Strange Sights

You never know what you're going to find wandering around this city. Earlier this week as I wandered around Etiler, the area of Istanbul that I live in, I stumbled across this pet store and decided why not step inside and see what they have?

The funny thing about Turkey is that they come up with the most absurd prices for foreign things (food, clothes, and pets evidentally). This bird here was only 5000 YTL (roughly $4750 USD). And he has a special talent. He can bark like a dog :)



They also have more exotic animals if you so desire. Like this guy here. I didn't even bother asking how much he was...

'Tis the Season

Since up to ninety-nine percent of the population here in Turkey are Muslims, Christians are an obvious minority. Because it is a secular country - the only Muslim country in the world, in fact, that has no state religion - and the Constitution guarantees religious freedom, tolerance is the rule. Thus, the population includes members of the Armenian Apostolic and Greek Orthodox churches, Roman and Eastern Catholics, and Jews.

Last week, we had Wednesday through Sunday off from university for the Kurban Bayram (or Eid al Adha in Arabic), the Muslim holiday celebration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his own son for God/Allah/Yahweh. It also marks the end of the Hajj in Mecca.

On this day, Muslims have an animal slaughtered, then distribute some of the meat to the poor and use the rest for a big feast. Non-observers, my self included, admire carcasses hanging in public places where carcasses usually aren't and step over guts and blood in the street.

[I considered being really mean and posting pictures here, but I'm pretty sure no one actually wants to see any of it. I may still put them in my random Istanbul folder that I plan on putting on Picasa next week though. You've been forewarned.]

Sunday, I went Bayram visiting with one of my Turkish friends at his aunt and uncle’s place on the Asian side of the city. Basically, it was an excuse to eat lots of good food, practice my Turkish, and put off studying for just a little bit longer.

Monday night a few of us went to Christmas Eve mass at the French Cathedral here in Istanbul – it was one of 3 churches doing a Christmas Eve service. It was definitely an experience, seeing as it was one long (and by long I mean 2 ½ hours long) service in English, Turkish, French, and Italian. If my brain didn’t already hurt from studying for all my exams that I have this week it sure did when I walked out of the church at 2 AM from trying to follow the priests switching from one language to another continuously.

It’s hard to believe that Tuesday was Christmas. It’s a very different feeling here than it is back in the US. There is no Santa Claus, no Christmas trees, no lights, no carols, no nothing that reminds me of Christmas.



Ok, so maybe I lied…there he is, right on the Istiklal Caddesi–the skinniest Santa in the world!

But don’t let it fool you. At first his red suit and fake white beard seem out of context here, but the truth is that in Turkey, Santa is not a Christmas icon. Nope, here he is a bona fide symbol of the New Year.

Here, you have New Year trees, New Year ornaments, New Year e-greetings, New Year gifts. And to be honest, because I’ve gotten used to everything being there for New Years, this past weekend I almost forgot it was time for Christmas…almost, but not quite.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and have a Happy New Year!

The Tick Tock of the Clock is Painful

Wow...so after all of this, I'm only in Istanbul for 2 more weeks. I’ve got 5 finals, a 20-page paper, and loads of revisiting my favorite sites around the city to do before I fly home. I’ve gotten pretty accustomed to Istanbul; the traffic, the Bogaz, the Akbils, the random 400-year-old ruins peeking their heads out, so I'm not sure what to expect when I return. It's almost like I have to run through the whole "don't go to America expecting anything...just embrace whatever you find there," thing that I had to do before coming to Istanbul.

Which is funny, because no matter how hard I try, I'm always setting out goals and expectations to fit the stereotype of what I'm planning to experience. Even if I consciously try not to. And don't shake your head at me, you do it to. At least Marco Polo famously went East expecting to see Unicorns and ended up explaining how ugly unicorns are. Our preconceptions form our worldview, no matter how hard we try to run from them.

I think I did a decent job, though, coming to Turkey on a blank slate. I've learned a lot here without just confirming what I always thought (I'm not even sure what I always thought, to be honest. But it wasn't this). I could go into detail here, but I’d rather not bore you. If you really want to know, when I come home ask for the “lets get coffee and talk for a few hours” version of my semester instead of the “5 minute, it was great” one.

It's Been a Busy Week

Sorry for the lack of updates in the past week and a half. Istanbul's been busy but exciting now that midterms are over (although finals are quickly approaching...unfortunately).

Last weekend was one of culture and fun. Thursday night, we decided to treat ourselves for successfully completing midterms, so we set off for Georgian/Russian food in a quaint little restaurant that now inhabits the old British Jail. Borsch, hot cheese with walnuts, and Vareniki (as well as a trip down memory lane) were accompianied by the tales artfully spun by the older couple that owned/ran the restaurant of times spent in Georgia, Turkey, Russia, and Belarus (yes, they actually lived in Belarus!)

Friday night a few of us felt like enjoying a little bit of America again and went to the Blues Festival that was in town for the week. Excellent music and fun was a great way to start the weekend and get out on the town. Because who doesn't love "Sweet Home Chicago", "Mississippi Waters", or "Let the Good Times Roll"?

Sunday was Turkish day between weekly brunch at Sevgi's apartment and the accompianing Turkish conversation and an afternoon exploration of nearby Rumeli Hisar - the fortress that guards the narrowest part of the Bosphorus, right next to campus.

Last night the girls all went down to Bebek for dinner to celebrate my birthday early before people traveled for the weekend. Dinner was excellent (pomegranate pizza - sounds wierd, no? ) and was followed by picture taking on the Bosphorus and singing Christas carols (read: teaching Christmas carols to the Turks) in preparation of the upcoming holiday.

Speaking of Christmas...did I mention that I have a final exam on Christmas day?... Sad day indeed.

Hope everyone back at home finished up the semester well and is glad to finally be done with finals. See you all in a few weeks!

It's All Greek to Me

The white sand stone rises straight up towards the heavens. Separated only by a small ring of trees, keeping the city at bay, the Acropolis rests steadily upon this base, housing the Parthenon, the Temple to Athena and two theaters. It wasn’t until later that afternoon when I was perched atop a rock in the remains of the ancient agora staring out over the Acropolis, Athens and Greece, that I realized it was December first. Already? There, it was still warm and the sun beat down on my face. When I was walking among the buildings, the familiar wash of satisfaction over took me.

