I was talking with a fellow American (not on the program) the other night and dinner who's been teaching English in Ankara for the past few months. We got on the topic of our first impressions of Turkey and my immediate reaction was "It's so nice to be back in the West again...everything is on time and reliable and I just know how it works here!" He laughed and replied "That's funny because I feel so out of place here because I think it's very Asian."
I was awestruck by the reply. But considering he's never been to Asia, the reply was understandable.
Now, I'm not claiming to be an expert on any of the countries I've lived in by any means, but I've made some adjustments to my lifestyle as a result of living in Asia for 6 months. Little things like remembering that nothing has to be on time, and most likely will not be. Or observing hierarchies around me and putting myself within them in certain circumstances, despite how much it goes against my values.
In Turkey, I can still feel some of these values (mainly the hierarchies) but it doesn't take a huge effort for me to go to the store and buy groceries or order food and have at least a slight idea of what will be on the plate in front of me. The showers still don't have curtains and are still directed to spray into the toilet. However, the water is hot immediately! But for someone not coming out of a run across Asia, Turkey could be a rather strange land.
We're currently in Goreme (Cappadocia), living in a hotel that has been carved out of a mountain, surrounded by faerie chimnie mountains with thousands of caves carved into them. It feels a little bit like Star Wars, or some other fairy tale land. [I tried to upload pictures but it took too long and didn't even work. Check Picasa!]
But as the end draws closer, I find myself wishing for a stable place to stay and a reliably comfortable bed.
Home, is all I want right now,
B(ee)
30 March 2010
25 March 2010
Language Skills and Other Things...
Guess what?! I can officially order in Turkish and specify what I do and do not want...all in Turkish!...will accompanying hand gestures that aren't really necessary. I'm so proud of myself! I know most of my vegetables and I know what meat words are, although I'm not always sure what they are. It's a much better feeling, knowing enough of the language to know how to get through daily tasks like getting food, pharmacy things and all that.
Eating as a vegetarian is getting irritating. Bread and cheese (cold), bread and cheese (hot!), bread with some vegetables and cheese, or...just bread? The choices are varied...really...
Our week last week was insane! We had two to three classes a day, all away from our hotel so we spent a lot of time on the metro (which is unbelievably quiet, both the train and the people) getting form place to place. It was like real college again! Instead of one big field trip. Although the field-tripping starts again next week when we head to Cappadocia (aka faerie chimney land). We had classes on: Islam, political science, sociology, and Turkish language. Most of our professors were fabulous and we learned a lot about the political history and current situation in Turkey and social politics as well. Islam...on the other hand...hm...
Some topics we discusses that are floating around in my brain are: secularism, minority rights, "Europeanness", and modernization.
That's all for now,
B(ee)
Eating as a vegetarian is getting irritating. Bread and cheese (cold), bread and cheese (hot!), bread with some vegetables and cheese, or...just bread? The choices are varied...really...
Our week last week was insane! We had two to three classes a day, all away from our hotel so we spent a lot of time on the metro (which is unbelievably quiet, both the train and the people) getting form place to place. It was like real college again! Instead of one big field trip. Although the field-tripping starts again next week when we head to Cappadocia (aka faerie chimney land). We had classes on: Islam, political science, sociology, and Turkish language. Most of our professors were fabulous and we learned a lot about the political history and current situation in Turkey and social politics as well. Islam...on the other hand...hm...
Some topics we discusses that are floating around in my brain are: secularism, minority rights, "Europeanness", and modernization.
That's all for now,
B(ee)
15 March 2010
Learning Turkish...
I'm not sure whether it's the fact that there is little to no English everywhere we go, or the familiarity of the script, or the friendliness of the people here, but I already know more Turkish than Thai or Hindi...and I've only been here a week! We start formal Turkish lessons tomorrow (also the start of many more classes in Ankara), but even without those I'll know a bunch of Turkish by the end of my time here.
We've been matched up with a huge group of students from universities in Ankara and they've been wonderful hosts for us, even aside from teaching us Turkish! Hanging out with peers has been one aspect of the program that's really been lacking so far so it's great to finally get some intercultural interaction with people our age.
