New System of a Down kicks ass. This band keeps getting better. Been listening to it on Rhapsody. Must buy it.

Especially good: tracks 3, 6, 7

Pixies? Good. Great, even.

Pixies FANS? Some good, some really rude…

In the spirit of immersion in the Turkish language, lately I have been going to www.turkishclass.com. It appears from their message boards that the main reason anyone bothers to learn Turkish is to speak to the handsome Turkish boyfriend they have acquired over the internet. People post various snippets of English or Turkish to be translated, and invariably these are snippets like “Another day of my life passed without you.” (siz bir gun, daha gecti omrumde). Turkish men are known for their romanticism, possessiveness, and the ability to fall in love instantly.

Needless to say, this is not why I am going to Turkey. 🙂 The reason why I’m going has more to do with breaking out from the rut I may perhaps be in, get some perspective, and learning the language has become a reason in itself to go — I want to TALK with someone in this cool language I’ve been learning! What would be great is if Portland had a Turkish community with some cafes where I could go hang out and listen to people talking. But no, alas.

Good:
Veronica Mars
NIN new cd tracks 1, 5, 6
Sopranos
Coldplay’s new single
My new monitor
Dairy Queen
Jen giving me leftovers
The Turkish language
VMware

Bad:
Flaky co-workers
Working on weekends
Rain getting in open sunroof (DOH!)
Drag-racing Suburbans
Yardwork
TeX
The inability to keep a fish alive

I’m really hating my job right now. I hate working weekends.

Now, I’m just thinking a month in Turkey. Picked up the Lonely Planet book on Turkey and am starting to familiarize myself with the language. Languages are fun!