Today is a scary day for me. Some of you might remember my IMF protest post. What had started as a genuine protest against the IMF World Bank meeting in Istanbul turned into an opportunity for angry citizens to fight with the police. I remember seeing people run by the cafe holding sling shots and wearing face-concealing masks. When I spoke to one of my professors about that day, he joked that those activities were just a dress rehearsal for May Day. The last few years have definitely been tense; I recall watching the news and seeing pepper bombs and water cannons. Kaan called me in 2007 (I was in Canakkale), complaining that he had experienced both a pepper bomb and (if I recall correctly) a flash bomb. Today is a day when those who can afford to stay at home do so, when those who have a summer house across the Bosporus visit it, and when those who have to work pack a gas mask.
Until 1977, Taksim Square was open to protesters and gatherers on May Day. May 1, 1977 30 protesters were killed when an unidentified man opened fire into the crowd. Depending on one's political leaning, this unidentified man can be part of the right wing or part of the deep state. Either way, Taksim has been forbidden to protesters until this year. Despite this, anti-government groups were still able to come out in full force, causing a day of general chaos and danger for police and citizens alike.
I'm watching the news right now, and I intend to keep it on throughout the day. So far, it's clear that the city is completely shut down. Taksim, normally tremendously crowded, is empty. The bus stop (serving at least 30 bus routes) is empty. The only people around are those workers participating in the protests, the news crews, and the police. There are 22,000 police on duty today. From what I can see on the news, Istiklal Caddesi is completely blocked off. It's a good thing I have a lot of homework to do today.
This year the Turkish government recognizes May Day as a Worker's Day, so for those who ARE laborers and union members, it's a really big accomplishment. In the beginning of the year, the Tekel workers had a nearly two month protest. I won't lie; I'm not entirely sure what they were protesting (I try to listen to the news, but my Turkish isn't always good enough to understand everything). However, the ability to gather today and the recognition of today as a worker's holiday is a great step forward in achieving better worker's rights. I see it as an opening of the government, a willingness to listen; however, I could be completely off base. It's nice to see groups gathering to celebrate, even if everyone is really waiting for something terrible to happen.
It appears that today's gathering is composed of many of the major Turkish labor unions, although there are many anarchist groups as well. I haven't been able to catch all of the groups or the number of the groups, but here is a short article listing a few of them. Three groups are walking toward Taksim Square from different parts of the city (one from Mecediyeköy, one from Dolmabahçe Palace/Gümüşsuyu, and one from Eminönü) at 10am. I don't know anything other than that; I imagine the groups will have a speech and some other celebratory acts. Celebrations start at 11am in Taksim. They are currently playing some really loud music from Taksim. I can hear it from my house! I had to shut my window to hear the news. It's that loud.
I think after the demonstrations by the union groups, the afternoon and evening will be full of anti-government protests. I sincerely hope I'm wrong; this day shouldn't be about fighting the police. It's a day to celebrate the workers. Unfortunately, I feel like there are certain groups that will capitalize on a day like this to try to riot. I'm nervous for Kaan, who is working down the hill from Taksim. He's far enough away that I think he'll only experience mild discomfort if anything, but I'm still nervous.
Seriously, I hope today is just about celebrating those workers and striving to improve workers rights throughout Turkey. I'll update if anything major happens. I've included two articles from the English language newspapers below, if anyone wishes to read further.
Daily News article
Today's Zaman article
Thousands gather... from Daily News
In a more positive note, I was able to speak with my little sister today. She's graduating high school this month! She'll be a freshman at Tulane University in New Orleans. I'm super excited for her. She wanted me to include the following message: "ap tests, boys, graduations, boys, summer, boys, etc". She has something like 4 or 5 AP tests in the next few weeks, and then she can focus on the more exciting things like boys, graduation, boys, summer, and boys. I don't want anyone to get the impression that she's boy-crazy; this must be a phase.
Unless there's something pressing to say later, I'm going to wrap it with one final thought. It's interesting that in the States, we have nothing quite like this. We celebrate Labor Day, but I've never really been aware of the nature of the day. I wonder how much of it has to do with the extreme fear of communism in the 50's and 60's. Worker's Day does have a rather leftist ring to it. So to all you lefties and righties, commies and good ol' Uhmer'cans (and of course, everyone else!), have a happy and safe Labor/May/Worker's Day!
