tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120536912011-10-25T13:16:28.570-04:00<b>132</b> days in the land of...<p>irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.comBlogger851100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-10295773304696473092007-01-08T20:50:00.000-05:002007-01-09T00:22:39.269-05:00

I know it's been over a year since I've returned from Turkey, but I figured if I answered some potential study abroad questions here, I could save some people a lot of effort. I'll try to arrange them by some sort of topic.If you have any more questions, I'd be glad to answer them. You can find my email address on my Dragons Abroad Global Profile.BasicsI attended the Middle Eastern Technical

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1136136358924126582006-01-01T12:24:00.000-05:002006-01-01T12:25:58.946-05:00

It only took 20 hours, but I made it home alive. I even stayed up until 1am!

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1135792854616421382005-12-28T12:24:00.000-05:002005-12-28T13:06:30.496-05:00

So, I had nothing planned today. Nothing! Just to finish my project and start studying for my Natural Language Processing final.So, around 1pm when my professor emailed me to tell me that I have a final tomorrow, Laura also emailed me. She wanted to go to a hamam before she left, so I agreed to go with her.We wandered around Ulus a bit. We asked for help, and were told that we were standing right

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1135502573020376362005-12-24T23:52:00.000-05:002006-10-25T18:27:06.603-04:00

Weirdest Christmas ever.Although, considering I've spent all of my previous Christmases at home with my family, it's no surprise that my Christmas in a Muslim country was a little different.I spent all day shopping with Lisa and Laura in Ulus around the Citadel. I am done Christmas shopping. I am done souvenir shopping. No more! I think I'll go broke! Heck, I spent 40 YTL on nazar boncuk (evil

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1135024334981939552005-12-18T23:56:00.000-05:002005-12-20T12:10:31.683-05:00

We woke up early and took showers. Laura commenced complaining about how she didn't sleep well. I slept like a log. I haven't been sleeping very well recently, but these past two nights I've just been knocked out. It's nice.Am I the only person frightened by the sight of a nuclear power plant?After checking out, we had to catch a dolmuş back into town. Bursa dolmuşes aren't like the Ankara ones-

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1135022949898686092005-12-17T23:47:00.000-05:002005-12-20T12:02:38.856-05:00

So, I overslept 15 minutes. I was behind 15 minutes in packing. I was behind 15 minutes in getting dressed. I was only 10 minutes behind in getting to the dolmuş station to meet Laura for our shopping journey to Bursa*.Laura, however, wasn't there. So, I waited until 9:15 (a half an hour later than we had agreed). She still wasn't there. I went to her dorm and called her room. No answer. I went

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1135024556798123712005-12-16T23:32:00.000-05:002005-12-20T11:55:27.363-05:00

Staying out until 3am, waiting in a stairwell in Ayrancı for a party that doesn't exist? No, not I!Really, we had attempted to see King Kong but showed up too late. The party was cancelled, but no one told anyone. We were on a roll of failures, so we ended up cooking Turkish dinner and watching Flight Plan.

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1133296828620508112005-12-15T23:37:00.000-05:002005-12-15T17:05:03.410-05:00

From Monty Python's Eric the Half a Bee sketch (2:04).A: Are all your pets called Eric?B: There's nothing so odd 'bout that. Kemal Atatürk had an entire menagerie called 'Abdul.'A: No he didn't.B: Did.A: Didn't.B: Did did did did and did.A: Oh, alright.I've been singing the song since Junior year of high school (marching band). Clearly, it was fate.

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1134313339643881072005-12-10T21:20:00.000-05:002005-12-11T10:49:30.116-05:00

Seeing as I went to sleep at 4am, I thought it a good idea to wake up at 7:30am. ...or else I would've missed the bus to Konya. Eating a la TurcaI slept most of the way there. It was only four hours, and we arrived in town around 1pm. We had lunch a la Turca (i.e. on the floor, with a short table). Only, they really squeezed us in there. There was hardly any room to put your legs. As typical of

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1133464727960184072005-11-26T23:09:00.000-05:002005-12-06T05:24:24.546-05:00

After two days of heart-wrenching, tear-inducing interviews with local women, we needed a break. The Doctor picked us up at 10am and took us site-seeing.Van has quite a few things nearby to see, but we only had time for Van Castle and Akdamar Island.One of our "guides." He followed behind me as I slipped and slided over the top of Van Castle. I'm pretty sure he thought I was a stupid tourist. '

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1133461393632783072005-11-25T23:22:00.000-05:002005-12-03T07:51:13.983-05:00