As I explored the Acropolis or wandered around the Agora and the Plakas, it was absolutely amazing to see these structures still standing from thousands of years ago. I found myself imagining what this place looked like in its prime, as it did when people like Socrates and Aristotle walked the streets and thought up their great works. I was a bit disappointed to see that they were in the process of restoring the Parthenon, scaffolding marring my pictures on both sides. Oh well, this just gives me an excuse to come back one day.

In Istanbul news, it's still cold and rainy...big surprise there. Thankfully, midterms are over and I can enjoy the city again. Best of luck to all you at home taking exams next week!

pictures!

As promised, pictures from my trips to Israel and Greece are finally posted on my picasa album. Enjoy!

Studying Abroad is Just That...Studying

Studying abroad isn't, actually, all fun and games. Even if you might think so by going through my pictures. There's also, well, studying. And while classes are pretty interesting, it does mean that I have spent a good chunk of the past week and a half doing just that - studying. Two weeks ago, two of my professors moved midterms so that the history students in the class didn't have 3 exams in one week.

Nice, right? Well, it would have been if they didn't both move them to this week and add to my other 2 exams and a paper due. So here I am, instead of enjoying the nice weather (read cold and windy, but it is sunny at last) I'm spending my money at Starbucks buying coffee, reading and poring over notes for hours on end. And of course, with 2 exams and a paper down and 2 to go, I'm here updating for all you lovely folks back at home. What can I say, I know you're all procrastinating on studying too :)

It's hard to belive that I'm finishing up midterms now, but in less than 6 weeks I'll be back in the States starting spring semester classes again. And for those of you who have missed me saying it nearly every 5 minutes...sad day

Giving Thanks

Today is the American holiday of Thanksgiving, a day during which we stuff our faces with turkey, pumpkin pie and sweet potatoes and mumble something about how thankful we are for our families before watching the American football game and falling asleep on the couch. And really, isn't that how it's supposed to be done?

Well, today I won't be eating any turkey or pumpkin pie (but there will probably be some falling asleep on the couch), but even without all the fixings, I certainly have plenty to be thankful for this year ...

I am thankful for my family, all of who supported me during the last few months as I moved to Istanbul. I'm sure there was some nail biting on the parts of my parents at the prospect of Turkey -- "But Turkey is SO FAR AWAY!"


(sorry mom, dad, and amy - all the pictures on my computer are from this semester [ and what I can steal from facebook albums])

I am thankful for my friends back at home, all of you who have made my day in one way or other – letters, random IMs or Skype calls just to say hello and see how I’m doing over here (and inquire as to when I’m going to come to my senses and come home).



I am thankful for my friends here in Istanbul, both Turkish and other exchange students, for having made my semester so memorable. From road trips to Bulgaria to randomly getting lost and exploring parts of Istanbul to cooking a huge Thanksgiving dinner together to share tonight.



I am thankful for my Turkish family – Resa and Mehmet (Anne ve Baba) – for all their help in getting me here, finding my lost luggage (and making sure it found me), recommending Turkish medicines and taking care of me when I was sick. I promise I'll stop jinxing myself on this blog and causing you trouble at some point before I return to the states in January.



I am thankful for the generosity of the Turkish people. These people truly are selfless and kind and giving, more so than any other people I have ever met.

And I am thankful that this world is a good place to be, for all the reminders of how fortunate I am, and that there are adventures galore to last me a lifetime and wonderful people to share them with.

Iyi Sukran gunleri!
Happy Thanksgiving!

Turkish 101

Learning a new language is not as easy as simply translating verbatim sentences into English. It requires a little bit more finesse, a little more savvy, to memorize not just words, but culture and, dare I say it, a different way of thinking.

Thus my annoyance when some of the students in my Turkish class constantly question WHY Turkish grammar is THIS way or THAT way.

For example, Turks say, “open the light” and “close the light” to mean “turn off” and “turn on” the light. It’s just a different way of thinking about how you use electricity. No big deal, right?

Wrong. One guy always has to ask, WHY does it have to be this way? Why do Turks say, “I hate from mice” instead of just “I hate mice”? Why do Turks use a different verb to say “enter the room” versus “get on the bus”? In English we use two different verbs. WHAT’S SO STRANGE ABOUT THAT?

Then someone else sits there and says, Ah, bu çok zor, hocam (“This is so hard, teacher”) in a pouty, childish voice. Sure, it’s difficult. This is surely not rocket science, but it does take more than a few brain cells to memorize new vocabulary and string together sentences in a completely foreign structure.

The important thing, I think, when learning a new language, especially one that is so completely different from your own (like learning Turkish or Japanese when your first language is English, or learning Spanish or English when your first language is Turkish), is to suspend temporarily the way you look at the world.

Understanding that a chair” is also a sandalye and not having to translate the Turkish word EVERY time you read or hear it is important. Learning a language is more about absorbing new ideas than memorizing vocab lists that have been translated from English into Turkish.

It’s about reading a sentence or a paragraph and intrinsically knowing what it means without having to read it back to yourself in English. It’s about picking up hand gestures and facial expressions that change the meaning of words in a way that your language does not allow. It’s about seeing the world differently, from a perspective that allows for different meanings.

One of the guidance counselors at my high school had a sign outside her door that said something to the affect of, “The breadth of a man’s vocabulary greatly affects how he sees the world.” That is to say, the more words and therefore ideas you know, the more you can comprehend and explain and describe the world around you. Learning a new language is not unlike expanding your vocabulary.

Sunshine at Last

I went to Israel this past weekend to visit Andrew and had a great time. I saw a lot of places, took a lot of pictures, ate a lot of good food. As the starting place of the 3 major religions (Islam, Christianity, and Judaism) as well as the home of the Baha’i Gardens and Akko, 2 major sites for the Baha’i religion, there was a lot to see. I saw Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, and more. If I had to decide on my favorite place/thing I did this weekend I’d be torn between 3 things:





The Baha’i Gardens in Haifa











The Kotel (Wailing Wall) Tunnel tour in Jerusalem









Exploring Yaffo (Jaffa – the old Muslim port of Tel Aviv)





I also did a lot of thinking this weekend. Thinking about Israel; thinking about Turkey; thinking about the Unites States.

One thing I noticed, in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, wherever, is that the past and history simply doesn't matter. There are some places and subjects that one hears about and thinks they sound interesting, but then any research you take involves the words "The definitive study of _____ is still waiting to be written." Israel is not one of those places. Any further historiography is just going to be written for one side to show why they are Right, and the other side is just going to ignore it as propaganda, right?

