Today is Wednesday of my third week in school and I am surprised by how quickly it has gone. I am also surprised that I don't dislike it as much as I thought I would. Attending 11th grade for the second time as a high school graduate is no more fun than it sounds but ıt could be worse. My school is very close to my house, about a five minute walk, and the school itself is very pretty. There is a big courtyard with a little cafe type thing where Dilşad and I get coffee every morning. We start the day by lining up beneath the enormous gold Atatürk stature in what feels a little bit like a military formation so they can say good morning over the loud speaker and check to see we are wearing the appropriate uniform. Although on Monday mornings and Friday afternoons they mix it up a little bit and we all sing the national anthem accompanied by the school band a flag ceremony.
Though I have eight classes a day they all feel pretty similar for me because I am with the same seven other kids and rather than changing classes the teachers come to us. I chose to do the Turkish course rather than the math or sciences because I didn't really want to be taking chemistry or physics in Turkish though I still have a bunch of math classes. Besides math I have Turkish, literature, history, German, English, Religion, sociology, philosophy, and computers. The course doesn't really matter at this point because mostly all I do is study Turkish, read, write, or make lists. My teachers seem to like me and have me participate some but I don't understand most of what they are saying so I have a lot of free time.
At four when I finish school I take the school bus to the city center for my Turkish courses. What could be a relaxing ride is marred by there not being nearly enough seats and blaring techno and bad American music. I look forward to my Turkish lessons because all nine of the NSLI-Y girls go so we have an opportunity to talk after long days of not being about to communicate well. Our Turkish courses are moving more slowly than I had hoped but I feel a bit bad for our well intentioned teacher Mustafa who has to deal with all of us bursting with energy.
I get home at about 8:00 every night because the courses are about a half hour away from my home but my host mom always has dinner ready when I get here. All is still going very well with my host family. Now that we can communicate a bit more my host mom and I are getting closer. Every night she has me read a children's book to practice my Turkish pronounciation and patiently helps me through it. A couple weeks ago she took me to this big outdoor bazaar and it was super nice to spend the afternoon with her. She helped me bargain for clothing, and I came out with some good deals, and bought us this cheese filled pastry type thing called Börek that you watch these women make over these big outdoor fires. After we walked all the way home which was kind of a long walk but nice because we stopped at various street vendors for nuts and fruits. I am in the same grade as my host sister and I was a little worried that it might be too much time together but so far it is going well, for me at least!
All for now, though I have a lot more to add and will try to do so soon!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
The Village
On Thursday we took off again for the holiday (Byram in Turkish.) This holiday is called the sugar holiday or the Ramadan holiday because it marks the end of Ramadan and you eat a lot of sweets, actually just a lot of food in general. Though we left on Thursday we spent one night in Maraş where my host uncle lives with his wife and very cute, very spoiled daughter. Friday we set off for the village, the drive was beautiful, sprawling hills and mountains dotted with little houses and farms. There are times when because parts of Turkey are so modern and western I forget that Turkey has this whole other part to it, and this trip really reminded me of that. The village is exactly what you would expect from a Turkish village complete with dirt roads and donkeys pulling carts. The house is very cute with a little kitchen that produces outstanding food and the 'old style' bathroom which is basically a porcelain hole in the floor.
We were at the village from Friday to Tuesday afternoon and it felt like a very long time to me. My family is very sweet, especially my great aunt who nicknamed me Fatma and is always speaking to me in rapid Turkish. Fatma by the way is supposed to be a very classic Turkish name but literally sounds like Fat-ma, though I didn't really have a choice in the matter it is starting to really grow on me. For Byram younger family are supposed to go from house to house to visit the older people and their families, and to every house you go you are offered this smelly hand stuff, tea and some sort of yummy food. Though I enjoyed the tea and food it felt like a lot of people talking about me a lot and maybe it was just my imagination I felt like I was the butt of a lot of jokes, but hey I guess that comes with the territory. At one house after about twenty minutes of conversation my host sister looked at me and said "ah they are still talking about you!" It was frustrating to not understand what was being said and I felt a little bit like a pet but it was really interesting to be a part of the holiday.
A little bit more on the food!
