Musings

Purging 300+ lbs

2011-06-08T21:25:00.003+03:00

I live in a 700 sq. foot loft, and though I don't consider myself a packrat, I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed by my possessions. More accurately, I am acutely aware of the waste of my life energy spent dusting, vacuuming, and straightening, and I have a sneaking suspicion that many of the things I am continually straightening up are not things I really need.

Therefore, I am embarking on a campaign to rid myself of something each week. To hold myself accountable, I'll be posting on this blog.

Week 1: Books
I love books: reading them, learning from them. But the fact is that I rarely, if ever, re-read a book. And for those that I read only once, Denver has a terrific library system. The only occasions when I really want to continue ownership of a books are the following:

A reference manual where such quality information is not easily/succinctly found on the Internet (my beekeeping, language learning, and gardening books)
Something that I enjoy thumbing through (straw bale building books)
Books that I may read again or read to my niece (The Education of Little Tree)
Books that I enjoy purely for their aesthetic value (poetry or photography books)

So all of the "might read someday" and "maybe I'll get back into teaching and need this" need to go. I will sell some on Amazon if they command a decent price, give some to friends, and donate the rest to charity.

Microvolunteering

2011-01-11T20:47:00.003+02:00

We are creating a virtual microvolunteerism platform at dealkarma.org, as it is an incredibly effective way to harness the skills of busy professionals who want to volunteer but who may not have the time or inclination to participate in more traditional volunteer jobs. It is also compelling to many people in Gen X and Gen Y, as they can work for whatever organization or cause is compelling, make a difference, and have the ability to do something totally different the next day.

A great blog post from http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d83452b27e69e20147e0798ff0970b

Micro-volunteering has four defining characteristics:

1. Convenient. It's volunteerism that fits into your schedule when you have time - typically (but not necessarily) via an internet connected device such as a mobile phone or personal computer. In practice, to achieve this level of convenience, there is often no training or vetting necessary.

2. Bite-sized. Volunteer tasks are broken into small(-ish) pieces, so that you can complete a task in the time that you have available (whatever that time may be).

3. Crowdsourced. The nonprofit that needs help asks a large(-ish) group for assistance. Micro-volunteers who have the time, interest, and skills (ideally), and who may be previously unknown to the nonprofit, do the work.

4. Network-managed. The time demands of the manager (e.g. a nonprofit staffer) are reduced by distributing as much of the project management and quality review as possible to the network of micro-volunteers. This work management method differs from a top-down model of project management.

Europe 2010

2010-09-02T01:16:00.000+03:00

Just completed a fabulous 3-week trip with my mom in Europe!

Turkey Wrap-up

2008-09-03T16:36:00.003+03:00

(Written July, 2008)
It is nearing the end of my visit here, and I find that I am not ready to leave. When I first arrived, I was enchanted by the exotic culture, the language, the muezzin call to the faithful five times each day. Within a couple months, enchantment turned to extreme frustration as I struggled with the language, struggled to do everyday tasks, and missed home immensely. I’m embarrassed now to say that during those days, my alienation led me to suspect Turkey would be improved if it could become a bit more like America.

These days the pendulum has swung back to the middle; I feel more at home in Turkey than I think I will back in Denver. The language has slowly become more comprehensible and the benefits of having a relationship-based society now seem to far outweigh the benefits of American efficiency. I feel comfortable on the streets here where, unlike my home, overt aggression is rarely, if ever, shown. I can say that in Turkey I’ve never seen a customer yell at a sales person, a traffic altercation turn personal, or a parent yelling at a child. That is not to say that people don’t disagree here and clash; however, the understanding is that it will be handled with the bounds of maintaining relationships.

These days, instead of looking to my guidebook when I think of visiting a new region, I mention to my friends where I might go, and offers of hospitality from extended families come pouring in. Instead of feeling the compulsive need to do everything myself, I’ve relaxed into the knowledge that every accomplishment is truly a group effort. Instead of being annoyed at the myriad of interruptions at my office that prevent me from doing my very important work, I realize that that these interruptions-the chai offers and chats-are what make anything and everything I do here possible and meaningful; they are my work. Instead of suspiciously shying away from strangers’ offers of help, I chat with them and almost always end up with better information that the guidebook provided (not once has someone tried to sell me something in the guise of helping me let alone do anything more sinister).

And I’ve come away with some realizations. I’m sorry to say that I have had to toughen my heart to the plight of some animals – so many strays here. I look forward to being in the U.S. where people chase stray dogs through the street in an effort to save them from traffic, where there is somewhere for these animals to go besides the cruel street. I still don’t understand the decision to cover oneself or wear a headscarf, although I believe every person should have the right to do so. I have become utterly convinced that the more any religion influences the governance of a society, the worse it is for people in general and women in particular. I love our (relatively) clean air and environmental protection regulations and realize how incredibly lucky Americans are to have such vast tracts of unspoiled wilderness.

I have often preached cultural relatively and tolerance and I guess in theory I wanted to believe in it, but for the first time I can say that I understand what it means.

Home and Healthy

2008-08-16T05:17:00.002+03:00

Thank you for all of your good wishes; they worked! My flight home yesterday was uneventful, and I am now home in Denver. I am feeling healthy; the antibiotics seemed to do the trick.

Back stateside, I had to find a doctor just for a check up after I returned yesterday and realized that being without insurance in the U.S. is really scary. First I tried to go to a walk in clinic for people who have minimal or no insurance. It was full so I was shunted to the emergency room where I was told that the MINIMUM cost would be $500 to see a doctor. The room was dirty, people were sitting on the floor, and the wait was hours long. I left. Thanks to my resourceful sister, Kirk, and the Internet, I found a private clinic with an opening. It was good but not cheap, and had I been sick and needed more tests, the initial round of tests alone would cost $490.

The fact that insurance is tied to one's work - and I have worked many full-time, professional jobs that lack benefits - is really unfortunate. In addition the mega HMOs take a bunch of that money meant for healthcare for themselves. Between that and crazy malpractice insurance thanks to our equally crazy judicial system, healthcare and insurance costs are unaffordable for the middle class. Why do we stand for this?

Ok, end rant. On a positive note, next week Kirk and I are going to a strawbale building workshop in Southern Colorado. I have been informally studying strawbale building for years and participated in some 1-day workshops, so I am excited to spend 4 full days stacking bales, pouring earthen floors, putting up natural plaster, and . . .

On the job front I have an interview for a part-time position on Monday at D.U. and some other interesting possibilities.

Health Update

2008-08-12T09:05:00.003+03:00

Sorry for using the blog for "unfun" reasons like health, but I know people are concerned, so I wanted to post here to let you know what is happening.

I have had to go back to the ER, but this time I chose a private clinic. The doctor seemed good and he diagnosed me with E. coli infection. He started me on IV antibiotics because I couldn't tolerate anything in my stomach. I will go back the next two evenings to get IV antibiotics and anti-nausea medication. The last IV I will time so that the anti-nausea meds overlap with my flight back to America on Thursday.

The American duty officer and Consulate in Izmir, and my friends at the embassy are in the loop, and they have been very supportive. My coworker and dear friend Feryal has spent this week being my personal doctor, ER driver, and interpreter, as has my friend, Okan.

The last few days have been pretty hard for me. I feel ok right now and am just hoping that it will continue. If you could send me some good energy or prayers or whatever you do, I could use them now.

A Rather Expensive Hotel

2008-08-10T18:01:00.004+03:00

The view from my window is beautiful. The ocean breeze cools the room each morning; all meals are delivered to me in bed, specially designed by a nutritionist with my needs in mind, and someone else does the cleaning. It is really all I could ask for except that people regularly come and stick me with needles and ask me the most personal questions about my bodily functions.

Unfortunately I got rather ill midway through my Turkey tour and had to fly back to Izmir. After some visits to the emergency room, I was admitted to Dokuz Eylul Hospital where I have been for the last two days. It seems that the amoebas that I had ingested somewhere in my travels had started winning the battle in my body. I couldn’t keep hydrated, and finally my stomach started rejecting everything, even water. I had quite a scare when I realized that within a matter of hours of uncontrollable vomiting, I had gone from simply feeling ill to the point where I was having problems focusing my eyes and staying conscious.

Luckily my friends Okan and Feryal rallied and got me to a good hospital quickly. My friends and family back home, who, I am convinced, have a future (or past) in espionage, managed to figure out what hospital I was in and contacted everyone involved, from my best friends here to my ex-boss to the consulate in Izmir (who visited me the next day in the hospital and let me use the official phone to call home. Thanks consulate!).

I am happy to say that I am feeling much better now and am looking forward to being home on Thursday. Perhaps this was a wake-up call from the Universe,”Stop worrying about the minutiae and be thankful for the important things!” Message received – no more reminders necessary.

On to Northeastern Turkey

2008-08-06T18:20:00.000+03:00

After tunneling around Cappadocia, Okan and I headed up to Bolu to take in the scenery before traveling to Ankara where we would catch our train. Bolu was pretty but a bit on the conservative side. Okan and I were refused the room we had reserved because we weren't married. No matter that we are just friends, the fact that I have a boyfriend back home. . .and they didn't have another room available. So we hightailed it back to Ankara a little earlier than expected and stayed with Okan's extended family and toured the ethnology museum in Ankara (recommended).

The next day we caught our train to Kars. The journey was to be 26 hours (though it turned out to be 29). I was ecstatic when we got to our sleeping car. It was beautiful, clean, and even had a sink and a small refrigerator. I would curl up with my two books and look out the window occasionally as we crossed mountains and the Euphrates river. I had made sure that the train was non-smoking, so best of all, I was looking forward to escaping the cloud of smoke that is present anywhere Turkish men congregate.

Unfortunately, as I should have learned by now, in Turkey the rules have little to do with reality. As soon as the train set off, our cabin filled with smoke from the adjacent cabins. The conductor explained that he could do nothing, and, in truth, I think he was contributing to the air pollution. We finally managed to get him to unlock the top window so I could at least open it when the air quality reached red; however, it had to be shut immediately upon entering a tunnel lest one get a mouthful of deisel smoke. By the end of the trip Okan was mimicking me rather convincingly, "Close! Open! Oh, horrible, horrible, close, close!" I did fashion an elegant headpiece that, when soaked in tea tree oil, kept the smells at bay. Also works for dirty bathrooms. You may see it in Paris next spring.

When we finally arrived in Kars, I was disappointed to see that that town wasn't as ramshackle and seedy as Orhan Pamuk had painted it in his novel, Snow ("kars" in Turkish). We met up with a Spanish couple the next morning, and they were driving to the thousand-year-old deserted Armenian capital of Ani nearby, so we hitched a ride with them. The ruins were amazing.

Turkey Tour

2008-07-31T13:28:00.003+03:00

İ am currently traveling around Turkey trying to see as much of it as possible before İ have to leave. Below are some pictures of the trip so far.

İ started out staying at my friend Craig's house in Akyaka on the coast. He owns a lovely Ottoman style wood house. Each day İ rode the bike to the beach and bought produce from the open air market across the street. İ finally got my wish of having unpasturized milk. The dead giveaway is that it came in a lightly used water bottle.

Next İ took a 4 hour bus ride south to meet my friend Okan in Korkuteli near Antalya. He met me at the bus depot, and as we were walking to his families' home some people on the street noticed that İ was a foreigner and asked me to beklyorsınız (waıt) for a moment. They picked a bag full of fresh plums from their tree and handed them to me. Turkish hospitality. We stayed with his family and spent two days in Olympos - beautiful ruins by the sea. This is where we found the biggest bug İve ever seen (see picture)and the best breakfast in Turkey complete with tons of home made jams.

We toured Antalya for a day and then headed to Cappadocia, land of fairy chimneys and underground cities, where for eons the people have lived in houses carved from the soft stone and periodically gone into hiding underground in their carved out cities to escape the successive waves of invaders on the Anatolian plains. We rode bikes and İ have to admit İ took a route down a canyon that was a bit more difficult and committing than İ had expected. Upon our exit we came upon a farmer harvesting his apricots who invited us to have some. I helped harvest a few with the stick (note that in the picture I am still a bit shell shocked from the ride - still wearing my helmet and you can see the back of my pants are a bit dirty from sliding down the hill with the bike in front of me).

Next we took an overnight bus up north to Bolu where Okan spent his childhood. İt was by far the worst bus ride İve had in Turkey. We got the ghetto seats on the bus - second to the back. Bouncy and a bit hard on my stomach. Next a couple and their 3 kids squeezed into three seats behind us. The man was quite odiferous and between him, the smoking bus driver, and the bouncing, it was all İ could do not to lose my dinner.

We arrived at 2 a.m. (a few hours earlier than we had expected) and hiked to the hotel where we had reservations the next night. Unfortunately they were full for that night, so we camped out in the corner of the lobby.

Who would like a KITTEN?

