Our last day in Istanbul was a bit stressful since Obama was about to make an appearance. We had planned to go to the Aya Sophia, but we couldn't get in until later that day since Obama was visiting it. As the morning went on, more roads were becoming closed off, and more police officers were beginning to appear. Our hotel was right in the midst of the whole parade route and was apparent things were about to get very crazy. So we scrapped all our plans and decided to high-tail it out of there before we got blocked in for hours. And so we were off to the little village of Amasra, on the Black Sea. It was about a 4 hours drive to Amasra. On the way, we stopped at a Burger King, where I got to bust out my Turkish skills. That's really where those skills come in handy. Cause when you want a Whopper, you don't want a language barrier to prevent you from getting it. And you want to be able to say "without vegetables" so you don't end up getting a nasty parasite again! That is truly "survival" Turkish.
When we got to the coast, it was amazingly beautiful. We stopped at an overlook where we could see the vast Black Sea and the village below. Our pension that we stayed in was right on the water. We climbed down to the rocks below and got some great pictures. In the distance we could see a tiny island that is apparently inhabited by tons of rabbits (ok, we only saw some birds, but apparently there are supposed to be rabbits).
The village Amasra was quaint and cute, with cobblestone streets, with reminders of the Romans-old churches and crosses on archways. One afternoon we walked out as far as we could on a seawall. Afterwards, we ate at a fish restaurant. Tim's parents were brave and ordered whole little fish that were fried. We also got an Amasra salad, which is famous for being huge and very artfully arranged. The vegetables are cut into flowers and shapes and the whole beautiful mess is sprinkled with an oil and vinegar dressing. Very tasty! For dessert, they brought us some complimentary yogurt (unsweetened) covered with honey and nuts. Pretty tasty!
Our breakfast the next morning was one of the best we have had in Turkey. Breakfasts usually consist of lots of bread, olives, tomatoes, and cheese. At the pension in Amasra, we had some amazing bread that was fresh from the oven, incredible fruit jams, cheese pastries (so good!!!) and vegetables. The ladies who prepared it were dressed like many Turkish women- heads covered with brightly patterned scarves, shirts and skirts with bright patterns, bright colored socks and slip-on sandals. They were jovial and hospitable. I enjoyed getting to use my Turkish with them.
After a day in Amasra, we headed back to Ankara, stopping in the town of Saffronbolu on the way. Saffronbolu is apparently the home of saffron. It is a well-preserved historical town, a place who has been conquered by many different groups through the centuries. The town reminded me a lot of a town my friend Micah and I went to in Albania. It's not too surprising, considering that their histories were probably similar. First, being taken by the Romans, then eventually be conquered by the Ottoman Empire. In this town, we went through a museum of the area and had a nice little lunch. The lady who ran the place, had to leave in the middle of our meal because of the call to prayer. She gave us a little buzzer to use in case we needed her while she was at the mosque. I hope Tim and I can go back since there are many more things to do there, including going to a very, very old hamam (Tim will be on his own!), and hiking, kayaking, and climbing around in caves.
What I loved about Tim's parent's visit is that they got to see different areas of Turkey. Turkey is a very diverse country, with a variety of different landscapes and rich in history. Driving to these different areas gave all of us a chance to really see what this country and its people are like.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Spring Break- Istanbul
Good Tuesday morning everyone! Turkey Kate is back. I can't tell you how many drafts I have that I started and never finshed and posted. But, the house is cleaned, Tim's at school, and the laundry is running, so I have time to write. I am still doing laundry from when Tim's parents were here. Because I'm lazy? Oh no. Four words sum it up. Turkish washer and dryer. Inefficiency at its best. It's never taken so long to get the kabab smell and cigarette smoke out of our clothes. Well actually, up until this year the kabob smell in my clothes wasn't a problem:)
As the fried fish smells of Amasra, the sizzling Iskender from Istanbul, and stale cigarette smoke wash out of our clothes, I find myself reminiscing about our time with Tim's parents. Family visits are always bittersweet. It's so wonderful when your family is here, but very hard when they leave. They remind you of how much you love and miss your family. Ok, enough sappiness. Onto the tales of our Spring Break!
We started out here in Ankara, visiting Ataturk's mausoleum, the base and school, Ulus (the oldest part of the city that was the original village) and the Museum of Anatolian History (the kind of history you can't quite wrap your head around). While we were in Ulus, we ran into a bunch of Americans in a souvenir shop. Turns out they were Obama's secret service agents. They only confessed this information to Tim's dad, who has some supernatural power that makes people spill all their secret information to him. We saw him display this gift over and over during the week!
