Istanbul Exchange 2007

0 - The End

2008-01-24T13:19:00.000-08:00

Well, it had to end eventually. My last few days in Istanbul were great, although sad. I was able to say goodbye to most of my friends, and see some more of the city. The weather was awesome, and the city seemed to be doing it's best to show off before I left.

Since returning to Canada, I've got a much different perspective on things. The reverse culture shock is interesting. I now know what a Canadian/British Columbian accent sounds like. I'm also surprised at how poorly the average person dresses, how loud North Americans are, and how friendly and polite most Canadians are. It's really strange, I feel like a foreigner.

The one thing I really appreciate is the complete lack of traffic. There are no traffic jams on Vancouver Island, and it doesn't take you and hour and a half to get across town! But besides that, I really miss the energy of Istanbul. It's really quiet here. Nobody's yelling at you to buy a simit, and you can't hear any animated conversations in foreign languages...

One day (hopefully soon), I will return to Turkey to explore more, and visit Istanbul again. Until then I'll just be that annoying guy who starts all his conversation topics with "when I was living in Istanbul...".

1 - Kadıköy

2008-01-24T12:56:00.000-08:00

Kadıköy is a large district on the Asian side of Istanbul. I only went there for a few hours on my second to last day in Istanbul, but it was enough to make me sorry that I hadn't explored it sooner.
The area is less crowded than the European side, and more cosmopolitan. With wide boulevards, nice architecture, and many great cafes and bars, Kadıköy is a perfect place to spend an evening.

In Kadıköy you can also find the "Champs-Élysées" of Istanbul: Bahariye Street. This avenue rivals Istiklal Caddessi as "the" street to shop, drink coffee, or find a nice bar.

If you have a few days in Istanbul, definitely take the time to tour Kadıköy, it's well worth it.

2 - Sarıyer

2008-01-24T12:32:00.000-08:00

Sarıyer is a small fishing port-town in the Northern-most region of Istanbul, on the Bosphorus. You can get to Sarıyer via bus or boat. Whichever method of transport you take, you will love the trip. The towns alongside the Bosphorus North of the Fatih Mehmed bridge are picturesque and beautiful.

Sarıyer itself is a quiet, untouristed fishing town, where you can find great seafood restaurants, and some really nice, classic Ottoman homes.

From Sarıyer you can take a boat across the Bosphorus to tour Anadolu Kavagh Fortress. From here you can see both the Black Sea and South all the way down the Bosphorus. I highly recommend taking a day trip to check these places out.

3 - Rumeli Hisarı

2008-01-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

Rumeli Hisarı is a massive fortress located on the same hill that Bogazici is on, only a stones throw from the campus.

This incredible castle was built by Sultan Mehmed II (The Conquerer), who took Constantinople. The fortress was built on the European side of the Bosphorus, directly across from Anadolu Hisarı on the Asian side, so that they could blockade ships (via cross cannon fire) coming through the Bosphorus from the Black Sea to deliver aid to the besieged Constantinople.

Mehmed wanted the fortress built fast, so he came up with a simple and effective plan: incentives. He gave the task of constructing each of the three main towers of the fortress to his top Pashas, stating that whoever finished their tower first would get a hefty gold reward (of course, the Sultan monitored every aspect of the construction to ensure quality).

The plan worked, and the fortress was completed in an incredible 4 months and 16 days.

4 - Vakko

2008-01-24T11:44:00.000-08:00

I had to mention this company because it's just insane. Vakko is an elite ultra-expensive, luxury Turkish clothing company, which has stores in all malls, and boutiques everywhere.

Where they find enough ludicrously wealthy people buy their overpriced clothes I don't know, but they are doing well. In Akmerkez (a really high end mall near where I lived), the Vakko has a cafe - not to sell drinks, but to offer customers free coffee or tea while they browse.

In the Vakko pictured above, the store offers to close it's doors for an hour if you want to shop in privacy. The things people would rather have than money....

5 - Wednesday Football (Soccer)

2008-01-24T10:05:00.000-08:00

One of the highlights of my stay in Istanbul was Wednesday football with the boys. We would play on a netted in turf field, surrounded by a barbed wire fence and guarded by guys with submachine guns (necessary? I think not...).

Playing with Europeans is definitely a humbling experience. I have only played casually with friends in the past, never competitively. Most of the guys I was playing with had been regularly playing since they were kids. My Dutch friend Rutger said he'd been playing competitively for 20 years.

Even though I was a bit outclassed, it was an awesome time, and one of the things I will miss most.

6 - Turkish Hospitality

2008-01-24T08:40:00.000-08:00

I can't say enough about Turkish hospitality. I heard it was legendary, but I was still surprised at the generosity and kindness that was shown to me in Turkey.

