-There are red-headed Turks! There are even blonde Turks and some with green and blue eyes! The Turkish people who live by the Black Sea are usually blonde. Let's face it,though, most Turks have dark hair and dark eyes, which means I can't hide in a crowd!
-Every store you go in has a picture of Ataturk, the man who gave Turks last names, increased the literacy rate by a huge percentage, moved the capital to Ankara, and did many, many other things to make Turkey a more progressive country. When I say every store, I mean pharmacies, grocery stores, the mall, everywhere! Not to mention that there are pictures and statues of Ataturk all over the city. At the mall the other day I saw an office supply store that, in addition to selling paper, pens, pencils, staplers, etc., they also sold pictures of Ataturk for the office. If you get a chance, google Ataturk. He's pretty interesting. His daughter was even one of the first women fighter pilots!
-The sidewalks (as I think I've mentioned) are horrible here. I'm going to bite it soon in a public place, I just know it. It almost happened twice yesterday. Why do I feel the need to wear the small pointy heeled boots?? Partly, because I think in addition to the blonde hair, the Addidas would give me away too:) As I was maneuvering the obstacle course that is a Turkish sidewalk yesterday, I was wondering how on earth a sidewalk could look as if it had gone through an earthquake. We're talking deep holes, huge cracks, sidewalk tiles at crazy angles. As I almost fell yet again, I wondered what on earth could cause a sidewalk to look like that. And then a huge truck drove right up on the sidewalk (this is in the middle of the city, remember) and parked. And that answered my question. And why wouldn't a huge truck drive on a sidewalk?
-As I got into the taxi last week, the mayor was getting in his car, a few feet away from me. I however, did not have security guys with the huge guns guarding me.
-Today I had to go down to the Turkish police station (a huge place!!) to get my residence card. There is a Turkish lady who helps all the Americans with the paperwork and translates at the police station. I met her at the dept. of defense building this morning and we were driven in a very, very nice car by a guy in a very expensive looking suit, sunglasses, and a small earpiece. I felt like I was very important person or maybe in an episode of "24" (we have "24" on the brain because we're watching season 1 on dvd-addiction!!! I find that I'm much more suspicious these days because of it!) Turns out Tim and I owe Turkey 75 Turkish Lira as penalty for not letting the Turkish government know that we got married (you're supposed to let them know 15 days after the date). Apparently, our Turkish helper didn't even know about this policy and said it was new to her (and she goes down there every week). I might have rolled my eyes a little at the man who was "helping" us and insisting that we needed to pay this. Things can be very subjective, to say the least.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Happy Birthday!!
As we mentioned, we have a lot of birthdays in our family this week. My mom, Tim's dad, and Tim's Granny. Today is Tim's dad's and Granny's birthdays. Happy Birthday you two!!! We hope it's a great one! Love, Kate and Tim
Ne Haber?
"Ne Haber?" means "What's the news?" I don't have any terribly interesting stories right now-no more sheep killed or crazy animal parts found in my bag of frozen meat. I have today off from class, which has been nice. I needed a day where I didn't have to conjugate verbs. Our Level 1 class ended yesterday and Level 2 starts tomorrow. One more month of Turkish for old Kate. My good Filipino friend won't be continuing, which is I'm sad about. She was my best friend in the class and made things a lot more fun- not to mention she brought me snacks everyday, Turkish cookies, dried apricots, dried grapes (bigger than raisins), and these amazing pastries from a local bakery. Now during breaks, I might be the only one who sits in the classroom because everyone else will be outside smoking. Do you know there are people in my class who have been smoking since they were 10??! Crazy!
Here's some more "haber" from Ankara....
-elections are coming up here, so there have been lots of rallies (always attended by tons of policeman in blue camouflage with machine guns) and people driving around in vans, giving speeches over a loudspeaker
-Tim's parents are coming for spring break in less than month. We can't wait to have them and show them around Turkey!
-I've been directing an elementary chorus every Tuesday afternoon at Tim's school. I have 13 girls, from 2nd-5th grade. They are a wonderful group-talented and well-behaved! They will give a concert at the school sometime in May.
-I've also been directing the music for a local community theater musical. We rehearse every Tuesday night for 2 hours. The rehearsals are held at the Turkish American Association building. There are elementary kids, ms/hs kids, and adults in involved. The musical will be performed the first weekend in May.
-I currently have 2 piano students and will soon have many more. I've really enjoyed having the time to teach private lessons. I have great students and it's really nice to teach out of our home!
-Tim's schedule continues to be pretty crazy. Soccer is going well, though, he's wondering if there will be enough girls to have a team. He played a little soccer himself last Sunday at the base. Every weekend, the Turkish guards and a couple other Americans get together and play. It was a beautiful day and fun for me to watch them play.
-Tim's given some pretty interesting projects out to his classes of late (I thought they were very creative). His high school geography class did a project where they had to pick 2 European cities and plan the route of how to get from one to the other. They had cross 2 international borders and include 2 stops to eat along the way. I think I want to try some of these routes! I especially liked the route that went through Spain down to Morocco. When they studied South and Central America, they had to plan a vacation to one of the countries in those areas. They had to plan the whole trip- the lodging, the plane tickets, and the itinerary. His 6th grade history class is learning about bartering and trading. They have been split into different groups, each group being given different materials and no one group getting all the materials they need to complete the project. They have to barter and trade with each other to be able to complete the assignment.
-Happy Birthday to both my mom and Tim's dad! They both have birthday's this week!
Well, that's the news from Ankara!!! Iyi gunler (have a good day!)
Here's some more "haber" from Ankara....
-elections are coming up here, so there have been lots of rallies (always attended by tons of policeman in blue camouflage with machine guns) and people driving around in vans, giving speeches over a loudspeaker
-Tim's parents are coming for spring break in less than month. We can't wait to have them and show them around Turkey!
-I've been directing an elementary chorus every Tuesday afternoon at Tim's school. I have 13 girls, from 2nd-5th grade. They are a wonderful group-talented and well-behaved! They will give a concert at the school sometime in May.