The actual factual history of when Jews lived in the area, the actual prominence of King David's empire/kingdom/bunch of hovels isn't relevant to any current problems. The ultra-revolutionaries aren't going to lay down their Molotov cocktails when they hear that yeah, the First Temple Period is absolute, incontrovertible, fact. And the ultra-reactionaries aren't going to decide to give up the ghost if they learn that there never even was a First Temple Period. The current conflicts are beyond history. They're beyond analysis. Any sort of hope for that place is going to rely on folks looking towards a future, not back into their own half-forgotten shared memory of a distant past.

So why this bit on the hopelessness of history? Because it isn’t like that everywhere. Here in Turkey, history breaks very sharply in 1923. And historical problems with nationalism and what defines a nationality is still grappled with just about every day, mostly in newspapers and in questionable-defined scrapes in the Southeast. People still make up their own “national histories” to explain why they deserve autonomous land in the Balkans and in the Caucasus. History is used to explain why I belong here and you don’t. History is used to destroy bridges, sometimes figuratively, sometimes literally.

The reason the United States is so great (in my opinion) is that we are, for the most part, totally okay with other people being around. We really do embrace diversity in the States, even if we’re not always comfortable brushing shoulders with each other. And really each other, not just some Pan-Turkic or Pan-Aryan ideal of who each other should be.

Yes, we’ve made some mistakes and some really tragic mistakes. But there’s a reason why people are trying really hard to get into our country. And in a lot of ways, Turkey or Israel is a lot like America because of this; there are a lot of people trying to get in, because they know that they have a shot there. Sure, the people trying to get in are a lot more mono-ethnic in both of those examples, but still, there’s hope in Israel or Turkey that there isn’t in places like Ethiopia or Turkmenistan. And hope, if you weren’t aware, is a good thing. And a good thing never dies.

If you're curious about this entry's title, let me fill you in. The weather here in Istanbul has been cold and rainy for quite some time, so it was a wonderful thing to get to Israel where it was sunny and upwards of 75 F all weekend. While I was glad to get back to Istanbul last night, to a place where I (sort of) speak the language and the places are (somewhat) familiar, I was sad to leave behind the lovely weather that I know I won't see again until at least April.

Pictures from this weekend soon to come, I promise.

10 Kasim

Because you asked so nicely at dinner Resa, this one’s for you.

There is perhaps nothing else so distinctive of the condition and character of a people as the method in which they treat their dead.
- William Tegg, 1876

Throughout the history of human civilization, different cultures mourn and treat the dead differently. Some, like Tibetan Buddhists, have no use for burials as they dispose the dead by feeding corpses to vultures or by burning them in funeral pyres. Most cultures, however, show their respect by burying the dead, sometimes in complex and ornate tombs, crypts, and catacombs. The following is a compilation of the ‘15 most interesting tombs in the world’ (just for fun, or for those of you who actually like history enough to find this intriguing):

1. Newgrange, Ireland
2. Tana Toraja, Indonesia
3. Westminster Abbey, England
4. Giza Necropolis, Egypt
5. Valley of the Kings, Egypt
6. Catacombs of Paris, France
7. Anitkabir, Turkey
8. Terracotta Army, China
9. Capuchin Catacombs of Palmero, Italy
10. Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic
11. Taj Mahal, India
12. City of the Dead - Ossetia, Russia
13. Monte Alban, Mexico
14. Petra, Jordan
15. USS Arizona, United States

While I thought it would be interesting to share with you the above list, the focus for this post falls to number 7 – Anitkabir – Atatürk’s Mausoleum. Anitkabir literally means ‘memorial tomb’ and is the final resting place of the leader of the Turkish War of Independence, the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was a great man and a great leader, who turned Turkey into member of modern civilization, with all institutions. To build a mausoleum that would represent his eminence, and thoughts about principles, revolutions and modernization, emerged as a common idea of the Turkish nation, during the great sadness following the death of Atatürk.

Anitkabir houses both Atatürk and Inonu (2nd President of Turkey). When you visit the mausoleum you not only see and remember Atatürk, you also see and remember Inonu. Above and beyond those two, you see in statues and other presentations, the children, the men and the women that joined together to defend their lands against other groups of people that wanted to tear it apart. When you walk through rooms with battlefield sounds and sights, or you read the articles and look at photos of various Turks (regardless of ethnic backgrounds) in various parts of Anatolia who joined the movement of protecting their lands, you see what Anitkabir is about.

You see what Ataturk is about. It is about remembering the blood, sweat and the tears that went into creating the Republic of Turkey. It is about feeling gratitude that all of those people did come together for a common goal.

It has been a week since I visited Anitkabir; a week since I returned to the real world of Istanbul. While this whole week has given me a chance to think about what I saw and figure out how best to write this post, today has been a very thought-provoking day. It is true that today is the 69th anniversary of Atatürk's death, but it is striking still to think of the current circumstances that this country finds itself in. There have been so many deaths, from before the creation of the Turkish Republic until this very day today.

This one intelligent and hard-working man, this leader, is remembered on this day because he represented what the citizens of this country wanted, and what they still want. “Peace at home, and peace in the world.”


Arslan Yol (The Lions Road). The approach to Anitkabir is a 262 meters long pedestrian walkway that is lined on both sides by 12 pairs of lions carved in a style similar to Hittite archaeological finds. The lions represent Anatolia and are sitting to simultaneously represent both power peace. There is a 5 cm. gap between the paving stones on the street to ensure that visitors take their time and observe respectful behavior on their way to Atatürk's tomb. It is also said that this path is used to prepare oneself for the greatness of the tomb and the proper respect that should be shown.


Atatürk's mausoleum itself is the central point of Anitkabir. Housed inside the building is his tomb, and the walls are decorated with passages from some of his speeches and famous quotes.


Inonu's tomb faces opposite Atatürk's across the ceremonial grounds. He was buried at Anitkabir in 1973 following his death.


The Turkish flag flies high keeping watch over both Atatürk and Inonu's tombs. In the relief at the base of the flag post, the torch symbolizes the Turkish civilization, the sword is the offensive power, the helmet is defense power, the oak branch is the victory, and the olive branch is the symbol of peace.

Bad Luck and Bumbershoots

Istanbul is rainy, very rainy. I’m not just talking a few sprinkles here and there or the ever enjoyable “singin’ in the rain” weather. I’m talking about a never-ending, can barely see three feet in front of your face, ‘there’s no way I’m walking from Hinton James to class in this weather’ rain. It was pouring when I returned to Istanbul last night after a lovely weekend in Ankara – thanks Mehmet and Resa!! – and has not stopped since.