I suggest you begin reading with "Van - Gün 1" below.You should follow that up with "Van - Gün 2."This post is the second half of gün 2.The woman with a degree in Milk & Milk Products picked us up from our hotel, and drove us over to the dentist's home. Since the Doctor wouldn't be with us to translate, they had brought along a woman who could speak English and Turkish very well.Fazilet had been

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1133455237899980642005-11-25T17:37:00.000-05:002005-12-03T07:39:39.890-05:00

I sat across from a 20 year old Kurdish woman who had been raped when she was 17. Her parents forced her to marry her rapist. Her first child had been stillborn, and she hoped this second one survived, so maybe her husband would treat her better.The mothers satying at the Anne Oteli (by Lisa Holliday)The Anne Oteli (Mother Hotel) of Yüzüncü Yıl University Hospital was a bit eye-opening. It was a

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1133302273974056392005-11-24T22:36:00.000-05:002005-12-03T07:43:39.506-05:00

Van, a modern Turkish cityWe were headed to Van, to start filming Sharon's documentary. She received a small grant to do research on "The Affect of Islam on Women's Rights in Turkey." A mountain peaking into the citySo, Lisa, Sharon, and I showed up in Van around noon (only a 2 hour plane ride...or a 21 hour bus ride) and checked into the Büyük Asur Oteli. Old Van had been destroyed after a fight

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1132792190688404642005-11-24T02:31:00.000-05:002005-11-23T19:38:47.143-05:00

Okay, two weeks without a trip somewhere. I'm on the move again.Above you see places where I've spent the night and walked around a bit (red) and places where I've only walked around a bit (purple). The yellow is my adventure this weekend. To Eastern Turkey. Very Eastern.Oh, and Happy Turkey Day...from Türkiye.

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1131904271426002382005-11-23T12:18:00.000-05:002005-12-03T07:33:55.830-05:00

A nazar boncukThe "Evil Eye" supsicion is common amongst many cultures; pulcinella is a Neapolitan way to ward off the Evil Eye and there's usog in the Philippines. The basic premise is that someone's jealous or harmful (or evil) eye can do harm when it gazes upon you. In Turkey, the Nazar Boncuk is used to ward off the Evil Eye, and protect against its harms. I would think it was just a tourism

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1132604345889644082005-11-21T15:13:00.000-05:002005-11-21T15:26:09.226-05:00

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is snow...and with it, comes ice on all the stairs spread throughout METU's gloriously un-handicapped campus.

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1132237287872406922005-11-17T09:18:00.000-05:002005-11-17T09:21:27.890-05:00

I always knew I didn't like Madonna.Thanks to her, I have my IP Address blocked from the school's system for a week. At home, the RIAA annually sues 25 Drexel students for sharing hundreds and thousands of illegal mp3s. Here, you lose internet for a week, even for just one mp3. I'm not gonna argue. That's just the way it is here- like midnight curfews and nightly bed checks.

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1132071167582915332005-11-14T15:10:00.000-05:002005-11-15T11:20:57.860-05:00

I got a present :)

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1131793091821590832005-11-09T23:50:00.000-05:002005-11-12T14:11:51.293-05:00

Iris in [reconstruction of] the Troy horseThe tour of Troy began at 7:45 am. Our tour guide was amazing. He had published a tourist-y book or two on the site, and his English was perfect. A view of the Dardanelles from TroyBehind the Trojan War. When the Greek Goddess Eris wasn't invited to some happening on Mt. Olympos, she became angry. To punish them, she placed a golden apple saying "To the

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1131792449033443192005-11-08T23:39:00.000-05:002005-11-12T06:38:12.150-05:00

A small cruise ship, seen from our hotel room balconyThe view of Kuşadası from the other directionWe spent our morning waiting until 10:30am, when we could catch a bus to İzmir (2 hrs). So, we wandered around Kuşadası's Grand Bazaar as the only tourists in town. We made some okay bargains, being the first customers of the morning. I bought my sixth scarf and mom bought some evil eye earrings.We

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1131787638136586472005-11-07T22:23:00.000-05:002005-11-12T05:38:52.243-05:00

The guy dropped us off at the international terminal, told us to go down the stairs and across over to the domestric terminal. One would have thought it would've been simpler just to drop us off at the domestic terminal in the first place. I think he was just lazy.But, we flew out of İstanbul at 7:45am and arrived in İzmir around 9am. There was someone there to pick us up, and he drove us to

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1131696241138603902005-11-06T23:47:00.000-05:002005-11-11T03:27:26.020-05:00

