A Happy Ending

I have always liked Sir Richard Francis Burton, the controversial 19th century English explorer. He was an intrepid pioneer who lived his life with audacity and zeal. He once said:

One of the gladdest moments of human life, methinks, is the departure upon a distant journey into unknown lands. Shaking off with one mighty effort the fetters of habit, the leaden weight of routine, the cloak of many cares and the slavery of home, man feels once more happy.

It is tradition among Bursa trainees to list the best and the worst upon leaving. I will do the same in concluding this blog:

To begin with, the worst comes in three. First, the worst of the worst was not having a job. I felt confused and disappointed after being lied to and deceived for the sake of advancing an organization and personal interests within this organization. I could not have anticipated meeting students my age who, impervious to disgrace, acted selfishly and egocentrically. I painfully learned to be more selective in trusting others and I am proud of myself for sticking it out. Second, issues with health: my hair falling out, gaining weight (the evil twin), and falling down the stairs. Lastly, being kidnapped by a dolmus driver.. blond hair and blue eyes are rare in Bursa and it was always a struggle for me, I had to get used to constant staring and occasionally found myself in humorous situations, like the time I was driven up the side of a mountain against my will. I say humorous because Bursa is the safest city I have ever lived in.

Now for the best. The truth is, the proper adjectives do not exist to adequately describe the sensation of exploration, though Sir Richard Francis Burton can help me out here. Traveling is, simply put, a myriad of leaving parts of us behind while redefining the 18 inches which separate the heart and the mind. It makes me happy. However, more important than any city or country is the people which define that place. The best is the people who made me smile, made me laugh, made me cry; the people who made me sad to have left but happy and fortunate to have met; the people I will never forget.

Videos

This video was taken in Bursa at the bazaar. Myself and another trainee from Bosnia named Melika accidentally stumbled upon a friendly group of old Turkish men who were practicing the saz.



Me sledding down Mt. Pilatus. I make it look easy but I assure you, its not.

Back in the USA

We're back! Check out the pictures (moving to a free site):
http://picasaweb.google.com/brittany.mullett

Yudl-Ay-EEE-Oooo

Why did we go to Switzerland you ask? Because:
Athens = 44 hours by bus + $300
Basel = 6 hours by plane + $300

Serene, peaceful Switzerland was such a nice break from the madness of Istanbul. Matt and I spent our first day in Basel, an artsy city which sits on the north-west border of Germany and France. The city boasts some traditional architecture as well as some modern buildings. My favorite building was the Rathaus, Basel's Town Hall, decorated in the Art Nouveau style.

On Friday we took a train to Lucerne, a picturesque and friendly place with contrasting views of Lake Lucerne and Mount Pilatus. Our second day in Lucerne we took a gondola up Pilatus (7,000 ft) and enjoyed an unforgettable panorama of the Swiss mountains. The best part was sledding all the way back down Pilatus, although the steep icy paths were terrifying!

We didn't actually witness any yodeling in Switzerland, although there were alphorns, and we managed to over stuff ourselves with Swiss chocolates.. we are still over stuffing ourselves with Swiss chocolates...

Now we are back in Istanbul at the cozy Mavi Guesthouse, once again enjoying kebaps and chai. Tomorrow's main event will be shopping in the Grand Bazaar for a water pipe, teapot, and some special gifts for all of you!!

Auf Wiedersehen!

Matt in Turkey

Merhaba! I have about 5 minutes to update everyone on my backpacking trip...

We spent the last week in Selçuk and Cappadocia. Selçuk is a small town in Aegean Turkey with an incredible wealth of history. We toured Ephesus (worth seeing twice), the Isabei Mosque, and St. John's Basilica. Cappadocia is a region of Turkey famous for its natural rock formations, or "fairy chimneys," one of which we spent the night in! We hiked in Ilahri canyon, tunneled an underground city, experienced the frescoes and rock-hewn churches in Göreme Open Air Museum, and learned about traditional Turkish handicrafts. After three overnight bus rides in a week we have safely arrived in Istanbul, which has to be one of the most beautiful and exciting cities in the world. Today we visited Haghia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art...but we have only brushed the surface!

