Happenings...

I have been writing this post for the past couple of weeks, but I haven't had much time to add pics and polish it up until today. It is a bit disjointed and random, but that is the way life goes sometimes. I love writing this blog and appreciate the creative outlet to communicate with everyone back home. It is not academic and therefore, I can actually write the way I feel without worrying about citations, errors, etc. It humbles me to know that people actually want to read my writing and are interested in my life.

Routine
Well, I don't know what week of the semester this is, but lots of normal stuff happening. As I write this, I have a huge mountain of papers on my desk. It is that time in the semester when things are piling up and I need to maximize my time to get everything done. Things have become routine for me here. I know what to say to the bus driver in the morning and evening. I can order groceries and some food online. I know how to access my bank account and successfully use the ATM. I can even find my way to a few malls via the bus and metro. I feel like I am making progress and my house feels a bit like a home.

Security
Security is interesting from country to country and the security here is no joke here. From the guard stand at the entrance to the apartment complex to the double-locked doors in my building to the metal detectors at every store, security is apparently everywhere. Although there is more security in the city, I hadn't really experienced a heavy security presence until last weekend near one of the metro stops. Apparently, there was a funeral and someone important was attending it, so that meant that nearly every police officer, special force unit, and other various entities had to protect this important someone. There were tanks, cell phone jammers, and many men with guns strapped to their chest. It was overwhelming. The gun-wielding men formed a barrier which blocked my path, so I had to walk around to get to the metro stop. I always feel very safe here, but the level of security that I saw reminded me that the situation here is fluid and all precautions are still being taken to protect "important" people.

Shopping 
Last weekend I bought a coffee maker, grinder, microwave, and blender. Everything is self-explanatory except the microwave. I mean, I know how to use a microwave, but everything is in Turkish, which is fun practice for me. The coffee pot is amazing and keeps my coffee hot all day. I can come home from work and have a cup of coffee without heating it up. I also bought some clothes including pants and sweaters. I have been looking for clothes for a while, but I have been frustrated with the sizes here and refused to go up in size. I usually wear a medium to large shirt back home, but even a large is super tight here. I also wear a size 12 pants, which apparently is 44 here. I refuse to go up in size. So, I asked some of my colleagues where they shop and found some good, cheap places. One place is similar to Old Navy and I was able to find some nice sweaters and corduroys. I bought a lot of things and just spend a little over $100 without having to increase my size.

Ugh...a cold
This week I caught a cold. I knew it was coming. The students have all been sick and it was just a matter of time before my immune system was compromised. Although I was not sick enough to be in bed, I felt uncomfortable and couldn't sleep well. When you are sick, people always suggest various remedies to help you feel better. My friends and office colleagues offered me various types of teas in order to speed up my recovery. So, I have been drinking cups and cups of tea in an effort to feel normal again. Hopefully, the cold will quickly disappear.

Holidays 
My favorite time of the year is Thanksgiving and Christmas. I love everything about the holiday season. I love being with family and catching up on a year of life missed. I love eating all of the rich, homemade foods that only come once a year. I love shopping and buying gifts for people who least expect it. I love snuggling up near a fire drinking a gingerbread latte or hot chocolate. I love listening to holiday music when walking into a store. It is magical. I have been pleasantly surprised to see so many decorations and a festive spirit here in Turkey. From the incredible large trees outside the mall to Christmas blend at Starbucks, the signs of the holiday season are all around me. I am in search of a Christmas tree so I will work on getting one and a few decorations next weekend.

Dissertation
This is year five that I have been working on my dissertation and I really need to be finished with this thing. I don't want to work on it and I have definitely had other priorities over the past few years. But I need to finish and submit. I am tired of paying tuition and also worrying about it. I also want to have my free time back. I have finished collecting my data, transcribing, and analyzing, so all I need to do now is write it up and defend. Sounds easy...right? Yeah, right! Must work on dissertation if I want to graduate in this century.

Post-election Thoughts

As I write this, CNN just announced that Secretary Clinton called "President Elect" Donald Trump to concede the election. Donald Trump will be the 45th president of the United States. Oh. My. God. I have so many words in my head that I can't express in writing, but I will attempt to summarize my thoughts.

