So I've been back in the States for a while-- if you've been a regular reader of this blog, you'll know that I'm terrible about updating when I don't have people nagging me for information about my adventures abroad. As I'm not really having adventures, the blog has lapsed... but I'd just like to give a quick update to anyone who's still reading.
This year is going to be crazy. Awesome, but insane. First of all, I'm a senior. Thanks, school, for sending out graduation information before the first day of classes to reinforce this! I already have appointments for career counseling, practice GREs, and other nonsense, but I don't know if I'll ever quite be ready to graduate. At the same time, after traveling and seeing the whole wide world that's out there, I don't think I'd be content to spend another couple of years in school. So here I go!
The other overwhelming thing about this year is this school group I'm involved in-- a student-run nonprofit called GlobeMed. This year we're implementing a lot of changes, most of which I think are for the better, but they'll all take some getting used to. I'm also co-running the educational portion of the group and my partner in crime is going abroad next semester. I know it'll be a ton of work, but it'll be totally worth it. I can't wait to see where our chapter ends up by the end of the year.
Even with all this, I'm excited to see what this year has in store. I'm living with five other great girls, and I'm really making an effort to invest in relationships this year (I don't need to sleep, right?). Wish me luck as I start on a different kind of adventure-- a marathon this time, not a sprint.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
The Beginning of the End
We returned from our last trip out a community yesterday. This time we were in Malacatoya 1 installing the water filters with a delegation. It was really cool to see the beginning of the water filter process, especially since we've been supervising this whole time, but it was quite different to be with a delegation. We brought a cook along, for example, and didn't eat with a family. We also slept in a big tent since the school was a 45 minute walk from the health promoter's house; not the best night's sleep I've ever gotten.
I was also working as a translator this time. In the past, I've often gone out with guides and staff who didn't speak English, but understanding for myself and translating for someone else are two entirely separate things. Surprisingly, I actually did all right. I guess I've learned quite a bit of water filter-related vocabulary since I've been here!
We did quite a bit of walking on this trip, but I think that the previous trips have helped us get into shape because Sarah and I kept up with our guides pretty well, especially compared to the delegation members. All in all, it was a good trip and I'm sad to be nearing the end of my time here.
We've been wrapping up loose ends here in Managua-- we have quite a few evaluations to work through-- so it's just been us and the staff here at the base. The delegation comes back tomorrow, and we leave on Sunday. Unbelievable!
I was also working as a translator this time. In the past, I've often gone out with guides and staff who didn't speak English, but understanding for myself and translating for someone else are two entirely separate things. Surprisingly, I actually did all right. I guess I've learned quite a bit of water filter-related vocabulary since I've been here!
We did quite a bit of walking on this trip, but I think that the previous trips have helped us get into shape because Sarah and I kept up with our guides pretty well, especially compared to the delegation members. All in all, it was a good trip and I'm sad to be nearing the end of my time here.
We've been wrapping up loose ends here in Managua-- we have quite a few evaluations to work through-- so it's just been us and the staff here at the base. The delegation comes back tomorrow, and we leave on Sunday. Unbelievable!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
The Delegation has Arrived
The past couple of days have been kind of weird-- the delegation from Kansas has arrived here in Managua and one of the longer-term volunteers left yesterday. It's been interesting to look at the city and this organization through newcomers' eyes. Some of the volunteers have been coming here for years, but it's the first time for several. It's also been funny to have members of the delegation look to Sarah and I when they have questions about where things are or what it's like in the communities.
We're leaving for the campo tomorrow, but we'll be back on Thursday to wrap up loose ends.
We're leaving for the campo tomorrow, but we'll be back on Thursday to wrap up loose ends.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
More of Sarah's pictures
This is Jessica, who I've been writing about, and a family's pet parrot; I've seen quite a few parrots while supervising filters here.
Going over the results of the health stations and filter tests with the health committee.
Playing with one of the neighborhood kids.
A skinny little cat that hung around the clinic where we stayed.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Long time, no see...
Hey everyone, sorry for the lack of updates-- I've been a little under the weather lately and my bed has been winning out over blogging lately. But I thought I'd let you all know what I've been up to over the past week or so...
We had Monday off this week-- it's the day of the patron saint of Managua (probably). This was especially nice since it meant we didn't have anything to do in Managua, but other areas of the country were still open for business. Sarah and Monica (a girl who has been doing a 6-week internship here) and I decided to go to Grenada, a colonial town on Lake Nicaragua, and the Laguna de Apoyo, a nearby crater lake. Grenada is only an hour away from Managua, so it was an easy bus ride, especially after our commute out to El Obraje.
I wish I had all kinds of exciting things to tell you about the weekend, but we spent most of our time relaxing. Both hostels we stayed at had some really great hammocks, and the Laguna had a wonderful cool breeze.
This week we're staying in Managua (thus the Internet access). We've been working on standardizing protocols for the water filter activities-- taking and processing samples, training the health committees in the communities, etc.-- to make sure everyone who has a filter is getting the exact same information. Hopefully this will improve both ends of the spectrum-- the action of the community members and of the staff here-- to eventually wind up with some really beautiful water. Not the most exciting sounding activity, maybe, but it's nice to be working on something that will continue to be used long after I've left here.
There's a delegation coming in tomorrow-- it'll be weird to have eleven extra people here after having the place to ourselves for so long! We'll be heading out to a community with them on Monday to install some filters. I'll be working as a translator between one of the Spanish-speaking technicians and the English speaking delegation members-- wish me luck!
Finally, check out the GlobeMed blog for Sarah's post about the weekend and some awesome pictures. Now I really wish she had been in Turkey with me last semester, because my pictures look so dinky next to hers.
http://globemedatrhodes.wordpress.com/
Look for another update on Sunday :)
We had Monday off this week-- it's the day of the patron saint of Managua (probably). This was especially nice since it meant we didn't have anything to do in Managua, but other areas of the country were still open for business. Sarah and Monica (a girl who has been doing a 6-week internship here) and I decided to go to Grenada, a colonial town on Lake Nicaragua, and the Laguna de Apoyo, a nearby crater lake. Grenada is only an hour away from Managua, so it was an easy bus ride, especially after our commute out to El Obraje.
I wish I had all kinds of exciting things to tell you about the weekend, but we spent most of our time relaxing. Both hostels we stayed at had some really great hammocks, and the Laguna had a wonderful cool breeze.
This week we're staying in Managua (thus the Internet access). We've been working on standardizing protocols for the water filter activities-- taking and processing samples, training the health committees in the communities, etc.-- to make sure everyone who has a filter is getting the exact same information. Hopefully this will improve both ends of the spectrum-- the action of the community members and of the staff here-- to eventually wind up with some really beautiful water. Not the most exciting sounding activity, maybe, but it's nice to be working on something that will continue to be used long after I've left here.
There's a delegation coming in tomorrow-- it'll be weird to have eleven extra people here after having the place to ourselves for so long! We'll be heading out to a community with them on Monday to install some filters. I'll be working as a translator between one of the Spanish-speaking technicians and the English speaking delegation members-- wish me luck!
Finally, check out the GlobeMed blog for Sarah's post about the weekend and some awesome pictures. Now I really wish she had been in Turkey with me last semester, because my pictures look so dinky next to hers.
http://globemedatrhodes.wordpress.com/
Look for another update on Sunday :)
Friday, July 29, 2011
One trip ends, another begins
This week was another big trip, this time to a town called El Obraje in the department La Pimienta. This town was quite a bit further than El Roblar-- closer to 3.5 hours in the car-- but more easily accessible; we pulled the car right up to the clinic, no hiking necessary!
Our first big activity were the health stations that we did on Tuesday morning and stretching into the afternoon. Our partner takes statistics like the height, weight, and hemoglobin levels of children under five and other at-risk individuals and compares them from year to year. Sarah and I were put on the anemia-checking station, which means that we collectively pricked 74 children and tested their blood for hemoglobin in portable machines. Jessica, the staff member we've been working the most closely with, told us that we should explain to the mothers that anemia is not an incredibly serious disease to make sure they didn't become overly upset; our partner tries to treat it mostly with changes in diet, though vitamins are sometimes available.
We spent most of the week supervising water filters as we did in El Roblar. Though we had many more to do in El Obraje (over 70 as opposed to 22), the task went much faster as the terrain was quite flat which made it easy to walk around.
On Tuesday night, we processed some of the water samples we had taken earlier in the day. We had some "PetriFilms," a kind of mobile petri dish and agar which allowed us to grow the bacteria in the field and see how effective the filters actually were. As in El Roblar, we had mixed results with some families drinking completely clean water and others drinking water more contaminated than their original well. While these results were obviously disappointing, it gave us a good idea of how to direct the community meeting on Thursday afternoon.
The meeting, or asamblea, wasn't quite what I was expecting. The staff and the health committee took equal parts in leading the meeting. The health promoter himself was pretty shy, but Jessica felt that some information would have a greater impact if it came from him. Additionally, he's the one who will follow up on progress-- cleanliness of water filters, for example, or weighing children found to be malnourished-- after we leave, so the community needed to see that he was capable in this regard.
The community seemed most interested in the results from the anemia test, which is perhaps not surprising since it was certainly the most dramatic. The team and the health community worked hard to present all of the data in an interesting manner, however, from posters of nourishing foods to skits of how to care for the water filters, so hopefully the community members were able to take away most of the information.
Since this was the longest time we'd spent in a community, we got to try some interesting new foods, and especially new beverages. One of the most memorable is called avena. It's made from oats, specifically oatmeal, dissolved in water with a great deal of sugar. There's so much sugar that you can't really taste the oatmeal, but it's still not something I'd like to drink every day. Nicaraguans, however, are just as perplexed by North American-style oatmeal (cooked with sugar, berries, etc). It's a funny little culture clash I wasn't quite expecting.
And today at breakfast back in Managua, a couple of the staff cut down some fresh mangoes and shared with us. They were juicy and sweet, but the men had inexplicably piled salt on them. Sarah and I tried a couple of bites, but wound up wiping most of the salt off when no one was looking.
Sorry for the super long post, but I had a lot to catch you all up on! We're also going away for the weekend, so expect a new post on Monday or Tuesday. I'll be around next week, however, so maybe you'll get some more regular messages after that.
Our first big activity were the health stations that we did on Tuesday morning and stretching into the afternoon. Our partner takes statistics like the height, weight, and hemoglobin levels of children under five and other at-risk individuals and compares them from year to year. Sarah and I were put on the anemia-checking station, which means that we collectively pricked 74 children and tested their blood for hemoglobin in portable machines. Jessica, the staff member we've been working the most closely with, told us that we should explain to the mothers that anemia is not an incredibly serious disease to make sure they didn't become overly upset; our partner tries to treat it mostly with changes in diet, though vitamins are sometimes available.
