449 Days

It has been 449 days since my last blog post which was submitted in the capital of Turkey, Ankara.

These past 449 days have been super. Realized my last 17 blog posts are stupid and somewhat pretentious, every time I hear somebody talking about their amazing study abroad experience I cringe. Disclaimer: I will not proofread my blog posts, go ahead and tear me apart about my grammar mistakes because I will and do, do it to you.

Updates: single, moved in with parents, started grad school.

Current obsessions: tinder, red wine, carl sagan, space, my empty future, looking at vacant room listings on craigslist knowing very well I will never move into any of them, spotify, freckles.

Latest thoughts:

• atheism
• Statistics suck
• pro sports are fake
• what is the point of having a nice car, I mean I get it, but don’t

Blog posts to come: my Tinder experience. Stay tuned.

Things about Turkey

These are some of the random things I have noticed about Turkey

• The bathrooms are very large here. I was expecting the bathrooms to resemble Europe’s tiny closets with toilets and showers stuffed into them
• Wedding rings are worn on the right and the left hand, sometimes not at all by men.
• Turkey is defined as Europe, The Middle East and sometimes both
• Turkish coffee is mainly drank in the Balkans, not Turkey
• Turks like Americans
• Everywhere you visit you will go through security, a metal detector and an x-ray machine for your bag including schools, malls, and a lot of business buildings
• The lights move from red to yellow to green
• When men are greeting or saying goodbye instead of the kisses on the cheeks they put the sides of their heads together
• There are very few trashcans everywhere, but there is also no trash
• A common snack that replaces our Auntie Anne’s for example is Corn in a cup
• When someone asks you to do something for example a professor asking to write a 10 page paper due tomorrow you always say yes, you never refuse or argue something
• The embassy said if you live here, accept the fact that you will get into at least one car crash
• When entering a home it is a custom to remove your shoes
• Everywhere we visited new buildings and structures were being built, going back to Turkey in 20 years would be interesting to see
• There is an airport in almost every city, air travel is the preferred mode of transportation around Turkey or by bus
• It is very difficult to get a gun
• You receive your driver’s license after graduating highschool
• The ice cream in Turkey has an almost gummy texture and you can turn it upside down without it falling. THe ice cream guys always play pranks on you and joke with you 

Konya June 9

After Cappadocia we headed to Konya to rest Saturday night and check out the city on Sunday. Konya is a place with a lot of history. The first woman of martyr after Mary was born in Konya and Timothy in the bible was from Konya. The protests in Konya are small because it is dominantly a conservative town and aligned with AKP, the ruling party.

 

We started the tour and I went inside of a mosque for the first time. This mosque was built before the ottoman empire and had a different style than the typical mosque in Turkey. Some people call it the column mosque. Some people believed the columns were paganistic. All of the columns are different. This mosque also does not have multiple large domes throughout the mosque. This mosque is rectangular allowing more people to be in the front line facing towards Mecca. There are separate areas in the Mosque for men and women to pray. You must need full concentration and the opposite sex is a distraction.

We went to the Mevlana museum which was first a mosque, then an education center turned museum. It is the second most visited museum in Turkey after the Hagia Sophia. Mevlana is called Rumi, which means sir or teacher. Some people believed he was a ladder between the people and god. He is a holy poet in the muslim world. 

Mevlana was born in Afghanistan and his father was a scholar.Mevlana was a scholar himself and greatly celebrated. Where he rests now is debated Iran and Turkey both claim his tomb is in their countries. When he died christians and jews took part in his funeral alongside Muslims because everyone celebrated his ideas. In the Museum a piece of the prophet Muhammeds beard is in a case with holes where you can try and smell it.

We visited other historical schools and museums before heading to our next stop.

After touring around Konya we took a 45 minute bus ride to the 3rd largest lake in Turkey. We went on a boat around the bright blue lake while watching Turkish dancing and listening to music. All around the lake there is a backdrop of snow capped mountains.

Cappadocia June 8

Saturday morning we went to Cappadocia for the day.The formations in Cappadocia are made from multiple volcanic eruptions, 3 layers of lava and ash are piled on top of each other and winds create the mushroom like formations. In the early days some believed that fairy angels made these before human beings were on earth. Christians lived harmoniously, including when the Turk Muslims arrived in the 11th century. In the open air musuem we visited, there are 2 monasteries, 1 nunnery, and 17 churches. The first Christian monk lived in Cappadocia. The churches were used up until 1924.

