Just Turkish

[ErikaAndHamit 73]

Here's those Istanbul pics I have been promising if anyone cares to reminisce It's on my Myspace at:

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?...albumId=1858635

Hope you all enjoy them!

Your pictures are wonderful Erika!! You too make a very cute couple!!

Ah, what memories. The same streets, tramvay and sights. I do love Turkey (and of course my Yilmaz)!!!

What hotel did you stay at? The view was gorgeous! Yilmaz and I stayed at the Ada Hotel in Sultanahmet. The room was big and had a water view. We only stayed there two nights. When I first arrived and the night before my flight. We stayed in Tuzla the rest of the time in a rented villa. It was nice. Too many steep steps walking down to the entrance, but at least it had a washer and dryer, which was nice.

Thank you again for sharing your beautiful photos!!

~Wendy

Thank you! You are very welcome! We stayed at the Akdeniz...a small hotel..but comfy. Where is Tuzla? Is Yilmaz in Turkey still (I'm gonna have to cheat and read your profile )? I wish I had a washer/dryer...no such luck. I took like 200 pictures...time flies when youre having fun and goes slowwwwwwww when your waiting. I know what you mean about steps...been to Taksim?? OMG!!!!!! Never again...lol I don't believe we have ever chatted directly so it is nice to meet you Wendy ...lol So how is your weekend going? I am working on my resume so I can get a 2nd job...exciting

well, talk to ya soon!

[wendya 0]

Here's those Istanbul pics I have been promising if anyone cares to reminisce It's on my Myspace at:

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?...albumId=1858635

Hope you all enjoy them!

Your pictures are wonderful Erika!! You too make a very cute couple!!

Ah, what memories. The same streets, tramvay and sights. I do love Turkey (and of course my Yilmaz)!!!

What hotel did you stay at? The view was gorgeous! Yilmaz and I stayed at the Ada Hotel in Sultanahmet. The room was big and had a water view. We only stayed there two nights. When I first arrived and the night before my flight. We stayed in Tuzla the rest of the time in a rented villa. It was nice. Too many steep steps walking down to the entrance, but at least it had a washer and dryer, which was nice.

Thank you again for sharing your beautiful photos!!

~Wendy

Thank you! You are very welcome! We stayed at the Akdeniz...a small hotel..but comfy. Where is Tuzla? Is Yilmaz in Turkey still (I'm gonna have to cheat and read your profile )? I wish I had a washer/dryer...no such luck. I took like 200 pictures...time flies when youre having fun and goes slowwwwwwww when your waiting. I know what you mean about steps...been to Taksim?? OMG!!!!!! Never again...lol I don't believe we have ever chatted directly so it is nice to meet you Wendy ...lol So how is your weekend going? I am working on my resume so I can get a 2nd job...exciting

well, talk to ya soon!

Hi Erika,

Yes, Yilmaz is still in Turkey and it has been almost a year since we have seen each other. I was last in Turkey December of 2007. I remember his brother-in-law joking saying, "we will see you again next December". I said, "I hope Yilmaz has his visa by then!!" We knew we were going to have a wait, but this is ridiculous!!

Tuzula is about an hour away from Istanbul on the Asian side. This is where one of his sister's and husband live. Our villa was only 5 minutes from their house and 20 minutes from his parents house in Gebze. It is a nice little town near the water. They have a Naval compound there. Yilmaz has two brother-in-laws that were in the Turkish navy.

Yes, I have been to Taksim too! I love it! Very crowded, but it is fun!

As far as my weekend, I am feeling a little lonely and sad and missing Yilmaz very much!! God bless my family, they try to make me happy and it is great to have them with me, but I do miss my love!!

Great talking to you. Good luck in your job search! (2nd job, wow you are very industrious!!)

Have a great rest of the weekend!!

~Wendy (and Yilmaz)

[tanyakaraman 0]

Lovely pictures Erika! You two do make a very nice couple & looks like you had a wonderful time!

And Wendy...sorry you're feeling down & lonely! Good thing you have such a close family to help keep your spirits up...

I'm missing Ozzy today too...he's in NYC for a couple days on business. This guy from Instanbul he used to work for (as an interpreter) is in NY for a few days and he asked Ozzy to come interpret for him while he's here. But he'll be back home tomorrow. It makes me sad too to think of you and Yilmaz being apart for so long....I don't know how you do it, but keep hanging in there!!