When you visit someone, if for an hour or a couple days, they treat you like royalty. Every time I visited a Turkish home I was offered tea, treats, and incredible meals.

When the term ended and I had to leave my dorm, I needed to stay somewhere for three nights. Without hesitation, two of my Turkish friends offered to put me up - making beds for me and even giving me awesome dinners and breakfasts. When it was time for me to leave, my friends came with me on the hour long trip to the airport, carrying all my heavy luggage for me, and kept me company until it was time for my flight.

I've learned a lot about hospitality and generosity from my stay in Turkey, and will now try to make more of an effort be hospitable and open to visitors in Canada.

7 - The Spice Bazaar

2008-01-24T08:12:00.000-08:00

Although touristy, the Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Bazaar), in Eminonu is awesome. Full of rich and exotic smells, and offering great photo opportunities, the bazaar is well worth visiting. The shops in the bazaar have been in the same location since it was built in 1660.

Unfortunately, the shops in the original Bazaar building are pretty much oriented towards tourists alone. If you want to get the real bazaar experience you have to go behind the main bazaar complex to where real people come to shop. Here you will find an incredible assortment of spices, teas, meats, cheeses and preserves.

If you continue to head further behind the bazaar you will see the non-tourist shops where Istanbullus go to get everything from coats to tools, to kitchen wares. Wander through these backstreets of Eminonu, and you will get the real "Bazaar" experience.

8 - Street Food

2008-01-24T07:40:00.000-08:00

There are many excellent restaurants to eat at in Istanbul, but if you want something cheap and delicious, you can't beat street food.

Street food is incredibly diverse in Istanbul. You can get many different types of snacks from mobile vendors wheeling around and bellowing out their sales pitches: "Taze Simit! Taze, Taze! Sicak Simit!". When it comes to snacks you've got roasted chestnuts, grilled and boiled corn on the cob, popped corn, cups of corn kernels, simits (sesame covered bread pretzel thingys), muscles with lemon (potentially dangerous), and various other goodies. Drink wise, you can always get çay and ayran, and depending on the season, salep, boza, and sweet sherbet.

Meal wise, you can't beat "Tost", which is any kind of sandwich tosted in a panini grill. My favorite is Ayvalik Tost, which is packed with hotdogs and ketchup and even mashed potatoes.

Of course, you have your doner, which is best found in Besiktas (get it in a pide, with fries), and you have to try wetburgers when you are drunk in Taksim.

Of course, for me, the king of all street foods is the humble Balik Ekmek: The grilled fish sandwich. For only 2.5-3 lira you get a fillet of fresh grilled fish, sprinkled with salt and lemon, and nested with slices of onion between two crispy halves of french bread. It's awesome. Buy it from one of the small boats docked in Eminonu. So good!!

9 - The Ortaköy Mosque

2008-01-24T07:28:00.000-08:00

Probably the most elegant and picturesque mosque in Istanbul, the Ortaköy mosque sits on the Bosphorus itself, with the massive Bosphorus bridge arching across the channel behind it.

Comissioned by Sultan Abdülmecid, and built from 1854-56 by the Armenian architect Nigoğayos Balyan, the Ortaköy mosque epitomizes Neo-Baroque style.

10 - The Galata Tower

2008-01-24T07:04:00.000-08:00

One of the major landmarks of Istanbul is the Galata Tower.

Dominating the the hill in Beyolu, across the channel from the Golden Horn and Eminionu, the Galata tower has stood for 660 years. In 1638, an early (earliest?) aviator/inventor, Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi, strapped homemade wings to himself, and reportedly flew from the Galata tower across the Bosphorus to Uskudar (a long ways away). The Sultan Murad the 4th initially rewarded him with a purse of gold, but, fearful of the man, exiled him to Algeria where he later died.

Used for everything from storing coal to holding prisoners, the Galata tower now serves as a restaurant and tourist destination.

(view from the tower - looking towards the Golden Horn)

Walking around the tower, 66.9 metres up, you have incredible 360 degree views of the city.

11 - Fishing the Bosphorus

2008-01-24T06:49:00.000-08:00

Istanbullus really like fishing. Almost any time of day, in any weather, there are always dozens of men lining the bridges and walkways of the Bosphorus, long rods in hand, catching tiny little fish.

They stand there for hours, bringing in these sardine-like fish, which they fill their buckets with. I guess they are good eating...

It's quite impressive how determined and intrepid they are. I once walked across the Galata bridge (most popular fishing spot) on a snowy January day, when it a sharp wind was sending cuttingly cold snow almost horizontally, and was surprised to see quite a number of guys wrapped up in scarves, pulling in their tiny little fish.

