Life has been pretty dull for the last couple of weeks. As I mentioned before, I was lucky enough to have my darling friend Cameron visit in the last week of May. He left on the morning of June 1, leaving me just enough time to begin to prepare for my finals.
I have one left to do--a presentation for my Turkish class--but otherwise I'm done with school. It's a relief, really.. I enjoy taking classes and engaging in discussions, but I despise writing finals. Somehow the finals here seem so different from the finals in the States; they seem to be mostly timed essay responses. I don't mind a take-home essay so much, but sitting through these timed essays is really stressful.
I'll be transferring a fair amount of credits back to my host university, but I fear it won't be nearly enough. I've been doing some planning for this next year, and it appears that I'll be breaking my back and paying extra tuition to catch up and graduate, or I'll be staying an extra quarter or two. At roughly 12,000US per quarter, taking a little bit of extra time isn't as light of a decision as it sounds. I don't really know what I'll do about the future; then again, no one ever really does.
I'd like to apply for a teaching post in Turkey through Fulbright for the 2011-2012 school year. I would like a chance to give back to the 'community' that has given me so much. If I make it through this next year, I'll sure be glad to have a lot more freedom to do some traveling and teaching.
For now, though, I have to get ready to go to my last class/final. I'm already in summer mode, so I'm hoping the meeting is easy and quick!
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Friday, June 11, 2010
Friday, April 30, 2010
worker's day
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!
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!
Friday, March 26, 2010
no more excuses
I ought to take my own advice here; I ought to stop making excuses for my extreme lack of adventure! With Spring Break coming up, I have a great opportunity to do some exploring. I have almost three weeks with no school (just two midterms)! Most of the other exchange students here have planned some grand adventure.. maybe I'll try to tag along.
The package from my mother finally arrived. It can be so hard to get organized and motivated sometimes; it took her almost two months to send me this box. I finally got it last week, on the same day we set up our home internet AND purchased a lovely new table. Needless to say, it was a great day. My mom sent some junk food treats (Boulder Chips!) and some lovely socks from Target, as well as a scarf for Kaan and some cute office supplies. Regardless of how impractical or little the gifts are, it's always nice to get a package from someone full of things that make you smile. Although I don't need a pink stapler, it was definitely my favorite part of the box! So, thanks mom, for knowing just how to make my day.
Along with this "no more excuses" post, I have to admit that, now with internet at home, I have no excuse to not update. I know I'll find something resembling an excuse (a lack of anything interesting to say, perhaps!), but I'll definitely have more frequent updates. It can be really hard to sit down and think your life into blog posts, without making stupid updates about what you ate for lunch. I have a habit of posting insignificant details like that on my personal blog; I'm working hard to avoid it here!
One of my projects for over break is to take more photos. I'm eager to show off my neighborhood and life here in Istanbul. Also, I have to write a little paper about it for my Turkish class. So perhaps I'll post a little bit here. My darling friend Kyle puts me to shame with his frequent, informative blog updates! He's had such a wonderful array of trips and experiences; I have total blog envy. If I remember next time, I'll post a link to some of my favorite posts of his.
The package from my mother finally arrived. It can be so hard to get organized and motivated sometimes; it took her almost two months to send me this box. I finally got it last week, on the same day we set up our home internet AND purchased a lovely new table. Needless to say, it was a great day. My mom sent some junk food treats (Boulder Chips!) and some lovely socks from Target, as well as a scarf for Kaan and some cute office supplies. Regardless of how impractical or little the gifts are, it's always nice to get a package from someone full of things that make you smile. Although I don't need a pink stapler, it was definitely my favorite part of the box! So, thanks mom, for knowing just how to make my day.
Along with this "no more excuses" post, I have to admit that, now with internet at home, I have no excuse to not update. I know I'll find something resembling an excuse (a lack of anything interesting to say, perhaps!), but I'll definitely have more frequent updates. It can be really hard to sit down and think your life into blog posts, without making stupid updates about what you ate for lunch. I have a habit of posting insignificant details like that on my personal blog; I'm working hard to avoid it here!
One of my projects for over break is to take more photos. I'm eager to show off my neighborhood and life here in Istanbul. Also, I have to write a little paper about it for my Turkish class. So perhaps I'll post a little bit here. My darling friend Kyle puts me to shame with his frequent, informative blog updates! He's had such a wonderful array of trips and experiences; I have total blog envy. If I remember next time, I'll post a link to some of my favorite posts of his.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
I've been such a crappy blogger lately, I'm sorry. I'll try to write more, I promise!
Here’s the latest news:
Kaan’s nephew has been staying with us for the last few days. Normally I don’t particularly enjoy having guests, but it’s been quite fun. Suat is 17 or 18 and is the son of Kaan’s eldest sister, Zahide. It’s an interesting situation; Suat is one of 13 siblings. It’s certainly a mind-boggling number. Granted, she’s the second wife of Suat’s father and has only given birth to EIGHT of the thirteen, but it’s still a scary number to those of us who think anything over 3 children is a lot. It marks another division between the rural families and the urban families, as I think it also does in the States. Families that come from the country (versus the city) tend to have larger families to aid in farming and whatnot. In the States, I think this also relates in a small part to rural religious conservatism (the Quiverfull-type people). I’m not sure I’m educated enough to make a judgment like that for Turkey, but I reckon there are similar circumstances. Whatever the reasons for this really large household, the situation is interesting to me.