2008-07-09T17:17:00.004+03:00

Three sweet kittens and one mom looking for homes. Their pregnant mother befriended me, conned me into feeding her, and then decided to have her kittens on my porch. Now I feel somewhat responsible for their welfare. Kittens are about 3 weeks old, not weaned yet. The mother is the sweetest cat I've ever met, but she can sure hold her own against the neighborhood dog. She has got some attitude!

Not sure about import to U.S., costs, etc., but if you are interested, you know how to contact me. Seriously.

Konya

2008-07-08T14:23:00.004+03:00

Last week I went to Konya and participated in another English language camp. This time, I was just a fill-in teacher for a day - no stress!

Located on the Central Anatolian plateau, known previously as Iconium, Claudioconium, and Colonia Aelia Hadriana, Konya is known as one of the most conservative cities in Turkey. Most women wear headscarves and there is nary an alcoholic drink to be found in the city (though I am told that the population drinks more per capita than in any other city in Turkey). Ruled by the Hittites, the Phrygians, The Persians, Alexander the Great, The Seljuk Turks, and finally the Ottoman Empire before present-day Turkey, Konya is known as the place where Mawlānā Jalāl-ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī (known to Turks as Mevlana, to us as Rumi) wrote some of his best-known works. After his death, his followers began the Sufi Order or Whirling Dervishes a sect or interpretation of Islam.

I visited the museum/mosque where he is entombed and walked the streets he walked; saw the mountains that he saw. He writes about mystical union and acceptance of everyone, rich or poor, non-believer or believer:

Come, come, whoever you are.
Wanderer, worshipper, lover of leaving — it doesn't matter,
Ours is not a caravan of despair.
Come, even if you have broken your vow a hundred times,
Come, come again, come.

I also got the chance to take a day trip to Kiliri (sp?) a town rumored to be like Cappadocia with ancient houses and churches carved into the stone. I contracted with the hotel driver to take me to the site; we drove for 50 km on increasingly rural roads. Only speaking Turkish, he managed to convey to me that he had not been there before, but he had heard of it. He stopped at a grocery store on the way and bought water and Coke and bananas in case I was thirsty or hungry. When we arrived in the dusty town, the police station that was supposed to be at the entrance to the ruins was nonexistent. He struck up a conversation with the men at the post office who directed us to the various ruins around the town. He drove his taxi till we were in danger of bottoming out. Across the valley, the ruins beckoned to me, but there was no way that we could find to drive there.

I decided to set out on foot, and Fahri, my taxi driver, asked if he could come with me (at least that was my understanding). I answered in the affirmative and we set out, he in dress shoes, dress slacks, white shirt; me in shorts and open-toed sandals (ouch!).

We walked through fields and met some farmers harvesting wheat who directed us to an ancient vineyard where the grape stomping and fermenting rooms were carved into the stone cliffs. It was fun exploring because there wasn’t even one other visitor in the area, just people going about their daily lives.

I finished my trip with a terrific day in Ankara with my good friends, Eve and Michael, who are also English Language Fellows. Had another haircut. . . let’s just say that I am glad I have 6 weeks until I get back to the U.S.

Conference, Camp, Ambassadorial visit

2008-06-27T20:27:00.004+03:00

8:27 and I just dropped off the last teachers at the bus station to go home. The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of activity from dawn to midnight and beyond, and now, just like that, it is all over.

The conference week went well, despite the expected technical issues. We had some interesting sessions with guest speakers; the group learned a lot from each other, which was what I was hoping for, and I got to meet some wonderful people.

I also realized something about Turkish culture. Although doing business via relationships with people can be annoyingly slow and seem like a waste of time, the previously unseen (to me) benefit is this very real web of support and help at both a personal and societal level. Every time I needed something done that I couldn't do, I realized that there was someone who picked up the slack, without question. Sometimes it was a good friend, like Feryal or Okan; sometimes, it was someone who was a stranger to me just hours or minutes before. In the U.S. we are focused on independence, and we pride ourselves on having the tools and know-how to "go it alone"; however, when that system breaks down, there is often no one to save you. When the system here breaks down (and it does) there is always someone to dust you off and take your hand. I love that about Turkey.

The second week (the camp) was great. Seven of my former students who had attended the conference last week became the teacher/counselors for the camp. They developed their own lesson plans during the conference week during our sessions, and they had a chance to carry them out this week with the kids. They did an amazing job, making this one of the best work weeks I've ever had. It's as if all of my work this year came to fruition in this week. Lots of tears were shed during the goodbyes.

40 campers showed up - most of them Access microscholarship recipients who are receiving two years of free English lessons via a State Department grant. Although they study English grammar, most had never really practiced spoken English, let alone had the chance to talk to a native speaker. Filling out the ranks were three English teachers from Izmir and about 10 volunteers from the nearby NATO/army/air force bases as well as a volunteer dance teacher from the states and a Swedish national living in Izmir. Every day we got the kids to practice their English with games and other activities. Judging by the smiles on everyone's faces and the snippets of English I heard, it was a real success.

The week before the camp, I was informed that the U.S. ambassador to Turkey would like to visit the camp. I agreed, and the planning began. I never realized how scripted an ambassadorial visit would be. It started out with me creating a minute-by-minute schedule. When his entourage arrived (security, walkie talkies, PR people, press) on Thursday morning, we did a walk-through. When he arrived, I greeted him and took him on a tour of the classrooms, invited him to participate in the hip-hop dance lesson (he declined - bad shoes), and we had a Q&A session with our kids.

The students had already drafted questions the day before. Some of them quite innocent, some very political. We opened the floor for questions, and the first student/camper shot her hand up and directly asked about America's position on the "so-called Armenian genocide". She had asked me the day before if she could ask this question, and even though I knew it could be uncomfortable, I realized that I'd rather risk awkwardness than censor their thoughts.

The rest of the questioning went well, and the students finished by singing the song, "Blowing in the Wind" for the ambassador (a song that has been used as a war protest song). The press was going crazy, recording and snapping shots (I was on Turkish news!). Ok, I know some of you who know me are thinking that this particular song was my idea. And while I admit that did approve of the song (wholeheartedly), I actually did not suggest it. One of my students who loves Joan Baez and Bob Dylan did. The choice isn't surprising; one of the first things Turks are ask me about, when they find out that I'm an American, is the war in Iraq; every one that I have talked to is believes it to be a very negative thing. I thought this was a gentle yet unmistakable way of letting their voices be heard.

And now the road ahead is clear. I have the next six weeks to myself, and I am again realizing something that I forget in times of extreme stress and busyness (last 2 months), that I will truly miss my job, my colleagues, my students, and the feeling that I make a small difference in some people's lives.

Oh yeah, and somewhere, somehow during the last year, I conquered my fear of speaking in front of groups.

Conference

2008-06-12T16:00:00.002+03:00

Next week is the big conference that I have been planning, that has been taking over my life, that has caused more stress than any work project ever has. On Tuesdsay, after weeks of paperwork and my coworker, Feryal, negotiating on my behalf, I finally got permission to use the computer lab for two hours a day during the conference. I went into the lab today to make sure the computers worked and that the workshop participants could do the tasks they will need to do, and nothing worked. The sound cards don't work; Media Player doesn't work. I am teaching a class on podcasting, but I am not allowed to download a podcatcher onto any of the computers or any other type of software (making it impossible for participants to listen to a sample podcast). All of the audio recording software is disabled (making recording a podcast impossible). The Internet connection is as slow as molasses, so nothing can be streamed, and even simple tasks are time consuming.

After nearly having broke down in the office, I came home to a wonderful message from my friend Emma expressing her appreciation for the things that I do in the community/with the community. And she pointed out that, although I initiate these things, I don't often take control of the movements, but allow them a life of their own.

It made me realize that I don't really want to be the lead trainer of university professors, teachers, and students next week. In fact, I don't really believe in the reality that there is someone with the answers (me) and someone to be taught (them). We learn from each other, and I dislike the artificial role of "expert". A little late for this revelation, I guess.

Dividends

2008-06-10T18:38:00.002+03:00

Today I met with my 1C conversation class for the last time. For their final exam, we watched three short films that they wrote, edited, acted, directed, and produced, entirely in English. I was amazed by the quality of the films; they truly exceeded my expectations (and my abilities). I guess one of the most satisfying parts about being a teacher is when your students surprise and surpass you.

On another note, my 1D class brought me a most thoughtful gift. It was a wooden chest (usually reserved for women getting married, but I guess they've given up on me for that. . .) And it was filled with a a drawing or a note from each member of the class as well as a little porcelain ring box. That is something I will always treasure.

Two of my students from that same class are from Karamameras - the dondurma (Turkish ice cream) capital of Turkey. I always teased them that I would have to come visit just to try the ice cream. Instead, they brought the ice cream to me. They had their parents overnight me two kilos of ice cream in a special container; it was still frozen, and delicious, when it arrived.

A Gift

2008-06-09T10:23:00.004+03:00

The school year is wrapping up and I am having to say goodbye to some of the best students I've ever had the pleasure to teach. My 1B conversation class surprised me last week when I wen to meet with them to return their papers. Obviously excited, they all gathered around me and presented me with a going away gift of a beautiful silver necklace, earrings, and ring embedded with matching green stones (my favorite color).
Despite the culture shock and moments of sickness and frustration, this year I have managed not to cry in front of my students (until now).

Chios, Greece

2008-06-05T09:18:00.003+03:00

Kirk left early this week, but before he left, we decided to explore one of the closest Greek islands, Chios. A 1.5 hour bus ride deposited us in Cesme where we caught the hour-long ferry to the island. An auspicious beginning to our trip, we were escorted by a pod of dolphins across the water. They torpedoed up next to the boat, frolicked in the wake for a few minutes, then left as quickly as they had appeared.

We rented a car and spent two days exploring the mountainous island. Ignoring the skull and crossbones on the road signs, we found beautiful deserted beaches beyond. We explored stone-walled villages and ate at cafes (ordering by mime). On our last night, we found a little restaurant in a quiet harbor and watched the Greek nightlife pass by as we ate mezes and fish, throwing increasingly larger pieces of bread into the sea to if we could start a fish feeding frenzy (we could).

After being in Turkey this long, I realize I take for granted my ability to use Turkish to accomplish everyday tasks. We foolishly went to Greece without knowing even a word of the language. It worked out, but I would recommend a bit more preparation.

I am back now during the last two weeks of school (finals) and preparing for the upcoming conference and summer camp that I have been madly planning. I also agreed to do some work for the Ministry of Education, editing one of their ESL books, so my time is spoken for. The weekend away was a refreshing break. Come July 1, I hope to have some free time!

Still no word on what next year will hold. On June 15, the English Languge Fellow program will begin to offer the "hard to fill" positions to returning fellows. Unfortunately, the appointments that are still available look like ones that I wouldn't be very excited about (with the exception of Brazil), so I have started to put out my CV elsewhere. After having so much autonomy and ability to be creative in my current position, I feel that I can't go back to a "regular" job. I want work that is fulfilling, challenging, rewarding, and that pays decently. Is that too much to ask?

A Decision and Istanbul (again)

2008-05-02T10:42:00.003+03:00

I have made the semi-decision not to come back to Turkey next year, but to instead throw my hat in the ring for a new post in another part of the world. Turkey has been wonderful, but if I have to uproot myself, make new friends, and learn a new city, I might as well do it while learning about a new culture and living in a new country. I also figure that this may be my last chance to live abroad, as it took a whole lot of gumption to move out of my comfortable life in Denver (I don't know that I could do that again); therefore, I'd like to experience one more year, if I can find the right position.

Georgetown first places new applicants in the available positions. Starting in mid-June, they offer the "hard to fill" positions to renewing fellows. We will see what comes up!

Kirk and I went to Istanbul last weekend and stayed with my friend Natalie. We ate koftw, took a cruise on the Bosphorous, saw the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, toured Topkapi Palace, drank tea, and generally had fun.
The Today show filmed there the following day, even though I detest Matt Lauer, the clip is interesting there is also a great segment about places to go in Turkey (note: they obviously did not check how to pronounce a couple of the place names.)
Pictures below.

The Lycian Way

2008-05-01T23:03:00.003+03:00

Apologies for the infrequency of my posts. I am in the midst of planning a 5-day conference and an English language summer camp (both in June) and trying to see as much of Turkey as possible with Kirk while he visits.

To that end, we just spent three days hiking on the Lycian Way, a long distance trekking route that runs for 508 km. along the west coast of Turkey.

Although the trip got off to an inauspicious start with us being let off the overnight bus at 4:30 a.m., seemingly in the middle of nowhere, it improved dramatically with the rising of the sun and some warm soup from the neighborhood restaurant.