-I've also been directing the music for a local community theater musical. We rehearse every Tuesday night for 2 hours. The rehearsals are held at the Turkish American Association building. There are elementary kids, ms/hs kids, and adults in involved. The musical will be performed the first weekend in May.
-I currently have 2 piano students and will soon have many more. I've really enjoyed having the time to teach private lessons. I have great students and it's really nice to teach out of our home!
-Tim's schedule continues to be pretty crazy. Soccer is going well, though, he's wondering if there will be enough girls to have a team. He played a little soccer himself last Sunday at the base. Every weekend, the Turkish guards and a couple other Americans get together and play. It was a beautiful day and fun for me to watch them play.
-Tim's given some pretty interesting projects out to his classes of late (I thought they were very creative). His high school geography class did a project where they had to pick 2 European cities and plan the route of how to get from one to the other. They had cross 2 international borders and include 2 stops to eat along the way. I think I want to try some of these routes! I especially liked the route that went through Spain down to Morocco. When they studied South and Central America, they had to plan a vacation to one of the countries in those areas. They had to plan the whole trip- the lodging, the plane tickets, and the itinerary. His 6th grade history class is learning about bartering and trading. They have been split into different groups, each group being given different materials and no one group getting all the materials they need to complete the project. They have to barter and trade with each other to be able to complete the assignment.
-Happy Birthday to both my mom and Tim's dad! They both have birthday's this week!
Well, that's the news from Ankara!!! Iyi gunler (have a good day!)
Friday, March 6, 2009
Guest Writer: Tim
I made my own blog a year-and-a-half ago, but I only made it so I could read my sister's blog. I never published anything on mine, so I am no expert at this but will do my best.
Kate and I went to a nearby restaurant on Thursday night for Iskender (roasted meat on top of bread with tomato sauce finished-off with a pint of hot, melted butter). They were out of Iskender, so we got the grilled chicken...our arteries thanked us. Kate may have mentioned this restaurant to you as Digiridoo Kebap...it's real name is Dicle Kebap.
But, that is not the point of this blog entry. The first time I took her to Dicle, we had to point at the rings on our fingers and act out our marriage ceremony to explain our version of "Me Tarzan; She Tarzan Redden, now" to the restaraunt manager, Kadir. This last visit was totally different. Kate chatted away with Kadir. I was very impressed to say the least. Not to mention, Turkish sounds very attractive coming from Kate!!!
The bottomline: whatever difficulty with learning Turkish Kate tells you about, should be put in the context: I (Tim) have been a regular at Dicle Kebap for over a year but didn't know the manager's name until my wife asked him last week. I didn't know he has a brother in Dallas. He didn't know anything about me--except what I could pantomime. Now, I know lots about him! Next up for my wife: maybe Kate can start asking the restaurant what is in all of the dishes I have been blindly consuming. Actually, I may not want to know. :)
Come and visit us...Kate will amaze you, too!
Kate and I went to a nearby restaurant on Thursday night for Iskender (roasted meat on top of bread with tomato sauce finished-off with a pint of hot, melted butter). They were out of Iskender, so we got the grilled chicken...our arteries thanked us. Kate may have mentioned this restaurant to you as Digiridoo Kebap...it's real name is Dicle Kebap.
But, that is not the point of this blog entry. The first time I took her to Dicle, we had to point at the rings on our fingers and act out our marriage ceremony to explain our version of "Me Tarzan; She Tarzan Redden, now" to the restaraunt manager, Kadir. This last visit was totally different. Kate chatted away with Kadir. I was very impressed to say the least. Not to mention, Turkish sounds very attractive coming from Kate!!!
The bottomline: whatever difficulty with learning Turkish Kate tells you about, should be put in the context: I (Tim) have been a regular at Dicle Kebap for over a year but didn't know the manager's name until my wife asked him last week. I didn't know he has a brother in Dallas. He didn't know anything about me--except what I could pantomime. Now, I know lots about him! Next up for my wife: maybe Kate can start asking the restaurant what is in all of the dishes I have been blindly consuming. Actually, I may not want to know. :)
Come and visit us...Kate will amaze you, too!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
The Hamam
Good Morning everyone!! I don't have class this morning, so I have more time write a bit on the blog. It's nice to have a day off, though I have to confess something....I actually really enjoy Turkish class. This is as big a shock to me as anyone else. I'm even thinking of continuing and taking Level 2. Last night, we went to a restaurant and I spoke Turkish with the waiter. I actually understood things (not perfectly and I missed a good bit too). Before I knew it, Turkish was coming out of me. What the heck? 3 weeks ago we went to that same restaurant and I couldn't even say hello or "my name is." I have to say I was very encouraged:) When I took French, it took me 3 weeks to say, "Where's the library?" I think we covered that phrase in the 1st 3 minutes of Turkish class:)
Ok, on to the hamam. The hamam is a Turkish bath. These places have existed for hundreds of years and are part of the Turkish culture. I'd heard about these places from Tim, who loves them. He kept saying I needed to try it. The opportunity presented itself when the German girl in my class wanted to go before she returned to Germany. Since I had a partner, I asked if Tim could drive us to this particular hamam (recommended to us) a bit outside the city. The hamam was in a town called Kecorin on the outskirts of Ankara and it looked like it was built by Disney. They had huge rock walls (man-made) with waterfalls coming down, amusement parks (looked like put-put and carnival rides) and it had cable cars that went back and forth above the city. At night they are lit up with neon colors. What a crazy place.
We made it to the hamam and Tim veered to the left (for the men) and we veered right (for the women). We were greeted by some very young, modern looking women who started spouting off Turkish to us and showing us charts and price lists. So much for our Turkish classes, we couldn't understand a daggone thing! We finally established that we needed to pay the entrance fee to the hamam, pay for a "massage", pay for a thin, dish-cloth type towel, and a kes, kind of like a loofah. They ushered us back to a changing room to put on our bathing suits. Then, we were taken to the first sauna. I actually hate saunas because I hate being hot and I have a fear of being locked inside. So for me, it wasn't very relaxing in the sauna, more like torture. After a few minutes, we were taken to another sauna, even worse than the first. This one was very small, hotter than the first one, and had some kind of minty-menthol smell, which I didn't like to breathe in. I almost bolted before they came back to get us.
