My trip to Egirdir

Franny (a colleague of mine that lives in Konya) and I went to Egirdir for the weekend, a sweet little lakeside town tucked into the mountains about 40 minutes from my house. We stayed at a pension at the farthest point on the peninsula and the water was a beautiful turquoise blue.

The weather was cold, rainy, and snowy, but we stayed warm by wrapping ourselves in blankets ar our hotel, and gorging ourselves on delicious rock lobster, trout, and sea bass, cooked to perfection. It was nice to get away from my little town and appreciate Turkey's incredible beauty, as well as the beauty of my wonderful friend who just turned 33. It was so nice to chat (and chat and chat--I think we probably frightened the locals with our loud and boisterous talking). We also got to meet the father of one of her students--a restaurant owner who gave us a meal on the house, plus some local fresh apple cider!

Anyway, enjoy the pics...and once again, Happy Birthday, Franny!



You can check out an old post I wrote about Egirdir (plus a nice pic from a distance) here.

Social Entrepreneurship in Egypt

This video from PBS is an awesome story about some change happening in Egypt as a result of social entrepreneurship--something I'm a big fan of. Anyway, the video is about seven and a half minutes, but absolutely fascinating and wonderful. I really encourage you to watch. Enjoy!

Photos of Egypt

Egypt

Like the three sides of the face of a pyramid, I discovered that there were also three sides to Egypt--three distinct experiences that moved me and affected me in distinctly different ways.

There was the ancient monument facet, where I constantly encountered things that are three to five THOUSAND years old (I'm still not sure how to comprehend that). That part of Egypt included seeing and touching the ancient pyramids, viewing the mummies of the pharaohs sealed at constant temperatures under glass coffins, and staring open-jawed at things like the treasures from King Tut's tomb--as well as King Tut himself in Luxor. There's something incomprehensible about viewing the mask of King Tut in person--an icon I grew up with and have seen in photos since I was a little girl. And seeing his mummy--indescribable. This part of Egypt was silent to me--a reverent place that smelled like a musty ancient library, an experience that made me feel like a cross between a nerdy professor and Indiana Jones.

Then there was the Egypt that real Egyptians experience, which was quite hard to see or enter on such a short trip where I was clearly a tourist. There were the slums, that came alive with fire and shouting when Egypt won the African Cup our second night there. There were the women walking home with baskets of food on their heads, slabs of bread stacked high as they walked in perfect balance down chaotic streets. There were children playing near the railroad where the sugar cane stalks bump heads in the wind, flushing the cheeks of Egypt a vibrant green. There were the skinned camel heads swaying in the breeze outside the butcher's shop, and donkeys flicking their tails as they stood on the side of the dusty road, looking bored. There were old men who squatted on their haunches squinting into the sun and staring at us as we walked or drove by.

And then there was that place in between both worlds--the place I dwelled most of the time, even though I hated it. That was the intersection between ancient Egypt and modern Egypt, the place where tourism swelled. That's where the merchants yell at you to buy their scarves, their plastic camels, their glass pyramids, anything! It's so cheap! Come on! Just 5 Egyptian pounds! This shirt is not from Taiwan, and I look like Danny DeVito, don't you think? Just come into my shop! Hassle free! I promise! That's the Egypt where you're staring at a painted wall in Queen Titi's tomb, and a guide comes up to you and wants to tell you what you're looking at so you'll pay him a little baksheesh (tips). You tell him you're not interested and walk away, annoyed that he ruined your sacred moment. You hope another tourist will come along and distract him so he'll leave you alone.

That part of Egypt is intense--you are constantly on guard, learning that you can't trust that anyone is generally interested in having a conversation with you. You may think they are for a second, but soon that friendly greeting is followed by, "Wanna buy...?" That's the part of Egypt where you have to negotiate the price of a water bottle that you purchased the night before. It's overwhelming, and ultimately I couldn't wait to leave that part of Egypt, despite the other two parts that were so beautiful.

I wish I could have gotten beyond that intersection, that middle ground that created a gap wider than the Nile, with me on one side and the people I wanted to connect on the other. I constantly found myself looking longingly into the real Egypt where the day to day life occurs, but knew I was an outsider and that they wanted it that way, really. So instead I explored the little space they cordoned off for me, standing on tip-top to catch what glimpses I could of a world I'll probably never know.