We spent most of the week supervising water filters as we did in El Roblar. Though we had many more to do in El Obraje (over 70 as opposed to 22), the task went much faster as the terrain was quite flat which made it easy to walk around.
On Tuesday night, we processed some of the water samples we had taken earlier in the day. We had some "PetriFilms," a kind of mobile petri dish and agar which allowed us to grow the bacteria in the field and see how effective the filters actually were. As in El Roblar, we had mixed results with some families drinking completely clean water and others drinking water more contaminated than their original well. While these results were obviously disappointing, it gave us a good idea of how to direct the community meeting on Thursday afternoon.
The meeting, or asamblea, wasn't quite what I was expecting. The staff and the health committee took equal parts in leading the meeting. The health promoter himself was pretty shy, but Jessica felt that some information would have a greater impact if it came from him. Additionally, he's the one who will follow up on progress-- cleanliness of water filters, for example, or weighing children found to be malnourished-- after we leave, so the community needed to see that he was capable in this regard.
The community seemed most interested in the results from the anemia test, which is perhaps not surprising since it was certainly the most dramatic. The team and the health community worked hard to present all of the data in an interesting manner, however, from posters of nourishing foods to skits of how to care for the water filters, so hopefully the community members were able to take away most of the information.
Since this was the longest time we'd spent in a community, we got to try some interesting new foods, and especially new beverages. One of the most memorable is called avena. It's made from oats, specifically oatmeal, dissolved in water with a great deal of sugar. There's so much sugar that you can't really taste the oatmeal, but it's still not something I'd like to drink every day. Nicaraguans, however, are just as perplexed by North American-style oatmeal (cooked with sugar, berries, etc). It's a funny little culture clash I wasn't quite expecting.
And today at breakfast back in Managua, a couple of the staff cut down some fresh mangoes and shared with us. They were juicy and sweet, but the men had inexplicably piled salt on them. Sarah and I tried a couple of bites, but wound up wiping most of the salt off when no one was looking.
Sorry for the super long post, but I had a lot to catch you all up on! We're also going away for the weekend, so expect a new post on Monday or Tuesday. I'll be around next week, however, so maybe you'll get some more regular messages after that.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Domingo = Deathly Hallows
I finally got to see Harry Potter today! Totally worth the wait, and the AC in the theater was really nice as well.
But I'm mostly writing because I'm leaving tomorrow for the whole week; we're going to another department called Chinandega where we'll be working on the filters and doing health stations. I'll try to give you an update this weekend :)
But I'm mostly writing because I'm leaving tomorrow for the whole week; we're going to another department called Chinandega where we'll be working on the filters and doing health stations. I'll try to give you an update this weekend :)
Surprise! Some pictures!
As I'm sure you've all figured out by now, I'm not much of a photographer. Fortunately, I'm traveling with Sarah who has a fantastic camera and took a bunch of pictures from the trip. She gave me permission to post a couple up here so you all can get a better feel for the trip. Enjoy!
The hike down to the car on Thursday; it had been raining on-and-off all morning and we were all pretty wet and muddy.
The lovely Sarah looking skeptical about the whole experience
We had to go through lots of barbed wire fences because there were so many cows in the community. I'm not sure if the mist made the community more beautiful or just hid the spectacular vistas.
Testing one of the filters.
Our "shower" for the week. It was more enclosed than this picture shows, but it was still a bit of a challenge!
The hike down to the car on Thursday; it had been raining on-and-off all morning and we were all pretty wet and muddy.
The lovely Sarah looking skeptical about the whole experience
We had to go through lots of barbed wire fences because there were so many cows in the community. I'm not sure if the mist made the community more beautiful or just hid the spectacular vistas.
Testing one of the filters.
Our "shower" for the week. It was more enclosed than this picture shows, but it was still a bit of a challenge!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Back in Managua!
Hello everyone, I'm back in Managua with both internet and running water! What a luxury.
I spent the past couple of days in El Roblar, an extremely rural and isolated community in the department (state) of Boaco. Our team was taking samples of water from filters installed in March of this year, and also from the original water source (e.g. river or well) and the receptacle in which the family keeps the water.
It was interesting to see the challenges of a mobile laboratory in the middle of nowhere; for example, the water samples had to be put on "Petrifilm" (like a mobile, less finicky petri dish and agar) and kept between 35-35 degrees Celsius (86-95 degrees Farenheit). Since El Roblar is up in the mountains, it was quite chilly so we had to use hot water bottles and a cooler as a makeshift incubator to try to maintain a constant temperature.
The water filters were often in varying conditions, as were the receptacles where the families kept the filtered water. Some of these buckets had flies and dust floating in them, while some were covered and washed daily. It's hard to tell if people didn't understand the consequences of keeping their water clean, didn't know how to do it properly, didn't have the time to keep the water clean, or just didn't have the inclination to do so. We left the samples with the health committee, however, so they'll explain to the community members the danger of drinking water from a dirty receptacle, even if it has passed through the filter. The committee will also explain how to keep the water clean and keep track of any filters that aren't working properly.
Overall, the trip was fantastic. It was a really cool chance to see a rural community and to see how difficult it is for the community members to access health care. The situation is better now that our partner has trained a community member as a health promoter (community health worker), but it's still quite a trek from one house to the next, especially now that it's the rainy season. I did my laundry today, and I must have spent ten minutes trying to scrub the mud off my pants! I admire the health committee so much-- they make an effort to reach out to the whole community on a regular basis even though it's really quite difficult to do so. Hopefully the water filters, in addition to training about their care and maintenance, will make their jobs just a little easier.
Sarah will be posting some pictures on the GlobeMed blog today: http://globemedatrhodes.wordpress.com/
I spent the past couple of days in El Roblar, an extremely rural and isolated community in the department (state) of Boaco. Our team was taking samples of water from filters installed in March of this year, and also from the original water source (e.g. river or well) and the receptacle in which the family keeps the water.
It was interesting to see the challenges of a mobile laboratory in the middle of nowhere; for example, the water samples had to be put on "Petrifilm" (like a mobile, less finicky petri dish and agar) and kept between 35-35 degrees Celsius (86-95 degrees Farenheit). Since El Roblar is up in the mountains, it was quite chilly so we had to use hot water bottles and a cooler as a makeshift incubator to try to maintain a constant temperature.
The water filters were often in varying conditions, as were the receptacles where the families kept the filtered water. Some of these buckets had flies and dust floating in them, while some were covered and washed daily. It's hard to tell if people didn't understand the consequences of keeping their water clean, didn't know how to do it properly, didn't have the time to keep the water clean, or just didn't have the inclination to do so. We left the samples with the health committee, however, so they'll explain to the community members the danger of drinking water from a dirty receptacle, even if it has passed through the filter. The committee will also explain how to keep the water clean and keep track of any filters that aren't working properly.
Overall, the trip was fantastic. It was a really cool chance to see a rural community and to see how difficult it is for the community members to access health care. The situation is better now that our partner has trained a community member as a health promoter (community health worker), but it's still quite a trek from one house to the next, especially now that it's the rainy season. I did my laundry today, and I must have spent ten minutes trying to scrub the mud off my pants! I admire the health committee so much-- they make an effort to reach out to the whole community on a regular basis even though it's really quite difficult to do so. Hopefully the water filters, in addition to training about their care and maintenance, will make their jobs just a little easier.
Sarah will be posting some pictures on the GlobeMed blog today: http://globemedatrhodes.wordpress.com/
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Amor, Paz, y Vida
Today I went on an adventure!
It all started when we met two other volunteers here on the compound, Cassie and Sarah (hereafter referred to as "the other Sarah"). They invited us to make banana pancakes with them-- they were delicious, if decidedly unorthodox. Then they invited us to go with them to see the crowd at the Plaza.
Today is the anniversary of the success of the 1979 revolution, the date when the dictator Somoza finally left the country after more than four decades of rule. The current president and candidate for the election in November, Daniel Ortega, was scheduled to speak at the Plaza at 4 in the afternoon. We didn't leave until 3:50 so we figured we'd just catch a bus for the five-mile trip.
In retrospect, I can't believe I thought the dolmus trips in Turkey were crowded. This was by far the most jam-packed bus I'd ever been on. I heard the word "sardinas" (sardines) tossed around quite a few times, and the woman standing next to me said that if there's an accident, nothing will happen (because we were so crowded in). Incredibly, I saw a man in front of me holding a baby which was fast asleep!
The speech at the Plaza was somewhat underwhelming; we missed Ortega's speech and heard someone else talk about development, the environment, and the army for a while. I didn't have a great idea what was going on because the crowd was so distracting-- people sold food, talked loudly, even shot off fireworks.
We caught a cab back and took wonderfully refreshing (though cold) showers.
We're heading to a community tomorrow, so don't expect to hear from me until Saturday (or Sunday if I'm feeling particularly lazy).
Sorry for the repetition if you're following the GlobeMed blog as well (http://globemedatrhodes.wordpress.com/) but I think my version has a bit of a different flavor so they're both worth reading :)
It all started when we met two other volunteers here on the compound, Cassie and Sarah (hereafter referred to as "the other Sarah"). They invited us to make banana pancakes with them-- they were delicious, if decidedly unorthodox. Then they invited us to go with them to see the crowd at the Plaza.
Today is the anniversary of the success of the 1979 revolution, the date when the dictator Somoza finally left the country after more than four decades of rule. The current president and candidate for the election in November, Daniel Ortega, was scheduled to speak at the Plaza at 4 in the afternoon. We didn't leave until 3:50 so we figured we'd just catch a bus for the five-mile trip.
In retrospect, I can't believe I thought the dolmus trips in Turkey were crowded. This was by far the most jam-packed bus I'd ever been on. I heard the word "sardinas" (sardines) tossed around quite a few times, and the woman standing next to me said that if there's an accident, nothing will happen (because we were so crowded in). Incredibly, I saw a man in front of me holding a baby which was fast asleep!
The speech at the Plaza was somewhat underwhelming; we missed Ortega's speech and heard someone else talk about development, the environment, and the army for a while. I didn't have a great idea what was going on because the crowd was so distracting-- people sold food, talked loudly, even shot off fireworks.
We caught a cab back and took wonderfully refreshing (though cold) showers.
We're heading to a community tomorrow, so don't expect to hear from me until Saturday (or Sunday if I'm feeling particularly lazy).
Sorry for the repetition if you're following the GlobeMed blog as well (http://globemedatrhodes.wordpress.com/) but I think my version has a bit of a different flavor so they're both worth reading :)
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Domingo
Today was my first full day here. I was pretty tired, though not sure if that was because I didn't sleep much Friday night (2 hours!) or because I didn't have time to make coffee this morning... probably both. But I made up for it with a three-hour nap this afternoon!