Showing posts with label background. Show all posts
Showing posts with label background. Show all posts
Friday, April 30, 2010
Monday, September 28, 2009
riding in cars with boys
On Saturday, Jessi and I ventured to the tourist part of town to see Sultanahmet (the Blue Mosque) and Ayasofya (Hagia Sofia). With our spanking new museum cards, getting into the Ayasofya museum was super easy. It was nice to bypass the lines, for once!
It was Jessi's first time at visiting Ayasofya, so I was more than happy to wander around the museum while she took it all in. It is quite an amazing place, especially considering when it was built. Such an amazing piece of history! And it's really wonderful that it is still standing and functional. Just amazing. I've been several times, but I'm still blown away every time.
The trip to the mosque was a little rushed. It was nearing prayer time, so there quite a lot of people around. I opted to stay to the side and let Jessi do some exploring. I'm not really a big fan of ornate mosques like that. Sure, they're beautiful to look at! But I feel like that detracts from the purpose. I feel the same way about churches. I'm always more interested in looking around at the building than paying attention to whatever is being said in a service. Maybe it works for some people, but I'd rather have something simple than overly ornate.
After visiting the mosque, I decided I was going to search out the Grand Vezir tea house. Maybe two years ago, the Sheikha Habiba in Boulder mentioned that there was a Jerrahi tekke in Istanbul. She sent me very vague directions: go to the Grand Vezir and ask for Edip Amca. He'll show you or tell you where the tekke is. So for a long time I was curious about the location of this particular tea house. I'd never been able to find it, although I didn't spend an extraordinary amount of time looking. I mentioned to Kaan that I was looking for it and the tekke, but we never ended up going. So when Jessi and I were looking at the Egyptian Obelisk and I noticed the Grand Vezir tea house nearby, I was very excited. I told Jessi I needed to ask them something and ran across the road.
Excited and nervous, I asked about this gentleman. They told me to wait at the next door carpet place, that Edip Amca had just left. So Jessi and I waited. He had apparently gone to pray, and we were expected to wait for him. He didn't ever show up, which was slightly frustrating. However, we were introduced to another older gentleman, who entertained us for half an hour or so. His name was Erdogan Amca (if I remember correctly). He also goes to the tekke and will take me if I show up. He explained to us some symbolism in the Ottoman seal, the tugra. He told us of his love of carpets and of cars. Being some sort of mechanic or engineer, he had renovated a 1930 Mercedes and was still driving it! He took us out to show us the car; it was really remarkable. He said it was something like 6 meters long and had been running for 37 years. It was the sort of car I imagine Atatürk riding in.
(it's Jessi's photo!)
Anyhow, we mentioned to him that we were going to head back to Taksim to get some food and drink. Just as we're about to leave, he tells us to wait just one moment. After a couple of minutes, he comes back out and opens the doors for us. We eagerly climb into this beautiful car and off we go, three new friends in an amazing old car!
I was so incredibly thankful that Jessi was so patient. It was a long, tiring day. We were both grouchy and hungry. Waiting for a mystery gentleman in a strange carpet store for almost an hour did nothing to help our mood. But I'm really glad we stayed and chatted with Erdogan Amca, because it ended up being a really awesome thing, riding in this amazing car with a sweet old man. Even better, he told me that I'd just need to show up on Monday, and he would take me to the tekke. I'm not sure if I'll go today or not, but I'm really glad to finally have an opportunity to continue my study of Sufism.
It was Jessi's first time at visiting Ayasofya, so I was more than happy to wander around the museum while she took it all in. It is quite an amazing place, especially considering when it was built. Such an amazing piece of history! And it's really wonderful that it is still standing and functional. Just amazing. I've been several times, but I'm still blown away every time.
The trip to the mosque was a little rushed. It was nearing prayer time, so there quite a lot of people around. I opted to stay to the side and let Jessi do some exploring. I'm not really a big fan of ornate mosques like that. Sure, they're beautiful to look at! But I feel like that detracts from the purpose. I feel the same way about churches. I'm always more interested in looking around at the building than paying attention to whatever is being said in a service. Maybe it works for some people, but I'd rather have something simple than overly ornate.