I guess a love of fishing is one of those border-less, universal guy things that men have in common.

12 - The Nargile

2008-01-23T19:13:00.000-08:00

The nargile, or hookah, is an intrinsic part of Turkish culture. It's been used forever, and continues to be a central social element.

Nargile cafes are very popular places, where Turks come to relax, play tavla (backgammon), drink çay, and smoke nargile.

The tobacco used with the nargile comes in many different flavours (my favourite is Kavun - melon), which is the main reason it's so popular. You don't have to inhale if you don't want to. Smoking nargile is more about enjoying the flavour of the smoke, rather than getting a buzz from the tobacco.

As the smoke is filtered through the water in the nargile, it's very light and soft - nothing like cigarette smoke. It also doesn't linger on your clothes, so you don't have to worry about that nasty tobacco stench you can have after coming home from a bar.

The nargile looks very exotic, and is one of the few ancient Ottoman traditions that still exists to this day in Turkey. It has not changed much in the hundreds of years it's been around.

13 - Turkish Busses

2008-01-23T18:51:00.000-08:00

The bus system in Turkey is awesome. Waaay better than anything we have in North America.

You can go anywhere in the country for for very little (an 8 hour trip might cost you 30-40 YTL). The charter buses are comfortable, clean, and offer great service.

There are bus attendants who walk up the aisles with carts, just like on an airline, offering you tea or coffee and snacks (all complimentary). Some of the better charter buses show movies as well.

If you want to see Turkey, buses are the best, least expensive option.

14 - Kanyon

2008-01-23T18:13:00.000-08:00

One of the most impressive modern architectural buildings in Istanbul is the Kanyon mall, in Levent.

It's called Kanyon, because it is a canyon. Four levels of stores rise above a winding stream below. The entire complex looks as if it's been sculpted.

The business in Kanyon are just as impressive as well. Most of them are so upscale you can't afford to buy anything, but go in anyways just to check out the decor. Some of the fanciest restaurants can be found in Kanyon, as well as an excellent movie theatre. They even have tv screens above the urninals and in the toilet stalls so you don't miss anything during the film.

(pictures taken from the Kanyon website)

15 - A Bosphorus Cruise

2008-01-23T17:39:00.000-08:00

Probably my favourite thing to do in Istanbul is taking a cruise on the Bosphorus. You can catch a public transit ferry from one of many docks in the city (Eminonu is the best, in my opinion), and go up the Bosphorus, or across it to the Asian side.

It only costs a lira thirty, and offers the best views in the city. From Eminonu I grab a Balik Ekmek (grilled fish sandwich) for three lira, jump on a boat to Uskudar (on the Asian side), and take a seat on the top deck.

There is nothing more pleasurable than standing on the back deck watching the sun set over the Suleiman Mosque, while drinking hot çay.

16 - Cats and Dogs

2008-01-23T15:32:00.000-08:00

If you have ever been to Malaspina College or the University of Victoria, you know about the bunnies. There are rabbits everywhere - its insane.

At Bogazici, there are almost as many cats as there are rabbits at UVic. Cats and dogs. Wild. Everywhere. In the halls, on the steps, crawling over you when you are trying to eat, even in class! People take care of them, leaving food and water out.

In Istanbul, wild dogs and cats roam the city at will - packs of dogs running through the streets. It's been this way since Ottoman times. I think it has to do with Muslim principles of caring for all of God's creatures. The city of Istanbul rounds up all the dogs every year and gives them shots so they don't get diseased, then lets them go again.

They are all quite tame and friendly...I've never felt worried about being bitten or anything. It's quite a culture shock though, seeing wild dogs in a cosmopolitan, European city.

17 - Bebek

2008-01-23T14:48:00.000-08:00

Down below the Bogazici campus is a waterfront district of Istanbul called "Bebek". Bebek in Turkish directly translates to "baby". This small area is home to many a Gucci sunglass wearing Istanbullu. It's hard to walk through Bebek and keep a straight face. The people are trying SO hard to look cool. Dressed in the latest shades of black, trophy wives in arm, they walk from one overpriced cafe to the next - or cruise the main strip in their Ferrari's and Porches (going about 5km per hour due to traffic).

The best part of Bebek, and the whole Bosphorus strip for about 15k North and South, is the wide boulevard to walk on, and the beautiful view. One of the best things to do in Istanbul is just walk along the Bosphorus from the Fatih bridge to the Bosphorus Bridge, passing through Bebek, Arnavutkoy, and Ortakoy. Go on a clear night when the Bosphorus bridge can be admired changing colours.

Although you may object to the company, Starbucks has the best location in Bebek. Get a hot beverage and sit (literally) on the water with the rest of the beautiful people, taking in the view.