Sarah and I went to church this morning with a staff member named Jessica, her husband, and another volunteer named Monica. I was surprised at how much of the service I was able to understand; it was entirely in Spanish and I was doing pretty well, though I did have to concentrate quite hard. It was also fun to see how similar the service was to those I've been to in America, if a little more informal-- people were talking through much of the beginning, though there was dead silence when it came to the sermon.
Nothing much going on for the next couple of days, we have some articles to read but the staff here has a couple of days off because Tuesday is a national holiday.
Sarah and I went to church this morning with a staff member named Jessica, her husband, and another volunteer named Monica. I was surprised at how much of the service I was able to understand; it was entirely in Spanish and I was doing pretty well, though I did have to concentrate quite hard. It was also fun to see how similar the service was to those I've been to in America, if a little more informal-- people were talking through much of the beginning, though there was dead silence when it came to the sermon.
Nothing much going on for the next couple of days, we have some articles to read but the staff here has a couple of days off because Tuesday is a national holiday.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
In Nicaragua!
Hello everyone! Once again, I apologize for the long absence, but there's not a whole lot to write about in Nashua. But now I'm in Managua, Nicaragua with GlobeMed, a school group. I'm visiting our partner, a community-based, prevention-based health care NGO, with another student, Sarah. I arrived in Nicaragua today, and have yet to adjust to the humidity. It's the rainy season here, and it feels like I'm swimming.
I'm really excited for this month, I think it'll be a good opportunity to reconnect with our partner and get a good look at the daily workings of an NGO. I'll try to post regularly, but don't get your hopes up about pictures, Sarah's got an awesome camera and will be taking a lot.
I'm really excited for this month, I think it'll be a good opportunity to reconnect with our partner and get a good look at the daily workings of an NGO. I'll try to post regularly, but don't get your hopes up about pictures, Sarah's got an awesome camera and will be taking a lot.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Some more pictures
Hey everyone, I know I'd said I would be posting when I came back, but I've been back for a week and a half already, sorry for my absence. I could say I've been busy unpacking, but I've really been catching up on sleep and re-adjusting to the eastern time zone. But I'm back, and I'd like to recap my trip with some exclusive, never-before-seen photos.
From Mom's visit-- "Take a picture of both of us, the way your sister does!"
An impressively European-looking building from my trip to Bulgaria
Stormy day and fairy chimneys in Cappadoccia
View of the Bosporus from near the Black Sea
The inside of the Blue Mosque from my first trip into the old city.
From Mom's visit-- "Take a picture of both of us, the way your sister does!"
An impressively European-looking building from my trip to Bulgaria
Stormy day and fairy chimneys in Cappadoccia
View of the Bosporus from near the Black Sea
The inside of the Blue Mosque from my first trip into the old city.
Monday, June 13, 2011
The end...
I'm leaving Turkey today... my cab arrives in about an hour and a half. I don't have time to do a comprehensive what-I'll-miss-about-Turkey post, mostly because that would be incredibly difficult. Although I'll be back in the States, I'm planning on uploading some pictures and final thoughts over the next couple of weeks so feel free to keep coming back if you run out of things to do on the Internet.
Anyway, it's been an incredible semester, and I've loved sharing it with you all!
Anyway, it's been an incredible semester, and I've loved sharing it with you all!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Photos, as promised
Today is many of my exchange friends' last day in Turkey-- we went out for a wonderful breakfast and took our time sipping tea and reminiscing.
As promised, I'm uploading some pictures from Ephesus. Unfortunately, almost all of my pictures somehow got erased so my friend Anna let me use hers (you may notice an increased photographic quality...). Anyway, it was a fantastic trip, the pictures can't really demonstrate how great it was!
At the Ephesus museum... can you imagine how big that statue used to be?
Ancient toilets...
The view from the top of one of the stadiums
Anna and me at the library
The library... supposedly it's not usually as crowded as it was that day, I guess some cruise ships had docked and unloaded about a zillion American passengers, which was weird.
As promised, I'm uploading some pictures from Ephesus. Unfortunately, almost all of my pictures somehow got erased so my friend Anna let me use hers (you may notice an increased photographic quality...). Anyway, it was a fantastic trip, the pictures can't really demonstrate how great it was!
At the Ephesus museum... can you imagine how big that statue used to be?
Ancient toilets...
The view from the top of one of the stadiums
Anna and me at the library
The library... supposedly it's not usually as crowded as it was that day, I guess some cruise ships had docked and unloaded about a zillion American passengers, which was weird.
Friday, June 10, 2011
The last roadtrip
As you know, I spent the last couple days in Selçuk, a ten to eleven hour bus ride from Istanbul. My friend Anna and I arrived early Wednesday morning, dropped our bags at the hostel, had a quick breakfast and borrowed some bikes to head down to Ephesus, about a three kilometer journey.
We got in free with our museum cards, but I would have paid to see it if I had to. The ruins were very well maintained; there was one sign that said there were about 14,000 people who worked on the restoration! Even though it was filled with tourists, it was easy to imagine what it would have been like to live there 2000 years ago.
On the way back we stopped at the shrine of the Seven Sleepers. According to legend, seven young Christians were persecuted in Ephesus and took shelter in this old crypt; they woke up 200 years later, when Christianity was the majority religion of Rome. The site was actually closed for archaeological work, but there was a nice little restaurant nearby where we stopped for a bit. We also saw the last remaining pillar of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient world. The pillar looked like it had been recreated to some extent from fragments lying about, but was over sixty feet high; there were once 127 of them. Pretty impressive; most of the stone went to the building of mosques and churches like the Hagia Sophia.
In the afternoon we hiked up a hill to the ruins of a church built over the supposed tomb of the apostle John. It had a gorgeous view, and it was nice to get a breeze after the heat and sun of the day.
Yesterday we saw the house where Mary lived, according to legend; it's not really something you'd think would be in Turkey, but there were definitely a lot of people on pilgrimages of sorts. We sipped some water from the spring, lit a candle, and tied a wish to the wishing wall they had their.
Later, we went to a mosque near St. John's church. Unlike most mosques, this was rectangular (most are square); it was kind of fun to see the different architecture. Our bus didn't leave until 10:15, so we spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach which was a short bus ride away.
Of course, this trip had some of the best Turkish food I've had yet-- pide, a kind of flatbread with cheese and optional meat or egg on it (I know, it sounds weird, but it's delicious!) and spinach and cheese gosleme-- there's really no way to explain it, you'll just have to find some for yourselves!
I'll save the pictures until tomorrow so you'll all have something to look at while I begin packing!
We got in free with our museum cards, but I would have paid to see it if I had to. The ruins were very well maintained; there was one sign that said there were about 14,000 people who worked on the restoration! Even though it was filled with tourists, it was easy to imagine what it would have been like to live there 2000 years ago.
On the way back we stopped at the shrine of the Seven Sleepers. According to legend, seven young Christians were persecuted in Ephesus and took shelter in this old crypt; they woke up 200 years later, when Christianity was the majority religion of Rome. The site was actually closed for archaeological work, but there was a nice little restaurant nearby where we stopped for a bit. We also saw the last remaining pillar of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient world. The pillar looked like it had been recreated to some extent from fragments lying about, but was over sixty feet high; there were once 127 of them. Pretty impressive; most of the stone went to the building of mosques and churches like the Hagia Sophia.
In the afternoon we hiked up a hill to the ruins of a church built over the supposed tomb of the apostle John. It had a gorgeous view, and it was nice to get a breeze after the heat and sun of the day.
Yesterday we saw the house where Mary lived, according to legend; it's not really something you'd think would be in Turkey, but there were definitely a lot of people on pilgrimages of sorts. We sipped some water from the spring, lit a candle, and tied a wish to the wishing wall they had their.
Later, we went to a mosque near St. John's church. Unlike most mosques, this was rectangular (most are square); it was kind of fun to see the different architecture. Our bus didn't leave until 10:15, so we spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach which was a short bus ride away.
Of course, this trip had some of the best Turkish food I've had yet-- pide, a kind of flatbread with cheese and optional meat or egg on it (I know, it sounds weird, but it's delicious!) and spinach and cheese gosleme-- there's really no way to explain it, you'll just have to find some for yourselves!
I'll save the pictures until tomorrow so you'll all have something to look at while I begin packing!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
One last trip
Sorry for the lack of posts-- I had an exam on Sunday and another today. But this evening I'll be leaving for Ephesus, one of the places I most wanted to see before coming to Turkey. I won't be bringing my computer, but expect lots of updates on Friday when I return!
Friday, June 3, 2011
A museum and a picnic
Yesterday I went to the archaeological museum with a couple of friends; it's a huge building with artifacts from all the civilizations that have lived in Anatolia. Since I've been here, I've heard a lot about the Ottomans, but you forget everyone who was here first-- the Hittites, the Byzantines, the Greeks, the Romans... there were marble statues everywhere. There were also lots of sarcophagi which I hadn't realized were popular in the area. We also saw a couple of mummies-- crazy!
In the evening, some of the exchange and Turkish students had a potluck picnic. I brought bread, as previously mentioned, and kaymak, a kind of honey butter. You buy the thick cream (it has a consistency a little softer than butter), and pour the honey on top-- delicious, but terrible for you. It's a Turkish classic, and one of the things I'm going to miss most when I come home.
In the evening, some of the exchange and Turkish students had a potluck picnic. I brought bread, as previously mentioned, and kaymak, a kind of honey butter. You buy the thick cream (it has a consistency a little softer than butter), and pour the honey on top-- delicious, but terrible for you. It's a Turkish classic, and one of the things I'm going to miss most when I come home.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Ekmek Odamda
It's getting close to the end of the semester now-- I'll be home in two weeks! My friends and I are starting to have goodbye events since people are beginning to leave; we're having a potluck picnic tomorrow. I'm bringing bread, a staple of any Turkish meal. I got some in town this morning since I'm planning on hitting some museums tomorrow. I clearly didn't think this through, though, since now my whole room smells like bread! It's one of the things I'm going to miss most when I leave; I guess I'll just have to have as much as I can while I'm here.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
A taste of home and of Istanbul
Yesterday I went with a couple friends to find a museum downtown and go to the Grand Bazaar to pick up some souvenirs. Unfortunately, we couldn't find the museum; we decided we had been using an outdated map and the museum has since been relocated since no one in the area had any idea what we were talking about.
The Grand Bazaar was crazy as always; it gets a little overwhelming in there with everyone shouting at you since you look so foreign. But on the way back, we stopped at a cafe run by a Canadian expat and had some real French toast North American style. It was great to taste some "American" food, and the cafe was really cozy, the kind of place I'd go to even at home.
