! I almost ripped out my hair! When I did get through, we screamed and cried and tried not to wake our kids. =) Thanks to all those who fasted for him.
Oops- gotta go, Hayden is quietly giggling to himself.....he probably figured out donuts fit in the VCR.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Happy New Year!
Wow! This month has just been one big blur. I will not fill you in completely right now, seeing as it is midnight here. I did however want to make sure you all know that we are alive and well. I realize I have let too much time pass since I last wrote. And my dear friend Jon reminded me that because there was a bombing relatively close to our home, I should probably assure all my loved ones of our safety.
We have spent the better part of this month traveling. Michael's brother Robert came to spend Christmas with us, and we wanted to show him a good time. We definitely kept him hopping, if nothing else. We will all need a vacation after this vacation! =) We spent time in Cappidocia - a series of ancient cities carved out of rock. In fact the hotel we stayed in was a bunch of modified caves. I have numerous pictures to upload and share. It was amazing to see halls, churches, caverns, homes - all carved into mountains. The family had a bit more fun than me, because I spent two days in the hotel room throwing up. Good thing it is close enough for me to go back.
I also had a run-in with a Turk at a gas station on the way home. Apparently, my being American, gave him the right to grab my butt. I think he figured I didn't know his language and so who could I tell? He seemed a little shocked when I kicked him and swore at him in Turkish. Then I whipped out my cell phone and called a Turkish friend to give me more words to chew him with. When my friend Sefer heard what this guy had done, he didn't need any prompting. I made such a scene that his buddies came over to find out what had happened. When I told them, the guy denied it (of course) but his burning face and stammering gave him away. He picked the wrong tourist to mess with. Hopefully he will never do it again.
Our travels this month also took us to Istanbul. It was amazing! It reminded me so much of the cities in Europe I visited with my brother and sister-in-law. It was nice to see a completely different side of Turkey. Istanbul is light-years away from where I live. It was like going from Hurricane, UT to Manhattan. (To give you an idea what Hurricane is like, there are only like, 3 people that live there - and a horse) Now I see how Turkey could possibly want to join the EU. Before I was just confused. This side of the country is more Middle Eastern.
We saw so many sites and walked till I thought Dallen's legs would fall off. I think he did too. We had wisely left the two youngest home with a babysitter. The big kids had a great time, riding on the ferry and touring palaces. We also saw an unbelievable Roman Aqueduct. (Okay - admit it - how many of you just now said "The Aqueduct??" with a squeaky Monty Python type British accent?)
We were treated to a dinner show the first night we were there. It ran a little late though and Dallen really got restless. At one point he loudly complained, "How many more Belly Dancers are we gonna have to watch!!??" We laughed as someone pointed out that in about 7 to 8 years, he would be riveted to the stage. Maryn's favorite part of the trip was the pottery store. A man there was using a kick wheel and he let her throw her own pot. We even got to bring it home for free! We took a video of it that I will try to upload. So far, I have hit and miss luck with that.
The history and energy of the city were breathtaking. And I found out the answer to one of life's burning questions: "Istanbul not Constantinople, been a long time gone Constantinople, Why did Constantinople get the works?" Well - apparently the name of the city was changed when the Ottomans defeated the Byzantines. The Ottomans were muslim, and they named the city "Istanbul" which means "City of Islam". Also they didn't want to call it "Constantinople" when it was no longer Constantine's city. So now you know. And now you all have a catchy song in your head.
Another little tid-bit that some of you might find interesting. We had Condalezza Rice stay next door a while ago. Do you remember her surprise visit to Iraq? She stopped here on her way. And our house is next to the VIP house. We didn't get to meet her because it was very hush-hush, but Dallen made friends with one of her Secret Service Agents. He even gave him an honorary badge. Dallen has carried it around telling everyone he is a special agent.
Sorry for the nutshell version of our trip. I promise to write more and post some pictures when I am not falling asleep at the keyboard. Till next time....