Although Ankara is not as amazing and fantastical as Istanbul, we're still having a wonderful time and I'm sure I'd be absolutely in love if I hadn't spent a week in Istanbul prior to coming here.
Our classes are looking really great here! Turkish language, Politics and Modernization of Turkey, Islam, Sufism and Popular Religion in Turkey, Women and Islam...and more! It's going to be a jam-packed two weeks, but it's looking really fun already!
Wrapped in Turkey's arms,
B(ee)
We've been matched up with a huge group of students from universities in Ankara and they've been wonderful hosts for us, even aside from teaching us Turkish! Hanging out with peers has been one aspect of the program that's really been lacking so far so it's great to finally get some intercultural interaction with people our age.
Although Ankara is not as amazing and fantastical as Istanbul, we're still having a wonderful time and I'm sure I'd be absolutely in love if I hadn't spent a week in Istanbul prior to coming here.
Our classes are looking really great here! Turkish language, Politics and Modernization of Turkey, Islam, Sufism and Popular Religion in Turkey, Women and Islam...and more! It's going to be a jam-packed two weeks, but it's looking really fun already!
Wrapped in Turkey's arms,
B(ee)
09 March 2010
Toasts in Turkey...
Some fellow CRCers and I made a toast last night. To cafes and to cobblestone streets; to water that is scorching hot immediately and to living circumstances that are basic, but cleanly; to learning how to trust people again and getting the same answer from three different people when you ask for directions.
India was a whirlwind, something to be remembered and cherished with space, in time. I can't say that I loved it, but I certainly didn't hate it. It was an incredible experience while it was happening, but I'm glad to be back in a place where I feel comfortable making friends with the locals and relaxing a little on my vacation.
We saw garbage trucks yesterday and street cleaners! We've already made some friends at the stores nearby and friends mean free hot apple tea which is wonderful in this winter-y weather.
I realized yesterday that if I had come to Istanbul from home, I would think it was incredibly busy and filled with people. But coming from a country that boasts the largest population in the world (yes, it passed China last year!) where privacy can't even be bargained for, this city is heaven. Our windows don't look out into someone's house! I can eat a meal without the men in the restaurant staring at me like a critic would a piece of art! There are sidewalks! I've never appreciated sidewalks so much in my life...
In appreciation,
B(ee)
India was a whirlwind, something to be remembered and cherished with space, in time. I can't say that I loved it, but I certainly didn't hate it. It was an incredible experience while it was happening, but I'm glad to be back in a place where I feel comfortable making friends with the locals and relaxing a little on my vacation.
We saw garbage trucks yesterday and street cleaners! We've already made some friends at the stores nearby and friends mean free hot apple tea which is wonderful in this winter-y weather.
I realized yesterday that if I had come to Istanbul from home, I would think it was incredibly busy and filled with people. But coming from a country that boasts the largest population in the world (yes, it passed China last year!) where privacy can't even be bargained for, this city is heaven. Our windows don't look out into someone's house! I can eat a meal without the men in the restaurant staring at me like a critic would a piece of art! There are sidewalks! I've never appreciated sidewalks so much in my life...
In appreciation,
B(ee)
07 March 2010
A Twinkle in my Eye, Turkish Delights...
I knew that I was no longer in India the minute my feet hit the tarmack in Turkey. We boarded buses that seem wider than any motorized vehicle I've been on in my life. And I could stand while the bus was moving without clutching on to something (or someone) for dear life. The drivers not only drove on the side of the road I learned to drive on, they also stuck to that side of the road reliably! Both on the airport tarmack and in Istanbul!
There are numerous other differences between what I saw in Northern India and here in Turkey. And even though I do feel much more comfortable, at home, here, it's still distinctly different from what I see as "The West". There's a flavor of Asia in the air, in the art, in the pace of life, which makes sense considering Istanbul is the only city sitting on both the European and the Asian continents. But simple things, like head gestures, are familiar to me here. And just when I was getting used to the Indian head bobble!
