Today did not turn out how I planned.
Ipek, a biology teacher and my sponsor, invited me for tea at 10:30. This, she told me, is a typical thing to do on the first day of the bayram, you visit each of your closest friends and family and share sweats with them. We started out with a caramel macchiato liquer, which was very tasty, and quite strong. Then we had bakalava and Turkish coffee followed by a savory bread with cheese and parsley in side. Ipek said that in a traditional town you might visit for an hour or two and then move on to the next family and repeat the process. Children will do the speed dating version of this in a halloween sort of way. They go door to door, ring the bell, say 'iyi bayramlar' and expect to be given a coin or a piece of candy before running off to the next door. I do not doubt that many folks have upset stomachs by the end of the bayram, to go from fasting during the day to glutting on sweets all day would be a shock to anyones system. I had a lovely time, Ipek, her husband Andrew, their daughter Yasmine, new teacher Jack and I chatted on a variety of subjects for almost three hours. We first tried to leave at about noon, but the conversation would suck us in again. So much for trying to get down town before noon.
I returned to my apartment not feeling the greatest, probably too many sweats or maybe the liqueur, so I rested for a little while. At 2:30 I was mustering the energy to get up and go out again, when John called to invite me to dinner at 6. This is so nice, I could hardly refuse, but this now brackets my time for going out. Perhaps it was just dragging my feet, but then I went upstairs to return Felicia's bowl, filled with failed flapjack instead of olive oil, which was in it when she lent it to me the night before. I met her cat, tulip, who is a long haired orange and white beautiful beast who kicked the last walunt out of the fruit bowl last Christmas and has taken up residence ever since. We chatted for a while and by the time I got back down stairs it was after 3.
Ok, what I really wanted to do to day was to find St. Antoine's church, just down the street from Taksim square. One of the two regular busses that leaves my building goes all the way to Taksim, then, looking at the map, I can walk down the main pedestrian way to the tram, get the tram to Kabistash and get the other bus back. Judging from previous bus rides along that route, it should be easily doable in 2 and half hours. This is where I was wrong.
Perhaps my first clue should have been that the first bus to come didn't even stop it was so full of people. The second bus was full, but not quite as full and was going to Kabitash instead of Taksim, no problem, I can do my triangle in reverse. I barely got on since with the new passengers, the bus was really full. We got as far as Ortokoy and I could already see it was going to be trouble. I have now had a glimpse of what people are talking about when they say traffic is awful. Andrew, Ipek's husband mentioned this morning taking the ferry from Arovutkoy to Bebek, two bus stops north. I thought I miss heard, or miss understood, but now I can definately see doing that if the traffic was anything like it was today. I think we went 2 miles in about 40 minutes.
Anyway, I realized my plan needed alteration, so I aborted my mission and got off at Bescitash, where I had been to the Saturday market in my first week here. I wondered around for a few mintues and got back on a bus going the other way. I mistakenly thought that the return would be faster, not only would we be going away from town, but there were also two lanes of traffic. Yeah, no. The walkers were all going faster than us. In the 30 minutes I was on the return bus we had not gotten to the first bus stop. The driver was letting people off, so I got off, walked for 20 minutes until the traffic was more clear and then waited at a bus stop, to get on, you know where this is going, the same bus I got off. Yeah, slick. There were a whole group of people in the front who recognized me and I shared an exasperated look with one young man, which I will take to mean, 'Yes, I know it was futile, and probably a mistake, but how could I know?' Perhaps that is a good thing about not knowing the language, I will never know if his look really meant something else entirely.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Bayrams and shopping
So as I mentioned in my last post, everything is closed during the Bayram. The government basically stops for the week. In addition to Istanbul being empty, this means I wont get my residency permit until next Monday at the earliest. Not only is there no one on campus to help me with the paperwork, there is no one at the office that would issue it. The unfortunate thing about that, is I need my residency permit before I can get my boxes out off the boat and through customs. There are several unfortunate things about that, top among them is that all of my teacher clothes are in those boxes.
This is my fault. I was warned that the boxes can take forever to clear customs and that the dress code for teachers was strict. Yet some how I didn't put the two together to carry with me at least a few of my teacher clothes just in case. According to the shipping company, my boxes should be in Istanbul on the 31st , since I shipped on July 10th, this is just over the upper end of the 4-6 weeks I was told to expect, but the 31st is in the middle of the Bayram, in which the government shuts down. So even though my boxes might be here, I can get to them, but since I dont have my residency permit, it doesnt really matter.
If you know me at all, you probably know that I dont like making phone calls and I dont like shopping. I also dont like dressing up and shopping for dress up clothes is a compound dislike on the way to hatred. I did it back home, begrudingly, and coming to the realization that I would have to do it again here was quite a blow. I have a hard enough time finding clothes that fit at home but to do it in a foreign country in which everyone is skinny was not something I was looking forward to. Fortunately, everyone at RC knows everyones business and then is very helpful. As soon as I figure out that I probably wont have my teaching clothes in time for school to start, I ask one person about buying something here and then she tells someone who has a suggestion for where to look and another person who offers to take me. Anyway, thanks much to Jenny for taking me to Deninhams where I bought three pairs of pants and three shirts, which will get me through the begining of school and hopefully my clothes will arrive soon.
Besides clothes, my boxes contain my kitchen things. Today I was particularly missing a sharp knife as I prepared for my first dinner party and a tea strainer. One cut thumb and a stained t shirt later, I have dinner and iced tea. Better yet, I had a house full of people to enjoy them with.
This is my fault. I was warned that the boxes can take forever to clear customs and that the dress code for teachers was strict. Yet some how I didn't put the two together to carry with me at least a few of my teacher clothes just in case. According to the shipping company, my boxes should be in Istanbul on the 31st , since I shipped on July 10th, this is just over the upper end of the 4-6 weeks I was told to expect, but the 31st is in the middle of the Bayram, in which the government shuts down. So even though my boxes might be here, I can get to them, but since I dont have my residency permit, it doesnt really matter.