Prior to coming to Turkey, the bulk of my career has been working with ESL students in the U.S. who have been underserved and underrepresented in every system. They often feel dejected, forgotten, and isolated. I have tried very hard to expose them to opportunities, introduce them to key figures in government, and bring in successful examples of people who look like them. The students I work with do not look like me. In many cases, they have darker skin, hair, and eyes. They speak a different language and come from a different culture. We actually talked about this election in summer school and the students were so, so scared. They were scared that their cases in court would be instantly thrown out because they were given residency. Just this week, a student sent me a message with a crying emoji that she was scared if Trump gets elected. Immigration is black and white to him, but it is not to me. I have worked with families who are torn apart by deportation. I have worked with students who can't get a job or have to take a lower wage because they can't get the paperwork to stay in this country. I have sat and cried with students have been through so much trauma from the gangs back home that they can hardly function in the classroom. It is life-changing. You no longer see black and white. You can't dismiss people. They are human. You need to give them a chance.

This week, I downloaded Alicia Keys' new album Here and Common's new album Black America Again. Alicia Keys has an amazing song called Holy War and some of the lyrics in that song are rattling in my head today:

What if sex was holy and war was obscene
And it wasn't twisted, what a wonderful dream
Living for love, unafraid of the end
Forgiveness is the only real revenge

Oh so we can heal each other and fill each other
We can break these walls between each other
Baby, blow by blow and brick by brick
Keep yourself open, yourself open
Yeah we can heal each other and fill each other
We can break these walls between each other
Baby, blow by blow and brick by brick
Keep yourself open, you're open

So maybe we should love somebody
Maybe we could care a little more
So maybe we should love somebody
Instead of polishing the bombs of holy war

What if love was holy and hate obscene
We should give life to this beautiful dream
Cause peace and love ain't so far
If we nurse our wounds before they scar
Nurse our wounds before they scar
It would be amazing if we actually treated each other as humans instead of instantly judging someone based on preconceived notions of culture, language, and/or behavior. And this is what scares me with this Trump "Law and Order" regime. He won't treat people as humans. He will remove every person who doesn't look like him. Every person who is Latino, African American, LGBTQ or Muslim will be targeted. They will have to prove they are "worthy" of being a part of America. It is sickening.

I also watched the documentary "13th" on Netflix directed by Ava DuVernay (director of Selma) that focuses on the mass incarceration of African Americans and the systems that have led to the surge in prison population. We have the highest rate of incarceration in the world (then Russia and South Africa) and 40% of the male prison population is made up of African Americans, but only makes up about 6% of American population. Obviously, there are some systemic issues. I believe this will only get worse. Common wrote a song about this issue for the movie called Letter to the Free:
The caged birds sings for freedom to ring
Black bodies being lost in the American dream
Blood of black being, a pastoral scene
Slavery's still alive, check Amendment 13
Not whips and chains, eye subliminal Instead of 'nigga' they use the word 'criminal'
Sweet land of liberty, incarcerated country
Shot me with your ray-gun
And now you want to trump me
Prison is a business, America's the company
Investing in injustice, fear and long suffering
We staring in the face of hate again
The same hate they say will make America great again
No consolation prize for the dehumanized
For America to rise it's a matter of Black Lives
And we gonna free them, so we can free us
America's moment to come to Jesus

We will never make progress until we look at some of these issues, but with a "Law and Order" government, the problem will only get worse.

It is fascinating to work in a different country during an American election time. This is the first time I have been outside the U.S. during a presidential election. When I saw my students after the election, they were immediately concerned. They were concerned for me, of course, but also for Turkey. What is this president going to bring to Turkey? I don't know much about politics here, but I do know that I am living in the the most amazing, dynamic place, which is literally in the middle of everything. It is an extraordinary place to live in during this time in history. The students were very sweet and we all looked at the electoral vote and the popular vote via CNN. They had a lot of questions. One students even brought me chocolate as a way to console me. He said, "Jamie, I brought you bitter chocolate. Get it...because you are bitter." I had a good laugh with that. These students truly care and I am thankful that they even entertain my interests.

Well, I guess that is all for now. I will post about some of the happenings here with me in the next post. Sorry for the rambling. Hope you are all well.