Today was one of my favorite days in Turkey. Some friends and I got invited to an engagement ceremony; our Turkish conversation tutor asked us to come as a cultural experience. It was in a very non-touristy part of Istanbul, somewhere we'd never go on our own. At first it was kind of awkward since we didn't know anyone and couldn't really communicate; since it was our friend's sister's engagement, he had to help out and couldn't translate all the time. But the actual ceremony was really cool-- the parents were the ones who agreed to the engagement, then all the relatives came by and gave the couple gifts; gold bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and pinned some coins and cash on white sashes they had put around their necks. Our friend later explained it's a way to show how happy you are for the marriage, to show that it's important. After a cup of Turkish coffee and an awesome dinner (meat and eggplant, borek, and cake), we sat with the family while they opened the gifts from the bride's family. Apparently the gifts are a way to make the families closer together; the mother got a headscarf and some linens, for example. Our friend's mother also gave us gifts-- I got a really nice pair of homemade Turkish slippers! (Don't worry, Mom, we made sure to bring them flowers).
Afterwards we went to a cafe that had a great view of Istanbul and drank tea and talked some more about the evening, the differences between Turkey and the US, and Turkey in general. It was a long but fantastic day!
I don't have any pictures now-- I thought it would be a bit awkward to take them at a stranger's engagement. The family insisted we get a picture with the bride and groom, though, so hopefully I'll get a copy!
The Grand Bazaar was crazy as always; it gets a little overwhelming in there with everyone shouting at you since you look so foreign. But on the way back, we stopped at a cafe run by a Canadian expat and had some real French toast North American style. It was great to taste some "American" food, and the cafe was really cozy, the kind of place I'd go to even at home.
Today was one of my favorite days in Turkey. Some friends and I got invited to an engagement ceremony; our Turkish conversation tutor asked us to come as a cultural experience. It was in a very non-touristy part of Istanbul, somewhere we'd never go on our own. At first it was kind of awkward since we didn't know anyone and couldn't really communicate; since it was our friend's sister's engagement, he had to help out and couldn't translate all the time. But the actual ceremony was really cool-- the parents were the ones who agreed to the engagement, then all the relatives came by and gave the couple gifts; gold bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and pinned some coins and cash on white sashes they had put around their necks. Our friend later explained it's a way to show how happy you are for the marriage, to show that it's important. After a cup of Turkish coffee and an awesome dinner (meat and eggplant, borek, and cake), we sat with the family while they opened the gifts from the bride's family. Apparently the gifts are a way to make the families closer together; the mother got a headscarf and some linens, for example. Our friend's mother also gave us gifts-- I got a really nice pair of homemade Turkish slippers! (Don't worry, Mom, we made sure to bring them flowers).
Afterwards we went to a cafe that had a great view of Istanbul and drank tea and talked some more about the evening, the differences between Turkey and the US, and Turkey in general. It was a long but fantastic day!
I don't have any pictures now-- I thought it would be a bit awkward to take them at a stranger's engagement. The family insisted we get a picture with the bride and groom, though, so hopefully I'll get a copy!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
No travels this weekend...
I've been wanting to get to the Black Sea for some time-- it's quite close to campus, you can actually see it from the top of my dorm on a nice day. But this is the first week the weather's been decent and I've been swamped with finals. Weather on the Black Sea is notoriously bad as well, which I feel I just proved today with this set of pictures.
This was the weather on campus this afternoon-- gorgeous blue skies, sun-- I studied outside and got some new freckles.
This is a photo of the sea taken within seconds of the first one-- crazy!
But anyway, I'll be sure to make it out there before I leave, and I'll make sure to tell you all how it goes.
This was the weather on campus this afternoon-- gorgeous blue skies, sun-- I studied outside and got some new freckles.
This is a photo of the sea taken within seconds of the first one-- crazy!
But anyway, I'll be sure to make it out there before I leave, and I'll make sure to tell you all how it goes.
Friday, May 20, 2011
My first earthquake
Last night I was studying in my bed when the room started shaking. I thought the girls upstairs were jumping on their bed or something, but it turns out, it was a magnitude 5.9 earthquake. It originated several hundred miles away, so there was no damage in Istanbul, but it was still pretty exciting. I guess that's one more event to cross off my natural disaster bingo card!
Here's some more information about the quake if you're interested-- obviously a 5.9 quake is pretty severe so there was a lot of damage in the town and surrounding province.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=5.9-magnitude-earthquake-rocks-western-turkey-2011-05-19
(The Hurrityet is one of the most prominent newspapers in the country, in case you don't recognize the name.)
Here's some more information about the quake if you're interested-- obviously a 5.9 quake is pretty severe so there was a lot of damage in the town and surrounding province.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=5.9-magnitude-earthquake-rocks-western-turkey-2011-05-19
(The Hurrityet is one of the most prominent newspapers in the country, in case you don't recognize the name.)
Thursday, May 19, 2011
National Holiday!
We didn't have school today because it's a national holiday. The thing is, it's been a bit difficult determining what Turkey is actually celebrating. It's officially "Children and Sports Day," since Turkey ties all it's national holidays to children because Atatürk once said that children are the future and therefore the most important. Anyway, Atatürk also said that he felt like 19 May was his birthday, but it probably isn't actually since his true birthday is unknown. No, the real noteworthy event is it was the date Atatürk landed in Anatolia to begin the Revolution and establish the Turkish Republic of today.
I did go down to town today, but it seems that celebrations consist mainly of hanging flags everywhere there's space. They're quite patriotic over here!
I did go down to town today, but it seems that celebrations consist mainly of hanging flags everywhere there's space. They're quite patriotic over here!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Catching up on pictures
View from Rumelli Kalesi
More Rumelli
I'm sure you're all tired of pictures of Byzantine ruins by now...
Me at the Galata Tower-- look at the view!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
My First Football Match!
I traveled to Taksim with some friends today to see a soccer match. We went more for the experience than the match itself; we chose this game because tickets cost only 10 TL ($6-$7).
Security was very tight at the stadium. We all got patted down twice before entering, and had dangerous objects like water bottles, pens, and coins confiscated, supposedly so we couldn't throw anything during the match. I had brought my big re-usable water bottle which the security officers were nice enough to let me keep; they just made me promise I wouldn't throw it at anyone. Later, we found out that the tension was because the fans of one of the teams, Bursa, had been banned from attending ten straight matches because they had started a big fight at another stadium in the city. Though the fans weren't supposed to be at the game, officials weren't taking any chances.
Since we couldn't support Bursa, we were rooting for Kasimpaşa. Unfortunately, our team lost, but the fans we were sitting near didn't seem too upset. They cheered, chanted, and sang through the whole match regardless of what was going on on the pitch, which certainly made the game more entertaining for us!
Halfway through the match, the nearby mosques (there were four that I could see) started sounding the call to prayer, the song broadcasted from the minarets five times a day here. I had expected a pause while the call finished, but the game progressed unhampered. The call made an interesting backdrop for the game, every movement was much more dramatic.
The one downside of the game was the distance-- everything is so far away from school, especially since traffic in Istanbul is always terrible. But the game, dinner, and dessert at a local cafe was definitely worth it, especially since I had left my homework behind and got to chat the whole way down and back.
I don't have any pictures of the match, but I'll try to post some once my friends have put them on Facebook.
Security was very tight at the stadium. We all got patted down twice before entering, and had dangerous objects like water bottles, pens, and coins confiscated, supposedly so we couldn't throw anything during the match. I had brought my big re-usable water bottle which the security officers were nice enough to let me keep; they just made me promise I wouldn't throw it at anyone. Later, we found out that the tension was because the fans of one of the teams, Bursa, had been banned from attending ten straight matches because they had started a big fight at another stadium in the city. Though the fans weren't supposed to be at the game, officials weren't taking any chances.
Since we couldn't support Bursa, we were rooting for Kasimpaşa. Unfortunately, our team lost, but the fans we were sitting near didn't seem too upset. They cheered, chanted, and sang through the whole match regardless of what was going on on the pitch, which certainly made the game more entertaining for us!
Halfway through the match, the nearby mosques (there were four that I could see) started sounding the call to prayer, the song broadcasted from the minarets five times a day here. I had expected a pause while the call finished, but the game progressed unhampered. The call made an interesting backdrop for the game, every movement was much more dramatic.
The one downside of the game was the distance-- everything is so far away from school, especially since traffic in Istanbul is always terrible. But the game, dinner, and dessert at a local cafe was definitely worth it, especially since I had left my homework behind and got to chat the whole way down and back.
I don't have any pictures of the match, but I'll try to post some once my friends have put them on Facebook.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Rumelli Fort, Galata Tower, and Meyhane
Yesterday I had a bit of an adventure with some of my exchange friends. We went to Rumelli fortress, an old Byzantine fort on the Bosporus. (Sorry if you get tired of hearing about Byzantine forts, they have tons of them over here.) It had gorgeous views and we did some good climbing (on stairs, not anything too dangerous or dramatic).
Later that afternoon we went to the famous Galata Tower, once used as a watchtower in old Constantinople. Now it has great views-- you can see the whole old city-- though it was a little hazy because of the pollution.
To finish out the day, we went to a meyhane, or a traditional Turkish tavern. We ordered a bunch of appetizers and passed the plate around. I had oysters for the first time and even tried a bite of tongue, though I wasn't brave enough to taste the lamb's brain.
All in all it was a great day, if a little touristy. Since we're getting towards the end of the semester we're all feeling like we need to cram in all the things we always wanted to see before we leave, and I definitely checked a bunch of my mental checklist yesterday. Pictures to follow!
Later that afternoon we went to the famous Galata Tower, once used as a watchtower in old Constantinople. Now it has great views-- you can see the whole old city-- though it was a little hazy because of the pollution.
To finish out the day, we went to a meyhane, or a traditional Turkish tavern. We ordered a bunch of appetizers and passed the plate around. I had oysters for the first time and even tried a bite of tongue, though I wasn't brave enough to taste the lamb's brain.
All in all it was a great day, if a little touristy. Since we're getting towards the end of the semester we're all feeling like we need to cram in all the things we always wanted to see before we leave, and I definitely checked a bunch of my mental checklist yesterday. Pictures to follow!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Symposium on Least Developed Countries
Last week I volunteered to work at a symposium on the world's Least Developed Countries. The promise of attendance to the panels and a free lunch was enough to entice me to travel the 1.5 hour by bus and subway to the hotel it was being held; by the time I found out I had to be there at 8 AM, it was too late to back out.
I spent much of the day standing in the lobby shepherding interesting-looking guests to the interesting-sounding forums about development upstairs, wishing I was somewhere near a chair. I did get to go to a panel about South-South cooperation in the afternoon, however-- I won't bore you with the details but I thought it was great.
Lunch was also fantastic, almost worth the whole trip-- spring rolls, kebabs, and eclairs. Fantastic.