If you know me at all, you probably know that I dont like making phone calls and I dont like shopping. I also dont like dressing up and shopping for dress up clothes is a compound dislike on the way to hatred. I did it back home, begrudingly, and coming to the realization that I would have to do it again here was quite a blow. I have a hard enough time finding clothes that fit at home but to do it in a foreign country in which everyone is skinny was not something I was looking forward to. Fortunately, everyone at RC knows everyones business and then is very helpful. As soon as I figure out that I probably wont have my teaching clothes in time for school to start, I ask one person about buying something here and then she tells someone who has a suggestion for where to look and another person who offers to take me. Anyway, thanks much to Jenny for taking me to Deninhams where I bought three pairs of pants and three shirts, which will get me through the begining of school and hopefully my clothes will arrive soon.
Besides clothes, my boxes contain my kitchen things. Today I was particularly missing a sharp knife as I prepared for my first dinner party and a tea strainer. One cut thumb and a stained t shirt later, I have dinner and iced tea. Better yet, I had a house full of people to enjoy them with.
Bayrams and baseball caps
Unless you live in a largely Muslim country, you probably dont know that today is the last day of Ramadan. This means that starting tonight at sun down and for the next three days it is the Bayram, or candy holiday. I don't fully understand all the ramifications of this, but there are a couple of things that affect me directly. 1) School is closed this week and most offices and services will be closed until at least Friday. 2) I wont get my residency permit until next week at the earliest which means I wont get my boxes out from customs until after that.
So, school is out, sounds great, but school hasn't even started, so we just have a break from orientation. Can't I put this holiday in the bank and take it in late September? The lunar calendar says no. I could use this time to work on my curriculum and materials. I know that I will have to change many things since RC teaches chemistry over two years and in a very different order than I am used to. The problem is, although I know the order of the units, I dont know any of the details and the other chemistry teachers are either not on campus yet, or they were and have left for the holiday. Oh, yeah, and we need to be pretty much lock step so the school doesnt get sued for one teacher giving less work than another.
The upside of this week, is that Istanbul is largely empty. The government announced last week, that it would make this three day celebration into a 9 day holiday, so everyone who has family to visit somewhere else in Turkey, or who wants to get away has gone. I guess I haven't seen Istanbul full yet, since August is the month when people go on vacation from the city. Given that this is by far the biggest city I have ever lived in, it seems plenty full to me. I am going to take advantage of this emptiness to be a tourist.
Yesterday I walked south (although I understand Turks dont navigate by north and south, rather up and down hills, or the bosporus) to Ortokoy. There was a nice water side park to stroll through and I stopped at the grocery store for some things I thought I needed. I climbed up the hill a little bit and found some cute looking houses and streets and plenty of cats.
Today I walked north through Arnovutkoy, Bebek and up to the second bridge. I saw more fishermen than usual, and I finally saw them catch some fish. The fish aren't very big, maybe 5 inches long, but they catch many at a time. I saw one fisherwoman with 8 on her line at the same time. They seem to tie a short line every foot or so with another lure and by the time they pull them up they have several bites. My destination was the 'castle' on the water, just before the second bridge. I wasn't sure it would be open because of the bayram, but the gate was open and there were plenty of guards around. I paid my 3TL and took an English brochure.
Paraphrasing from the brocure: The fortress of Rumeli was built at the narrowest point of the Bosphorus by Sultan Mehmed II (Fatih) across from the Fortress of Anatolia in order to control the waterway and conquer Istanbul. It was constructed in 4 months in the spring of 1452. It included a mosque, but the mosque was destroyed in an earthquake in 509. Now it houses a cannon museum and many beautiful views.
For more pictures click here for my Picassa album: Rumeli Fortress pictures
When I entered, I think I was the only tourist and after climbing up to the water facing tower, a guard attached himself to me. I thought maybe he was going to keep me from going some places, but he lead the way up and around, giving me my own private tour. His English was pretty good and he pointed out the towers and told me some of the history. He also asked how old I was, if I was married, how long I would be in Istanbul, what I do for a living and how much I make. I learned later that really nothing is personal and that in general Turks want to know a lot about you, but if you turn the questions around, they hedge. When I asked him if he was married, he said no, why not? I love all women! I am not sure that was exactly what he meant... I wasn't sure if he was going to want a tip, or if he was just practicing his English and livening up his day. When I told him it was time for me to go, he walked away, so I didn't have any chance to give him a tip even if I wanted to. The major bummer of this visit was that I lost my Holden Village cap. At the top of the fortress it was very windy and it just blew off. Unfortunately it went out of the fortress rather then into it. I visited the cemetary on the other side of the wall, but I couldnt get up high enough to find it before I was so hungry and thirsty I had to give up the search.
I am planning on continuing to be a tourist down town tomorrow and Wednesday and then we have a tirp to the Princes Islands tentatively planned for Friday.
This is getting long, so I am going to split this post into two..
So, school is out, sounds great, but school hasn't even started, so we just have a break from orientation. Can't I put this holiday in the bank and take it in late September? The lunar calendar says no. I could use this time to work on my curriculum and materials. I know that I will have to change many things since RC teaches chemistry over two years and in a very different order than I am used to. The problem is, although I know the order of the units, I dont know any of the details and the other chemistry teachers are either not on campus yet, or they were and have left for the holiday. Oh, yeah, and we need to be pretty much lock step so the school doesnt get sued for one teacher giving less work than another.
The upside of this week, is that Istanbul is largely empty. The government announced last week, that it would make this three day celebration into a 9 day holiday, so everyone who has family to visit somewhere else in Turkey, or who wants to get away has gone. I guess I haven't seen Istanbul full yet, since August is the month when people go on vacation from the city. Given that this is by far the biggest city I have ever lived in, it seems plenty full to me. I am going to take advantage of this emptiness to be a tourist.