Izmir and Other Happenings

I am sitting in a cafe along the Aegean sea listening to Nelly and wondering how did I get to be so lucky. There are families around me enjoying a lazy Sunday and eating a traditional Turkish breakfast of olives, cheese, bread, vegetables, and tea. It definitely reminds me that my family is far away and I won't see them until January. I really miss them and I want to meet our newest addition, Isaac. I know that time will pass quickly and I will see them in January. But I must say that the honeymoon has worn off and the winter is soon to set in. I have another trip next weekend and then I will probably stay put for a bit until I go home.

I traveled to Izmir this weekend with an American colleague for a few days. We left on Saturday morning and are returning tonight (Sunday). I must say, it is really nice to be able to fly around for $100 or so. I love the ocean (or sea) and want to go there any time I can. The water relaxes me and reminds me that we live on a relatively small planet. Izmir is about 585 km southwest of Ankara. It is a warm, welcoming city that sits along the Aegean sea. There is a beautiful boardwalk with many cafes and restaurants along the sea. People seem to really enjoy life and relax, especially on the weekends.

We stayed at the Hilton Izmir, which has breathtaking views of the bay. They seem to have decent security as soon as you enter the hotel along with several people standing outside just watching. I know that the terrorism is up a bit here and I don't often think about it, but this morning I was thinking about it while I was drinking a coffee in the lobby. Although there is a metal detector and several security personnel, it still feels like a soft target and could be easily attacked. The warnings from the embassy keep running through my head about "stay away from popular tourist areas" and "stay in places with identifiable security measures in place." I know this is reality, but I can't live my life in fear. Life goes on and I need to live. So, I will move around with caution and pay attention to my surroundings. 

We visited several beautiful places here in Izmir. We had a chance to see the Clock Tower and also see the city the top of the bluffs. It was breathtaking. We visited a bazaar that had nearly everything from Islamic clothing to lingerie to food. I took a lot of pictures of the foods offered because the abundance of fresh food is just overwhelming to me. I know it seems like all I do is eat based on my pics, but I do other things too. I guess they are just not as interesting to me as the beautiful food. I was able to find beautiful cinnamon sticks and whole cloves today at the market. 

fresh seafood everywhere

fruits and nuts

cheese

Turkish delights

baklava

Clock Tower

I love getting things to drink here because they always give you some sort of delicious nibble. With my wine last night, I received mixed nuts, chickpeas, and some sort of crackers.  I ordered a latte in the hotel and I received some pastries, one with black olives and the other one with walnuts. Then, with my french press coffee today, I received a hazelnut chocolate. 

I have been on the hunt for coffee maker for the past few weeks. Everyone here seems to enjoy instant coffee, but I seriously need the real stuff. One of my friends sent me a picture of a "coffee machine" he found at one of the local stores, so I think I should have one very soon. Then, I will need to find coffee, which is harder than I thought. Coffee is available here, but it is ground really finely, so I need to find whole beans that I can grind myself. There are beans at Starbucks and I am hoping they will grind them for me. 

 I guess that is all of the adventures for now. I will have more next weekend! :)

Things I Learned - Week 5

1. The embassy is well protected.
No need to worry about people barging into the embassy because it is so well guarded and gated that no one could penetrate. I had the opportunity to pass by the embassy last weekend when I was learning the bus system. It is seriously the most fortified place I have ever seen, but I guess it has to be since there have been serious security threats. I tried to get a pic of the flag, but it is hard with all of the walls. There are also these huge, black 3' tall pillars covering the front of the embassy. It is definitely intimidating. I need to mail my election ballot, so I will attempt to go on Tuesday. I couldn't get an appointment because there were no more left, so I may be turned away. Oh well, at least I will try. I used to go to the one in Uganda for pizza and doughnuts.

2. The bus system is intricate and elaborate. 

The bus system here is impressive. Everybody takes buses into the university from the city or east campus. I live on east campus, so I take one each day. They are relatively friendly and on time. Sometimes you get a rude driver or a bus that comes late, but overall, it is a really cool system. 

One of my friends also showed me the public bus and metro system. It helps that it is really easy. I now have a car for the bus and the metro, so I can just hop on and off whenever I want. 