The last day in İstanbul before the big journey South.We took the light rail to the end, and walked the rest of the way to Dolmabahçe Palace, one of the last built by the Sultans. Sadly, they abandoned the Ottoman palace architecture, leaving behind the courtyards, and adopting the Western palace style. Basically, it was a mess of baroque and rococo, gold and crystal. Mom and Iris outside of

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1131694729462004412005-11-05T22:10:00.000-05:002005-11-11T03:35:44.890-05:00

Today we slept in a bit (maybe until 9am!) and then broke down and visited Tur-Ista Travel Agency who did all of our planning- the plane, the buses, the hotels, the tours, etc. etc. After having so many people tell us our plan was impossible, it was nice to have someone make it happen. At first, we couldn't decide what to do and mom hid her face in her coat. Erdoğan said, "Why don't you let me

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1131648936024893522005-11-04T22:21:00.000-05:002005-11-10T13:59:21.806-05:00

Day 2 of that glorious Turkish kahvaltı (breakfast). Fresh cucumbers, tomatos, olives, cheeses, bread, pastries, eggs, and the added surprise of grapes. A strong glass of çay, and then it's off into the city again.The first half of the day was dedicated to a cruise along the Bosphorous. Above you see the view from a cafe by Pierre Lotti. On a clear day, you should be able to see seven hills of

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1131646098960884482005-11-03T12:40:00.000-05:002005-11-12T15:49:32.756-05:00

After having the lazy servis (shuttle) driver drop me off at a tram station instead of drive me all the way to Sultanhamet (grrrr), I arrived at the Hippodrome. I spent a good 15 minutes wandering around until I found our hotel, Fehmi Bey. It was the nicest hotel I've stayed at in all of Turkey. You know it's bad when having shower doors excites you. OoooOooh, and new towels every day!Mom at

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1131641392305665952005-11-02T23:39:00.000-05:002005-11-10T12:40:26.526-05:00

Above, you see the basic, general plan. Mom is coming to Turkey, and she wants to see: İstanbul, Efes (Ephesus), Virgin Mary's House, and a hamam (Turkish bath). I'd like to see Troy and Gallipoli as well.A blurry view of ASHTİ, Ankara's otogar (bus station).I spend a lot of time in bus stations, but ASHTİ is my home station. I like to watch the buses arrive and depart at the same time. I headed

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1130705865659181362005-10-30T15:54:00.000-05:002005-10-31T05:13:31.073-05:00

Okay, I've learned my lesson: When dying for "familiar" food, don't go to a Turkish restaurant.I ordered a cheeseburger. What I got was:Tomato1 piece of lettucePickleSome generic Turkish cheeseA meat patty (perhaps made of lamb, definitely not beef) that was 1/8" thickPotato salad, complete with peas and carrotsAll this was stuck on a sort of buttery, pastry-ish bun. It was a miracle that I ate

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1130687748746079202005-10-29T22:29:00.000-04:002005-10-30T15:52:06.403-05:00

Today, I have been in Turkey for exactly 2 months.We checked out of our pension this morning, and only had a minor conflict with our host over the price. We ended up just walking away, and he didn't stop us. Sometimes, the "family-run" pensions are really nice- they give you guidance, feed you, and provide an inexpensive place to stay. Sometimes, I'm just sick of all the hassle of bargaining.We

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1130667077743797832005-10-28T23:41:00.000-04:002005-10-30T15:54:01.046-05:00

To Kahta, land of dust, men in Ottoman pants, and scams! ...not to mention, minarets attached to gas stations.Sharon, Lisa, and I survived the 12 hour bus ride to the slight-southeast. AŞTİ Otogar was absolutely packed with people fleeing the city to go home for the Şeker Bayram Holiday this week, so we were lucky to have tickets. Upon arrival at 6am, we checked into some shady pension and slept

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1130358114122019892005-10-26T21:20:00.000-04:002005-10-26T16:21:54.130-04:00

I'll be seeing you at 3:35pm, Saturday December 31st. I'm coming home.

