God, I have so much to say; I don't know where to start. If I sit down and reflect it's just like "Am I really working at a hostel bar in Istanbul!!??" I don't think it can really get much better, considering how much I love Turkish people and Istanbul in general. Working here is flat out hilarious with a dash of awkward thrown in on top. I work in the bar with a guy named Volcano (his real name is Vulcan - so Volcano in English), and he is probably one of the most entertaining people I've ever met. We also get along really, really well - I say it in all sincerity that by the time I leave, he'll probably be one of the best friends I've ever had. As he puts it - "we have the same mentality." His English isn't the best, so he picks up all these random phrases that people teach him. Although he's improved immensely, because when I met him back in September, he could barely speak English at all. Anyway, he's constantly making me laugh, whether it's because he puts liberal amounts of mayonnaise on everything (rice, soup, plain bread, tomatoes) or because he's saying things like "I want to open a waffle shop in America with Russian waitresses." Which is genius by the way. Yesterday I gave him a glass of red wine, he took a sip, and said "this needs something", so he proceeded to get out the coca cola and add it to the red wine. Huh. Never seen that one before. He also asks every other girl if she'll marry him "For visa. I don't like you, I hate you, just for visa." This girl and I interviewed him on video the other night, and I really hope she takes the time to edit it and put it up on YouTube, because it would probably be a major hit. Bahaus Guesthouse is the highest rated/most popular hostel in Istanbul, it's full almost every night, and at least every other review that's submitted online mentions how entertaining Volcano is. A YouTube video of him would be gold.

I'm having a bit of trouble adjusting to staying up so late, especially without drinking. I downed like six cups of coffee last night that didn't help at all, but thankfully it wasn't busy and Volcano let me go to sleep at one. I just can't sleep in - I'm always up by 8:30, and I have to be in the bar at 3pm so I never really have time to take an afternoon nap or anything. I definitely think I am solidly a morning person. At midnight last night, I was teaching these two Dutch guys how to play backgammon, and they were taking FOREVER to move each time. I was basically nodding off while they carefully decided where to move their friggin pieces.

I had my first conversation with the owner last night - what a weird guy. When I was here in September I never saw him, but he's been here every night so far, often with his pretty, young girlfriend. Can you say "golddigger". This guy is middle-aged and over-weight, with an unruly mop of hair - they make quite the couple. Anyway, my first two nights he didn't speak to me, and I was reminded of good 'ole Mr. Fox and his "I'm too important to talk to you attitude." But he's opening a new hostel in southern Turkey, and I wrote out all this information about it on a giant whiteboard in my flawless handwriting, so he came to thank me for it. Then he made me sit down, so he could teach me this stupid die game that he had "invented." Then pretty much forced me to go play it with this group of people. Awkward. He told me he had more games to teach me. I can't wait.

I've barely left the hostel all week - it just seems like I putter around all morning, and then I look at the time and it's one or two and I have to start work in an hour. Now that I have some money to spare, I really should be visiting everything . . . entry prices are steep here, but I'll kick myself if I'm here over a month and don't see at least all the important sights. I should get up off my ass right now and go visit Topkapi Palace. I still need to go to a hamam (Turkish bath) as well - this I get for free through the hostel which saves me 50 lira. You'd think I'd have used it already - who puts off a free massage - but people tend to come back and just pass out, and I would have to come back and work for 12 hours . . . Yesterday Volcano and I went to this sketch super market and I found the most disgusting looking Turkish Delight. It was actually just cotton candy, but it looked like balls of cat hair. I took a picture - I wish I could post it, but I'll definitely go back and buy a box before I come home. And give it to some poor soul for Christmas.