When my alarm clock went off this morning it was accompanied with thunder booming in the distance and the constant pitter-patter of the rain on the lobby roof just below my window. Not the way I planned to wake up at all. To make matters worse, the torrents of rain didn’t stop for my walk to class which is equally comparable (for all my fellow Tarheels) to walking from Hinton James to Dey Hall both in distance and tiring-ness. Despite having an umbrella I managed to get quite wet, no thanks to the numerous cars who so thoughtfully flung entire puddles of water at me as they sped by. At this point, I would have been better off with a raincoat or perhaps a tarp. Note to self…next time packing to leave home for 4 ½ months, make room in the suitcase for such things.

In the words of Chad Martin, “Gene Kelly, Mary Poppins and The Penguin are among the few people in this world who are worthy of using umbrellas. Their coordinating style and use of them as practical devices - dancing props, flying mechanisms and hidden weapons - has made them appropriate owners of this otherwise useless apparatus. So, to the rest of the world, I ask that you leave your umbrella in the tacky, oversized vase by the front door.”

Here’s the question that’s been bugging me all day though: Why is it considered back luck to open an umbrella indoors?

The most common reason stems from the days when umbrellas were used mainly as protection against the sun. To open one indoors would be to insult the local sun god (especially Ra) and invite his wrath on everyone in your household. Good rationale I must admit, although it seems that the Turks were never let in on this little secret.

Sure this wasn’t the first day since I’ve been here that it has rained, but it’s the first day where EVERYONE had umbrellas with them, and definitely the first day where EVERYONE minus myself left them open when they entered the building. Here, unlike at home, opening an umbrella inside isn’t considered bad luck. Instead, it’s considered normal. But seriously, what’s the point of leaving them open in the classroom to dry if they’re only going to get wet the minute you exit the building?

Sure, Gene Kelly used his umbrella in the rain, but don't let that fool you…he still got wet! He proved the uselessness of the umbrella and flaunted its failures as a rain repellant while acknowledging its benefits as a replacement for a cane in choreography. But unless all of you umbrella users are theater majors, I'm afraid the lesson of our most celebrated alumnus has gone unheard.

Let's Play Guess My Nationality

So I'm walking around the Spice Bazaar and I was approached by several different vendors wondering where I am from. Sometimes they think I'm a Turk and dive right into a whirlwind of Turkish which, if I'm lucky, I can catch half a dozen words out of. Most of which have no relevance to each other, and I'm left with a look on my face somewhere between "efendim (huh?)" and bursting out laughing. This typically turns into an awkward chuckle and a guessing game at where I'm from.

I love being mistaken for European ; it happens all the time here and I attribute it to my lovely poise and grace. Or the Pashminas I've been buying left and right.

Yesterday, while walking past a spice seller, he called out after me, "Bonjour." I looked at him, didn't say anything and kept walking. "Hola," he called out, trying another language. "Allo?"

Still I said nothing. "Which one?" he asked, meaning "Which language, you beautiful lady, shall I speak to you in?"

"Merhaba," I replied with a smile.

His eyes widened and he turned away. "Vay bey!" he said, which roughly translates to, "Oh my god!"

Another spice merchant went through German, Dutch, and Spanish before I told him I was American. For some reason, he raised his eyebrows.

But I can understand why. American tourists are some of the worst-dressed tourists in the world. Seriously, we could win prizes. Americans are the people you see wearing white tube socks pulled up to their knees, flip flops, khaki shorts, a t-shirt, a nylon fanny pack and sun visor while holding an ice cream cone and trying to unravel a behemoth map of Istanbul while they say loudly to their spouses, "It says here the big red building used to be a mosque AND a church!" (cringe)

Churches, Monasteries, and Cathedrals...Oh My!

I watched with fascination as the barren landscape unfolded around me. "Outdated" and "poverty" were the first words that sprung to mind. Visibly, Bulgaria is an incredibly poor country, and realistically that’s a fairly accurate description - the average pension for a retired person is 150 Leva ($105 USD) a month. Bulgarians are optimistic that since they joined the EU, the government will subsidize wages, agriculture, and it will give an overall boost to the economy. There are EU flags everywhere and signs congratulating the country on its achievement.

You know what Bulgaria looks like even before you see it.

Just close your eyes and think about the houses, the animals, the landscape.

And you are exactly right.

The hills are a patchwork of ragged crops littered with trash and circled by horse-drawn buggies. The cars are antique and painted in dust. Houses are collapsed red-tiled roofs with laundry flying off the clothesline. In the cities, people live in row upon row of Communist block apartments, stacked together by plaster like bathroom tiles. Every one of the apartments is occupied.

We arrived early Friday morning in Plovdiv and spent the next few hours wandering around town exploring the sites. Dig down a few feet anywhere in Plovdiv and you're bound to find something. History oozes from every corner of this town…with ruins dating back 7000 years to 5000 BC, the area has been continually inhabited, invaded, destroyed, rebuilt, re-invaded and so on since that time. Walking around Plovdiv you can see Roman Ruins, Thracian Ruins (from 5000 BC), Churches from the 13th Century through to the 17th Century and Mosques from the Turkish occupation.

After a quick lunch at a traditional Bulgarian restaurant we caught our bus to Sofya and settled in for the next 2 hours to watch the countryside fly by. When we stepped out of the bus station and flagged a cab to get us to our hostel, it finally hit me that we were definitely not in Istanbul anymore. The taxi drivers waited patiently in their cars until you picked one out, hopped in, and gave them a destination unlike in Turkey where no matter where you go you are bound to have no less than 10 drivers shouting buyrun, buyrun (in true Welcome Back, Kotter, ‘ooh, ooh, pick me, pick me!!’ fashion - 5 points to whoever can name the character reference). Much to my delight, the cab driver was talkative and we chatted in Russian all the way to the hostel about how I liked Bulgaria, where I was from, and how I liked studying in Istanbul. As we drove through town, he pointed out good places to eat and how to get to various sites that we just had to visit while we were there.

After checking in, we set out for the evening to explore Bulgaria’s capital city. Sofya is much like any Eastern European big city and can be summed up in very few words: small, dirty, and looks like Communism fell last year, not almost 2 decades ago. Despite the desolate atmosphere of the place, only made gloomier by the grey skies, cold temperatures (35 F) and rain, the city is dotted with stunning churches, monuments, and architecture. Our wanderings around town were cut short as the rain quickly turned to snow and we came upon a park. Here, we played in the snow for almost an hour as the remaining daylight disappeared and darkness set in.