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1130150559338108812005-10-23T23:13:00.000-04:002005-10-24T13:41:26.456-04:00

The green bus dropped us off on campus around 8am. We changed clothes, got breakfast at Cafe Sun Shine, and headed for Anıt Kabir (Atatürk's Mausoleum). I had visited it back in the beginning of September, but this time my dad and I took the subway to get there. The building holding Atatürk's symbolic bodyInside the space where Atatürk's symbolic tomb is located, there are tall metal lamps, each

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1130148827498782542005-10-22T17:48:00.000-04:002005-10-24T13:38:48.340-04:00

The second day we woke up and had some traditional Turkish kahvaltı, then headed to the tour company for their "Guaranteed Afrodisias Trip- 9:30am". Of course, this being Turkey, "Guaranteed" means "Only if there's 4 people who want to go." So, the company scrounged up another tourist, and we paid a bit extra. The driving through the countryside took us through pomegranate, apple, and orange

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1130145783786684402005-10-21T22:47:00.000-04:002005-10-24T05:39:11.270-04:00

We arrived at Denizli's Otogar at 6:30am after our 6.5 hour bus ride; the sun was rising and the smog was just barely visible over the city. We successfully maneuvered our way onto a bus to Pamukkale (pronounced pah-MOO-kah-leh), and settled in for the ride.We got off in the center of the village (pop. 2500) and were immediately approached by a pension owner who took us to his hotel: "You don't

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1130143614426704772005-10-20T22:28:00.000-04:002005-10-24T04:46:54.433-04:00

After wandering through the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, the Citadel, and various bits of Ulus, my father finally arrived at ODTÜ's gate. We took a quick tour of campus, ate some Turkish kebab, and headed for the ASHTİ Otogar.

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1129487776829706282005-10-16T21:19:00.000-04:002005-10-17T06:49:08.730-04:00

2:30 amWe hear banging on the streets. They've begun pounding the drums, waking people up to eat before the sun rises. Early Ramazan breakfast. Too early.We go back to sleep as the pounding travels away from our pension in the town center.8:00 amWe wake up to the sound of rain. Not again. But, we decide to go on with our day and opt to use the shared showers in the hallway bathrooms, rather than

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1129486283844699982005-10-15T23:56:00.000-04:002005-10-16T14:18:44.056-04:00

Well, it should have been a day trip...A view from our bus to SungurluTorben and I headed to Hattuşa, the ancient Hittite Capital, about 3 hours away from Ankara. We were dropped off at the side of a highway in front of Sungurlu, a town where people still travel by donkey & cart. We ambled around, and boarded a crowded dolmuş to Boğazkale. The man sitting next to me reeked of goats (i.e. the

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1129153917958838742005-10-12T17:49:00.000-04:002005-10-12T17:51:57.966-04:00

Today, a little schoolgirl yelled at me from the school-van as she was passing.She said: "N'haber Kız?"That's the equivalent of, "What's up, girl?" (literally, "What news girl?")

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1128974240341258102005-10-09T21:39:00.000-04:002005-10-10T15:57:34.563-04:00

Pazar (Sunday) was full of...shopping. Our hotel wasn't more than a block from Istiklal Caddesi (above). The side streets are quite nice- if you wander far enough you can find where the locals go to eat. I bought myself two books at Robin Son Crusoe books, since they cost the same as they do at home: Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, and The Davinci Code.The other exchange students had breakfast

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1128972777195734282005-10-08T21:14:00.000-04:002005-10-10T16:09:31.446-04:00

An amazing view of the clouds over the BosphorousIstanbul cityscapeSo, today I visited the Blue Mosque. The interior was really beautiful. I would have photos, but I feel sacriligious taking photos of operating mosques. It's disgusting when tourists take photos of people praying (without permission). It shows no respect for other people, and it's seriously annoying. Tourists! (It's good to be a

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1128971615153108962005-10-08T07:03:00.000-04:002005-10-10T16:11:03.946-04:00

And so begins the day, forever known as the date on which Iris ate 4 Dunkin Donuts.I'm just so sick of Turkish cuisine! There's no variety! No diversity! How much köfte can one woman eat? How much kebap does it take for you to be sick of food entirely? YARGH!In other news, those donuts had either Hazelnut filling, or they were decorated with pistachios. A Turkish twist to an American favorite.