Tomorrow we will fly to Switzerland (no longer going to Athens) and hope to see Basel, Interlocken and Lucerne by bike.

Alive and kickin'

Sorry for my prolonged absence from the blog!! You cannot imagine how busy I have been my last weeks in Bursa. I have been participating in the Meet My Friend project, going to different schools around the city and presenting about American culture (pictures above).

I leave tonight. I will pass the next two weeks in Istanbul, Selçuk, Cappadocia and Athens. I will try to update the blog during my travels and when I get back to the US I will write a long reflection about this incredible adventure which is now coming to an end.

See you all March 12th!

Adventures in the Bazaar

Saz: Turkish folk instrument (I am working on posting a video).

Turkish nationalism!

The silk bazaar.

The Kurdish problem

Before arriving in Turkey, I was more or less aware of the conflict pertaining to the Kurdish minority group encircling national politics, national unity and national security. However, I was largely unaware of the complexity and severity of this problem until I began hearing racist remarks and witnessing repeated terrorist attacks in eastern Turkey on the nightly news.

The Kurdish population, belonging to a distinct ethnic and linguistic group, stands at about 20-25 million. It is concentrated in parts of eastern Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq, making up a region known as Kurdistan. Twenty percent of Turkey's population is Kurdish, though Turkey's constitution provides a single nationality designation for all Turks and therefore does not recognize Kurdish citizens as national, racial or ethnic minorities. The Kurdish national movement dates back to 1925, and there has been an active Kurdish separatist movement in southeastern Turkey since 1984.

The government's main strategy for assimilation is through language suppression, forcibly banning speaking or writing Kurdish (remember my previous post, Turks are very nationalist!). Kurdish resistance to this "Turkification" includes both nonviolent struggle, peacefully working through the political system, and violent armed struggle. The best known and most radical of these armed movements is the PKK (Kurdistan Worker's Party), which does not represent the majority of Kurds. The PKK was formed in the late 1970s by Abdullah Öcalan, with the declared objective of setting up an independent Marist Kurdish state in the area comprising Kurdistan. It is estimated that more than 37,000 people have been killed in the Turkey-PKK conflict since 1984.

However, to view the Kurdish problem as simply the fighting and terrorism of the PKK in the southeastern provinces is both misguided and demonstrates an incomplete understanding of the wide reach and depth of this struggle. This conflict affects every Turkish citizen. In Turkey, compulsory military service applies to all male citizens from 20-41 years of age. My dear friend Tansu will be joining the military shortly after I leave Turkey, as will nearly all of the young men I have met during my time here. Additionally, the grievances of the millions of Kurds whom do not support the PKK but are victim to ongoing fighting, is an international problem. Kurds who publicly or politically assert their identity risk public censure or harassment. Lastly, this conflict affects me. I live in a neighbourhood known to occupy many Kurds and I have met many people who are proud to be Kurdish, sharing with me their traditional music and food. I believe that it is time for the government to move toward a solution of the Kurdish problem, not through the use of violence, but through bold new policy which recognizes the Kurdish minority and encourages economic growth in areas comprising Kurdistan.

Minor Bruising

I would like to warn any traveller coming to Turkey to beware of the narrow, spiralling staircases. Any misstep and you could end up like this...

I am OK. I can walk and nothing is broken. I went to a pharmacy and bought a special cream which will help me heal faster. My host father recommends pressing olives and then applying to the skin, I will try that too. To be honest, I don't feel any pain at all, so I can't quite understand why my left leg looks like an abstract painting gone terribly wrong..

Family Life

Yesterday, a Turkish student asked me what I miss most about the US. I answered, "toilets and peanut butter." Of course, the real answer is my family!