After a day in Ankara, we headed to Istanbul. We chose to drive this time, rather than taking the train. I was proud of Tim for maneuvering around Istanbul with our car. It is not easy!!! It is a huge, confusing city, full of crazy driving. While in Istanbul, we went to Topkai Palace, which was especially beautifully because of Obama's impending visit. The landscapers were placing perfect single tulips directly into the soil. Fun fact: Tulips are a symbol of Turkey. We also went to the Blue Mosque (that you probably saw Obama at the day after we were there) and the Grand Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar is an underground maze of shops. Turkish vendors call to you from every angle, speaking in different languages until they figure out which one you understand. Though it's a colorful world in the Bazaar, I'm easily annoyed by the constant barrage of comments. "Hello My friend." "I am still here." "Ahh, you are back." "I have been waiting for you, my friend." "I make very good price only for you." "You look like a movie star." "I remember you." And on and on they go. The only things we ended up buying was a bunch of different kinds of tea and some coffee at the spice bazaar. The spice bazaar is my favorite part. Spices from all over the world greet your nose and eyes. It's a wonderful place for the senses- mustard yellow saffron, bright red pepper, pea green-colored tea... This time around in the bazaar, I could actually speak Turkish. I loved to see the shock on the Turks' faces when a blonde, blue-eyed American spoke to them in Turkish. Now, my Turkish is far from good, but the fact I can say anything goes a long way!
You know what else goes a long way? Tim's dad's special powers (as previously mentioned). Not only can he get people to spill their secrets, but he can get the annoying vendors to leave you alone. Often these guys on the street will approach you, and start talking to you and walking alongside of you. They are often trying to guide you to their carpet shop or give you a personal tour that you will later pay for. Most people ignore them (my usual plan), but that often doesn't deter them. Tim's dad, however, takes the friendly approach. He starts talking to them about all sorts of things. So much so, they can't get a word in edgewise and they finally give up and leave us alone. Pure genius!
I almost forgot! We went to a professional soccer game while in Istanbul. Soccer is HUGE here. We saw one of the top teams play. Not all the players are Turkish. They recruit good players from other countries. We all really enjoyed hearing the Turkish national anthem (very minor sounding) and all of the other singing that occurred during the game. For all the disorganization in Turkey, one thing that is organized is the cheering during soccer games. It's astounding. They actually have official cheering sections with a leader who organizes each cheer and song. They also have drummers in the cheering section. The different cheers and rhythms that go on around the stadium create this cool piece of music.
When Tim ordered our tickets, he made sure we weren't in the cheering section. You cannot sit there and not cheer and have your face painted. They would get really angry. They don't mess around. You know how much they don't mess around? They are policemen EVERYWHERE!!! There is actually a whole line of policemen that sit between the home fans and the away fans. They sit in a single line all the way down the bleachers, with night sticks and huge shields. The policemen may have to deal with crazy, obsessed fans, but one thing they don't have to deal with is drunken fans. No alcohol in the whole stadium, folks. For once it was nice to go to a game and not have someone spill a beer on you. They didn't even sell sodas. Only water and hot cay (tea). Vendors actually come uround with those boxes around their neck filled with steaming hot tea. Instead of peanuts, people chew on something that looks like sunflower seeds, spitting them out in whatever direction they feel like. There are hotdogs in the stadium. Ballpark franks they are not. They are all beef (remember no pork allowed), very slim, and have a reddish tint to them. If you put enough ketchup and pickles on them, you can trick yourself into thinking you're back at the Braves' or Nationals' Stadiums:)
You know when you travel, often the most fun and memorable times are the unplanned ones. We were so careful to plan each step of Tim's parents' visit, but you can't plan the weather. So, our last afternoon/evening in Istanbul it poured. There wasn't a whole lot we could do, so we decided to go to a movie. The movie wasn't that good, but we had a great time anyway, especially walking in the rain on the way home. We had $5 clear plastic umbrellas that we'd bought from a street vendor. We walked past the famous Aya Sophia and Blue Mosque, getting wet and laughing hysterically over things I can't even remember now. Tim's mom said that was one of her favorite parts of their trip. And I think it was mine too. A random, unplanned moment, just enjoying being with each other in this famous and historical city, with rain soaked socks and stomachs that hurt from laughing so hard.
As the fried fish smells of Amasra, the sizzling Iskender from Istanbul, and stale cigarette smoke wash out of our clothes, I find myself reminiscing about our time with Tim's parents. Family visits are always bittersweet. It's so wonderful when your family is here, but very hard when they leave. They remind you of how much you love and miss your family. Ok, enough sappiness. Onto the tales of our Spring Break!
We started out here in Ankara, visiting Ataturk's mausoleum, the base and school, Ulus (the oldest part of the city that was the original village) and the Museum of Anatolian History (the kind of history you can't quite wrap your head around). While we were in Ulus, we ran into a bunch of Americans in a souvenir shop. Turns out they were Obama's secret service agents. They only confessed this information to Tim's dad, who has some supernatural power that makes people spill all their secret information to him. We saw him display this gift over and over during the week!