We also went inside a cave dwelling. There are 7 levels in the cave  and we were able to go down 5 levels. At first this cave was used as a horse shelter, during the summer and winter months the temperature stays the same. Later on Christians lived in these cave dwellings for months at a time. There is an air system present so oxygen flow gets to all of the levels, at one time 4000 people were living here. I was scared I was going to get claustrophobic in the caves but thankfully I did not get affected despite the very tiny hallways from floor to floor.

After Cappadocia we made our way to Konya to spend the night and all of Sunday there.

Ankara June 5

Today after our lecture and lunch we had our first art class!

We learned how to do the traditional water marbling or Ebru. Earlier this week we visited an art display and saw Water Marbling. After today I can appreciate how difficult it is and the skills you need for Ebru.

To do water marbling you first mix water and the roots of a special plant together. This forms a gel like substance. Ebru is completely organic, the brushes are made of twigs and horse hair and the dye is made from dirt. Next you set up the background of your picture by splashing dye all over the mixture. After you finish your base, you move onto the design, we drew tulips today, with the assistance of our teacher. You take a tiny pointed tool and dip it into the dye and place it on top of the gel like substance. You can make many designs. After you have finished you place the paper or cloth or whatever medium you are using and peel it back towards you. The dye is transferred to the paper and you let it dry. It is an ancient tradition that people still practice today as a form of relaxation. I still can’t figure out how anyone invented this form of art but it is really amazing!

The place where our culture classes take place offers free fashion, cosmetology, art, arabic, and other classes free of charge for the people of Ankara.

This evening for dinner we went to a family’s home. I had no idea to expect but was pleasantly surprised. The family we visited had 4 daughters ranging from a 14 year old to a girl who just graduated college last year. The father is going for his masters in theology and is an imam at his mosque, which is the equivalent to a priest in the catholic church. They were the most welcoming, loving, and genuine family. I feel like I keep writing the word hospitable but everyone we meet is just that. Our dinner was delicious. We had the sort of flat bread with lamb meat again and filled it with shredded carrots, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and a sour kraut with pickles. For dessert we had something that you could describe as sweet white cous cous and ice cream. After dinner and dessert we of course indulged in turkish tea and some fruit. The conversation the family was wonderful and I am so excited to meet the other families we are having dinner with.

the spread

Dessert!

Turkish Guitar

The mother handing out gifts to us, all of the girls got scarves!

On our way home we saw families walking down the street towards the protest, the family’s house we ate at was in a more residential area and the protests are closer to our hotel. They were just walking down the street banging pots and pans. The state department sent out another e-mail this evening with no new news but just to warn the people again that the protests are becoming more intense. Unions and other groups and organizations have joined in and the protests are growing larger. I am sure we will hear honking, yelling, and other noises tonight as the protests continue. The father of the home we visited had his professor eat dinner with us as well. He has guest lectured at Georgetown, has been an advisor to the Prime Minister and collaborates with NATO. He seemed supportive of the protests and was very reasonable about the subject. The people are practicing their right and are showing concern for their country.

I do appreciate the protests being at night so we don’t have to worry about avoiding them during the day. On CNN there is an article called “War-torn Syria issues travel warning against Turkey.

“Syria, the country where a bloody civil war has killed about 80,000 people, is advising its citizens to avoid visiting neighboring Turkey.” More than 300,000 Syrian refugees are currently present in Turkey, along with hundreds of thousands illegal immigrants.”

The Syrian Foreign Ministry issued this warning to its citizens.

”The Foreign and Expatriates Ministry advises the Syrian citizens against traveling to Turkey during this period for fear for their safety, due to the security conditions in some Turkish cities that have deteriorated over the past days and the violence practiced by Erdogan’s government against peaceful protesters,” it said in a statement.”

A day before this issue was sent out the information minister of Syria advised that Erdogan should step down after Prime Minister Erdogan has repeatedly called for the President of Syria, Bashar Al-Assad to step down. For the most part I have been sheltered from the protests fortunately and have not felt in danger or worried at all. I hope they do not interfere with my trip to Istanbul at all!

Ankara June 4

On Tuesday we started our regionalism class. It was very interesting today and I look forward to the rest of the lectures.

The front of our school

After our class we headed over to the Parliament grounds for lunch and to speak with a few Parliament members. We entered an outside restaurant with multiple gazebo type settings throughout the area. There was greenery everywhere and I could not believe that it was a government building. During our, yet again, four course meal, lunch we spoke with a man from Parliament who is in the party of Erdogan, the current Prime Minister, called AKP. He expressed his views on many hot topics in Turkey right now i.e. protests, syrian refugees, israel relations.