18 - Çok Kalabalik

2008-01-08T18:33:00.000-08:00

Istanbul is crowded. That's a fact.

The infrastructure of the city is strained as it is, and really can't handle the amount of people that live here. I see it every evening when traffic is at a standstill. To get across town anytime after three in the afternoon takes an hour and a half. I can almost walk that fast.

Istanbul's population is expected to exceed 20 million people by 2020. With a country of 70 million, thats almost a third of the population - in a fairly small area. The fact is, Turkey faces a huge problem with unemployment, and Istanbul offers the best opportunity for the average rural citizen.

As Turkey continues to court the EU for acceptance, the major question on every European country's mind is: can we handle the unrestricted influx of tens of thousands of Turkish migrant workers?

Time will tell whether the EU lets Turkey in, but for now Turkey should be looking at how it can manage it's burgeoning population. I suggest a public works project. How about....a comprehensive metro for Istanbul? Get on it!

19 - A symbol of Turkey: Çay

2008-01-07T16:23:00.000-08:00

Çay (pronounced chai) is Turkish for Tea.

It is an omnipresent, fundamental aspect of Turkish culture. Turks drink çay all the time: with meals, after meals and in between meals. I wouldn't be surprised if it was proven that Turks drink more çay than they do water.

In many restaurants çay is complimentary, offered after you've finished a meal. Çay is an essential part of being a gracious host. Whenever you enter a Turk's home, the first thing they do is bring out çay. When shopping in Turkey, many shop owners will invite you to sit down to drink çay and chat. I've spent over an hour in one store going through many glasses of çay with the owner.

Turkish çay is a "black tea" or oxidized green tea. It's fairly close to a loose leaf "english breakfast", but not exactly. Turkey grows most of the çay it consumes in the north eastern area of Rize (which I had the pleasure of driving through a few weeks ago - scroll down to the Black Sea post).

Proper çay is prepared by first boiling water in a large metal teapot, then pouring some of the boiling water into a smaller teapot, which contains the looseleaf çay and sits atop the larger pot. After filling the smaller pot with boiling water, you let it sit for 15 minutes until the tea has steeped long enough to settle on the bottom of the pot.

Using both pots, you pour the çay into your tulip shaped glasses (see above). If you want your çay koyu (dark) you add about 50-70% çay and top off the rest with hot water from the big pot. If you prefer your çay açik (light), use more like 30-40% çay.

Turks have an insane sweet tooth. They usually drink their çay with 2-3 cubes of sugar (really really sweet considering the size of the glasses). Personally, I prefer my çay "çok koyu" (really dark) with only one cube of sugar. I guess I'm not very Turkish when it comes to çay.

Çay is quite flavorful, and an excellent complement to about anything you may be doing in Turkey (playing tavla, smoking nargile, socializing, enjoying a view, waiting for a bus...). It's definitely one of the top 10 things I will miss most.

20 - The Fish Bazaar

2008-01-05T14:51:00.001-08:00

If you take a sharp left after crossing the Galata bridge to Beyoğlu, you will find the Fish Bazaar. The fish bazaar is a short street right next to the water, lined with fish merchants vocally advertising their wares as loud as they can in an almost musical fashion.
"Beş ye-te-le bir kilo! Beş ye-te-le bir kilo! Beş ye-te-le bir kilo!" ( 5 YTL/kilo) in a loud staccato erupts around you randomly, accompanied by "taze, abi! Abi! Taze, Abi!" (Fresh, brother!).

Some fish merchants will get carried away and break into quasi-hip hop, pitching their fish with a lyrical quality that makes you want to laugh/start nodding your head. Maybe they think that whoever out-vocalizes their competitors will win the customer (maybe they're right - got my attention).

Besides the aural pleasure of the fish bazaar, the sheer abundance and diversity of ichthyods is incredible. Illuminated by a multitude of hanging lightbulbs, the continually doused fish sparkle and gleam in a rainbow of colours.

Interspersed throughout the stalls are a number of small cafes where you can buy delicious fish fillet sandwiches for 3.5 YTl each. Sprinkled with salt and drizzled in fresh lemon juice, this inexpensive street food tastes better than anything on a cold winter day.

I shouldn't be surprised by now, but it's incredible how much culture and vibrancy can be packed into so small an area. Just another tile in the vast mosaic that is Istanbul....

21 - Neo Orientalism

2008-01-03T14:10:00.000-08:00

Exploring Western perceptions of modern Turkey.