We caught a taxi to the trailhead and began to hike. Like almost every other place in Turkey, there are multi-thousand-year-old ruins waiting to be explored by passers-by. During the days we enjoyed stunning views of the mountains and sea while we wound through small villages, isolated beaches, and high meadows, sometimes crossing paths with the occasional shepherd. Each night along the way we stayed in a different pension and ate delicious home-cooked meals.

Pictures below:

Pamukkale

2008-04-05T14:45:00.005+03:00

Last weekend my friend Okan and I visited Pamukkale hot springs and the ruins of Heiropolis, a UNESCO World heritage site whose history dates from the second century BC. The ruins were beautiful and the water in the nearby resort was warm. Had we known to bring our suits, tourists can float around in the middle of a pool in the park peering down onto the submerged ruins.

Centuries of the mineral-rich water depositing calcium as it cooled has created a hillside of white terraced mineral travertine pools. Twenty years ago water was still running abundantly, but recent resource use from the town below has slowed the flow considerably.

Throughout history many have come to soak in the waters of Pammukale, hoping for a cure to what ailed them. Among other things, the ruins contain the remains of fountains, a stadium that seated 12,000, a church that stands where St. Phillip was supposedly martyred, and a huge necropolis (for those who the waters didn't cure).

Getting into the park is a little strange. . you can either come on an organized tour, take the 2-mile walk through the acropolis to the main ruins, or hike barefoot for 250 meters up the travertine pools. We came in the long way, but decided to exit via the travertines. Unfortunately a very cold and windy rainstorm ruined Okan's umbrella and soaked us to the bone. The warm chai in the town below was a welcome site!

The last picture was necessary to include because I think it illustrates Turks' love for bread. They delivered a bucket of bread with our meal.

I still am vacillating on staying or going next year. The students here are so sweet; the first picture is a little card they drew for me during the 10-minute class break and left on my desk. What would it be like to start over in a new school and a new town?

A Friend Remembered

2008-03-28T11:15:00.003+02:00

This Saturday will mark the one-year anniversary of the death of my dear friend, Rex Patrick. Over the last year, I have learned a lot, not only about a new culture, new people, but I have learned about coping with the loss of someone I’d never imagined that I would lose. How important it has been to have my friends and family supporting me, yet I have come to understand that mourning is ultimately a journey that must be undertaken alone.

A product of a very hard upbringing, somehow Rex had transformed his experience to become one of the most gentle and kind people I have ever known. Once at a store, we were buying brie and fruit for a spontaneous picnic. Rex was “sampling” the grapes when one woman snarkily asked him if he shouldn’t buy the grapes before eating them. Nonplussed, Rex agreed that he probably should buy them before sampling them. She immediately sensed his sincerity and backed down; I learned something that day about the value of trying to see through people’s defenses and anger in order to hear their real message. That is the way Rex taught; not through advice, but through example. He had a way of disarming everyone he met with his sincere gentle nature.

Rex wasn’t without orneriness, though. During the winter, he would announce his entry into my yard by lobbing a snowball or two at my upstairs window, startling me and sending reverberations through my house. He loved to see me get all riled up and sternly warn him not to do it again, lest he break the window (of course, the more I protested, the more regular his ice missives became). His visits to my house always resulted in brie and/or Ben and Jerry’s ice cream mysteriously disappearing. In addition, my favorite hats would go missing only to reappear weeks later on his head. He loved playing practical jokes; one day we were mountain biking in Fruita. Miles ahead of me on the trail, he hid behind a rock outcropping and patiently waited. I am not sure how many minutes/hours he had but wait, but it paid off when I finally came pedaling by. Just as I was passing, Rex jumped out from his hiding place; I nearly fell off my bike in fright. Rex could hardly speak for his fit of laughter.

I wish everyone could have a Rex in their lives. Throughout the ten years I knew him, he taught me about friendship, love, gentleness, and honesty. Rex was a two-time one-legged Olympian. But to me, those accomplishments pale in comparison to what he did for human beings. He was always flitting from place to place, counseling this friend, helping that person move, volunteering for a cause. One snowy winter I was caught at home in a blizzard without any sandbags in my truck. It was Rex who somehow managed to find sandbags in Denver during a blizzard (impossible), and made his way to my house where he threw them into my truck. During his memorial two people got up and shared that they wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for Rex, and I know there were more who kept quiet. I can’t sum up everything he meant to me but to say that I wouldn’t be the person I am today without him, and for every moment I had with him, I am thankful.

Some of my favorite pictures of Rex are here. They were taken by me, his friends, and family.

Nice Students

2008-03-22T06:52:00.004+02:00

This week my students picked a bunch of wildflowers and brought them to me in class. Later I was asking my other class where I could get "Lokma", a specialty here in Izmir, said to be like doughnut holes, but better - of course I was interested. They told me that if anyone died or had a baby, families will give out Lokma to passers-by, but short of anyone passing away or being born, they didn't know of anywhere one could reliably buy this goody. A few hours later I walked into my office only to find a plate of lokma, procured by two of my students.

That is one thing I love about Turkish students, they aren't as jaded as American students; they will still show open affection for their mothers, their friends, their teachers.

Last weekend Okan, his mom, and I went to Cesme (pronounced Cheshmay), a seaside resort town with a castle from the 16th century. I have included some pictures here.

Next Year up in the Air

2008-03-12T20:13:00.005+02:00

Yesterday I received word from the embassy that the major cities in Turkey - Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir - will not be renewed for English Language Fellow placements next year. It seems the ELF program took a big financial hit for the 2008/09 fiscal period, and the Turkey mission is refocusing its efforts to target universities where students have limited opportunities to work with Americans. Although I was expecting it, I am still disappointed that I won't be able to be in Izmir next year.

Last night I had a long talk with Craig, the person at the US embassy who is most directly connected to the ELF program. He said that if I'd like to stay in Turkey, he'd negotiate the red tape to transfer me to one of the sites that are available next year. The choices are universities in the following cities: Adana, Gaziantep, Konya, Erzurum, Trabzone, and Denizli.

Part of me feels that I should take the opportunity, as I know that I would continue to learn a lot and grow professionally if I took another post in Turkey. On the other hand I miss the comforts of home, a familiar culture, and my friends and family.

Gerceklestirilecektir or Why Turkish is Difficult

2008-03-03T12:15:00.005+02:00

Gerceklestirilecektir is a word; more specifically it a noun with derivational and inflectional suffixes that change it into a verb, indicate tense, plurality, semantic role, etc. It means that something will come to pass (human dictionary: coworker). It was part of an email message delivered to me to my work email address.

Unlike French and Spanish words, which you can look up in a dictionary, in order to look up Turkish verbs, you need to know what the root is, how many suffixes are attached, and the boundaries between them all (f course you don't know this until you learn the language). In addition Turkish verbs carry much more information than Romance or Germanic verbs and are, therefore, pivotal to understanding the utterance. And then there is the whole vowel harmony thing, but that is another story.

On the plus side, strangers sometimes praise me for my "beautiful" Turkish. Would they feel differently if they knew I'd already been here for five months?

Thank Goodness for Cultural Differences

2008-02-27T14:28:00.004+02:00

Today, as I was rushing out the door to go teach, I did a quick check in the mirror. Paired with other pieces, the boots, the turtle neck with a pointy collar, or the long short/pants would have been fine, but to my great dismay, I realized that together they made me look like a Star Trek convention escapee.

As most women know, changing outfits is at least a 20-minute prospect, and I had cut the time close as usual, so I was forced to go to school hoping that none of my students would notice my resemblance to Captain Kirk.

Abundance

2008-02-24T09:39:00.004+02:00

My mailing address in Turkey delivers packages to my office, so when I returned to work on Monday, my desk was piled high with packages and letters from friends and family: pictures of Preeti's beautiful children; sweaters from Jori; Simpsons and House episodes on DVD, chocolate, coffee from Kirk; candle holders and chocolate from Kirk's parents; various Christmas gifts from my mom; a warm blanket, chocolate, household items from Kelly; a season of South Park, New Yorker magazines, my favorite "hippy" pancake mix, a horoscope from Jay (ok, choclate too) . . . You'd think I'd have a lot of chocolate by this time, but somehow it is conspicuously absent from my house. I'll need to do a thorough search later today. :)

I am noting which things are particularly wonderful (you wouldn't expect that a cloth that soaks up like a sponge but wipes like a cloth could bring so much joy), so I can put together a winning care package for my cousin Sarah who will be spending two years in Central Africa with the Peace Corps starting sometime soon. I have a feeling that her experience there will make my time in Turkey look like EuroDisney.

Lisa's visit was wonderful. We explored downtown Izmir's Kemeralti, endless winding streets of vendors hawking everything from key copies, to Turkish symbols to ward off the evil eye, to fresh squeezed pomegranate juice. We took the bus to the "bad" part of town to visit Kadifekale, a fort build by Alexander the Great. On the coldest day of the year, we explored Pergamon, a series of ruins from the 4th-1st century BC, finally giving up and drinking chai and listening to our friends play Turkish music in the vendor's hut at the entrance of the ruins. When, on the way home my friend, Okan, saw some kids playing marbles on the side of the road, he brought the car to an abrupt stop, turned on the hazards, and joined them (and schooled them on the "real" way to play marbles).

I took it as a personal challenge to make sure Lisa had some excellent baklava before her departure. Needless to say, this took extensive and concentrated research.

Jordan and home again

2008-02-14T18:00:00.010+02:00

Kirk and I had an interesting time in Jordan; unlike me, he is very easy to travel with. After spending one night in a particularly seedy hotel in Petra (although the second-hand smoke could be a perk for a smoker wanting to save money on cigarettes; also highly recommended for any lonely cockroaches looking for a meaningful relationship - Cleopetra hotel), Kirk suggested to me that we could possibly spend $10-20 more and stay at a hotel where we didn't have to use a protective layer between ourselves and the bedding, could walk barefoot without fear of disease, and hey, also have hot water.

The Dana Nature Reserve was dry, craggy, and beautiful. We stayed at a guest house run by a conservation society dedicated to maintaining wild places in Jordan while providing a way for the Bedouin people to remain on the land and make a living. On our hike in the reserve, we tracked the elusive white wolf that turned out to look rather like the elusive white dog, Next, on to the Dead Sea, where we wallowed in the mud and washed it off in the salty water. Kirk warned me not to put my head under, but of course, I have never been one to learn from other people's mistakes. On to Madaba where we saw an amazingly intact mosaic map of the Middle East that was created 1,500 years ago. We ate humus, baba ganoush, stuffed wheat balls, and tabouli salad that night at restaurant in Jordan where they actually had wine (hard to find in Jordan). On our last day we did a walking tour of Amman and found an English language bookstore where I stocked up on books and coffee. Kirk saw me off at the airport the next morning for my 4 a.m. flight back to Turkey.

The trip was exciting, but it feels good to be home again. Along with one invited house guest, my best friend Lisa, I also now have a number of uninvited house guests who took advantage of my absence to set up a little cockroach colony in my bathroom. Nothing 12 traps and a bottle of Raid won't handle. . .I hope.

In this post I have included my favorite pictures from my trip. Hope you enjoy them!

Update from Jordan

2008-02-06T21:07:00.000+02:00

It has been a while since my last post. Shockingly, I have actually been in a part of the world where Internet is hard to come by.

After Luxor, the group took an overnight train back to Cairo. Beth had had her fill of Egypt and was feeling sick. Being in polluted, noisy Cairo again sealed her decision to leave, so she decided to skip the Sinai and fly back to Denver. I was sad to see her go, but I think she wouldn't have enjoyed the next 24 hours much. Luckily as she left, Kirk joined us in Cairo. Because she vacated a seat on our van, he was able to take it rather than arrange his own transportation to meet up with me later.

We departed Cairo the next morning for the 6 hour drive St. Catherine's monastary and Mt. Sinai. After we left the Nile and crossed under the Suez Canal, the landscape turned rocky, cold, and dry. We arrived at our destination around noon, ate, and began the climb to the summit where Moses was said to have received the ten commandments. Just before dusk we summited. The wind was whipping and cold; the clouds were moving impossibly fast over all the surrounding peaks. Although we had all of our layers on, we were still freezing. Luckily, in true Egyptian fashion, some entreprenuerial types had set up little coffee house shacks near the summit. We ducked in and had the best Nescafe ever with the Bedouins. As we warmed our hands over the coal fire, the man explained how he stays up on the mountain for 20 days at a time, and then stays down fro 20. It was so cold on the summit, the water in my bottle had turned to ice!

The next night was a horror for all on the trip; no one's heat worked in the rooms, and few people slept more than a few winks. When we left the next morning, the group had reached the 'tipping point' for tolerance of lack of comfort. Two hours later, we arrived at our next destination, Sawa Camp. This little rustic camp of straw huts on the beach seemed a perfect place to unwind; however, most of our group decided that they didn't want to risk another cold and sleepless night, so they took off for the nearby Marriott. Four of us stayed and had a marvelous time eating Bedouin food, snorkeling the reef during the day, and playing cards by the fire at night. After two days, the rest of the group returned to Cairo to fly back home, but Kirk and I continued on to Nuweiba where we crossed the Red Sea to the Jordanian port of Aquaba.

