Sunday, June 10, 2007

Goodbye- at least for now...









This pair belongs to none other than yours truly. My time here in Turkey is drawing to a close & this will be my final post. I would like to preface this by thanking you for reading. I think I have the blog bug now, so maybe I will start another thread for my next adventure- who knows. Since the journey has almost come full circle, I felt like it was an appropriate time to finally include myself in this whole story. I have had so many amazing experiences here. I will miss many things, but mostly the people. I can’t say that I will morn the absence of scary drivers, pushy people on crowded streets/sidewalks, waiters that take your plate while your still eating or constantly being followed by people saying “yabanci” (foreigner) or speaking random sentences in English without actually addressing you. However, I must confess that my heart breaks a little bit every time I realize that I will leave her in a few weeks. And that with all those miles, I leave behind sweet little covered ladies in villages offering you tea (& their sons for marriage). Little old men, in small towns giving you tours of the city, rides back to town from the hillsides & of course more tea. I will miss colorful old houses strung with laundry and carpets, little children playing in the streets, the beautiful sound of the azan and numerous friendly faces greeting you with intense, soulful eyes & open hearts. Turkey is part of me now & I will be forever changed.

Taner, Taner, Taner









This is my friend Taner. He is in the graphics department & one of the first people to speak to me at school. We ran into each other at an art opening a few days after our first introductions & ended up hanging out the rest of the night with he & his friends. We have been paling around ever since. He is always pleasant & smiling- a happy soul. He is also very easy on the eyes... A strapping lad, well over 6’ tall (very unusual here) with actual meat on his bones (even more unusual here) with big, sultry, brown eyes -- Lovely! (inside & out). His girlfriend Ceyda (Jay-da) is a lucky gal & adorable too, so it works. The great thing is that he & his friend Ozan are coming to the U.S. for working travel over the summer. While they are there, the will look into the possibility of studying with us at our university. I really hope it works out, because, I am (once again) really going to miss hanging out with him too.

Eda









It is only natural that I post this girlie with Seckin. Eda & Seckin are like two little peas in a pod- always together. I met her on our Cappadocia trip & she is fabulous. Picture a fair skinned, slightly freckled, Turkish girl with hair down to her knees (extremely rare here- maybe because it could be seen as a big slap in the face of the traditional covered women). She sort-of has Goth look to her (black eyeliner, combat boots, black lace & accents of red or hot pink typically). She is almost always dressed in full regalia- everything color coordinated. On top of these elaborate costumes, she is amazingly peppy- dancing spinning, chatting. I love to be around her- her energy is awesome. I especially love the fact that her personality is in direct opposition to her preferred fashion style. There is not an ounce of pretentious surliness (like Goths in the U.S.) in her & I love it. I have really enjoyed being in her presence & I will really miss her too.

Turkish Girl









This is Seckin (pronounced Sechkin), probably one of the first Turkish girls to acknowledge my existence. We met at an Erasmus gathering & hit it off immediately. She really renewed my faith in the female part of society here- thank goodness... I needed some hope at that point. She is super smart & fun (not to mention she speaks great English, which is always a huge plus for me- as I continue to struggle with learning Turkish). She is just finishing her Master’s degree in TV Production. Unfortunately, this has made it very hard to get together with my new friend because she is always writing her thesis. Luckily, we managed a trip to Cappadocia as well as a few meetings over tea, coffee & beer. School ends soon, so we will try to squeeze in a few more before I have to leave. I will miss her :(

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Kloe









These baby blues belong to Kloe. She is the alter ego of my American teacher here. Doing these blogs were her idea and I am so glad she assigned it. It has been a great way to share my experiences with friends, family and hopefully anyone else who is interested. It has helped me reflect on my travels as well. Really, I owe Kloe and her husband a million thanks for the opportunity to be here (they started the exchange program). Thank you for pushing my creativity and making all the wonderful memories possible :)

Monday, April 30, 2007

#3









To complete the picture, I will introduce you to the third lady. Curious about the commotion outside, this little woman came to her window as well. It was so funny because next she brought her newborn grandchild over to the window, I assume to show her off & she was beautiful- perfect little face & full head of black hair- cok guzel! After ample show casing of the new baby, the proud grandmother made her way out to chat with us as well. Even though she said very little (she was the shy one of the group), she seemed content to be part of the action. After sipping tea & talking for quite sometime, we realized we should be on our way. We gathered the dishes & took them down for the sweet little woman who had traversed the steep stairs in her feeble condition to join us. As we said our good byes, we got their address & promised to send copies of the photos. They showered us with big hugs & Turkish kisses (on both cheeks) & wished for us good husbands & marriages for the future. We giggled & thanked them, knowing in their world, this was the greatest gift a woman could receive. I will never forget that chance meeting, it was wonderful & I am so glad that we wondered down that crooked street.