Suat works during the day, so it’s been quiet at home. He comes home just as Kaan leaves for work, usually, so I finally have something to occupy me in the evenings. It’s really nice to have some company after spending most of the day alone. However, we’ve been staying up quite late the last few nights, and it’s really wearing on me. I’ve forgotten how much I enjoy staying up late, but I may try to go to sleep just a little bit earlier from now on. It’s really a drag to sleep most of the day because you were having too much fun hanging out the night before. It’s even more of a drag to not sleep all day but wish you had.
School is continuing. I find more and more that I’m frustrated by the lack of organization here. I have classes that I like (or would potentially like) but still have no clue how they will be graded. I don’t have a syllabus for one class. I have a partial syllabus for another. It’s really crazy. Mid-terms are in two or three weeks, and we don’t have a syllabus? Just ridiculous. On Thursday, my class was cancelled. Of course, since I don’t have internet at home, I couldn’t go check the online page. Luckily, nothing was posted online about a cancelled class. Apparently everyone except three of us knew there was to be no class. We showed up and waited for fifteen minutes before being kicked out of the room. It was really strange and frustrating! At DU, if class is going to be cancelled, we often know in advance. If a last minute cancellation, most teachers have the decency to send someone to post a note on the door. Sure, most of us are rooting for class to be cancelled, waiting for that 15th minute to pass so we can “legally” leave. But somehow it’s easier to root for a class to be cancelled when you aren’t the only one waiting for it to start. It’s so hard to be happy that class is cancelled when you weren’t going to come in the first place, but your sense of responsibility and obligation dragged you out of bed and aaaallllll the way to school.
Here’s the latest news:
Kaan’s nephew has been staying with us for the last few days. Normally I don’t particularly enjoy having guests, but it’s been quite fun. Suat is 17 or 18 and is the son of Kaan’s eldest sister, Zahide. It’s an interesting situation; Suat is one of 13 siblings. It’s certainly a mind-boggling number. Granted, she’s the second wife of Suat’s father and has only given birth to EIGHT of the thirteen, but it’s still a scary number to those of us who think anything over 3 children is a lot. It marks another division between the rural families and the urban families, as I think it also does in the States. Families that come from the country (versus the city) tend to have larger families to aid in farming and whatnot. In the States, I think this also relates in a small part to rural religious conservatism (the Quiverfull-type people). I’m not sure I’m educated enough to make a judgment like that for Turkey, but I reckon there are similar circumstances. Whatever the reasons for this really large household, the situation is interesting to me.
Suat works during the day, so it’s been quiet at home. He comes home just as Kaan leaves for work, usually, so I finally have something to occupy me in the evenings. It’s really nice to have some company after spending most of the day alone. However, we’ve been staying up quite late the last few nights, and it’s really wearing on me. I’ve forgotten how much I enjoy staying up late, but I may try to go to sleep just a little bit earlier from now on. It’s really a drag to sleep most of the day because you were having too much fun hanging out the night before. It’s even more of a drag to not sleep all day but wish you had.
School is continuing. I find more and more that I’m frustrated by the lack of organization here. I have classes that I like (or would potentially like) but still have no clue how they will be graded. I don’t have a syllabus for one class. I have a partial syllabus for another. It’s really crazy. Mid-terms are in two or three weeks, and we don’t have a syllabus? Just ridiculous. On Thursday, my class was cancelled. Of course, since I don’t have internet at home, I couldn’t go check the online page. Luckily, nothing was posted online about a cancelled class. Apparently everyone except three of us knew there was to be no class. We showed up and waited for fifteen minutes before being kicked out of the room. It was really strange and frustrating! At DU, if class is going to be cancelled, we often know in advance. If a last minute cancellation, most teachers have the decency to send someone to post a note on the door. Sure, most of us are rooting for class to be cancelled, waiting for that 15th minute to pass so we can “legally” leave. But somehow it’s easier to root for a class to be cancelled when you aren’t the only one waiting for it to start. It’s so hard to be happy that class is cancelled when you weren’t going to come in the first place, but your sense of responsibility and obligation dragged you out of bed and aaaallllll the way to school.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
I did say I'd update in the new year..
I didn't anticipate it would take me this long to get to my blog! What a shame.
Luckily for all of my reader friends, none of you have missed anything of note, excepting a 3-day snow storm and really cold weather. I'll give you all a brief run down of my time since December 18 anyway.