The concept of Orientalism is based on how the “West” depicts the “East”. The famous intellectual Edward Said interprets it as Europe’s manner of acknowledging the East as it’s “Other” – something exotic and romantic, but also dangerous and unknown. Orientalist perceptions were stimulated by French and English artists in the 1800’s who created an image of countries in the East – from Turkey to Japan – which were highly romanticized and contrived. One of the most popular depictions of Istanbul in the early nineteenth century was painted by an artist who had never been to city in his life. Much like his painting, the general impression Westerners had of the East was not accurate at all.

Today, in an era of globalization, with high bandwidth electronic networks and instant transnational communication one would think Orientalism to be a thing of the past, but this is not so. Western perceptions of the East continue to be skewed by the media, which generally only reports on sensational or disastrous events in foreign countries. This leads to the reinforcement of old stereotypes, fears and biases that the average Westerner has of countries in the ‘East’. These ingrained and largely inaccurate perceptions can be indiscernible to the average Westerner until they travel to an ‘Eastern’ country and experience it firsthand.

Living in Turkey while on exchange from UVic, I was able to discover the country as it is, not as it is purported to be. Speaking with other exchange students in my university and with friends and family back home it became apparent that a form of Orientalism still exists in the West. Every North American exchange student I spoke with had a common story of how their parents had tried to talk them out of going to Turkey – stating that it was too dangerous and unstable. One friend from UVic who was on exchange in Poland, said she initially wanted to go to Turkey but her parents had refused to offer financial assistance if she did.

Another example of this disjoint between reality and Western impressions occurred mid way through my stay. The American government was attempting to pass a bill confirming the occurrence of the Armenian genocide in 1915 by the Turkish military. The incident made headline news worldwide, depicting Turks as “furious” over the motion, complete with images of Turks waving flags angrily and yelling. Immediately I began to receive emails warning me to “stay away from crowded places”, “stop hanging out with Americans”, and “wear lots of Canadian flags”. The American exchange students stated they had received emails from their government advising them to stay away from Turks and public places.

The reality of the situation was far from what our friends back home perceived it to be. The North American media was doing it’s best to make the incident into another “mid-east hotspot” story, only portraying the minority of Turks who had strong emotions over the issue. Not once did I hear about the Armenian genocide bill from any Turks in Istanbul. No negativity was experienced whatsoever, and people continued to be just as friendly as they always had been.

Another factor working to cultivate a skewed ‘Orientalist’ view of Turkey is the Western media’s treatment of Islam and Muslim people in general. With streaming images of Islamic fundamentalists and suicide bombings beaming into our homes every night, the message we are being sent is that Muslim people are unstable religious fanatics. In Turkey, over 90 percent of the population is Muslim. All of my Turkish friends are Muslim, but they don’t all have the same degree of devotion or the same interpretation of the Qur’an. While many of my Muslim friends pray five times a day and don’t drink alcohol, others show no outward signs of prayer or abstention from alcohol.

Above: where the West gets it's impressions of Muslims

One of the most important things I have learned while on exchange is that although the distances between countries may be closer than ever in a business sense, the gaps in cultural understanding are still far apart. Western perceptions of the East have evolved, but are still ‘Orientalist’ in nature.

As our world becomes more interconnected through economic and political exchange, it is increasingly important to use cultural exchanges and information technologies to develop independent perceptions of the nature and values of different societies. As mainstream media providers become compromised by corporate and political agendas, it becomes imperative for us as individuals to seek information from as many different sources as possible. Our personal standard for objective information is the compass we rely on as we navigate a future of growing global interdependence.

22 - The Meyhane

2008-01-02T13:02:00.001-08:00

A couple weekends ago I had the pleasure of attending my friend Jeff's birthday along with about 25 other people. We went to "Elhamra Meyhane". "Meyhane", literally translated is a "drinking establishment", but this is not a very good definition.

Elhamra charges a flat entrance fee of 40-50 lira for the entire night. That price includes mezes (appetizers) and dinner, with UNLIMITED drinks (wine, beer, raki). During your continual drinking and socializing, you are treated to live music and even a belly dancing performance (cok guzel).

Once everyone has enough raki in them, they all get up and dance til the place closes. It's a gong show. Waay too much fun. If you have a bunch of friends and want a different, and very entertaining night out - go to a meyhane.

http://elhamrameyhane.com/

23 - The Hamam (Turkish Bath)

2008-01-01T12:30:00.000-08:00

One of the highlights of my stay in Istanbul was visiting a Hamam (Turkish Bath). The Hamam has been around since the beginning of the Ottoman Empire. When the Ottomans captured a city, they would build a series of public structures such as soup kitchens for the poor, mosques, shopping centres, hospitals and hamams. The hamam was one of the most popular buildings in an Ottoman city for it was a public place to socialize, and ritually cleanse oneself.