Yesterday I walked south (although I understand Turks dont navigate by north and south, rather up and down hills, or the bosporus) to Ortokoy. There was a nice water side park to stroll through and I stopped at the grocery store for some things I thought I needed. I climbed up the hill a little bit and found some cute looking houses and streets and plenty of cats.
Today I walked north through Arnovutkoy, Bebek and up to the second bridge. I saw more fishermen than usual, and I finally saw them catch some fish. The fish aren't very big, maybe 5 inches long, but they catch many at a time. I saw one fisherwoman with 8 on her line at the same time. They seem to tie a short line every foot or so with another lure and by the time they pull them up they have several bites. My destination was the 'castle' on the water, just before the second bridge. I wasn't sure it would be open because of the bayram, but the gate was open and there were plenty of guards around. I paid my 3TL and took an English brochure.
Paraphrasing from the brocure: The fortress of Rumeli was built at the narrowest point of the Bosphorus by Sultan Mehmed II (Fatih) across from the Fortress of Anatolia in order to control the waterway and conquer Istanbul. It was constructed in 4 months in the spring of 1452. It included a mosque, but the mosque was destroyed in an earthquake in 509. Now it houses a cannon museum and many beautiful views.
 |
| Most of these cannons seemed to be from the 19th century and I am not sure what they had to do with the fortress. |
 |
| The invading Ottomans built this fortress at the narrowest part of the Bosphorus to control traffic and to have a staging area for invading Istanbul. |
 |
| I climbed to the top of this wall (although not up that stair case) and it was at the top that I lost my hat. )-: |
For more pictures click here for my Picassa album: Rumeli Fortress pictures
When I entered, I think I was the only tourist and after climbing up to the water facing tower, a guard attached himself to me. I thought maybe he was going to keep me from going some places, but he lead the way up and around, giving me my own private tour. His English was pretty good and he pointed out the towers and told me some of the history. He also asked how old I was, if I was married, how long I would be in Istanbul, what I do for a living and how much I make. I learned later that really nothing is personal and that in general Turks want to know a lot about you, but if you turn the questions around, they hedge. When I asked him if he was married, he said no, why not? I love all women! I am not sure that was exactly what he meant... I wasn't sure if he was going to want a tip, or if he was just practicing his English and livening up his day. When I told him it was time for me to go, he walked away, so I didn't have any chance to give him a tip even if I wanted to. The major bummer of this visit was that I lost my Holden Village cap. At the top of the fortress it was very windy and it just blew off. Unfortunately it went out of the fortress rather then into it. I visited the cemetary on the other side of the wall, but I couldnt get up high enough to find it before I was so hungry and thirsty I had to give up the search.
I am planning on continuing to be a tourist down town tomorrow and Wednesday and then we have a tirp to the Princes Islands tentatively planned for Friday.
This is getting long, so I am going to split this post into two..
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Ramazan
I arrived in Istanbul during the month of Ramazan. In English we use the Arabic pronounciation and spell it Ramadan, but in Turkish, the d is hard to pronounce (I guess) and they both spell and pronounce the z. During this lunar month (so it move around in the seasons) devout Muslims fast from sun rise to sunset, refraining even from water, kissing or cigarettes. Turkey is officially a secular country, Ataturk separating mosque and state many years ago, but the citizens are overwhelmingly Muslim and my understanding is that the politics are getting more conservative. The first call to prayer in the morning begins the fast and the fourth call to prayer ends it. Last night I was invited to join some folks to go down to the Blue Mosque to observe the breaking of the fast.
Metin is the head of IT at RC and he offered to be our tour guide, complete with plastic pointer finger. All told there were just five of us that met at Yali gate at 6 to venture out. The bus down town is very easy, there is a stop just outside the lower gate. We rode the bus over the bridge into the horn of old Istanbul, south to the end of the line at Kabatash* where we switched to the tram into the old city. This was the first stop for the tram, but already it was crowded and more people got on at every stop. It is a big deal to break the fast together so many people were going to the mosques at the center of town, but it was also rush hour and people were just going home from work. I was lucky to have my back to a glass panel so I was only crowded with people on two sides, but it was the most crowded public transportation I have ever been on.
We exited the tram at Sultahamet around 7pm. Sun set occurs earlier and earlier every day as the days get shorter in the summer, and we were expecting sunset to occur at 8:05pm. Directly across from where we got off the tram, there was a very famous Kofte (meatball) resturant. They were not letting any one in yet, and the line was down the block. Metin thought they would let people in around 7:50 so they could be served in time for the call to prayer. The name for this meal is the Iftar but I dont think it refers to the meatballs, but rather the meal that breaks the fast. One of the other new to RC (but not Istanbul) teachers said that he saw a poster a few years back offering a McIftar under the golden arches.
We wondered around the grounds of the Blue Mosque and saw lots of people preparing for the Iftar, they had blankets set out on the grass or were sitting on news papers.
It was clearly a family time an Metin said that traditionally people would come to break the fast in community. We walked through the outer courtyard of the mosque and a young boy, maybe 7 years old comes out dressed like a king! This summer I had read Gardens of Water by Alan Drew which starts with a young boy dressed like a king on the occasion of his circumcision. Metin says that now it is common to circumsize the boys at birth, but still celebrate when they are 7 or so.
Walking through to the other side we found a special Ramazan bazar with many tables for people to eat Iftar at and many booths for people to buy traditional Ramazan treats and crafts. We walked the length of it, trying some havla doner and buying some Turkish delight. The crafts were really amazing and everything we tried was tasty. We were in the bazar when the call to prayer started.
Metin says that Ataturk mandated that the call to prayer be in Turkish so that people would understand what was being said (not unlike the vatican II allowing mass to be said in English instead of Latin), but there was a more conservative government in power in the late 40s which switched it back to Arabic. The lights on the mosque also went on when the prayer started and they say something like 'Share food with your neighbors.' Everyone ate, even the folks in the booths, so all commerse stopped for a while, but there were still lots of tourists wondering around.