I also saw the President of Bangladesh-- I guess he went to one of the panels I missed, but he walked through the lobby on his way out. Now how many of you can say you've been within a dozen feet of the president of a small nation on the Indian subcontinent?
Finally, I'd like to thank Starbucks for unofficially sponsoring my early morning travels. Couldn't have done it without you!
I spent much of the day standing in the lobby shepherding interesting-looking guests to the interesting-sounding forums about development upstairs, wishing I was somewhere near a chair. I did get to go to a panel about South-South cooperation in the afternoon, however-- I won't bore you with the details but I thought it was great.
Lunch was also fantastic, almost worth the whole trip-- spring rolls, kebabs, and eclairs. Fantastic.
I also saw the President of Bangladesh-- I guess he went to one of the panels I missed, but he walked through the lobby on his way out. Now how many of you can say you've been within a dozen feet of the president of a small nation on the Indian subcontinent?
Finally, I'd like to thank Starbucks for unofficially sponsoring my early morning travels. Couldn't have done it without you!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Some things never change...
On my way back from studying in a friend's room tonight, I saw the two campus dogs corner one of the campus cats. Even though they're all free-roaming in true Turkish style, their animosity remained. Just as I've seen in a million comic strips in the States, the cat ran up a tree while the dogs barked from the bottom. Even though they're "kedi" and köpek here, they still fight like cats and dogs.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
My Struggle with Mein Kampf
One of the classes I'm taking this semester is about the history of political thought; we've been studying the progression of thinkers from Plato to the present day. For my term paper, I have to write a comparison of the philosophies of Hitler and Stalin-- I chose the topic because I thought it would be a way to brush up on my history and would be interesting enough to spend some time writing.
As a result, I've spent the weekend reading Mein Kampf, Hitler's book about his life and political philosophy. (I'm not planning on reading the whole thing, since it's upwards of seven hundred pages, but just the sections related to political thought). I thought there would be entire sections where Hitler described his world view and ideal political state without reference to race-- where he spoke about the purpose of the state, for example, or perhaps the rights of citizens. This has proven not to be the case. I've been cringing as I'm taking notes; some of the things he wrote were so repugnant I don't even want to write them down. Yet as he describes the formation of the Nazi party, I'm struck by Hitler's perception of how best to manipulate the masses. It's all there-- gauging your audience and adjusting your speech accordingly, making sure your supporters gather in groups to form a sense of community. I'm only now fully realizing what a perfect storm Nazi Germany was.
Sorry for the non-Turkey related update, but I've been holed up doing this paper so there's not a whole lot of culture to report back. But soon, with any luck!
As a result, I've spent the weekend reading Mein Kampf, Hitler's book about his life and political philosophy. (I'm not planning on reading the whole thing, since it's upwards of seven hundred pages, but just the sections related to political thought). I thought there would be entire sections where Hitler described his world view and ideal political state without reference to race-- where he spoke about the purpose of the state, for example, or perhaps the rights of citizens. This has proven not to be the case. I've been cringing as I'm taking notes; some of the things he wrote were so repugnant I don't even want to write them down. Yet as he describes the formation of the Nazi party, I'm struck by Hitler's perception of how best to manipulate the masses. It's all there-- gauging your audience and adjusting your speech accordingly, making sure your supporters gather in groups to form a sense of community. I'm only now fully realizing what a perfect storm Nazi Germany was.
Sorry for the non-Turkey related update, but I've been holed up doing this paper so there's not a whole lot of culture to report back. But soon, with any luck!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Dance Festival
Besides Mom's visit, the other reason I've been so busy is the modern dance group I'm in. This week was the school's dance festival, and we've been having extra rehearsals for the three performances we had this week.
The shows were crazy-- it was great to have a chance to watch the other groups, some of which came from other schools. I never knew there were Turks who could tango!
I also loved getting back into dance again; as I told you all a couple months ago when the group started rehearsing, I had forgotten how much I love dancing. But even more than that, it's been a great way to get to know Turkish students. We exchange students tend to keep to ourselves here, partly due to the language barrier and partly due to diverging interests-- foreign students travel around way more often, which Turkish students tend not to do. But through rehearsals, shopping for costumes, and traveling to our teacher's studio we've all gotten to know each other. Though modern dance is hardly unique to Turkey, I definitely think joining the group has helped me experience a new side of Turkish culture.
I think some of my friends took photos and video of the show, I'll try to post them as soon as I have access to them.
The shows were crazy-- it was great to have a chance to watch the other groups, some of which came from other schools. I never knew there were Turks who could tango!
I also loved getting back into dance again; as I told you all a couple months ago when the group started rehearsing, I had forgotten how much I love dancing. But even more than that, it's been a great way to get to know Turkish students. We exchange students tend to keep to ourselves here, partly due to the language barrier and partly due to diverging interests-- foreign students travel around way more often, which Turkish students tend not to do. But through rehearsals, shopping for costumes, and traveling to our teacher's studio we've all gotten to know each other. Though modern dance is hardly unique to Turkey, I definitely think joining the group has helped me experience a new side of Turkish culture.
I think some of my friends took photos and video of the show, I'll try to post them as soon as I have access to them.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Catching up
Sorry for the extended hiatus, it's been a busy couple of weeks! As many of you probably know, my mom came out here to visit, and between classes, dance rehearsals, and commuting to her hotel I never quite found time to update. So let me fill you in:
The first weekend Mom was in town we did a lot of hanging out-- finding cafes, getting her orientated and able to navigate Istanbul by herself. She's got a lot of great stories from the week when she went to museums and things by herself; she even had a traditional meal with a Turkish family, something I have yet to do here.
On Thursday, I skipped school and we went off to Bodrum, which literally means "basement" in Turkish-- it's in the south of the country, on the Mediterranean coast. It's a gorgeous area-- rolling hills and long stretches of beaches. We spent a lot of time walking around (including the time we got lost and wandered for almost two hours before giving in and finding a cab).
We also took a ferry to Kos, a nearby Greek island. After all, we've got to fill up our passports! The town of Kos is pretty, but very cute and small enough to walk around in. We also had the chance to visit an old Byzantine castle that was completely overgrown with wildflowers-- completely gorgeous against the backdrop of the Mediterranean. Other highlights include seeing an enormous old tree Hippocrates supposedly taught under, taking the mini train (think second-rate amusement park) around town, and sticking our toes in the chilly ocean.
All in all it was a fantastic week! Here are some pictures, and expect more detailed stories in the near future.
Byzantine Castle on the Greek island-- it looks just like a postcard!
More flowers and castle
Happy Mom on the ferry to Greece
Mom and her new Turkish baby! OK, kidding-- this is her host family's baby from her dinner experience. But what a cutie!
The first weekend Mom was in town we did a lot of hanging out-- finding cafes, getting her orientated and able to navigate Istanbul by herself. She's got a lot of great stories from the week when she went to museums and things by herself; she even had a traditional meal with a Turkish family, something I have yet to do here.
On Thursday, I skipped school and we went off to Bodrum, which literally means "basement" in Turkish-- it's in the south of the country, on the Mediterranean coast. It's a gorgeous area-- rolling hills and long stretches of beaches. We spent a lot of time walking around (including the time we got lost and wandered for almost two hours before giving in and finding a cab).
We also took a ferry to Kos, a nearby Greek island. After all, we've got to fill up our passports! The town of Kos is pretty, but very cute and small enough to walk around in. We also had the chance to visit an old Byzantine castle that was completely overgrown with wildflowers-- completely gorgeous against the backdrop of the Mediterranean. Other highlights include seeing an enormous old tree Hippocrates supposedly taught under, taking the mini train (think second-rate amusement park) around town, and sticking our toes in the chilly ocean.
All in all it was a fantastic week! Here are some pictures, and expect more detailed stories in the near future.
Byzantine Castle on the Greek island-- it looks just like a postcard!
More flowers and castle
Happy Mom on the ferry to Greece
Mom and her new Turkish baby! OK, kidding-- this is her host family's baby from her dinner experience. But what a cutie!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Something new every day...
Istanbul is fairly Westernized as far as cities go-- you can find a McDonald's or a Starbucks anywhere, and they eat more french fries here than people do in the States. But if you're feeling adventurous, there's always something Turkish to try.
Yesterday I had my first ciğ kofte. Technically this means "raw meatball;" the name comes from the way these used to be made, as raw meat kneaded for a long time instead of being cooked. With the stricter food safety regulations put in place in preparation for EU membership, however, ciğ kofte is now strictly vegetarian. It's actually a spread that you eat in a wrap, though I got a free sample wrapped in lettuce. It was spicy, with a texture like mashed potatoes, and quite good! If you ever have the chance to try it, though, don't look at it too hard-- it's not the most appetizing meal I've ever eaten.
Yesterday I had my first ciğ kofte. Technically this means "raw meatball;" the name comes from the way these used to be made, as raw meat kneaded for a long time instead of being cooked. With the stricter food safety regulations put in place in preparation for EU membership, however, ciğ kofte is now strictly vegetarian. It's actually a spread that you eat in a wrap, though I got a free sample wrapped in lettuce. It was spicy, with a texture like mashed potatoes, and quite good! If you ever have the chance to try it, though, don't look at it too hard-- it's not the most appetizing meal I've ever eaten.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Church, Chocolate, and Public Transportation
As many of you may have noticed, yesterday was Easter. Though churches aren't as common in Istanbul as they are at home (the country is literally 99% Muslim, after all), there was a church nearby my mom's hotel that had an English mass. It was interesting to see the diversity in the congregation-- Catholics and non-Catholics, people of every ethnicity and nationality.
We met some of my friends after church for lunch and finally tried tavuk göğsü, a Turkish dessert made of chicken. It's very sweet and very sticky; in fact, most of the Turks here don't believe it really has chicken in it! Definitely an experience, but I'm not sure I would try it again.
Since my mom's going to be on her own in the city for a couple of days while I'm in class, I showed her how to take the tram down to Sultanahmet, the old city with lots of must-sees like the Blue Mosque and Topkapı Palace. We made it down there successfully, but it was too crowded to see anything. The lines were all so long that the museums would be closed by the time we made it inside!
We made it back to Taksim in one piece-- we even got seats on the tram both ways! After a quick stop at the Spice Bazaar we headed back to find a chocolate cafe nearby the hotel some friends had told me about. They had raved about this place, and they were right! We shared a chocolate cake and some fruit and fondue-- I can't wait to get back here! A loonnng bus ride later, and here I am, back on campus, catching up on my neglected homework.
We met some of my friends after church for lunch and finally tried tavuk göğsü, a Turkish dessert made of chicken. It's very sweet and very sticky; in fact, most of the Turks here don't believe it really has chicken in it! Definitely an experience, but I'm not sure I would try it again.