We arrived in Petra on Monday and were able to see our first glimpse of Petra by night. At 8:30 pm we started walking on a sandy path with huge boulders all around and cliffs towering in the distance. We would be walking about .6 miles to our destination, and the path was lit only by 1500 candles. The guides asked us not to use flashlights, and although the group was large, we walked in relative silence. As we entered the Siq, huge sandstone cliffs rose up around us. We continued on into the slot canyon; sometmes a ribbon of stars was visible overhead and sometimes the cliffs closed in, obscuring completely any view of the sky. We walked in this manner for nearly 30 minutes until the canyon opened suddenly to the Treasury, a tremendous building carved into the sandstone cliff over 2,000 years ago. Stunned, we sat in the candle strewn plaza and listened to Bedouin musicians as we sipped tea.

We spent the next two days hiking around the slot canyons exploring endless tombs and carvings. They are all equally stunning and tremendous, and one could spend a lifetime exploring the canyons; however, Kirk and I feel that we covered a good amount of ground in two full days.

Tomorrow we will head to the Dana nature preserve and then on to Madaba and the Dead Sea. We will end with early morning flights out of Amman on the 11th.

Aswan, Felucca

2008-01-26T20:30:00.000+02:00

Beth woke up yesterday morning and asked me, "I got bit by something last night. Is my eye swollen?"

I looked over and her right eye was puffy Quasimoto style, "a little," I said trying to sound casual, wondering if anyone might have an epi kit available.

Beth had been having a tough 24 hours. We had come from Abu Simbel temple and boarded a boat in Aswan. 48 hours on a boat, no showers, sleeping bags. For me the fun and chance to see the Nile outweighed the discomfort of cold nights and no washing facilities; for Beth, who thinks "roughing it" means a shared jacuzzi, it was a bit more difficult. She read the beginning of her journal entry to the rest of us that day. It began, "Last night was hell. . . " However, I think she is getting in the swing of things. As we disembarked from the boat this morning she said, "If the hotel has hot water and no rats, I'll be in heaven."

We have convered a lot of ground in the last few days. We visited the pyramids just outside of Cairo. They were every bit as amazing as I thought. I went inside (under) one. The passage was about three feet wide and maybe three feet tall, 60 feet long, angling down, leading another small passage. As I went in, I had to control the feeling of claustorphobia that threatened to overtake me. The air got thicker as I decended to a small passage where I could stand upright. Tourists coming back up the same narrow passage way jostled me on their way back to fresh air. After about three minutes, I arrived in a big room that once held treasures but now is cavernously empty.

After the pyramids, we ate Kosheray, a great Egyptian dish of lentils, garlic, onions, pasta, pepper, tomato. . . and who knows what else. We left Cairo by overnight train and arrived in Aswan. We took a boat ride to the Sahara side of the Nile and unboarded amidst the Saharan sand and camels.

One camel was complaining loudly about his lot in life, mouth open, angrily. I made a mental note to give that camel a wide berth. Of course, this was my camel; I got on and leaned forward (I had been warned to do so or risk coming off as the camel going from sitting to standing can be a bit abrupt) My camel became much happier after his keeper got him up and handed me the reins. My camel strode to the front of the group where we led the procession to the Nubian village.

At the Nubian village we ate Nubian food and danced with the children afterwards, and proceeded home to rest up for the early wake up to fly to Abu Simbel the next morning. Abu Simbel was built by Ramses, one very prolific builder. He even took a bunch of temples in Thebes (present day Luxor) and stuck his statues in front, claiming them for his own. Pretty crafty.

The felucca (traditional sailboat) was a relaxing way to to enjoy the Nile. Our crew cooked great food for us, and we had some time to get to know our fellow travelers. Three Aussies, two Canadians, Beth, me, and our fearless leader, Mohammed (pictured sleeping on the deck).

We arrived in Luxor where we took a tour of the town and viewed the temple from afar. It has been cold, so three of us ducked into a store to look for sweaters and found the nicest strangers working in the store. The women there giggled and made us tea as we tried on the clothes. It was a welcome relief from the men who work the street stalls constantly clamoring for tourist attention, for us to come in to their stores, "just look". Although I understand that it is an obvious outcome of the mixing of relatively rich tourists in a poor country, it is still exhausting to have to brave the onslaught of people trying to sell us something day after day.

Tomorrow we ride donkeys to the west bank of Luxor where we visit the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens. Our leader has promised that the views will be fabulous. The next day we will visit the animal sanctuary and then take an overnight train back to Cairo. I know the sanctuary will be difficult; they don't have the luxury to treat animals the way we do, and the state of the animals here makes my heart ache.

Public Service Announcement

2008-01-20T14:43:00.000+02:00

Beth and I met up at the hotel on Friday night, and we have been exploring the different sections of Cairo (Islamic, Christian, Jewish). It has been amazing - but too much to see in a lifetime!

We went to a Sufi music and dance performance last night. The Whirling Dervishes, as they are more popularly known, put on an amazing, colorful production. We have visited the Khan (big market) and many mosques. Yesterday as we were leaving the Al Azhar mosque, one of the gatekeeprers invited us to climb to the top of the only double minaret in Cairo. The conversation was in Arabic mostly, but I understood that we would be paying for it "baksheesh". It was steep and pitch black at times and we circled round and round the tiny spiral stairway, but the view from the top was gorgeous and worth every sore muscle today.

Today my friend/colleague Amr met us to show us another neighborhood in Cairo. As the subway train pulled up, he cautioned us to wait for the next train as the current one was packed. Somehow, Beth didn't hear and piled on, so we had no choice but to follow her. The doors were closing with no room left; she was in; we were out, and we yelled to meet up at the next station. Luckily some people saw that we were being separated and pried the doors open and after bouncing off the crowd a few times, shoved our way in. I have never been so packed in public transport before. We literally could not move.

Unfortunately, most of the travelers were men, and in this country where sexes are still so segregated, being so close can cause problems (Amr later told us that two subway cars are reserved for women only). Soon after we got on Beth yells out a public service announcement, "Ok, whoever has their hand on my breast, take it off!" I join in the protest, yell and give dirty looks to the men behind her, some of whom raise their hands up in the air to show it wasn't them. After we got off, it was more funny than anything. Neither Beth nor I are willing put up with any of that kind of funny business, and when people realize that, they leave you alone. We don't feel unsafe here, just annoyed.

This is probably one place where it would be really exhausting to travel alone. I am really glad we booked a trip, so we won't have to worry about logistics. We meet up with our group tonight. Still having fun (Don't worry, Mom)

End of Conference, Islamic Cairo

2008-01-18T00:50:00.000+02:00

1 a.m. and Cairo is still bustling like mid-day Manhatten. My presentation went well yesterday; some people even asked for copies of it (I later was told that giving out electronic copies is a sure way to get my presentation plagarized). Ah well, something about imitation being the sincerest form of flattery.

This has been a great chance to network and to reconnect with other ELFs (hah!) that I had met in D.C. in August. After comparing notes, I am convinced that I have one of the best countries, posts, coworkers, living situations, students, and RELOs of any other fellows. I definitely got lucky.

Today two teachers from the university, Sara and Amr, gave Natalie and me a tour of Islamic Cairo. They had an incredible knowledge of the history of the area as well as of Islam (they are both studying in the religous school here). Sara "covers", which means she wears a headscarf. She chose to wear it at the age of 18, and describes the decision as being her own because she wants to be more humble.

Honestly, I really can't step outside of my culture enough to understand the headscarf issue. My roommate did have a good point that it isn't the headscarf that oppresses women - that poor and uneducated women in China, India, Central America, Egypt . . . have much the same freedoms (or lack thereof) and that we, in the west, have arbitrarily chosen the headscarf to symbolize that; however, the issues are really those of poverty, class, and education. Nevertheless, there are also well-educated, upperclass women that are choosing to cover . . . I am trying to understand, but it may just be beyond me.

It was so nice today to breeze past the other tourists being heckled by touts because we were with locals. We got to see some areas where not many tourists venture, and had an easy time bargaining. The shopkeeper even asked why a Moroccan (me) was speaking English, not French or Arabic. I read later that one of the mosques we entered is forbidden to tourists. . . I am not sure if we were allowed in because we went to the women's entrance (side) or because we were with Sara.

Beth should be landing in D.C. right about now, then on to Frankfurt, then to Cairo, then Cairo rush hour (24/7). She may be a little grumpy when she arrives. Note to self: get separate room.

Cairo

2008-01-16T11:51:00.000+02:00

After some trials and tribulations, I have finally arrived in Cairo. I almost didn't get out of Turkey due to the expiration of my residency permit that I can't renew until I get a letter from Turkey's Department of Education which happens to be on an "unofficial" strike because of political reasons.

The scene at the Istanbul airport had the makings of a bad cliche: I was turned back at customs and told to go to the "post office". "Heh, post office, no problem" I thought, "They probably want me to pay some fine, get a stamp, and go".

Turns out the "post office" was actually "police office" (they sound the same, you know). It was a small office, whitewashed cinder block walls adorned with two no smoking signs. Two police officers (one smoking), me with my pre-beginner Turkish language skills, one of the police officers insisting that I had overstayed my visa. In those situations I like to pretend like I know absolutely no Turkish. I hear them bandying around sums of money for me to pay ranging from $2,500 to $25 and try not to let them see me sweat. The clock is ticking, and my flight is boarding in ten minutes; I have yet to clear security.

Finally, I call my Turkish friend and colleague and ask for advice. I did this partially to let them know that I did have some Turkish contacts who would be willing to help me. Just after my phone call I was escorted to a smaller room with three smoking men, a small conversation ensued, and I was let go with a signature and stamp allowing me exit.

At no time did I feel in any sort of danger, but I did understand that there was a distinct possibility of my missing the flight. Luckily I made it on just in time.

When I arrived in Cairo, my bag had been lost, but I had anticipated this eventuality and carried on my suit, laptop, and everything I needed for the conference. The ride to my hotel was nice because my driver pointed out sites along the way. He was proud of the fact that there were huge churches and mosques next to each other. He wanted me to know that the people here live in peace, despite what one hears through the media. When we crossed the Nile, a shiver ran up my spine just thinking of the thousands of years and many civilizations that had lived and perished by this river.

The next morning the English Language Fellows toured the graduate campus where imams are trained. It is the preeminent center for Qu'ran education, and people who graduate from here go all over the world to teach Islam. Each of us was paired up with a student, and we talked for an hour. I must say, it challenged some of my conceptions of "imams". I expected a traditionally dressed very conservative man. Instead, there were men and women students; my partner wore a 3-piece suit and was a professor of Arabic literature. He explained to me how he respected some things about Malcolm X, but that Malcolm X misunderstood a main point of Islam: every person is equal.

Next we registered for the conference at the American University in Cairo and attended the plenary session. Over 1,200 people attended - teachers from all over the region, many from Egypt. There is an excellent bookstore at the AUC, and I was lucky enough to bump into the buyer. He directed me to some literature by a feminist Egyptian author, some of whose books have been banned in Egypt and another author who gives a good picture of daily life in Cairo.

I stayed up late last night discussing headscarves, Islam, poverty, and education with my roommate, Mandy. She is an English Language Fellow in Kyrgyzstan. Today I am giving my presentation.

To end on a funny note. Washington, in all its wisdom, had decided that we are no longer to use the acronym ELF to describes ourselves because it is not professional. The new title is EL Fellow. Take note!

Leaving on Monday

2008-01-12T21:54:00.000+02:00

I just finished up this semester's classes and giving all of my finals early. In one of my conversation classes, we filmed a documentary on Turkish food, dance, and music. I am excited to see how it turns out after editing.

Thirty six more hours until I leave for Cairo. I plan to spent 16 of those hours sleeping, 6 packing and getting to the airport. That leaves me approximately 14 hours to finish grading my papers, learn how to use the online grading system (in Turkish), and finish putting together my presentation. (I know, you are probably wondering why I am taking the time to update my blog. I am wondering the same thing.) At this point, I have to make some triage decisions. . . Much as I'd like to avoid it, I am going to have to bring my grading on vacation with me.

Since I am going to be standing in front of a large group of people on Wednesday evening for 45 long minutes, I am going to redirect my efforts towards my presentation. This is actually the first professional conference I've ever attended , let alone presented at. I don't even know what sort of register people use in presentations - formal and academic, relaxed? Oh well, I am not very good at being formal and academic, so I'll just be me.