We headed back to the trams station and back to the famous kofte resturant, the line was gone and we went right up to the third floor and were seated. Their iftar meal was 19.5TL but we ordered less than a full meal for everyone. It was very delicious, in part because I was hungry, in part because of the signifigance of the meal, but really it is a famous resturant for a reason.
After dinner we wondered through the touristy parts of Sultanahmed and found our way to a baklava place that Metin recommended. We had four types of bakalava and tea or water sitting out on the sidewalk. Sally and Steve gave me the task of finding out which is better, Greek baklava or Turkish baklava. I know he is biased, but Metin says that of course, Turkish baklava is better, in fact it keeps getting better the farther east you go. Ok, he is Turkish, he had to say that, but he did give me a helpful hint for finding the best stuff. It must dissolve in your mouth. All you should have to do is put a bite on your tounge and when you move it around it has dissolved. I can see that. It is something to look for. The baklava we tried was good. My least favorite was the green one stuffed with pistacios and my most favorite was the 'mothers milk' one which had no nuts and was very creamy.
We took the tram back to the bus stop, but the bus never came and we all piled into a cab for the ride back to RC, gettting in at midnight. It was a much longer evening that I expected, but full of culture, great food, and an experience I was glad to have had, even if I paid for it the following morning by being exhausted for computer lessons.
*A note on spelling, there are special letters in Turkish that English doesnt have. At some point, I may be comfortable enough with the Turkish keyboard to use those charactors regularly. Until then I will probably use a combination of phonetic spelling and leaving out the umlouts. What this will mean is that you shouldn't trust any of the Turkish words I write for spelling or proununsiation.
Metin is the head of IT at RC and he offered to be our tour guide, complete with plastic pointer finger. All told there were just five of us that met at Yali gate at 6 to venture out. The bus down town is very easy, there is a stop just outside the lower gate. We rode the bus over the bridge into the horn of old Istanbul, south to the end of the line at Kabatash* where we switched to the tram into the old city. This was the first stop for the tram, but already it was crowded and more people got on at every stop. It is a big deal to break the fast together so many people were going to the mosques at the center of town, but it was also rush hour and people were just going home from work. I was lucky to have my back to a glass panel so I was only crowded with people on two sides, but it was the most crowded public transportation I have ever been on.
We exited the tram at Sultahamet around 7pm. Sun set occurs earlier and earlier every day as the days get shorter in the summer, and we were expecting sunset to occur at 8:05pm. Directly across from where we got off the tram, there was a very famous Kofte (meatball) resturant. They were not letting any one in yet, and the line was down the block. Metin thought they would let people in around 7:50 so they could be served in time for the call to prayer. The name for this meal is the Iftar but I dont think it refers to the meatballs, but rather the meal that breaks the fast. One of the other new to RC (but not Istanbul) teachers said that he saw a poster a few years back offering a McIftar under the golden arches.
We wondered around the grounds of the Blue Mosque and saw lots of people preparing for the Iftar, they had blankets set out on the grass or were sitting on news papers.
Walking through to the other side we found a special Ramazan bazar with many tables for people to eat Iftar at and many booths for people to buy traditional Ramazan treats and crafts. We walked the length of it, trying some havla doner and buying some Turkish delight. The crafts were really amazing and everything we tried was tasty. We were in the bazar when the call to prayer started.
We headed back to the trams station and back to the famous kofte resturant, the line was gone and we went right up to the third floor and were seated. Their iftar meal was 19.5TL but we ordered less than a full meal for everyone. It was very delicious, in part because I was hungry, in part because of the signifigance of the meal, but really it is a famous resturant for a reason.
After dinner we wondered through the touristy parts of Sultanahmed and found our way to a baklava place that Metin recommended. We had four types of bakalava and tea or water sitting out on the sidewalk. Sally and Steve gave me the task of finding out which is better, Greek baklava or Turkish baklava. I know he is biased, but Metin says that of course, Turkish baklava is better, in fact it keeps getting better the farther east you go. Ok, he is Turkish, he had to say that, but he did give me a helpful hint for finding the best stuff. It must dissolve in your mouth. All you should have to do is put a bite on your tounge and when you move it around it has dissolved. I can see that. It is something to look for. The baklava we tried was good. My least favorite was the green one stuffed with pistacios and my most favorite was the 'mothers milk' one which had no nuts and was very creamy.
*A note on spelling, there are special letters in Turkish that English doesnt have. At some point, I may be comfortable enough with the Turkish keyboard to use those charactors regularly. Until then I will probably use a combination of phonetic spelling and leaving out the umlouts. What this will mean is that you shouldn't trust any of the Turkish words I write for spelling or proununsiation.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Language barriers
I was going to title this post 'To clean or not to clean' but 1) it isn't that I don't clean, and 2) this is really about more than cleaning. Let me begin again...
It was suggested that I get a cleaning lady. I dont think this was said with any knowledge or reference to my personal cleanliness habits, although the suggestion might have been stronger if they had known. I thnk the suggestion was given to help out an Armenian woman, Maria, who was looking for more work and I was a likely sucker. The cost would be 50 TL or about $30 every two weeks for a half day. Maria was said to do ironing and cleaning. While I may be persuaded to clean from time to time, I dont iron and I am ok with that since I dont have many clothes that should be ironed even if I wanted to. My apartment isn't big but it has no carpeting: hardwood floor (living room), pergo (bed room), marble (entry way) or tile (kitchen and bathroom) and I do have a fur generating beast roaming around. I am just off a big street and I do have my windows open 24/7 so the floor gets dusty. Maybe it would be nice to stimulate the Turkish economy and hire Maria to clean for me.