Christmas, aka Dec. 25: Kaan and I didn't do anything. I tried to encourage a gift exchange, but I don't think he quite understood the essence of gift giving. I got him some CDs and a new belt (which he sorely needed!). I then bought myself a beautiful scarf, hoping he wouldn't buy the same thing. He certainly didn't; instead, he bought a set of cute (but sort of silly) mugs with children and hearts on them. I won't lie, it was a little upsetting. No matter how secular you are, missing a holiday which is usually spent with your family is really a sad thing. I love Kaan, absolutely. However, it made me realize how much I enjoy holidays with my family, silly presents and all. It also made me realize how much removed from my culture I am; again, no matter how adjusted you feel, there are times even in the middle of your trip that you feel a bit of culture shock.
My friend Jessi would often stress the importance of sharing even the negative experiences on these blogs, in hopes that future study abroad-ers won't feel so alien when they have a bad day. This is my contribution to that wisdom. Holidays are the hardest time to be away from your home. I experienced a similar anxiety in 2006 on my high school trip. During that time though, my host family had asked me to leave their house. Due to this, I didn't attribute much of my melancholy to being away from my real family. Looking back, however, I think that home sickness did kick in right around the holidays, making the family turmoil that much harder.
So anyway, don't be surprised if the holidays start making you blue. It can be tough to be so far away from everything you know and love during the holidays. My advice is have a good cry (or whatever works for you), find solace in your friends, seek members of the ex-pat community to bond with, and remember that the trip won't last so much longer that you can't make it. I have days when I wake up, look at the calendar, and groan. Six months is a tremendously long time some days. But time--and your home sickness/melancholy--will pass.
During the end of 2009 and early 2010, many of my new friends returned to their homes. This made my holidays a little dull. Kaan spent much of his free time searching for a job, and I think I spent a lot of time watching TV. I only had one final exam, which went fairly well. So, really, I didn't have anything exciting going on in my life.
New Year's Eve was pretty boring too. Kaan and I bought a bunch of junk food and watched TV for the evening. I was hoping for something akin to the American NYE celebrations: the news channels send representatives to NYC to talk to people, watch concerts, and eventually do the countdown/ball drop. Often, we also get to see clips of other countries celebrating. Like I said, I was hoping for something like that. From what I can tell, the TV channels here put on a "NYE special", which is often a lot of singing and very little fireworking. I wasn't captivated or impressed. We did finally find something to watch (a sort of Turkish "Deal or No Deal") and passed the evening quite well. We saw some fireworks at midnight and went to bed shortly after. Unfortunately for me, I was unable to blissfully sleep into the new year. I woke up at 630am on January 1 with vomit and other unpleasant bodily functions. I spent most of the next three days being a sick lump at home. It was definitely not a fun way to bring in the new year.
Let's see. The other thing to talk about is school, I suppose. I did get my grades back from the four classes I took. I received 3 A's and one A-. I was pretty pleased with myself. Granted, I took classes taught in English--and only four of them. I'm going to try to take a heavier courseload this time around. I'm thinking of continuing with Russian and Turkish, taking a Turkey and the EU course, an intro to int'l human rights law course, and maybe a class in sociology. I haven't narrowed down my two elective slots yet, but I'm considering 6 or 7 classes to take. I don't have to register until 3 Feb, so I still have some time to decide. Classes will start again on 8 Feb.
My birthday is 1 Feb! I'll be turning 21, not something particularly exciting here in Turkey. I don't believe I have any plans, though I have been told one of Kaan's friends (who works in a cake store) wants to throw me a surprise party. Some surprise! I'll certainly eat cake whenever possible, and a birthday is a good excuse for cake.
Starbucks has become my new "spot" for internet. I hope to be more active online now that I don't have to rely on sketchy internet cafes. I have some projects brewing in my mind, one of which finally fulfills my video promises. Hopefully I can get the ball moving on those.
I hope the new year finds everyone in good health, both of body and mind. Again, I'll try to be more consistent with my updates from now on!
Luckily for all of my reader friends, none of you have missed anything of note, excepting a 3-day snow storm and really cold weather. I'll give you all a brief run down of my time since December 18 anyway.
Christmas, aka Dec. 25: Kaan and I didn't do anything. I tried to encourage a gift exchange, but I don't think he quite understood the essence of gift giving. I got him some CDs and a new belt (which he sorely needed!). I then bought myself a beautiful scarf, hoping he wouldn't buy the same thing. He certainly didn't; instead, he bought a set of cute (but sort of silly) mugs with children and hearts on them. I won't lie, it was a little upsetting. No matter how secular you are, missing a holiday which is usually spent with your family is really a sad thing. I love Kaan, absolutely. However, it made me realize how much I enjoy holidays with my family, silly presents and all. It also made me realize how much removed from my culture I am; again, no matter how adjusted you feel, there are times even in the middle of your trip that you feel a bit of culture shock.
My friend Jessi would often stress the importance of sharing even the negative experiences on these blogs, in hopes that future study abroad-ers won't feel so alien when they have a bad day. This is my contribution to that wisdom. Holidays are the hardest time to be away from your home. I experienced a similar anxiety in 2006 on my high school trip. During that time though, my host family had asked me to leave their house. Due to this, I didn't attribute much of my melancholy to being away from my real family. Looking back, however, I think that home sickness did kick in right around the holidays, making the family turmoil that much harder.