3. Students are delightful.

The students I have in my classes are fantastic. I always love when the school year starts because as a teacher, you feel like you have a purpose and it is the basis for my existence. I live and breathe teaching. I absolutely love teaching and I know that it is what I was designed to do as a career. I have always connected with students and being here is no exception. The students are hard working and very concerned about doing well. They know how important a good education is and they don't take it for granted. I also had my first evaluation last week and the director said my relationships with students was "admirable" which made me feel like I am doing something right. I still have two more probation observations here before the month is out, but I look forward to the challenge. 

4. Grocery delivery is the only way to buy groceries.

I love, love, love grocery delivery. I have never bought food online until here...well, other than a few things online at Amazon. This grocery delivery tops everything. It takes me forever to order things because some things are only in Turkish, but I will get the hang of it. It costs $1 for delivery, but I usually tip a few more dollars. The guy brings it all the way up three flights of stairs, which is worth its weight in gold for me. You can literally buy everything...from fresh veggies/fruit to meat to hygienic products to cleaners. The only thing they don't have is alcohol, but I just buy a few bottles of wine when I am down near the grocery store. It is absolutely amazing. 

5. The university symphony rivals professional orchestras.  

I saw the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra yesterday and it was phenomenal. The cool thing is that the tickets are only 40 TL, which is like $13...crazy cheap. I guess the idea was that everyone would have access to the arts and could afford it. I was really impressed. I went with two of my colleagues from Bilkent and we had dinner before hand. I am so interested that I want to buy the whole season. They have a variety of shows and it looks really cool.

6. Hello pumpkin spice latte!

Pumpkin spice lattes have made their way to Turkey, which reminds me so much of fall! I love pumpkin spice everything (ask my former roommates) and I need it to get me through the temperature change. So, I am very excited to have several this week. 

Okay, that is all for this week. This week was a little boring, but I will try to add more adventures next week!

Things I Have Learned - Week 4

Well, I have completed a month here, a full week of teaching, and my first observation.

1. Patios are impressive here. 
Those of you that know me know that I hate being cold. I am always cold and I absolutely hate winter. In fact, when I lived with the boys, I had a heating blanket on my bed and a heated throw that I used every day because they house was so cold all of the time. Now, that I have my own apartment, I can keep it at any temperature I want. That being said, I don't really like to be outside once the temp drops below 60. But here, everything is outside. There is a patio with every restaurant and the patio is WARM! There are heaters and electric awnings that move when it starts to rain. It is truly impressive. I guess the reason there are so many patios is because every smokes here, so they can smoke and still be in the restaurant. It is so cool.

2. Technology is also impressive.
I love technology and I have seen some cool things here. Of course, there are projectors and computers in all of the classroom. I have a Ethernet connection in my apartment and good wireless modem. We also have internet in all of our offices and WiFi mostly everywhere on campus. Wifi is also available in almost every restaurant, bar, etc. So, I am always connected, which is good and bad. I think one of the coolest things I have seen was in Decathlon, a sports store here similar to Dick's Sporting Goods. I bought a workout bag, a lock, and a few other things there last weekend. They have this bin in front of the cash register and you put all of your things in there and then the price magically appears. I was waiting for the guy to scan everything and he said something to me in Turkish and I told him I didn't understand. Then, he pointed to the total. I said, "that's it" and he said, "yes" so I paid. It electronically adds it all up, you pay, and get an itemized receipt. Technology is definitely cutting edge here.

3. Evaluations are more intense.
Evaluations at home in education are really easy. I know things are changing, but in most cases over the past 16 years, it has been explaining what I am doing, checking a box, and then see you in four years. There is rarely must constructive feedback it literally seems like just something to complete. No one has ever questioned my teaching practices or asked how I was going to accomplish my objectives. I love many things about Bilkent so far, but the evaluation process is one of my favorites. We have three observations in the first 30 days, which is considered a "probation period." Prior to these observations, you have to write a detailed lesson plan, meet prior to and after the observation. The conversation with the director of our program and my head of department before my observation was incredibly helpful. The ladies caused me to think critically about my decisions on how to accomplish certain objectives. I loved it. In fact, I need it before each lesson! I thrive on people and I often need to talk through my ideas before I execute them. It just helps me to visualize things and feedback from others helps me to see things from a different perspective.