Hamams were broken into two sections: one for men and one for women, with each section usually symmetrically equal in size. "A person taking a Turkish bath first relaxes in a room (known as the warm room) that is heated by a continuous flow of hot, dry air allowing the bather to perspire freely. Bathers may then move to an even hotter room (known as the hot room) before splashing themselves with cold water. After performing a full body wash and receiving a massage, bathers finally retire to the cooling-room for a period of relaxation."

Arguably the best Hamam in Turkey, Çemberlitaş Hamamı in Istanbul was built by the great architect Sinan, in 1584. It has remained open to this day, offering services which have changed little over centuries. The experience of visiting a Hamam is a Top 10 highlight of Istanbul. It's incredible - so relaxing and therapeutic. Once you leave the Hamam you are completely relaxed and cleaner than you have ever been in your life. Don't miss it!

Check it out:
http://www.cemberlitashamami.com.tr

24 - Çok güzel Türkçe!

2007-12-29T03:11:00.000-08:00

I have 24 days left in Turkey.

I just finished classes, and am now in the studying-for-exams-writing-papers phase. If I don't take some time to reflect and record my impressions about living in Turkey I will never be able to really communicate why I have enjoyed it so much. Therefore, I'm going to write one post for each day I have left in Turkey.

For post 24, I want to talk about language.

Traveling in France, whenever I tried to use the basic Grade 11 French skills I possessed people would look disgusted. It was like I was personally insulting them by not having perfect pronunciation. Friends of mine who do speak French (Canadian French), talked about getting laughed at whenever they tried to talk to people in France because the accent is so different. My friends on exchange in Poland and Hungary have had the same experience, stating that people really don't have any patience for someone who doesn't fluently speak the language. This surprised me, because Turkey is the complete opposite.

I have never - not once - had a Turk laugh at me or be short with me when I've tried to talk to them in Turkish. I've made every mistake possible! Combining two words with opposite meanings, saying "please" in place of "hello", using the impolite form of words when the polite form is expected... everything! Never has anyone laughed at me.

Whenever I've tried to converse in Turkish people are always patient and understanding. They know that Turkish is a hard language to learn, and that not many people outside of Turkey speak it.

I can't count the number of times when complete strangers have enthusiastically congratulated me on how good my Turkish was upon overhearing me in a simple exchange - such as buying some baklava. It's an incredible feeling when you see genuine amazement and delight in the eyes of someone you've never met, just because you are making an effort to learn their language and communicate without sign language or "loud-slow-English". Maybe it has something to do with the fact that they interact with thousands of tourists each year, most of whom are in Turkey for such a short period of time that they don't bother to learn any Turkish at all.

Nevertheless, I'm really thankful to every Turk that's complemented me on my rudimentary grasp of their language, for it has motivated me to continue learning.

Çok teşekkür ederim!

Trabzon - Exploring the Black Sea Region

2007-12-21T04:49:00.000-08:00

When I mentioned to my Turkish friends that I planned on traveling to Trabzon, most of them seemed to think I was crazy.

“Trabzon will be cold, wet and cloudy!”

“Trabzon people are very nationalistic; they will not treat you well at all!”

“You are planning on DRIVING to Uzungol!! Trabzon people are crazy drivers! The roads are windy and dangerous!! You are insane!”

Thankfully I am good at ignoring people’s advice. Most of the above turned out to not be true at all.

It was 4 AM when we left Fatih’s apartment to catch our bus to the airport. Istanbul was the coldest I had experienced yet. Bundled up in coats and scarves, Fatih, Özkan and I waited in the frigid air. If it was this cold here how cold would it be in Trabzon? I really didn’t care. I needed mountains and nature after three months in Istanbul.

We eventually made it to Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, and through three security checkpoints to get on the plane. Even though it was 7 in the morning and they had been up all night, Fatih and Özkan were like a couple of kids. They don’t fly often.

I’ll admit that I was holding my breath during take off and landing (just last month an Atlas Airline’s jet crashed in Cypress). We were flying with Turkish Airlines, but still….

We were amazed when we stepped off the plane to discover that there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and it was about 15 degrees out. This was the beginning of our good luck, which continued throughout the entire trip.

From the airport we made our way to downtown Trabzon, where Özkan’s friend Selim was putting us up. Throughout our stay were treated to premium Turkish hospitality. Every morning, Selim and his roommate Ahmet cooked an elaborate Turkish breakfast for us, and did everything possible to make us comfortable.

View from Selim's apartment.

One of the many awesome breakfasts Selim and Ahmet prepared for us.

