I know going back to America to see my grandfather was one of the best choices I have ever made. Like I told my parents, "I would rather see him alive than come home for his funeral." And I still hold true to that statement. I think my grandpa is also happy I came home to see him. But as I sat on the plane getting ready to go from Istanbul to Antalya, I couldn't stop thinking that going home to Antalya was the worst decision I had ever made. And I still think it was a bad decision. But I believe more in the fact that I would never forgive myself if I hadn't come back. Coming back to my life here was hard. It would have been so easy to stay home, but it would have only been easy until I actually got home and realized what I had done to the rest of my year. When my grandma dropped me off at the airport she started crying. It broke my heart and it was all I could do to not get back in the car with her and leave. I gave her another hug and she said,"I'm just gonna go home and cry."
As I think about it now, it brings tears to my eyes. Maybe it's just because i'm jet lagged or because i'm listening to moody music, but a little part of my still wishes that I had stayed in America and I don't think that will ever go away.
My year as an exchange student in Turkey.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
A Brief Trip Back Home
Sooooooo I am back in America for a bit. I have been here for a week and am leaving on the 13th.
A week after I got back from my 13 day tour around Turkey my grandfather had a stroke. He has been battling prostate cancer for about 12 years. And this last year it has gotten really bad. Stage 4. He has been doing chemo and getting worse and worse and a couple of days after I got back, he had the stroke. My parents tried many times to get a hold of me over Facebook and email but the internet at my house wasn't working very well so I wasn't on my computer all that often.
When I finally was on my computer I saw the messages from my mom and dad saying, "I need to talk to you..." and "We've been trying to get a hold of you, we need to talk."
Immediately I knew something was wrong with my grandfather. I got a hold of them, thankfully the internet held up. We talked about me coming home and I told them that I would rather see my grandpa alive than come to his funeral, so when we hung up, my mom started making some calls. It was the weekend so we didn't get very far. Needless to say, it was a long weekend. I switched families Sunday night and still didn't hear anything about when I would be leaving. At this point I knew I would be leaving because my parents had checked with Rotary Insurance and found that they would cover my round trip ticket.
I also started telling some people that new what was going on with my grandpa. Of course the 4 exchangers I told were so supportive. It is more than I could have ever hoped for. One even offered to try and come down to Antalya until I left because she felt I shouldn't be alone. The amount of support and care was and still is amazing.
Monday after school I went out with some friends four a couple of hours. And an hour after I got home I called my mom and she finalized the ticket for me to leave the next morning at 3 a.m. I told my family I was leaving and they said their goodbyes before they went to bed. And, at 3 a.m. the next morning, I was on my way to America. The flights were better than I expected and I never got to bored. It still hadn't set in that I was actually going home until I was about to land in Chicago. It was all I could do to not burst into tears. I was literally staring out the window trying to calm my breathing so I wouldn't stop crying. I don't know what brought on the mini panic attack, I think it was the stress of everything that had happened, plus the lack of sufficient sleep, as I had been up for 36 hours straight.
The culture shock started setting in as I was finding my way around the Chicago airport. I was waiting to get on the tram to go to my gate, when an airport helper asked me what all the pins on my jacket were for. I told him I was an exchange student. He asked where and I said Turkey. He then said, "Bet you regret that one eh?"....I was speechless. I pasted on a smile and made my way onto the tram. When I arrived at the different terminal I had to go through security. I walked up and started to go through the metal detector when security stopped me and told me to take off my shoes. I was about to ask why when I realized, "HAH. Not in Turkey anymore."
As we were all standing in line to get on the plane, the ticket checker kept calling out zones. I COULD NOT figure out what they were talking about. I looked at my ticket 10 different times and could not find a zone on it. So I decided to just stand in line. When it was my turn I told the guy that I wasn't sure when to go because my ticket didn't have a zone number on it. Luckily he didn't care and let me go through.
The flight was wonderful. Before I even sat down, one of my seat mates looked at my jacket and asked me if I was a foreign exchange student. We talked almost the whole trip.
*WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT*
-She said that her daughter had been a Rotary exchange student a while back and had gone to Sweden. She told me about when they visited her daughter and all the different experiences her daughter had. One prominent story was that one of her daughters families had a meat grinder and would be out in their shed at 3 a.m. grinding meat. We both found that a bit odd. Then she told me that her daughter went to China for a year and learned 3 different dialects of the Chinese language. I was amazed. We then talked about Turkey and my experiences. She then asked me why I was coming back and I told her about my grandfather. She told me that she was on her way home from seeing her mother who had Esophogial cancer. I got to hear the story of how her dad was diagnosed with the cancer and died a few weeks later. Her mom was diagnosed a week after her dad was and had gotten an operation where her Esophagus was taken out and her stomach pulled up into her chest. She told me that her mom said if she had known how painful the surgery was and how long recovery was going to take (she was on a feeding tube for years) that she would have just died with her husband.