We have spent the better part of this month traveling. Michael's brother Robert came to spend Christmas with us, and we wanted to show him a good time. We definitely kept him hopping, if nothing else. We will all need a vacation after this vacation! =) We spent time in Cappidocia - a series of ancient cities carved out of rock. In fact the hotel we stayed in was a bunch of modified caves. I have numerous pictures to upload and share. It was amazing to see halls, churches, caverns, homes - all carved into mountains. The family had a bit more fun than me, because I spent two days in the hotel room throwing up. Good thing it is close enough for me to go back.
I also had a run-in with a Turk at a gas station on the way home. Apparently, my being American, gave him the right to grab my butt. I think he figured I didn't know his language and so who could I tell? He seemed a little shocked when I kicked him and swore at him in Turkish. Then I whipped out my cell phone and called a Turkish friend to give me more words to chew him with. When my friend Sefer heard what this guy had done, he didn't need any prompting. I made such a scene that his buddies came over to find out what had happened. When I told them, the guy denied it (of course) but his burning face and stammering gave him away. He picked the wrong tourist to mess with. Hopefully he will never do it again.
Our travels this month also took us to Istanbul. It was amazing! It reminded me so much of the cities in Europe I visited with my brother and sister-in-law. It was nice to see a completely different side of Turkey. Istanbul is light-years away from where I live. It was like going from Hurricane, UT to Manhattan. (To give you an idea what Hurricane is like, there are only like, 3 people that live there - and a horse) Now I see how Turkey could possibly want to join the EU. Before I was just confused. This side of the country is more Middle Eastern.
We saw so many sites and walked till I thought Dallen's legs would fall off. I think he did too. We had wisely left the two youngest home with a babysitter. The big kids had a great time, riding on the ferry and touring palaces. We also saw an unbelievable Roman Aqueduct. (Okay - admit it - how many of you just now said "The Aqueduct??" with a squeaky Monty Python type British accent?)
We were treated to a dinner show the first night we were there. It ran a little late though and Dallen really got restless. At one point he loudly complained, "How many more Belly Dancers are we gonna have to watch!!??" We laughed as someone pointed out that in about 7 to 8 years, he would be riveted to the stage. Maryn's favorite part of the trip was the pottery store. A man there was using a kick wheel and he let her throw her own pot. We even got to bring it home for free! We took a video of it that I will try to upload. So far, I have hit and miss luck with that.
The history and energy of the city were breathtaking. And I found out the answer to one of life's burning questions: "Istanbul not Constantinople, been a long time gone Constantinople, Why did Constantinople get the works?" Well - apparently the name of the city was changed when the Ottomans defeated the Byzantines. The Ottomans were muslim, and they named the city "Istanbul" which means "City of Islam". Also they didn't want to call it "Constantinople" when it was no longer Constantine's city. So now you know. And now you all have a catchy song in your head.
Another little tid-bit that some of you might find interesting. We had Condalezza Rice stay next door a while ago. Do you remember her surprise visit to Iraq? She stopped here on her way. And our house is next to the VIP house. We didn't get to meet her because it was very hush-hush, but Dallen made friends with one of her Secret Service Agents. He even gave him an honorary badge. Dallen has carried it around telling everyone he is a special agent.
Sorry for the nutshell version of our trip. I promise to write more and post some pictures when I am not falling asleep at the keyboard. Till next time....
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Back in Time-- it was muddy
This is the first installment written by Linda's husband Michael. Most of you know me but if you don't-- hello. My writing differs significantly from my Wife's. She writes to entertain while I generally write more to educate. Some will like hers more (most of you most likely) but hopefully I will have my fans as well.
I am a history buff and as often as I can I drag my wife off to some ruin or church or castle or... whatever. Usually she goes willingly but sometimes she has to be bribed, tricked, or cajoled. It wasn't long ago that I was standing in a field- thats right a field- talking about some battle which had taken place there. (The Battle of Issos which occurred in November 333BC where Alexander the Great defeated Daruis III King of Persia. This was the first time the Persians had been defeated with their King present. This marked the beginning of the end of Persian supremacy in the region and marks one of the most important Battles of Western Civilization http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Issus). In my mind I'm seeing phalanxes of hoplites, Persian archers and Macedonian cavalry but all she sees is a dirty river and acres of mud and the flaming heat and complaining children. Needless to say I'm lucky to still be married.