I have never had someone clean for me before, I dont really feel comfortable with it and I have a very high tolerance for dust, so I dont know why I thought this would be a good idea. Tania talked me into it and Aylin helped me arrange it and I guess it was just made so easy that I let it happen. This morning I left an envelope with my house key, 35 TL and 10USD (this comes out to about 53 lira) along with a note that I had translated into Turkish with google translator. Just for fun, I have taken the Turkish I got and put it back through the bing translator and this is what I got:
It was suggested that I get a cleaning lady. I dont think this was said with any knowledge or reference to my personal cleanliness habits, although the suggestion might have been stronger if they had known. I thnk the suggestion was given to help out an Armenian woman, Maria, who was looking for more work and I was a likely sucker. The cost would be 50 TL or about $30 every two weeks for a half day. Maria was said to do ironing and cleaning. While I may be persuaded to clean from time to time, I dont iron and I am ok with that since I dont have many clothes that should be ironed even if I wanted to. My apartment isn't big but it has no carpeting: hardwood floor (living room), pergo (bed room), marble (entry way) or tile (kitchen and bathroom) and I do have a fur generating beast roaming around. I am just off a big street and I do have my windows open 24/7 so the floor gets dusty. Maybe it would be nice to stimulate the Turkish economy and hire Maria to clean for me.
I have never had someone clean for me before, I dont really feel comfortable with it and I have a very high tolerance for dust, so I dont know why I thought this would be a good idea. Tania talked me into it and Aylin helped me arrange it and I guess it was just made so easy that I let it happen. This morning I left an envelope with my house key, 35 TL and 10USD (this comes out to about 53 lira) along with a note that I had translated into Turkish with google translator. Just for fun, I have taken the Turkish I got and put it back through the bing translator and this is what I got:
Maria,
Thank you for cleaning my apartment today.
I'm sorry you are not enough: I am paying $ today. pound
Please wash the sheets and bed again when cleaning?
I am writing these lines, so a translator program may be incorrect.
Thank you, Heather
Clearly, this ^ is not what I meant...
Maria,
Thank you for cleaning my apartment today.
I am sorry I don't have enough lira, so I am paying part in dollars today.
Will you please wash my sheets and remake the bed while you are cleaning?
I used a translator program to write this, so it might be wrong.
Thank you, Heather
Thank you for cleaning my apartment today.
I am sorry I don't have enough lira, so I am paying part in dollars today.
Will you please wash my sheets and remake the bed while you are cleaning?
I used a translator program to write this, so it might be wrong.
Thank you, Heather
I hope I got points for trying. I stripped the bed, put the linens in a baskedt, opened the cabinet with the cleaning supplies and took my envelope down to the guard. He took it, read it and I used one of my new Turkish vocabulary words to say thank you: Tesekkurlar. I got on the bus and went to 'school.'
At lunch Aylin came up to me to say that I didn't have any towels for Maria to clean with and that the Turkish translation was awful, but that paying part in dollars was ok, and she borrowed towels from someone else she was cleaning for. Ok, so far so good.
I got home about 2:15 but had no way of getting into my apartment (next foray into Arnovotkoy: duplicate my key) so I dropped off my bag and went down to the laundry. The bed linens weren't there, but the loaner towels (not for cleaning, but that I had asked to be washed) were there. So she has been there, but since she didn't open the door when I rang, she wasn't still there (it didnt' occur to me that she would still be in the builiding working on Janelle's apartment). I went down to the guard to see if she left my key there. My pantomime was good enough to get a key, but not my key, instead I borrowed the spare which I had to return right away.
By this time the group that was going to walk up to the Tuesday market in Arnovotkoy was gathering. Jake went back to the guards with me to ask if they had my real key from the cleaning lady, but they did not. Fortunately, Janelle was there and she said that Maria was still in her apartment, great! I went up there to ask for the key. She gave me the key, but starts talking about towels. I am not sure if she means that I need to get her some rags, or if she wants me to know that my towels are in the dryer. Both of these things I already knew, but I had no way to communicate this. Eventually she calls Aylin, speaks to her and then hands the phone to me. Yes, I know the towels are in the dryer, I had already gotten them out, yes, I know I need to get rags, Aylin had already told me. The group was getting impatient and I was frustrated, after talking to Aylin, I haded the phone back to Maria and left. I trust it was all sorted out.
From there a group of 8 of us went to 'our' downtown: Arnovutkoy - Albanian-town. I will talk more about the very cute town later, but again language is such a bridge or a barrier depending on if you share it or if you dont. In the Tuesday market, in the hardware store, with the barber, at the pet shop. I feel so very vulnerable and dependant since I dont know the language and I am finding it so difficult to even hold on to the few words I have been taught. I know if I had been able to communicate with Maria directly I could have asked what she needed, I could have asked the guard what happened to my key. Even after years of studying other languages I dont feel like I can hold a conversation, and yet I am going to need to be able to very soon if I want to really enjoy my time here.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Peach Pie
We have a potluck tonight up the hill. I am looking forward to meeting more people and having a chance to socialize, but you are supposed to bring something to a potluck. At home I would see this as an opportunity to make one of my favorite things, but at home I have pots and pans, at home I have a sharp knife and I know how to work the oven. I have been thinking about what to bring to this potluck for almost the entire time I have been in Turkey. I think I learned about it in the car on the way from the airport. I could just buy something, no one would bat an eye, I am new, I dont have my stuff, it can be explained. I could probably show up with nothing for much the same reasons. But I cant. Being a good cook is part of my self identity, that and I am an over achiever. So peach pie!
I bought flour, sugar and butter at the grocery store yesterday. The school left some peaches for me in my fridge, and I bought a few more at the local market, this should be easy! Easy as pie.
