Cough of Death -- Istanbul, Turkey

2014 did not start out well for Aimee Bourget.

2014 started out with a chest cold, a fever, a headache and aching bones that made me feel as if I'd been hit by a train. I had planned to celebrate in the city center with Cesim, but my chunky cough of death quickly convinced me that I'd better cancel.

I may start the new year off resembling/feeling like a zombie, but I'm not going to start the new year by making epically bad decisions for my health.

So I sent Ümit a quick text, telling him I was feeling under the weather and that I'd be staying in Beylikdüzü for the evening.

Oh well. Next holiday season will be spent in Mexico and I'm sure they have some fantastic festivities down there. Everyone needs a lousy holiday now and then in order to make the good ones really stand out. Right?

I believe I can justify just about anything.

Seher and Ayse made an exquisite dinner of cauliflower salad, stewed beef and Bulgar (which I couldn't eat, but still smelled pretty damn fine). There was a short gift exchange (it's traditional in Turkey to give small presents on New Year's Eve) and then we greedily dug in to dinner. Thankfully, my sense of taste hadn't left me yet, so I was able to savor the meal and offer up my latest Turkish phrase in appreciation of the meal -- "çok lezzetli"(very delicious).
 
A large portion of Ümit's family joined us for the post-dinner tea (I think Turkish people resemble hobbits in their eating habits. There are at least six different "meals" every day), so we drank çay and ate tiramisu and sugar saturated melon with cream cheese and walnuts. Then the boys broke out the Okey board (a traditional Turkish game) and the women played a rousing game of Uno.

Post-dinner fruit was served. Clementines, bananas, apples and pomegranates are commonly eaten as a before-bed snack.

Yes. Hobbit meal number six. My belly rumbled in protest. So much food. I was not designed to eat like a hobbit. Seher offered me a plate and knife and I clumsily declined.

"So... full."
 
The clock struck twelve. Fireworks went off in the city center, briefly and gloriously illuminating the skyline for the thousands of party goers in Taksim and echoing faintly in Beylikdüzü.

I went to bed. After coughing a "happy New Year" to Seher and bidding the guests "iyi geceler!"(goodnight), that is.

I spent the entirety of the first bound to my bed. I listened to podcasts, drank herbal tea, and begged my body to be quick about getting rid of the monster ravaging my lungs.

I spent the entirety of the second bound to my bed. I listened to podcasts, drank herbal tea, and chastised my body about not being quick enough about exorcizing my monster.

It is now the third. I awoke feeling significantly better and was able to take a proper shower, apply makeup and trundle off with my laptop to Pucca. 

I love the first day of feeling better after an illness. I appreciate my mental clarity. I appreciate my bones NOT hurting. I appreciate my ability to move through space without feeling dizzy. I appreciate the taste of this salep. Argh. Why can't I enjoy things this much without having to get ill first?

Here's to 2014! May we all appreciate every moment of it like we've been deathly ill the moment before (but please refrain from getting deathly ill...)!