So anyway, don't be surprised if the holidays start making you blue. It can be tough to be so far away from everything you know and love during the holidays. My advice is have a good cry (or whatever works for you), find solace in your friends, seek members of the ex-pat community to bond with, and remember that the trip won't last so much longer that you can't make it. I have days when I wake up, look at the calendar, and groan. Six months is a tremendously long time some days. But time--and your home sickness/melancholy--will pass.
During the end of 2009 and early 2010, many of my new friends returned to their homes. This made my holidays a little dull. Kaan spent much of his free time searching for a job, and I think I spent a lot of time watching TV. I only had one final exam, which went fairly well. So, really, I didn't have anything exciting going on in my life.
New Year's Eve was pretty boring too. Kaan and I bought a bunch of junk food and watched TV for the evening. I was hoping for something akin to the American NYE celebrations: the news channels send representatives to NYC to talk to people, watch concerts, and eventually do the countdown/ball drop. Often, we also get to see clips of other countries celebrating. Like I said, I was hoping for something like that. From what I can tell, the TV channels here put on a "NYE special", which is often a lot of singing and very little fireworking. I wasn't captivated or impressed. We did finally find something to watch (a sort of Turkish "Deal or No Deal") and passed the evening quite well. We saw some fireworks at midnight and went to bed shortly after. Unfortunately for me, I was unable to blissfully sleep into the new year. I woke up at 630am on January 1 with vomit and other unpleasant bodily functions. I spent most of the next three days being a sick lump at home. It was definitely not a fun way to bring in the new year.
Let's see. The other thing to talk about is school, I suppose. I did get my grades back from the four classes I took. I received 3 A's and one A-. I was pretty pleased with myself. Granted, I took classes taught in English--and only four of them. I'm going to try to take a heavier courseload this time around. I'm thinking of continuing with Russian and Turkish, taking a Turkey and the EU course, an intro to int'l human rights law course, and maybe a class in sociology. I haven't narrowed down my two elective slots yet, but I'm considering 6 or 7 classes to take. I don't have to register until 3 Feb, so I still have some time to decide. Classes will start again on 8 Feb.
My birthday is 1 Feb! I'll be turning 21, not something particularly exciting here in Turkey. I don't believe I have any plans, though I have been told one of Kaan's friends (who works in a cake store) wants to throw me a surprise party. Some surprise! I'll certainly eat cake whenever possible, and a birthday is a good excuse for cake.
Starbucks has become my new "spot" for internet. I hope to be more active online now that I don't have to rely on sketchy internet cafes. I have some projects brewing in my mind, one of which finally fulfills my video promises. Hopefully I can get the ball moving on those.
I hope the new year finds everyone in good health, both of body and mind. Again, I'll try to be more consistent with my updates from now on!
Friday, December 18, 2009
It hardly seems fair that I've neglected this blog for almost a month. I can't really chalk it up to the traditional post-Thanksgiving time crunch. I can't even really say it's been a heavy workload at schoo. Part of the reason I've been absent is that Kaan is no longer working at Cafe Nero, thus my semi-regular internet access has been interrupted. This happened about two weeks ago, which can account for two of the last three weeks. I suppose it isn't really tremendously important to give an excuse for every day left un-narrated, but I'll at least try to summarize my absence in the last three weeks.
Kaan and I have been enjoying tremendously this increase in time together. We've applied for and received his first passport, which is a really neat thing for him. We were hoping to fly to South Africa over the winter break, but I don't think that will be working out. My mother has this great idea that if Kaan is able to spend some time in an English-speaking country, he might have a better understanding of life in the States (or at least the lonliness that comes from not speaking the native language). Plus, South Africa in January would be a nice break from the cold, rainy Istanbul. As the whole trip ended up being quite a bit more than I had expected, we've back-burnered the plan for the time being. He does, however, now have a passport, which is a step in the right direction. We recently acquired a tavla (backgammon) set, so much of our free time has been consumed by almost endless backgammon tournaments. Otherwise we've been wandering around rather aimlessly, sleeping in until 9am on some days, and generally wasting time and money. It's been a good couple of weeks. I believe Kaan's been feeling rather fidgety lately, so there is the possibility of his upcoming return to the work force. I'm doing my best to not pressure him in either direction, but truly, either way works for me.
His reasons for leaving Cafe Nero include a rather unfair insurance scandal. Apparently in Turkey, employers are required by law to provide their employees with some sort of health insurance almost immediately after being hired. I was previously unaware of this; when Kaan was talking about asking his work for insurance several months ago, I thought he was just being paranoid. However, it turns out that not supplying one's workers with appropriate insurance is ground for a rather hefty fine. Apparently there are public servants who randomly check the insurance status of workers around the city. One day a couple of weeks ago, they came to Cafe Nero. Kaan did his best to avoid any punishment but was still the reason for a fine. His bosses decided to ask him to pay it, which is not really his duty. In protest, he left.
Frankly, I think this situation was absolutely absurd. He had requested insurance from his bosses; they refused to give it to him. When they incurred a fine, they tried to make him pay it, despite his obvious desire to follow the law. What a bunch of bullies.
