Home Coming and State Fair?

During the events in this post I couldn't help but think about how funny it sounded to be at a "home coming" and to have "state fair" food...   Gulsen invited me to the Bogazici University Home Coming, where she graduated college. Of course I went.  I couldn't resist attending a Turkish home coming.  I wanted to experience it. What I experienced was yet another lively atmosphere and another group of wonderful people.

(I do want to mention the time it took me to travel from Cekmekoy to Bogazici University.  Normally a destionation this far away wold have taken more than two hours, but I managed to arrive in only 1.75 hours.  I was very pleased with myself.)

Anyways, walking down the beautiful, scenic, university road into campus I could hear music becoming louder and louder. Rounded the last corner of that road Gulsen and I were enlightened with a courtyard of graduates dancing, eating, socializing and enjoying themselves.  Kiosks and booths were set up with free foods, items, and information.  Gulsen led me around the courtyard, while I took it all in.  We ventured around untill we stubled upon the free Turkish coffee and tea lounge, set up in a smaller grassy knoll area where, Gulsen had mentioned, was in an area university couples snuck off to, sitting on  a bench to overlook the Bosphorous - similar to that iconic American hill top parking spot.  While Gulsen and I sat and drank coffee, a handful of her friends from the university joined us in conversation.  We sat on cousions in the grass underneath a conopy of trees. Though her friends could speak English to an extent, I found myself seperated, in contempt, just soaking up the atmosphere and surroundings.  Multiple times througout the night this happend and an aquatance would ask if I were board or doing alright, my response could never really satify their curiosity. I really did enjoy my time, talking or not.

View from the campus road

Main Courtyard

  

 Enjoying Company over Turkish Coffee

 

At another time I stumbled upon a food stand I could not pass up.  I stood in line thinking, "this is the closest thing I will have the the Great Minnesota Get Together".  Here is my picture to help you along to understand my feelings:

Yes, food on a stick!!! Corn Dog

 Twin Cities Love

Miss you, MN.

Grill Out

Over this last weekend Molly and Volkan invited me to their apartment complex's grill out.  I met many Turkish and was introduced to one college man who goes to school in Sile, locate don the Black Sea. He and I traded contact info.  I'm excited to be in contact with him since he is around my age and he lives 5 minutes from me.  I haven;t found my of theose people - around my age and lives near by - oh yeah, he speaks a bit of English, too. While I was there I had my first taste of Raki, a black liquorish liquor.  I think I enjoyed it .

Chicken was the main course served at the grill out.  Side items included the traditional Turkish salad, hot peppers and chips. Other drinks included beer (the Turkish beer is pretty nice), wine, water and pop.  Again, the people are so very generous, taking pride in being hospitable, all the while feeling satisfaction in doing so.  I like that.  I think we all can.  And we all do that too.

Where have you been? Teaching - Duh!

Sorry, folks.

Life is moving fast and I forgot to check in on the blog.

Today was the second day of school included all students from K-12th grade.  The school can get very loud being that there are not many surfaces that cushion the noise. Yesterday felt like a very long day even though I had only taught for a grand total of 20-25 minutes.  Today I taught for about 4 hours and walking away from school, I feel energized.

In Kindergarten class I have 6 students.  These students are 4-5 years old, where as the 6 year old students are in a different kindergarten class - 7 students total. Just about all of them are wonderful. I only phrase it this was because two of the kindergartens were new to yesterday and only today I was able to reach to them in an educational way... Red! Yellow! Green! Circle! Triangle! Hello!  I've only been teaching 20-30 minutes at a time with these guys.  If it were to be any long their attention span would drive ME crazy.  I'm excited for when things get rolling. 

The fifth graders have been great.  I have been playing games with them, such as Simon Says, Two Truths and a Lie, and Dirt-Bag/Hacky-Sack, yes, I pulled out my dirt-bag and we have been playing with it.  These students vary at reading, writing and speaking in English.  This diversity will be my greatest challenge, but I know I will be able to differentiate at meet the needs of the students.  Today I mainly corrected behavior issues and set expectations with these children. Even when I mistakenly forgot the let the class go for snack break, I managed the class thru school, up four flights of stairs, into the lunch room and into seats, I set expectations and built respect for each other, the school, its staff, and myself.  Its very important you are grateful two everyone but especially two people - the lunch workers and the custodians.- my mom taught me that.

