On Monday, I had the world’s longest layover in Istanbul (five hours!) on my way back from Cappadocia (check out a video of my weekend here). Of course, if you’ve been paying attention to the news, you’ll know that on Tuesday, there was a bombing in the Ataturk airport where 40+ people were killed and 200+ people were injured.
I feel…weird about this? I was one day off and one airport away, but it still feels really close. I don’t know what the appropriate emotional response to this is, probably because there isn’t one. I do want to take the time to say, however, that in light of this terrorist attack, PLEASE don’t hate on Muslims as a whole. Just like there are terrible Christians who use violent Bible passages to murder African Americans or trans-people, there are terrible Muslims who use violent Kuran passages to instill terror in people’s lives. But they are SO not the norm! The entire weekend in Cappadocia, Muslim men and women who were fasting for Ramadan were so hospitable and kind to us. Just…don’t let the fear win, yeah?
But back to that title: I HAVE A CAT!
An hour after I got back to my apartment on Monday, two women dropped a little fuzzball off at my door! The previous week I had emailed a local shelter saying I was interested in adopting a cat. “Cool,” they responded, “But since you’re not sure how long you’ll be in Greece, would you consider fostering?” I said of course, and they immediately wrote back, “GREAT because we have this cat that needs a home on Monday.”
That’s how I got Hans Harrison! His hame was Jordan, but ugh, what a cat name. He doesn’t respond to it, so I renamed him in honor of his being a “scruffy looking nerf herder.” Poor little Hans Harrison was hit by a car in March and has been in recovery ever since. He developed an allergic reaction to some antibiotics which caused his neck to, I dunno, freak out and bleed and scab over.
BUT HE’S SO SWEET.
Okay, first let’s back up. All Monday and Tuesday he stayed under my bed.
On Tuesday night, I came home to find him in my closet, which meant he was within reach! I scratched under his chin, and his Affection Button was flipped. He is the sort of cat that will fall all over himself to get you to scratch his neck, and if you stop, he will just keep rubbing his face against your elbow, foot, or book.
I love him!
That’s not to say there haven’t been near-disasters. On Wednesday I came home to my door open, which was NOT okay because all my house windows were open. But at that time he was still too terrified to leave my room, so all was well.
On Thursday, I let him have full reign of the house for the first time. I’m cat co-dependent, so after two seconds I wanted to see him, and when I looked into the bathroom, he was standing in the ONE window I’d left open (because it opens down in just a slant). I stepped toward him and he jumped outside.
This would have been terrifying if I’d adopted him, but I’m just fostering him!! I’m responsible for caring for him until we can find him a forever home, and the first week I lost him!!!!
I ran outside as calmly as possible, and he had jumped onto the fence looking down into the neighbor’s yard. I approached him gently, then snatched at him and grabbed around his hips, and IT WAS AWFUL, he was so scared, and as I tried to readjust him I almost lost hold of him three times, and he scratched me up GOOD, but I finally got him inside my room. He hid under the bed for several hours, which was unfortunate because Rosie and Kendra came by to meet him.
But later that night he forgave me, and now he’s super cuddly again! Well, not cuddly like Rory, but he kind of does his own thing for a while, abruptly meows, and when I say, “What?” he comes running into the room to rub his face against my hand.
I am so glad to have a cat in my life again. They are so delightful and calming, and I think having Hans Harrison around will be good for my mental health!
That is pretty much all I did this week (other than work and my Greek lesson), and that’s all I’m going to do this weekend! That’s right, finally no plans! Imma just sleep in and go grocery shopping and…prepare for my new roommate! Next week’s gonna be crazy, because Tatiana moves in on Sunday, but Natasha doesn’t move out until Thursday. And Luciana is going to slumber party with me for a couple nights in there as well!
I’m really looking forward to it, but JUST IN CASE, I’m stocking up on alone time now.
It Is Trish 