I am looking forward to Egypt. I can't believe that I will be seeing the pyramids and all of those things that I've only ever read about. Beth and I decided to leave the tour early (day 10?) and head off to Jordan after we climb Mt. Sinai. Kirk will meet us near the border and cross over into Jordan with us. We will see Petra for a few days, and then Beth has to return to the real world. Kirk and I will spend about five more days exploring Jordan before we fly out of Amman on February 11.

I'll try to update the blog as we move through Egypt and Jordan.

Settling In

2008-01-04T13:54:00.000+02:00

Today, as I was talking to my co-worker, I realized that I am beginning to have real friends here. The Turkish society values hospitality so much that a visitor always feels welcome. A visit from a friend or a stranger is seen as a joy and treated as such. Instead of the fold-out couch, the owners' vacate the best bed for the visitor, he or she is to eat first, eat most, and eat the best food, and to be made comfortable in all ways. Although the hosts may be curious about the visitor, they are careful not to ask questions that may be thought impolite.

All this, however, is something different than real friendship and trust which is slowly built and earned, necessarily taking time. Yesterday a co-worker who has always been more than kind to me, but always in the role of fixer and helper, confided in me some sadness she had been experiencing - a love lost in a car crash years ago, and the effects that still linger today. I realized that we had broken through a barrier, that somehow she saw me more as an equal and less of a dependent. Although I think she and my other office mate will continue to call me "yavrum" when they talk about me in the third person (a word meaning young one). My Turkish is getting better, however, and I'll be listening for it.

During New Year's Eve I shared a meal with three friends, Evren, Essen, and Okan. Okan told me to remember that I am not alone in Turkey. If I ever need anything just to call. I realized that Evren and I had gotten past the "polite friends" stage; I know that she has a silly streak beneath her dignified exterior. As a result I have adopted her family's nickname for her "tavuk" chicken. And Essen felt comfortable enough to tell me that I had totally messed up the Turkish coffee, and that I must let her take over if, that is, I want it to be drinkable. . .

I realized today that the call to prayer rarely wakes me up anymore; in fact, its familiar sound has mostly faded into the background. It no longer feels like an expedition to go to the pazar and bargain for vegetables, and the bus system has become (at least semi-)comprehensible. As these friendships slowly grow and I learn my way around the city, the culture that was so foreign to me just three months ago feels a little more like home.

Cultural Relativity

2007-12-31T16:15:00.000+02:00

Today in linguistics class we had moved on from the relatively academically intensive subject of phonology to dialects and language policy. We discussed “standard” dialects and how they are really just dialects that have been socially engineered to be perceived as prestigious. I love the quote I heard once, “the standard dialect is a dialect with an army behind it.”

We then moved on to banned languages. I know that I am teaching linguistics, but I can’t help but try to sneak some cultural relatively into the curriculum. I discussed the history of banning languages and gave examples from the other countries; In the past, the U.S. banned American Indian languages in federal and state schools located on reservations and punished students for speaking these languages. Currently there are state and federal laws “English only” which effectively tie the hands of educators and compromise the education of children who weren’t taught English in their homes. In France, the government is trying (unsuccessfully) to keep the French language “pure” by banning American words and other nonsense. I then turned to the students and asked if Turkey had any such history of banning languages (knowing full well that it has a very recent history of banning Kurdish). I was met with blank looks all around. Nope, Turkey has never done such a thing.

Because I have been teaching this group for 12 weeks, I felt emboldened enough to suggest that they might be overlooking some historical facts. More blank looks.

“Kurdish?” I said.

“Oh, Kurdish isn’t a language. They don’t even have a writing system.”

“That is to protect the republic. . . .”

I asked them to put their Turkish cultural values aside for a moment and to become scientists, which is probably enough to have me forcibly removed from the country. Luckily I had a podcast on hand in which a linguist disabuses listeners of some commonly-held beliefs about language. No, the Eskimos don’t have 50 words for snow, all languages are equally complex and descriptive, one dialect is not superior to another, all languages change over time despite language “purists” who believe they shouldn’t, etc.

It is funny, because the students easily came up with examples from Bulgaria and Germany in which Turkish had been banned, but when you ask Turks to objectively look at their own country’s history, there is this huge blind spot. I don’t know if it is because I am an outsider and they just don’t want to talk to me about it or if it is something Turks have not been trained in – cultural relativity. I sense it is the latter.

It reminds me of when I was at the Fulbright/ELF orientation in Ankara. The Turkish government sent representatives to present about the Turkish educational system, the government, and the art and history of Turkey. The experts were all Ph.D.’s, all Turks, well-versed in their fields, politically astute, and used to speaking in public. One Fulbrighter asked the presenter about the Armenian situation. I can’t remember if she used the word genocide or not, but it resulted in a 20-minute tirade that made everyone else in the room squirm. At one point he described how big and powerful Turkey is compared to how small present-day Armenia is; the implication was clear. As for me, I was dumbstruck. I had never seen a public speaker become so enraged. At any moment, I expected one of his companions to remove him from the stage with a cane or something, but in fact, one other panel speaker actually joined in at the end and reiterated some of his ideas.

My Flat

2007-12-30T20:46:00.000+02:00

Some people have asked to see what my place looks like. Here it is; not very traditional Turkish, but you can see the extra rooms where you will stay when you come visit (yes you).

Bayram in Eregle

2007-12-29T17:24:00.000+02:00

Last week we celebrated the Muslim Sacrifice holiday. It comes from the bible/koran story of Abraham being asked to sacrifice his son (Isaac or Ishmael, depending on the holy book) to prove his devotion. At the last minute, God spares the son and an animal is sacrificed instead.

In present-day Turkey many people still make a ritual sacrifice during this time. Some city-dwellers who prefer not to sacrifice animals donate money to charities instead. When a sacrifice is made, one-third of the meat is given to neighbors, 1/3 is given to the poor, and 1/3 is eaten by the family.

My friend, Evren, invited me to take the 10-hour night bus to her home town and spend the holiday with her family. I had heard buses in Turkey are very clean and comfortable. Although that was true, almost all bus drivers chain smoke and turn the heat up so high that it feels like a hamam! The worst part is that the windows don't open, so you are stuck sweating and breathing recycled smoke. I hear that in April the government has passed a law forbidding the drivers from smoking. I'm looking forward to that day.

We spent four days visiting her family and friends, visiting their parents' childhood village, and traveling to the foot of the Taurus mountains to see ancient rock carvings. Evren has two wonderful sisters; the eldest is a nurse, and the youngest is a computer engineer in Ankara. In true Turkish fashion, the family simultaneously made me feel like a member of the family and an honored guest. My paying for anything was out of the question, and I had to stop expressing my admiration for any of the handicrafts lest they become mine. Evren's mother, Zeynip, gave me a beautiful angora scarf that she had knitted; her cousin gave me a black cape that she had knitted that was formerly part of her chaise (wedding dowry). By the end of the week I had collected so many presents from everyone, they started joking that I now have my own chaise.

One of the most interesting things we did was to visit Evren's parents' childhood village. The families there are mostly sheep herders. They live on an arid plain at the foot of the mountains that receives little rainfall but is blessed with a natural spring. Although I don't eat much meat and have had multi-year stints of vegetarianism, I decided to watch the sacrifice of the sheep. They make sure it is somewhere where there is no blood from previous sacrifices, so that the animal won't be alarmed by the smell of blood. It was difficult to look into the sheep's eyes and see a sort of resignation, but the sacrifice itself happened rather quickly, and I think it suffered little. Although the idea of sacrificing an animal may seem barbaric to some, I think it is much more humane than the way we raise and slaughter most factory-farmed meat in the U.S. This sheep roamed free its whole life.

After the sacrifice, we removed out shoes before entering the adobe-like house. We sat in the largest of three rooms on colorful mats covered with handmade kilims (carpets) that lined the edge of the room. The families insisted that I sit in the corner where the guest always sits and asked me questions about the U.S. while we drank chai. One woman's face and demeanor were so interesting, that I wish we shared a language. She was Kurd (an ethnic group that is discriminated against in Turkey) and Aleve (a Muslim sect that has been persecuted in Turkey). Her husband is neither; I imagine it must have been some kind of Romeo and Juliet story (with a better ending) that led them to marry.

Everything was going along well until I ate some of the bread that was offered to me. I had a bad cold and the bread was quite dry; as I swallowed, I could feel the pieces get stuck in my throat. You know the feeling: you are somewhere very quiet and and you feel that tickle in your throat getting worse and worse. The last thing you want to do is have a gasping-for-air coughing fit, but that is exactly what I did. For a few minutes I am sure the people were thinking that this would be the first time an American visited their village as well as the first time one died there. Luckily I survived.

Christmas in Izmir

2007-12-25T20:25:00.000+02:00

I wasn't looking forward to Christmas this year; it was to be the first year I had ever spent it without my family, and I knew it would be difficult. My brother and I had planned a video link up via our computers so that I could "virtually" join my family on Christmas morning. Unfortunately, that was the week my computer finally bit the dust, so there I was, two days to Christmas, feeling lonely and isolated, video link up plans were off, wondering what I would do, maybe the only person to celebrate Christmas in all of Buca (my neighborhood).

Luckily, my friends saved the day. Packages arrived from family in Denver and California with Christmas wishes and gifts; many of my co-workers and students remembered that it was a holiday for me and wished me Merry Christmas, and my friend Okan took me out for Christmas lunch and invited me to use his computer to link up with my family that evening (their morning). It was fun to watch them opening presents with the familiar tree, Christmas music my mom always plays in the background, the dogs taking the warm seats as soon as soon as anyone got up. They even took the computer camera outside so I could see the snow falling.

Sisters to Egypt/Another Year in Turkey

2007-12-10T20:47:00.000+02:00

Well it is official, my sister and I are going to Egypt together in January. I can't believe Beth actually got the time off! We are going with Intrepid Travel, a company that focuses on small backpacker-type independent travel itineraries and supports grassroots organizations in each country where it has tours. Intrepid uses locally available transport (instead of big tour buses, we will be on donkeys, camels, local buses, trains, and our feet), sets up hotels, and leaves the travelers free to plan their days.

In addition to diving the Red Sea, seeing the pyramids, spending the night sailing down the Nile in a felucca, and climbing Mt. Sinai, we will visit a garbage collectors organization in Cairo where they recycle the trash into usable items and visit an animal orphanage for abused/neglected animals.

This week I was asked if I would like to renew my fellowship in Turkey for the 2008/2009 school year. It is likely that my post in Izmir will not be renewed as the State Department is trying to move the ELF program to more remote areas, but other posts in Turkey would be available to me. Among those, there is one or two that I think would fit my "professional interests" (warm weather, coastal), so I gave an initial yes. I will have to make my final decision by the end of February. I do hope the post in Izmir gets renewed for another year, however, because I feel like I have just started to form friendships here, gotten my house in order, learned how to get around the city, and learned enough about the culture of DE University to be somewhat effective . Ah, but I must remember that change is the spice of life.

Ambassador Wilson to visit

2007-12-05T16:16:00.000+02:00

I just got a call from Craig, the regional language officer in Ankara, and he told me that his boss, the ambassador to Turkey, is coming to visit my university next Tuesday. Craig asked me to arrange the ambassador's visit, from start to finish, including logistics for him and his entourage of 12 people. Ambassador Wilson will be here for an hour in which time he will pay a visit to the rector of our University and then participate in a roundtable discussion with students.

It is very exciting, but I'm also nervous. I better get working. . .

Casanova

2007-11-28T16:55:00.001+02:00

One tool I use to try to get my students to take control of their own learning is to periodically ask them to examine their difficulties and successes in language study. The first time I had my students do such an exercise, I didn't explain the reasoning until after they had finished. In response to the question, "This week I made these mistakes.", one of my male students earnestly replied, "I didn't talk with girls".

Students, Teachers, Work, Communication

2007-11-27T12:10:00.000+02:00

Aren't they cute? These are the students from one of my conversation classes. I love this picture because it really shows their different personalities.

We are now in the second week of mid-terms, and I finally have some breathing room to evaluate how the classes have progressed, what has succeeded, what hasn't, and what I need to change.

I will be embarking on some experimental projects in my conversation classes that will (hopefully) yield some interesting multi-media projects at the end of the semester. I sent a "come to Jesus" email(I know, not exactly an apropos term to use in a Muslim country) to my education students after I had to ask a student to stop text messaging while a student group was presenting.

One thing I have noticed is that the student/teacher relationships here are much different than in the U.S. The students see their teachers as second parents, and as such the students are extremely aware of and responsive to teachers' moods. When I enter the classroom the students immediately react to my state. If I am happy and carefree, the whole class palpably relaxes and has fun. Conversely, in my difficult class, I often come with things on my mind, ways I want to improve the class, and honestly, some stress. No matter how I try to conceal my excitement, disappointment, frustration, it is disconcerting how well the students can read me.