Saturday morning was spent exploring the rest of the city that we skipped the night before. When we arrived at Saint Sofya, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in the city’s center known for being partly blow up in a terrorist attack in 1925 and later rebuilt, we wandered in only to find a wedding about the take place. We weren’t the only tourists there though, and after trying to slip out quietly before being noticed in the back a kind little old lady started pulling us towards seats. Attempting to explain that we were sorry and would just leave didn’t work so well seeing as she didn’t speak any English, only Bulgarian and limited Russian. Instead we were told to take a seat, enjoy the wedding, and get to see what a Bulgarian Orthodox service was like…why not? Although I was skeptical, the 20 minutes service was beautiful and Orthodox customs quite interesting. None of us understood a word of what was said, seeing as the entire service was chanted and sung in Old Bulgarian, but it was fascinating to watch none-the-less. From there, we wandered around town to see some monuments before ending up at the Aleksander Nevski Cathedral – an absolutely stunning golden domed building with the interior completely covered in gorgeous paintings, goldwork, thousands of candles, and almost 100 Orthodox icons.

Saturday afternoon we went up to Vitosha National Park, the mountain only a few kilometers from Sofia. The taxi ride there was crazy, with the driver making up lanes, muttering in Bulgarian and hitting the ceiling of the taxi at random times. We rode the smaller lift half-way up the mountain, the other lift, apparently, ne rabotayet (wasn't working) though. With the ground mushy, slippery, and still covered in snow, we didn’t make it all the way to the top like we had planned, but still had fun and enjoyed the view and the snowball fights.



My favorite memory of Bulgaria was the trip we made to Rila Monastery in the mountains of Bulgaria Sunday and Monday morning. The monastery was started by St. Ivan Rilski, a hermit who lived in a cave for 12 years, and today it is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. We spent Sunday morning and early afternoon doing some hiking in the Rila Mountains before finally taking the path down that would lead us to the monastery itself. The monastery is a place of inspiration for everyone: it is a place where you can escape from the hectic life of modern society, and get yourself back on track again by experiencing the beauty, mystique and simplicity of this place…enough time for contemplation about the meaning of life, since there is not much else to do then. We stayed Sunday night at the monastery (which to this day is still practicing) and once again I had some really neat conversations with a few of the monks over supper.





I woke early Monday morning around 6 am and sat outside in the cloisters until around 730 just to think and enjoy the silence. It was so quiet during this period, occasionally from behind a door a rustle of keys could be heard, a monk would walk out, walk a few meters bring out some keys and enter a new door. Then a few minutes later another door and another (or possibly the same) monk would repeat the process. This weekend trip, although a spur of the moment decision, was a chance for us to escape the daily hustle and bustle of Istanbul and big city life. This hour and a half of me-time was serene and the crisp mountain air and quiet, still surroundings was just what I needed.

We took a bus around 9:30 that morning and made the 2 hour trip back to Sofya to catch our bus to get back to Istanbul and real life. This trip, unlike the one we made Thursday night was completely in daylight so we got to see much more of the Bulgarian and Turkish countryside as we traveled the 9 hours to get back home to rejoin the hustle and bustle of Istanbul.

"şehitler ölmez, vatan bölünmez!"

So what does this Turkish phrase mean?

"Martyrs never die, you can never divide our country!"

Now, this probably doesn't mean anything to most of us, I realize, but it definitely got me thinking. Last night, I went to the Turkey-Greece game. It was a pretty boring affair, as far as football matches (soccer games) go; Greece 1 - Turkey 0. Turkey now probably won't go to the UEFA European Cup this summer. I'm not European, so while I'm a little dejected, I'm quite consolable.




Of course, Turkey and Greece have quite a history with each other. Only these two countries can fight their wars of independence against each other at different times (almost a century apart). And who can forget their shenanigans in the Aegean, Cyprus, etc. Things are pretty cool now, although horrifying earthquakes and massive forest fires can do quite a lot to bring folks together.

So if you haven't been paying attention to the news vis-a-vis Turkey right now, you're missing out on a lot. For starters, Turkey recalled its ambassador to the US for the past 10 days as the US Congress debated approval of a bill describing Turkey’s WWI-era mass killings of Armenians as genocide. Then, 13 soldiers were killed in Sirnak by the PKK (Kurdish Separtist Party) over the Bayram this weekend. Finally, the Turkish parliament approved military moves against [Kurdish Northern] Iraq Tuesday evening to try to put an end the problems.

And thus, "şehitler ölmez, vatan bölünmez!"

Football matches really aren't parallel to anything I can think of in the States. We don't have these massive outpourings of nationalism, at least not unless there is a Very Good Reason. The closest that I can come is any big event or gathering post-9/11, but even that doesn’t really touch on the atmosphere here. Nobody likes the John Mellencamp "This is Our Country" ads. We hardly ever rally around the flag, do we? And not to get political here, but does any other country ever have people running for Head of State on the idea that they are against a war that they are currently involved in?

It isn't like Turks are a monolithic ultranationalist people, but the crowd mentality kicks in, and football matches do matter tremendously, especially on a national scale. And since they matter, they are of course on every television in the country. And if they're on every television, then what better time to make a statement of national unity? A statement like "şehitler ölmez, vatan bölünmez!"? A crowd of 50,000 can make a tremendous difference – here in Turkey, one isn't going to find a protest that large anywhere except in a football stadium. It is pretty neat to say that I was present when the Turkish Nation demanded that something be done. This chant wasn't the only one sung. The most memorable one included the names of all 13 dead soldiers with the response, "We Remember!"

Another thing we Americans have a hard time understanding is Nationalism. We really don't have it, in the same way Europe does. Our ultra-conservatives still embrace the whole "America as melting-pot" idea. The best example I can think of to show how all-embracing we are is food: in no other country can you spend $60 on a Thai dinner, or at a Chilean or Ethiopian restaurant. We embrace having all of these different people here; we may not want our sons or daughters to marry them, but at least we recognize their right to exist. Even with the whole illegal-immigration issues recently. We don’t have a Le Pen situation, unlike France did in trying to force all the North Africans out of the country.