4. Students are very polite and interested in the U.S.
I have had amazing classes over the past few years, but I have had my share of difficult students. The students here at Bilkent are like a dream. I know this is just the honeymoon phase, but they are so polite and considerate. They seem to hold their teachers in high regard. The first example I saw of this was when I got on one of the crowded buses in the evening. I take a bus from my office to home (I could walk, but I am lazy and time is of the essence right now). The bus usually takes 15-20 minutes from main to east campus. The route is hilly with lots of speed bumps. Almost all of the students get off at the dormitories, so it is usually just me and a few other people left on the bus. This time when I got on the bus, it was really full and students had been to the grocery store so they were carrying a lot of items. One of the students got up and motioned for me to sit down. Once I sat down, I heard students trying to use all of the English they could with me and asked me where I was from. I told I was American and we chatted a bit. I don't think I have ever been given a seat on a bus before. Students also have really polite behavior in the classroom. They ask to enter the classroom when they are late and they are super polite and respectful. I am so impressed with their tenacity and eagerness to speak English and learn the information for the class. They also ask me about U.S. politics. One of the students ask me today if I can still vote while I am here. I thought it was really an interesting question. I told her about absentee voting and how I needed to mail my ballot. I love their curiosity and tenacity. We are educating the next generation of engineers, chemists, scientists, etc. I look forward to each class with them.

Check out that fashion 

Can you see the helicopters?

The campus is very beautiful, but it is right in the path of a helicopter training from one of the military bases, so you see/hear helicopters fly over many times a day. It makes me a little nervous, but most people don't even blink an eye and go on with their lives. The security on campus is also good, with many cameras and security guards everywhere. There is even a security guard in the library! I am thankful for all of the security, but I feel incredibly safe here.

5. I MUST learn the language. 
Turkish lessons started this week and I desperately need them. Most of the things on campus are fine, but I need Turkish for maintenance, any services, grocery store, cell phone store, bus, etc. In fact, the lady who checked me out at the grocery store asked for something and I couldn't figure it out and the someone translated that she wanted me to hand over my basket. I especially struggle with numbers. I try to look at the terminal every time I pay, but sometimes there is just not one there. Some people write it down or use a calculator to show me. Last weekend, at a local bar, I think the guy gave me a free glass of wine because I couldn't understand him. Oh well, I call that a win-win.

6. I guess I get to see a dentist. 
So, I was chomping on some delicious pretzel bits left over from my snacks I brought from home and somehow I broke a tooth. It was a tooth that is mostly metal filling and I guess whatever is left of my tooth is just too weak to support it. Therefore, I need to see a dentist, which is going to be interesting. Sorry for the pic.

7. Mail takes two weeks!
My mom sent a trial card to me to see how long it took to receive mail. It took a little less than two weeks. So, this is a plea for mail. I have a box all to myself, so it is really fun to find mail. I would especially like photos/pics. Feel free to send mail to me...and if you would like to put a few packets of Starbucks instant Pumpkin Spice Latte or Peppermint Mocha in the letter, that would be awesome!
Jamie Lynn Cardwell
Bilkent Üniversitesi
Blok J, Daire 12 Lojmanlari
TR - 06000
Bilkent/Ankara, Turkey

8. The food here is amazing, fresh, and abundant. 
I am consistently amazed with the food here. I do miss certain things, like peanut butter, chocolate chips, etc., but the food here is so fresh and amazing, that I don't really miss it too much. Despite the delicious food, I have actually lost a few pounds and I haven't been to the gym. I think it is all of the walking. Doesn't matter, I will take it!

I guess that is all for now. I hope you are well!

Things I Have Learned - Week 3

I am trying to post things as I learn them about once a week. Sorry these are not in order, but I just wrote as I thought about things.

1. An Umbrella is a must have!
I must take an umbrella to work. Walking from my office to the shuttle stop is only a three minute walk, but it seems much longer when it is raining. My walk from the shuttle stop to my apartment is about five minutes (up hill), but that is sufficient time to get soaked if you don't have an umbrella and/or rain coat. Lesson learned.

2. Starbucks can alter the strength of your coffee.
The Starbucks here always asks if I want my coffee "softer" and I usually say, "no, I would like it stronger." But they always tell me that it is already the strongest possible. Apparently the Turks like their coffee a little less strong, but then when they serve Turkish coffee, is it super strong. I also don't know how to order coffee in Turkish yet, but I struggle through and usually get what I want.

