Christmas

Like a student on the last day of vacation, I am finally sitting down to do my homework.  With an entire week off, I thought I could write three blog posts and finally catch up, but now, on Sunday afternoon, I will be lucky to finish one.  It is amazing what too much time can do to my productivity.  I want to start with my most recent topic and work backwards in time, so this post will be about Christmas.

Turkey is a secular Muslim country.  Attaturk separated mosque from state in 1923 when he helped to establish the Turkish Republic.  School and government offices still get the religious holidays off, in much the same way schools and government offices get Christmas off in the US.  International schools which cater to American and European families will likely get several weeks off at Christmas since most people travel considerable distances to be with family, but Turkish schools do not typically get any time off and Christmas.  It is my understanding that RC usually gives the 25 off as a consession to the number of American and Brittish staff here, but that might be it.  All this to say that it is unusual to get an entire week off at the end of December, but I am very grateful.  (There are folks who have been in Turkey for 10+ years and this was the first time they were able to go to the US for christmas in all that time.)

Getting this week off now came at the expense of a very long and tiring fall.  The fall break is usually in November, around the middle of the semester, to wait until the end of December meant everyone was ansy.  It is also not good timing with respect to the end of the semester.  This week we go back to 'non-assessment week' where officially new material can be taught, but there isn't supposed to be any quizzes, tests or even homework.  I will have to use most of these four days to finish new material for my classes, especially in the advanced class and in my L9 intro class. 

Starting next Monday, the students have final exams.  There are two exam periods each day for 8 days.  While possible for a student to have two exams on the same day (I hear advanced chemistry and geography are on the same day) most students will have just one exam  per day and are free to go home when they are not testing.  All of the students in one class take the same exam at the same time.  All eleven intro chem classes will sit together in the gym taking their final.  I have heard that the sight is quite something. 

All of the chemistry teachers proctor together and then grade together.  The students cover up their names, so the tests are graded annonymously.  I might grade all of problems 1 and 2, Jim grades 3 and 4 etc.  We will only reveal their names after all of the exams are totaled and the average is determined.  I hear that some students really like this aspect of the final since they may have felt unfairly marked if the teacher had a prejudice against them.  We are allowed 72 hours from the end of the final to finish grading them, but we usually ask for an extension.  On the second Friday of the exam period, all students meet with all their classes in a special schedule.  We go over the exam and they have a chance to challenge it.  Since different teachers graded different parts, all challenges (other than simple addition errors) must be made in writing and are brought back to the group for a decision.  I hope there wont be too many of these since I am on a plane for Egypt in the evening.  In any case it should be a fairly easy couple of weeks, but unforutnately we are not allowed to leave Istanbul until it is all over. 

But this post is supposed to be about Christmas, so let me rewind and get back on track.  For being a Turkish school in a Muslim country, I have never celebrated Christmas as much at school as I did this year.  At the beginning of December we were invited to participate in a secret santa gift exchange.  I was randomly assigned a math teacher to give a gift or gifts annonomously over the course of the two weeks leading up to Christmas with a total value of not more than 25TL.  Many of the homeroom classes organized their own gift exchanges and decorations started showing up around campus. 

On the last Sunday in November (the first Sunday in Advent) I made myself a Christmas tree by coloring on the back of a poster I had recycled.  My plan was to make a new ornament for each day in advent and stick it to the tree.  I didn't quite make it every day, but I do have 17 ornaments, each representing something I did or saw the day I made it.  Ann also sent me a Jacquie Lawson advent calendar about London.  That was a lot of fun.  Each day I got to 'open' another animation with a song and maybe even an activity in preparation for Christmas. 

On the third Sunday in Advent the Union Church had a Christmas concert with their choir (assembled only for this occasion, but with considrable practice) singing some familiar and other not so familiar carols.  It was really nice and helped get me in the Christmas mood. 

On the Wednesday before break there was a Christmas Party for teachers and staff and their families.  It started at 5:30 in the maze (an outdoor ampitheater that does not in any resemble a maze) with a bonfire, wagon rides with Baba Noel (Father Christmas, who looks just like the Santa Claus of Coca Cola fame) as well as roasted chestnuts and sarlep.  Sarlep is a hot milk beverage, similar to egg nog, but not as noggy.  It is sweet and has cinnamin on top.  It was pretty tasty, but I haven't tried to make any myself.  Residential students were also invited to this outdoor part of the party and it was nice chatting with them outside of class.

At around 6:30 we went inside to Marble Hall for hot spiced wine (or other beverages alcholic or not) and snacks including cotton candy and fresh pop corn.  Baba Noel relinguished his reins and took his throne to hand out gifts to the children of staff.  The kids were either terrified or too old really to be getting gifts from santa, but it was sweet and a photo op for some of the parents. 