So those are the most recent newsworthy snippets from the world of Kaan.
School is finishing in one week. I've just completed a rather lengthy final paper for one class. I have a slightly shorter paper and presentation to prepare for another, as well as a test to prepare for next week. Neither are really very serious, so I haven't had as much stress as my Turkish companions, I'm sure. I have one final test in January. Really, it's been a nice way to wrap up the first semester. I hope everything goes as planned, though... I ought not to take it too easy!
I believe classes end officially on Christmas. I don't have any particular Christmas plans. It's more traditional to have a Christmas-type celebration on New Years Eve. Most likely we will exchange a few small gifts then, rather than try to falsy create Christmas. I did have a dream about constructing a paper tree, hanging it on the wall, and decorating it. If this comes to fruitation, I will post photos!
I apologize for the rather disjointed and incoherent update. As I expressed in the past, my English skills decrease as my length of stay increases. On top of this quick deterioration of the native tongue, I'm quite tired (undoubtedly from churning out a ten page paper just before its due date). I hope that my dear readers can understand.
As I will very likely not be updating again until the new year, I wish you all a safe and happy holiday season. Be healthy and wealthy and wise. I hope the quickly approaching new year will offer you many opportunities to expand your comfort zone and modify your approach to the world, as this trip to Turkey has done with mine. Peace on earth and all of that.
Kaan and I have been enjoying tremendously this increase in time together. We've applied for and received his first passport, which is a really neat thing for him. We were hoping to fly to South Africa over the winter break, but I don't think that will be working out. My mother has this great idea that if Kaan is able to spend some time in an English-speaking country, he might have a better understanding of life in the States (or at least the lonliness that comes from not speaking the native language). Plus, South Africa in January would be a nice break from the cold, rainy Istanbul. As the whole trip ended up being quite a bit more than I had expected, we've back-burnered the plan for the time being. He does, however, now have a passport, which is a step in the right direction. We recently acquired a tavla (backgammon) set, so much of our free time has been consumed by almost endless backgammon tournaments. Otherwise we've been wandering around rather aimlessly, sleeping in until 9am on some days, and generally wasting time and money. It's been a good couple of weeks. I believe Kaan's been feeling rather fidgety lately, so there is the possibility of his upcoming return to the work force. I'm doing my best to not pressure him in either direction, but truly, either way works for me.
His reasons for leaving Cafe Nero include a rather unfair insurance scandal. Apparently in Turkey, employers are required by law to provide their employees with some sort of health insurance almost immediately after being hired. I was previously unaware of this; when Kaan was talking about asking his work for insurance several months ago, I thought he was just being paranoid. However, it turns out that not supplying one's workers with appropriate insurance is ground for a rather hefty fine. Apparently there are public servants who randomly check the insurance status of workers around the city. One day a couple of weeks ago, they came to Cafe Nero. Kaan did his best to avoid any punishment but was still the reason for a fine. His bosses decided to ask him to pay it, which is not really his duty. In protest, he left.
Frankly, I think this situation was absolutely absurd. He had requested insurance from his bosses; they refused to give it to him. When they incurred a fine, they tried to make him pay it, despite his obvious desire to follow the law. What a bunch of bullies.
So those are the most recent newsworthy snippets from the world of Kaan.
School is finishing in one week. I've just completed a rather lengthy final paper for one class. I have a slightly shorter paper and presentation to prepare for another, as well as a test to prepare for next week. Neither are really very serious, so I haven't had as much stress as my Turkish companions, I'm sure. I have one final test in January. Really, it's been a nice way to wrap up the first semester. I hope everything goes as planned, though... I ought not to take it too easy!
I believe classes end officially on Christmas. I don't have any particular Christmas plans. It's more traditional to have a Christmas-type celebration on New Years Eve. Most likely we will exchange a few small gifts then, rather than try to falsy create Christmas. I did have a dream about constructing a paper tree, hanging it on the wall, and decorating it. If this comes to fruitation, I will post photos!
I apologize for the rather disjointed and incoherent update. As I expressed in the past, my English skills decrease as my length of stay increases. On top of this quick deterioration of the native tongue, I'm quite tired (undoubtedly from churning out a ten page paper just before its due date). I hope that my dear readers can understand.
As I will very likely not be updating again until the new year, I wish you all a safe and happy holiday season. Be healthy and wealthy and wise. I hope the quickly approaching new year will offer you many opportunities to expand your comfort zone and modify your approach to the world, as this trip to Turkey has done with mine. Peace on earth and all of that.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
small updates
I'll try to be brief in this post; I feel that I have a tendency to be a little over verbose.
Midterm week passed uneventfully. I may have written this already. As I only had one real midterm, I was blessed with a relatively stress-free week. I was pleased to find out yesterday that I had done quite well on the test, so I'm feeling quite gratified. Last week we had a Turkish class "midterm", which was quite easy. I know I missed the spelling of a couple of words, but overall I feel confident that I did the best I could. I believe I'll get that score back on Friday. So overall, I've been able to maintain a level of relative success in school. Of course, we still have finals to overcome; I ought to be careful to not speak too soon.