After the torture of the saunas, they took us into the main area. It looked like something out of a novel. You walk through the door and see a huge white marble block in the middle of the room. There were a few women laying on those. Walking around with buckets of water and those loofah-type things, and all wearing modest black two-pieces (that really none of them should have been wearing) were the workers at the hamam. One of the women ushered my friend and I back to an alcove in the back where there were faucets with large marble basins underneath (a very, very old-fashioned type of sink). We were supposed to rinse ourselves off. Because we didn't understand the Turkish at first, she just grabbed a plastice bowl, filled it with water (which was cold) and dumped it over our heads. So, far the hamam was not the relaxing place I imagined it to be. After rinsing, this woman, took my friend with her to be scrubbed. They get the loofah really soapy and scrub you until you're almost raw. It's supposed to remove all the dead skin and get you really clean. As my friend left to go lay on the white marble block, I thought that I would just wait my turn and then that same woman would scrub me. Unfortunately, that would not be the case. I happened to look to the right of where my friend was only to see another lady motioning for me to come to her station. I immediately thought, "oh no." This lady was quite short and very stout, very, very stout (again, the 2 piece wasn't really helping her out). She was older with some snaggle teeth and a uni-brow. I'm not making any of this up!! In short, she was SCARY!!! When she motioned to me, it was like the witch in Snow White. I didn't want to go, but what could I do??! So, I took my loofah, towel and my scared self and headed to her a station. I layed down like the other women had and awaited what was to come. She started kind of hitting me to get my attention. She wanted me to change my position, but I couldn't figure out what she wanted me to do. So, I'm basically spinning like a hockey puck on this wet marble slab, doing 360's trying to figure out which direction she wants me to go. I thought I was gonna slip right off that thing.
After, I got the correct angle, she starts scrubbing with the loofah. This woman was strong! Good grief! I probably will be clean for weeks (actually, many Turks go to the hamam once a week-that's their bath for the week!). The scrubbing actually wasn't too bad, though I probably have a permanent crease in my foreheard from being a little tense during the whole process. After the scrubbing, you go rinse off agin (which makes you even more slippery on that marble slab) and they start to soap you up. Tim told me to make sure I closed my eyes tight and to be careful not to get water up my nose. Easier said than done. Suds were going everywhere. They were all in my eyes. So, I'm drowning in suds, blind as a bat, and can't breathe deeply. Then the soaping stopped. And then.... a huge bucket of water was dumped over my head. It seemed to go on forever. Just how big was that bucket?? I thought maybe this was a way of making me talk. Ok, lady, what do you want to know?? I was like a drowned rat and the buckets just kept coming. I still couldn't open my eyes because the suds were still in them. You know how when they wash your hair at the hairdress they tip your head backwards, so that shampoo doesn't get in your eyes? Apparently, this is not how they do it here. Seems like it would be the logical way to do it, but who am I to question hundreds of years of tradition?
Finally, the water torture was over and I was taken back to the basin area, where I could rinse any remaining soap off. After that, they took us to the jacuzzi. Ahhh, now this was going to be more like it. I put a foot in and yanked it back. It was freezing cold. If I got in I think I could have become an official member of the Polar Bear Club. Forget it, I thought, I've gone along with this long enough. I'm not doing this one. It's funny too, because the Turks are the ones who believe that drinking a cold drink can make you sick. Well, how about a huge pool of ice water, folks??
We finally went back to get our clothes and leave the hamam. As we were leaving, so were the employees-it was closing time. All the women had traded their two-pieces for long skirts, long sleeves, and head coverings. That was probably the most fascinating thing to me. There is such mystery associated with a woman in a head covering. What's under there? Whos' this woman of mystery? Inside the hamam, the mystery was revealed. The scarves were off and the bikinis were on. There was no modesty or inhibition (unfortunately:) in this place, which just further proved that Turkey is a paradox and very intriguing place.
I stepped out into the cold winter air and got in our car. Tim said, "How was it?" I pointed to my sopping wet, tangled hair and incredibly bloodshot eyes and said, "I got to see what they looked like without their headcoverings. It was fascinating." I have no great urge to go back anytime soon, but I'm so glad I was able to experience such an important part of Turkey's culture and history.
Ok, on to the hamam. The hamam is a Turkish bath. These places have existed for hundreds of years and are part of the Turkish culture. I'd heard about these places from Tim, who loves them. He kept saying I needed to try it. The opportunity presented itself when the German girl in my class wanted to go before she returned to Germany. Since I had a partner, I asked if Tim could drive us to this particular hamam (recommended to us) a bit outside the city. The hamam was in a town called Kecorin on the outskirts of Ankara and it looked like it was built by Disney. They had huge rock walls (man-made) with waterfalls coming down, amusement parks (looked like put-put and carnival rides) and it had cable cars that went back and forth above the city. At night they are lit up with neon colors. What a crazy place.
We made it to the hamam and Tim veered to the left (for the men) and we veered right (for the women). We were greeted by some very young, modern looking women who started spouting off Turkish to us and showing us charts and price lists. So much for our Turkish classes, we couldn't understand a daggone thing! We finally established that we needed to pay the entrance fee to the hamam, pay for a "massage", pay for a thin, dish-cloth type towel, and a kes, kind of like a loofah. They ushered us back to a changing room to put on our bathing suits. Then, we were taken to the first sauna. I actually hate saunas because I hate being hot and I have a fear of being locked inside. So for me, it wasn't very relaxing in the sauna, more like torture. After a few minutes, we were taken to another sauna, even worse than the first. This one was very small, hotter than the first one, and had some kind of minty-menthol smell, which I didn't like to breathe in. I almost bolted before they came back to get us.