Living with a family has proven to be an accelerated course on Turkish culture. Family is the strongest social institution in Turkey, and therefore forms a framework to impose social controls and acceptable patterns of public behavior. Traditionally, extended families live together. The floors above me are all occupied by aunts and uncles belonging to the father's family. Unmarried daughters live with their family, and after marriage they become a member of the husband's family unit.

Tradition places the father as the head of the family. My father is self-employed and works with his brothers in the textile industry. He works Monday-Saturday, leaving early in the morning and returning home late at night. He is quiet and reserved, but very loving. My mother is a homemaker and an excellent cook. She is currently taking care of her ill father in Konya and we all seem lost without her. A Turkish proverb says "a husband should know how to bring food and the wife to make it suffice," the truth in this proverb is that most men do not know how to cook if their life depended on it! Masculine and feminine roles are clearly defined in traditional Turkish society; however I have witnessed conflict between traditional and modern values among youth which may suggest that gender roles are slowly changing to encompass more public space for both sexes.

It is very difficult to be a Turkish youth. Young women in particular suffer from constrained socioeconomic mobility. Most unmarried daughters do not tell their fathers about boyfriends, and when we go on a weekend trip, many of the girls have to lie to their family in order to get permission. I find boyfriends in Turkey to be irritatingly jealous and controlling, even the smallest interactions with other men can cause conflict in a relationship. I can also say that Turkish relationships are very warm, and I love the way boyfriends and girlfriends will pinch each other's cheeks to show affection.

Confucius said, "by nature (people) are pretty much alike. It is their learning and practices that distinguish them." I think topics relating to culture must be approached with brevity and sensitivity. My next two topics will be women in Islam and the Kurdish problem, the two most frequent topics I have contemplated since arriving in Turkey, both are equally absorbing!

My Perfect Day

I woke up this morning to a coffee-colored sky and the silence of snow. Big, fluffy snow falling slowly and gently. The kind of snow which appears on Hallmark cards and Campbell soup commercials. I woke up this morning among good company: Victor from Mexico, Frank from China and Tansu from Turkey. We devoted our morning to salubrious laziness. Remaining in our pajamas, we watched movies and made eachother laugh, with the occassional big-bellied guffaw that can only be exchanged between close friends. Venturing outdoors well past noon, encouraged by our growling stomachs, I suddenly realized why I love so much to travel--those things which may seem ordinary and familiar, such as snow and busy streets, have the power to transform into something new and mysterious once viewed in a different landscape: This morning I saw snow for the first time. It fell in soft, cottony chunks and collected upon buildings and the people like a temporary shadow.

As I now write to you, the sky has cleared and a darkness begins to envelop the city. I can hear music billowing from a scratchy radio across the street where a large crowd is gathered for a Kurdish wedding party. My perfect day has left me feeling nostalgic; though this may seem insensible to those who are reading this blog, I am currently yearning for the days of Chutes & Ladders and Candyland, drinking milk straight from the carton, the sound and smell of a Texas rainstorm, and those quips and quotes we accidentally stumble upon which make us feel invincible and inevitably changed.

"The greatest glory of living lies not in never falling, but in rising everytime you fall."
-Nelson Mandella

Work Update

I know that everybody is curious about my lack of work! Here is a long overdue update for those who have been worried about me:

1. This weekend I am facilitating a conference for new AIESEC members in Bursa on intern reception. The main focus of this training will be on conflict management and problem-solving techniques. I am the perfect person for the job after my experience with AIESEC Bursa!

2. I am creating a reception booklet for trainees coming to Bursa which will contain practical advice, information on Turkey and Bursa, and some suggestions for travelling around the country and things to do in Bursa.

3. I will be participating in the Meet My Friend project, which requires me to visit different highschools and make presentations on American culture to Turkish students.

Carnival

We know how to have fun here in Bursa! This past Friday we celebrated Brazilian carnival and said goodbye to my good friends Carla and Juliana. Enjoy the costumes!