After a short nap, Selim took us for a quick tour of the area. We first bought some tickets for a football (soccer) game later in the evening, then toured the Trabzon football team’s museum. I bought a nice Trabzon football scarf as a souvenir – Bordeaux and blue – the Trabzon colours. Wearing the scarf on game day in Trabzon was a good move. I got lots of positive comments from the locals, including the mayor of Trabzon who we crossed paths with later in the evening outside the town hall. He looked me in the eye, gave me a huge smile and said “Merhaba!” (hello) as he walked by. I had no clue who he was until Selim said “You’re luck continues, you just met the mayor!”.

The Trabzonspor football team museum.

Catching a mini-bus, we caught the sunset from a Çay Bahçesi (tea garden) on a hilltop overlooking the city. The view of the black sea stretching out into the distance was priceless, and the hot çay was just what was needed in the crisp December air.

Selim's Atatürk pose. Revolutionizing a country can be difficult, nation builders need tea breaks too.

With the sun set, we cruised to a local restaurant famous for their excellent köfte (Turkish meatballs), and ate til we could barely move. Moving slowly, we walked from the restaurant uphill to the Trabzonspor stadium. As we approached the stadium, we joined the throngs of exuberant fans decked out in Trabzon paraphernalia, converging on the entrance.

Moving with the group we took our seats to enjoy an awesome match.

Riot cops are very necessary at football matches. A big fight broke out in the stands during the game.

Trabzon was down 1-0 most of the game, there were 20 minutes left, when they scored two goals in five minutes!

When the time ran out, the crowd went wild, and we left the stadium in a mass of cheering Trabzon fans. It was a perfect end to a great day.

Above: dozens and dozens of mini-busses circle the Trabzon town square in a chaotic mass, picking up passengers.

Above: a main street in Trabzon.

From the stadium we took a mini-bus to the airport, where I rented a car for the four of us to drive to Uzungol the next day. Selim had offered to drive as he’d been driving for 10 years (this is Turkey, he’s not that old), but for some reason the rental agency didn’t like his license. It was all up to me get us there and back again alive.

Above: me and our Renault Clio. The most underpowered car I've ever driven.

DAY 2
The next morning we woke up, had another great breakfast prepared by Selim and Ahmet, and then set out in our little Renault Clio hatchback. The thing was ridiculously underpowered – 1.2 liters or something. To get up a steep hill I had to put it in first. Nevertheless, it was able to keep up with traffic. Soon we were cruising along the highway next to the vivid blue Black Sea, with snowcapped mountains in the distance.

Above: a Trabzon firetruck slowly climbs past us going code 3.

Above: the highway was in great condition.

The road to Uzungol followed a river winding inland through the mountains. The first few kilometers of the road went through Rize, which is one of the main çay (tea) producing regions in Turkey. On the hills above the river to our left were verdant green terraces of çay growing, while on our right were the factories of the major Turkish çay companies.

Below: one of many beautiful bridges spanning the river.

Rising into the mountains we began to drive slower, peering upwards at the scattered houses built precariously on the almost vertically steep slopes of the snowcapped peaks around us. Five K outside of the town of Uzungol, Özkan began to look for the side road which would take us to his grandmother’s house (one of the aforementioned mountain top homes).

With an exclamation, he pointed to an icy, single land dirt road which turned sharply off the main road and rose rapidly upwards with no barriers to keep vehicles from plummeting down to the river below. Shrugging my shoulders and uttering the much repeated phrase “This is Turkey”, I downshifted and forced the Clio into the climb.

Luckily the road got better for about a kilometer, but it was still one lane with no barriers whatsoever. Looking to the right, my heart began to pound as all I could see was a straight drop down into the valley below. We were almost at snow level. Finally we got to a point where the road was so bad I refused to continue driving (a wise move, as we discovered that half the road had given out a few hundred meters ahead).

The view was spectacular...

Breathtakingly spectacular....

Walking onwards, we came across a number of locals moving firewood from a large alder tree. They worked effortlessly on the steep, frosted ground - seemingly oblivious to the fact that one misstep would send you rolling uncontrollably down the mountainside.

One of the locals turned out to be Özkan’s uncle, who led us to his grandmother’s house. Following a dramatic tearful reunion (Özkan hadn’t seen his grandmother in three years), we were invited into their small, warm home.

Built on a house site over 400 years old, the ancient wooden building looked out across the valley, offering unparalleled views.

Sitting with Özkan’s step-grandfather, we were served a fantastic traditional meal which included home-made cheese and the local specialty “Lahana” – a delicious, hearty dish made with kale and barley.

After much çay and deep conversation, we said our goodbyes (to many tears) and made our way back to the car.