Anyway- Last week we went to Anavarsus (aka Anavarsa or Anavarza). It is an ancient Roman city that became part of the Byzantine Empire and later was used by Cilician Armenia as a provincial capital. On the hill overlooking the city the Armenians built a castle. So there was a lot to see. Here is a brief overview lifted from a travel site (http://www.planetware.com/adana/anavarza-anazarbus-tr-ad-ada.htm
"Beside the Sumbas Cayi, near the village of Anavarza in Upper Çukurova, to the east of the Ceyhan-Kozan road, lie the easily recognized walled ruins of Anazarbus, at one time the minor capital of Lesser Armenia. Perched dizzily on an isolated crag some 200m/650ft directly above the town (and reached by steps from near the theater) are extensive remains of the fortress (upper and lower fort). In addition to the ancient main street other town ruins include a Roman stadium, a theater, an aqueduct, several churches and a fine gate to the south. The local open-air museum (situated away from the site itself, in the center of the village) has some famous mosaics from the third century. Founded in the first century B.C. Anazarbus was a Romano-Byzantine town. In the 12th century, after numerous disputes with Byzantium and with the aid of the Crusaders, it passed to Lesser Armenia, the principal capital of which was Sis (Sisium/Kozan). Although from 1199 onwards the Armenian princes styled themselves kings, they were always forced, in the final resort, to acknowledge Byzantine supremacy. While close links between the royal house and the Mongols preserved Anazarbus from destruction, in 1297 a Mongol prince had 40 Armenian noblemen, together with Hetum their king, murdered at a banquet in the town."
We got a late start and so did not get to see the whole city or the museum but we did hike to the castle. We had a volunteer Turkish guide- a local who knows he can make more by guiding Americans up the hill than by raising.... whatever it is they raise there (sheep probably). He may have got more than he bargained for though as he soon realized we would not make it up the hill before nightfall at the rate we (Bennett) were moving. I already had one child (Hayden) on my back so he hoisted Bennett up on his and climbed the mountain. We walked past the remains of the Roman Amphitheater and the Roman Stadium and up onto the hill where the citizens buried their dead. This is a largely unexcavated site other than amateur (criminal) work. Occasionally we came across an excavated (pillaged) grave with bits of bone scattered about. It was kinda creepy.
Up the mountain we continued to the castle. It was a well defended site- lots of rocks and at the top of a mountain. We got to the castle and had a lot of fun running around on and in it. Arrow slits and water cisterns and everything else- our guide even pointed out the toilet. It is a large castle with multiple layers of walled defenses. A particular Armenian architectural trait was easy to see. Unlike every movie ever made where the front gate is in line with the wall (at the front of the gatehouse)- the Armenians built their front gates at a 90 degree angle to the wall (on the side of the gatehouse). This made it impossible to attack it by a battering ram. Pretty smart.
We had a great time- though we were always worried about one of the kids falling into a well or off the mountain (it is literally at the edge of a sheer cliff). From the top you can see the entire city spread out before you- probably 400 acres in size surrounded by a thick wall. The remains of an aqueduct stretch off to the North. Most of the city is flat dirt (some of it has even been plowed and planted) but here and there a temple or bath house has resisted the ravages of time. We eventually had to leave lest we be caught up there after dark.
At the car we had the offer of buying coins our guide had found around the city. We also payed the guide- he really liked my Maglite flashlight and that plus 20 dollars brought our transaction to a close. Linda and I both felt we ended up paying too much but it is hard to say no the man who carried your child up and back down a mountain on his back.
I wasn't going to write this part but Linda threatened to if I didn't. I wanted to drive along the aqueduct. I knew it parallelled the highway and figured I could get back without too much trouble. After driving for a few miles without seeing any way back to the road we turned into a small village. I did my best to get back to the highway but ended up in a farmers front yard. He and his sons were very nice and directed us to the road. Hopefully we don't become the butt of a "crazy American" joke retold for the next decade in the town.
For those of you who are Google Earth fans, Anavarsus is located at 35 degrees 53 minutes east latitude and 37 degrees and 15 minutes north longitude- the ancient city is the big green blob with the black line (cliff shadow) as the right border.