Step one, make the crust. The only measuring cup I have is 1/2 c, no problem, I can estimate 1/3 c cold water, and everything else is an integer multiple of 1/2. No pastry blender, no problem, I used a knife and then my fingers. Next to roll it out, I brought my rolling pin, but I dont have a board or a pastry cloth, or even saran wrap - but I do have a plastic grocery bag from the market. Pie pan? No, but I do have a round shallow bowl I could use, who cares if it is too deep! Ok, step two, the peaches. I do have a pan for the stove, so I heat up some water in my electric kettle and eventually figure out how to turn the stove on. Peaches blanched. Three of them peel easily, one, more fresh than the others does not. Its ok, I can use a knife. If I had a knife... A butter knife was the best I could do and it worked.
Ok, pie assembled and the oven is preheating. Or at least I turned the knob, but it's not hot. Turn another knob, push a button while turning a knob... no, still not hot. Phone a friend, knock on the neighbors door... no one has any idea. So lets go shopping! Two hours, two trash cans and an ice cream later, I take the pie across the hall to Christine and Danny's apartment and bake it there. Lane, who used to live in this apartment will be back in two weeks and might know how to work the oven. Until then, I guess I am on the stove.
I bought flour, sugar and butter at the grocery store yesterday. The school left some peaches for me in my fridge, and I bought a few more at the local market, this should be easy! Easy as pie.
Step one, make the crust. The only measuring cup I have is 1/2 c, no problem, I can estimate 1/3 c cold water, and everything else is an integer multiple of 1/2. No pastry blender, no problem, I used a knife and then my fingers. Next to roll it out, I brought my rolling pin, but I dont have a board or a pastry cloth, or even saran wrap - but I do have a plastic grocery bag from the market. Pie pan? No, but I do have a round shallow bowl I could use, who cares if it is too deep! Ok, step two, the peaches. I do have a pan for the stove, so I heat up some water in my electric kettle and eventually figure out how to turn the stove on. Peaches blanched. Three of them peel easily, one, more fresh than the others does not. Its ok, I can use a knife. If I had a knife... A butter knife was the best I could do and it worked.
Ok, pie assembled and the oven is preheating. Or at least I turned the knob, but it's not hot. Turn another knob, push a button while turning a knob... no, still not hot. Phone a friend, knock on the neighbors door... no one has any idea. So lets go shopping! Two hours, two trash cans and an ice cream later, I take the pie across the hall to Christine and Danny's apartment and bake it there. Lane, who used to live in this apartment will be back in two weeks and might know how to work the oven. Until then, I guess I am on the stove.
Robert College
It might be helpful to have a little background about Robert College. Most of what I know about it is from the wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_College and I wont repeat what is there, but I thought it would be useful to add a few of my own thoughts.
The campus is huge and on a hill. I live at the bottom of the hill directly across from the Bosporus. I can even see it if I look sideways out of my window, but teachers with more seniority have the real view. I live just inside a gate with guards who are there all night and all day to let you in or out.
At this end, campus is rather narrow, following a road up the hill. I have been told that there is a bus up the hill on school days at 7:30 and 7:40, since it is very steep and pretty long. (I haven't walked up it yet, but even coming down took a while.) The road and separate path go through the woods. There are men whose only job it is is to sweep the road every day. They do a great job as it always looks very clean. Half way up the hill is a road to the Deanery where the Headmaster and his wife live and there is an apartment building for 8 more teachers. They have a great view of the Bosporus and it is very quiet.
A little bit further up there is more teacher housing and then main campus. If you are coming up the road, you encounter the main school building from the middle and it is quite impressive. All of the campus buildings are connected in a line. I dont know their names yet, but I made up this sentence to help me with the order once I know their names: Someone Wonderful Made Green Salad with Extra Beets. The science building is the only one not connected with the one corridor and it fits where 'with' is in the sentence.
The buildings were built in 1911 with materials that came from the US on boats. They look very stately and solid and the landscaping around them is beautiful. Inside they are very modern, with flat screen monitors showing announcements and computer labs with new computers. I haven't seen the science rooms in person yet, but from what I hear they are well equipped.
The school accepts students finishing the 8th grade. Because of its good reputation it gets to be very selective. Eighth graders take a 2 hour standardized test that covers math, Turkish, history and maybe a little science. The scores are scaled out of 500 points and of this years incoming class 50% have perfect scores and the minimum score they are accepting is 491, which corresponds to missing 2 questions. Unfortunately this test (and their birth date as a tie breaker) is the only criteria that students are admitted on.
Once the students are here they have a prep year between 8th and 9th grade which is intensive English language instruction. My understanding is that they have some English coming in, but they need a lot more help if they are going to receive all instruction in English starting in their 9th grade year. I dont know exactly what I am teaching to whom, but I am relieved to know that even if I have a chem 1 class full of 9th graders, they will be the same age as my sophomores back home.
Today I am joining another shopping trip and they I will have some time to unpack a little more and prepare a potluck meal for dinner tonight. I haven't decided what to make...
ttfn
The campus is huge and on a hill. I live at the bottom of the hill directly across from the Bosporus. I can even see it if I look sideways out of my window, but teachers with more seniority have the real view. I live just inside a gate with guards who are there all night and all day to let you in or out.
At this end, campus is rather narrow, following a road up the hill. I have been told that there is a bus up the hill on school days at 7:30 and 7:40, since it is very steep and pretty long. (I haven't walked up it yet, but even coming down took a while.) The road and separate path go through the woods. There are men whose only job it is is to sweep the road every day. They do a great job as it always looks very clean. Half way up the hill is a road to the Deanery where the Headmaster and his wife live and there is an apartment building for 8 more teachers. They have a great view of the Bosporus and it is very quiet.
 |
| Campus Plan for Robert College |
The buildings were built in 1911 with materials that came from the US on boats. They look very stately and solid and the landscaping around them is beautiful. Inside they are very modern, with flat screen monitors showing announcements and computer labs with new computers. I haven't seen the science rooms in person yet, but from what I hear they are well equipped.
The school accepts students finishing the 8th grade. Because of its good reputation it gets to be very selective. Eighth graders take a 2 hour standardized test that covers math, Turkish, history and maybe a little science. The scores are scaled out of 500 points and of this years incoming class 50% have perfect scores and the minimum score they are accepting is 491, which corresponds to missing 2 questions. Unfortunately this test (and their birth date as a tie breaker) is the only criteria that students are admitted on.