Underground Cistern in Istanbul

Last weekend I went to Istanbul, the only city in the world that sits on two continents! These pictures are from Yerebatan Sarayı, "sunken palace", which is a Byzantine cistern built in the 6th century. The arched roof is supported by 336 columns! You can also find two giant carved Medusa heads supporting two of the columns.

Nationalism

The most visible form of nationalism in Turkey, aside from the Turkish flag, is Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. He is the founder of the Republic of Turkey as well as its first President. I see this guy everywhere! A brief biography from www.ataturk.com/:



Emerging as a military hero at the Dardanelles in 1915, he became the charismatic leader of the Turkish national liberation struggle in 1919. He blazed across the world scene in the early 1920s as a triumphant commander who crushed the invaders of his country. Following a series of impressive victories against all odds, he led his nation to full independence. He put an end to the antiquated Ottoman dynasty whose tale had lasted more than six centuries - and created the Republic of Turkey in 1923, establishing a new government truly representative of the nation's will.

As President for 15 years, until his death in 1938, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk introduced a broad range of swift and sweeping reforms - in the political, social, legal, economic, and cultural spheres - virtually unparalleled in any other country.

His achievements in Turkey are an enduring monument to Atatürk. Emerging nations admire him as a pioneer of national liberation. The world honors his memory as a foremost peacemaker who upheld the principles of humanism and the vision of a united humanity. Tributes have been offered to him through the decades by such world statesmen as Lloyd George, Churchill, Roosevelt, Nehru, de Gaulle, Adenauer, Bourguiba, Nasser, Kennedy, and countless others. A White House statement, issued on the occasion of "The Atatürk Centennial" in 1981, pays homage to him as "a great leader in times of war and peace". It is fitting that there should be high praise for Atatürk, an extraordinary leader of modern times, who said in 1933: "I look to the world with an open heart full of pure feelings and friendship".

A Moveable Feast

If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.
-Ernest Hemingway


Paris was wonderful but it made me realize how much I miss all of the people in this world that I love so much! I am lucky to have so many special people in my life and cannot wait to see everyone again in March. Pictures from Paris are now on smugmug:

http://mullett.smugmug.com/Travel

Breakfast in Cumalikizik Village

Recent Happenings

I have neglected to post on my whereabouts the past two weeks, here are the highlights:

1. Visiting a traditional Trukish hamam: This past weekend I went with all of the women in my family to a Turkish hamam, which is essentially a public bath. There I found women of all shapes and sizes cleansing themselves, relaxing and socializing.

This was a good opportunity to bond with some of the women in my extended family--none speak English so it was very funny trying to communicate to me what to do at the hamam! General etiquette: drench yourself with hot rose-scented water, exfoliate (it looked painful so I decided to pass), cleanse hair and body, wash away soapy suds, then relax for an hour or two.

2. My fortune in a Turkish coffee cup: Coffee has its own culture in Turkey, and fortune reading out of a coffee cup has been around for centuries! After drinking a cup of coffee, cover the cup with the upside-down saucer and swirl it three times in a clock-wise direction. Put it down and allow a few minutes for the coffee to settle. Turkish coffee is much different from the coffee we drink in the US. Coffee grinds are deposited at the bottom and a lot of sugar is added. Thus, the fortune is read using the residue left in a coffee cup. A fortune reader will look for symbols seen in the cup, and where the symbol is found within the cup gives a referance to time.

My fortune was read by Derya's aunt, she told me the following:
- I will fall in love with somebody who will not love me back
- After arriving in the United States I will move to another country
- I will find a good job but will have to work very hard
- Somebody in my family will get ill :(
- One day I will move back to Turkey

3. Salsaaaaaaa: I am learning how to dance salsa in Turkey, of all places! Last night was my first lesson at a local fitness center. I went with my Brazilian friend, Juliana, and a Turkish friend, Tansu. Tansu and I ended up inventing many of our own dance moves since neither of us knows any salsa! I plan to go again next week and impress all of you when I return to Colorado.

