Greetings Kankas and Kankies.
...... and verily it came to pass last night that there was a torrent of tears shed and gnashing of teeth, as Connect Kanka Steve and Phillie Kanka Jamie bade farewell to their beloved Ankaragucu and Buyuk Baskent !!
A multitude of kankas met to pay homage to the departing kankas ........ well, there were a few anyway !
Battle Damaged Kanka Damon, Kaleci Kanka Tansu, Flying Dutchman Kanka Carlo, Brat Kankie Laura and I assembled at The Pakistan Restaurant for curry dinner and then moved on to the Knight and Flight for 'refreshments'.
It was an enjoyable evening, tinged with sadness, but all eras come to an end eventually.
Steve and Jamie have been loyal Ankaragucu kankas and their presence will be sorely missed in Maraton and on our 'away day excursions'.
Jamie is off to China and Steve returns to his home town in Connecticut. However, they have promised to return at some point in the future on a visit to see Ankaragucu.
Their contribution to the Kanka Group has been immense, and they will certainly be a difficult act to follow from future kankas coming out of the Bilkent fraternity.
My lasting memory of Steve will always be his aborted attempt to smuggle a plastic seat out of The Eskisehirspor Stadium past police cordons last season !!
I will not forget Jamie either, especially every time I pass a kokorec stall. I still marvel at his ability to eat that 'stuff' and in such impressive quantities !!
On behalf of all the kankas and kankies, I wish you both continued success in your careers and look forward to your regular contributions to the Blog from afar.
All the best from Eski Kanka Jim
The Round Ball in Ankara! Dedicated to football lovers in Ankara (Except for those who follow Osmanlispor)
Thanks for the kind words, Eski. It is with great sadness that I depart from Ankara. Our beloved team has in many ways been a central part of my life in this city. The many ups and downs we endured over the past two years have created countless memories that have come to define my experience in Turkey as well. From the trips to The Stadium from Hell to the near battles on Sakarya Cad. to the glorious victory over Galatasaray, I will always look back fondly on our time together.
ReplyDeleteIn America, no sports team commands my undying loyalty in the way that Ankaragücü does now. I'm already looking forward to the next time I'll be able to return to Ankara to rejoin the kankas for a few rounds of 'yummy' Efes at the Beer Bus and hopefully a spectacular win. Until then, though, I'll be checking back regularly for Eski's reports and sending my support from afar.
To conclude, in the pithy words of Harun, FUCK İSTANBUL!!!
I would just like to say I'm so sorry I couldn't make the do last night. Sir Eski Kanka no doubt explained why.
ReplyDeleteI'd just like to wish you two the very best of luck and would like to thank you you both for at least making a dent in my long held held views concerning my fellow humans from the US and A.
Good luck chaps, and look forward to seeing you here on the blog for many years to come.
i would just like to wish you both the best. Jamie took me and Rebecca to our first Ankaragucu game and i cant believe he eats sheep intestine lol
ReplyDeleteAll the best in China Jamie
Nadeem
You guys eat that all the time in Scotland!
ReplyDeleteIt has been a pleasure to be with everyone in Ankara.
My time in Ankara would not have been the same without all of our experiences.
I will surely be back.
-Jamie
Best of luck to both you guys. Really enjoyed going to the matches with you.
ReplyDelete