But Turkey? Turkey's funny. I couldn't even begin to explain it here. Basically, their laws say that if you are a Turkish citizen, if you have a Turkish passport, then you are a Turk. Period. Sounds great, hmm? Unfortunately, if you are a Turk, you aren't anything else. You aren't an Armenian, a Greek, a Laz, a Jew...and you most certainly aren't a Kurd. The word "Kurd" didn't exist in the Turkish government until recently. They just didn’t exist, even when groups like the PKK were demanding independence in their name and blowing stuff up. But Turkey has a history of a whole lot of folks nibbling away at their lands. The whole concept of "Nationalism" turned the Balkans from a peaceful mosaic community into, well, the Balkans. So when Mustafa Kemal [Ataturk] came into power and created the Turkish Republic, he basically created a Turkish Nation from scratch. New national history, new symbols, new everything. And he did a good job, because everything seems so old. Once again, it is all founded on the idea that Hepimiz Turkler, that we are all Turks.

But nationalism doesn't die, it just sleeps for a while. The folks in the Southeast, who didn't speak Turkish so well, wanted to start speaking Kurdish ;and eventually, because terror is nothing but negotiation by other means, the angrier of these folks started blowing things up. And now that there's a secure Kurdish base in Northern Iraq (the happy part of Iraq, for those of you following the War in Iraq from back at home), the angrier of these angrier folks have a lot more on their side of negotiations, including an American President who wants any sort of peace he can find.

So Turkey is friendless and alone and dealing with an internal enemy that just won't go away. What am I trying to say here? I guess that this is neither the end of the story nor the last time you'll hear about Kurds, Turkey, Iraq, and the rest between now and January. This This is just the beginning. And I get to be here for the opening scenes of post-Ocalan PKK.

For all of the books and all of the articles that I read about Turkey before I left the States, none of this really made sense until I heard (and was part of) the crowd last night. "şehitler ölmez, vatan bölünmez!"

Franklin Foer may have had something there when he said that 'Soccer explained the world', eh?

Ramazan in Sultanahmet

Wednesday night we celebrated the end of the day's Ramazan fast in Sultanahmet at the Hippodrome. Every night during the month of Ramazan, a month-long daily fast for the most pious of Muslims, a huge carnival breaks out in Istanbul's oldest part of the city, Sultanahmet. For more than 500 years, Muslims have celebrated Ramazan in the Hippodrome, a long park positioned between the most beautiful structures in the world, the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.

And let me tell you, this was a carnival like no other I have ever seen. To most Americans, any carnival or festival isn't complete without hotdogs and beer, but I can say easily that I have never had more fun than last night.

The best part of Ramazan is, of course, the iftar hour, the hour that breaks the fast and everyone eats like there's no tomorrow. Or, rather, eats like there is tomorrow but you won't be able to eat all day then either. The carnival is filled with every kind of food imaginable and you're just insane not to try and taste a little bit of everything. And believe me, I did my part very well.

I'm still not a huge fan of Turkish coffee, although it is starting to grow on me. I suppose my years of drinking coffee in America, especially the Starbucks kind, has not prepared me for the bitter, granular taste of Turkish coffee. But this stuff here is by far the best.


The coffee is made over an open fire, giving the coffee an almost oaky, woody taste.



The coffee is served in small cups because, obviously, you can't have too much of this stuff.


As if the coffee didn't get me wired up enough, I then ate some sugar on a stick. Seriously. This stuff is like salt water taffy, without the salt water taste. It's 100 percent pure sugar and it is utterly delicious.



There are, of course, other more traditional Turkish sweets, like baklava, sekerpara, sutlac, and these walnuts covered in some kind of syrupy sugar.



And it's not like there's nothing healthy at a Ramadan carnival. It's just that we chose not to eat most of it. Like all these healthy fruit and nuts.





I did have some fresh-squeezed pomegrantite juice. See, that's healthy!



After all that food, we really needed to walk around a bit, so we joined the thousands of other Turks walking the Hippodrome.



But, despite the food and the crowds, by far the coolest part of the night was seeing the Blue Mosque all lit up and aglow.

Day Trip to the Border

The region west of Istanbul, better known as Thrace, is the only province of Turkey that is entirely in Europe. It is less “Turkish,” less exotic than Asian Turkey, and in many ways, it reminds people of Greece or the Balkan countries. Sunday, 11 of us decided to venture out of Istanbul for the day and caught a bus heading northwest to the town of Edirne.

Edirne was the Ottoman capital prior to the liberation of Istanbul, and home to many mosques and other historical entities. The old palace, unfortunately, was blown up by the retreating Turks before they surrendered the city to the Bulgarians during the 1st Balkan war (1913). The city was later retaken when the Balkan nations fought each other for more land during the second Balkan war. Despite said destruction, the city is like an open-air museum, with mosques, covered bazaars, hamams, and old houses everywhere you turn. The ancient portion of the city which resided between the city walls doesn't contain a single mosque although it includes a synagogue, a Greek church, Armenian inscriptions, and multiple Greek-looking structures and at least one area which I believe was a Christian cemetery of sorts. Most of the non-Muslim population has since moved (voluntarily or involuntarily) elsewhere, and the churches as well as old houses are falling into disrepair.


When Atatürk established the Turkish Republic in 1922, a grand-scale population exchange between Greeks and Turks followed. This population transfer was used to resolve the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922). It was agreed that the Turkish inhabitants of Greece moved to Turkey and the Greek inhabitants of Turkey to Greece. This may be one of the reasons why Thrace feels less Turkish.

The highway from Istanbul to Edirne follows the Via Egnatia, the Roman road that connected Rome and Istanbul during the Roman and later Byzantine Empires. Rivers were spanned with extraordinary architecture and some Roman and Byzantine arched bridges still remain in use today.

Edirne is located 17 km from the Greek border and 22 from the Bulgarian, and as visitors cross the borders it is often visited as a rest stop before heading on to Istanbul, but nothing more. After a busy morning of traveling and visiting the famous Selimiye Mosque and the Bayezid Complex we considered flipping a coin and crossing whichever border resulted only to realize that we would have to stay 24 hours outside of Turkey to be allowed back in. As this was not an option due to Monday classes we decided to continue with our explorations and make plans for Bulgaria another weekend.