I fasted the last day of Ramadan and though I was hungry all day it was totally worth it for the feast it came with. Dilşad and I helped make this past that is served on big platters with chicken and beef in the middle that everyone picks off. There is also huge amounts of home grown tomato salad with cucumbers, onions and all kinds of spices. Breakfasts were this kind of fried dough that expanded and looked like little baguettes but were hollow and delicious. These were eaten with jam, yogurt, cheese, nutella, or really anything. Also there was more tomato salad, always fresh bread, Aryan (a drink of yogurt and water that I am pretty fond of) more tea, and Turkish coffee. I could go on and on.
The holiday was nice but I was excited to get back to Adana. It is starting to cool down, and that is very nice especially since my school uniform consists of gray pants and a polo. School started Friday, and I think it is too soon to tell how it is going to be but I am in 11th grade, the same as my sister. I will write more on it after I have had a full week.
We were at the village from Friday to Tuesday afternoon and it felt like a very long time to me. My family is very sweet, especially my great aunt who nicknamed me Fatma and is always speaking to me in rapid Turkish. Fatma by the way is supposed to be a very classic Turkish name but literally sounds like Fat-ma, though I didn't really have a choice in the matter it is starting to really grow on me. For Byram younger family are supposed to go from house to house to visit the older people and their families, and to every house you go you are offered this smelly hand stuff, tea and some sort of yummy food. Though I enjoyed the tea and food it felt like a lot of people talking about me a lot and maybe it was just my imagination I felt like I was the butt of a lot of jokes, but hey I guess that comes with the territory. At one house after about twenty minutes of conversation my host sister looked at me and said "ah they are still talking about you!" It was frustrating to not understand what was being said and I felt a little bit like a pet but it was really interesting to be a part of the holiday.
A little bit more on the food!
I fasted the last day of Ramadan and though I was hungry all day it was totally worth it for the feast it came with. Dilşad and I helped make this past that is served on big platters with chicken and beef in the middle that everyone picks off. There is also huge amounts of home grown tomato salad with cucumbers, onions and all kinds of spices. Breakfasts were this kind of fried dough that expanded and looked like little baguettes but were hollow and delicious. These were eaten with jam, yogurt, cheese, nutella, or really anything. Also there was more tomato salad, always fresh bread, Aryan (a drink of yogurt and water that I am pretty fond of) more tea, and Turkish coffee. I could go on and on.
The holiday was nice but I was excited to get back to Adana. It is starting to cool down, and that is very nice especially since my school uniform consists of gray pants and a polo. School started Friday, and I think it is too soon to tell how it is going to be but I am in 11th grade, the same as my sister. I will write more on it after I have had a full week.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
For a moment I felt like Adana was starting to cool down, but that was just one 'brisk' morning and by noon it was back to scorching heat again. Fortunately though, we have been getting away from the city a bit.
Last Thursday, Dilşad and I took the bus to İscanderun to stay with my host fathers family at their beach house. İscanderun is a large town, but small city with a busy center and summer houses dotting every bit of the shore line. The beach house is part of one of these little neighborhoods filled with white adobe houses with big wrap around porches where all meals are eaten. The house is owned by my host dads brother Cankat but their other brother Eran and his family stay there during the summer as well. The first morning we got up earlier than I have become used to and went for a swim in the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. The water was warm and clear and I never wanted to get out.
Instead of spending the next night at the beach house we went with Dilşad's aunt to the "yaila" which translates into summer cabin and are from what I understand are usually located in the hills, or maybe that is just this one. I'm not really sure. The road to the yaila is about 30 minutes but it felt significantly longer. The majority of the road is gravel, steep, windy and has just enough room for two cars to pass if both are going slow, which they never are. But we made it up and back fine and the view was well worth it. You could see one direction all the way to İscanderun and the see and the other direction into the sprawling hills.
the family comes to these little somewhat makeshift cabins to escape the summer heat, and it was nice and cool. Dilşad's aunt stays up there with her husband and mother about 2 months our of the year. Her mother Dilşad's grandmother is the sweetest woman and very typical Turkish. She offered to teach me Turkish, which of course failed miserably because the language is impossibly hard, but it was nice anyway.
The next morning we went to these beautiful fields in the mountains and got to pick blackberries, (which taste different from those in the United States) tomatoes, and green beans. The scenery was beautiful but the labor looks hard as there isn't any machinery to help with the work.
We spent the next night at beach house and then went back to hot Adana. Tonight, we are going to my host mother's village for about a week to celebrate the end of Ramadan I thınk. The celebration lasts for three days so it should be fun!
