Marhaba!

Hi all! I am alive and well. I am writing from an internet cafe in Kizalay, which is downtown Ankara. Everyday İ wake up wıth the sun and take either the metro or a bus to the city for an intensive Turkısh class. So far, İ have learned a lot. The class is very fast paced. My host family is very nice, but does not speak any English. They live just outside the city in an apartment. There is a 7 year old son, 13 year old cousin, and grandmother. İ have only seen the mother once. They feed me very well! Everyday İ get breakfast, which is bread, cheese, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and tea. I feel very bad eating in the morning because the grandmother prepares my food and she is practicing Ramadan. I eat anyway though. İn the evenıng we eat together and always have soup bread rice salad and some other vegetarian dısh. İ eat lunch in the city. I also probably drink tea 10 tımes a day. It is very good tasting, but so hot. It is hard to drink sometimes because the weather in Ankara is in the 100's and we do not have air conditioning. I am perpetually sweatıng.

İ will not have internet for another 3 weeks. After I get to school, I wıll fıll you ın more and be able to skype. This weekend İ am planning on going to a coastal town named Antalya. Hope you are all doıng well!