Four Months In

I've tried to make this blog mostly educational and not so much about me, but for those of you who are interested in my more personal experience, here is my four-month check-in.

1. Teaching (my job): Last term I taught four courses, one on Shakespeare and the Romantics, two speaking courses, and one writing course. I tried to start a film club and lost student interest (I should have offered extra credit, now I know!) and had a fairly successful Shakespearean film club where we watched film adaptations of Shakespeare's plays.  Next term I get to teach American short stories and American contemporary poetry (WOO HOO!) and I'm thrilled. Overall, my students and I adore each other, I love teaching in Turkey more than anywhere I've taught, and my job is super duper fantastico. I also have great supervisors and support in my department and in the embassy. I'm truly blessed in this department.

2. Social life: Uh...well...my social life in Turkey has been pretty non-existent and lonely, peppered with some wonderful moments here and there. However, I have made some incredible friends since I've moved, and my social life is starting to improve, finally. One friend, Beture, is a sixty-year old woman who has completely embraced me into her circle of friends for reasons I don't know, but constantly thank god for (most of her friends are in their late 30s and 40s). Beture speaks perfect English, is from Azerbaijan, and is one of my colleagues. One of her best friends, Diljin, has also embraced me into her life and the two of them are my two favorite people in Isparta, plus Aras, my six-year old bestie.

Because I don't have a car and because I live far from campus, my social life is still pretty bleak--there are no movie theaters that play American films (except 2012), for example. That said, I have a feeling that my social life will really start to pick up when I return next semester...I have some dance classes I'll be going to with my students, a bowling date with a group of students, more friend time, a bit more travel within Turkey to see my American colleagues while I still can, and my recent addiction to a Turkish drama has guaranteed me a spot on Beture's couch on Friday nights.

3. Writing life: I have been rockin' the writing world. I decided to completely rewrite the second half of my monsterously long novel (it's about 425 pages as we speak and I've got about four chapters to go). Anyway, I am LOVING it, and the quiet evenings and weekends have really helped get some significant revision done. I'm really grateful for this. Approximate finish date for the new draft? Sometime early spring is what I'm shooting for. And then I think it'll be done, done, done. Or not.

4. Love life: It has to be mentioned because it is so, so, so fabulous. I have the best boyfriend in the world. I am ridiculously blessed.

5. Family: You are toooo far away. But I'll be home in August--I hope I can see you then!

6. Language skills: I can now talk like a two or possibly three year old. I don't imagine I'll get much beyond that. I'll have a separate post on why Turkish is so dang hard when I get back. You'll see. But my friends are getting impressed with my comprehension, which is great. It means that I know just enough that they're nervous about what they say in front of me...and this is fabulous.

7. Home: My home is falling apart. The pipes are falling out of the walls because the radiator has numerous leaks, the walls are crumbling, the oven blows out the electricty for the whole house, the kitchen smells awful because of some pipe under the sink that's open and has stagnant water inside, the house whistles when it's windy because of all the unsealed windows, and it's constantly cold. But you know what? I have a home, and that's more than I can say than for thousands of people in Haiti. And I have a beautiful view. So again, I am blessed!

8. Overall reflections on Turkey: Is there a nutshell for this one? In short, I would say that you can prepare for some more educational/informational posts when I get back. I'd really like to share more about Turkey's history and also some of the current political situations because it will help you understand just why Turkey's such an important political player (and great place to visit) right now. I feel really blessed that I'm able to be here and get to know Turkey in such a personal way. The country is fascinating, full of history, great food, and full of wonderfully interesting and hospitable people. Turkey is one of the best places I have ever traveled to, and if I was choosing a place to visit I would come here in a heartbeat. Stay tuned for more, but I am really grateful I was placed here for my program.

Okay that's all for now...can you think of any categories I missed? I'll be traveling for about three and a half weeks, going to Milan to see Guido and then to Cairo to for a conference. Stay tuned for some fabulous pics and adventures! Ciao!

p.s. The above pic is where they randomly removed the road in front of my house two days ago. There is just dirt there now. Why? I have no idea. But I love the welcome mat in front...ah...the irony.