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1128953278371749812005-10-07T23:45:00.000-04:002005-10-10T17:27:59.513-04:00

Istanbul (the side with Istiklal Caddesi) at sunrise from the FerryAfter having my plans for Mt. Nemrut and Urfa cancelled at the last moment, I tagged along on a journey to Istanbul. We left Thursday night and took an overnight train. I've determined never to take the train again- especially not without a sleeper car. The ride took twice as long, and the lights were never turned out. Upon

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1128367814322139442005-10-03T22:18:00.000-04:002005-10-13T10:08:56.626-04:00

Below is a list of all exchange students that I know of, that have contracted some sort of stomach/digestive illness since we've arrived.Shammara (USA)Iris (USA)Sharon (USA)David (USA)Lisa (USA)Gaurav (USA)Jason (USA)Amzie (USA)Archeta (India)Mat (Australia)Frederick (Germany)Hannes (Germany)Lisa (Germany)Laura (Holland)Perhaps it is really not so many.Antibiotics are our friend.The medical

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1128205107368882412005-10-02T01:12:00.000-04:002005-10-01T18:22:15.513-04:00

To top the night off, we headed to a party hosted by two of the exchange students. We walked through Uzungil in the dark with some shady directions, but found the apartment anyways. We entered and found many of our exchange student friends (with some Turkish students, of course) sitting about smoking, drinking, and talking.Generic party photo of people sitting in an apartmentThe traditional

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1128204658320823252005-10-01T20:03:00.000-04:002005-10-02T11:34:42.546-04:00

After a failed shopping trip in Kısılay, where all I bought was a sweater and miniature Turkish-English dictionary, Shammara and I headed to Armada, a large mall that looks like an airport. All the stores inside were very expensive (United Colors of Benetton, Marks and Spencer, etc.) But, the food court was decent. We've noticed a complete lack of variety in foods, so we were suprised to actually

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1128073470085604732005-09-30T12:40:00.000-04:002005-09-30T05:44:30.093-04:00

"International watermelon rugby is exactly the same as touch rugby (ie no tackles) and is a very simple sport that everyone can play. I don't actually know the rules so i will make most of them up on the day, and mostly to the advantage of whichever team i am on."So I spent the last two hours lounging on Devrim field, munching on vodka-infused watermelon, watching the exchange students toss

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127137998832945442005-09-28T09:45:00.000-04:002005-09-28T11:38:18.200-04:00

A Turkish keyboard. Exciting, yes, I know. The Turkish addition to the typical Latin alphabet is unusual. There's the typical accented letters ç, ğ, ö, ş, ü, and then there's İ,i and I,ı. The location of the two i-styles makes using a Turkish keyboard terribly challenging. That, and it makes my name appear to be spelled differently ('Iris' and 'iris' are prounced differently).

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127729085955712702005-09-25T17:59:00.000-04:002005-09-26T06:32:08.590-04:00

Today we started with Göreme Open Air Museum (above and below), which is basically a whole bunch of Byzantine Churches all located in one area. Below you can see what some of the churches/houses looked like from far away.Some churches were decorated when religious icons were not allowed, such as the one above. These were basically decorated in folk art and Greek Orthodox crosses. Notice how the

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127681804285165272005-09-24T16:38:00.000-04:002005-09-26T08:01:38.530-04:00

So, we woke up nice and early to catch a METU-organized bus tour to Kapadokya/Cappadocia. To summarize generic Kapadokya-ian history: some Saints came to Kapadokya, bringing Christianity. The Romans didn't allow Christianity at the time, so the citizens made some hidden churches in the hills. These "hills" (sometimes called "fairy chimneys") were formed by various volcanoes around Kapadokya, and

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127503933095790222005-09-23T22:29:00.000-04:002005-09-23T15:43:28.200-04:00

So just what happens when the power goes out?

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127399920153500242005-09-22T10:38:00.000-04:002005-10-10T16:15:41.150-04:00

I assume most people have heard of a lot of the names of Turkish food (Kebap, Baklava, etc.), but I've stumbled upon some others. This is a photo of Kunefe. Basically, it's a cheese (that tastes like American cheese, sort of), covered in fried wheat, then placed in a pool of sugar syrup. This one is adorned with some crumbled pistachios. It confuses my taste buds severely, to the point that it's

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1126294332334466692005-09-21T15:32:00.000-04:002005-09-21T05:54:59.660-04:00

I thought it about time I talk a bit about the campus.Given that Drexel is in the city, and METU is 20 minutes outside of one, I expected the campuses to be very different. However, I still can't get over just how much space is here. There's just to much space to care for it all.Stray cats invade everything and they're far bolder than the Philly squirrels. Sometimes, the cats are chased away by

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127293506892979812005-09-19T09:02:00.000-04:002005-09-21T05:05:06.903-04:00

So, here I am, back in METU. We took an 8-hour bus ride starting at midnight and ended up outside of campus an hour before my first class this morning. Then we had to hike the 3/4 mile into campus with all our weekend luggage and a few hours of bus sleep. Blargh!