After visiting the mosque, I decided I was going to search out the Grand Vezir tea house. Maybe two years ago, the Sheikha Habiba in Boulder mentioned that there was a Jerrahi tekke in Istanbul. She sent me very vague directions: go to the Grand Vezir and ask for Edip Amca. He'll show you or tell you where the tekke is. So for a long time I was curious about the location of this particular tea house. I'd never been able to find it, although I didn't spend an extraordinary amount of time looking. I mentioned to Kaan that I was looking for it and the tekke, but we never ended up going. So when Jessi and I were looking at the Egyptian Obelisk and I noticed the Grand Vezir tea house nearby, I was very excited. I told Jessi I needed to ask them something and ran across the road.
Excited and nervous, I asked about this gentleman. They told me to wait at the next door carpet place, that Edip Amca had just left. So Jessi and I waited. He had apparently gone to pray, and we were expected to wait for him. He didn't ever show up, which was slightly frustrating. However, we were introduced to another older gentleman, who entertained us for half an hour or so. His name was Erdogan Amca (if I remember correctly). He also goes to the tekke and will take me if I show up. He explained to us some symbolism in the Ottoman seal, the tugra. He told us of his love of carpets and of cars. Being some sort of mechanic or engineer, he had renovated a 1930 Mercedes and was still driving it! He took us out to show us the car; it was really remarkable. He said it was something like 6 meters long and had been running for 37 years. It was the sort of car I imagine Atatürk riding in.
(it's Jessi's photo!)Anyhow, we mentioned to him that we were going to head back to Taksim to get some food and drink. Just as we're about to leave, he tells us to wait just one moment. After a couple of minutes, he comes back out and opens the doors for us. We eagerly climb into this beautiful car and off we go, three new friends in an amazing old car!
I was so incredibly thankful that Jessi was so patient. It was a long, tiring day. We were both grouchy and hungry. Waiting for a mystery gentleman in a strange carpet store for almost an hour did nothing to help our mood. But I'm really glad we stayed and chatted with Erdogan Amca, because it ended up being a really awesome thing, riding in this amazing car with a sweet old man. Even better, he told me that I'd just need to show up on Monday, and he would take me to the tekke. I'm not sure if I'll go today or not, but I'm really glad to finally have an opportunity to continue my study of Sufism.
Monday, August 3, 2009
here we go again
On September 2, 2009, I will be embarking on the second half of a grand adventure.
It all started in 2006 when I decided, as a junior in high school, to spend my senior year abroad. After a few unexpected turns of event, I ended up studying in Turkey for the ten month academic year. The year was full of adventure and education; upon return to the US in July of 2007, I had become a certified turkophile, gobbling up whatever opportunities I had to read about, talk about, think about, and revisit the country as often as they were presented.
Now as a junior in college, I've been given the chance to study abroad for a second time. For much of my final quarter of sophomore year I considered studying in Russia; after all, I am a Russian major and could really benefit from the time spent immersed in Russian language. As the application deadline drew near, I began to weigh my options. While spending my year in Russia would have been a wonderful opportunity to improve my language skills and confidence, my heart was set on studying again in Istanbul.
So here I am, a month away from my flight and from the beginning of another sort of college experience. I'll be staying with my long time on-again-off-again love interest Kaan (we're off-again, if anyone is interested) in an apartment near one of the campuses of Istanbul Bilgi University. I'll be taking a slew of international relations classes, Advanced Russian, and maybe even Kurdish. The plan is to learn as much as I can, without sacrificing my free time and energy.
Here's why you might find this blog entertaining:
You might be one of my friends or family members perplexed at my continuing travels to Turkey and eager to decode my fledgling curiosity with such a complex country and culture.
You might be a student considering a study abroad experience or one of my fellow travelers looking for a way to stay in touch.
You might find amusing the dynamics between kaan and myself, especially if I go more into depth about him.
You might enjoy my anecdotes of college life, of living in a small apartment with an even smaller Kurdish man in a shady part of town, of trying to maintain a shred of privacy and normalcy in a city of 15 million.
You might even be pleased to watch some youtube vlogs that I hope to film, illustrating not only some of the beauty of Istanbul, but some of the more mundane and ordinary sides of life in the city as well.
So now, who am I?
I'm a third year student at the University of Denver. I'm an International Studies major, Russian language major, and Religious Studies minor. I don't know what I want to do after college. I'm a vegan and intend to stay vegan as long as I can while abroad. I'm a dread head, a nappy girl, and a bit of a hippie. I'm a worrier; I'm currently worried about not having enough money to eat and getting stared at for growing a head of dreads. I'm sure when I get there, I'll start to worry about classes and getting around. I'm beginning to develop a concern about the campus situation; Bilgi has three campuses across the city. I'll be living close to one campus, but what if my classes are at another? Hopefully all will be well.