Last Thursday, Dilşad and I took the bus to İscanderun to stay with my host fathers family at their beach house. İscanderun is a large town, but small city with a busy center and summer houses dotting every bit of the shore line. The beach house is part of one of these little neighborhoods filled with white adobe houses with big wrap around porches where all meals are eaten. The house is owned by my host dads brother Cankat but their other brother Eran and his family stay there during the summer as well. The first morning we got up earlier than I have become used to and went for a swim in the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. The water was warm and clear and I never wanted to get out.
Instead of spending the next night at the beach house we went with Dilşad's aunt to the "yaila" which translates into summer cabin and are from what I understand are usually located in the hills, or maybe that is just this one. I'm not really sure. The road to the yaila is about 30 minutes but it felt significantly longer. The majority of the road is gravel, steep, windy and has just enough room for two cars to pass if both are going slow, which they never are. But we made it up and back fine and the view was well worth it. You could see one direction all the way to İscanderun and the see and the other direction into the sprawling hills.
the family comes to these little somewhat makeshift cabins to escape the summer heat, and it was nice and cool. Dilşad's aunt stays up there with her husband and mother about 2 months our of the year. Her mother Dilşad's grandmother is the sweetest woman and very typical Turkish. She offered to teach me Turkish, which of course failed miserably because the language is impossibly hard, but it was nice anyway.
The next morning we went to these beautiful fields in the mountains and got to pick blackberries, (which taste different from those in the United States) tomatoes, and green beans. The scenery was beautiful but the labor looks hard as there isn't any machinery to help with the work.
We spent the next night at beach house and then went back to hot Adana. Tonight, we are going to my host mother's village for about a week to celebrate the end of Ramadan I thınk. The celebration lasts for three days so it should be fun!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Adana
Yesterday marked my first week in Adana, Turkey and I am surprised by how comfortable I already feel here. My host sister Dilşad and I are getting along really well. She is playful and happy and excited to have me here. Her English is really good so she has been acting as my translator and teacher and so far has not gotten tired of my endless questions-but I have only been here a week. Nihal my host mother is very kind and though we are separated by the language barrier she has made me feel at home. When Dilşad is not here we connect by studying my Turkish books together and through pantomime and guesswork I think I improving.
Turkish is not an easy language but it's not terribly difficult either. What makes it hard is how unfamiliar the sounds are and not being able to guess even a little bit at words like in Spanish because every one is very different. But thanks to my lessons I am not completely lost and there is hope that eventually I will pick it up. Turkish is a very beautiful language and I am anxious to learn it.
As for my home, Adana is not a beautiful city but it has a certain charm. It's condensed center is packed full of little shops, bread, nut, and fruit vendors while the sprawling suburbs are made up of thousands of unorganized apartment buildings. One of these apartments is my new home about a half hour away from the center. Our apartment is good sides though every bit of space is well used. My room is big but also holds the computer so it is kind of shared with everyone. There is not much in our neighborhood except for other randomly placed apartment buildings but out school is very close and public transpoırtation is easy and cheep.
There are some downfalls to living in the desert. Besides missing the ocean, trees, and other natural beauty of the San Juan's, Adana is hot. Everyday is in the mid to upper 90s and it does not get cool at night. I haven't had to put on even a light sweater and it doesn't feel like I will be needing one anytime soon. To make it worse the Turks wear jeans all the time. I understand the no mini skirts or shorts which are hardly seen here but jeans are simply awful. Fortunately everywhere is air conditioned so as long as I'm not outside I'm alright.
The Traffic is terrifying! Many roads do not have lines to indicate where cars should be and if they do they are not so much rules as suggestions as to which side of the road you should be on. I don't really understand when blinkers are used but it's not to indicate going to the other side of the road. Pedistrans do not have the right of way and it's common to cross half the road, wait for traffic to pass inches away on either side of you and then keep going.
But besides that I love living here. The Turkish people do not seem judgemental but rather curious and interested in me. They all make an effort to talk to me and when they can't they just keep speaking in Turkish. wherever you go even if it is a shoe store or a visit with a friend you are offered Turkish coffee, (which İ am really starting to like) tea or water. The other day one of my mom's friends read my Turkish coffee grounds and it reminded me of Jane Burton reading my tea leaves. I was promised lots of good things and though I'm skeptical I followed all the instructions to make them come true. The food is amazing, lots of meet and spices. Adana is famous for a certain type of Kebab that is a little bit spicy but delicious. Whenever you out to eat you are served Turkish salads, yogurt sauces, and appetizers before the main meal. And after there is always fruit and yummy desserts.There is so much food and this is especially true during Ramadan because after a full day of fasting people want to eat well.