Plastic Soldiers

I went to see my favorite kid in Turkey, Aras, a six-year old whose mom just had a baby girl. The first time we met we played games and he taught me Turkish (and I taught him some English) and so now I call him my Turkish teacher and he loves it. (Here's a post about him, if you're curious.)

Anyway, when I was over at his house visiting the family and playing with Aras and his friend, I noticed something small, but interesting. Aras and his school friend were playing with toy soldiers--you know, the green plastic kind that we probably saw or played with as kids. (Full disclosure: I never played with them, but that's because I was obsessed with my Star Wars figurines and Tonka Truck...yeah, I was a tomboy.)

The first thing that surprised me was the fact that the soldiers had an American flag. Then I saw another flag on the ground, broken off of its plastic rock. I didn't recognize it at first--to my embarrassment. Then Aras held it up: IRAQ! He yelled. Of course...it was an Iraqi flag.

You can STILL get America vs. The Commies toy soldiers on Amazon if you can believe it. But for some reason it stunned me that you could buy an America vs. Iraq toy soldier set here in Turkey. It upset me, but mostly because I feel like it's such a metaphor for the new enemy that's replaced Communism for Americans...and that's fundamentalist Islam.

It makes you wonder sometimes...must the U.S. always have an enemy? Is there any other country that could have a toy soldier set like that? These days all you have to do is keep the American soldiers in the bag and change the opposing flag. Our nation always stays poised, its feet mired in plastic, our guns permanently aimed and ready to fire.

When diplomats become bullies

The head of my department, we'll call him O, loves to disseminate the daily BBC news to me, complete with numerous gesticulations and strongly-accented commentary.

The other day, he started yelling something (he speaks in yell) about how Israel had bullied Turkey. At first, the way he presented it was so convoluted that I had no idea what he was talking about, or when it had happened. But then I eventually realized he was talking about a very recent event, and I actually found it quite disturbing.

To make a long story short, Israel had been offended when a popular Turkish t.v. show Valley of the Wolves (also made into a film) depicted Israeli soldiers kidnapping Turkish babies. In another Turkish t.v. show last October, Israelis were shown killing Palestinians. In one particularly offensive scene, an Israeli soldier kills a young, smiling Palestinian girl at close range.

Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon summoned Ambassador Oguz Celikkol to a discusion, hoping that the Turkish ambassador would apologize over the series. The big hullaballoo that ensued resulted from the Ayalon's decision about how to treat the ambassador when he arrived.

Imagine this--it's a "diplomatic" meeting, and the table only had the Israeli flag...and the ambassador had to sit in a chair far below the Deputy Foreign Minister. You can see the picture above, the writing titles the picture as "The height of humiliation". Footage of the Israeli officials sitting high above the ambassador circulated around Israel, as well as Ayalon stating in Hebrew "there is only one flag" and "we are not smiling".


To really understand why this is a big deal, you have to know a bit more about Turkish-Israeli relations. Turkey has had an increasingly complex relationship with Isreal, as Turkey has begun to lean more heavily towards its Islamic roots and away from the west. Israel has become increasingy alarmed by Turkey's strengthening ties with Russia, Iran, and other Islamic countries, as has the U.S.

At the same time, Turkey's current Prime Minister, Recip Erdoğan, has raised an increasingly loud protesting voice against Israel's actions in the Gaza region, condemning the violence and "gangster" type policies Israel has been using to promote its agenda. While many praise Erdoğan for his protests, others claim that he doesn't have much room to condemn, given the oft-condemned violence against minority groups in Turkey.

I understand both points of view. On the one hand, it's hard to stomach Erdoğan's critique of Israel's "gangster" policies, while he is strengthening ties with Israel and Russia, two countries notorious for their less than inspiring diplomacy and democratic policies within their own nations. And at the same time, Israel's choice to belittle Turkey in such a way does nothing to strengthen the weakening ties they worry about, and only serves to further polarize the two regions. Turks already have views on Israelis and Jews that are very generalized, prejudiced, and dangerous. And it's ironic that they will bash Israelis for being nationalistic and prideful, when Turks and even Turkish immigrants constantly praise Turkey as the most glorious nation in the world with the best food, the best people, the richest history, etc.