After the torture of the saunas, they took us into the main area. It looked like something out of a novel. You walk through the door and see a huge white marble block in the middle of the room. There were a few women laying on those. Walking around with buckets of water and those loofah-type things, and all wearing modest black two-pieces (that really none of them should have been wearing) were the workers at the hamam. One of the women ushered my friend and I back to an alcove in the back where there were faucets with large marble basins underneath (a very, very old-fashioned type of sink). We were supposed to rinse ourselves off. Because we didn't understand the Turkish at first, she just grabbed a plastice bowl, filled it with water (which was cold) and dumped it over our heads. So, far the hamam was not the relaxing place I imagined it to be. After rinsing, this woman, took my friend with her to be scrubbed. They get the loofah really soapy and scrub you until you're almost raw. It's supposed to remove all the dead skin and get you really clean. As my friend left to go lay on the white marble block, I thought that I would just wait my turn and then that same woman would scrub me. Unfortunately, that would not be the case. I happened to look to the right of where my friend was only to see another lady motioning for me to come to her station. I immediately thought, "oh no." This lady was quite short and very stout, very, very stout (again, the 2 piece wasn't really helping her out). She was older with some snaggle teeth and a uni-brow. I'm not making any of this up!! In short, she was SCARY!!! When she motioned to me, it was like the witch in Snow White. I didn't want to go, but what could I do??! So, I took my loofah, towel and my scared self and headed to her a station. I layed down like the other women had and awaited what was to come. She started kind of hitting me to get my attention. She wanted me to change my position, but I couldn't figure out what she wanted me to do. So, I'm basically spinning like a hockey puck on this wet marble slab, doing 360's trying to figure out which direction she wants me to go. I thought I was gonna slip right off that thing.
After, I got the correct angle, she starts scrubbing with the loofah. This woman was strong! Good grief! I probably will be clean for weeks (actually, many Turks go to the hamam once a week-that's their bath for the week!). The scrubbing actually wasn't too bad, though I probably have a permanent crease in my foreheard from being a little tense during the whole process. After the scrubbing, you go rinse off agin (which makes you even more slippery on that marble slab) and they start to soap you up. Tim told me to make sure I closed my eyes tight and to be careful not to get water up my nose. Easier said than done. Suds were going everywhere. They were all in my eyes. So, I'm drowning in suds, blind as a bat, and can't breathe deeply. Then the soaping stopped. And then.... a huge bucket of water was dumped over my head. It seemed to go on forever. Just how big was that bucket?? I thought maybe this was a way of making me talk. Ok, lady, what do you want to know?? I was like a drowned rat and the buckets just kept coming. I still couldn't open my eyes because the suds were still in them. You know how when they wash your hair at the hairdress they tip your head backwards, so that shampoo doesn't get in your eyes? Apparently, this is not how they do it here. Seems like it would be the logical way to do it, but who am I to question hundreds of years of tradition?
Finally, the water torture was over and I was taken back to the basin area, where I could rinse any remaining soap off. After that, they took us to the jacuzzi. Ahhh, now this was going to be more like it. I put a foot in and yanked it back. It was freezing cold. If I got in I think I could have become an official member of the Polar Bear Club. Forget it, I thought, I've gone along with this long enough. I'm not doing this one. It's funny too, because the Turks are the ones who believe that drinking a cold drink can make you sick. Well, how about a huge pool of ice water, folks??
We finally went back to get our clothes and leave the hamam. As we were leaving, so were the employees-it was closing time. All the women had traded their two-pieces for long skirts, long sleeves, and head coverings. That was probably the most fascinating thing to me. There is such mystery associated with a woman in a head covering. What's under there? Whos' this woman of mystery? Inside the hamam, the mystery was revealed. The scarves were off and the bikinis were on. There was no modesty or inhibition (unfortunately:) in this place, which just further proved that Turkey is a paradox and very intriguing place.
I stepped out into the cold winter air and got in our car. Tim said, "How was it?" I pointed to my sopping wet, tangled hair and incredibly bloodshot eyes and said, "I got to see what they looked like without their headcoverings. It was fascinating." I have no great urge to go back anytime soon, but I'm so glad I was able to experience such an important part of Turkey's culture and history.
Random Stories
Here are a bunch of random and amusing things that don't really fit into a category...
-Yesterday Tim had a kid tell him that he had a really good reason why he had to miss soccer practice. Tim asked what it was. He said he had a terrible blister. Tim said that because of the blister he didn't have to run, but he still needed to come to practice. The kid said, "Well actually I have something going on at 4 today." Tim asked what that might be. After beating around the bush, the kid said "I have to pick up my Play Station. It was in the shop and is going to be ready today at 4." Needless to say, Tim didn't excuse him from practice:)
-Yesterday in Turkish class I was listening to the teacher explain a new vocabulary word. I was translating what she said into English in my head. I felt like I was doing well until my translation came out like this, "The police here in Ankara use police wolves." Hmmm... something got a little lost in translation:)
-Often when we go to the gas station, we leave with a gift. I kid you not. Just for buying gas, the attendant will come out with a gift for you. Currently we have gotten a salad bowl, wet wipes, and lightbulbs. Can't wait til our tank is empty so we see what we get next:)
-Apparently people here enjoy savory breakfasts. My teacher asked me the other day (in Turkish) what I eat for breakfast. I said, "Ben cereal yiyorum." She shook her head not knowing what "cereal" was. "Oatmeal," "waffles," (I didn't say bacon-our commissary is probably the only place you can get pork in the whole country-my Filippino friend begs me to bring her some bacon)...no response. She seemed to get frustrated and moved onto someone who ate a more "normal" breakfast- "normal" being tomatoes, cheese, and olives. Everyone said olives. What the heck? I refuse to be labeled as the weird one because I don't eat olives for breakfast!
-When I got frustrated the other day in class and couldn't think of a word, I said "shoot!" The whole class laughed and gasped (probably thinking it was a bad word). I said, "It's not a bad word! It's not a bad word!"