I am a history buff and as often as I can I drag my wife off to some ruin or church or castle or... whatever. Usually she goes willingly but sometimes she has to be bribed, tricked, or cajoled. It wasn't long ago that I was standing in a field- thats right a field- talking about some battle which had taken place there. (The Battle of Issos which occurred in November 333BC where Alexander the Great defeated Daruis III King of Persia. This was the first time the Persians had been defeated with their King present. This marked the beginning of the end of Persian supremacy in the region and marks one of the most important Battles of Western Civilization http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Issus). In my mind I'm seeing phalanxes of hoplites, Persian archers and Macedonian cavalry but all she sees is a dirty river and acres of mud and the flaming heat and complaining children. Needless to say I'm lucky to still be married.
Anyway- Last week we went to Anavarsus (aka Anavarsa or Anavarza). It is an ancient Roman city that became part of the Byzantine Empire and later was used by Cilician Armenia as a provincial capital. On the hill overlooking the city the Armenians built a castle. So there was a lot to see. Here is a brief overview lifted from a travel site (http://www.planetware.com/adana/anavarza-anazarbus-tr-ad-ada.htm
"Beside the Sumbas Cayi, near the village of Anavarza in Upper Çukurova, to the east of the Ceyhan-Kozan road, lie the easily recognized walled ruins of Anazarbus, at one time the minor capital of Lesser Armenia. Perched dizzily on an isolated crag some 200m/650ft directly above the town (and reached by steps from near the theater) are extensive remains of the fortress (upper and lower fort). In addition to the ancient main street other town ruins include a Roman stadium, a theater, an aqueduct, several churches and a fine gate to the south. The local open-air museum (situated away from the site itself, in the center of the village) has some famous mosaics from the third century. Founded in the first century B.C. Anazarbus was a Romano-Byzantine town. In the 12th century, after numerous disputes with Byzantium and with the aid of the Crusaders, it passed to Lesser Armenia, the principal capital of which was Sis (Sisium/Kozan). Although from 1199 onwards the Armenian princes styled themselves kings, they were always forced, in the final resort, to acknowledge Byzantine supremacy. While close links between the royal house and the Mongols preserved Anazarbus from destruction, in 1297 a Mongol prince had 40 Armenian noblemen, together with Hetum their king, murdered at a banquet in the town."
We got a late start and so did not get to see the whole city or the museum but we did hike to the castle. We had a volunteer Turkish guide- a local who knows he can make more by guiding Americans up the hill than by raising.... whatever it is they raise there (sheep probably). He may have got more than he bargained for though as he soon realized we would not make it up the hill before nightfall at the rate we (Bennett) were moving. I already had one child (Hayden) on my back so he hoisted Bennett up on his and climbed the mountain. We walked past the remains of the Roman Amphitheater and the Roman Stadium and up onto the hill where the citizens buried their dead. This is a largely unexcavated site other than amateur (criminal) work. Occasionally we came across an excavated (pillaged) grave with bits of bone scattered about. It was kinda creepy.
Up the mountain we continued to the castle. It was a well defended site- lots of rocks and at the top of a mountain. We got to the castle and had a lot of fun running around on and in it. Arrow slits and water cisterns and everything else- our guide even pointed out the toilet. It is a large castle with multiple layers of walled defenses. A particular Armenian architectural trait was easy to see. Unlike every movie ever made where the front gate is in line with the wall (at the front of the gatehouse)- the Armenians built their front gates at a 90 degree angle to the wall (on the side of the gatehouse). This made it impossible to attack it by a battering ram. Pretty smart.
We had a great time- though we were always worried about one of the kids falling into a well or off the mountain (it is literally at the edge of a sheer cliff). From the top you can see the entire city spread out before you- probably 400 acres in size surrounded by a thick wall. The remains of an aqueduct stretch off to the North. Most of the city is flat dirt (some of it has even been plowed and planted) but here and there a temple or bath house has resisted the ravages of time. We eventually had to leave lest we be caught up there after dark.