After we had the opportunity to go inside and view a parliament meeting for a bit. We walked around the rest of the beautiful building and ended up outside. Outside there was a place to eat lunch, have tea, and relax. We sat down and got to talk with a Parliament member from the opposition, The Republican People’s Party (RPP). Hearing the different opinion of this Party was fascinating. He was insistent on telling us that he was for the people and that the future of Turkey was the youth. The first parliament member from the AKP group made it sound as though the protesters were destroying shops and restaurants throughout Turkey and destroying public property, since they were acting with violence they responded with violence to halt the protest. The man from the RPP made it sound as though the police action was completely unnecessary and extraneous. I think when we visit the US Embassy it will be interesting to hear an outsiders opinion on the situation. Both of them were very hospitable and more than willing to answer all of our questions. Talking with parliament members was very informative and a very special privilege.

Everywhere we go there are plants everywhere!

A door only the Prime Minister can walk through

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A minister and moderater of the EU and Turkey gave us these pins

While we were talking to the PM from RPP and other PMs who made their way to our group they told us we had the opportunity to meet the chairman of the opposition party, during an election the chairman of this party is the man who would run for Prime Minister He usually only takes appointments from high status government officials, Presidents or Prime Ministers, so to be able to meet him and take a photos with him was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Members of the US congress would have trouble scheduling a meeting with him.

The head of the RPP is the man second from the right

Meeting outside with the RPP Parliament Members

We also got to see the hang out spots of the Parliament members. Each party has their own separate room to relax and mingle with each other. A problem we have currently in the US is the ongoing, extreme division between parties so it was interesting to see that the parties even had separate lounges.

After our day we headed back to the hotel until dinner. One of the mayors we met yesterday hosted us for dinner at a restaurant that has food from his hometown, located in the Black Sea region. It was again so much food and very delicious.

We got to go inside the kitchen of the restaurant

I cannot believe this is only the second day of the trip due to all of the things I have learned so far.

I still have not seen protests but I can definitely hear cars honking and people outside on the street in front of my hotel. At first we thought they would die down before we left Turkey but it seems as though they will only become larger. Both Parliament gave us different opinions on the protests so it will be interesting to see what comes of it.

Erdogan has approved of new laws that people feel should not be the governments decision to make. One of the big one is about alcohol. “The planned regulations would prohibit retail sales between 10pm and 6am, ban all alcohol advertising and promotion, and stop new shops and bars from opening within 100m of schools and mosques.” Most restaurants make the majority of their money from alcohol sales so this would hurt them greatly. Drinking is a big part of Turkey’s youth culture and other youth cultures all around the world so this is one of the issues protesters are not happy about.

Ankara June 3

Today was our first fully packed day. We had orientation and met people who are in the local government along with others who contributed to this exchange program. It was exciting to be able to see more of Ankara and meet its citizens. I know one thing about Turkey for sure, that being I will never go hungry on this trip. We have a 4 course meal for lunch and dinner and always have food presented to us in between. We also are following the custom of drinking mass amounts of turkish tea, which I do not mind one bit! Tomorrow we start our classes and get to meet a parliament member. I have a feeling that this trip will go by in the blink of an eye. The Turks and the Bosniaks share a very simliar culture, in Turkey they mostly drink tea, The Balkans is where the majority of Turkish coffee is consumed. Hearing Bosnia mentioned occasionally is making me very excited for my internship in the fall. The tall pointy towers you see in the pictures are minarets, they are part of a mosque and each mosque varies in the amount of minarets they have. The call to prayer is broadcasted from the minarets five times a day.The turkish people have all been very nice and welcoming and I am excited to learn lots these next few weeks.

a remake of Niagra Falls

First course, salad and vegetable soup

Second course, a flatbread type dish made with ground lamb meatThird Course, small hamburger like patties with a tomato sauce, lamb, french fries, and rice. The juice is an ottoman drink made from 42 different fruits and herbs

Dessert, pumpkin and pearofficial businessThis looks like a picture frame, not a windowinside a castle we visited, which is a culture center

Thank you – tesekkur (teh-sheh-kewr)

Ankara June 2

June 2 2013

Tonight is my second night in Turkey.

After 12 hours of flying I finally arrived in Ankara .The 10 hour long flight was not as bad as I had anticipated. After a couple hours of sleeping and a few movies I was in Turkey! Turkish Airlines is one of the nicer airlines I have flown with. I first got served a little piece of Turkish Delight, a little chewy/gummy square with nuts in it. Followed by a hot towel to cleanse your hands before dinner. Along with the norm of a blanket and pillow given to you, they also provided a little kit with socks, toothbrush/toothpaste, earplugs, lip balm, and an eye cover. It was really cool flying towards the sun while it was still pitch black in virginia. Another really cool feature was that they had a camera attached to the front and bottom of the plane so you could watch a live stream of where you are.