~Tanya

Here's those Istanbul pics I have been promising if anyone cares to reminisce It's on my Myspace at:

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?...albumId=1858635

Hope you all enjoy them!

[JULIAFERNO 0]

I liked your pictures too, Erika! Thanks for sharing

I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend! I know I am...today was my lazy day but tomorrow I'll be lesson-planning all day. At least I'll get that extra hour in from daylight savings!

Oh - and Happy (late) Halloween to everyone! Did anyone dress up? I was invited last-minute to a Halloween party and had to throw something together very fast, so I went as a black cat. Generic, but it was still fun dressing up and putting on my cat make-up Sometimes grown-ups need to play dress-up too!

[tanyakaraman 0]

Sounds like fun Julia! Our Halloween was kinda rushed...I had to work all day, then pick up the kids from school (and got stuck in traffic for like ~1.5 hours) and rush home. By the time we got home, the other kids in the neighborhood were already out trick-or-treating, so my kids had to hurry up & get dressed so they could go out. I was going to wear my costume from last year (a Roman goddess) but I didn't bother with all the rushing around. I didn't even take any pictures!!

[wendya 0]

Lovely pictures Erika! You two do make a very nice couple & looks like you had a wonderful time!

And Wendy...sorry you're feeling down & lonely! Good thing you have such a close family to help keep your spirits up...

I'm missing Ozzy today too...he's in NYC for a couple days on business. This guy from Instanbul he used to work for (as an interpreter) is in NY for a few days and he asked Ozzy to come interpret for him while he's here. But he'll be back home tomorrow. It makes me sad too to think of you and Yilmaz being apart for so long....I don't know how you do it, but keep hanging in there!!

~Tanya

Tanya, you are always so kind and sweet. I was telling Erika how much I appreciate all the support and kindness everyone here gives to each other. What a loving group of people. Just like Juila said, I hope that we can all meet some day!

I am glad that Ozzy won't be gone long, but that is great that the guy thought of Ozzy and asked for him to come and work for him for a couple of days. What a big compliment!!

Thanks again!!

~Wendy

[wendya 0]

Merhaba Everyone

Just wanted to say "hi" and see how everyone was doing.

Hope all is well!!

~Wendy

[miamiwife 0]

I am still waiting for my husband, but I became an aunt last week! I am going to visit my brother and see my nephew next week. I am very excited--finally someone to spoil!

Sibel

[wendya 0]

I am still waiting for my husband, but I became an aunt last week! I am going to visit my brother and see my nephew next week. I am very excited--finally someone to spoil!

Sibel

Tebrikler!!! It is wonderful to be an Aunt and spoil them

Have fun and enjoy!!

[miamiwife 0]

So I have to ask this Turkish group how many times they have gotten this question (especially since Thanksgiving is coming up), "Do they eat turkey in Turkey?" You don't know how many times I have gotten that one! Hope your Thanksgiving is full of many blessings and lots of tofurkey!

[JULIAFERNO 0]

A week from tomorrow marks four months in AP. It is getting really tough for both Onur and I. We feel so lost and hopeless. He has threatened to cancel the visa if he is still in AP after 6 months, which would be the end of January. We can't wait forever and we are not willing to wait years as we have heard happen to some people. We decided today that if he still doesn't have his visa or word of his visa by May, when I'm done with my graduate program, that we will stop waiting. He'll have to complete his military duty...and continuing to prolong that is just going to make it harder on him.

I feel so sad...I just want to be happy and live my life with my love. I knew this process would be long and difficult, but I never imagined this. It is really starting to affect our relationship. How could this take SO long?

[camistanbul 0]

A week from tomorrow marks four months in AP. It is getting really tough for both Onur and I. We feel so lost and hopeless. He has threatened to cancel the visa if he is still in AP after 6 months, which would be the end of January. We can't wait forever and we are not willing to wait years as we have heard happen to some people. We decided today that if he still doesn't have his visa or word of his visa by May, when I'm done with my graduate program, that we will stop waiting. He'll have to complete his military duty...and continuing to prolong that is just going to make it harder on him.

I feel so sad...I just want to be happy and live my life with my love. I knew this process would be long and difficult, but I never imagined this. It is really starting to affect our relationship. How could this take SO long?

Hi Juliaferno -

Just wanted to say that I'm sorry that Onur is in AP and that it's taking so long. :-( I hope that you both hear something soon and that things get moving. I can only imagine how difficult it must be but just try and stay positive.