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127160622899591662005-09-18T16:09:00.000-04:002005-09-19T17:13:16.526-04:00

Today we decided to head out early-ish, to spend half the day in Antalya. We took the dolmus up the mountain, and then another to Antalya Otogar. Shammara had been sick that morning/evening, so she took a bus to Ankara right away. We headed off into the city.Antalya is known for being a touristy town (i.e. they have descriptions in German and prices in Euros), and we tend to try to avoid that

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127160424055344492005-09-17T16:06:00.000-04:002005-09-19T16:07:04.056-04:00

This day was much bluer. The rest of the group decided to go exploring, and we ended up taking the path above to the mountain I had climbed the day before- but from a different direction. The pebbly beach where we spent our day A tomb resting on the side of a mountain The ATM at Olimpos was a bus with satellites hooked up to it We'd play chess and tavla as an evening activity, after enjoying

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127160243170632202005-09-16T15:26:00.000-04:002005-09-19T16:23:50.220-04:00

Shammara and I took an overnight bus to Antalya yesterday evening. We arrived at Antalya Otogar after 8 hours on the bus, and found...ugly, rainy weather. We were dead tired and still had 2 more hours to go. So, we hopped in the front seat of a dolmus: As we wound along the coast, we saw a car accident, the Mediterranean Sea, palm trees, and some of the most amazing mountains with clouds swirled

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127137532864035612005-09-15T15:44:00.000-04:002005-09-19T09:45:32.866-04:00

Today was the first day of classes. I'm moving my schedule around so I have less classes on Monday (so when I skip Monday, then it's not such a big deal). My sociology professor dislikes engineers and dislikes speaking English (i.e. we don't get along). I'm dropping his course, which is a shame because Sociology of the [Turkish] Family and [Turkish] Women could have been a very interesting

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127137157991953142005-09-14T08:31:00.000-04:002005-09-19T09:39:17.993-04:00

Today, Shammara (my roommate) and I walked around the old center of Ankara, Ulus. We've basically found Ankara to be completely devoid of foreigners/tourists, except today we saw our first Japanese tourists. So, that means we normally wander around, being stared at by all the locals. There was an open air bazar-like thing with lots of shops and we bought some metal spoons and forks...and were

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127136343712155042005-09-13T17:25:00.000-04:002005-09-19T09:25:43.713-04:00

Tarkan (a very popular Turkish pop singer) is coming to METU to perform this Friday. They set the stage up on one end of Devrim Stadium, and there's a bunch of Tarkan buses across the path. His music sounds like a 90s pop singer...but in Turkish.

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127135874307240832005-09-11T18:15:00.000-04:002005-09-19T09:26:41.200-04:00

The Ankara Zoo is filled with some of the saddest sights I've ever seen. I feel guilty for spending that 3 YTL. All the animals were in small, unnatural cages such as the elephant who is separated from viewers by a 3 foot fence, a shallow moat, and 3 feet of spikes. And then the cage for the vultures on the bottom is hardly big enough for the birds to do more than hop (no flying). Unlike in the

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127135691665138412005-09-10T21:14:00.000-04:002005-09-19T09:14:51.670-04:00

Walking down the nargile-scented streets of Kisilay, every cafe is filled with customers drinking cay and playing backgammon (Tavla). Even the internet cafes manage to have a few sets on hand. It's a very popular game and the Turks are very fast at it. For a beginner such as myself it's better to play with other beginners. My friends and I never remember how to set up the board, so we always

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127133226890111702005-09-10T20:33:00.000-04:002005-09-19T08:47:46.620-04:00

A group of exchange students headed to the Black Sea yesterday, and another group headed to Trabzon. 2 days was not enough to see the coast, so I stayed in Ankara. We started by taking a Dolmus to Ayrancı and walking to Atakule (top). It's interesting to see how many cities have a similar tower. I know Prague does, and I'm sure I've been up into others. After having drinks at the UFO cafe atop

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127127804239882292005-09-09T04:10:00.000-04:002005-09-19T07:03:24.243-04:00

Hold onto your hats, I have a story. (I've changed some names)After leaving the internet cafe last night, we (Torben- Germany, Daniel- Denmark, and Clement- France) went to get something to eat and drink. We ended up at this somewhat clear bar whose walls are plastered with Turkish movie posters. Time moved on, and after my friends have a couple beers, the pub closed. At this point, we move

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127127139758594782005-09-07T23:51:00.000-04:002005-09-19T06:52:19.756-04:00

I've been stumbling a bit on protruding rocks lately, so it was inevitable that I would wind up on the ground. It just so happened that the venue was on the steps leading into Cafe Sun Shine. No major damage, just a bloody elbow. Clumsy foreigner!

