I think it's Thursday - where's my luggage?

I arrived yesterday - there's not a single indicator of the time anywhere in this room or this apartment, that i can find.
I still don't have my luggage.
The language seems nearly impossible for me to grasp. - words - phrases - all sound a jumble - there is no anchor - no way for me to communicate or so it seems so far!
I arrived yesterday after that long very squished (i like actually spelling it squushed - pronounced skwushed) plane ride. The older prune -faced woman slept and slept and kept merging her large bulbous form into my leg space, head space, arm space and snored. At one point she asked me something that i interpreted as "let's move the armrest up". HELL NO! I didn't say that but i said politely no and nodded my head. She understood - i think she would have been in my lap had i said yes! Did i mention the snoring!!!! I remember the one of the first times i looked over at her cuz i sensed some more crawling into my space and was shocked to see the snores coming out of what appeared to be a bulldog with a HUGE overbite - her bottom lip protruding poutingly - I turned away horrified actually not sure what i was looking at!!! I occurred to me slowly that maybe she had shifting false teeth - AH HA! So I peered over at her again - yes, it looked like her false teeth were pushed forward along with that bottom lip!

So I arrived.
I have to say the food on Turkish Air was pretty decent - as somehow my request for a vegetarian meal had made it through their system! AND i found that they had taken the time to hire the only cute Turkish men i had ever seen so far! 4 cute stewards all in 1 place at the same time? crazy!
So I landed. There was a ping of excitement as the plane hit the runway to see across the seats/aisles out the windows, water on both sides and the deep orange roof tiles of houses. it was a bright morning - had a little bit of magic to it! I made my way off the plane to a "visa" line where I paid $20 (i can stay up to 90 days) and then on to the painlessly slow passport line - being tired - it was slow but great to be vertical - and then I waited in baggage claim for my blessed suitcase. I waited until there were only a couple of bags left on the belt - none of which were mine. Another wave of stress came over me. So i get the cute young blond thing in baggage claim who speaks very little english - doesn't understand my handwriting and send me on my way with a phone to call and tell them where i am staying, and off i go.
Next step $. so I look around for a place to change $ and there are 4 that charge 4% commission - ok. So I change a bit of cash, take a note of 4 ATM's including something major American like Citibank.
i then went with my email printout to what I that was info on Havas - buses - since the sign said Havas! I get a young girl who tell me to go outside but can't tell me which, how much or when the bus leaves! OK!
So i'm outside on the curb, 2nd island in front of a sign indicating Havas - so there are 3 men who look like drivers conversing and only men waiting. AAH hardly wanting to draw attention in this situation i wait a little longer and a woman arrives in this 4 person crowd! I ask her "english"? she says "a little". I show her my email and she interrupts these 3 chatting men and he says in 6 minutes the bus to Burkrokoy would be coming. I thanked her and waited. The bus ride was short and i waited for the bus to empty out to be sure I was in the right place! i followed suit and was right at a Sea Bus stop. This is where i was to meet my next point of contact. Afet, Zeynep's cousin (1 of them), who i saw after a short visual sweep of the area.
We took a sea bus ride to Uskudar where I would be staying the night and waiting for Zeynep's arrive that evening.
From the seabus we took a regular bus to Aynur's apartment. Afet's sister.
On the way we bought me a transportation pass that looks like a - hmm - cool magnetic jeton with a handle! Afet suggested it so I did it - it can be refilled with $$ and used on all transport system throughout Istanbul. Kind of cool. What a cool form of transport - these seabuses! To or from work, shopping? seabuses!!! The water is this beautiful shade of green... very beautiful...
Afet and I arrived at Aynur's apartment to be greeted by her 3 yr old son Ufama - part turkish part Nigerian long legged bright eyed little boy and their housekeeper. I was served from 5 fantastic dishes of amazing veggie food. A dish of beans - maybe fava? probably had some garlic, lemon, and olive oil. A dish with rice, spinach (that a little more bitter - seemed more like acelga)
then another with green beans and? and then these little square that looked like they wanted to be Greek spanikopita but were turkish (something with a "B" and with dill and normally contain feta cheese). i was informed they were prepared without cheese for me! I ate my face off contentedly!
then came a big bowl of fruit. Yummy! i ate these cute little pears, apricots are in season, a few figs! yummy!
Later in the afternoon Afet and I walked to a part of the coast (here in Uskudar) to see the "maiden tower'/ Leander's Tower.
As we wandered we walked through a huge cemetery with very old gravestones and some modern ones. I was advised that Afet's religion did not permit her to point at gravestones, as i was in my American way, like a child, "look at that", "look at this one". Ah yes! "don't point" came back from the recesses of my childhood memory!
We came out of the cemetery and stumbled on a market - Love markets!!! Yummm i couldn't resist - dried mulberries - Dut! Which I bought 2 handfuls of for 1TYL - I wanted to laugh knowing how pricey they are at home. Definitely thinking that will be something I take home with me!!!
Afet bought a handful of pistachios for 1 TYL and she bought me a cotton scarf - hmm - wandered if this was her way of saying "cover up, lady"!! or maybe just a gift!!! Hey no luggage and it was hot - so my tank top seems appropriate for this weather....
We eventually made it to the tower - we road the boat over- hung out - chatted - she didn't want to leave!!! The tower had a great panoramic view. I think it cost 5 TYL to go over. Cruise ships went by, people watching was interesting.
On the way back to the apartment i kept falling asleep! We were stuck in traffic on a bus, it was hot and noisy and i napped through most of it!
The rest of the evening consisted of shower, more of the same delicious food and fruits. I still have no idea what time it is. All the morning bustle going on here - hmmm
AH
9:15am!