Home and Healthy

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.