From Istanbul to Paris

To begin with, this is a very difficult posting for me to write.. so please, after reading do not worry about me!

I have been having many problems with AIESEC in Turkey. I signed a contract through AIESEC to work with Local Agenda 21, a reputable NGO. After arriving I was told I could not start work with LA 21 until after January 18th. And now I have been told I will not work with LA 21 and will teach english at a high school instead. Unfortunantly, all of the high schools in Turkey are about to begin a two week vacation, which means a two week vacation for me! C'est la vie.

I am trying to remain positive. I want to teach english as a foreign language in the near future so this is my chance to gain experience with different age levels. Though I came to Turkey wanting to work with an NGO, I know that I will have many opportunities for this in the future. People are not perfect and organizations are not perfect, so all that I can do is make the best of my situation. Having said that, I am taking a one week vacation to Paris! I leave Istanbul January 30th and return February 6th. Until that time I will be keeping myself busy in Bursa and will keep all of you updated!

My Turkish Family

From left to right: uncle, Derya, mother, cousins, younger sister, neighbour, aunt

Turkish Tea

Tea (or çay) is the national hot drink of Turkey--in fact, Turks have one of the highest per capita consumption rates of tea in the world, averaging nearly 1,000 cups per year. For me, not a day goes by without at least 5 cups of tea with 2 cubes of sugar in each!

Tea is prepared using a double tea pot. Water is boiled in the lower (lager) pot and the loose-leaf tea is seeped in the top (smaller). This method allows each person to drink the tea as they desire. The tea is most often served in a small tulip-shaped glass, as seen in the picture on the left. The tricky part is holding the glass at the rim to avoid burning your fingers, as the water is boiling hot! Tea is offered as a sign of friendship and hospitality, and for this reason it takes center stage at most social gatherings and is far more popular than alcohol or coffee. In Turkey, the best conversations take place with a small group of friends in a crowded, smoke-filled tea house.

Izmir Tour

I am back in Bursa after a very long weekend of travel with the best of company! Pictures will be up soon on smugmug, but for now I will provide a recap of my journey:

Friday we took an overnight bus to Izmir, the third most populous city and the second largest port in Turkey. We arrived very early in the morning and set about finding a cheap hotel, which ended up costing only 13 YTL for modest accomodation. We spent our day sightseeing, visiting an archeology museum, watching an Olympic qualification men's volleyball game (Serbia vs. Netherlands--wish you were there Mindy and Dana!) and enjoying the nightlife!

The next morning we took a bus to Ephesus, once the trade center of the ancient world and a relgious center of early Christianity. For me, the highlight of my trip was standing on the steps of the Roman Celsus Library (pictured above) -- the façade of which has been carefully reconstructed from all original pieces. No picture can put into words the beauty and magnificance of this structure that towers above its visitors! After visiting Ephesus we met some friendly locals who took us to see the cave of the Seven Sleepers, a legend about seven Christian men who were persecuted and then retired to a mountain to pray, where they fell asleep for a very long time whilst the cave was sealed and then reopened.

We left Ephesus and took a bus to Denizli, where we stayed with some Turkish friends. The next morning we visited Hierapolis, whose name means "sacred city," and was beleived by the ancients to be founded by the god Apollo. Here we picknicked among the ruins and sang a song in the beautifully decorated theater of Hierapolis. In 200 BC this theater could hold 20,000 spectators! Located next to the ruins of Hierapolis are the white travertine terraces of Pamukkale, the "cotton castle" (also pictured above).

In the end I saw three very different places in three unforgettable days!

Pasta... Turkish style!

This afternoon I had lunch with some of my Turkish friends in Bursa. I thought it would be a very classic American dish of spaghetti but as I found out Turkish people eat their pasta with ketchup, mayonnaise and corn!! Quick update: I am leaving tonight for a long trip to Izmir and will not return until Tuesday. If anyone wants postcards leave your address! Also, I added another picture from TEGV below.