Work Differences

Unlike in the U.S. where it is acceptable to be task-focused at work, to the exclusion of socialization with colleagues, here relationships take the priority. When the head of the department comes in, work stops and conversation begins. When the rector "requests" our presence at a performance or demonstration, classes are canceled. Days in the office consist of offering, accepting, and declining all kinds of food and drink; when I have work to do, I do it at home. But I have come to realize that this relationship network is really the way that things get done at my University (maybe Turkey in general?).

Communication

While I think Americans focus on the value of giving and receiving information, Turks seem to be more sensitive to the way in which that information is shared. In the US, asynchronous information exchange is used all the time, in fact it is favored (email, voice mail). In Turkey, the priority is on real-time communication, preferably in person. Voicemail is virtually unheard of here. No one has it. In addition, email is used only as a secondary source of information exchange. Emailing is seen as impersonal and I have been warned not to use it for anything important or to initiate conversations or requests.

If you want something from a co-worker, you find her/him. If you want to contact a friend, SMS message or phone calls are used. Not answering your phone or responding to a SMS message immediately is not understood and seen as a sort of affront. (This has proven a bit problematic for me, someone who is doing well when she remembers to turn off the stove, forget remembering where a little phone is all day, every day)

Thanksgiving Dinner and upcoming trip to Konya

2007-11-25T14:45:00.000+02:00

Thanks to those of you who emailed me recipes, my Thanksgiving dinner was a hit. I cooked all day Friday and then folks started coming over in the evening.

My coworkers Feryal and Turkan came over at 5 to help me get ready. I thought I would be relaxing by then, but of course I was still running around. I share an office with them. They are both wonderful people, but in many ways polar opposites. Turkan started making Turkish coffee (typically the longer it takes to brew, the better it is). Feryal, who accomplishes more in an hour than I do in a week, wondered if Turkan couldn't turn the burner up a bit and hurry up the coffee. The interaction following was hilarious and, unfortunately, ended up with one cup of Turkish coffee all over the kitchen floor!

Guests came later, starting with the head of my department. She and her husband were dressed to the nines, and I was rushing around in a t-shirt and jeans. . . despite my perennial lateness, the evening went well. Although my pecan pie wasn't half as good as my sister's, The apple pie and the stuffing were big hits. The cranberry sauce, unknown here, went untouched.

Next month we have a 5-day break right before Christmas, and my friend Evren has invited me to come to her home with her over the holiday. We will be going to Konya which is the birthplace of Rumi, known here as Mevlana. Every year commemoration ceremonies are held for Rumi in Konya during December, but this year is an especially important year because it is the 800th anniversary of his birth. I hope to be able to see some whirling dervishes.

Retraction

2007-11-21T10:35:00.000+02:00

My friend sent me an email recently about one of my previous blog posts:

I am concerned that having Thanksgiving dinner in
Turkey without turkey may not constitute irony. But,
your claim that it does, may in fact be an ironic one.
I will look into this further for you.

All those years of school, and I ain't learned nothing!

Turkey dinner in Turkey

2007-11-18T23:28:00.000+02:00

I just couldn't help the cheesy title. . . anyway, I actually need some help. I am inviting the faculty from my department and the people in my building over for Thanksgiving dinner. The problem is that I don't have an oven, only a stove top, although I may be able to borrow a small oven in which I could cook a pie or something. So I am trying to figure out what I can make (remember that I only have rudimentary cooking skills) that somewhat resembles Thanksgiving dinner. I know I can buy a pre-cooked chicken, but I don't think I can find a Turkey here, so ironically Thanksgiving dinner in Turkey will be sans-Turkey. Send your recipes my way either by mail or by commenting on the blog.

Hamam

2007-11-18T22:41:00.000+02:00

Even before I came to Turkey, I had heard about the Turkish “hamam” where Turks traditionally came to bathe when facilities or water was scarce. These days everyone, of course, has private bathing facilities; however, the hamam remains a living tradition.

After much searching, I finally located the bath that was recommended in my guidebook. I started to go into the main entrance, but astutely realized that something was amiss when I looked ahead of me and saw a big man wearing only a small towel. After locating the side-entrance, for women, I walked into a big room with a domed ceilings with small cubby-hole rooms ringing it. Although my Turkish is getting better, I couldn’t understand any of the bathing vocabulary words, so I assented to whatever the woman in charge was offering; she cleaned out one of the side rooms, and gave me the key. I stored my clothes in there and wrapped myself in the cloth provided.

Back in the main waiting room were about 5 women sitting and chatting. I was led through a small door into a steam room with a large marble slab in the middle. The domed ceiling admitted light through small holes in the shapes of stars and moons. The attendant motioned me to a faucet and bucket where I was to wash. As I did so, another bather offered me a piece of fruit she was eating (nar in Turkish, but I don’t know the English equivalent). All communication was done in Turkish, as no one spoke English.

After one of the women there washed my hair (I’m not sure if that was part of the admission price, or just a neighborly thing), I went out into the main room where I was directed to one of the larger cubby-hole rooms. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but the purpose became evident when the attendant showed up with a ball of wax. Let’s just say that Turkish women abhor body hair, and seek to remove it whenever possible. After a couple minutes of gritting my teeth, I finally pleaded “yapma” (a very useful Turkish word that is the negative of the verb “to make” command form, but actually works as “stop” does in English).

Still recovering from my near-death waxing experience, I was motioned back to the steam room where I lay on the slab while the attendant scrubbed me with a coarse sponge for about 15 minutes. That part actually felt good. I never realized how much dead skin was on my body until it was all removed! I was then sent back to my faucet/bucket where I was able to rinse and relax.

Advice for people visiting Turkey: definitely go to a hamam, it is a wonderful experience; however, be sure to brush up on your Turkish bathing vocabulary, especially the words for “no wax”.

Cyclone in Bangladesh

2007-11-16T13:33:00.000+02:00

As I rush from to-do task to the next, I pause and click on the story of the destruction in Bangladesh. The photo of the woman who lost her house and presumably everything she owns in the cyclone strikes me and makes me realize for a fleeting moment how vastly different our lives are. And it makes me wonder how we can make sense of this world.

The students I teach in Turkey want to become teachers, to someday own a house and if they are lucky, a car. Many of them speak of dreams of travel abroad, but I know that dream will only be realized by a few of them. As for me, I am among the very few people in the world who have everything we need and much, much more, and yet. . . What does the woman in the picture want? Maybe to know that her family is safe and will have food and clean drinking water in the next few scary weeks.

Tired

2007-11-07T16:40:00.000+02:00

Teaching 18 undergraduate credit hours while living in a foreign country is definitely taking its toll on me. By the time Wednesday evening rolls around, I am just hoping I can stay up late enough to read the text that I must lecture on in tomorrow's classes!

In addition to teaching, each fellow is supposed to choose/create a project. I have decided to work with the Access scholarship students. They are low-income students who are going to receive two years of free English lessons through a State Department grant. This project is close to my heart because it helps even the footing between the haves and have-nots. Although education is virtually free in Turkey, students must past a grueling test at the end of high school. Their acceptance to the University is totally dependent on their results. Because of that, many enroll in darsani, or private schools throughout their high school years just to prepare for this three-hour test.

These private darsani courses are very expensive, so the families who are lower income cannot send their children. The students who don't prepare at darsani have a much, much smaller chance of "wining" the exam, as they say, and then will not be able to go to the University.

The student selection process is the first thing I have gotten involved in by preparing a questionaire that should help assess the students' families' economic status. Just asking yearly income wouldn't yield dependable information. Instead, I attempted to get at it by asking about parents foreign langauge skills, if the students has traveled outside of Turkey, if the student currently attends private darsani. . .I am working with the Turkish American Center that has received the grant to carry out these lessons.

Still no Internet at home. The person downstairs has the Internet, but I can't go ask her to "share" because of cultural issues.

On the bright side, I received three wonderful packages this week:
A huge box from my sister with my warm, warm down comforter. Finally I am warm at night-thank you!
Four pounds of honey from Kirk. I am not sharing with ANYBODY :) Well if you come visit, I will share.
Two cans of cranberry sauce from Craig at the embassy. I am going to attempt to have Thanksgiving dinner at my house, and he has access to the embassy/military shopping center where you can find any American food

Which brings to mind the things that America does best:
Peanut butter - After doing extensive market research, I can safely say that we have the best and the widest selection.
Sponges - the sponges here are crap. Synthetic gross things that don't really clean dishes at all. Beth sent me 20 good sponges, which I will ration.
Garbage disposals - Why doesn't everyone have these? Here we keep little plungers next to the sink which you use invariably, every meal, because the drain is so small.
Washers and Dryers - Our washers are fast and we have dryers. Yes, I know it is a waste of energy, but sometimes it is so nice. There are no dryers here. Really.
Anti-scald valves - You don't truly appreciate these until you don't have one. Ouch!
Unlimited Nights and Weekends - Local mobile calls here cost about 20-40 cents per minute, always

Admittedly, these are all things that one can buy which makes me a crazy consumer, but there it is.

Cairo, here I come!

2007-11-02T11:14:00.001+02:00

I just found out that I have been accepted as a presenter for a conference in Cairo in January. Even better news is that it looks as if the embassy is going to pay for my travel and stay in Cairo! Some other English language fellows have been accepted, so we will be traveling and staying together there. Now I just have to convince my audience that I actually know something. . .

I am off to Akyaka this weekend, a beach town south of Izmir. The regional language officer from the American embassy and his wife own a beautiful house there. They have generously offered it to any of the fellows when it is not being rented, so. ..

I know you are thinking that my life is pretty cushy (and I'd have to agree), but remember, 9 days out of 10 I have to bathe from a bucket.

All of my classes are going very well with the exception of my educational theory class. I nearly had a revolt yesterday when I gave out a not-so-pop quiz.

2007-11-01T23:44:00.001+02:00

Hagia Sophia

2007-11-01T22:46:00.000+02:00

When not to practice your Turkish

2007-10-31T17:34:00.000+02:00

Today my new neighbor had me over for cay (tea pronounced chai). I was practicing how to say I like something and how to say that I don't like something. After my long dissertation about how I like Turkish coffee and I like cay but that I really dislike Nescafe, I went to sip my cay that was not cay after all. It was Nescafe with milk, the color of which really resembles cay. I realized this uncomfortable fact as I was lifting my glass to take the first sip. I quickly explained to her that I do like Nescafe very much if it is sutlu (with milk). Crisis averted? Maybe.

I told my students that they could come over and trick or treat tonight if they have costumes. I don't think they really know where I live, but I better go buy candy, just in case.

In Istanbul

2007-10-28T09:28:00.000+02:00

Just a quick note - I am visiting my friend, Natalie, in İstanbul. It is absolutely beautiful here. Yesterday we went on a Bosphorous cruise. In a few minutes we are going to the Hagia Sophia,(pronounced aeeah Sophia) then the Blue Mosque, then off to eat Kofta and maybe get lost the bazaar. Pictures to follow.

Pictures of Tinaztepe and Efes

2007-10-23T12:04:00.000+03:00

Yavrolar, Epheseus

2007-10-23T11:51:00.000+03:00

Cute puppies (yavrolar) at my old guest house

The Roman ampitheatre at Ephesues (Efes)

Me singing a round of Frere Jacques with other tourists in the center of the ampitheatre in Efes (good acoustics)

Library at Efes

moving, pidgin French, Turkish military,

2007-10-22T17:18:00.001+03:00

Thanks to Craig, the regional language officer from the embassy, and my department head, Guldan hanim, I now have fabulous new digs. I went from a very small one-room studio to a huge three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment with two outdoor decks. The apartment is located inside of the gates of the campus where I work, so it is quiet and only 30 seconds from my office. I live on the second (top) floor of a 4-plex. Two families live in the flats below, and the fourth flat is vacant. The father of the family below speaks Turkish and French. I speak some French, so we communicate in some pidgin Turkish/French that would, I think, constitute a crime in France.

Yesterday a group of students was marching just outside the gates of the school. It was an anti-PKK rally. Evidently Turkey is massing troops on the border of Iraq because they think that the Kurdish region of Iraq is harboring terrorists that are threatening Turkey. Even though the Turkish army has far more resources that any PKK faction, there have been a number of losses on both sides. Being one of the few stable areas in Iraq, the U.S. government is trying to prevent Turkey from crossing the border; however, the Turks seem to support an incursion. The more losses Turkey sustains, the more people seem to want to cross the border.

Good News Article

2007-10-15T08:44:00.000+03:00

The Armenian Genocide Resolution and its effect on Turkish-American relations has been in the headlines lately. I haven't encountered any people that were hostile to me because of it, but I think it is, nevertheless, on the minds of many Turks.

I think the following article sums up the issue pretty well without taking sides: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15271077
Click on the "Listen" button on top.

I'm an "elder" now!