At the car we had the offer of buying coins our guide had found around the city. We also payed the guide- he really liked my Maglite flashlight and that plus 20 dollars brought our transaction to a close. Linda and I both felt we ended up paying too much but it is hard to say no the man who carried your child up and back down a mountain on his back.
I wasn't going to write this part but Linda threatened to if I didn't. I wanted to drive along the aqueduct. I knew it parallelled the highway and figured I could get back without too much trouble. After driving for a few miles without seeing any way back to the road we turned into a small village. I did my best to get back to the highway but ended up in a farmers front yard. He and his sons were very nice and directed us to the road. Hopefully we don't become the butt of a "crazy American" joke retold for the next decade in the town.
For those of you who are Google Earth fans, Anavarsus is located at 35 degrees 53 minutes east latitude and 37 degrees and 15 minutes north longitude- the ancient city is the big green blob with the black line (cliff shadow) as the right border.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Veteran's Day Outings
Well, we ventured off base again. (I always have been a little off base) This time we were able to get to some Roman ruins. The castles we saw were built in 200 B.C. I have included some pictures of our adventure. We went with a family from our branch. Some of you may know the strange story of how we met the Wilsons. When I was in Cedar City this summer I got a phone call from a woman who asked if I was moving to Turkey. When I said yes, she said "me too!" Come to find out they were moving at about the same time. Our parents live in the same neighborhood and she and her family were visiting before moving out of the country. Small world, eh? This is the friend "Angie" that I have mentioned in a few of my stories. By the way - we are going shopping together tomorrow in a city called Gaziantep. Hopefully it will be uneventful!
Anyway - back to the castles...! The weather was beautiful and we all had a great time. The kids collected pieces of pottery and roman coins (we have no National Parks Service here). Then we all had a picnic lunch. Maryn had a snake fall from the ceiling on to her head. She just said "Cool!" and then called her dad over to tell her what kind it was. The other little girls that were with us were pretty freaked out and avoided that room of the castle for the rest of the visit. Even I was a little nervous. I like snakes, but I still didn't want them dropping on me!
Halloween was also fun here. It was very military-ish. Trick or treating was to be executed in designated areas between the hours of 1700 and 2000. This is all very new to me. Maryn was a princess again and Dallen was a ninja. Bennett was going to be the Blue Power Ranger until -
a) he saw that Dallen was a ninja
b)he realized he'd have to wear a mask.
c)he realized that Power Rangers don't carry weapons
So, we had two ninjas this year. One of them didn't cover his face, much to the irritation of the other one. "Bennett! Ninja's are supposed to wear this up over their faces! You have to be disguised!" "Dallen, Ninja's don't like masks" And so the evening went. Dallen tried unsuccessfully to yank up Bennett's mask as they walked to each house.
Hayden was a duck. And a very cute, chubby one at that. I will also try to post video of him walking (sort of)
Until next time!
Anyway - back to the castles...! The weather was beautiful and we all had a great time. The kids collected pieces of pottery and roman coins (we have no National Parks Service here). Then we all had a picnic lunch. Maryn had a snake fall from the ceiling on to her head. She just said "Cool!" and then called her dad over to tell her what kind it was. The other little girls that were with us were pretty freaked out and avoided that room of the castle for the rest of the visit. Even I was a little nervous. I like snakes, but I still didn't want them dropping on me!
Halloween was also fun here. It was very military-ish. Trick or treating was to be executed in designated areas between the hours of 1700 and 2000. This is all very new to me. Maryn was a princess again and Dallen was a ninja. Bennett was going to be the Blue Power Ranger until -
a) he saw that Dallen was a ninja
b)he realized he'd have to wear a mask.
c)he realized that Power Rangers don't carry weapons
So, we had two ninjas this year. One of them didn't cover his face, much to the irritation of the other one. "Bennett! Ninja's are supposed to wear this up over their faces! You have to be disguised!" "Dallen, Ninja's don't like masks" And so the evening went. Dallen tried unsuccessfully to yank up Bennett's mask as they walked to each house.
Hayden was a duck. And a very cute, chubby one at that. I will also try to post video of him walking (sort of)
Until next time!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)