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.