time with a friend

Alyssa, Liz, & I (along with two girls from N-land) had an amazing afternoon! We went to Uskudar to meet our friend Sena, who took us to her home for dinner. Her mom cooked a delicious Turkish meal - stuffed green peppers, yogurt, rice, beans, and of course, bread! We talked and joked for her family for a while, then she and her younger brother took us around town to a few of their favorite places. These favorites included more food. :) We now know that the best ice cream in the world can be found in Uskudar. Their mom didn't have time to make dessert (and aparently ice cream didn't count), so they bought "pon-pon pie" for us to complement the Turkish tea.
Imagine little cream puffs covered in fudgy pudding, topped with pistachios . . . our mouths were quite happy by the end of the evening.

Besides enjoying all of the tasty foods, we had a great time getting to know her better. Sena has told us a lot about Turkish culture and traditions. She is also studying classical guitar, so she played and sang a few songs for us (she has a lovely voice!). Her mother invited us to their house again this week for breakfast. We are so thankful for today, and are hoping to develop a real friendship with her in the next week or so.

Thank you for thinking of us during this trip! Learning about the people and their culture has been wonderful!
-Randa