Monday, January 28, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
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!
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!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
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.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
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!
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!
Friday, January 11, 2008
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.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
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!
Monday, January 7, 2008
Sunday, January 6, 2008
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
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
Thursday, January 3, 2008
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!
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!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
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.
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!
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