The dining hall had been transformed into a ... dining hall, but nicer.  The residential students had eaten in the canteen, so were out of the way for our dinner.  There were cloths on the tables and waiters served wine.  We each started with a marinated artichoke heart with olive oil (fairly bland, but ok) and then there were three salads on each table and we were each given a plate of turkey with whipped spinach.  The turkey was very dry (did they think the dinner was on Tuesday and get started early?) but the rest of the food was tasty and it was nice to meet the spouces of some of the teachers. 

Back up stairs the dean of students was at the piano leading the group in Christmas carols.  She really put enthousiasm into it and got a lot of people to participate which was fun.  Unfortunately I got there after my favorite carol had already been sung.  On my way down the hill, I stopped at Lisa and Alex's house and Lisa gave me a hair cut so I would look presentable for my grandmother. 

It was kind of weird, even with all of these preparations, I still didn't really feel like it was Christmas.  I wasn't as desparately missing the festivities as I had been at Thanksgiving.  Maybe it was that I dont usually get into the full swing until school lets out, which has always been at least part of a week before Christmas, and then there are cookies to make and trees to decorate.  Maybe I was just staying more focused on school work and getting that done, maybe I knew I was going away and that was a release valve which didn't let too much pressure build up.  I had done some baking for a cookie exchange and caramel making to give as gifts, I had sung carols at Alex and Lisa's house, I had bought gifts and sent some of the as early as the first week of November with friends who were going to the US.  I had even sent my full compliment of 60+ Christmas cards, I had been to see Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol, which should have got me in the mood if anything would... In many ways I had dont more Christmas stuff than usual but somehow I was kind of numb to the season. 

Anyway, the week was finally over, I was packed, so spent the evening at Jack's chillin'.  Early on Saturday (Christmas Eve) I loaded the last of my stuff into my big rolly bag and went down to wait for the bus.  I was assured that they came as early as 5:30, but I stood out there from 5:55 to 6:15 and there were no busses.  A cab stopped and I reluctantly got in.  It was clear I was going to the airport, but I asked for Taksim Square where I could catch a bus to the airport.  The cab driver asked me if I was a teacher and an American.  I said yes, but that I was going to England.  He asked to take me to the airport, but I said no, I would take the Havas.  How much was that he asked, 10TL, and he didn't offer to take me all the way to the airport again (the cab ride as far as it was cost 15TL, but I gave him  20TL, all the way to the airport would have been 65TL).  I was feeling quite pleased with myself, because this was the longest conversation I had ever had in Turkish.  Not that it was very deep or complicated, or even that I used complete sentences, but we both managed to make our meaning clear and it was very amiable. 

He took me right to the Havas leaving site and it was 6:27 when the busses leave on the half hour, so this was perfect, I made sure I got on the bus to the right airport, loaded my bag, saw a SNOWFLAKE, and got on the bus.  Super easy.  We were at the airport at 7 for a 9:20 flight. 

There is security on the way into the airport at Attaturk International, so the x-rayed my bags before I even got my boarding pass.  One of the security monitors came up to me where I was waiting, "Miss, do you have a dagger in your bag?" Me: "Yes" her: "Are you going to check that bag?" Me: "Yes" and I was through.  The dagger was  gift for Bradley, and I was a little bit concerned that it might not get through, but once I was passed that hurdle I was sure I would be allowed all the way through. 

After checking my bag and going through the real security, I met up with an English teacher from RC, Janet who happened to be going to London on her way to New Mexico where her family is.  We had our breakfast together in the airport and made the plane in plenty of time.  It is just a four our flight from Istanbul to Heathrow and with the two our time difference, I was there at 11:30.  My Aunt Julia and cousin James were waiting for me after customs and we headed to Dorking to my grandmother's house.

It was warmer in England than it had been in Istanbul, so there was no hope of a white Christmas for me.  We had some lunch and then I unpacked my presents to wrap them.  (I didn't want to risk having to unwrap them in the airport.)  We chatted and rested.  In the afternoon, Julia came back over with all three of her boys and her husband Andrew to open the gifts from the snowman.  The snowman lives at Grannies house and when his head comes off, there are gifts inside for everyone.  The snowman's gift for me was a hand made quilted bag for my scrabble letters.  (I think Grannie must have helped the snowman make this gift.)

Shortly after the snowman's gifts, we went to Julia's house for dinner.  Since they eat late and I was already two hours ahead from Istanbul time I was very hungry when Andrew called us for dinner.  He is a marvelous cook and we had so many wonderful things to eat all week long.  We had crackers at every meal, and we proudly wore the paper crowns they contained. 

