Cultural Relativity

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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.

Hagia Sophia

When *not* to practice your Turkish

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

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

Yavrolar, Epheseus

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,

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So what do you make?

Pre-Departure Orientation

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

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

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!

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/