two weeks ago ben & i went to istanbul to enjoy the weekend & take in a beşiktaş game... and i've finally gotten around to uploading the pics from game-day.
ben's bro fazıl can joined us for the game... it was quite the all-day event, beginning in taksim, where we took in a DIFFERENT game, to determine what the stakes would be for our favored team.
we wandered around taksim for a bit before finding the right bar for the very important viewing of game #1.
you can see the stress had already set in by the time we sat down & ordered a few efis beers.
but they enjoyed themselves none the less!
by the end of this crucial game, a large crowd of men had gathered around the outdoor bar. i had more fun viewing their facial expressions than the game itself... the good news was that the team we wanted to win DID win... putting beşiktaş in good standing.
soon after the game ended we headed for beşiktaş stadium... if you look closely, you can see the bosphorus in the distance here. beşiktaş is right on the water- a beautiful spot!
many fans spent the day driving around, waving flags & wearing black & white to show their support.
we arrived at the stadium 2 hours early, and it was already a zoo... this isn't typical, but it was a big game & everybody wanted to get their cheer on.
ben was reeeeally excited about the game. you can tell by the far-off look in his eyes.
fazıl can and i were excited too-- but for different reasons (i was mostly excited to wear my new beşiktaş jacket).
beşiktaş has a fan section that leads the entire stadium in cheers and songs throughout the game. they got started early.
throughout the game, one side of the stadium would shout 'siyah!' and the opposite side would respond 'beyaz!' (black! white!) they took it very seriously.
a giant flag was unfurled just before the game, showing support for 9 turkish soldiers who were killed in battle earlier that week. it read 'şehitler ölmez, vatan bölünmez' meaning 'martyrs of war don't die, this country will not be divided.'
watching their team enter the stadium
once the game was underway i didn't have a chance to take many pictures-- but the crowd continued to keep us entertained, especially during half time when several fights broke out. the fans made it their business to figure out who had done what & how it was going to be resolved...
beşiktaş was already down 1-0 at this point, which didn't please the fans, and led to low-morale, which ben says caused the fans to fight.
however they did score once, and some fans lit flares IN the stadium. wow.
unfortunately our beloved beşiktaş lost that night, 2-1. it really tired fazıl can out, so he slept on the plane ride home.
shopping! i am sooo going to the outlets to get my shopping fix (after hitting several stores in nyc, of course).
felines! cannot wait to see my stella & sophie. 
the back yard at home. looking forward to lots of gardening with dad back here...
mostly, i just can't wait to see my family and be together for a solid chunk of time. 
counting down the days!