#2









Soon after the first lady went inside to fetch our tea this one came out to get a closer look. She was a happy, energetic woman with tons of personality & a little round body to match her little round face. Many Turkish women (especially the traditional ones) are leery of us, but not her. She came bounding out of her house with a big smile on her face & instantly started chatting us up. Luckily Serkan was with us to translate. She told us about how much of her family now lived in France, including her son, who had recently divorced his French wife. I think she wanted us to know that she was worldly, even if it was vicariously. She apparently took quiet a shine to me, because she kept patting me on the back & face. She even said she wished she had another son, so that I could marry him. You just have to love these people... they are amazingly genuine.

Village Woman #1









These kind eyes belong to a woman that I met in the village Afyon. My friends & I were strolling through the old part of the city, snapping photos of traditional Turkish life... children at play, streets lined with charmingly worn houses in pastel colors, long stretches of laundry & carpets blowing in the breeze and of course various locals, who wanted to check out the yabanci (c is pronounced as a j)- foreigners. At the end of a crooked street that backed up to a beautiful field with an ancient fortress perched on top of a mountain, we met this little woman. I presume that she heard us laughing with some neighborhood children who were performing for our cameras. She called down from her window to my Turkish roommate, asking if we would like some tea. Completely enchanted by the atmosphere we accepted. Next thing we knew she came out with a bundle of cushions for us to sit on. Then the neighborhood boys came tearing up the road with little yellow flowers for us- too cute. These were followed later, by a complete tea set, kettle cozy & all. The tea was great & so was the company.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Zafer









Oh yes, they are green (a real rarity in Turkey). This lovely boy is Zafer, Rahmi’s other officemate. He was in Istanbul with Rahmi when we first met. As Rahmi’s favorite sidekick, Zafer is firmly woven into our Turkish experience as well. Some of my earliest memories of Turkey are of Rahmi playing translator for us in the hotel & narrowly escaping crazy Turkish drivers as we ran screaming arm in arm across the streets of Istanbul--- too funny! Really, he & Rahmi are like our Turkish family here. I love watching the exchange between the two of them. Rahmi says, “sometimes he is my friend, sometimes he is my brother, sometimes he is my son”, as he tries to trip him or tease him about his latest love interest. In fact, Zafer’s ever-changing girlfriends have become the topic of many conversations. He seriously has a new one every time I see him (which is about once a week). I swear I can’t keep up. He is still very boyish in many ways (which seems to be common here), but there is an intensity about him that I can’t explain. He alternates between the smiling, playful boy offering me food (usual chocolate) & this serious looking character. It is interesting. I wonder what is going on in that head of his sometimes… maybe he’s contemplating where to find the next Miss Right:) Rahmi & I joke that he has dated everyone in Turkey & that he will have to learn English to meet girls in other countries. Now, don’t get me wrong, he is not some scandalous womanizer. To the contrary, he is actually a pretty devout Muslim (complete with the cute little covered mother, who is always feeding you & giving you plenty of tea & kisses on the cheeks). He says he is looking for his true love. So there it is… yet another difference between motives of people here in Turkey & those in the US. He is only 22 now, but in a few years when he is full-blown-- watch out ladies! Just look at those eyes.

Monday, April 9, 2007

Taha









Yes, I am back to boys. Sorry, but they are everywhere & happy to talk (usually) or at least smile & giggle. They also, practically all have amazing eyes- Turkish genes, I guess. This fellow is no exception. His name is Taha & he too is in my glass class. I must say, I don’t know him too well. He is a little shy (kind of hangs out in the background in his little thrown together, artsy boy way). I don’t think he speaks much English… hence the problem. Even with our lack of communication, he is always willing to help out. Glass work is a race against the clock (it cools very quickly) so it is great to have a helper. At the moment we are making little animals. He has stepped away from his own projects to dutifully assist in the attachment of numerous ears & tails. Always smiling & giving me kudos. Cok guzel (choke goo-zel = very good), he says, as we place yet another little glass pig into the cooling oven- eyelashes fluttering & a big grin on his face. Thanks for cheering me on.

Tiny Little Glass Blower









Ok. So I am sure that you are wondering why there are no women included on this page. The truth of the matter is, that I don’t know too many of my gender here. For the most part it seems that Turkish girls are not particularly interested in speaking to us, let alone becoming friends. That being said, there are a few splendid gals that have crossed my path, so they will make an appearance sooner or later-don‘t worry. Today, the honor of first lady goes to Burcu (pronounced Bur-jew). She is not only absolutely adorable, but she is crucial to my success in our glass blowing class. I speak very little Turkish (I’m trying) & both the professor & master craftsman that we work with speak almost no English. OK & blow are about it, so we rely heavily on hand gestures & body language. This is a particularly sticky problem when you are at beginner’s level & working with hot glass. Really, hot is a severe understatement. The temperature in the studio alone makes you feel like you’re in a sweat shop or possibly the Netherworld. When several classmates are busy on projects, molten balls of glowing, gelatinous goo are being whirled around on metal poles at every turn. One false move & I’m pretty sure you would feel like you were being swallowed up in hell fire. It is quite impressive to watch this tiny little girl throwing that stuff around like it is no big deal. Not to mention, it is a bit of a dirty, sweaty job & she always looks super chic & put together. Too cute! So, thank you Burcu for making my glass blowing experience more productive, enjoyable and most importantly, less life threatening :)