Since my mom's going to be on her own in the city for a couple of days while I'm in class, I showed her how to take the tram down to Sultanahmet, the old city with lots of must-sees like the Blue Mosque and Topkapı Palace. We made it down there successfully, but it was too crowded to see anything. The lines were all so long that the museums would be closed by the time we made it inside!
We made it back to Taksim in one piece-- we even got seats on the tram both ways! After a quick stop at the Spice Bazaar we headed back to find a chocolate cafe nearby the hotel some friends had told me about. They had raved about this place, and they were right! We shared a chocolate cake and some fruit and fondue-- I can't wait to get back here! A loonnng bus ride later, and here I am, back on campus, catching up on my neglected homework.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Annem Istanbul´da otuyor!
So my mom is here in Istanbul! I´m staying with her at her hotel about an hour and a half by bus from my school. I´ve actually been quıte busy with homework and rehearsal for my upcoming dance performance, but be sure to ask her about her adventure to the Hagia Sofia today-- it seems she had quite the experience! But it´s been nice to catch up and show her how I´ve learned to get around the city. And now she fınally understands how frustrating it is to use these crazy Turkish keyboards!
We´ve got a bit planned for the rest of her week here, so keep reading to hear about our adventures!
We´ve got a bit planned for the rest of her week here, so keep reading to hear about our adventures!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Conversation Group
At the beginning of the semester, I signed up to be an English tutor for the students in the pre-freshman year language studies program, the year that many students here take to make sure they can cope in fully English-language classes. Today I finally started my first conversation group! We'll be meeting once a week to chat in English, just to give them some practice speaking differently than they might just chatting with their friends or in class.
Since it was just the first week we didn't talk about anything in particular; I wanted to get a feel for their particular language skills. They were actually more curious about me than willing to talk-- where was I from, what my major was, what I did for spring break. But it's a great group so far-- three girls-- and I think we'll have an awesome semester. Let me know if you have any fun conversation starters!
Since it was just the first week we didn't talk about anything in particular; I wanted to get a feel for their particular language skills. They were actually more curious about me than willing to talk-- where was I from, what my major was, what I did for spring break. But it's a great group so far-- three girls-- and I think we'll have an awesome semester. Let me know if you have any fun conversation starters!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Dinner and a Movie
My friends here and I have been wanting to make dinner for quite some time-- today we finally did it. Pasta, broccoli, and chicken-- delicious and ordinary. Awesome.
We had a bit of an adventure trying to get the ingredients in the grocery store. While I know many food words in Turkish, I don't know how to differentiate between tomato sauce and paste except by guesswork (we guessed right). And good luck trying to find spices in a mini travel dictionary. We were stuck trying to smell the spices through the wrapping and guess if they'd go well with tomato sauce. But in the end, we succeeded in creating a perfectly ordinary dinner. Yay us.
We had a bit of an adventure trying to get the ingredients in the grocery store. While I know many food words in Turkish, I don't know how to differentiate between tomato sauce and paste except by guesswork (we guessed right). And good luck trying to find spices in a mini travel dictionary. We were stuck trying to smell the spices through the wrapping and guess if they'd go well with tomato sauce. But in the end, we succeeded in creating a perfectly ordinary dinner. Yay us.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
As promised, some pictures
London Eye on a cloudy day... it wasn't as dreary as it looks.
Helpful hints for the tourists! This is by St. Paul's Cathedral; the shadow is a bus driving by.
That's actually quite a striking picture... which I of course framed carefully and intentionally...
Couldn't resist!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Final Musings on London
I just wanted to take a post to wrap up the loose ends of my London trip, especially since there's not a whole lot going on here at school.
On staying in a hostel: I loved getting the chance to meet new people-- I met lots of British people, an Australian, a French girl, a couple Germans, a handful of Spaniards, and one really cute South African guy who sadly only stayed one night. But it was really interesting to hear everyone's stories and see why people decide to come to London, or why they travel at all. But it did make me realize that although I do love traveling, I don't want to still be moving around when I'm 50. You kind of get the feeling that some of the older people who come through the hostels don't have a permanent home, which I definitely want, though maybe not quite yet.
On my first trip to a left-driving country: So I almost got hit by cars or bicycles many times. I kept forgetting which way to look and stepping into traffic; fortunately, the busier streets in London had handy directions on them noting which way to look.
On navigating the Underground: All in all not as difficult as I had expected. The stations are in pretty logical positions, and it's possible to get just about anywhere without too many changes. There was, however, a fair amount of construction to spruce the city up for the Olympics next year, so there were a fair amount of delays. I guess that means I'll have to take another trip back someday to see the new and improved stations!
I was going to post some pictures along with this by my internet connection is being kind of sketchy and I don't want to push my luck. Next time for sure!
On staying in a hostel: I loved getting the chance to meet new people-- I met lots of British people, an Australian, a French girl, a couple Germans, a handful of Spaniards, and one really cute South African guy who sadly only stayed one night. But it was really interesting to hear everyone's stories and see why people decide to come to London, or why they travel at all. But it did make me realize that although I do love traveling, I don't want to still be moving around when I'm 50. You kind of get the feeling that some of the older people who come through the hostels don't have a permanent home, which I definitely want, though maybe not quite yet.
On my first trip to a left-driving country: So I almost got hit by cars or bicycles many times. I kept forgetting which way to look and stepping into traffic; fortunately, the busier streets in London had handy directions on them noting which way to look.
On navigating the Underground: All in all not as difficult as I had expected. The stations are in pretty logical positions, and it's possible to get just about anywhere without too many changes. There was, however, a fair amount of construction to spruce the city up for the Olympics next year, so there were a fair amount of delays. I guess that means I'll have to take another trip back someday to see the new and improved stations!
I was going to post some pictures along with this by my internet connection is being kind of sketchy and I don't want to push my luck. Next time for sure!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Return to Turkey
Here I am, back in Turkey. The difference between London and Istanbul was clear as soon as I got off the plane. I decided to take public transport back since the last time I shared a cab from the airport it cost upwards of 80 lira ($50) total. The Istanbul metro is quite different from the London Underground; less seats, less direct. In fact, it took me about as much time to get back from the airport as it took me to get from London to Vienna. Crazy stuff.
But I really am glad to be back in Turkey. It's nice to get into my own bed at night, to get back into a routine. Now I just have to prepare for midterms!
But I really am glad to be back in Turkey. It's nice to get into my own bed at night, to get back into a routine. Now I just have to prepare for midterms!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Greenwich
On the advice of my dad, I decided to go down to Greenwich for my last day in London, which has to be one of the best decisions of my trip. The weather was beautiful, once again, and Greenwich has a lovely large park perfect for wandering. It houses the Royal Observatory, home of the Prime Meridian; I didn't get to see the actual line because it cost ten pounds and I'm a poor student. But the building was quite nice from the outside!
I also saw the Queen's house, a small palace built for James I's wife though it wasn't completed until the time of Charles I. It's a World Heritage site, the first example of classical architecture in the country. It's the perfect size for an afternoon; big enough that there's plenty to see, but not so large you get lost in it. The house was built for more intimate gatherings of the queen and her companions, and is pretty close to where the palace once was.
I also visited the National Maritime museum where I heard a fascinating talk about Britain and the Suez canal given by a Scotsman. As an international relations student, I have of course heard of events such as the Suez crisis of 1956 but it was interesting to hear from the British perspective.
Between the two museums I had a late lunch-- my first fish and chips! It was at a restaurant owned by a Turk, coincidentally, but I think it tasted pretty authentic. It was delicious, anyway, and I ate it too quickly and burnt my tongue. Fortunately, there was an ice cream shop down the road.
The view from the observatory-- it's on top of a hill in the middle of the park so you can see quite a lot.
Springtime at the Royal Observatory!
The Queen's House
I also saw the Queen's house, a small palace built for James I's wife though it wasn't completed until the time of Charles I. It's a World Heritage site, the first example of classical architecture in the country. It's the perfect size for an afternoon; big enough that there's plenty to see, but not so large you get lost in it. The house was built for more intimate gatherings of the queen and her companions, and is pretty close to where the palace once was.
I also visited the National Maritime museum where I heard a fascinating talk about Britain and the Suez canal given by a Scotsman. As an international relations student, I have of course heard of events such as the Suez crisis of 1956 but it was interesting to hear from the British perspective.
Between the two museums I had a late lunch-- my first fish and chips! It was at a restaurant owned by a Turk, coincidentally, but I think it tasted pretty authentic. It was delicious, anyway, and I ate it too quickly and burnt my tongue. Fortunately, there was an ice cream shop down the road.
The view from the observatory-- it's on top of a hill in the middle of the park so you can see quite a lot.
Springtime at the Royal Observatory!
The Queen's House
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Pig No Pig
Another fantastic day here in the UK. It was quite warm, probably up in the 70s-- warm enough for me to walk around in a t-shirt, anyway, which is pretty darn warm. Lots more walking around, but not as much getting lost. I'm starting to get the hang of things, which is hardly unexpected since tomorrow's my last day.
I went to the famous Tate Modern this afternoon, and saw some Picassos, some Jackson Pollacks, and a Monet, among other works. Even just being in the Tate was kind of crazy, it's definitely a must-see for any London trip.
I decided to take the opportunity to do some walking today since I didn't really have any time-sensitive activities until the evening. One thing about the Queen's Walk along the south bank of the Thames-- it's crowded! Especially now, I imagine; the London Marathon is in a couple of weeks, and you can't step out anywhere without seeing dozens of runners. I admire their stamina, my feet are sore from just walking!
My mom sprang for me to see a show tonight. Instead of going to The Lion King or another such show available in the States, I decided on Betty Blue Eyes, a new show about rationing in post-war Britain. It sounds pretty dry, but it had a great cast, great songs, and a funny story, totally worth seeing.
I had a bit of an adventure on the way back from the show as my underground stop was unexpectedly out of service and my hostel is off the map I carry in my purse, but I found a map at the station and successfully navigated my way back.
And now it's time for me to go to bed so I can get up and have new adventures for you all to read about :)
I went to the famous Tate Modern this afternoon, and saw some Picassos, some Jackson Pollacks, and a Monet, among other works. Even just being in the Tate was kind of crazy, it's definitely a must-see for any London trip.
I decided to take the opportunity to do some walking today since I didn't really have any time-sensitive activities until the evening. One thing about the Queen's Walk along the south bank of the Thames-- it's crowded! Especially now, I imagine; the London Marathon is in a couple of weeks, and you can't step out anywhere without seeing dozens of runners. I admire their stamina, my feet are sore from just walking!
My mom sprang for me to see a show tonight. Instead of going to The Lion King or another such show available in the States, I decided on Betty Blue Eyes, a new show about rationing in post-war Britain. It sounds pretty dry, but it had a great cast, great songs, and a funny story, totally worth seeing.
