February Photo Challenge

Can it really be that time of the month again?!

I sucked on the January challenge, so this month I vow to actually

make an effort!

As usual, you can follow me on Instagram @sairanaomi,

and join in on the challenge by @fatmumslim by hashtagging

#fmsphotoaday 

Here goes...

 Day 1: Fork

When you reach a fork in the road, how do you decide which path to take?

Sometimes, maybe you opt for the easier path, but do you ever truly

feel like you made the right choice, unless you worked hard for it?

I choose the harder path, because no one ever got anything worth having

without working hard for it.   

Coming up...

Day 2: Pattern
The bunting we bought for xmas is too pretty to take down!

Day 3: Something beginning with 'E'

Excitement. Thorpe Park 2012.

Day 4: Hope
Our NYE 2012 sky lantern.
I have hope all our wishes will come true this year.

Day 5: Something you smelled
Indian! We had takeaway, and boy was I craving something spicy! :)
Sag aloo, chicken bhuna and rice. <3 

Day 6: Soft
I do miss his soft fur :(

 
Day 7: Your Name
I randomly found this years ago on the internet.
Saira is NOT a dog's name!!!

Day 8: Something orange
Tonight's sunset <3

9: Guilty Pleasure
Currently, granola maple with fruit. Deeelish.

10: 3 o'clock
Woody bought me Command & Conquer for the PS3. 
I am like an 8 year old again...!

11: Entrance
I spent the day at my Grandmas today. The only place
that hasn't changed since I was a baby. It sometimes feels more
like home than my Parents house. 

12. Where you ate lunch
 It was more like brunch, but home :) I made pancakes
and strawberries. Nom!

13. Walking 
We've noticed we don't walk as much now Kip's gone.
I miss it.
I miss him.

14. Love is... 
Memories. Love is every person who touched your heart.
Love is family and friends.
Love is forever.

Day 15: Inside Your Fridge

* I forgot *

Day 16: Perfect
Perfect view, perfect place. 
Oludeniz, Turkey.
2009. 

Day 17: In Your Hand
Today me and Lucy went for coffee.
There was a face on my cup.

Day 18: Something You Don't Like
Being stuck inside the lab all day, when it's actually sunny out!
But still bitterly chilly. :'( 

Day 19: I am...
 madly in love with him... <3

Day 20: Where You Stood
In the kitchen. In my new shoes. Making smoothies. 

21: Full
 Well, it was. Until Mum gave the whole jar to me ;) 
Granola is goooood!

22: Makes you smile
 Knowing that my little man is having the time of his life
in his new home. <3

23: A word
 Daffodil. Because it makes me smile.

24: Cloud
 Cloudy day driving back from Exeter.

25: On your bedside table
I have two new additions to the bedside table.
My Grandma is clearing out her house and gave me my two teddies
from when I was a kid. It's nice to have them home :) 

 
26: Quiet
I love when its quiet at the gym. 
I also love that I realised the stepper burns twice as 
many calories as the bike. New favourite toy. 

27: Playing 
As I blogged not long ago, we spent the day training Police drug dogs.
I love how its all just a great big game to them. They're adorable. 

28: Upside Down 
This always makes me giggle. 
Good times in 2004, during GCSE revision. I got suspended by
my friends in a gothic shop, and hung by my ankles and swung around.
IN A SKIRT!!!!! *red face!!*

And there we have it!
I guess I didnt do as well as planned. 
When my dissertations finished, and exams are over, 
I plan to spend summer documenting each day properly.

Spare a thought.

Cross your fingers, toes and eyeballs.

This week could be a game-changer for us.

<3

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Practice Gratitude

• My cousin, his girlfriend and their beautiful little baby girl. They visited today, and we had a great laugh together. Its crazy how one little girl can bring so much joy to so many people.
• My man, for bringing out the best in me and letting me bring out the best in him.
• Our home. As much as we moan about it, we're very lucky to have what we have, and should stop worrying about what we want and focus on what we have.
• Me. A lot of things could have broken me this past 12 months, and as the stress has piled up and up, I've always been able to (just about) cope with it. I don't know how, but I'm grateful for the ability to persevere.
• Our little fur babies, who bring us so much love and so many giggles.
• The incredible friends I have met that inspire me to be a better person, yes... that includes you Joanna!
• My Grandparents. My Grandad, although gone, will never be forgotten, and what he has instilled in me with last a lifetime. My Grandma is such a strong, incredible woman and I'm proud to be related to her. 

Oludeniz.

So many people ask me 'where should we go on holiday?'
My answer is simple.

I can't compliment it enough. 

I've been to Cyprus, Spain, France, Jerusalem, Greece, Crete, Bethlehem, Lanzarote, and loads of different resorts around Turkiye, but the Mugla province of Turkiye has been the  most beautiful, incredible place of them all.

We started going when we were kids, about 5/6 years old. I have

loads of photos I will add to this post when I have scanned them in,

but for now, here's a few from the past few years.

1998 - one of our first holidays to Turkey and we stayed in Asena Beach hotel, Oludeniz. We didnt stay there again, but it was nice at the time. 

On the beach

Asena Beach hotel

Rocking the Buffy tee in Kayakoy

Help! Beach bar, when it was called the Sugar Shack

Dalyan Mud Baths 1998
Dalyan is between Mugla, where Oludeniz is, and Marmaris;
a popular Turkish resort with teens and hen/stag parties.

We went every year, but I wont bore you with hundreds of photos.

In 2002, my sister went paragliding for the first time. She's now been 5 times. She loves it. If you visit Oludeniz and decide to paraglide (I highly recommend it!!) please consider going with Sky Sports. We've known them since we were tiny and they're the only company to (touch wood) never have an accident.

