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The Istanbul Chronicles: Hello Istanbul!

I met my ex-husband on August 25, 1999.  It was my Grandmother's birthday and it was the day that Istanbul had an earthquake of 8.9 magnitude.  Our first date happen because we had been talking on the phone a few times when I mention that I worked for a Jordian name Mr. M Swiess.  My ex knew him because he was the best friend of my ex's child hood friend. And I had know them a few years prior to meeting my ex.

My world wind marriage happened so fast that not even my family could believe that I had gotten married.  First they had to get over the shock of me being in a relationship then the shock of me getting married. They was like "what the hell happen?"  "Not Victoria!" "Did the world just froze over?"  Yes that was their reactions. I think that it took a minute to come out of their shock.

My ex husband sent me to Istanbul as a wedding gift to meet his family.  I met the grandmother, the mother, the brother-in-law and his wife, and the uncle, his wife and daughter.  I was there for two weeks and let me tell you. . .I was telling my ex to pack our things and moved back home for him.

While I was there I was breathless.  The beauty of Istanbul was overwhelming that I just melted with everything that I saw.  Even the aroma of the city was filling.  You smelted the sea, the spices, and the culture everywhere you walk.  There was so many thing to see that I really could not focus on just one thing.

I was so in all with Istanbul that when I did go home I did not realizes that I had left my heart there.  My ex-husband got so upset with me that we moved there 6 months later.  See my ex-husband was a Turkish man however I believe that he did had his heart on continuing to live in Chicago.  But at the same time when we meet he was already picking to move back to Turkey.   So us moving there turn out to be the best experience of my life and one that I can not shake off like I can with heartbreaks and disappointments.

On the day we left Chicago, it was -18 degrees and when we got to Istanbul, some 10 1/2 hours later, it 80 degree in March.  Yes we were over dressed and I was looking for some lighter clothes to wear.

When we arrived at his mother's place, I think we were in the house for about an hour when the ex and his mother was talking about the earthquake.  I am like "what earthquake?"  It has happen that fast that I did not feel it.  However they knew that it had happen because the light fixture handing from the ceiling was swing.  I come to find out that the average Turkish home does not have table lamps and will have multiple hanging lamps because of untimely earthquakes.

Moving to Istanbul I was excited and nervous to embark on a new life with my first marriage.  We had a lot of things to prepare for like getting Nick in school and finding a place of our own.  We did not have to worry about furnishing the our place. My ex-husband's family had furniture waiting for us to go into our new home so we found one cross the street from his grandmother's place and across the hall from his brother.  I later learned that it is the groom's family responsibility to a) find a new place for them to live and b) furnish the apartment.  And when I say furnish I do mean furnish from the living room to the dinner room to both bedrooms (our bedroom and my son bedroom) that included the bedding for the beds.  My kitchen with all cooking pots and pans, dishes and a few others things for the kitchen.

Now how many of you past and future brides wish that you can a wedding gifts like that?

At that time I did not expect anything for my new life however I got more that I could have ever image while living there. The things that I learned and the things that I go to do that I would never otherwise get a chance to do back in Chicago.

Moving forward I am going to share some of my experience along with Glenna and she got a few stories that I think some of you will find funny.

So I do hope that you will enjoy my stories.



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