On Christmas morning, I got up early to skype with Ann's family as they opened thier gifts on Chrismas eve. It was really nice to be a part of their celebration from the computer screen on the hutch.  I got to see Ann open the gift I sent in October for her birthday (that didn't arrive until the second week of December and was therefore rechristened her Christmas present) along with the Christmas present from me to her that I hadn't seen before.

When I went down stairs, Father Christmas had been by, and since he got the memo that I was in England instead of California, he had left a stocking full of gifts for me there.  I got some post - it notes (proving that the it really was the same santa) a mug with the periodic table on it, some smarties, an extendo pen for my key chain and some delicious lavender soap.  We had breakfast and went to St. Paul's for church.  The two vicars who were leading worship reminded me of the two TV hosts (Ant and Dec) who were raising money in a telethon the night before.  The point of the message was bringing the Christmas story down to earth, and the way he did that was by using a leaf blower to make styrafoam peanuts snow down on the kids.  He never had control of the service again, although to their credit, the kids were running wild very quietly. 

We went back to Juila's house in the early afternoon for Christmas dinner.  Andrew had prepared a turkey with two kinds of stuffing, sausages wrapped in bacon and 8 different types of vegetables.

Everything was delicious and I was stuffed even before dessert came out. 

Flaming Christmas pudding

We had a short breather before opening presents to watch the Queen's Christmas address. 

Watching the Queen's Christmas Address on Christmas day.

Bradley distributed all of the gifts from under the tree so we each had a pile in and around our chairs. 

Bradley distributing the gifts.

In the past, they had just gone for it, opening them at their own pace, but I asked if we could watch each other open them, so we took turns, and I think everyone enjoyed that way too now that the boys are older (17, 19, 21) and have more patience.

My Christmas haul!

  I think my gifts were well recieved.  I tried to get things that were distictly Turkish, but it was hard to find three equally interesting but different gifts for the boys.  I got many gifts including a paper airplane launcher, odd socks, a clock radio, fuzzy slippers, a graffiti notebook, a new game and a 2012 London Olympics fanny pack (bum bag in English).  None of us could eat anymore, so we played a round of Cranium and then Grannie and I went home.

 On Boxing day we had a leisurely morning and started watching Downton Abbey. I had heard a little about this series from a teacher at RC, but didn't really know what it was about until I got to England. My grandmother is a big fan and has both seasons on DVD. I quickly got into it and we watched 2-3 episodes each day after Christmas. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to get through both seasons, so I am hoping to borrow them from someone here. We went back to Juila's where Andrew's parents were coming for the day. Lunch was cold meats and cheeses with salad and bread. After lunch we went for a walk on the grounds of Polston Lacy, a country house not that unlike Downton Abbey, and where my grandmother had volunteered as an archivist for 10 years. 

Boxing Day Hike at Poulson Lacy.

Julia and Andrew skyping with my dad (Julia's oldest brother) on my ipod.

A view of Dorking from a short hike I took.

On Wednesday I spent sometime shopping in town for groceries and books before going to an afternoon Panto at the Dorking Hall.  I had never even heard of a Panto, since they are an English thing that only happens around Christmas.  Each town with a theater has one.  B and C list celebrities take the main roles in famous fairytales which are retold in interesting ways.  There is the basic story for the kids (the main audience) but there are inside jokes and double entedres (sp?) for the parents.  I was probably the oldest grand daughter there for this year's presentation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.  The jester/narrator was a judge on Brittan's got talent, Snow White was from the show East Enders and Prince Charming was from some high school drama show.  My favorite part was the wicked step mother, who was a man in fabulous drag. 

We finished up my visit with a dinner at a Thai resturant in Dorking, which filled a craving I have had for a while.  Yum!

Sadly I had to leave Thursday morning, Julia and James brought me back to the airport and I was back to Istanbul.  It was a lovely trip, a great Christmas and a much needed oasis from city and work.  I am finally feeling more in the mood for Christmas, even though it is now New Years day.  I am not ready to take down my tree and I am hoping that after a week with no mail, there will be several Christmas cards from the US waiting for me tomorrow.  There are still 6 more days in the 12 days of Christmas and thanks to Ann, I have a gift for each of those days to keep me in the spirit. 

So this was my first Christmas away from home.  I felt very connected with home, skyping with my dad, Ann's family and my American Grandparents, but the best part was being with family in a relaxed and comfortable way that definately recharged my batteries for another stint in the big city.

Merry Christmas to all and best wishes for a Happy New Year!