I had a bit of an adventure on the way back from the show as my underground stop was unexpectedly out of service and my hostel is off the map I carry in my purse, but I found a map at the station and successfully navigated my way back.
And now it's time for me to go to bed so I can get up and have new adventures for you all to read about :)
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Two Churches and a Bus
I woke up to a rainy day this morning, so I decided to use the tour bus ticket I received from Sandy yesterday. It was definitely a good decision-- the live tour guide was pretty funny and although there was traffic it let me take lots of pictures from the bus. It took about three hours to get around the whole route hitting both sides of the Thames and crossing between London Town (the City of Westminster) and the City (City of London). In practice they're the same thing, but the City is where most of old London is (I think...). Anyway, I managed to get my bearings pretty well, snap lots of photos, and stay dry-- an excellent day.
I disembarked from the bus to swing by St. Paul's Cathedral-- gorgeous paintings, mosaics, and sculptures from the crypt to the dome. I climbed all the way up Golden Dome, an outdoor walkway with phenomenal views of the city. It was breathtaking in every sense of the word-- incredibly beautiful, but I was also terrified of dropping my camera or other objects (or self) off the walkway, and exhausted from the climb with was more than 300 stairs high. After hiking down, my legs were literally shaking so I stopped for a coffee break (ok, hot chocolate and carrot cake) before my next task, walking to Westminster Abbey.
While most museums in London are free, sights like St. Paul's and Westminster Abbey are not. My student wallet only held enough cash for one entry ticket so I devised the devious plan of attending Evensong at Westminster-- a choral performance, reading of scripture, and time of prayer that is free and open to the public. Tonight the choir was from a school, and the combination of the children singing and the magnificence of the Abbey literally gave me chills, it was completely indescribable. I also saw where Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin are buried; I was actually standing on Newton when I noticed the epitaph. Oops!
After the short service I headed back to the hostel early-- four finals and research due after the break means I really have to get cracking. But after the stairs at St. Paul's, the walking, and the rain, I don't know how much I'll get through before I fall asleep on this couch!
Here are some pictures; not all are from today, but this is the first day I've gotten them off my camera. Cheers!
Springtime at Parliament! There's a lovely park right by the Sovereign's entrance-- though not too close, of course
In case you're craving a taste of home, or maybe just some cholesterol
Westminster Abbey-- no photos allowed inside, unfortunately.
The infamous Tower of London
Big Ben striking six o'clock
The view of Parliament from Westminster Bridge over the River Thames
I disembarked from the bus to swing by St. Paul's Cathedral-- gorgeous paintings, mosaics, and sculptures from the crypt to the dome. I climbed all the way up Golden Dome, an outdoor walkway with phenomenal views of the city. It was breathtaking in every sense of the word-- incredibly beautiful, but I was also terrified of dropping my camera or other objects (or self) off the walkway, and exhausted from the climb with was more than 300 stairs high. After hiking down, my legs were literally shaking so I stopped for a coffee break (ok, hot chocolate and carrot cake) before my next task, walking to Westminster Abbey.
While most museums in London are free, sights like St. Paul's and Westminster Abbey are not. My student wallet only held enough cash for one entry ticket so I devised the devious plan of attending Evensong at Westminster-- a choral performance, reading of scripture, and time of prayer that is free and open to the public. Tonight the choir was from a school, and the combination of the children singing and the magnificence of the Abbey literally gave me chills, it was completely indescribable. I also saw where Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin are buried; I was actually standing on Newton when I noticed the epitaph. Oops!
After the short service I headed back to the hostel early-- four finals and research due after the break means I really have to get cracking. But after the stairs at St. Paul's, the walking, and the rain, I don't know how much I'll get through before I fall asleep on this couch!
Here are some pictures; not all are from today, but this is the first day I've gotten them off my camera. Cheers!
Springtime at Parliament! There's a lovely park right by the Sovereign's entrance-- though not too close, of course
In case you're craving a taste of home, or maybe just some cholesterol
Westminster Abbey-- no photos allowed inside, unfortunately.
The infamous Tower of London
Big Ben striking six o'clock
The view of Parliament from Westminster Bridge over the River Thames
Monday, April 4, 2011
Windsor Castle
I took the train down to Windsor today-- an old friend of my mother's lives there, and I thought it would be nice to see a familiar face. I was able to use all my skills at navigating the Underground, Overground, and National Rail to get over, all through neighborhoods and pastures. There were even sheep and lambs-- it's definitely springtime here!
Windsor was lovely. We went to the castle, of course, since there's not a whole lot to do in Windsor. Besides, how could I go to Windsor and not see the residence of the reigning monarch?
The castle was suitably impressive-- state rooms and Rembrandts, china and chandeliers... there's a great view of the town from the castle as well.
I arrived back in London around five, and I decided to head down to the South Bank of the Thames to wander around. I had meant to go down to the Globe, but saw St. Paul's Cathedral across the river and just had to check it out. Unfortunately it was closed by the time I got there, but now I know where it is, and it was a lovely walk.
All in all, it was a great day-- good company, good food, and great sites.
And for a change, here's a picture of me!
Windsor was lovely. We went to the castle, of course, since there's not a whole lot to do in Windsor. Besides, how could I go to Windsor and not see the residence of the reigning monarch?
The castle was suitably impressive-- state rooms and Rembrandts, china and chandeliers... there's a great view of the town from the castle as well.
I arrived back in London around five, and I decided to head down to the South Bank of the Thames to wander around. I had meant to go down to the Globe, but saw St. Paul's Cathedral across the river and just had to check it out. Unfortunately it was closed by the time I got there, but now I know where it is, and it was a lovely walk.
All in all, it was a great day-- good company, good food, and great sites.
And for a change, here's a picture of me!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
I made it!
So after a pirate cab ride to the Ataturk airport, two passport stamps at the airport in Vienna, an 11 hour layover, and my first trip over the Channel, I arrived in London! I got myself a 7-day Underground pass right away, since otherwise it's five pounds per single ride!! So after several "mind the gaps" I made it to the hostel which is in a really cute neighborhood right by a subway station. I spent a couple of hours around town, but since I wasn't able to check into my room straight away I had to lug my laptop with me-- less than ideal. So now I'm here, my room is here, and everything's excellent!
Gorgeous weather here by the way-- definitely spring. Flowers and budding trees everywhere, and almost sunny skies. Loving it!
Gorgeous weather here by the way-- definitely spring. Flowers and budding trees everywhere, and almost sunny skies. Loving it!
Friday, April 1, 2011
London, here I come!
Sorry I haven't posted in a while-- it was midterms week, not a whole lot going on. But now it's spring break, and I'm going to London! I've never been, and always wanted to go, ever since I saw the movie What a Girl Wants ages ago. I've booked my flight and my hostel, made a list of things I want to see, and I'm ready to go!
I'll try to take lots of pictures and post bunches, but don't be shocked if it's another couple days before you hear from me.
Au revoir!
I'll try to take lots of pictures and post bunches, but don't be shocked if it's another couple days before you hear from me.
Au revoir!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Good Old America
As mentioned earlier in this blog, Turkey has been fantastic, but sometimes I just need a dose of good old America. Enter this evening, when I ate french fries, Dominoes pizza, and watched The Princess Bride.
Several of my friends (actually, all the non-Americans) had never seen the movie before so it was good fun to watch them experience the glory of ROUS, the Dread Pirate Roberts, and true love conquering all. If you haven't seen the movie, do it now.
Since I haven't given you any multimedia for a while, enjoy this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3W5GDkgf2w
Several of my friends (actually, all the non-Americans) had never seen the movie before so it was good fun to watch them experience the glory of ROUS, the Dread Pirate Roberts, and true love conquering all. If you haven't seen the movie, do it now.
Since I haven't given you any multimedia for a while, enjoy this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3W5GDkgf2w
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Not in Tennessee Anymore
Every day, I get a little reminder that I'm not in the States. For example, in one of my classes today we were discussing the notion that there is more than one form of morality, e.g. murder versus killing in wartime are viewed very differently.
My professor gave an example from Princeton, where I guess she did some undergraduate work. Princeton apparently has a honor code similar to Rhodes': students pledge not to cheat on exams, the professors hand out the exams and leave the class, and the students don't cheat. She added that if a student in the class did cheat, the other students would turn him/her in.
She then asked the Turkish students how they would react if a student turned them in for cheating on an un-proctored exam. Apparently, the snitch would be taunted and ostracized.
Now, if this little scenario happened at Rhodes, probably not everyone would be on the same side. Nevertheless, I think everyone would agree that the person who told was following their conscience and at the very least believed they were in the right. To have students not even consider the prospect of turning another student in--and to admit this to a professor, no less-- was certainly unexpected.
My professor gave an example from Princeton, where I guess she did some undergraduate work. Princeton apparently has a honor code similar to Rhodes': students pledge not to cheat on exams, the professors hand out the exams and leave the class, and the students don't cheat. She added that if a student in the class did cheat, the other students would turn him/her in.
She then asked the Turkish students how they would react if a student turned them in for cheating on an un-proctored exam. Apparently, the snitch would be taunted and ostracized.
Now, if this little scenario happened at Rhodes, probably not everyone would be on the same side. Nevertheless, I think everyone would agree that the person who told was following their conscience and at the very least believed they were in the right. To have students not even consider the prospect of turning another student in--and to admit this to a professor, no less-- was certainly unexpected.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Rembetiko
As I've mentioned before, I'm in a class about the music of Istanbul. It's been a great way to learn about Turkish culture, and we also don't have a whole lot of homework; all together a great class for an exchange student.
One of our few assignments is that each student needs to give a presentation about a type of music. Past presentations have included military music (mehter), women in music, and entertainment music. My topic is Rembetiko, which my professor suggested since all the others were taken. He lent me a couple of CDs to help me with my research, and I've been listening pretty much non-stop as I've been doing my other assignments.
As far as I can gather, rembetiko is kind of like the jazz of Istanbul. It doesn't sound even remotely like jazz, of course, but it was the music of people who didn't really belong while they participated in less-than-legal activities. Actually, one of my CDs has the tagline "Songs of Love, Exile, Prison, and Hash Dens," which basically sums up the themes of the music. Performers were mostly Greeks who lived in Istanbul, and sometimes Greeks who had lived in Istanbul and moved back to Greece or to America. Some songs are silly, like the one about the guy who's invited into a hash den by two women. Some are sad, like the ones written by people longing for their homeland. But all in all, they're pretty fantastic. The songs also have some of the greatest titles; my personal favorite is "Min Orkizese Vre Pseftra," or "Don't Make Promises, You Lying Woman." Awesome.