Can you go to Turkey to visit over Christmas?

[wendya 0]

A week from tomorrow marks four months in AP. It is getting really tough for both Onur and I. We feel so lost and hopeless. He has threatened to cancel the visa if he is still in AP after 6 months, which would be the end of January. We can't wait forever and we are not willing to wait years as we have heard happen to some people. We decided today that if he still doesn't have his visa or word of his visa by May, when I'm done with my graduate program, that we will stop waiting. He'll have to complete his military duty...and continuing to prolong that is just going to make it harder on him.

I feel so sad...I just want to be happy and live my life with my love. I knew this process would be long and difficult, but I never imagined this. It is really starting to affect our relationship. How could this take SO long?

Hi Julie,

I am so sorry to hear that you are feeling down. Believe me, I know. It has been 14 months so far waiting on this waiver. I know that they received the fingerprints they were waiting for on October 10th (Athens finally answered my e-mail), but still no decision and I am really worried. What happens if they deny the waiver?!!!

I finally sent pictures of our new apartment to Yilmaz (I had to rent, purchase furniture and organize myself. Well, I had my family's help - God Bless them, but I really wanted to do this with Yilmaz) I had originally wanted him to be surprised, but thought that I would send him the pictures. Today he tells me that he does not want to look at the pictures until he hears from Athens. In a way I am thinking "He must be worried about the answer and doesn't want to see the apartment if he is unable to come back to the US". This makes me think, what will happen to us if he doesn't get his visa?!!! It almost sounds like it may be the end of the road?!! I don't know?

But Julie, Onur has never been to the US before, right? Our problem is that he was here and overstayed. I am sure that Onur will get his visa. Someone on another website (immigrate2us.net) said they thought that they heard no decisions were being made until after Obama's inauguration on January 20. I don't know if this is true or not, but that would mean we won't be together over New Year's

I have decided not to go to Turkey over my Christmas break. Will you still be going over?

God Bless and I am praying for you and Onur

Hugs,

Wendy

[JULIAFERNO 0]

A week from tomorrow marks four months in AP. It is getting really tough for both Onur and I. We feel so lost and hopeless. He has threatened to cancel the visa if he is still in AP after 6 months, which would be the end of January. We can't wait forever and we are not willing to wait years as we have heard happen to some people. We decided today that if he still doesn't have his visa or word of his visa by May, when I'm done with my graduate program, that we will stop waiting. He'll have to complete his military duty...and continuing to prolong that is just going to make it harder on him.

I feel so sad...I just want to be happy and live my life with my love. I knew this process would be long and difficult, but I never imagined this. It is really starting to affect our relationship. How could this take SO long?

Hi Juliaferno -

Just wanted to say that I'm sorry that Onur is in AP and that it's taking so long. :-( I hope that you both hear something soon and that things get moving. I can only imagine how difficult it must be but just try and stay positive.

Can you go to Turkey to visit over Christmas?

Thank you. I am planning on going Dec. 20th - Jan. 4th, although I haven't bought my ticket yet. Only one month away! I think that will help.

[tanyakaraman 0]

Julia,

So sorry things are taking so long for you guys, and taking such a toll emotionally. It's good that you are able to come to an agreement/compromise about it though, and May is a much more reasonable deadline than the end of January. Here's hoping that the visa comes thru before it even becomes (more of) an issue.

Whether it does or not, just remember that even if things don't turn out exactly the way you wanted, if you find a way to be with your soulmate (whether here or somewhere else), you'll always have everything you need to be happy and fulfilled in life. You two are fortunate in that a "plan B" or even a "plan C" are options for you. Meaning that you have the option of moving to Turkey or somewhere else (I remember you talking about Costa Rica....). For Ozzy and me, if he didn't get his visa, I think it really would have been the end of us because I don't have the (legal) option of moving to another country with my children...and I couldn't have continued to buy plane ticket after plane ticket to go over there to see him on my pitiful salary! But you guys are young and you're obviously well educated...you'd do well anywhere you decided to live.

With that said, I think his chances of getting his visa are excellent...I just hope it happens within the time frame of the next few months!! It would be sooo difficult to have gone thru all this waiting and then cancel it and always wonder what if you'd just waited a few more weeks...

Try not to let things get you down...and definitely don't let them take tear your relationship apart. This is just a test. If you can get thru it together, you can get thru anything that the future holds...

Tanya