My schedule varies very much per day.  For instance, Wednesday, I will teach straight through the entire day ending with a prep period, whereas Friday, I start with a prep hour, teach 3 periods and have last 4 periods off for prep.  I like my Fridays :)

I do have my own classroom. I received it last week on Thursday, so I spent the all that Thursday preparing posters and pictures, then Friday I hung them up.  The classroom still looks a little bear - that's just how Turkish schools look - but its fun.  I colored Disney pictures of many great characters including Snowhite, Winnie the Poo, Goofy, Donald Duck, Ariel, and other, in which I placed on the students lockers.  I do not have a homeroom class, so these lockers can be used for my supplies or better yet used for students materials that I wish to keep in the classroom. I'm grateful to have this room.

Sile, Turkey.

Corinne and I made an early morning bus to Sile located on the Black Sea. (Prior to the trip I had viewed pictures on Google and was impressed by what I had seen.) The bus stop is located across the street from my school - how convenient. Just to double check for us two, I asked a family standing at the bus stop. They assured me I was in the right spot, though there was a fraction of a doubt. But, not 5 minutes later bus 139 picked us up. Problem was there was only standing room - 40 minute drive. Side note: the same family was at the bus stop in Sile heading back to Cekmekoy. I made eye contact with them and the father helped us get back.

The bus dropped Corinne and I, and many of the other passengers, off at the top of the hill looking down through a curving cobble stone street leading to the Black Sea. She and I made our way down to the water. The different views on the way to the waters edge was a tease.  I could feel the excitement building. 

Our first "stop" was at the castle. We really were only able to view the castle from afar, since it is located on a skyscraper of a rock, in the middle of the bay. Beautiful!

 Castle Located on the Right

Next, Corinne led me to the light house.  We walked about 10-15 minutes.  Just before arriving we were able to see the lighthouse around the bend of the cliffs that lead straight down into the sea. At about the point we first spotted the lighthouse I stopped at a market, grabbed a nectarine, and proceeded to pull out change to pay the lady sweeping to stoop. All I received was a warm smile and "aufiyet olsen." - she gave it to me. 

The lighthouse had an incredible view of the sea.  Walking up to the lighthouse we found a old man sitting on the patio.   I spoke a bit of Turkish with and me he mentioned, using a bit of gestures, to not go up into the light room. The lighthouse had many artifacts from its pristine day and age. I did enroll Corinne in being my lookout as a snuck up to the 3rd floor of the lighthouse. I turned back before reaching the top because I got nervous.  I should and could have made it. Oh well.

We continued through town on our way to one of the prized beaches (if not the only one). We strolled the shore until we found the cleanest portion of water and beach not polluted with seaweed and debris. Actually, we found beach chairs and paid to use them. Food service and rocking American music accompanied. Corinne and I took turns watching over our luggage so the other could swim. I won on that, though I think she was more into tanning and relaxing. I personally was a about body surfing on the largest (5-7?) foot waves coming in. While I was out looking for those waves I watched these two local guys body surfing. They were incredible at it. I dissected their pattern for picking the wave, how they approached it and made their move on the wave. I thought I had "body-surfed" before. Not until then. I literally rode on top of waves from 30-40 yards out. It was incredible.

When Corinne and got hungry we made the walk back to the area just before the castle. We found a restaurant that overlook the pier, smaller beaches, boats, rock formations and castle. Our seats captured all of these things in the same view. A bit overwhelming, especially when our food tasted so great.

Sile, I will see you again!

I'm a Working Man

Monday was the first day on the job.  As and English department, we had Smart Board training.  In each classroom there is a brand new Smart Board.  The capabilities of these models are incredible.  For instance, four writing utensils can be used at the same exact time - maybe more.

Mom and Dad, this pic is for you. :) Another will come on the first day of school.

I am very glad to be at school in the work environment.  Things have been a little slow but the communication among teachers had been spectacular. The English department has worked on the 1st floor, above the main floor.  We have had a lot of good laughs.