Whirling Dervishes

Last night I had the opportunity to watch the famous whirling Dervish dance at the Karabaş-i Veli Cultural Center in Bursa. This is a dance of unity and a stylized form of meditation. The Dervish dancers wear tall, conical felt hats and long, white robes with full skirts. They spin, for very long lengths of time, with their right arms extended to heaven and their left arms to the floor. It is hard to put into words the disorienting feeling of watching this highly symbolic dance. The earthy chanting juxtaposed with the angelic whirling of the dervishes left me entirely transfixed. This is a must-see for anyone considering a trip to Turkey!

Christmas in Bursa

Troy and Çannakale

Today I took a short trip to the cities of Troy and Çannakale.

Çanakkale is located in the northwest of Turkey, straddling the Dardanelles, the famous strait which separates the continents of Europe and Asia. Troy is the city immortalized in The Iliad and a site of very important archaeological finds.

I travelled with three other AIESEC trainees, two girls from Brazil and one girl from Hungary. It was a 5 hour bus ride, so we left at 7 this morning and got back to Bursa around midnight. After arriving in Çannakale we took a bus taxi to Troy, only to be dropped off 5km short of our destination! Rather than spend an hour walking we decided to hitchhike, which was an adventure in itself! In the end, all of us were underwhelmed with the remains of Troy. Troy is to Turkey what cave bacon is to Cave of the Winds... a lot of hype over piles of rocks. Nevertheless, for inexplicable reasons Troy makes my bones glow: settlement dates back to 3000 B.C. and with a little imagination one can bring back to life Achilles, Hector and the gigantic Trojan horse.

We ended our trip with a walk along the pier in Çanakkale; eating roasted chestnuts and watching the sunset over a cup of tea. Two hours later and I am still smiling!

To view pictures: http://mullett.smugmug.com/Travel

Working at TEGV

For 2 weeks I will be teaching English at TEGV in Bursa. TEGV is a non-profit that provides equal opportunity to access education for underprivileged children in Turkey. For more information you can access their website:
http://www.tegv.org/v2en/

My experience thus far at TEGV has far surpassed my expectations. My students are 11-12 years old and their energetic personalities have filled my days with joy and laughter! Lessons cover basic Eglish, such as greetings and expressing abilities or preferences. We also play games in English, the most popular being hangman! The children always pick a word that ends in ball.. such as basketball, football, volleyball, etc. This makes it very
hard to let them win, and when I attempt to let a child beat me they draw the most elaborate hangman with hair and facial features, so eventually I get bored intentionally picking the wrong letters and give up! The children are very excited to learn English and constantly competing with eachother to participate during class. They are very interested in me and are constantly asking questions about my life. One child wrote me a poem using the letters of my first name; something like: you are a rose, you are an angel from heaven, my heart skips a beat when I am near you... very impressive for an 11 year old and I am sure he will be quite the heartbreaker when he grows up!

Yılbaşı!

Happy New Years to all of my friends and family!

Where to start? Bursa is the fourth largest city in Turkey with a population of approximately 3 million. It sits beneath Uludağ mountain and is seperated by two physical regions: the valley (below) and steep hills. What I love most about Bursa is the deep history, visible in the buildings and the people, dating back to the Ottoman Empire.

I am living with a girl my age, Derya, and her family. Turkish people are very hospitable, thus it has been easy to adjust to life in Bursa. I will write more about family life in Turkey in future posts. Below is a picture of me with Derya and her boyfriend, Serkan, taken in the neighbouring city Mudanya.

I have had so many wonderful experiences these first few days. Yesterday was my first time visiting a mosque. Religion profoundly shapes Turkish culture, and the mosques in Turkey are among the most beautiful buildings I have seen in my life! This particular mosque, pictured below, is older than the founding of Christianity!