-Today in class we had to list as many Turkish words as we could in 2 minutes using the letters on the board. When time was up, we checked each others' papers, tallying the number of points each person got. I was checking the marriage proposal guy's paper. I don't know if it was a Freudian slip or what but this guy wrote the word for "my wife" and "Kate" was below it. That's Mrs. Kate to you, bub!
That's all for now! Gule Gule! (That means good-bye, but there should be 2 dots over each u. I don't have that feature on my keyboard:)
-Yesterday Tim had a kid tell him that he had a really good reason why he had to miss soccer practice. Tim asked what it was. He said he had a terrible blister. Tim said that because of the blister he didn't have to run, but he still needed to come to practice. The kid said, "Well actually I have something going on at 4 today." Tim asked what that might be. After beating around the bush, the kid said "I have to pick up my Play Station. It was in the shop and is going to be ready today at 4." Needless to say, Tim didn't excuse him from practice:)
-Yesterday in Turkish class I was listening to the teacher explain a new vocabulary word. I was translating what she said into English in my head. I felt like I was doing well until my translation came out like this, "The police here in Ankara use police wolves." Hmmm... something got a little lost in translation:)
-Often when we go to the gas station, we leave with a gift. I kid you not. Just for buying gas, the attendant will come out with a gift for you. Currently we have gotten a salad bowl, wet wipes, and lightbulbs. Can't wait til our tank is empty so we see what we get next:)
-Apparently people here enjoy savory breakfasts. My teacher asked me the other day (in Turkish) what I eat for breakfast. I said, "Ben cereal yiyorum." She shook her head not knowing what "cereal" was. "Oatmeal," "waffles," (I didn't say bacon-our commissary is probably the only place you can get pork in the whole country-my Filippino friend begs me to bring her some bacon)...no response. She seemed to get frustrated and moved onto someone who ate a more "normal" breakfast- "normal" being tomatoes, cheese, and olives. Everyone said olives. What the heck? I refuse to be labeled as the weird one because I don't eat olives for breakfast!
-When I got frustrated the other day in class and couldn't think of a word, I said "shoot!" The whole class laughed and gasped (probably thinking it was a bad word). I said, "It's not a bad word! It's not a bad word!"
-Today in class we had to list as many Turkish words as we could in 2 minutes using the letters on the board. When time was up, we checked each others' papers, tallying the number of points each person got. I was checking the marriage proposal guy's paper. I don't know if it was a Freudian slip or what but this guy wrote the word for "my wife" and "Kate" was below it. That's Mrs. Kate to you, bub!
That's all for now! Gule Gule! (That means good-bye, but there should be 2 dots over each u. I don't have that feature on my keyboard:)
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Melting Pot
In my Turkish class there are a ton of other nationalities-Polish, Palestinian, Iranian, Russian, German, Filippino, Czech, Moroccan, Syrian, Korean, and me (the lone American). I really enjoy getting to know people from so many other countries. It makes class especially entertaining. With so many different cultural backgrounds, though, there is bound to be some weird stuff that happens-by weird, I mean things that don't happen or aren't acceptable in your own country. Things like the following.....
One gentleman in our class (I will not divulge his name or nationality) actually proposed to a girl in our class. He is 35 (well, that's what he claims, but I'm fairly sure he's really 45-we're not fooled, my friend) and she is about 20. One day he slipped her note that said, "I want to make romance and marriage with you." She of course refused (I can't imagine why) and was very upset by this. After all, they had never spoken in class. Not even a "Merhaba. Nasilsin?" (Hello. How are you?) had passed between them. This gentlemen, who is not a bad guy, could not fathom why on earth she would refuse him. He was truly baffled. He thought the problem must be with his english. So, he sought advice from me and another friend of mine. He wanted us to write for him, in English, "will you marry me?" so that he could give her a new note, hoping this time she'd truly understand. Oh, the message was clear the first time, pal. No other English phrase was going to get a yes out of the girl. I (Mrs. Kate as he calls me-thank goodness for the Mrs! I want no proposals!) had to write down for him why he could not propose. Tempted to say many things (you're way too old, I think you really want a visa to her country, you've never had a conversation with her except for the weird "Will you marry me?" one, etc.), I opted for a polite "You can't propose to someone you don't know." I still don't think he gets it. I'm not even totally faulting this guy because, who knows?? Maybe in his country it's totally acceptable to propose to a complete stranger 25 years your junior (I'm not even being sarcastic here). Again, let me repeat how thankful I am to wear some bling on my left hand and go by Mrs. Kate:)
Sometimes in class our teacher pairs us up and we have to have conversations with our partner (incredibly difficult to just come up with stuff to say and be gramatically correct when you've only been speaking Turkish for 2 weeks). Anyway, I got paired with a partner (again who's name and country will be kept confidential) who I've had "run-ins" with before. This kid is about 20 and seems to be just that to me-a kid. He just brings out the teacher in me-and I'm not talking about in the maternal way. I'm talking about "Stop interrupting people and rolling your eyes or I'm sending you to the principal and sending a note home to mom and dad." He is a bit of a know it all and tries to quickly get out an answer before the person who has been called upon can answer. This happened to me numerous times the first week until I finally just turned to him and put my hand to my mouth and said, "Shhh!" I really wanted to raise my hand and ask my teacher how to say "Shut your piehole" in Turkish, but I resisted. This same kind of stuff happened later when he was trying to finish the Korean girl's sentences. I think I gave him a teacher look then too. So, this week we were paired together. We were supposed to interview each other about what we did in a day (we had written a composition on the topic the night before). Again, since I'm not a native Turkish speaker, I'm slow in being able to say what I want. So, he would just finish my sentences for me and start to write down something I didn't want him to. I was getting very, very frustrated. He was getting huffy and making noises like he was totally bored and didn't want to do this assignment. At one point I think I said out loud that he was lazy and had a bad attitude, but I know he didn't understand it. I was just incredibly annoyed with his terrible attitude and lack of manners. So, then I say in Turkish, "At night we watch tv." I knew I said it correctly and used the correct verb, but he insisted that was wrong (even though that was the verb we'd learned). He REFUSED to write what I said and in a snotty tone said, "I write what I want." I was hot at this point, and though usually I'm just the type to smile and not say anything, I couldn't let it go. Quite honestly, I thought he was pulling a "I'm a man and because of that I'm better than you and don't have to listen to you." Nothing irks me more. So, I went back to the paper where I had written down what he said to me when I was interviewing him and I scratched out one of his verbs (dramatically, I might add) and said, "I write what I want." He later crumpled up what he'd written about me, tore it a little, and left it on the desk. Too bad he needed that paper for our homework assignment that night and he didn't have it.:) I don't remember the last time I've been that mad. I know as I exited the building that day and walked down the street to get my taxi, everything was a blur and my face was hot and probably red.