3. You can argue your way out of an accident.
I take a shuttle bus to work every day. Yes, I could walk, but I am lazy. I would say it is about a mile and a half walk, but I haven't measured it. I don't know that I am lazy, I just don't want to walk that distance carrying my backpack and having to wear tennis shoes with my professional clothes. Maybe I am too vein. Either way, they provide a free shuttle that runs from eight a.m. until nearly midnight. When I was on the shuttle bus yesterday, our driver was trying to merge and bumped a car in front of us. Another car didn't give way, so of course he blamed the car that didn't let him in instead of taking his fault. He argued from his seat (in the bus), which the guy argued from just outside his car. After a lot of hand gestures and yelling (of course in Turkish), the guy threw up his hands and drove off. I guess there was no harm, no foul.

4. Grocery delivery is amazing!
I live on the third floor and I have no car (yet), so carrying my groceries from the store by taxi, walk up a large hill, then carry my groceries up three flights of stairs is not my idea of fun. Some of the other teachers that I met here told me about a grocery delivery service that you set up online, so I ordered my groceries and four hours later they came. You can choose your time when they are delivered and they can come within a few hours of your order. The guy brought them all the way from the store to my door for $1!! It was fabulous. My order was accurate and they gave me a list and a receipt. I was so impressed. I will only be getting my groceries by delivery now. So fantastic!!

The only problem with grocery delivery is that the website is partially in English. The directions are in English, but the products are listed in Turkish with a loose translation. You can see the screen shot below. So, for example, with chicken, it says "meat, fish" which does not help me when I am trying to order chicken. So, I guessed on a lot of things and then just made notes when the order came. I also had an issue with the quantity. I didn't know how much a kilogram of something was, so I just ordered one of each and then made notes. A kg of eggplant is 5 large eggplant, but 10 small cucumbers. It turns out that a kg of lemons and a kg of plums is a lot. Oh well, I will learn for next time. The prices for fruit and vegetables are much lower than the U.S. (maybe half), but meat, frozen pizza, and alcohol are the same or just a little bit more. I also paid $8 for a jar of peanut butter and a little over $3 for a bag of peanut M&Ms, but whatever. I wanted some comforts from home, so I will pay the exorbitant prices.

5. Instant coffee is the mainstream here.
I do miss the variety of ground or whole bean coffee here like we have back home, but the instant coffee is tolerable. I got used to it in Uganda, but they have really nice varieties here that I have never seen before. This expresso version was more expensive than the regular version, but it makes deliciously strong coffee. I will most likely get a coffee maker, but for now, this is good.

6. Bilkent University knows how to welcome new staff. 

I attended a reception for new staff at Bilkent on Friday evening and was totally blown away with the leadership and the quality of the staff, both new and old. The reception itself was impressive, with hors d'oeuvres (both hot and cold) and magnificent wine. There were waiters coming around to give you a new wine as soon as you finished the last one. Before I knew it, I had downed two glasses of red wine, so I had to put on the brakes and focus on some water. I met such interesting people. Of course, all of the leadership faculty were there, including the Provost, Vice Provosts, Rector, Human Resources, etc. They were super friendly and really wanted to meet all of us. I just stayed in one place talking with my other FAE colleagues and they came up to us. As the came up to us, our director, Tijan, introduced us to them. It was such a nice way to meet some of those in leadership with pretense. The most exciting person I met was Onur Gökçe, former Turkish Ambassador who lectures in the International Relations Department. He was absolutely fascinating. I had to ask him about all of the places he has been and it turns out he was the first Turkish ambassador to Israel. Such an interesting man. I really picked his brain about a lot of things. When you meet people like that, you just want to sit down with them and absorb all of the wisdom they have to give. Such a nice experience. I love that students have access to people like this. Bilkent is known for the quality of its staff, so to interact with such people is an incredible experience. 