Our visitor from DU has since come and gone. Jessi and I had a lovely day with her, showing off some of our favorite spots in the city and enjoying a good conversation throughout the day. We ate an early lunch, wandered around Istiklal, showed her the dorms, escorted her to campus, and then visited Sultanahmet. Although we had quite a limited time, I think everyone was satisfied at the end of the day. I, personally, was exhausted! But again, it was such a nice day.
Everyone will be pleased to know that we haven't had any more scorpions. Kaan thought it would be funny to rent the Scorpion King 2 a few days after the incident. I admit that the movie was more successful at making me laugh than renewing my concern for our crusty friend. It's definitely NOT a movie I would recommend anyone seeing. I was positive, after watching the first half hour, that the movie was either a spoof or a soft-core porno. Thankfully it was neither; rather, it was a mildly entertaining, quite silly prequel to the Rock's production.
Kaan's oldest brother came to stay with us for one night, en route to the 'village'. I was being a little anti-social and played the homework card. Luckily, we were able to get to bed quite early and able to avoid too much awkwardness.
And in other news, I've been quite busy making new friends. I've been spending a lot of time with some of the foreigners in my classes, particularly Niels, Jan, and Eleanor. I'm hoping to add a couple of Turkish friends to this mix, but that's going a little more slowly than I'd hoped. However, lately Jessi's been kind enough to bring her friends around, so we both are increasing our interactions with the "locals".
I'm desperately seeking a fitted bedsheet. Apparently they don't exist in Turkey if the bed is bigger than a one-person. My search has brought me to Ikea and Etsy so far. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. It's so annoying to try to tuck the bedsheet into the non-existant bedframe. Every morning I have to remake the bed, starting with the sheet. Since there's nothing to really anchor the sheet, every little move made in the middle of the night slowly pushes the sheet to the floor. So annoying!
Midterm week passed uneventfully. I may have written this already. As I only had one real midterm, I was blessed with a relatively stress-free week. I was pleased to find out yesterday that I had done quite well on the test, so I'm feeling quite gratified. Last week we had a Turkish class "midterm", which was quite easy. I know I missed the spelling of a couple of words, but overall I feel confident that I did the best I could. I believe I'll get that score back on Friday. So overall, I've been able to maintain a level of relative success in school. Of course, we still have finals to overcome; I ought to be careful to not speak too soon.
Our visitor from DU has since come and gone. Jessi and I had a lovely day with her, showing off some of our favorite spots in the city and enjoying a good conversation throughout the day. We ate an early lunch, wandered around Istiklal, showed her the dorms, escorted her to campus, and then visited Sultanahmet. Although we had quite a limited time, I think everyone was satisfied at the end of the day. I, personally, was exhausted! But again, it was such a nice day.
Everyone will be pleased to know that we haven't had any more scorpions. Kaan thought it would be funny to rent the Scorpion King 2 a few days after the incident. I admit that the movie was more successful at making me laugh than renewing my concern for our crusty friend. It's definitely NOT a movie I would recommend anyone seeing. I was positive, after watching the first half hour, that the movie was either a spoof or a soft-core porno. Thankfully it was neither; rather, it was a mildly entertaining, quite silly prequel to the Rock's production.
Kaan's oldest brother came to stay with us for one night, en route to the 'village'. I was being a little anti-social and played the homework card. Luckily, we were able to get to bed quite early and able to avoid too much awkwardness.
And in other news, I've been quite busy making new friends. I've been spending a lot of time with some of the foreigners in my classes, particularly Niels, Jan, and Eleanor. I'm hoping to add a couple of Turkish friends to this mix, but that's going a little more slowly than I'd hoped. However, lately Jessi's been kind enough to bring her friends around, so we both are increasing our interactions with the "locals".
I'm desperately seeking a fitted bedsheet. Apparently they don't exist in Turkey if the bed is bigger than a one-person. My search has brought me to Ikea and Etsy so far. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. It's so annoying to try to tuck the bedsheet into the non-existant bedframe. Every morning I have to remake the bed, starting with the sheet. Since there's nothing to really anchor the sheet, every little move made in the middle of the night slowly pushes the sheet to the floor. So annoying!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
well hello strangers
Yes, I do realize it's been at least 10 days since I wrote, and yes, I'm sorry about that! My good friend Evrim has reminded and gently encouraged me to write today, so here I am.
The sad part is that I have no real news. School is generally going well. We have midterms coming up in about a week and a half. Since I only have one or two midterms, I'm not worrying about those at all. I probably should get down to studying and such.
I wish I had some good stories about the wedding to tell, but I didn't end up going. I was really excited to go. I was even excited about the twenty hour bus ride! But on the morning of the trip, I was spending more time in the toilet than I was packing. I decided if I wasn't feeling better by 11, then I wouldn't try to embark on the trip. We were concerned that if I needed to yak (or worse!) we wouldn't be able to stop. Bus trips in Turkey only get a 15- or 20-minute break every few hours. It's probably very similar to bus trips in the States, but since I haven't ever taken a bus in the states, I don't rightly know.