Once the students are here they have a prep year between 8th and 9th grade which is intensive English language instruction. My understanding is that they have some English coming in, but they need a lot more help if they are going to receive all instruction in English starting in their 9th grade year. I dont know exactly what I am teaching to whom, but I am relieved to know that even if I have a chem 1 class full of 9th graders, they will be the same age as my sophomores back home.
Today I am joining another shopping trip and they I will have some time to unpack a little more and prepare a potluck meal for dinner tonight. I haven't decided what to make...
ttfn
Friday, August 19, 2011
First Impressions
Orange and I have now lived in Istanbul for almost 24 hours. I am being well taken care of, and am well scheduled, but first impressions have away of dissipating if they are not written down quickly, so I want to capture them while they are fresh.
With broad strokes, I could be almost anywhere big city. It is warm and a bit humid, but really very pleasant. The roads are narrow, winding and steep, I can see why I was warned against biking here. The Bosporus is beautiful and blue and just across the street from my apartment (which faces the other way). The campus of Robert College is beautiful, many many trees and places to walk - not that I have been allowed to walk anywhere yet. My apartment is larger than I was anticipating, with four rooms and lots of storage. It is clean and has been recently painted. I appreciate the fresh wall feeling and am looking forward to the fumes going away.
I was picked up at the airport by the head master and a driver. Getting through customs and passport control was easy and no one even looked at the cat or her papers. It took only 40 minutes to get from the airport to the college which was a gift no one expected. John helped me unload and carry my luggage up to Yali 4 on the first floor, so up one flight of stairs. I did a little unpacking, made my bed and connected to email before John picked me Janelle (a new German teacher) up again for dinner at his house in the upper part of campus.
We sat outside with a view of the Bosporus and snacked on American microwave popcorn while the sun set and the wood chips (not charcoal) heated up on the barbecue. The breeze was lovely and there were no bugs. We learned about the troubles that Janelle had with her baggage and some about the school admission process works. Dinner was chicken kabobs with grilled vegetables, cucumber salad and bread which Cenk (pronounced Jenk) brought. We were returned to lower campus at 10pm and I was ready for bed. Unfortunately where the bed goes, there was a bed shaped rock, it is a good thing I was so tired.
This morning we were picked up to meet the head of HR Arlin, with whom we have been corresponding for the last 6 months to finish up the paper work. This was my first in person glimpse of the campus and it is very stately. The buildings were built in the early 20th century and most of them are connected by one long hallway. After paperwork Janelle and I made our way to John's office and Tania took us to tech and then to the Migros grocery store.
Well, I am being picked up again now to get a tax ID and see campus this afternoon.
With broad strokes, I could be almost anywhere big city. It is warm and a bit humid, but really very pleasant. The roads are narrow, winding and steep, I can see why I was warned against biking here. The Bosporus is beautiful and blue and just across the street from my apartment (which faces the other way). The campus of Robert College is beautiful, many many trees and places to walk - not that I have been allowed to walk anywhere yet. My apartment is larger than I was anticipating, with four rooms and lots of storage. It is clean and has been recently painted. I appreciate the fresh wall feeling and am looking forward to the fumes going away.
I was picked up at the airport by the head master and a driver. Getting through customs and passport control was easy and no one even looked at the cat or her papers. It took only 40 minutes to get from the airport to the college which was a gift no one expected. John helped me unload and carry my luggage up to Yali 4 on the first floor, so up one flight of stairs. I did a little unpacking, made my bed and connected to email before John picked me Janelle (a new German teacher) up again for dinner at his house in the upper part of campus.
We sat outside with a view of the Bosporus and snacked on American microwave popcorn while the sun set and the wood chips (not charcoal) heated up on the barbecue. The breeze was lovely and there were no bugs. We learned about the troubles that Janelle had with her baggage and some about the school admission process works. Dinner was chicken kabobs with grilled vegetables, cucumber salad and bread which Cenk (pronounced Jenk) brought. We were returned to lower campus at 10pm and I was ready for bed. Unfortunately where the bed goes, there was a bed shaped rock, it is a good thing I was so tired.
This morning we were picked up to meet the head of HR Arlin, with whom we have been corresponding for the last 6 months to finish up the paper work. This was my first in person glimpse of the campus and it is very stately. The buildings were built in the early 20th century and most of them are connected by one long hallway. After paperwork Janelle and I made our way to John's office and Tania took us to tech and then to the Migros grocery store.
Well, I am being picked up again now to get a tax ID and see campus this afternoon.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Reasons and Reasons
"Why are you moving to Turkey?" Is a question I get a lot and everybody gets a slightly different answer. Some answers are more true than others, some more complete, some are flippant and others barely scratch the surface. The question itself implies two questions: why move and why Turkey? I am not sure I could articulate all the reasons for either one, so I give sound bytes:
"It's governement isn't in revolt"
"I wanted to avoid the construction on campus"
"It was time for a change"
"I wanted an adventure"
"I needed a break from Gunn"
These are all true and they dont add up to the whole reason. I needed to get out of my rut, I need a new challenge, I need a kick in the pants. But at the same time, I really like my job, my school, my colleagues. I have a great house, a comfortable life and the cutest cat in the world. My government isn't in revolt, construction will be on the other side of campus and I finally have enough extracurricular activities to be as busy as I want to be.
Many people respond to my answer by saying something along the lines of "Good for you! This is the sort of thing people should do when they are young." I am not young. I think what they mean is single. I am single. My insurance agent is the only one who was really honest, she said, "Good for you! I thought that was something that only people in their 20s do." Of course the implication in either case is that it is easy to do this sort of thing when you are unattached. True, there is only one person to figure out all of the paper work required, one person to do all the packing, one person to make all of the decisions and perhaps easiest of all, there will only be one person over there, alone in a foreign culture, half way around the world...