7. The students are fresh and ready. 

I have only had one class so far (we started classes on Friday), but the class was really sweet. I was waiting outside the classroom door because I thought there was another class in the room, but it turns out it was just dark. While I was waiting, a student came up to me and said, "Excuse me, are you Jamie Lynn Cardwell?" Of course I acknowledged how I was and the student introduced himself to me. It cracks me up that everything has my middle name of it, but that is okay. I love my name, so it is no big deal. I used an online name generator to ask students to introduce themselves and when my name came up, I introduced myself. After my introduction, the hands shot up. They had several questions for me, including questions about Africa. One student even admitted he read my blog. I thought that was so impressive. I enjoy writing my blog and I know people read it, but I am amazed that so many people do read it. It is humbling that people read my ramblings and definitely encourages me to continue blogging. 

8. Bodrum is a crazy place for a holiday. 

I joined up with some other teachers to go on holiday to Bodrum for Bayram. Bayram is the Turkish word used here for holiday. This particular holiday lasts for four days and then the government declared Friday a holiday too. So, technically we have 9 days off (with weekends). Everyone was buzzing a few weeks ago about where to go for the holiday and I met up with some other teachers who were planning to go to the beach. I love the beach, so I knew that I wanted to join them. So, we booked our trip and headed out.

Our flight was early on Sunday morning. Bodrum is about 700 km or about a 45 minute flight. It was very easy to get here. It is on the western coast of Turkey with beautiful, sweeping dramatic views. Life here seems a little bit slower and the sun is always shining. It is clearly a tourist area with many accessible shops, fresh seafood, and wifi everywhere. I love the outside areas that everyone has and how everyone sits outside all of the time. It actually reminds me a little of Italy. The food is so fresh, especially the tomatoes, olives, and cheeses.

It is amazing how kids are kids everywhere. While working on my blog at the hotel, I saw three kids totally engrossed on their ipads. It is a crazy site. They were speaking Turkish with each other and playing games on their devices. This is not the way I grew up, but this is the new generation.

The one thing I learned about Bodrum was that there are a lot of mostly older British women who seem to enjoy the attention of younger Turkish men. They are called "toy boys" and there is actually a documentary about it called "Turkish Toy Boys" on Youtube, if you are interested to learn more. I had no idea that this was the case before going, but I quickly learned about it from the first night. These young guys were dancing with older women, basically at their beck and call. They would bring them drinks on the beach during the day and grind on them at night. It was absolutely crazy. Some of these guys were not even old enough to have hair on their chest! I was so grossed out. When some of them tried to dance with me, I politely refused (well, most of the time). It was just too much for me. I could not believe it. I must say that the bars were fun and the views during the day were absolutely beautiful. We took a boat ride and stopped at various places along the way. The boat ride lasted all day and it was only 60 TL (about $20). That also included lunch and drinks. I was impressed. I was scared at first to jump out and swim, but then I just did it and enjoyed it so much. 

The color of the water was just amazing.

Those are real girls dancing on the bar.

These mussels were stuffed with rice and sprinkled with lemon juice. So delicious. 

I am to the right, just off center in the blue and white stripped suit.

I guess that is all for this week. I will start working on all of the things I discover this next week. It should be a busy one. Thanks for reading and hope you are well. 

Lessons Learned This Week

Well, it has been a week since I have been in Turkey and I have learned a lot of lessons as I have tried to navigate through this new system.

1. Wear comfortable shoes
My first day on campus was relatively easy with just a bit of walking in the morning. But the second day was crazy. I went to training and then I went to my office. But the problem is that I missed the shuttle bus in the morning (we waited in the wrong place), so then I had to walk to main campus, which was several miles. I have huge blisters on my feet, which makes walking a bit painful. I learned my lesson and I will wear comfortable walking shoes and then change into my good shoes when I get to the office. I also will not miss the shuttle bus again!

2. Learn Turkish
Learning Turkish is essential to helping me communicate with others and survive life here in Turkey. I can't even order food or read a menu at this point. I also don't know what anything is at the grocery store unless it is obvious. There are many, many mysterious cheeses, meats, etc. that I'm sure are delicious, but I don't know what they are right now. I also need to learn Turkish to communicate my maintenance requests. At the moment, I have to take someone with me or call someone and have them explain what I need. It is annoying and I feel like a kindergartner. Everyone has to take me around by the hand and show me everything. I know that I will learn, but it is annoying at the moment. I think the coolest thing is that most of the expats who are here speak Turkish. They don't assume is going to conform to them and they don't demand English wherever they go. They learn the language, the culture, customs, and holidays. I love that about ESL teachers.