The Health Museum in the Sultan Bayezid II Complex was one of my favorites from the trip. Unappealing though the name ‘health museum’ sounds, it was fantastic. The museum makes up the hospital portion of the complex and shows what treatments were used in the Byzantine days. Later, the complex served as an insane asylum and patients were treated in domed cells with therapy such as the sound of water, occupational therapy, music, and the sweet aromas of flowers from the surrounding gardens. Currently, six rooms and a music hall have been beautifully restored. Water runs from a fountain in the central courtyard and wax dolls in the rooms represent patients and doctors to give visitors an impression of what daily life looked like.


If I haven't mentioned this before, Turkish paving is awful! Never again will I complain about bumpy roads that need to be repaved in the States. No matter where you are in Turkey, be it Istanbul, Cappadocia, or Edirne there are 4 easy steps for paving a road:
1. Knock down trees, villages, etc
2) Spread Tar
3) Find the biggest rocks in your regions and drop them on said tar
4) Open road to traffic

What’s the rush?

One thing that I have learned here in Istanbul is that Americans generally have a need to GET THINGS DONE. There’s nothing wrong with this, and if I’m being honest here, then yes, I did bring my “TO-DO” notepad from home and yes, there are currently 4 different lists tacked on my desk of things I need to accomplish this week. We are obsessed with scheduling, prioritizing, and setting time aside for things. I, for one, have a lot to do today, just like everyday. And just like everyday, I’m probably going to get it all done.

In Turkey, this is a somewhat absurd idea. Even in classes, people show up and leave as they please, and work gets done as you desire (not as written on the syllabus). One of my roommates showed up the day before classes began instead of a week early like everyone else, and others didn’t get in until Wednesday (classes started Monday). No big deal. There is no rush. The Turks don’t seem to mind lazing around in the afternoon, getting nothing done – a concept that is still quite foreign to me – but lest I forget it, I will continuously be reminded that I’m the weird one.

Excuse me, did you just say Turklish?

It seems that ‘I’m sorry, can you repeat that?’(Affedersiniz, tekrarlayiniz) and ‘No, I’m not Turkish’ (Hayir ben ne Türkum) have quickly become two of my most used phrases here at Boğazici. My Turkish is coming along slowly but surely as I master the basics of a fairly systematic language. Once you get over the fact that the Turkish tend to simply add multiple suffixes to the end of verbs to get the point across instead of form whole sentences, it’s relatively easy. That is, until your instructor throws a word on the board that looks something like this:

Çekoslavakyalilaştiramadiklarimizdan

I am one of 153 exchange students at Boğazici from around the world, and it is a fantastic group of students. For all of us, the next four months promise to be both enlightening and entertaining. My suitemates are great – 2 Turkish and 1 Irish exchange student – and luckily both of the Turkish girls have offered to teach Niamh and I how to cook some of the traditional Turkish/Mediterranean foods. If you have ever seen me attempt to cook or have had the misfortune of eating what I actually have made, you know that this is most likely a disaster waiting to happen, but fingers crossed I may learn something.

The past couple of days have been quite interesting as I settle into classes and develop a routine. It started with a lecture by my Social Anthropology professor on Monday morning, in which I did not understand a word said in the first 15 minutes because the professor spoke completely in Turkish. Uh oh! Eventually, she paused, looked around the room and noticed 3 with what I can only imagine were quite funny looks on our faces – somewhere between shock, confusion, and despair. “Does anyone here not speak Turkish?” She finally thought to ask…3 hands went up from the middle of the group. “Oh, well in that case...” she continued right where she left off, just in English this time. I’m still not really sure what she said those first 15 minutes, but at this point it doesn’t really matter. The next class, History of the Byzantine Empire, promised to be a little better when my professor greeted us and introduced herself in flawless English (she got her PhD from Harvard and spent 10 years in the US), only to go rapidly downhill by announcing for those of us who were exchange students, that the class would be taught in Turklish…and I quote ‘TURKLISH’ What? Evidentially, the lectures will be in English but discussion will flow in and out of Turkish depending on the students’ comfortability with the language and with the materials. Uh Oh again!

Despite what hardships classes and the language barrier threw at me that day, it didn’t really matter 30 minutes later as I sat down for a late lunch. Once again, I have to brag about the fact that Istanbul is absolutely gorgeous and it never ceases to amaze me. I grabbed a Gőzleme from the kantin and went to join some of the other exchange students on the wall overlooking the Bosphorus while we ate. The breeze, the view, and the quickly developing friendship helped to alleviate whatever frustrations I may have had after my first day of classes, and served to relax me before a night of fun – Iftar, nargile (Hookah), çay (tea), and tavla (backgammon) on the waterfront with friends.

Hoş Geldiniz Ramazan! – Welcome Ramadan!

Imagine being awakened in your warm bed at 3:30 a.m. to the incessant pounding of drums and knowing that this is what you will hear for an entire month. For many Muslim believers in Turkey, there is a tradition of hearing the Ramazan davulcusu', the drummers who alert people that it is time for the predawn meal during Ramazan by playing his drum in the streets. Despite setting off car alarms and disturbing many people who do not eat the predawn meal, the drum is a symbol of Ramazan for numerous residents across the Middle East: It tells them the holy month for Muslims is here.

Restaurants are less busy at lunch, and even Turkish tea is relegated to the back burner. The smoke-free air of the coffeehouses reveals they are still full of men, even if the teaspoons have gone silently pious. Some eateries may cover their windows with curtains so as not to distract those fasting by the sight of others eating, and most street vendors close up shop from dawn to dusk.

If at all possible, avoid traveling one hour before sunset, and never try to obtain a cab for at least one hour afterwards. If you are on the street during the hour before sunset, you become a mere obstacle between a fasting Muslim and a meal at home. Traffic is unbearable from 6-7 p.m. every day as people try to get home to break their fast, and if pedestrians weren’t already at the bottom of the food chain when it comes to the right-of-way in the streets, you have suddenly become the greatest scum on earth simply by walking out into the road while cars wait at a red light beside you – if they wait that is. Traffic laws here seem to be mere suggestions, not actual rules to obey, and during Ramazan these “suggestions” are almost laughable and followed less than half the time.

The fast is broken with a massive dinner after sunset prayers called Iftar. The best description I have of Iftar is Thanksgiving..... times 30. Iftars usually start with some soup and dates, followed by enough food to feed an army thrice over. However, unofficially the fast seems to be always broken with a cigarette. Iftars the first few nights of Ramazan are usually spent with families. However, since there are 30 to go through, the latter part of the month is usually shared with friends. They usually last until 9:00 or 10:00PM, after which many people go out on the town to one of the many festivities in Istanbul. It is not uncommon for people to stay out until 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning, only to come back and eat one more time before sunrise prayers.