2007-10-12T23:11:00.000+03:00

Today I decided that I'd make my way to Ikea via public transportation. As usual, I didn't know where I was going. I knew I'd be going to the neighborhood of Balçova; unfortunately my map of Izmir cuts off just before it.

Again, I was saved by the help of strangers. I managed to let the bus driver know that I wanted to go to Ikea (pronounced ee, kay, ay, ah). He motioned for me to stay on the bus, and at the end of the line, he showed me the next bus to take. He then conferred with my new bus driver and pointing at me, in case I didn't stand out enough, made sure the new bus driver would help me find my way. At the end of the line, I trundled off in the direction he pointed.

On the way I ran into a group of four young teenagers. The first boy came up to me and pressed my hand to his chin, then to his forehead, a sign of respect for elders. The other boys followed suit, wished me iyim Bayramlar ("happy holidays"), and passed on. The next group of children did the same thing and via sign-language notified me that Ikea was closed. Undeterred because I had glimpsed the fluttering flags of Ikea, I continued on. Although it was closed, I happily waited the hour for it to open.

Arriving at the outdoor walking mall was like being back in the U.S. - everything was clean, predictable, there was a Ralph Lauren, a Starbucks, . . .places I wouldn't usually go, but in the middle of Izmir, somehow eerily comforting. (Starbucks coffee costs even more here than in the U.S.)

Classes, Turkish bus driver

2007-10-11T21:45:00.000+03:00

Adapting to being a teacher in a real class room is tough. For linguistics, I just have to read the text well and find relevant examples for lecture. In some ways, this is my easiest class because I know it fairly well, and I don’t have to be too creative.

Approaches to Education is, perhaps, my worst class. Honestly, I am not really qualified to teach it. My exposure to the different teaching methodologies consists of a cursory review in one education course a few summers ago. I think I also don’t see the benefit of a lot of these methods, so it is hard to get really excited about them; however, I think it will be good for me to have a better background in the history of language teaching.

Conversation classes are good. I have three sections, and I like that I can be as creative as I want. I am planning on doing a few large projects that can be recorded or filmed. The first is adapting the “This I Believe” curriculum from NPR. We will have small-group discussions based on questions made to help students’ evaluate their world views, values, etc. that will (hopefully) culminate in a 1-2 minute speech on what they believe to be true about the world.

Last week I had every conversation class do activities discussing what rules they will have when they have their own classrooms. The groups presented their rules to the class, and then we came together to form our own classes rules. It worked pretty well, and I think there will be higher student buy-in because they created and committed to the norms of the classroom.

Grammar class is the biggest struggle – how do you teach grammar in an engaging and communicative way?

Yesterday and today were a little disheartening. I had been warned that many students might not show up to class on Wednesday and Thursday because Bayram has begun, a holiday that marks the end of Ramazan. On Wednesday morning two of my 30 students showed up to tell me that the class had decided not to come to my class (or the other teacher’s) that day. They also told me, “we are not here”. It was kind of funny, but I wasn’t sure if there was a cultural misunderstanding, if this is normal, or what. . .asking my co-workers didn’t exactly shed light on the situation. The two students that "weren't there" did stick around to chat with me. They gave me the low-down on the soccer teams, and a mini-lesson in Turkish verb structure.

On Sunday my go-to guy at the embassy, Dr. Craig Dicker, English Language Officer, will be coming to Izmir. We will have dinner/lunch on Sunday, and then on Monday we’ll tour the Turkish American Centers and American Corner with which I am supposed to liaison this year. Naively (you think I’d learn), I asked my co-worker Feryal if she could recommend a restaurant. Not only could she recommend one, but insisted on walking me there, which turned into lunch, which turned into her treating, which turned into the restaurant owner treating, ah Turkey!

On the bus ride home today, the bus driver said something to me in Turkish. Although I rarely understand the questions posed to me, usually I answer by telling them I am an American, as that tends to be the first question posed to me. After I told this to my bus driver, he happily spoke to me on fluent and fast Turkish. I smiled. Then he stopped the bus in the middle of traffic, opened the door, and yelled to his friends inside the Kabop restaurant. What I understood was, “. . . . Amerikan . . . . “ His friends smiled and waved, and we drove on. People in the back of the bus were giggling by this time. Next we stopped at the guard gate where he introduced me to the "chef". Why he was introducing me to a cook was beyond me, but again, I smiled and waved. As we went on, I realized he had just introduced me to the chief – maybe of police, maybe of the bus company, not sure, but a big wig. All this royal treatment AND he dropped me off right in front of my guest house.

Rumi Statue, View of Izmir

2007-10-05T22:37:00.000+03:00

Tonight my co-worker Ahmet invited me over for dinner then took me up to see the huge Rumi statue. On the way to his place we passed a mosque that had just been built by an ex-prime minister sort of person for her father. There is a nice little tea house at the base of the statue where we sipped chai and looked out over Izmir.

Don't Worry

2007-10-02T16:34:00.000+03:00

Just wanted to jot a quick note. I don't know if it will make international news or not, but just in case it does. . . There was a bombing in Izmir today, but I am fine.

More later.

Melanie

First Day Teaching

2007-09-24T23:31:00.001+03:00

Today I met my students and taught my first linguistics and conversation classes. All of my students are undergraduates, and I am teaching just the freshmen and sophmores. The first years were very timid. As they sat down, they filled up only the very back chairs of the classroom, leaving the two front rows completely empty.

Although their grammar skills are excellent, they have never spoken with a native speaker of English; most have only studied with Turkish-born speakers. So to them, my accent was quite difficult to understand. They seem to be very bright and eager - the girls especially. Some of the boys I can already tell are going to be a challenge. I've already found the "joker" - I think there is one in every class.

Speaking of challenging, the linguistics class is going to stretch my abilities. We are covering all of the major branches of linguistics from phonetics to phonology to semantics to tree structure diagrams. A dirty little secret is that I've never really done a tree structure diagram, because my linguistics department wasn't exaclty Chomskyesque (new word). I keep telling myself that I just need to say one chapter ahead and at least act confident.

As I mentioned earlier, the students' grammar skills are incredible. I was corrected today by Okan when I called a verb past tense, but it was really progressive something, something. Note to self: learn English verbs inflections before next Monday.

As native speakers, we just *know* how to use all of the simple, progressive, perfect, perfect progressive aspects and how to pair them with the present, future, and past tenses. But to explain that is another matter entirely. . . Do you know how to explain difference between these three sentences and when to use each?

She has been studying.
She had been studying.
She will have been studying.

Me neither; I will be learning A LOT this semester.

As I have been able to talk to family and friends on Skype during the last few days, I realize how easy technology has made going abroad. I remember just 12 years ago when I spent four months in Kenya. Letters and the occasional phone call (when you could find a working phone and figure out how to use it) were the only communication I had. Now I have email, a cell phone, a land line, and Skype. I guess it is kind of the best of both worlds: experiencing a new culture with the ability to stay in touch with the people you love.

Tavla, Mildew, Community

2007-09-23T08:27:00.000+03:00

During the last few days I have visited downtown Izmir, tried (in vain) to figure out the bus system, and spent some time trying to renegotiate my housing. Today I have about 16 hours before I sleep again to plan develop the curriculum and write up the syllabi for the four college courses I will be teaching starting Monday.

First, the fun stuff: Ahmet took me on a city tour on Friday after work. We went down to the main downtown area along the sea. There is one main walking mall with no cars. There are lots of stores, bars, and cafes along the pedestrian mall. The narrow alleyways that lead to it are often narrow and dotted with cafes where people sip strong tea or Turkish coffee and play backgammon, known here as tavla. Ahmet taught me how to play Tavla and was very patient as I picked my way around the game board.

I played again last night when a group of six of us gathered around Esin's table for dinner. Okan wasn't as patient with my speed. His friends laughed from the sidelines and supplied me with the words for Turkish equivalent of "be patient". Whether it be pool in the U.S. or tavla in Turkey, there is a certain type of guy that feels that it is his duty to show you (women particularly) the errors you made, and what would have been a better strategy. During the game Mustafa told me not to worry, that, "everybody who plays Okan wins".

The day before I had asked Ferayal if she could intervene and get me a room that was farther from the street (and the very noisy buses). She talked to the manager but warned me the one remaining room was very dirty and would need cleaning. She wasn't kidding. Every surface was filthy. Okan, Esin, and Adim , the manager, all helped me scrub everything in the room. While I was at the market, Esin attcked the bathroom with a vigor rivaling that of a German mother. Despite our work and copious amounts of bleach the smell of mildew is still overpowering two days later.

I retired to my room yesterday afternoon feeling overwhelmed with my inability to communicate or use the bus system, missing my family, frustrated that I can't figure out how to solve the simplest problems myself because of the language barrier, and upset about the disgusting mildew. Okan came by to invite me to dinner, and he could tell that I had been crying. Minutes later his mother came down. Although she can only count to ten in English, and my Turkish skills are lesser still, I could understand very clearly what she was saying. She saw that I had been upset, and then started crying herself. Although she was speaking only Turkish, her message transcended language. She wanted to know why I was spending time alone when I was unhappy and that I should always come knock on her door, anytime. She made it clear that I was to come with her where she could keep an eye on me while she cooked dinner.

Later during dinner, their friends came by one by one until there were six of us around the small table. We ate more good food, though I don't know what it was and, of course, drank tea. My colleague, Ferayal called to see if I needed anything or for her to take me anywhere. The funny thing is that she called Esin and Okan's room. Evidently she had called the manager who knew I was up in that room, and he forwarded the call. Small world.

Markets, Washing Machines, and Baby Sheep

2007-09-20T14:19:00.000+03:00

I broke my jet lag avoidance rule and let myself take a nap yesterday, so here I am at 4:20 with ideas swirling around in my head, unable to sleep.

Yesterday Ferayal took me to the shopping mall where I bought home products (linens, dishes, food, etc.). She also took me to buy a cell phone, then helped me to choose a cell phone company that gave me my phone number and activated my phone, then she helped me buy contours, or phone credits so that my phone would work. Lastly we went to the market where we bought produce. She showed me how to buy produce –what is good, what isn’t – with much higher standards than we demand at our supermarkets. The villagers come in to town every Wednesday and Sunday to sell their produce and textiles at a huge husting open-air market..

Throughout the day she insisted on treating me; first it was lunch, then Turkish coffee, and then produce at the market. At the supermarket, I (rather skillfully, I thought) mimed to the clerk that I would pay for the drinks. Ferayal told her in Turkish that I was her guest, and the clerk promptly refused my money and took Ferayal’s instead. Turks have a strong ethic of taking care of their guests and showing them true hospitality.

Without Ferayal’s help, I have no idea how I would have done all of that. For instance, the cell phone system is extremely different here than it is in the U.S. Instead of signing up for a plan with a company, people buy counturs(sp) which are basically cell minute credits that must be used in 3 months. You continue to recharge your phone with these credits. Calls to cell phones of your provider are cheapest, calls to cell phone holders who use different providers are more, calls to land lines cost more still, and whether calling or receiving, out-of-country calls will cost you an arm and a leg. Although people know the gradation, no one really knows exactly how many contours for each item. As far as I can tell, it is a diabolical plan on the part of the cell phone companies.

When I got home I decided I’d take a try at the washing machine. The similarities the washers here share with the ones at home follow: they are white, box-shaped, and I’m pretty sure they use water and electricity. Beyond that, there were tons of buttons with bewildering pictures that are intuitive to some Turkish industrial designer. There were also a number of signs in the laundry room punctuated with copious exclamation points elaborating some message that all users should be aware of before doing laundry. My pocket dictionary contained about ¼ of the words on the sign.

One hour later, I had a still dirty and now half-soaked blanket. I caught up with a woman walking down the stairs and asked if she spoke English. Edin did not speak English, but she came up and mimed to me that the washer I had chose was broken. Only one of the set of three worked.

A few minutes later her son, Okan, knocked on my door. Edin had alerted her son that I needed remedial home-economics training. Her son speaks some English and he explained/mimed how to use the machine.

A few minutes later still, my landline rang for the first time. Okan wondered if I liked coffee and would I join them in room 206. I agreed. Since my room is 204, it seemed that their room, 206, should be rather near. Later I would find that it is two floors above me and on the other wing of the building. I couldn’t find it, so I returned to my room. About 15 minute later, Okan found me wandering around with a trash bag in my hand. Giving me a quizzical look after I put together what my dictionary and travel book represented as a well-formed sentence asking where I’d find the dumpster, he took the bags, walked across the street, and dumped them in the dumpster.