My sister and I fasted yesterday for the first day day. We ate a meal at 3am because after 4 you can't eat again until 7:30. The fasting was not too terrible but since I don't work or have school I didn't actually have to do anything all day, I can't imagine working all day. I lasted all the way till dinner when I forgot and had a sip of water, it was disappointing.
So far all has gone really well. Thursday we will go to my host uncles beach house and then to my host moms village. School doesn't start for another couple weeks but I am looking forward to starting Turkish classes.
Turkish is not an easy language but it's not terribly difficult either. What makes it hard is how unfamiliar the sounds are and not being able to guess even a little bit at words like in Spanish because every one is very different. But thanks to my lessons I am not completely lost and there is hope that eventually I will pick it up. Turkish is a very beautiful language and I am anxious to learn it.
As for my home, Adana is not a beautiful city but it has a certain charm. It's condensed center is packed full of little shops, bread, nut, and fruit vendors while the sprawling suburbs are made up of thousands of unorganized apartment buildings. One of these apartments is my new home about a half hour away from the center. Our apartment is good sides though every bit of space is well used. My room is big but also holds the computer so it is kind of shared with everyone. There is not much in our neighborhood except for other randomly placed apartment buildings but out school is very close and public transpoırtation is easy and cheep.
There are some downfalls to living in the desert. Besides missing the ocean, trees, and other natural beauty of the San Juan's, Adana is hot. Everyday is in the mid to upper 90s and it does not get cool at night. I haven't had to put on even a light sweater and it doesn't feel like I will be needing one anytime soon. To make it worse the Turks wear jeans all the time. I understand the no mini skirts or shorts which are hardly seen here but jeans are simply awful. Fortunately everywhere is air conditioned so as long as I'm not outside I'm alright.
The Traffic is terrifying! Many roads do not have lines to indicate where cars should be and if they do they are not so much rules as suggestions as to which side of the road you should be on. I don't really understand when blinkers are used but it's not to indicate going to the other side of the road. Pedistrans do not have the right of way and it's common to cross half the road, wait for traffic to pass inches away on either side of you and then keep going.
But besides that I love living here. The Turkish people do not seem judgemental but rather curious and interested in me. They all make an effort to talk to me and when they can't they just keep speaking in Turkish. wherever you go even if it is a shoe store or a visit with a friend you are offered Turkish coffee, (which İ am really starting to like) tea or water. The other day one of my mom's friends read my Turkish coffee grounds and it reminded me of Jane Burton reading my tea leaves. I was promised lots of good things and though I'm skeptical I followed all the instructions to make them come true. The food is amazing, lots of meet and spices. Adana is famous for a certain type of Kebab that is a little bit spicy but delicious. Whenever you out to eat you are served Turkish salads, yogurt sauces, and appetizers before the main meal. And after there is always fruit and yummy desserts.There is so much food and this is especially true during Ramadan because after a full day of fasting people want to eat well.
My sister and I fasted yesterday for the first day day. We ate a meal at 3am because after 4 you can't eat again until 7:30. The fasting was not too terrible but since I don't work or have school I didn't actually have to do anything all day, I can't imagine working all day. I lasted all the way till dinner when I forgot and had a sip of water, it was disappointing.
So far all has gone really well. Thursday we will go to my host uncles beach house and then to my host moms village. School doesn't start for another couple weeks but I am looking forward to starting Turkish classes.
Monday, August 31, 2009
View from our hotel in Istanbul!After leaving DC the we flew to Frankfurt where we split from the Egypt group and continued on to İstanbul, where we were met by a group of young volunteers. We were surprised and happy to find out that we were going to be staying in a hotel in one of the most popular neighborhoods of İstanbul, and it was beautiful. Just driving from the airport we passed beautiful old crumbling walls and houses that had been standing for longer than I can imagine.
Though we stayed in a very happening neighborhood it was less than satisfying because the volunteers would not even let us leave the hotel. For the two days we spent in İstanbul we left three times to eat, though two of those were Pizza Hut and Burger King. But breakfast almost ate up for the lack of authentıc cuisine. Every morning we stuffed as much of the the buffet style Turkish breakfast in as we could. we ate delicious bread, croissants, cheeses, olives, yogurt and honey, dried and fresh fruit, coffee, tea, pancakes and more. I could get enough. Plus all of this was eaten on the roof of the hotel, a nice patio with a beautıful view of the cıty. From where we stood on the European side we could see all the way past the Bospherous to the Asian side. The mosques stick out with the pillars around them announcing the call to prayer, it is so beautiful and foreign.
