I owed them, literally. Had they not had this coffee, certainly, I would not have graduated. I am talking about Mehmet Efendi’s Turkish coffees. This coffee keeps me alert. While studying for my senior project, my mom always brewed me a fresh cup. As I needed to toil very late, I had to drink something, eating also Turkish delight. The sketch was from a picture taken from the Ground Bazaar. Getting in Istanbul, purchasing fresh coffee and feeling its aromatic smell, brought me back to my old days in Turkey. Now, I should learn how to make my own coffee. If I could just manage the foam...

Finally, I got a ticket to go to Turkey due to my unexpected illness. I need to say that you should not be sick on this continent. Thanks to the U.S.’s prices for medical care (nearly the same amount as airfare) I could see my family and country. I refused the treatment which the doctors recommended. At any rate, while wandering in Istanbul, I saw the U.S. president’s towers, our “Trump Towers.” they are located in the most desirable zone, of course. Money talks. The Turkish government wanted to remove the name of the tower on the building after the U.S. travel ban on Muslim countries. But it is still there! The sketch was from a metrobus station. I got lucky and not too many people were there at the time.

Time to graduate for those who complete all requirements at the BAC. A part of a beauty of studying at the BAC is graduation as it is held in a gothic church in the Back Bay, that is, at Old South Church. It is a historic United Church of Christ congregation first organized in 1669 and it is home to one of the older religious communities in the U.S., at least, according to Wikipedia. Trying to transfer, I hope that my turn will not come -but It seems unlikely. It would be a transcendent atmosphere to attempt this kind of event in this space. The sketch was from inside the church.

I was perusing a book on Turkish architecture and found a famous architect’s building. I remembered having taken a picture of that building. The architect is Vedat Tek. I have known his work as he holds a very important place in architecture and also he gave many lectures in my university. But, what shocked me was that the postoffice in Sirkeci is his first building. The facade is curved stone and marble. The building is truly astonishing as it has so many details. The sketch was from the picture that I had taken earlier. I will certainly visit the next time I am in Istanbul!