Lunches have been incredible.  If lunches were this nice in the US, gosh, we would have some amazing household cooks in each family. I do feel lunch time is the best time of the day...thinking all the way back to childhood lunches - STILL the best time. On Monday I sat with Cihan and another.  we taught each other the food names of our lunch in our native language. Then afterwards a gang of men hung around our tabel and we mimicked how to make perfect freestyle swimming strokes.  In the evening I ended up heading back to the school to swim with a few of the male teachers.  Cihan and I swam a few laps as others showed up.  Once we had enough players to play a 3-on-3 match of water polo, we did. The Turkish are competitors! I like that.

Today, Wednesday, Molly Corinne and I took to school as a typical training day.  We worked on posters for our classrooms and editing exams for students to take in the future.  Around the end of the work day we were suddenly surprised.  We all were asked to take photos with one of the principals. I'll comment that we weren't dressed for it.  I think one of our comments was, "I didn't know it was picture day."

Tomorrow we will again be working on getting posters together and setting up our classroom.  Friday is a holiday, so we will be cramming in some work, I suppose. After school the English department is planning on heading out for some social time.  I'm not sure where we are going, but Yay! I'm excited.

Izmit on the Sea of Marmara

Corrine and I planned to walk across the highway to walk up and down the "main street" local to us in Cekmekoy.  Before we moved out I had mentioned to Gulsen our plans and abruptly she said to hold off, as she and Soner planned to pick us up to take us over.  Once we cruised the main street twice Gulsen turned to me in the backseat and asked what to do next.  In my mind I thought we could just go back to my flat and socialize.  She threw out a few ideas and I just nodded. What we did next we wonderful.

Soner drove us past the newer and larger airport located on the Asia side of Istanbul. The we kept driving. Both Corinne and I really hadn't heard what or where we were going, but we were in for the ride. An hour into driving I noticed water out the window.  Corinne investigated on her Iphone and found we were at the Sea of Marmara.

First Glimpse of the Sea of Marmara

 

Jungle Gym(?) in the Park

  

Gulsen and Soner took us down to Izmit.  Izmit is a elongated city that wraps around most of the eastern most corner of the Sea of Marmara.  Soner parked at sea shore park.  We all got out of the car and walked the boardwalk, finding a cafe where we all ordered coffee.  I was lucky, the cafe had Wifi and I made a few Tango calls to family and WhatsApps messages to friends. (I'm still working on getting my mobile data to work for my phone.) Our group sat sea side for an hour or so and then made the decision to head back toward Istanbul for dinner. 

On the Boardwalk

 

When we hit traffic, Soner zig-zagged through back roads to our destination.  We were only half way back to Istanbul.  We at at, as described by Gulsen, a meatball restaurant. Funny thing is no one ordered any meatballs, though "meatball" may also include patties for burgers. The food was great.  I ordered dessert before my main meal - Turkish coffee accompanied by two cubs of Turkish delight and a cookie that reminded me of shortbread sprinkled with pistachios... I also helped Corinne finish off her patty with an assortment of sauteed onions. Yum Yummm!  It was long ride home but a great day before the first day of teacher training!

Dessert Before Main Course

 

Rob Got Lost and The Police Drove Him Home

After lunch I walked up to the market.  It's a straight shot to the market from school, too - easy.  The school isn't in viewing distance but it's along a fairly straight road.  Once I arrived I gathered supplies for cooking and cleaning - the things I realized I needed while I had been cooking before.  On the way back to school I began to think to myself, "none of the surrounding look familiar" , so I kept walking, assuming I'd make sense of my surroundings and make the correct adjustments. After ten minutes I came to realization, I was lost. For the first time!  No big deal... just then the police were coming down the road in their absurdly shaped van.  I waved them down and spoke, "FİNAL school," accompanied by hand gestures pointing in a general direction of there I hoped FİNAL was. It didn't have the instant response I was looking for. "B-P gasoline, FİNAL school?"  The police officers looked at each other.  The man in the passenger seat waved at me to get in the back seat.

How convenient is this! As I placed my plastic bags of groceries and cooking supplies in the middle seat I noticed the semi-automatic gun resting behind the seat of the driver.  I sat in behind the passenger and kept my hand to myself.  No. Sudden. Movements.  I never felt worried just didn't need  The police officer in the passenger seat spoke to me, mixing Turkish and English.  He asked about me again, learning I was a teacher.  He gave me a once over, looked through my bags and gave me the all clear.  On the short five minutes drive to school we made little talk.  What a great start to the neighborhood.