After we landed we got our bags and met up with one of the organizers of the trip to wait for other students to arrive. We went straight to a restaurant for dinner where we got served a salad and a sort of kebab filled with ground beef with sour cream on the side, it reminded me of a burrito. For dessert we ate rice pudding which I really liked and had Turkish tea to finish it off. Turkish tea traditionally comes in a tulip shaped glass and is served with sugar. We then went back to the hotel and slept.

This morning we went to breakfast which consisted of tomatoes, cucumbers, meats and cheeses, feta, pastries, bread, hard boiled eggs, and a few things that were unidentifiable to me. They also had oranges that you could freshly squeeze, the Turkish tea, and other sorts of teas. We then walked around the city a little and napped the rest of the afternoon.

breakfast

For dinner we met with our whole group and the coordinators and had a nice dinner on the top floor of our hotel. We started off with bread, salad, and vegetable soup. We then had some sort of hot pastry filled with cheese. Next we were served lamb mixed with peppers and potatoes. This was served on top of a burner on the table. For dessert we had a flaun like dish and fruit. Tomorrow we will meet the mayor of the municipality that Fairfax is sister cities with and the president of the university that we are taking classes at.

part of our dinner, this was the lamb course

The weather is very nice here. It is upper seventies with no humidity during the day and at night it gets a bit chilly. I have not seen any protests going on but they currently are present in Ankara. We go to Istanbul on the 11^th so hopefully they will have calmed down. We are in Turkey during an exciting/adventurous time so it will be interesting to see what comes from all of these protests.

view from our hotel 

merhaba – hello

Turkey

A professor from one of my classes sent out information about an opportunity to travel to Turkey and learn about their country and culture. After an application and an interview I was accepted to the program! My interview was held at the American Turkish Friendship Association located in Fairfax, VA.

Fairfax County has recently become sister cities with the Kecioren Municipality, which is located within the capital of Turkey, Ankara. This program is sponsored by the Kecioren Municipality and is only open to students at NOVA and GMU. Next year, Fairfax County will be sponsoring Turkish students to travel to Fairfax and further engage in relations between the cities. Many Fairfax Country Government officials have gone on similar trips through the Kecioren Municiplaity and this is the first time they are bringing over students.

On May 31st I will be embarking on a journey to Ankara with 15 other students from Fairfax County. Not only will we be touring Ankara but also other parts of Turkey including Cappadoccia, Konya, Bolu, and Istanbul. I am very excited for this opportunity and I am now going back overseas sooner than expected!

Turkey is a very interesting country, it is located in Europe and Asia. The land has a very long history and you can still see influences of that today. I can’t believe that I leave in 11 days and I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity!

Sarajevo

I was randomly reading a news article about Sarajevo and decided I should start blogging again. In the Fall I will be heading back to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina for an internship with the US Department of State.

The article I was reading was titled, “It is not easy to be Sarajevo”

Here is an excerpt from the article:

It is not easy to be Sarajevo – worshipped and hated, praised, dragged down, built up as a symbol, called the cradle of evil, burned down twenty times, reborn, damned, desired, envied, deserted. There are those who remain faithful at the risk of death, those who run away at any cost. Some return to live, others just to die. All this in 500 years. If it is true that “the Balkans are suffering from too much history” as W. Churchill said, Sarajevo is the proof.

Many will take the liberty to judge Sarajevo, even if they have never set foot there. People who have been there only once will speak about it with familiarity, falling into the usual stereotypes of “Europe’s Jerusalem”, “the meeting place between East and West”, “the symbol of multi-ethnicity and multiculturalism,” “the martyred city”, “the European Tehran”. All exaggerations. What is certain is that Sarajevo does not leave us indifferent. Its very name is enough to evoke emotions. When people ask me what is Sarajevo like, I say it is not as beautiful as Rome, Paris, St. Petersburg, or Prague. Sarajevo’s charm lies in its elusive essence.

Here is a link to the rest of the article
http://www.balcanicaucaso.org/eng/Regions-and-countries/Bosnia-and-Herzegovina/It-is-not-easy-to-be-Sarajevo-134184

I will be working in the political section at the Embassy. I am excited to be able to continue blogging about my adventure to Bosnia!

At the end of each of my posts I wrote a word in Italian and the definition. I only know two words in Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian and here is one..

Zdravo – Hello