By the time we arrived at Uzungol, the sun had disappeared below the high mountain-tops which surrounded us, turning the sky a sapphire blue. Everything was covered in a fresh layer of snow, and the town seemed to be muffled in silence. The cold, clean mountain air was scented with wisps of pine smoke rising from the nearby homes.

After visiting another one of Özkan’s uncle’s, we had a delicious meal of Trabzon bread dipped in kuymak – a thick, hot corn/butter paste.

We left Uzungol in the dark, with only the light of the stars and crescent moon above us. Exhausted from our adventures, we slept soundly back at Selim’s apartment.

DAY 3
Waking up late the next day, Özkan, Fatih and I took a 45 minute mini-bus ride to Sumela, where we would hike up the mountain to visit the Sumela Monastery – the number one tourist destination in Trabzon. As we got higher in the mountains, the driver seemed to speed up on the snow covered roads, as if he had a point to prove with his driving. We were literally hanging onto our seats to prevent ourselves from flying back and forth inside as he took corners at over twice the posted speed limit. Good times.

Getting out of the bus at our destination we were in a winter wonderland. It was lightly snowing big soft flakes, and the landscape around us was muffled under a thick blanket of snow. The only sound that broke the silence was the rushing of the small river coming down from the mountain.

Below: our destination - Sumela Monastary.

I suggested scaling the cliff, but they weren't up for it. Apparently Turks aren't as tough as everyone says they are...

Stoked to be in the snow!!

We set off up the road, and hiked for about an hour and a half until we made it to the steps of the monastery.

Almost there!!

They tried their best...

We made it!!! Of course the monastery happened to be closed on Mondays so we didn't get in, but who wants to see the interior of some stuffy old monastery anyways? We were there for the view.

Taking a shorter route down, we said goodbye to Sumela and made our way back to our waiting mini-bus and it's crazy driver.

Wet and tired, we arrived back at Selim's apartment to change and say our goodbyes. Selim and Ahmet's generosity had been incredible, and made our trip that much better. Our Trabzon experience was awesome, and I cannot thank them enough for their hospitality.

Catching an evening flight back to Istanbul, Fatih, Özkan and I reflected on how much we had been able to do in a weekend. Turkey is truly an incredible country.

The Next Adventure

2007-12-04T14:00:00.000-08:00

So it's official. I've bought my plane tickets and next weekend I fly to Trabzon, in North Eastern Turkey, on the Black Sea. Why Trabzon? Geography, mainly. I have been craving nature for the last two months, and have really wanted to get into the mountains. Around Trabzon are beautiful wooded mountains and lakes, surrounded by picturesque villages.

One of the highlights will be Sumela Monastery, built into a cliff face:
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/4400412
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/4400397

And the lakeside village of Uzungol:
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/3426742

Fatih, Özkan, and myself will rent a car when we get there and head out into the country. The freedom of driving through the woods is what I'm looking forward to most, as traffic in Istanbul is miserable.

Only a week and a half to wait!

Ill no more

2007-11-29T14:47:00.000-08:00

Since last Friday I've been down with some kind of gastro-intestinal bug, and today I think I've finally kicked it. I'm eating three meals a day again, and am getting my energy back. I missed a bunch of classes, a midterm, and lost some weight as well. It sucked. My two visits to the doctor (only 75 cents each!) and two different meds did the trick I think.

It really blows being sick in a foreign country. Everything that's really different and interesting just doesnt matter at all, and the negative aspects become really clear. I spent a lot of time swearing under my breath in grocery stores wondering why the hell nobody in this part of Istanbul sells cans of ready made soup.

Finally out of the darkness, I can now catch up on classes and plan my next adventure. Maybe buy a plane ticket somewhere before they get too expensive.

You know you're becoming a Türkman when...

2007-11-22T14:08:00.000-08:00

You feel compelled to honk. At everything.
You start mixing in "tamam" with your English conversations.
You don't react when a cat brushes by you in class.
Packs of wild dogs roaming around downtown don't surprise you.
You are eating a sh*tload of yogurt and müslix.
You refer to the Turkish National soccer team as "our team".
You crave çay.
You think 5 lira for a doner is "çok pahalı".
Seeing a picture of Atatürk makes you feel warm and fuzzy.
You refer to tourists you see as "stupid yabancis".
You f*cking love Rakı.
You pass time by smoking nargile, drinking çay, and playing Tavla.
Simits start tasting delicious.

The First Post (two months late)

2007-11-15T14:40:00.000-08:00

I had planned on putting together a beautiful Arabesque blog to record my observations and experiences while on exchange in Istanbul, but I was too busy observing and experiencing to actually get around to designing one.

Halfway through my exchange I realized that I had to get a blog up, so I opted for the easy route.

Enjoy the Zen (no Arabesque for you!).