Three Turkish Meals in a Row

Me, Mrs. Ergel and Burce. Burce's parents have agreed to adopt me as their Turkish daughter while I'm living in Istanbul :) and I agreed likewise for you mom and dad when Burce comes to America for graduate school--hope that's ok :).
Derek and Kim also joined us for dinner at Elif's. Kim is on her way to India for three months, but was able to stop in Istanbul and spend a few weeks with Derek. They are special friends :). We have had the great pleasure of having Kim stay with us the last couple of nights--so fun and a huge blessing.
Elif and Emily made homemade Ayran with homemade yoghurt. Welcome to Turkey. Ayran is a drink made from mixing yoghurt and water together. It is salty and goes great with Turkish food. I look like I am scared of Ayran in this picture--and I am. I am learning to drink it joyfully :).

This is Ozlem teaching me how to make Borek (a pastry with cheese and parsley).

I spent the night with my friend Burce and was served a delicious meal that started with lentil soup and finished with "non-hormone" fresh fruit (as her mother called it in reference to the numerous hormones found in produce in America). The morning was ushered in with a delicious turkish breakfast of sausage, hardboiled eggs, fetaish cheese, olives, bread, apricot jam, and cay. After Burce's house, I traveled to Asia with my roommate Emily to have one last meal with her friend Elif and Elif's mother.