Snow and slush and wet feet

There are times when the small, winding old-world streets of this ancient city seem less than quaint. Although the white decorates the trees and bushes of the city, making it look as beautiful as a holiday display, the streets are slippery invitations to fall on your ass or get your car stuck.

Istanbul consists of a series of hills, and the sloping streets circumscribe the curves of the landscape. Usually, this is one of the features I adore about the metropolis. It allows you to meander just off the beaten path and find new neighborhoods with their own character and architectural physiognomic identities. From moment to moment, you can find yourself in a maze of small houses or face to face with the proud bosphorus. However, after a few days of snow you begin to think about how these same streets prevent any semblance of snow plowing or clearing. The city shuts down. People can’t get out of their mahalles.

I spent all of yesterday huddled in my room, catching up with my friend’s blog Travel Scrabble about her fieldwork in Malawi, and reviewing the news of the world. Today, I actually ventured out, although I didn’t bother going to class. I was told that the school would be closed. But I made it out to a favorite coffee joint where I am better able to focus on studying than in my room. The forecast tells us that the snow will melt tomorrow, leaving us with even more slushy puddles. Now is when I think, “Maybe I should have brought something other than sneakers with me.”