BAŞKENT YILDIZLARI S.K.

Ankara, Turkey - Paperwork is almost completed. Hopefully tomorrow Brittany and I will have our work visas processed by the Police and we will be official members of BAŞKENT YILDIZLARI S.K.; which is english means Capital Stars S.C. My first professional hockey start will be Saturday night against the 2nd place club Kocaeli (my club is currently tied for 3rd). Things in the new flat are slowly getting better. We still don't have a refrigerator, but luckily it is cool enough outside that we can leave our food on our balcony. A fridge should be here in 2-3 days along with internet but in Turkey we know now to multiply those numbers 2.

Team is supposed to have another import player arriving from Ukraine tomorrow night in time for our 12:25am practice. Baskent has also singed an American player who is living in Istanbul with his girlfriend so he will commute for our games. He will not be in the match this weekend because he flew back to Washington D.C. to get his gear.

Found out today that the Federation has pushed Brittany's league start back to Dec.13. Thinking it might have to do with Anka SK's court case because they are still trying to get a women's team in the league.

Last practice was interesting since nobody from my team showed up but myself and Dimitri (my roomate from Ukraine). There were 4 other players that showed up but they were from a Division 1 team and they looked like they just started skating this year. My club's third string goalie who plays on the Division 1 team came on with his father in just skates and blocker and glove. When I took a break in between drills Dimitri and I were doing, I felt like somebody was touching my skate and pad. I look behind me and notice that the goalie and his dad were poking at my pads and checking to see how sharp my skates were! They don't speak a word of english so I felt like a lab rat under the microscope. Dimitri and I had a good laugh about that after skating away with Dimitri poking me with his stick saying "A real Canadian? You fake? I have never seen a Canadian before."

As soon as we get the internet set up in our house I will post some photos to show everyone where we are living.