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127127060019452192005-09-07T18:50:00.000-04:002005-09-19T15:26:46.993-04:00

Right outside of campus is a section of Ankara called Uzungil. A lot of students live here, and this way they can avoid the midnight curfew and the same-gender guest policy (and maybe get nicer living quarters for less money). There are some larger grocery stores, bookstores, a koffer, and other stores.I bought some sweet Ataturk text book labels (you can't leave home without them) and a bunch of

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127127001354505602005-09-06T01:49:00.000-04:002005-09-19T06:50:01.353-04:00

One roommate down, one more to go.This one is from California. Our poor roommate-to-be is going to live in Little America.

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127126947603420242005-09-05T23:56:00.000-04:002005-09-19T06:49:07.606-04:00

I had promised a friend that I'd join him drinking at the Baraka (Social Club building) with friends "for chat", so I ended up skipping out on a trip to Kisilay. Even though this is a dry campus, the students seem to drink anyways (rarely do the Jandarma do anything). Efes, Turkish for Ephesus, is the Turkish beer of choice for the foreigners, but I hear wine is the choice of the Turkish students

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127124352407895992005-09-03T22:05:00.000-04:002005-09-19T06:34:08.946-04:00

Today was a much longer trip for the exchange students (it being a Saturday, the study abroad office decided to take all day). So, I will start from the beginning.Right in the middle of the city are the remains of an Ancient Roman bath. Even though it is surrounded by modern buildings you can find ancient tombs, the remains of the bath heating mechanisms as well as the decorative accents of the

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127124238070113662005-09-02T18:25:00.000-04:002005-09-19T06:18:12.710-04:00

I'm told that Turkish society will never be able to absorb me: my paper's the wrong size and I listen to dirty hip hop.

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127124098351344222005-09-02T16:00:00.000-04:002005-09-19T06:05:15.623-04:00

After our first Turkish lesson (and lunch), most of the students had to leave to get chest X-rays. It seems, if you are going to live in the public dorms, they need a chest X-ray to make sure you don't have Tuberculosis. The private dorms (like mine) do not have such an issue. Either way, it gave me a free day and I went with a host student to buy a cell phone. We searched the cell phone shops of

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127123987716522502005-09-01T21:58:00.000-04:002005-09-19T06:04:35.276-04:00

The study abroad office took the exchange students on a trip today. We went to see Anitkabir, Ataturk's tomb. The mausoleum functions as the resting place of Ataturk, as well as his friend, the second president of Turkey, and a museum dedicated to telling the story of Ataturk. They had several jewelled gifts from foreign countries, as well as many of Ataturk's personal possessions (fitness

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127123917617420982005-09-01T19:57:00.000-04:002005-09-19T06:18:58.300-04:00

During foreign student orientation today, we were told that when we ride the bus it is best to sit in the middle on the right side, since "the back and front are in the most danger." The Turkish people drive insanely and buses and taxis don't have seat belts. Even on our way from the airport, our taxi driver passed cars by driving between them, centered over the white road line. Another group of

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127123862255290032005-08-31T21:57:00.000-04:002005-09-19T05:57:42.256-04:00

Today was the first day of orientation classes. The exchange students celebrated by...going to a pub near the embassies. Nothing like feeling nauseous without any alcohol in your system. Traveler's sickness, blah.

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127123817472437932005-08-31T17:56:00.000-04:002005-09-19T05:56:57.473-04:00

I've said on multiple occasions how nice the weather is, but I'm told it's not going to last long. Now that it's September Ankara should start cooling down and the rain season should begin. Didem, my host student, says it starts snowing in Ankara around late November. It seems I should get my gorgeous photos of Turkey now, before it becomes polluted with gray skies.[Edit] Now, on the third day of

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1127123709706274052005-08-30T19:53:00.000-04:002005-09-19T05:56:03.470-04:00

Today is Turkey's 'Victory Day'- their independence day celebrating Ataturk's victory over the Greeks. There are gigantic Turkish flags hanging from nearly every building, along with several humongous images of Ataturk everywhere. I was eating breakfast with my friend from Denmark outside, and we were able to see several military planes in formation fly overhead. The TV showed the parade with

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1126290563191794702005-08-30T04:11:00.000-04:002005-09-09T15:21:47.783-04:00