So anyway, 11:00 came and went. I still wasn't feeling much better. We grudgingly decided that I wouldn't go. Instead of having a grand, uncomfortable adventure in the east of Turkey, I spent my weekend bawling and watching movies. I did end up deciding I need to locate a pirated DVD shop pronto; although I brought a great selection of movies with me, I've seen them all plenty of times. Plus, with pirated DVDs, Kaan and I can watch them together since they've got Turkish subtitles AND will play on my region one DVD player.
Other than feeling like a pathetic lump for most of the weekend and being generally upset at missing the wedding, I guess it was an okay couple of days. Kaan had some trouble getting home afterward (and his cousin ended up deleting the entire memory card of the camera, which had apparently been filled with photos and videos of the wedding). The buses weren't running, the money wasn't enough, the plane wasn't at the airport.. it was a problematic return leg for him. He did finally come back home, so things are more or less back to normal.
We've more or less settled into a routine. He gets up around 7:30 to get ready for work. Depending on the day, I either go to school or back to bed. After school, I generally come to the cafe for a couple of hours. If I don't have school, I head to the cafe for a couple of hours. Then I either head out to spend time with friends, or I return home. At home, before Kaan returns from work, I do some housewifey things (my mother would be so surprised!). I make the bed, clean the dishes, and pick up around the house. It's really a strange thing for me; my parents can attest to my general dislike of all things clean and organized. But somehow, living with Kaan is reason enough to take care of things. I think it's fair; he spends so much time working that it doesn't seem unreasonable to do my share of things at home. If only I had come to this conclusion years ago; my father would have been a much happier person overall.
I'm beginning correspondence with the Ankara embassy regarding a visa for Kaan. Wish us luck for that!
I think that's all I have to say. I really haven't been doing anything lately that might be considered worthy of a blog entry, but I am still alive and kickin'. Tomorrow I have plans to visit the market with a couple of friends from school. However, as I don't intend on buying anything, it'll most likely be more for the company than anything.
The sad part is that I have no real news. School is generally going well. We have midterms coming up in about a week and a half. Since I only have one or two midterms, I'm not worrying about those at all. I probably should get down to studying and such.
I wish I had some good stories about the wedding to tell, but I didn't end up going. I was really excited to go. I was even excited about the twenty hour bus ride! But on the morning of the trip, I was spending more time in the toilet than I was packing. I decided if I wasn't feeling better by 11, then I wouldn't try to embark on the trip. We were concerned that if I needed to yak (or worse!) we wouldn't be able to stop. Bus trips in Turkey only get a 15- or 20-minute break every few hours. It's probably very similar to bus trips in the States, but since I haven't ever taken a bus in the states, I don't rightly know.
So anyway, 11:00 came and went. I still wasn't feeling much better. We grudgingly decided that I wouldn't go. Instead of having a grand, uncomfortable adventure in the east of Turkey, I spent my weekend bawling and watching movies. I did end up deciding I need to locate a pirated DVD shop pronto; although I brought a great selection of movies with me, I've seen them all plenty of times. Plus, with pirated DVDs, Kaan and I can watch them together since they've got Turkish subtitles AND will play on my region one DVD player.
Other than feeling like a pathetic lump for most of the weekend and being generally upset at missing the wedding, I guess it was an okay couple of days. Kaan had some trouble getting home afterward (and his cousin ended up deleting the entire memory card of the camera, which had apparently been filled with photos and videos of the wedding). The buses weren't running, the money wasn't enough, the plane wasn't at the airport.. it was a problematic return leg for him. He did finally come back home, so things are more or less back to normal.
We've more or less settled into a routine. He gets up around 7:30 to get ready for work. Depending on the day, I either go to school or back to bed. After school, I generally come to the cafe for a couple of hours. If I don't have school, I head to the cafe for a couple of hours. Then I either head out to spend time with friends, or I return home. At home, before Kaan returns from work, I do some housewifey things (my mother would be so surprised!). I make the bed, clean the dishes, and pick up around the house. It's really a strange thing for me; my parents can attest to my general dislike of all things clean and organized. But somehow, living with Kaan is reason enough to take care of things. I think it's fair; he spends so much time working that it doesn't seem unreasonable to do my share of things at home. If only I had come to this conclusion years ago; my father would have been a much happier person overall.
I'm beginning correspondence with the Ankara embassy regarding a visa for Kaan. Wish us luck for that!
I think that's all I have to say. I really haven't been doing anything lately that might be considered worthy of a blog entry, but I am still alive and kickin'. Tomorrow I have plans to visit the market with a couple of friends from school. However, as I don't intend on buying anything, it'll most likely be more for the company than anything.
Friday, September 11, 2009
registration? check!
Well! After a good long day of bureaucracy, I'm a registered student at Bilgi University, AND I have classes.