Besıdes food our orientation consisted of various informational sessions where the volunteers tried to prepare us for our new lives. We took basic lessons in Turkish, learned that shoes where not worn in the house and were warned that we would soon have a lot less freedom than we are accustomed to. All in all the "survival camp" was helpful, but we were all very anxious to get to Adana and meet our host families.
Yesterday we flew out at about 11:00, I sat next to a very sweet old Turkish women wearing a headscarf and as the volunteers warned us had no idea of American personal space. But I was comforted by how much we could communicate with such a language barrier. Thanks to my pocket dictionary and book of the San Juan Islands we made it through the flight with very few awkward pauses.
All of the host families were waiting at the gate when we arrive and I am ecstatic to meet my host mom and sister (my dad is working in İstanbul) there waiting with a sign. My host sıster Dilşad is very sweet and i think that we will get along very well. Her English is really good so she has been translating for her mom whose English is not that great but we have been getting along. They both seem eager to teach me which is great because my Turkish sucks, but I already feel like I am starting to pick things up!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Washington DC
Welcome to my blog! So for those of you that don't know I received a state department scholarship to study in Turkey for a year. I will be living with a host family, attending a high school and taking intensive Turkish language classes. All the kids that received the scholarship-called Nsli-y will be living in Adana, Turkey. Adana is southeast a little bit north of the Mediterranean, near the Syrian border. It is the forth largest city in Turkey and home to about two and a half million people. Though Turkey is about 98 percent Muslim it is secular and modern.
That said, I left Tuesday to begin my adventure. After a tearful goodbye with my mom I flew to Washington DC for a two day orientation. My plane landed at about 6am and we went straight to a hotel near the Dulles airport. The orientation began at 2pm and it was far more informative then I had anticipated. Many of the people leading the orientation are AFS staff that work specifically with the state department. They stressed the fact that this is not a gift or a paid vacation, but a job that should be taken seriously. We are to be ambassadors for our country and with our main objective to learn Turkish.
The majority of the students are going to Egypt either for a year or a semester and there is a group of about 15 of us going to Turkey. Some are on the same Nsli-y scholarship or various other partial or full scholarships. I have met some really cool girls that are going to be in the same city, and most of them are in the same situation as me-graduated high school and deferred college. It is nice to know that there will be people in the similar situation living so close.
The most informative part of the orientation was the cultural resource time where we sat down with a Turkish guy and a woman whose family is Turkish and has traveled extensively there. They told us about the food, (which is going to be ammaazzingg!!) the culture, and the dress. It sounds like we will be wearing uniforms and dressing pretty moderately, if we don't want to stand out or be harassed.
All of us are super excited and maybe a little bit nervous. Tomorrow we are in for another long day of orientation, and then we fly out at about 5pm eastern time. I am so ready to go!
I will try to keep up on the blog, so keep reading!
That said, I left Tuesday to begin my adventure. After a tearful goodbye with my mom I flew to Washington DC for a two day orientation. My plane landed at about 6am and we went straight to a hotel near the Dulles airport. The orientation began at 2pm and it was far more informative then I had anticipated. Many of the people leading the orientation are AFS staff that work specifically with the state department. They stressed the fact that this is not a gift or a paid vacation, but a job that should be taken seriously. We are to be ambassadors for our country and with our main objective to learn Turkish.
The majority of the students are going to Egypt either for a year or a semester and there is a group of about 15 of us going to Turkey. Some are on the same Nsli-y scholarship or various other partial or full scholarships. I have met some really cool girls that are going to be in the same city, and most of them are in the same situation as me-graduated high school and deferred college. It is nice to know that there will be people in the similar situation living so close.
The most informative part of the orientation was the cultural resource time where we sat down with a Turkish guy and a woman whose family is Turkish and has traveled extensively there. They told us about the food, (which is going to be ammaazzingg!!) the culture, and the dress. It sounds like we will be wearing uniforms and dressing pretty moderately, if we don't want to stand out or be harassed.
All of us are super excited and maybe a little bit nervous. Tomorrow we are in for another long day of orientation, and then we fly out at about 5pm eastern time. I am so ready to go!
I will try to keep up on the blog, so keep reading!
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