So, I lied about that sleep thing. METU said they would provide linens; I have a pillow and a heavy blanket. The heavy blanket isn't helping the heat problem. I opened a window (the weather is gorgeous), but that apparently let in a mosquito which bit me in 6 different places. Scratch that, 3 mosquitos.I got my venegeance. I killed him (and one of his brothers).So now I'm up at 4 am (9 pm Philly

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1126293812885950602005-08-29T20:22:00.000-04:002005-09-09T15:24:51.046-04:00

It started on the plane. Instead of a package of salted peanuts I received a package of Turkish hazelnuts, its packaging claiming all sorts of health benefits in rough English. And then there were the ads between movies, touting that "Turkish Hazelnuts add value." Even dinner came with a candied hazelnut. I'm not sure how to interpret this, as I haven't seen much hazelnut fanatacism since I left

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1126290499892963792005-08-29T16:26:00.000-04:002005-09-09T15:25:07.566-04:00

The stars were against me on the 28th. We hit horrible traffic in 3 or 4 different places on the way to JFK airport. If my plane hadn't been delayed, I might not have made it. But then again, had my plane not been delayed I would've been able to make my second flight from Istanbul-Ankara. No harm done, though, I just managed to confuse the International Students Department here (they rightly

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1125013392324801892005-08-25T19:40:00.000-04:002005-09-09T14:29:56.106-04:00

The other day one of my friends from high school asked if I would wear a headscarf (khimar) when I went to Turkey. At this point in time I've determined that a headscarf is not nearly as appropriate as a haircut, but this question did remind me of the seeming obscurity of modern Turkey. Contemporary Turkey generally isn't a focus of world geography or social studies in high school, so I

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1124832341796669872005-08-24T00:23:00.000-04:002005-08-24T00:23:50.316-04:00

NASA's Snow In Turkey I thought this was a beautiful satellite image from NASA's visible Earth.

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1124831638023979882005-08-23T17:13:00.000-04:002005-08-25T20:13:34.383-04:00

08/06/2005 BBC: Turkey seizes five in 'bomb plot'08/03/2005 CNN: Two Reported Dead in Turkey Blast *07/16/2005 BBC: Turkish resort blast kills five07/10/2005 BBC: More than 20 hurt in Turkey blastSo, no, Turkey is not the safest place in the world. Neither is London, Madrid, New York, Washington D.C., and just about any city in any country you could possibly wish to visit. I'd say (from a naïve

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1123043782189226762005-08-03T00:36:00.000-04:002005-08-03T00:38:57.456-04:00

That's it, I've done it. I finally bought my plane ticket after much procrastination.Just think, $640 can send you to Turkey on August 28th with me. 3.5 weeks!9 hour flight + 3.5 hour layover + 1 hour flight = 13.5 hours

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1122870823314890482005-08-01T00:33:00.000-04:002005-08-09T19:25:32.420-04:00

Some points of interest: İstanbul: Former capital of the Ottoman Empire, home to the Aya Sophia, Topkapı Palace, Fatih Bridge (the Bridge between Europe & Asia), and millions of other amazing sites.Ankara: The capital of Turkey and where I will be spending the majority of the next four months.Cappadocia: Land of Fairy Chimneys and Painted Churches.Konya: Home of the Whirling Dervishes.Troy: (

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1122779977952575562005-07-30T23:00:00.000-04:002005-07-31T14:10:04.140-04:00

I went home today and retrieved my passport, signaling the end of the month-long battle with the Turkish Consulate in NYC: I mailed my photograph, application, and acceptance letter; they retaliated by insisting I was a fool for not sending my passport and 20 USD. I sent in another copy of the application, my passport, and 20 USD; they responded by telling me they needed a money order. I

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1122613811842967812005-07-29T01:10:00.000-04:002005-08-03T00:43:05.536-04:00

A simplified history of pieces of post-Republic Turkey that interest me- terribly butchered by an amateur:After defeat in World War I, the lands of the Ottoman Empire were divided amongst the Allied powers. The Treaty of Sèvres gave much Turkish-speaking territory to France and Greece. It was then that the Empire's only victorious leader, Mustafa Kemal, gathered up enough forces to thrash the

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12053691.post-1122451508530694132005-07-27T04:04:00.000-04:002005-09-26T08:57:11.880-04:00

A month from now I'll be fleeing my hometown of Philadelphia to attend Middle Eastern Technical University (thanks to the connections of the GE3 Program). I'm sure many people will wonder about me, as I will about them. This blog is to share my experiences with the friends and family who can't be there with me.Much has happened since I came to school, but I can barely remember any of it. High

irishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04762799590721906844noreply@blogger.com0