Okan, a Ph.D. candidate in statistics, shares a room the size of mine with his mother. The rooms in this building are the size of a small motel room with a bathroom, a mini-fridge, and a sink. Mine also has a bed, a chair that folds out to be a bed, a kitchen table/desk, two small chairs, and a bedside table. In my mind I had been going over plans to convince the powers that be that I needed something larger, but when I saw that both Okan and his mother lived in the same space that I live in, I became immediately more content with my lot. Okan has two computers, a huge flat-screen monitor on which he somehow gets television stations, and, wonder of all wonders, high-speed Internet. He assured me that he could help me get Internet in my room too. Tomorrow he will go out and buy the requisite cable and then help me to get hooked up. Skype, here I come.

We had apples, grapes, tea, and pastries. When I left Okan’s mother told him to tell me that I was her “baby sheep” while I was here, and that she would help me. If ever I was hungry, I should come by and she would cook for me. It reminded me of something I read once, that all travel is essentially meeting new people and convincing them that they want to take care of you. In Turkey it seems that one doesn’t have to do a lot of convincing.

Turkish Hospitality, Ramazan, and Kurds

2007-09-19T07:38:00.000+03:00

Today made me understand why everyone who has been to Turkey talks about how welcoming the Turks are. First Ahmet, a faculty member of the education department, came to pick me up at my place to take me to school, so that I wouldn’t have to take the bus on the first day. He drove me to school and even drove around the campus to show me the exact stop where I would be getting off the bus tomorrow.

He took me to my office which I share with Ferayal and another woman whom I’ve not yet met. Ferayal is a vivacious and extremely well-read professor in the education department. Her Ph.D. is in literature, but she teaches everything. My desk was ready for me with a computer and a high-speed Internet connection. Ferayal asked me when my birthday is (January 18th), and she promptly presented me with an early birthday gift – a small carpet to “add some color” to my room. I met Berna, the research assistant and another faculty member Nesryn, who just passed her Ph.D. oral defense.

When Ferayal noticed that I was having trouble navigating the computer menus in Turkish, she made a call to the computer lab and three computer students were promptly sent to fix the problem. While they were adjusting my settings to English, the girl’s stomach growled loudly. Ferayal offered her a piece of candy, but the young woman declined because she is fasting for Ramadan. Later Ferayal offered the young man fixing the computer something to eat, but he also declined. He said that although he was not fasting, out of respect for those who are, he preferred not to eat in front of them.

I later asked Nesryn about the meaning of Ramadan (Ramazan here in Turkey). Why do people fast? She explained that it is a lunar month set aside for fasting from sunset till sundown – that means no water, no food, no cigarettes, nothing. The fasting is to remind Muslims what it is like to go without. For one month a year, they are to experience what it feels like to be hungry so that they may build empathy for those who truly are. Women who are pregnant or nursing, children, the old, and the infirm are not expected to observe the fast. I think that few if any of my colleagues are fasting although I think they keep the spirit of Ramazan close to them.

At the end of Ramazan, a three-day festival called Baryan will be celebrated. Each household that can afford it slaughters a goat. The goat is to be divided into thirds. One-third goes to the poor. Nasryn says that some people are so destitute that this is the only time their families are able to eat meat. Another third goes to one’s neighbors, and the last third goes to the household for a feast. Neighbors then go door-to-door to share food and celebrate in everyone’s house. What important society values that Islam encourages – to care for people less fortunate, to share your bounty with them, and to engender community.

I am stunned at the level of sophistication of the teachers here. Although they seem to be relatively young, they are not only well-versed in their Ph.D. field, but they have an extremely in-depth knowledge of other fields such as linguistics, ESL, teaching methodology, as well as many publications to their names. Almost all teaching in higher-education here is in English. The faculty is completely fluent, and I expect that the students will also have excellent English skills.

Nasryn invited me to her home for lunch/dinner. She first walked me down the pedestrian mall (most neighborhoods have one), where you can buy just about anything you want. We stopped and she bought ingredients for kofta – a Turkish meatball. Nasryn is from southeastern Turkey and she is a Kurd. Although Kurds fought in the war for Turkish independence, they were not given the recognition or freedoms they were promised after the republic was established. In fact, they were persecuted in much the same way that blacks were in post-Civil War U.S. Until recently, it was illegal to teach the Kurdish language in schools. Even today the Kurds in Turkey have substandard schools and their home geographic regions have little infrastructure. The language is taught at only a few private schools, and their political parties are often abolished by the government as soon as they are formed. It was really interesting to speak with her because I was warned repeatedly not to broach the subject of Kurds or Armenians with (non-Kurdish) Turkish people.

Although I said that I would post pictures on my blog, my camera, unfortunately, bit the dust today. It has been slowly dying, but usually tapping it makes it work for a few more shots. I had to resort to rather hard “tapping”, and I don’t believe it will be working again.

Doubts

2007-09-18T13:18:00.000+03:00

Ferayal came by around 9:30 p.m. and delivered groceries to me – water, apples, pizza, ice tea, and a delicious salad of tasty greens and tomatoes. I feel very alone right now. No Internet connection to talk to my family.

I’ve blown the power out in my room at least 20 times trying to find the right union between Turkish outlets, my adapters, my voltage converter, and my appliances. Seems some are grounded; others are not, and plugging in a grounded appliances to a non-grounded outlet has seriously bad consequences such as leaping sparks and loud cracks.

Still can’t get power to my laptop, so I am trying to use it judiciously.

I miss Duncan and Kirk, my friends, my family, my home. I am beginning to realize all of the good things I’ve given up to come here. I hope it is worth it.

I doubt there is any way I can get Internet in my room. The a/c doesn’t seem to work, and my screen won’t fit into my window. The maintenance man doesn’t speak English and my Turkish is abominable. I am not even sure if the infrastructure in Ïzmir would allow for a high-speed connection. That would sure be nice because I wouldn’t feel so isolated her at 3:24 in the morning, no one to talk to. What if I just ran out in the hallway and started screaming, would anybody come out to help?

Arrival

2007-09-17T14:55:00.000+03:00

I arrived in Izmir today after about 22 hours of travel. Professor Ferayal Çubukçu and Ahmet came to collect me and 150 lbs of luggage at the airport. They whisked me to my housing, and, assuming I’d be exhausted, left me here to sleep. Ferayal tried to make me promise not to leave the housing, but I knew that I’d need to go out and get some food or something, which I did. When they left, I walked into the bathroom and realized that while “freshening up” before meeting them at the airport I had put my shirt on wrong-side-out (and obviously so). So much for good impressions.

I am surprised at how little I can actually communicate here. At least in France, Spain, Italty, Germany. . .there are some cognates, but here, nothing is familiar. I managed to buy some ayran (a salty yogurt drink) olives, trash can, and toilet paper by pointing and mumbling something like “thank you”.

My studio is very small – the size of my kitchen at home, but I think it will be sufficient. On the plus side, I think it will be harder to lose things in a place this size, and cleaning should be easy.

Information - finally

2007-09-11T08:07:00.000+03:00

T minus 6 days and counting. After a little poking and prodding , I finally received information about where I will be staying in Izmir - the University Guest Rooms in Buca, which, I think, is a neighborhood in Izmir. My apartment will have a private bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom. Although the bedroom and living room may be in the same room (studio-style), the place is partially furnished, so I won't have to worry about getting a bed or sofa.

Although I won't be near enough to see the ocean from my place, I will be about 2 minutes from campus and within a metro ride of Ikea! I've been hoping for Ikea to come to Denver for years; seems that I have to move to Turkey in order to have one in my city!

As soon as I get there and find an Internet connection, I will take some pictures and post them on my blog site.

Elections Tomorrow

2007-08-28T03:44:00.000+03:00

Tomorrow Turkey will hold elections for its new president. Abdullah Gul from the AK Party is heavily favored, and the military has already released warnings stating that it will not let Gul take the country in a Islamist direction. Although 99% Muslim, Turkey has a secular government.

Gul is called a "former Islamist"; I am still unsure what that means. His wife dons the headscarf, a style that many Turks are uncomfortable with since the reforms enacted by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. These reforms included granting women the right to vote (1934) and banning the headscarf in public buildings.

The military has overthrown four governments in the past 60 years, so its discomfort with the ruling party's leanings is heeded by many.

Looks like September 16th is my leaving date. What a time to be in Turkey!

Taylor Mali on what teachers make

2007-08-23T01:03:00.001+03:00

So what do you make?

Pre-Departure Orientation

2007-08-15T04:29:00.000+03:00

Here I am sitting at my desk in my hotel room in the Westin in downtown D.C. For the first time in my work life, I feel as if I am truly valued as a professional.

It may seem silly to my friends who work as architects, pilots, lawyers, but you have to know that we teachers don't often get to go to conferences. When we do, we often have to beg for the time away from the clasroom, supplement with our own money, share rooms, etc., etc. The unstated message is that teaching and teachers are not valued therefore, not funded. In U.S. culture and even in our own teaching institutions, we are often not afforded the status of true "professional".

Not so here. I have my own beautiful room with wifi, two very fluffy clean white beds, and I even had a 5-minute chair massage in the lounge this afternoon. In addition, each fellow's creativity is valued and encouraged. One of the major components of each person's post is to identify a need at the host institution and develop a project around that need. Each grant includes a budget to make that project a reality.

In addition, we were each given a generous allowance to choose books. My choices focus on pedagogy and language acquisition theory, as those are the classes I will be teaching in which I have the least experience.

Orientation sessions this week include topics such as public diplomacy, health benefit information, regional security briefings, and introductions to the many people at the embassy with whom we will be working.

There are 143 other fellows that are being placed all over the world. Fellows are working in countries such as the Ukraine, Syria, Egypt, Brazil, Guatemala. . .88 countries in all, and their bios are rather impressive. All posess master's degrees; many have Ph.D.s. Almost all have taught in many countries, speak at least two languages (one speaks eight!), and many have been Fullbright recipients and/or Peace Corps volunteers. I have to admit, I have had moments when I wondered how I was chosen to be among this class.

Academic Schedule for Dokuz Eylul, 2007/2008

2007-08-06T18:16:00.000+03:00

I. Term Courses - 9/24/07 - 1/11/08
I. Term Final Exams - 1/14/08 - 1/26/08

Mid-term Holiday - 1/26/08 - 2/18/08

II. Term Courses - 2/18/08 - 5/30/08
II. Term Final Exams - 6/2/08 - 6/14/08

Holidays:
Ramadan Festival: 12-13-14 October 2007
Republic Festival: 29th October 2007
Muslim Festival of Sacrifices: 20-21-22-23rd December 2007
New Year Holiday: 1st of January 2008

Unknowns

2007-06-29T17:03:00.001+03:00

Well the time to leave is drawing near, and yet there are still so many unknowns. I have no idea where I'll be living, when I'll be leaving, what my work schedule will be, if I can bring my dog.

I have sent four emails to my contact in Turkey, and it is as if they went into a black hole. The current EL fellow in another part of Turkey told me that the Turks don't answer email. I thought she was overgeneralizing, but my experience is proving her right. She also told me that I wouldn't find out about school holidays until I show up to teach someday and find that classes have been cancelled and that I shouldn't plan to accomplish anything while I am there or it will, "break my heart". I am hoping she is wrong about the last two.

I did get a list of classes I would be teaching. I've requested the syllabi, but I am doubtful that I will get anything. I guess part of being a teacher is being a good actor. I will show up on the first day of my classes, not knowing anything about the content of the class or the books being used, and attempt to be confident.

I think the hardest thing is not hearing back about whether I can bring my dog Duncan. He brings so much joy to my life that I can't imagine leaving him behind. My mom and Jim have offered to watch him. I know he loves to visit there and play with their dogs. He will be happy, but I'll miss him terribly.

Nevertheless I look forward to something new and challenging. I have been practicing my Turkish on my bike rides to and from work each day. I listen to the audio files and then *try* to pronounce the words. To the people I pass by, I am sure I look a bit crazy muttering those unintelligible syllables.

Going to Turkey!

2007-06-13T19:20:00.000+03:00

Most of you already know by now, but as of September, 2007, I will be living and working in Izmir, Turkey as an English Language Fellow (you can now call me an ELF J).

The English Language Fellow program is run through the State Department and it coordinates with embassies and teaching institutions in other countries to set up 10-month teaching appointments. My position will include teaching English, linguistics, grammar, and teaching methodology to undergraduates at Dokuz Eylul University, which has a student body of about 40,000 students. In addition to teaching, I hope to learn a good bit of the language and do some traveling while I am there from September ‘07 – June ’08 (possibly longer).

If you’ve ever considered visiting Turkey, now is the time! Although my accommodations will probably be modest, I would be thrilled to host any of my friends or family who may visit. Izmir is a city of 3 million on the Aegean coast. Besides having beautiful weather, Izmir is also near many ruins and Greek islands.

Below is my new contact information including a phone number local to Denver that you will be able to reach me at throughout my time in Turkey.

Contact Me
Phone: (303)-800-6072
Skype melaniebrooks74
Email: melaniebrooks74@hotmail.com
Blog: http://itineranteacher.blogspot.com/