the new chapter

today is the last day of 2008. It’s a good day to start posting in our blog again, I sort of left it be for over a year...it’s enough. writing is good.

so a quick summary of what happened to us in 2008:

- we moved to Turkey (and we love it)


- we bought a flat (though we haven’t moved in there yet)
[thus, no picture]

- kemal found a job (in Starbucks, where else?)


- i became a full time house wife (or coora domestica as I prefer to call it)


- i made some wonderful friends


- i learnt some Turkish (very some)
[no picture to prove it, sorry]

- i made lots of jams and pickles (very yummy, that’s what proper cooras domesticas do, don’t they?)


- i’m a different person: wiser (and undeniably wider – as a proper coora domestica should be), happier, and more in peace with myself and the world (thanks to a few angels I met)


- kemal gave up smoking, started again, gave up, and started again – with the plan to give up as of tomorrow (but did not define for how long)

- i got to understand Turkish culture a bit better and started to like it a bit (thanks to my new wonderful friends)


- we had a few of our lovely friends and family coming to stay with us:

Kemal's mum in November 2007:

She came just in time to help us decorate in our newly rented flat and brought lots of things for the house: plates, pans, linen, etc., cooked lovely meals and helped with cleaning and housework. Kemal was looking for a job and I was being quite nervous trying to fit in the new lifestyle (read: cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning).

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My brother Michał and cousin Grześ in January:

It was so lovely to see them and spend time with them. Hope they had good time too. And hope we will see you guys again soon! I miss you!!!!! And I am bovvered!

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Kemal's cousin, Seda in April:

Her stay meant a very long lesson of Turkish for me.

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Kemal's mum and niece Damla in May:

Lovely to get to know Kemal's mum and Damla a bit more: Turkish lesson continued.

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Ania and Ibo in June:

It was great to have Ania and Ibo stay with us. We had good laugh, didn't we guys? Shame Kemal was at work most of the time. Hope you are planning another Turkish holidyas in 2009!

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Kemal's cousins: Ozlem, Eda and Derya in July:

Turkish lesson restarted. It was nice to get to know more of Kemal's family. Kemal still at work, though.

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Ania in September:

Fantastic to see Ania again! Kemal was at work most of the time still, so we had quality girly time!!! Ania, we have to repeat it again soon!

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Bea in September after Ania:

Quality girly time continued! Bea, it was great to spend these few days with you! You are so inspirational! I miss you loads and remember that you are always welcome in our house! But we need to meet in Poland too!

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and Grzegorz cousin after Bea:

We had soooo much fun together, didn't we? Kemal was still working, poor thing, and couldn't share with the fun we had.

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and Kemal's cousin Hussein with wife Reyhan and daughter Azra in October, here is Azra:

Another lesson of Turkish for me and more getting-to-know-the family thing.

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and...Kemal's mum again in December, just in time for Christmas:


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some things that we were hoping would happen, didn’t. to give a few examples:

- we still have no baby (but the time will come, we know)
- my parents haven’t visited us yet (can’t understand why)
- some of my best friends haven’t visited us yet (can’t understand why)
- i still can’t speak Turkish well (this is easy to understand, I know exactly why)
- i haven’t lost any weight (this is also obvious)
- we still haven’t managed to go to the restaurant up on the hill (it’s not ‘on the way’)
- i haven’t done all the projects I wanted to do (two unfinished scarves, thousands of books untranslated, unpainted pictures, undecorated houses, uncooked meals, undanced dances, unsung songs, unwoken mornings, unsmiled smiles, and many many other un-s)

but....the New Year brings hopes for all these things to happen. and this is what we wish to ourselves. and also to be more and more happy and centered and knowing and free to be ourselves, no matter what is happening around us.
and guess these are the most important things. so, we wish them to you too, darlings! Happy New Year!

we love you