One major thing I've noticed is that, at least in the area we're staying in (right near the Blue Mosque and Aya Sophia), there is very little English around. In the other countries we've been in, the least a restaurant has had has been a poorly translated menu that gives you at least some idea of what you're ordering. Here, there's not even that. But the script is familiar, which is essential. But because of it, even in the short few hours we've been here we've picked up more words than we've learned in a few weeks in India. The possibilities of actually learning a minimal amount of Turkish are looking bright!
As good as "rugged living" is for my soul, I can't lie that it's nice to know that I have reliable electricity, hot water, and clean living arrangements for most of the next two months.
Reviving and relaxing,
B(ee)
There are numerous other differences between what I saw in Northern India and here in Turkey. And even though I do feel much more comfortable, at home, here, it's still distinctly different from what I see as "The West". There's a flavor of Asia in the air, in the art, in the pace of life, which makes sense considering Istanbul is the only city sitting on both the European and the Asian continents. But simple things, like head gestures, are familiar to me here. And just when I was getting used to the Indian head bobble!
One major thing I've noticed is that, at least in the area we're staying in (right near the Blue Mosque and Aya Sophia), there is very little English around. In the other countries we've been in, the least a restaurant has had has been a poorly translated menu that gives you at least some idea of what you're ordering. Here, there's not even that. But the script is familiar, which is essential. But because of it, even in the short few hours we've been here we've picked up more words than we've learned in a few weeks in India. The possibilities of actually learning a minimal amount of Turkish are looking bright!
As good as "rugged living" is for my soul, I can't lie that it's nice to know that I have reliable electricity, hot water, and clean living arrangements for most of the next two months.
Reviving and relaxing,
B(ee)
02 March 2010
Curious Ethics...
A few days ago, I experienced an instance of what I've been calling "curious ethics" here. I was in a store, made a purchase and somewhere in between paying and leaving "misplaced" my wallet. It was all kind of odd, not sure whether it fell out of my lap or was taken out of my bag, but either way, it wasn't on me when I went to pay for food five minutes later. I went back to the store, twice, and was met with a "No English, ma'am" the second time I returned. Curious, very curious.
So I filed a police report, arranged to cancel credit cards (collect calls are impossible to make in India) and was most upset about loosing my irreplaceable Hampshire ID --- everything else was either expired or renewable. I had a "like mother like daughter" moment when my mom, without prompt, was most upset about the Hampshire ID.
But low and behold, I get a call the next day at my hotel that I need to go pick something up at the police station...right away. I walked down there, half expecting to only get my business cards and maybe my useless IDs back. But everything was there --- save 2,000 rupees and the ragged-edged wallet itself --- cards and trinkets (even my paper soap) wrapped in a copy of my passport that I kept in my old wallet. Supposedly, some "school children found it at the market down the road"...where I haven't been.
Some questions pop to mind --- Isn't it interesting that the money is the only thing that matters? What did they buy with those 2,000 rupees? Did they even know what the credit cards were (they're rarely accepted much less used here in India) Are there schoolchildren somewhere who are 10 rupees happier? And most importantly, who would want a torn-up, ragged, oil-stained Vera Bradley wallet?
How curious are the ethics of all this?
B(ee)
So I filed a police report, arranged to cancel credit cards (collect calls are impossible to make in India) and was most upset about loosing my irreplaceable Hampshire ID --- everything else was either expired or renewable. I had a "like mother like daughter" moment when my mom, without prompt, was most upset about the Hampshire ID.
But low and behold, I get a call the next day at my hotel that I need to go pick something up at the police station...right away. I walked down there, half expecting to only get my business cards and maybe my useless IDs back. But everything was there --- save 2,000 rupees and the ragged-edged wallet itself --- cards and trinkets (even my paper soap) wrapped in a copy of my passport that I kept in my old wallet. Supposedly, some "school children found it at the market down the road"...where I haven't been.
Some questions pop to mind --- Isn't it interesting that the money is the only thing that matters? What did they buy with those 2,000 rupees? Did they even know what the credit cards were (they're rarely accepted much less used here in India) Are there schoolchildren somewhere who are 10 rupees happier? And most importantly, who would want a torn-up, ragged, oil-stained Vera Bradley wallet?
How curious are the ethics of all this?
B(ee)
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