3. You need a supportive network
This job has an incredibly supportive network - from the people to the services - everyone is so, so nice! I am super, super spoiled. The systems here seem to work incredibly well and everyone is so well adjusted.

4. Bilkent University is everything I expected.
Bilkent University is impressive. Not only is it large, but it is a well, oiled machine. Our offices are well equipped, the staff is knowledgeable, and everyone is very helpful. Bilkent has a reputation here for being an excellent university and it definitely lives up to its reputation. Today I helped out with an English test that all accepted university students have to take to check their level of English. This first test takes about two hours and all students who are incoming to the university take it. So, we had 4,000 students taking the exam this morning. Then, next Monday the students who scored higher will take a longer version of the test to really figure out their level. Apparently about 20% of the students I will have in English 101 have been through the PREP program. This is a program that prepares university students who are not ready to take classes in English at the academic level. After PREP and passing an examination, they are placed into their facilities and get to see me for their first English course. :) I will be teaching three sections of English 101 and I couldn't be more excited about it. In the future, I will design my own topic, but this semester I get to take someone else's topic, which really helps for a soft landing. Learning all of the grading systems, etc. along with dissertation will be enough.

5. The food here is so nice.
The food here is ridiculous. It is seriously the land of milk and honey. The olives, cheese, fruit, yogurt, olive oil, and bread are out of this world. I know everything is grown here, but the availability and accessibility is amazing to me. I can get any type of food I want here and I can even get it delivered to my apartment. Those of you who know me know that this is a dangerous option!

I bought these chips and thought they would be spicy, but they aren't. Kind of BBQ like.

food at the Bilkent cafeteria - yes that is baklava

6. You will cry at least once in your first week. 

I had an issue on Wednesday (the same day I got the blisters) and I had reached my breaking point. Jet lag is a crazy thing. It seems to sneak up on you and today was the first day that I actually had time to catch up. On Wednesday when I got home, I just wanted to heat up something, watch Netflix, and go to bed. The maintenance guys came by to bring me some extra chairs and remove a door from the kitchen. I asked the guy how to turn on the stove and he showed me. So, after he left, I turned on the stove. About five minutes later, I head a loud pop, saw smoke, and my electricity went out. It seriously scared the crap out of me. I haven't lived a long in about four years (well, except for Africa) and it was too much. So, I went downstairs to one of the other teacher's apartments and her husband came back up because we thought a blew a breaker. Apparently, it was more serious than that. So, I called maintenance and they came about 45 minutes later. In the meantime, I was on the phone of with a friend and I walked out into the stairwell to wait for maintenance and the wind caused my door to slam shut. Of course, I didn't have keys, so when the maintenance guy came, he had to call someone else with the keys. So, we waited in silence (because I don't speak the language yet) and then the other guy came. They checked my stove and told me not to use the oven, but I could use the burners. We had to do this using my cell phone while talking to one of my Turkish friends so he could explain what was happening. I would tell him and then he would tell the guys. It was crazy. I must learn the language. They flipped my electricity back on and said they would be back on Friday to work on it. After they left, I just sat down and cried. It was all too much...the culture, language, work, jet lag, new people, etc. It happens and I know to expect that. So, I had my moment and it passed quickly. Today (Saturday), they brought me a new stove. It seems to work beautifully, except I need to print out the conversions for the temperature in Celsius. I will figure it out. Hopefully, that will be my last issue with the electricity. 

7. The top floor is great except...

when you need to do laundry (down three floors) or bring up groceries (two floors). Holy moly I am getting my exercise. This will help with all of the amazing food that I am eating! This is a picture of the face of one of the washing machines downstairs. There are six free washing machines downstairs and they are great. However, the cycle I chose took like two hours, so I will take the recommendation of my colleague and use a different setting. I am definitely too used to convenience back home. There are no dryers, but I have three balconies and a drying rack that I can use to dry my clothes. The washing machines are much smaller than home, so I plan to do a few small loads a week. Then, I will have space to dry all of my clothes.  

I guess that is all for now, but I am sure there will be many more lessons.