At the same time, I worry about how the West approaches Turkey. Israel did apologize later, and then expressed its concern over Turkey's current political priorities. But the West has a delicate tight-rope to walk when it comes to Turkey, and when it comes to incorporating Islamic nations in general. On the one hand, we have to maintain our integrity about what we will and will not tolerate in human rights and foreign policiy, but at the same time, we have to realize that the more we push away, humiliate, and exlude Turkey, the more we polarize the nation and risk Turkey as an ally.

Obama was wise to come to Turkey first after he was elected president, and I'm curious to see what his continued policies will be. We should not underestimate how valuable it is to have Turkey strongly on our side. I am really beginning to understand how this Islamic nation with one foot in the West and one foot in the East truly might truly be the fulcrum that our Islamic diplomacy balances on.

The Number One Thing that DID NOT Originate from Turkey?

Turkeys. Yeah, I got a chuckle out of the irony there.

So, wanna know why we call them turkeys? Here ya go.

Apparently when Europeans were first trampling through North America, they incorrectly identified the wild native birds as Asian guinea fowl, or what was known then as a Turkey hen and Turkey cock (hey...that's what it says, don't look at me like that), because it was imported to Central Europe through Turkey (of course, it wasn't Turkey then, it was the Ottoman Empire, so now I'm super confused). Eventually, those crazy Europeans just shortened the bird's name to turkey, and that stuck as the name of the bird.

(And did you know that a group of turkeys is called a rafter? Seriously!)

My Turkish students are not super crazy about sharing a name with our fabulous bird. They keep asking me: Why don't you call us by our real name: Türkiye? I tell them there are two reasons: A. No one in the U.S. knows how to pronounce the umlaud (ü). And B.) What do they call us? A.B.D., which translates to: Amerika Birlesik Devletleri (United States of America). Every country calls other countries by their own special names.

Finally, Turkey as we now know it became a nation in 1923. Turkish students, I ask you this: You knew we were calling the birds turkeys then, but you chose to name your country Turkey anyway. So really, where does the blame lie?

Crazy Things That Apparently Originated in Turkey: Number Four!

Yes, Turkey is famous for things like baklava, yogurt, and Turkish kebab. But let's delve a little deeper, shall we? Here are my top four Turkic items, in order, Letterman style.

NUMBER FOUR: Blue eyes. This one might actually be true. See my blog on blue eyes below. (Just look for the big blue eye.)

Crazy Things That Apparently Originated in Turkey: Number Three!

NUMBER THREE: Santa Clause. Oh yeah, did I mention that Santa's Turkish? Well, actually, he was Byzantine. But if someone ever lived in Turkey or moved to Turkey, or really liked Turkey (slight exaggeration), they're basically Turkish. This one is actually true as well, though I'll admit that Santa Clause has some crazy complicated roots. But let's stick with the Christian ones. Saint Nicholas of Myra is considered the primary inspiration for the modern-day St. Nick. He was a 4th Century Greek Christian Bishop in Lycia (pron: Lyshia), a province of Byzantine Anatolia...and now known as Turkey. St. Nick was famous for his generosity and giving gifts to the poor--legend says he even gave three poor girls a dowry so they could get married and not have to go into prostitution. Now that's my kind of saint.

Anyway, of course there are pagan roots to Santa Clause as well, like his connection to the god Odin, but that's another topic. (But I have to ask, who do you think he looks more like, St. Nick in the fresco, or Gandalf, ahem...I mean Odin, to the right?)

The most important thing is that St. Nick's tomb is still in Turkey in Demre (Ancient Myra). Unfortunately, in 1084 a bunch of pesky Italian merchants who were keen on St. Nick pushed past the monks living at the monastery there and raided the sarcophagus. They stole the remains and whisked them off to Italy, where they now remained sealed in a cathedral in Bari,  because for some reason Italy has to have everyone's friggin' remains in their cathedrals. Pesky Italians! Must everything in Turkey relocate to Italy? Is someone still grumpy about losing Constantinople? 

To check out the church and more about the story, click here.