After a day in Ankara, we headed to Istanbul. We chose to drive this time, rather than taking the train. I was proud of Tim for maneuvering around Istanbul with our car. It is not easy!!! It is a huge, confusing city, full of crazy driving. While in Istanbul, we went to Topkai Palace, which was especially beautifully because of Obama's impending visit. The landscapers were placing perfect single tulips directly into the soil. Fun fact: Tulips are a symbol of Turkey. We also went to the Blue Mosque (that you probably saw Obama at the day after we were there) and the Grand Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar is an underground maze of shops. Turkish vendors call to you from every angle, speaking in different languages until they figure out which one you understand. Though it's a colorful world in the Bazaar, I'm easily annoyed by the constant barrage of comments. "Hello My friend." "I am still here." "Ahh, you are back." "I have been waiting for you, my friend." "I make very good price only for you." "You look like a movie star." "I remember you." And on and on they go. The only things we ended up buying was a bunch of different kinds of tea and some coffee at the spice bazaar. The spice bazaar is my favorite part. Spices from all over the world greet your nose and eyes. It's a wonderful place for the senses- mustard yellow saffron, bright red pepper, pea green-colored tea... This time around in the bazaar, I could actually speak Turkish. I loved to see the shock on the Turks' faces when a blonde, blue-eyed American spoke to them in Turkish. Now, my Turkish is far from good, but the fact I can say anything goes a long way!
You know what else goes a long way? Tim's dad's special powers (as previously mentioned). Not only can he get people to spill their secrets, but he can get the annoying vendors to leave you alone. Often these guys on the street will approach you, and start talking to you and walking alongside of you. They are often trying to guide you to their carpet shop or give you a personal tour that you will later pay for. Most people ignore them (my usual plan), but that often doesn't deter them. Tim's dad, however, takes the friendly approach. He starts talking to them about all sorts of things. So much so, they can't get a word in edgewise and they finally give up and leave us alone. Pure genius!
I almost forgot! We went to a professional soccer game while in Istanbul. Soccer is HUGE here. We saw one of the top teams play. Not all the players are Turkish. They recruit good players from other countries. We all really enjoyed hearing the Turkish national anthem (very minor sounding) and all of the other singing that occurred during the game. For all the disorganization in Turkey, one thing that is organized is the cheering during soccer games. It's astounding. They actually have official cheering sections with a leader who organizes each cheer and song. They also have drummers in the cheering section. The different cheers and rhythms that go on around the stadium create this cool piece of music.
When Tim ordered our tickets, he made sure we weren't in the cheering section. You cannot sit there and not cheer and have your face painted. They would get really angry. They don't mess around. You know how much they don't mess around? They are policemen EVERYWHERE!!! There is actually a whole line of policemen that sit between the home fans and the away fans. They sit in a single line all the way down the bleachers, with night sticks and huge shields. The policemen may have to deal with crazy, obsessed fans, but one thing they don't have to deal with is drunken fans. No alcohol in the whole stadium, folks. For once it was nice to go to a game and not have someone spill a beer on you. They didn't even sell sodas. Only water and hot cay (tea). Vendors actually come uround with those boxes around their neck filled with steaming hot tea. Instead of peanuts, people chew on something that looks like sunflower seeds, spitting them out in whatever direction they feel like. There are hotdogs in the stadium. Ballpark franks they are not. They are all beef (remember no pork allowed), very slim, and have a reddish tint to them. If you put enough ketchup and pickles on them, you can trick yourself into thinking you're back at the Braves' or Nationals' Stadiums:)
You know when you travel, often the most fun and memorable times are the unplanned ones. We were so careful to plan each step of Tim's parents' visit, but you can't plan the weather. So, our last afternoon/evening in Istanbul it poured. There wasn't a whole lot we could do, so we decided to go to a movie. The movie wasn't that good, but we had a great time anyway, especially walking in the rain on the way home. We had $5 clear plastic umbrellas that we'd bought from a street vendor. We walked past the famous Aya Sophia and Blue Mosque, getting wet and laughing hysterically over things I can't even remember now. Tim's mom said that was one of her favorite parts of their trip. And I think it was mine too. A random, unplanned moment, just enjoying being with each other in this famous and historical city, with rain soaked socks and stomachs that hurt from laughing so hard.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Politics, Politics
Turkey held their national election last week. The Ak Party was the winner. This was the party previously in power. I don't know much about it, other than they are a much more religiously conservative party. The election was a really big deal and for weeks I was handed brochures and listened to campaign speeches mixed with Turkish folk music blaring over loudspeaker. Kizilay, the area of the city where my class is, was covered with policeman, and I have gotten very use to being up close and personal with many guns each day. I told Tim the other day I was going to start counting how many guns I saw in a day. And I don't mean the guns you see on police officers or mall security guys. We're talking the big guns.