Fadil, Kerri, Mecnun, Me and Umit
The Sky Sports Crew

And 2004...

Fadil, Me, Umit and Kerri

In 2008, me and my sister spent the last week of the summer season (End of October)  there, the first time without family. It was much cooler and quieter, which meant less restaurants and bars were open. It was odd, seeing everyone closing up for another year, but it was nice to help them out and spend what was also their last week by the beach with them. 

We stayed in Alize in Oludeniz but spent most of our
time in Hisaronu. Alize was an all-inclusive, and I wouldn't go back - there was nothing wrong as such (the food wasn't great and there were some creepy staff!) but it just wasn't for us.

There are lots of cute stray animals - theyre friendly!

Then, in 2009, we went back again. I went out with my sister who was going to spend the whole summer season working there. I came home after a week, and then realised I had to go back! So I flew back and ended up staying for the entire season. We rented a private apartment in Ovacik.

Still cant quite believe I did this...!

One of the great things about Turkey is the food! This is gozleme, or

in English, basically a pancake :) it is filled with spinach and meat. 

 My sister craved a sunday roast, so naturally we had to find one!
Thanks to abrakebabra for an amazing roast!

This beautiful place below is Butterly Valley.

I dont have any photos of the actual valley from below, but it's adorable and

theres a lovely walk to the waterfall. 

Our apartment didnt have kitchen utensils and this was the only saucepan

we could find in the market! I think we overdid it with the popcorn, too...!

These were the best group of friends :)

(My hair was so long! I miss that.)

We were there long enough to experience the storm clouds, rain and lightning season.

 

Paragliding in Oludeniz is an absolute MUST! Mount Babadag is around 6500 ft high, and I must admit, running off the edge of that was the scariest moment of my life, but the ride back down to Earth was INCREDIBLE. :)

We also like to do quad trips when we're there.

It's a great way to see the scenery, and spend the day in the sun,

having a bit of fun!

I previously mentioned that there's a valley, known as Faralya or Butterly Valley, about 10 minutes from Oludeniz beach. (By jet ski its even closer!) Just past there, was a place I'd never heard of, but ended up spending a night there. It's called Kabak, and my ex and I stayed in the Shanti Garden. It's like a nature retreat, sort of. Thats the only way I can describe it. There's tents or treehouses to stay in, and a gorgeous private beach.

You cant see him but the guy below that we met there is actually

in a really famous Turkish band called Direc-T. He and his friends were lovely.

These photos don't do the pool justice. Up the top, where the more expensive tree houses are, there's an infinity pool, too. I say expensive, we're talking like £6 a night!

This is the view inside and outside the world famous Help! Beach Bar

on Oludeniz Beach. The food and drinks are amazing, especially the seafood salad, and the peanut butter banana smoothies!

These are a few photos of me that I absolutely love,

(unfortunately had the ex in and I dont particularly want him on my blog, so I've just cut me out of them
 - hence why they look a bit odd haha!)

Below left is in Hisaronu. The colours are amazing, with the mountain in the background and the busy street in the foreground!

The right picture is at the top of Kabak, where I stayed

in a tent.

The lower left photo is amongst the smaler treehouses and bungalows in Kabak. The lower right photo is me in the Black Pearl bar :) I just like the fact that my face

looks really tanned! Haha :)

 I really recommend visiting this city.

Some of the trips I've done in the past are jeep safari's, quad safari's, mud baths, boat trip, there are amazing 3, 6 or 12 island daily boat tours, trips to the Gocek turkish market once a week, Turkish baths, scuba diving, and there's even a water park. The Yakapark is a must, too! It's a trout farm, with a difference.

Also, Pamukkale  is not far, and a day trip takes you to the natural spring waters which cascade down the mountainside When the water loses its carbon dioxide it leaves limestone deposits. These are of different colors and shapes in the form of terraces with pools, overhanging surfaces and fascinating stalactite formations.The spring waters are said to have beneficial health effects,  relieving the symptoms of rheumatism, stress and allergies. 

 

I've visited Adana, but wouldn't recommend it. It's more of a city, with no beaches, just a river and lots of shops. It's also quite a problematic place, and I witnessed quite a few gangs when I was there.

I also visited my sister when she was working in Icmeler, and my husband and I spent a week there... a week too much! It wasn't nice. The beach is manmade, and its very touristy. Next door is the resort of Marmaris, which is the Benidorm of Turkey. It's just pub central - great if you like all-inclusive hotels, dancing on bars, and getting drunk.... but we don't, and we hated this place! 

Just out of respect, I highly recommend learning some key phrases before you visit Turkey. I've listed a few here. You may feel silly, but it definitely gives you brownie points, and helps with bartering, and getting free drinks!

Hello: Merhaba (Mer-abba) or Selam (Sell-am; slang version of hello)

How are you: Nasilsiniz? (Nah-sil-sin-iz)

I am fine: Iyiyim (Ee-yum)

What is your name: Adin ne? (add-in neh)

My name is Saira: Adim [name] (Adam [name])

Pleased to meet you: Memnum oldum (mem-num oll-dum)

Good morning: Gunaydin (goon-aye-din)

Good evening: iyi akşamlar (ee ak-sham-lar)

Good night: iyi geceler (ee gej-el-er)

Bye bye: Gule Gule (goo-lay goo-lay)

See you soon: Guruşuruz (goo-roo-shoo-rooz)

How much is this: Ne kadar (neh kad-ar)

Thank you: Teşekkürler (tesh-ek-yur-ler)

Thanks: Sağol (like owl, with an S)  

iyi şanslar! 

 Good luck!