Well, Turkish class is always an adventure, to say the least. The annoying kid has made some subtle ammends. I'll probably still give him a chocolate chip cookie when I bring some to class tomorrow. Since a woman belongs in the kitchen, he'll probably accept. Ok, sorry, for the women's lib. rant, but it's ridiculous that sexism still exists in 2009. Oh, and by the way, the next day we used a sentence about watching tv. My verb was right:)
One gentleman in our class (I will not divulge his name or nationality) actually proposed to a girl in our class. He is 35 (well, that's what he claims, but I'm fairly sure he's really 45-we're not fooled, my friend) and she is about 20. One day he slipped her note that said, "I want to make romance and marriage with you." She of course refused (I can't imagine why) and was very upset by this. After all, they had never spoken in class. Not even a "Merhaba. Nasilsin?" (Hello. How are you?) had passed between them. This gentlemen, who is not a bad guy, could not fathom why on earth she would refuse him. He was truly baffled. He thought the problem must be with his english. So, he sought advice from me and another friend of mine. He wanted us to write for him, in English, "will you marry me?" so that he could give her a new note, hoping this time she'd truly understand. Oh, the message was clear the first time, pal. No other English phrase was going to get a yes out of the girl. I (Mrs. Kate as he calls me-thank goodness for the Mrs! I want no proposals!) had to write down for him why he could not propose. Tempted to say many things (you're way too old, I think you really want a visa to her country, you've never had a conversation with her except for the weird "Will you marry me?" one, etc.), I opted for a polite "You can't propose to someone you don't know." I still don't think he gets it. I'm not even totally faulting this guy because, who knows?? Maybe in his country it's totally acceptable to propose to a complete stranger 25 years your junior (I'm not even being sarcastic here). Again, let me repeat how thankful I am to wear some bling on my left hand and go by Mrs. Kate:)
Sometimes in class our teacher pairs us up and we have to have conversations with our partner (incredibly difficult to just come up with stuff to say and be gramatically correct when you've only been speaking Turkish for 2 weeks). Anyway, I got paired with a partner (again who's name and country will be kept confidential) who I've had "run-ins" with before. This kid is about 20 and seems to be just that to me-a kid. He just brings out the teacher in me-and I'm not talking about in the maternal way. I'm talking about "Stop interrupting people and rolling your eyes or I'm sending you to the principal and sending a note home to mom and dad." He is a bit of a know it all and tries to quickly get out an answer before the person who has been called upon can answer. This happened to me numerous times the first week until I finally just turned to him and put my hand to my mouth and said, "Shhh!" I really wanted to raise my hand and ask my teacher how to say "Shut your piehole" in Turkish, but I resisted. This same kind of stuff happened later when he was trying to finish the Korean girl's sentences. I think I gave him a teacher look then too. So, this week we were paired together. We were supposed to interview each other about what we did in a day (we had written a composition on the topic the night before). Again, since I'm not a native Turkish speaker, I'm slow in being able to say what I want. So, he would just finish my sentences for me and start to write down something I didn't want him to. I was getting very, very frustrated. He was getting huffy and making noises like he was totally bored and didn't want to do this assignment. At one point I think I said out loud that he was lazy and had a bad attitude, but I know he didn't understand it. I was just incredibly annoyed with his terrible attitude and lack of manners. So, then I say in Turkish, "At night we watch tv." I knew I said it correctly and used the correct verb, but he insisted that was wrong (even though that was the verb we'd learned). He REFUSED to write what I said and in a snotty tone said, "I write what I want." I was hot at this point, and though usually I'm just the type to smile and not say anything, I couldn't let it go. Quite honestly, I thought he was pulling a "I'm a man and because of that I'm better than you and don't have to listen to you." Nothing irks me more. So, I went back to the paper where I had written down what he said to me when I was interviewing him and I scratched out one of his verbs (dramatically, I might add) and said, "I write what I want." He later crumpled up what he'd written about me, tore it a little, and left it on the desk. Too bad he needed that paper for our homework assignment that night and he didn't have it.:) I don't remember the last time I've been that mad. I know as I exited the building that day and walked down the street to get my taxi, everything was a blur and my face was hot and probably red.
Well, Turkish class is always an adventure, to say the least. The annoying kid has made some subtle ammends. I'll probably still give him a chocolate chip cookie when I bring some to class tomorrow. Since a woman belongs in the kitchen, he'll probably accept. Ok, sorry, for the women's lib. rant, but it's ridiculous that sexism still exists in 2009. Oh, and by the way, the next day we used a sentence about watching tv. My verb was right:)
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Turkish Class-Day 1
I almost quit Turkish class before I even began, even though the day started out with such promise. I got up extra early, eating a good breakfast and carefully picked out my 1st day of school outfit (an outfit I'd later regret in the intense heat of the classroom). Tim showed me a map of where the school was, explained the route the taxi driver would take, and made sure I had plenty of money. I left the house extra early and the cab driver had no problem getting me to the TOMER building. TOMER is the name of the language school.