Ramazn decorations are around just about every corner in Turkey. In lieu of the Christmas window candles are lights in the shape of the crescent moon and star, the symbol of Islam. Christmas carols on the radio are replaced with beautiful recitations of the Quran. TV commercials wish everyone a Ramazan Mubarak or Hoş Geldiniz Ramazan, and are complete with the night background. There are even TV series that are played only during Ramazan (and much more entertaining to me than Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer or Frosty the Snowman, I must admit). While they are not that religious in nature the ones I have watched, they most certainly add to the festive mood around Turkey.

Finally, piety during Ramazan is unparalleled. Much like Easter, everyone attends the mosque more often than normal. Calls to prayer are more eloquent and everyone seems to be in a great, albeit exhausted, mood. During the final 10 days of Ramazan, the time in which the first part of the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammed, the mosques will recite the Quran over the loudspeakers from sunset until sunrise. As a result, please don't be alarmed if a future posting seems overly cranky and hostile, especially towards the 4 mosques around the corner from my room.

Turkish Travels

From the magnificent palaces, mosques, and bazaars of Istanbul, to the incredible geological formations and underground cities of Cappadocia, to the rich religious and archaeological history of Ephesus, Turkey is undoubtedly a country with something to offer travelers of all interests, a country that is undoubtedly a genuine crossroads of civilizations. I have spent the past 8 days traveling throughout this amazing country and seeing some of the most amazing sights.

We flew from Istanbul to Izmir Sunday morning and from there rented a car and drove to Selçuk. Here, we wandered through the archaeological museum which houses a large number of the finds from nearby Ephesus, enjoyed tost and çay outside in the park, visited Isabey Camii (Christ Mosque) and explored the ruins of the Basilica of Saint John. That evening, we drove up into the mountains to stay in Sirince, a small town perched upon the hillside. Here, the streets are paved with cobblestones, cars are parked in the otopark at the foot of the towns and you climb up to your house, and the streets are filled with vendors selling their wares while Turkish music and amazing aromas dance through the air until long after the sun has set. As picturesque as Sirince was, all good things must come to an end. For us, this was a nosebleed just before breakfast Monday morning. When it wouldn’t stop on its own, Mehmet decided he should probably go to the hospital in Selcuk and get it looked at. So 20 minutes later, we were packed, checked out and on our way down the mountain for my first glimpse of a hospital here in Turkey. Although I know that the little clinic in town shouldn’t be compared to a more modern institute in cities like Ankara or Istanbul, I can’t help but think that I do not want to find myself in a hospital here in Turkey anytime in the next few months.

This was followed by a trip to Ephesus, one of the most well preserved ancient Roman civilizations and one of the best kept. While admittedly I knew very little about this city going into this trip, I was amazed to learn that Ephesus was one of the most important cities of ancient times- during Greek and Roman times it served as the most important city to those empires on the Asian continent. To that end, it was a cultural capital, had one of the largest populations and the third largest library in the world. It had seen the original roots of Amazon warriors, sheltered Greek mythology, gave rise to Roman rule and Christianity- John the Baptist spread the gospel here and the Virgin Mary is reputed to have lived nearby- and finally was a vital city under later Muslim rule. The history of Turkey continues to amaze and it truly is one of the countries with the greatest amount of historical twists, turns and preservation that one could ever lay eyes on, a true gem to the world today.





After Aunt Diane and I visited Ephesus, we met up with Mehmet and Resa for lunch and a quick trip to the Seven Sleepers farther up into the mountains. As the legend goes, during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Decius (around 250 AD), seven young men were accused of Christianity. They were given time to give up their faith before being killed, instead they gave up their worldly goods to the poor, and retired to a nearby mountain to pray, where they fell asleep. The emperor, deciding that their attitudes towards Christianity and Paganism had not changed, ordered the mouth of the cave where they slept to be sealed. Almost 150 years later, the cave was unsealed and the sleepers were awakened thinking they had only slept for a day. One of the sleepers returned to Ephesus and is astounded to find buildings with crosses attached and Christianity openly practiced throughout the city.

Following our visit to the hillside where the sleepers slept, we kept going up the mountain to the house of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Though small and secluded, people travel from all over the world to the place where it is believed that Mary moved to after the crucifixion and later died. The stone house is not much beyond a small alter and prayer room, but it is a miracle it is still standing today. A few years back, fire was set to the trees on the mountain that houses this serene spot. These flames traveled up the side of the mountain wiping out all the vegetation up to the crest before being put out. Mary’s house is just below the crest on the opposite side of the mountain and not a single tree surrounding it was touched. It is absolutely amazing considering how much forest was wiped out in the process. After this, we hopped in the car for the hour drive back to Izmir to grab some coffee and pastry and wait for our flight to Ankara.

We arrived in Ankara on Tuesday night, and all plans to visit museums and the castle/citadel the next 2 days were cast aside for relaxation in Resa and Mehmet’s garden and a tour of ODTU, the university where he teaches. After days of busy sightseeing and late nights of catching up with each other, we were all exhausted and opted to lie low and put our feet up.

We spent 2 days in central Turkey, in an area called Cappadocıa, famous for its strange caves and geological formations that extend across the valleys creating a landscape far more captivating that of the Grand Canyon. Deep layers of volcanic ash settled into easily carved Tufa, which has offered shelter to people creating cave homes from prehistoric times, including whole underground cities. Added bonus features include pillars, outcroppings, towers and caves in the volcanic tuffa which is light enough to be eroded or carved easily. Early Christians lived in these caves, to escape persecution, and local folk created underground villages to escape violence and war over the centuries, first by Romans and then by Muslims. The heart of this area is the little tourist town of Göreme, where in recent years numerous restaurants, bars, and "cave hotels" have been carved into the rock.





The attempted bombing in Ankara by Kurdish rebels on Wednesday has had relatively low impact on the tourists here. The only effect that I've seen is tighter security. As we arrived at the entrance to the Kayseri airport for Aunt Diane and I to fly back to Istanbul, were sternly greeted by policemen checking each car inside and out with mirrors and metal detectors. Cars are put into park, passengers step out of the way, and suitcases are removed from the trunk so that everything can be searched before a quick nod and we’re all packed back in to go park the car to unload for real this time.

Despite all of my adventures so far this trip, I’ve got many more ahead of me in the next few months. Next up, moving into the dorm and getting to know the campus of Bogazici University!