Here's an example of one of the songs off my CD: it's sung by a Greek from Anatolia (Turkey) and was recorded in the US. Typical rembetiko. But this has Greek lyrics but is to the tune of a Turkish folk song. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM59sFH1XTI
One of our few assignments is that each student needs to give a presentation about a type of music. Past presentations have included military music (mehter), women in music, and entertainment music. My topic is Rembetiko, which my professor suggested since all the others were taken. He lent me a couple of CDs to help me with my research, and I've been listening pretty much non-stop as I've been doing my other assignments.
As far as I can gather, rembetiko is kind of like the jazz of Istanbul. It doesn't sound even remotely like jazz, of course, but it was the music of people who didn't really belong while they participated in less-than-legal activities. Actually, one of my CDs has the tagline "Songs of Love, Exile, Prison, and Hash Dens," which basically sums up the themes of the music. Performers were mostly Greeks who lived in Istanbul, and sometimes Greeks who had lived in Istanbul and moved back to Greece or to America. Some songs are silly, like the one about the guy who's invited into a hash den by two women. Some are sad, like the ones written by people longing for their homeland. But all in all, they're pretty fantastic. The songs also have some of the greatest titles; my personal favorite is "Min Orkizese Vre Pseftra," or "Don't Make Promises, You Lying Woman." Awesome.
Here's an example of one of the songs off my CD: it's sung by a Greek from Anatolia (Turkey) and was recorded in the US. Typical rembetiko. But this has Greek lyrics but is to the tune of a Turkish folk song. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM59sFH1XTI
Monday, March 21, 2011
My Favorite Color is Tuesday
Not much to report-- getting ready for a paper due Thursday so nothing exciting going on last week. Instead, I'll give you a funny story from last week's Turkish class.
We were learning "which" (hangi) and "in my/your opinion" (bence/sence) in class. The professor was going around asking us each questions, and I got: Sence hangi renk güzel? (Which color do you think is pretty?) Since the guy before me had already said blue and I couldn't remember the word for green, I said "Bence salı güzel," intending to say that I think yellow is pretty. The only problem was that yellow is actually "sarı," and salı means Tuesday. Which is pretty lovely as days go, I guess...
It's been so long since I started learning Spanish (and English too, I guess) that I forgot about the funny little mistakes like that. But if I get frustrated, I'll just remember that trip to Bulgaria. At least I don't have to learn a whole different script!
We were learning "which" (hangi) and "in my/your opinion" (bence/sence) in class. The professor was going around asking us each questions, and I got: Sence hangi renk güzel? (Which color do you think is pretty?) Since the guy before me had already said blue and I couldn't remember the word for green, I said "Bence salı güzel," intending to say that I think yellow is pretty. The only problem was that yellow is actually "sarı," and salı means Tuesday. Which is pretty lovely as days go, I guess...
It's been so long since I started learning Spanish (and English too, I guess) that I forgot about the funny little mistakes like that. But if I get frustrated, I'll just remember that trip to Bulgaria. At least I don't have to learn a whole different script!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
The Joys of Public Transportation
I haven't actually spent a great deal of time in Istanbul since I've been here. (I've spent two weekends traveling, one on an island, and one just hanging out.) So yesterday seemed like a great time to take advantage of my friends' expertise and finally figure out Turkish transportation. Of course, I had greatly overestimated my friends' knowledge...
To get to Sariyer, the village that my school is in, you take a minibus known as a dolmuş, a word that literally means "filled." Drivers will continue to open the doors no matter how many people are already packed in; it's up to customers to decide if there's room to get on. From Sariyer, we took another dolmuş to the metro. We took the metro to the Taksim, got on a finicular (a kind of one-stop metro, I guess), then took the tram to the Spice Bazaar. All in all, we took probably 3 more modes of transportation than we needed to. But it was educational, to say the least!
The Spice Bazaar is good fun; it's smaller than the Grand Bazaar, more reasonably priced, and generally less overwhelming. It also smells fantastic, and you can find interesting goods ranging from "love tea" to Turkish delight. I didn't buy anything, but I'm sure I'll be back before the end of the semester!
To get to Sariyer, the village that my school is in, you take a minibus known as a dolmuş, a word that literally means "filled." Drivers will continue to open the doors no matter how many people are already packed in; it's up to customers to decide if there's room to get on. From Sariyer, we took another dolmuş to the metro. We took the metro to the Taksim, got on a finicular (a kind of one-stop metro, I guess), then took the tram to the Spice Bazaar. All in all, we took probably 3 more modes of transportation than we needed to. But it was educational, to say the least!
The Spice Bazaar is good fun; it's smaller than the Grand Bazaar, more reasonably priced, and generally less overwhelming. It also smells fantastic, and you can find interesting goods ranging from "love tea" to Turkish delight. I didn't buy anything, but I'm sure I'll be back before the end of the semester!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Lights Out
Went out to dinner tonight in Sariyer (the town outside of Istanbul where the university is). As we were waiting in a cafe for the last person to arrive, the lights went out on the whole downtown. This was completely unexpected for me-- there wasn't a storm, no noticeable construction or any visible cause for the power outage. But for the other customers in the cafe, it seemed to be a normal occurrence. They continued sipping their tea and chatting as if nothing unusual had happened.
Fortunately we were able to find a restaurant that still had power. There was quite an eclectic mix of food on the menu, ranging from pasta to fish-and-chips to burritos. The music playing was just as varied-- we heard a jazzed-up song from the opera Carmen (complete with steel drums!), an Edith Piaf song that we also heard in Bulgaria, and Happy Birthday-- more than 20 rounds of it. I guess there was a birthday party in the other room, and someone felt the need to play the English birthday song repeatedly. But the food was good, and the company was better. All in all, a successful outing!
Fortunately we were able to find a restaurant that still had power. There was quite an eclectic mix of food on the menu, ranging from pasta to fish-and-chips to burritos. The music playing was just as varied-- we heard a jazzed-up song from the opera Carmen (complete with steel drums!), an Edith Piaf song that we also heard in Bulgaria, and Happy Birthday-- more than 20 rounds of it. I guess there was a birthday party in the other room, and someone felt the need to play the English birthday song repeatedly. But the food was good, and the company was better. All in all, a successful outing!
Things I miss about the US:
1. Goldfish crackers. Weird, right? I don't eat them often at home, but I've been craving them ever since I've gotten here.
2. Television shows. Hulu doesn't work over here, something about copyrights or some such nonsense. What it comes down to is I can't watch Modern Family. Sad.
3. Clean air. Everyone smokes in Turkey. Everyone. People on the street, bus drivers-- even one of my professors takes a smoke break halfway through class. Gross.
4. Not sticking out. With the red hair and all, it's pretty clear that I'm foreign, and people usually guess (correctly) that I'm American and don't speak Turkish. But this means that sometimes I'll just get ignored, like when my roommate brings friends in while I'm studying.
Don't get me wrong, being abroad has been wonderful and I wouldn't trade this opportunity. But sometimes everything feels too foreign, and all I want is a milkshake, you know?
2. Television shows. Hulu doesn't work over here, something about copyrights or some such nonsense. What it comes down to is I can't watch Modern Family. Sad.
3. Clean air. Everyone smokes in Turkey. Everyone. People on the street, bus drivers-- even one of my professors takes a smoke break halfway through class. Gross.
4. Not sticking out. With the red hair and all, it's pretty clear that I'm foreign, and people usually guess (correctly) that I'm American and don't speak Turkish. But this means that sometimes I'll just get ignored, like when my roommate brings friends in while I'm studying.
Don't get me wrong, being abroad has been wonderful and I wouldn't trade this opportunity. But sometimes everything feels too foreign, and all I want is a milkshake, you know?
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Spring!
This week has to have been the fastest transition to spring of all time. When I left for Sofia on Thursday night, there was literally snow on the ground, enough to cancel afternoon classes (well, since this is Istanbul, like an inch. But still!). This week has been nothing but sunshine and blue skies, complete with warm breezes and flowers. As a true New Hampshirian (is that right? I can't ever figure it out...), I promptly abandoned all sweaters and pulled out the flip-flops. Who cares that it's only 65 degrees in the classrooms, it's spring!
Incidentally, "spring" in Turkish is "ilkbahar." And speaking of Turkish, we'll begin learning verbs next week! I know-- a month in Turkey and I still don't know how to conjugate? Pathetic. My teacher even said that it'll be our first step beyond "Me Tarzan, you Jane." Which is exciting, but not necessarily encouraging... But after my weekend in Sofia with literally three words under my belt, I'm not complaining.
Until tomorrow, faithful readers!
Incidentally, "spring" in Turkish is "ilkbahar." And speaking of Turkish, we'll begin learning verbs next week! I know-- a month in Turkey and I still don't know how to conjugate? Pathetic. My teacher even said that it'll be our first step beyond "Me Tarzan, you Jane." Which is exciting, but not necessarily encouraging... But after my weekend in Sofia with literally three words under my belt, I'm not complaining.
Until tomorrow, faithful readers!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Bulgaria-- Protest and Pictures
As you can probably guess from the title, I accidentally went to a protest in Sofia. As we were walking through the streets on Sunday, we noticed all the cars honking really obnoxiously. At first we figured it had something to do with soccer, but then we noticed that most of the cars and pedestrians were headed in the same direction and decided to follow them. We found a pretty large group gathered by a statue in front of the EU building; there were a couple of people speaking into a megaphone and police preventing anyone from getting too close to the EU building. Of course, we had no idea what the protest was about, so we were worried we'd get caught between the police and the protesters. As it turned out, we had nothing to be concerned about. Although there were plenty of police present, there was not even a hint of violence, it was all quite civil. After a bit, the protest moved to a major intersection where many of the protesters parked their cars to impede traffic. Later we found out that the protest was about high gas prices, so I guess the idea was to keep as much of the city from driving as possible. But it was definitely a great way to get a taste of Bulgaria and see proof that the brutality of its Soviet history does not continue into the present.
After a full weekend of walking around, we were all exhausted and slept pretty heavily on the bus. But on re-entry into Turkey, I got two more stamps on my passport; I'm starting to look like a world traveler!
A picture from the Soviet park. Apparently some people want to tear it down since Bulgaria is no longer a Soviet republic, but for now it's a place where young people hang out, skateboard, and graffiti the statues.
I don't know what's in that building, but it looks quite European and excellent.
Most of the group at the hostel.
One of the many famous churches in Sofia-- I think this is the one that got partially destroyed by Communists.
After a full weekend of walking around, we were all exhausted and slept pretty heavily on the bus. But on re-entry into Turkey, I got two more stamps on my passport; I'm starting to look like a world traveler!
A picture from the Soviet park. Apparently some people want to tear it down since Bulgaria is no longer a Soviet republic, but for now it's a place where young people hang out, skateboard, and graffiti the statues.
I don't know what's in that building, but it looks quite European and excellent.
Most of the group at the hostel.
One of the many famous churches in Sofia-- I think this is the one that got partially destroyed by Communists.
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