I got there extra early because I needed to pay and do a bit more registration. That's what the lady on the phone had told me. I had pre-registered by email and phone. The lady said it was all taken care of. The thing is, in Turkey you never know if you've really gotten a correct answer or know if the conversation you've just had was understood by the other party. This lady convinced me there would be no problem.
I went into the building and followed the international masses up the concrete spiral staircase to the 2nd floor (though in the States we'd say it was the 3rd floor-it's tricky because you always walk up one more flight than you think you'll have to) to the registration area. I was still in good spirits and expecting things to go smoothly as I waited in line. I need to emphasize the word "I" because I quickly learned that others did not seem to think waiting in line was important and proceeded to cut in front of me. This is when I was thinking, "Where I come from, we form lines." But, as previously mentioned I did not say anything that was running through my head. I was slightly irritated as I got up to the receptionist. She let out a fast chain of Turkish words and looked to me as if I should understand. I put out my hands, smiled, and shrugged my shoulders. She let out more Turkish words. This wasn't working. I started using single words, hoping to spark some level of understanding, "Katherine Redden"-nothing, "pre-application,"-nothing, "Level 1" (as in I don't speak Turkish-that's why I'm here!!!!!!!!!!!!)-nothing. In the middle of this communication, she left to go fix herself some tea, as me and a bunch of other 1st day students waited. I was starting to get frustrated and hot. Who's bright idea was it to wear a blanket of wool for a dress today? She came back from getting her tea and motioned me to step aside and wait. That was about the time I was contemplating quitting. I thought, "If this is how they run a business, than I don't want to take classes here." Before I could do anything, though, a tiny little Turkish man appeared, apprarently an "english" speaker. I was hopeful, but quickly realized he spoke about 3 words more than the receptionist. When I tried to tell him that I had registered on-line, he ushered me to a computer because he thought I wanted to check e-mail. We finally went back to the receptionist and I just handed her my passport (for the 2nd time, let me point out). All the sudden she found me in the system (before, she checked and seemed to find nothing). I filled out some paperwork (which included writing down my mother and father's surnames-no idea why, but it's standard policy here) and then it was time to pay. The website clearly said US dollars would be accepted. So Tim had gotten dollars out on the base the day before. Of course dollars weren't accepted. Why? Because everything on the webiste was WRONG! The older man standing next to me and eavesdropping on this whole proceeding said, "Dollars yok." "Yeah, I got that, buddy. Thanks for the help," I thought. So, I used my credit card and then she motioned for me to go upstairs and get 2 photocopies of my passport. I gave her a look like, "Are you kidding me????" I pointed to the clock, that now showed that it was 9:00, time for my class to start. It didn't matter. Apparently, I had to get these photocopies if I wanted entrance into the class. So, I turned around was really angry. I start to walk out of the room. Now, in Turkey there are little ledges on the floor in doorways. One minute you're walking on flat ground, the next you're walking through a doorway over a huge step that comes out of nowhere. So, not realizing this particularly frustrating feature about my new country of residence, I completely didn't see it (because really, why would you build a step in the middle of the floor?). So, my shoe caught on the edge of it and I went flying and landed on my hands and knees. (To this day, I do not know who in my class saw that happen and I really don't want to know.) When I picked myself up off the floor, I couldn't bring myself to look down at my knees. I was really afraid there were holes in each of the knees of my tights (thankfully, there were not). I walked up 3 more flights of stairs, got the copies, walked back down and handed them to the receptionist. She finally gave me my entrance card and receipt. I turned to walk out the door and the eavesdropping man made a gesture like, "Watch out for the step." That just bugged me even more.
So, I climbed 4 flights of stairs (I didn't want to wait for the elevator and I don't trust them here) and walked into my class, huffing and puffing, and trying to put on a smile. Everyone was stonefaced, except one Filipino lady who smiled at me and then a German. I looked for a seat and there were no more chairs. Nobody got up to help me, so I went next store and got my own chair. After me, 2 more Polish girls came in and no one helped them, so I showed them where some chairs were.
About 9:10 our teacher walked in and started rattling off Turkish. Oh...so there would be no English at all. This was how it was going to be. Oh shoot, I'm in trouble. I'm "skeered." Things improved though (at least socially), because we all moved to a bigger classroom. When we picked our new seats, I sat by the German and Filipino girls. They have become very good friends and I have actually enjoyed class because of them.
I have many more stories about my adventures in Turkish class, but I will save those because my husband says that I have abandoned him for the blog. I think he's ready to eat dinner:)
More stories to come soon. I have come along way since my first day in class. I'm glad I didn't walk out the door that first day because I would have missed out on some really wonderful experiences both with this new language and new international friends.
I got there extra early because I needed to pay and do a bit more registration. That's what the lady on the phone had told me. I had pre-registered by email and phone. The lady said it was all taken care of. The thing is, in Turkey you never know if you've really gotten a correct answer or know if the conversation you've just had was understood by the other party. This lady convinced me there would be no problem.