Thank you for indulging my momentary pity party. Of course it is easier to travel alone and of course I have not had to do all of the preparation alone, but this still isn't easy, which is part of why I cant say exactly why I am moving or why Turkey.
A few logistical reasons can shed some light on Turkey. I went into the process with East Africa on my mind, but there weren't any jobs that seemed to fit. (More on this later.) I was eventually offered jobs in Tunisa (5 different preps, 3 of which I hadn't taught before), South Korea (or as Ann likes to call it Koreastan, -2 C the day I interviewed), and Turkey (a Muslim country with a secular government). I also interviewed in Cairo, but they ended up not offering me a job, but then their government went into revolt, so I am not sure I would have taken that job anyway... So to Turkey I go and the decision has really grown on me.
Finally, the reason for the second Reasons... Why write a blog? I am not a good writer. I tend to write 'just the facts, ma'am' in a scientific tone. This happened, then this happened, we went there and ate that, etc. It is boring. It is boring even for me, and I was there. I hope to post a lot of pictures so you dont actually have to read, but we are just getting started here. Besides I have promised to keep in touch with loads of people and there is no way my budget will allow me to send that many postcards every week. I have kept a trip book on every major trip I have made since my trip with Kate to Alaska and I enjoy having the record of my adventures, so even if you dont read it, I will be glad to know this is there for me.
ttfn
"It's governement isn't in revolt"
"I wanted to avoid the construction on campus"
"It was time for a change"
"I wanted an adventure"
"I needed a break from Gunn"
These are all true and they dont add up to the whole reason. I needed to get out of my rut, I need a new challenge, I need a kick in the pants. But at the same time, I really like my job, my school, my colleagues. I have a great house, a comfortable life and the cutest cat in the world. My government isn't in revolt, construction will be on the other side of campus and I finally have enough extracurricular activities to be as busy as I want to be.
Many people respond to my answer by saying something along the lines of "Good for you! This is the sort of thing people should do when they are young." I am not young. I think what they mean is single. I am single. My insurance agent is the only one who was really honest, she said, "Good for you! I thought that was something that only people in their 20s do." Of course the implication in either case is that it is easy to do this sort of thing when you are unattached. True, there is only one person to figure out all of the paper work required, one person to do all the packing, one person to make all of the decisions and perhaps easiest of all, there will only be one person over there, alone in a foreign culture, half way around the world...
Thank you for indulging my momentary pity party. Of course it is easier to travel alone and of course I have not had to do all of the preparation alone, but this still isn't easy, which is part of why I cant say exactly why I am moving or why Turkey.
A few logistical reasons can shed some light on Turkey. I went into the process with East Africa on my mind, but there weren't any jobs that seemed to fit. (More on this later.) I was eventually offered jobs in Tunisa (5 different preps, 3 of which I hadn't taught before), South Korea (or as Ann likes to call it Koreastan, -2 C the day I interviewed), and Turkey (a Muslim country with a secular government). I also interviewed in Cairo, but they ended up not offering me a job, but then their government went into revolt, so I am not sure I would have taken that job anyway... So to Turkey I go and the decision has really grown on me.
Finally, the reason for the second Reasons... Why write a blog? I am not a good writer. I tend to write 'just the facts, ma'am' in a scientific tone. This happened, then this happened, we went there and ate that, etc. It is boring. It is boring even for me, and I was there. I hope to post a lot of pictures so you dont actually have to read, but we are just getting started here. Besides I have promised to keep in touch with loads of people and there is no way my budget will allow me to send that many postcards every week. I have kept a trip book on every major trip I have made since my trip with Kate to Alaska and I enjoy having the record of my adventures, so even if you dont read it, I will be glad to know this is there for me.
ttfn
T minus 5 days
The cat and I leave for Turkey next Wednesday. It still shocks me a little bit to say that. We left the house this afternoon and are staying with a friend for the five days between now and then. There is still much to do, but I have been promising to start this blog for many weeks, so here I am.
Today was tough emotionally. My house has been 95% packed up for a while, but getting that last 5% done was overwhelming. All the easy decisions had been made and a million little ones were left. Realistically, I know that most of it doesnt matter. My passport came back from the Turkish Embassy in LA today with my work visa in it. I got the USDA endorsement to take Pekka through the EU and into Turkey yesterday. My house is rented, my car is sold. The 5% is just not that important, but I was stuck on it and frustrated, and tired, and tense, and and and... Fortunately Ann came over and when she had pushed as far as I could go, she helped me pack up the last 1% and put it into our cars to take to her house to be sorted later. Hopefully the delaying tactic will give me a chance to calm down and get some perspective.
I dont think I have the energy to write all I want to write tonight, but I wanted to make a place holder for certain topics I know I will want to address in no particular order:
- Passports and Visas
- Packing and Shipping
- Shots and Health Certificates
- Reasons and Reasons
Maybe I'll start with that last one...
Today was tough emotionally. My house has been 95% packed up for a while, but getting that last 5% done was overwhelming. All the easy decisions had been made and a million little ones were left. Realistically, I know that most of it doesnt matter. My passport came back from the Turkish Embassy in LA today with my work visa in it. I got the USDA endorsement to take Pekka through the EU and into Turkey yesterday. My house is rented, my car is sold. The 5% is just not that important, but I was stuck on it and frustrated, and tired, and tense, and and and... Fortunately Ann came over and when she had pushed as far as I could go, she helped me pack up the last 1% and put it into our cars to take to her house to be sorted later. Hopefully the delaying tactic will give me a chance to calm down and get some perspective.
I dont think I have the energy to write all I want to write tonight, but I wanted to make a place holder for certain topics I know I will want to address in no particular order:
- Passports and Visas
- Packing and Shipping
- Shots and Health Certificates
- Reasons and Reasons
Maybe I'll start with that last one...
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