I was very proud of myself for being able to ask my taxi driver in Turkish which party had won the election. This particular taxi driver is one of my favorites. He is an older gentleman with kind eyes. He was impressed I could say some stuff in Turkish. Because I like him, I'll forgive him for taking a "shortcut" on our way to Kizilay. His shortcut cost me an extra 10 minutes and 4 lira. I really do believe, though, he was trying to save me some time.
The next day, however, my taxi driver (who I didn't know and was a more stoic type) was saying something to me in Turkish I couldn't quite understand. I got in and said my normal, "Gunayden. Kizilay. Ziya Gokalp Caddesi, lutfen," which means, "Good Morning. Kizilay. Ziya Gokalp Street, please." Instead of being on our way, he was trying to tell me that some roads were closed and acted as if I couldn't go to that street. I didn't understand and just indicated with my hand we should proceed. Well, we got there fine (I knew we would because I knew the road we needed to take wasn't closed) and I thought he just had misinformation. So, a bit later, my class starts. About 5 minutes into the class, I hear many loud male voices, chanting and yelling. It was a bit scary, I admit. Our teacher, though, doesn't seem to be alarmed. She stopped class so we can look out of the window to the street far below our classroom. Thousands upon thousands of people (98% men) were marching, chanting, singing, and carrying Turkish flags and pictures of another political party's leader. Come to find out, this leader and some of his assistants were killed in a helicopter crash last week before the election. This was especially important because he was apprarently slated to be the next Ataturk. He was, I think, a bit more progressive and less religiously conservative then the current president. It seems like a very tragic thing to lose someone who could have been a great leader for Turkey. The people marching were honoring this fallen hero of their's. It was surreal to see such a huge sea of people below our window. They just kept coming and coming.
On an American political note, Obama is coming to Turkey next week. A lot of people here in Ankara are bugged because he's changed his plans around and messed up their spring breaks. Many people had already bought their plane tickets, when they found out that he was coming and that the goverment employees would need to stay for his visit. So, many people changed or canceled their tickets. Now, he is no longer doing a "Meet and Greet" here in Ankara, but doing it in Istanbul, instead. Personally, I think this is not very smart because there are way more Americans goverment workers, not to mention the ambassador, plus the dept. of defense people here in Ankara. There is only a consulate in Istanbul. Strange decision.
Well, I'm off to a rehearsal for a musical. More writing to come!
I was very proud of myself for being able to ask my taxi driver in Turkish which party had won the election. This particular taxi driver is one of my favorites. He is an older gentleman with kind eyes. He was impressed I could say some stuff in Turkish. Because I like him, I'll forgive him for taking a "shortcut" on our way to Kizilay. His shortcut cost me an extra 10 minutes and 4 lira. I really do believe, though, he was trying to save me some time.
The next day, however, my taxi driver (who I didn't know and was a more stoic type) was saying something to me in Turkish I couldn't quite understand. I got in and said my normal, "Gunayden. Kizilay. Ziya Gokalp Caddesi, lutfen," which means, "Good Morning. Kizilay. Ziya Gokalp Street, please." Instead of being on our way, he was trying to tell me that some roads were closed and acted as if I couldn't go to that street. I didn't understand and just indicated with my hand we should proceed. Well, we got there fine (I knew we would because I knew the road we needed to take wasn't closed) and I thought he just had misinformation. So, a bit later, my class starts. About 5 minutes into the class, I hear many loud male voices, chanting and yelling. It was a bit scary, I admit. Our teacher, though, doesn't seem to be alarmed. She stopped class so we can look out of the window to the street far below our classroom. Thousands upon thousands of people (98% men) were marching, chanting, singing, and carrying Turkish flags and pictures of another political party's leader. Come to find out, this leader and some of his assistants were killed in a helicopter crash last week before the election. This was especially important because he was apprarently slated to be the next Ataturk. He was, I think, a bit more progressive and less religiously conservative then the current president. It seems like a very tragic thing to lose someone who could have been a great leader for Turkey. The people marching were honoring this fallen hero of their's. It was surreal to see such a huge sea of people below our window. They just kept coming and coming.
On an American political note, Obama is coming to Turkey next week. A lot of people here in Ankara are bugged because he's changed his plans around and messed up their spring breaks. Many people had already bought their plane tickets, when they found out that he was coming and that the goverment employees would need to stay for his visit. So, many people changed or canceled their tickets. Now, he is no longer doing a "Meet and Greet" here in Ankara, but doing it in Istanbul, instead. Personally, I think this is not very smart because there are way more Americans goverment workers, not to mention the ambassador, plus the dept. of defense people here in Ankara. There is only a consulate in Istanbul. Strange decision.
Well, I'm off to a rehearsal for a musical. More writing to come!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)