Some names you might see popping up in this blog:
Margaret, my sister at home in Colorado
Roy, one of my best friends in Colorado
Anthony, another friend in Colorado
Cameron, a friend from DU who will be studying in Russia and China, each for a semester
Kyle, another friend from DU who will be studying in Denmark for a year
Jenn, yet another friend from DU who will be studying in China for a semester
I can't fathom that I'll talk about these people much, but here they are just in case.
In my month remaining, I need to renew my scooter insurance, cancel Netflix, and pay tuition.
I'm leaving tomorrow for Seattle, which may be the birthplace of my new vlog. I'll be there for a week, visiting a friend with whom I went to Turkey in 2006/2007 and getting my dreads maintained by lish.
On that note, I should finish laundry and packing. Stay tuned for more updates as I prepare for my exodus to Turkey, as I battle incompetent airline companies and suitcases that refuse to zip shut, and, of course, the whole purpose of this blog, my impendingdoomschool year abroad.
It all started in 2006 when I decided, as a junior in high school, to spend my senior year abroad. After a few unexpected turns of event, I ended up studying in Turkey for the ten month academic year. The year was full of adventure and education; upon return to the US in July of 2007, I had become a certified turkophile, gobbling up whatever opportunities I had to read about, talk about, think about, and revisit the country as often as they were presented.
Now as a junior in college, I've been given the chance to study abroad for a second time. For much of my final quarter of sophomore year I considered studying in Russia; after all, I am a Russian major and could really benefit from the time spent immersed in Russian language. As the application deadline drew near, I began to weigh my options. While spending my year in Russia would have been a wonderful opportunity to improve my language skills and confidence, my heart was set on studying again in Istanbul.
So here I am, a month away from my flight and from the beginning of another sort of college experience. I'll be staying with my long time on-again-off-again love interest Kaan (we're off-again, if anyone is interested) in an apartment near one of the campuses of Istanbul Bilgi University. I'll be taking a slew of international relations classes, Advanced Russian, and maybe even Kurdish. The plan is to learn as much as I can, without sacrificing my free time and energy.
Here's why you might find this blog entertaining:
You might be one of my friends or family members perplexed at my continuing travels to Turkey and eager to decode my fledgling curiosity with such a complex country and culture.
You might be a student considering a study abroad experience or one of my fellow travelers looking for a way to stay in touch.
You might find amusing the dynamics between kaan and myself, especially if I go more into depth about him.
You might enjoy my anecdotes of college life, of living in a small apartment with an even smaller Kurdish man in a shady part of town, of trying to maintain a shred of privacy and normalcy in a city of 15 million.
You might even be pleased to watch some youtube vlogs that I hope to film, illustrating not only some of the beauty of Istanbul, but some of the more mundane and ordinary sides of life in the city as well.
So now, who am I?
I'm a third year student at the University of Denver. I'm an International Studies major, Russian language major, and Religious Studies minor. I don't know what I want to do after college. I'm a vegan and intend to stay vegan as long as I can while abroad. I'm a dread head, a nappy girl, and a bit of a hippie. I'm a worrier; I'm currently worried about not having enough money to eat and getting stared at for growing a head of dreads. I'm sure when I get there, I'll start to worry about classes and getting around. I'm beginning to develop a concern about the campus situation; Bilgi has three campuses across the city. I'll be living close to one campus, but what if my classes are at another? Hopefully all will be well.
Some names you might see popping up in this blog:
Margaret, my sister at home in Colorado
Roy, one of my best friends in Colorado
Anthony, another friend in Colorado
Cameron, a friend from DU who will be studying in Russia and China, each for a semester
Kyle, another friend from DU who will be studying in Denmark for a year
Jenn, yet another friend from DU who will be studying in China for a semester
I can't fathom that I'll talk about these people much, but here they are just in case.
In my month remaining, I need to renew my scooter insurance, cancel Netflix, and pay tuition.
I'm leaving tomorrow for Seattle, which may be the birthplace of my new vlog. I'll be there for a week, visiting a friend with whom I went to Turkey in 2006/2007 and getting my dreads maintained by lish.
On that note, I should finish laundry and packing. Stay tuned for more updates as I prepare for my exodus to Turkey, as I battle incompetent airline companies and suitcases that refuse to zip shut, and, of course, the whole purpose of this blog, my impending
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