Sunday, April 1, 2007

Heartbreaking :(









These big ol’ puppy dog eyes belong to Sinan, Rahmi’s office mate. His eyes are so sad it almost breaks my heart a little bit every time I look at him. Now, I will say that they do twinkle a bit when he’s laughing, and he does his fare of giggling, as all Turkish boys do. The difference with him is that the second the laughter stops, his eyes (or really his whole face) goes right back to being sad- it’s the darnedest thing. I don’t think it has anything to do with being depressed or anything, I just think the gears are always turning up there & he gets a little lost in it. Or maybe he is searching for something when he looks at you-- acceptance maybe (he is a shy one). For the longest time he has reminded me of someone & I could never place it. The other day, I finally figured it out… his long lanky body & dark, down turned eyes strangely remind me of pictures of my grandfather when he was young. This realization has made looking at him both more endearing & painful (tugs at the heart strings can bring on a strange sensation of conflicting emotions).

Look at all that Compassion









Ahhhhhh. I love this guy! This is Rahmi, the first friend that I made in Turkey- so this entry is extra special. He has to be one of the kindest people I have ever met, as you can see in his eyes. My traveling companion & I met him in our hotel our first night in Istanbul. After a brief chat, he started feeding us & we have been firmly planted under his wing ever since. He is always concerned that we might not have eaten, that we might be unhappy in Turkey, that we are walking unescorted after dark, that we might not crossing the street safely- so protective. This is particularly funny since he is not quite 10 years my senior- but I guess he is just an old soul & feels all those extra years. He says we are his sisters, gifts from God. Did I mention he is a total SAP! He is always talking about love & peace & God. If anyone questions the motives of Muslim people, they should have a tea (or 10 if he can convince you to stay) & a chat with Rahmi & all would be clarified. Even if he finds my opinions/lifestyle (i.e.- living with my boyfriend before marriage, etc.), upsetting or at least in opposition to his own, he simply says, “It is so difficult for me. I know it is different culture in US. It’s not dirty. It’s OK. Sometimes brothers must cover their eyes“ and gives me a big smile & giggle. There is never any judgment.- it’s amazing how religious, yet open he is. He is truly a beautiful human being & I know I will never forget him & all that he has done for me. Love you much Rah-mi!

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Twinkle











Is this the sweetest face you have ever seen or what? OK, so maybe your not seeing the whole face, but the most important feature. This happy fellow is my friend Orkun. He is like a little ray of sunshine, just waiting to brighten your day. He is always smiling & his big brown eyes just sparkle away. This photo also displays his prominent brow beautifully. He is always making jokes about it being his second mustache. Just talking to him makes me smile. I wish I could put him in my pocket :)

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Golden










Well, this is your first real introduction to the fabulous people I am meeting here in Turkey. The beautiful pair of peepers that you see here, belong to my new friend Mohammad. We met through his employer, who also happens to be my roommate. One of the first things I noticed when we met was the unusual color of his eyes. To say they are a light brown would not do them justice, so I guess I would call them more of a warm gold. To top it off, his gilded eyeballs are framed perfectly with these really great, long, dark, fluttery lashes (most woman would die for those babies). Not only does he have great eyes, but an amazing singing voice. I was shocked the first time he belted out a soulful rendition of Ray Charles'"Hit the Road Jack" & when he sings traditional Turkish music it is even more impressive. Ahhhh, I love my new Turkish friends.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

1st Impressions of Turkey- It is all in the Eyes










My first impressions of Turkey have been very interesting. It seems a place of many contradictions- modern tram ways & trash collectors who trot around in buggies pulled by mules, Americanized youths sporting the latest fashions & traditional women with covered heads, rap music intermingling with the call to prayer. It is fascinating how all of these things can co-exist. Amidst the details of my life here, one thing seems to rise above all the rest... the people here are amazing. The kindness & warmth of the Turks is wonderful (something we should all aspire to). They are passionate & emotional & their openness allows the whole world to see it on their faces. I am always struck by the intensity of their eyes in particular. I feel like I could get lost in them sometimes. Whether it is a pensive gaze, a concentrated stare, or a jovial glace, there is so much feeling. If the eyes truly are the window to the soul, the Turks seem to invite you to peer into the depths of their being. It is magical.