I went into the building and followed the international masses up the concrete spiral staircase to the 2nd floor (though in the States we'd say it was the 3rd floor-it's tricky because you always walk up one more flight than you think you'll have to) to the registration area. I was still in good spirits and expecting things to go smoothly as I waited in line. I need to emphasize the word "I" because I quickly learned that others did not seem to think waiting in line was important and proceeded to cut in front of me. This is when I was thinking, "Where I come from, we form lines." But, as previously mentioned I did not say anything that was running through my head. I was slightly irritated as I got up to the receptionist. She let out a fast chain of Turkish words and looked to me as if I should understand. I put out my hands, smiled, and shrugged my shoulders. She let out more Turkish words. This wasn't working. I started using single words, hoping to spark some level of understanding, "Katherine Redden"-nothing, "pre-application,"-nothing, "Level 1" (as in I don't speak Turkish-that's why I'm here!!!!!!!!!!!!)-nothing. In the middle of this communication, she left to go fix herself some tea, as me and a bunch of other 1st day students waited. I was starting to get frustrated and hot. Who's bright idea was it to wear a blanket of wool for a dress today? She came back from getting her tea and motioned me to step aside and wait. That was about the time I was contemplating quitting. I thought, "If this is how they run a business, than I don't want to take classes here." Before I could do anything, though, a tiny little Turkish man appeared, apprarently an "english" speaker. I was hopeful, but quickly realized he spoke about 3 words more than the receptionist. When I tried to tell him that I had registered on-line, he ushered me to a computer because he thought I wanted to check e-mail. We finally went back to the receptionist and I just handed her my passport (for the 2nd time, let me point out). All the sudden she found me in the system (before, she checked and seemed to find nothing). I filled out some paperwork (which included writing down my mother and father's surnames-no idea why, but it's standard policy here) and then it was time to pay. The website clearly said US dollars would be accepted. So Tim had gotten dollars out on the base the day before. Of course dollars weren't accepted. Why? Because everything on the webiste was WRONG! The older man standing next to me and eavesdropping on this whole proceeding said, "Dollars yok." "Yeah, I got that, buddy. Thanks for the help," I thought. So, I used my credit card and then she motioned for me to go upstairs and get 2 photocopies of my passport. I gave her a look like, "Are you kidding me????" I pointed to the clock, that now showed that it was 9:00, time for my class to start. It didn't matter. Apparently, I had to get these photocopies if I wanted entrance into the class. So, I turned around was really angry. I start to walk out of the room. Now, in Turkey there are little ledges on the floor in doorways. One minute you're walking on flat ground, the next you're walking through a doorway over a huge step that comes out of nowhere. So, not realizing this particularly frustrating feature about my new country of residence, I completely didn't see it (because really, why would you build a step in the middle of the floor?). So, my shoe caught on the edge of it and I went flying and landed on my hands and knees. (To this day, I do not know who in my class saw that happen and I really don't want to know.) When I picked myself up off the floor, I couldn't bring myself to look down at my knees. I was really afraid there were holes in each of the knees of my tights (thankfully, there were not). I walked up 3 more flights of stairs, got the copies, walked back down and handed them to the receptionist. She finally gave me my entrance card and receipt. I turned to walk out the door and the eavesdropping man made a gesture like, "Watch out for the step." That just bugged me even more.
So, I climbed 4 flights of stairs (I didn't want to wait for the elevator and I don't trust them here) and walked into my class, huffing and puffing, and trying to put on a smile. Everyone was stonefaced, except one Filipino lady who smiled at me and then a German. I looked for a seat and there were no more chairs. Nobody got up to help me, so I went next store and got my own chair. After me, 2 more Polish girls came in and no one helped them, so I showed them where some chairs were.
About 9:10 our teacher walked in and started rattling off Turkish. Oh...so there would be no English at all. This was how it was going to be. Oh shoot, I'm in trouble. I'm "skeered." Things improved though (at least socially), because we all moved to a bigger classroom. When we picked our new seats, I sat by the German and Filipino girls. They have become very good friends and I have actually enjoyed class because of them.
I have many more stories about my adventures in Turkish class, but I will save those because my husband says that I have abandoned him for the blog. I think he's ready to eat dinner:)
More stories to come soon. I have come along way since my first day in class. I'm glad I didn't walk out the door that first day because I would have missed out on some really wonderful experiences both with this new language and new international friends.
The Return of Turkey Tales
Hos Geldiniz! That means "Welcome!" I really mean "Welcome Back," but I don't know how exactly to say that. It's been awhile, but I'm back and armed with stories. Never a dull moment in Turkey-that's for sure!!
I'm currently sitting here in our living room at the computer, as Tim hovers over me and makes sure I finish my Theraflu drink. I do not recommend it! I'm notorious for not finishing drinks I like, so finishing this is torture. We've had a nice lazy afternoon of napping and watching Iron Chef. A perfect Sunday.:) Ok, well I napped and Tim worked on school stuff, if I'm going to be honest.
Tim's been sick for the last couple days (Ankara has really been hit hard this winter) and I'm trying to prevent myself from getting it. I haven't gotten sick since coming to Turkey. It's amazing how healthy you can be when you're not teaching children!
Boys Soccer starts tomorrow, so Tim is trying to eat bananas and drink oj and theraflu so he will be up to running with them. I think he's just a little bit excited. Yesterday he spent all afternoon planning the next 3 weeks of practice! He has a bunch of new training equipment, new soccer gear, and new ideas of how to coach them. It sounds like they'll have a really great team and could do really well in the DODDS championship. With so many international kids on his team, they could have an advantage over primarily American teams. I have a team jacket, which I will wear with pride to support the team, even though I know little about soccer (except what I learned in 7th gr. PE).
Ok, I'm going to choke down the rest of my nasty Theraflu and go on to the next blog entry. Hope you enjoy reading them!
I'm currently sitting here in our living room at the computer, as Tim hovers over me and makes sure I finish my Theraflu drink. I do not recommend it! I'm notorious for not finishing drinks I like, so finishing this is torture. We've had a nice lazy afternoon of napping and watching Iron Chef. A perfect Sunday.:) Ok, well I napped and Tim worked on school stuff, if I'm going to be honest.
Tim's been sick for the last couple days (Ankara has really been hit hard this winter) and I'm trying to prevent myself from getting it. I haven't gotten sick since coming to Turkey. It's amazing how healthy you can be when you're not teaching children!
Boys Soccer starts tomorrow, so Tim is trying to eat bananas and drink oj and theraflu so he will be up to running with them. I think he's just a little bit excited. Yesterday he spent all afternoon planning the next 3 weeks of practice! He has a bunch of new training equipment, new soccer gear, and new ideas of how to coach them. It sounds like they'll have a really great team and could do really well in the DODDS championship. With so many international kids on his team, they could have an advantage over primarily American teams. I have a team jacket, which I will wear with pride to support the team, even though I know little about soccer (except what I learned in 7th gr. PE).
Ok, I'm going to choke down the rest of my nasty Theraflu and go on to the next blog entry. Hope you enjoy reading them!
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