My schedule is fairly light; I decided to only take four classes this term. I've never really taken a light course load. My excuse is I want to ease into the year. I /might/ consider adding another class next week, during the add/drop period. We'll see. So far, I'm taking Turkish for Foreigners 2, which might be way too easy for me; Advanced Russian, which might be way too hard for me, given that its taught in Turkish; Balkan Politics; and Turkish Politics and Foreign Policy (something like that). I was thinking of taking the History of Istanbul class. I might still: if Russian is too hard for me, I can take this class in its place.
Monday I have two hours of Russian in the morning, from 10-12. Tuesday I have Russian from 9-11. Wednesday I have Turkish from 10-12, then Balkan Politics from 2-5. Thursday is empty (hurrah!), but Friday I have Turkish from 10-12 and Turkish Politics/Foreign Policy from 1-4. There are a couple other classes I was looking at which I could add if I desired; however, I am really looking forward to having an empty schedule. We'll see how things work out.
Today I had to go to one of the other campuses. My school has three, two of which I've seen. My classes will be at the Dolapdere campus, which is excellent because my house is close to it. Kustepe isn't so far from us, but it does seem to be in the other direction. The third location, santralIstanbul, is a complete mystery to me. I hear it's most like a stereotypical American campus, with a lot of open areas and buildings. It is where there used to be a power plant, so they have a little museum dedicated to energy production and things. I would like to see that campus eventually. For the time being, however, I have no desire to go down there just to look around.
So I'll attend my Russian class on Monday. I sincerely hope it isn't too difficult for me. This weekend I think we're going to be moving. I hope so anyway! I've heard that there isn't any electricity in the apartment for the moment; it hasn't yet been opened. Kaan was supposed to go do that today, but I think there was a problem. We'll see. I'm mostly content for the time being, but I do hope we get a chance to move before school starts (not like I have a very busy schedule!). I still need to get a desk/table to do homework on.
Cameron sent me his address, so I'll probably begin to prepare letters and gifties. If any of you would like anything, feel free to comment below with an address or send them to my email address at kaptan_sara at hotmail dot com.
My schedule is fairly light; I decided to only take four classes this term. I've never really taken a light course load. My excuse is I want to ease into the year. I /might/ consider adding another class next week, during the add/drop period. We'll see. So far, I'm taking Turkish for Foreigners 2, which might be way too easy for me; Advanced Russian, which might be way too hard for me, given that its taught in Turkish; Balkan Politics; and Turkish Politics and Foreign Policy (something like that). I was thinking of taking the History of Istanbul class. I might still: if Russian is too hard for me, I can take this class in its place.
Monday I have two hours of Russian in the morning, from 10-12. Tuesday I have Russian from 9-11. Wednesday I have Turkish from 10-12, then Balkan Politics from 2-5. Thursday is empty (hurrah!), but Friday I have Turkish from 10-12 and Turkish Politics/Foreign Policy from 1-4. There are a couple other classes I was looking at which I could add if I desired; however, I am really looking forward to having an empty schedule. We'll see how things work out.
Today I had to go to one of the other campuses. My school has three, two of which I've seen. My classes will be at the Dolapdere campus, which is excellent because my house is close to it. Kustepe isn't so far from us, but it does seem to be in the other direction. The third location, santralIstanbul, is a complete mystery to me. I hear it's most like a stereotypical American campus, with a lot of open areas and buildings. It is where there used to be a power plant, so they have a little museum dedicated to energy production and things. I would like to see that campus eventually. For the time being, however, I have no desire to go down there just to look around.
So I'll attend my Russian class on Monday. I sincerely hope it isn't too difficult for me. This weekend I think we're going to be moving. I hope so anyway! I've heard that there isn't any electricity in the apartment for the moment; it hasn't yet been opened. Kaan was supposed to go do that today, but I think there was a problem. We'll see. I'm mostly content for the time being, but I do hope we get a chance to move before school starts (not like I have a very busy schedule!). I still need to get a desk/table to do homework on.
Cameron sent me his address, so I'll probably begin to prepare letters and gifties. If any of you would like anything, feel free to comment below with an address or send them to my email address at kaptan_sara at hotmail dot com.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Sorry about the punctuation!
All I want to say is this:
Im very excited for school to start. It will be so nice to be able to update my blog from my own laptop, instead of going to the internet cafes to update. It will be nice to have something to do during the day! I love being lazy, but Ive almost had enough.
I go to register on Friday. Then classes start on Monday! Eep!
Kaan and I are moving into a new place almost immediately. We found a very cute 'little' 3 bedroom apartment for a pretty good price. We might even rent out a room since we have so many. Im very excited, though its been tremendously stressful trying to collect all the money necessary for the deposit.
So anyway, it looks like things are finally getting going.
Im very excited for school to start. It will be so nice to be able to update my blog from my own laptop, instead of going to the internet cafes to update. It will be nice to have something to do during the day! I love being lazy, but Ive almost had enough.
I go to register on Friday. Then classes start on Monday! Eep!
Kaan and I are moving into a new place almost immediately. We found a very cute 'little' 3 bedroom apartment for a pretty good price. We might even rent out a room since we have so many. Im very excited, though its been tremendously stressful trying to collect all the money necessary for the deposit.
So anyway, it looks like things are finally getting going.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)