It was a sad story for both of us but we were able to bond in a weird strangers brought together by a blazer sort of way. The power of having a blazer covered with pins never ceases to amaze me.-
When I arrived in Phoenix, the reunion between me, my cousin, and my mom was a joyful one. It was really good seeing their faces again. As we were driving home I stared out the window in awe. The roads were so big. And the signs were so organized. I was amazed. We got home and my grandpa had stayed awake just to see me. My mom told me in the car to be prepared, then my dad called me and told me the same thing. When I saw my grandfather, I saw an old man who weighs about 145 pounds fighting for his life. The amount of deterioration in 6 months was and still is, astounding to me. This man is the strongest person I have ever met. He just keeps fighting and fighting. Never says no to another treatment.
It has been interesting, helping him stand up when he wants to go to the bathroom, bedroom, or outside to smoke his marijuana. (Don't worry, it's legal.)
He eats baby amounts of food, sometimes even less. His skin is papery thin, whats left of his hair is rough, and his legs are probably as big as my arms. It put a smile on my face when he took a liking to the Turkish candy I brought back with me.
I have met most of his doctors and both of his physical therapists. They truly are doing everything they can to make him comfortable for the last months of his life. I couldn't be more thankful.
Being "home" has been weird. My American friends didn't even know I was coming home or was home until I texted them. I haven't really been craving anything, Turkish or American food. Every time we go to a grocery store I am amazed by the varieties of food offered. There are so many different brands of the same kind of food. It is still baffling to me.
Anyway, the days are being passed playing cards and spending time with family. It is hotter in Phoenix than Antalya most of the time. We are also doing an early birthday party for me with some senior citizen friends(: there will be Turkish food, American food, and a triple chocolate cake.
That's all for now,
Until next time,
Your Exchange Student.
A week after I got back from my 13 day tour around Turkey my grandfather had a stroke. He has been battling prostate cancer for about 12 years. And this last year it has gotten really bad. Stage 4. He has been doing chemo and getting worse and worse and a couple of days after I got back, he had the stroke. My parents tried many times to get a hold of me over Facebook and email but the internet at my house wasn't working very well so I wasn't on my computer all that often.
When I finally was on my computer I saw the messages from my mom and dad saying, "I need to talk to you..." and "We've been trying to get a hold of you, we need to talk."
Immediately I knew something was wrong with my grandfather. I got a hold of them, thankfully the internet held up. We talked about me coming home and I told them that I would rather see my grandpa alive than come to his funeral, so when we hung up, my mom started making some calls. It was the weekend so we didn't get very far. Needless to say, it was a long weekend. I switched families Sunday night and still didn't hear anything about when I would be leaving. At this point I knew I would be leaving because my parents had checked with Rotary Insurance and found that they would cover my round trip ticket.
I also started telling some people that new what was going on with my grandpa. Of course the 4 exchangers I told were so supportive. It is more than I could have ever hoped for. One even offered to try and come down to Antalya until I left because she felt I shouldn't be alone. The amount of support and care was and still is amazing.
Monday after school I went out with some friends four a couple of hours. And an hour after I got home I called my mom and she finalized the ticket for me to leave the next morning at 3 a.m. I told my family I was leaving and they said their goodbyes before they went to bed. And, at 3 a.m. the next morning, I was on my way to America. The flights were better than I expected and I never got to bored. It still hadn't set in that I was actually going home until I was about to land in Chicago. It was all I could do to not burst into tears. I was literally staring out the window trying to calm my breathing so I wouldn't stop crying. I don't know what brought on the mini panic attack, I think it was the stress of everything that had happened, plus the lack of sufficient sleep, as I had been up for 36 hours straight.
The culture shock started setting in as I was finding my way around the Chicago airport. I was waiting to get on the tram to go to my gate, when an airport helper asked me what all the pins on my jacket were for. I told him I was an exchange student. He asked where and I said Turkey. He then said, "Bet you regret that one eh?"....I was speechless. I pasted on a smile and made my way onto the tram. When I arrived at the different terminal I had to go through security. I walked up and started to go through the metal detector when security stopped me and told me to take off my shoes. I was about to ask why when I realized, "HAH. Not in Turkey anymore."
As we were all standing in line to get on the plane, the ticket checker kept calling out zones. I COULD NOT figure out what they were talking about. I looked at my ticket 10 different times and could not find a zone on it. So I decided to just stand in line. When it was my turn I told the guy that I wasn't sure when to go because my ticket didn't have a zone number on it. Luckily he didn't care and let me go through.
The flight was wonderful. Before I even sat down, one of my seat mates looked at my jacket and asked me if I was a foreign exchange student. We talked almost the whole trip.
*WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT*
-She said that her daughter had been a Rotary exchange student a while back and had gone to Sweden. She told me about when they visited her daughter and all the different experiences her daughter had. One prominent story was that one of her daughters families had a meat grinder and would be out in their shed at 3 a.m. grinding meat. We both found that a bit odd. Then she told me that her daughter went to China for a year and learned 3 different dialects of the Chinese language. I was amazed. We then talked about Turkey and my experiences. She then asked me why I was coming back and I told her about my grandfather. She told me that she was on her way home from seeing her mother who had Esophogial cancer. I got to hear the story of how her dad was diagnosed with the cancer and died a few weeks later. Her mom was diagnosed a week after her dad was and had gotten an operation where her Esophagus was taken out and her stomach pulled up into her chest. She told me that her mom said if she had known how painful the surgery was and how long recovery was going to take (she was on a feeding tube for years) that she would have just died with her husband.
It was a sad story for both of us but we were able to bond in a weird strangers brought together by a blazer sort of way. The power of having a blazer covered with pins never ceases to amaze me.-
When I arrived in Phoenix, the reunion between me, my cousin, and my mom was a joyful one. It was really good seeing their faces again. As we were driving home I stared out the window in awe. The roads were so big. And the signs were so organized. I was amazed. We got home and my grandpa had stayed awake just to see me. My mom told me in the car to be prepared, then my dad called me and told me the same thing. When I saw my grandfather, I saw an old man who weighs about 145 pounds fighting for his life. The amount of deterioration in 6 months was and still is, astounding to me. This man is the strongest person I have ever met. He just keeps fighting and fighting. Never says no to another treatment.
It has been interesting, helping him stand up when he wants to go to the bathroom, bedroom, or outside to smoke his marijuana. (Don't worry, it's legal.)
He eats baby amounts of food, sometimes even less. His skin is papery thin, whats left of his hair is rough, and his legs are probably as big as my arms. It put a smile on my face when he took a liking to the Turkish candy I brought back with me.
I have met most of his doctors and both of his physical therapists. They truly are doing everything they can to make him comfortable for the last months of his life. I couldn't be more thankful.
Being "home" has been weird. My American friends didn't even know I was coming home or was home until I texted them. I haven't really been craving anything, Turkish or American food. Every time we go to a grocery store I am amazed by the varieties of food offered. There are so many different brands of the same kind of food. It is still baffling to me.
Anyway, the days are being passed playing cards and spending time with family. It is hotter in Phoenix than Antalya most of the time. We are also doing an early birthday party for me with some senior citizen friends(: there will be Turkish food, American food, and a triple chocolate cake.
That's all for now,
Until next time,
Your Exchange Student.
Host Families
It is amazing how eclectic families are. I know every family is different, but getting to be a part of 3 different ones in the span of a year is incredible. You may fall in love with the family and never want to leave, or you and the family may be so different that immediate removal is necessary. An exchange student never knows, but that is part of this amazing experience.
1st HOST FAMILY*
My first host family was/is wonderful. I absolutely love them. My first weekend in Turkey they took me rafting, bought me Ben & Jerrys and made me feel right at home. After the jet lag wore off and I stopped my late night eating binges/movie watching/being depressed days, I started realizing how alone I really was. My host brother was home all the time of course because school hadn't started yet, but my host parents were scarcely seen. Partially my fault, and partially theirs. Granted, I was a hermit for the first 2 weeks, but because I still had no idea what I was doing, there weren't many options.
My host mom works ALL the time. She leaves in the morning at about 9 and gets home about 10. During the six months I was there my host dad did most of the taking care of the exchange student. But even he had to work. I never really figured my host brother out. He LOVES computer games but what 13 year old boys don't? Of course there was anger at how reclusive he was and how rude he seemed to his parents but now as an outsider looking in on the family (and understanding the language) I see that he really isn't that rude. That he actually is a pretty cool kid. I'm just sad it took me so long to realize it.
Anyway, my home atmosphere was kind of like living in a hotel. I would leave when I wanted, come back when I wanted, eat when and where I wanted. I loved the freedom but after awhile I started longing for a family atmosphere that didn't start after my bed time. I never really adapted to my family's going to bed at 12 or 1 a.m. then waking up at 7 for school/work lifestyle. It just didn't take. So, I would come home from school about 5 o'clock, sit in my room if I wasn't out with friends, eat dinner with whoever was home, then go to bed. I usually made it until 10 o'clock. Then my host mom would get home and everyone would sit around the T.V. drinking tea.
I have a whole load of emotions (good and bad) towards this family, but I don't want to give the impression that they weren't incredibly helpful for me.
Two of my younger cousins, Yaprak and Nurten, were and still are 2 of the most amazing people I have ever met. Even though they are only 14, they took care of me in the first months of my exchange and on occasion still take care of me. We have created a bond of friendship/sisterhood that will be hard to break.
After my big trip around Turkey I switched families.
2nd HOST FAMILY*
Even though I was only with my second family for a week, they instantly became my favorite family. I had two younger host siblings, one was 14 and the other 8. I spoke and learned more Turkish in that one week than I had for the last 2 months. I camped out on a mattress on the floor of the 14 year olds room. And my 8 year old sister camped out in her sister's room with us for the week. (: It was a week of fun and late nights. We made new Facebook pages, new friends,and I even got a few new stickers on my laptop. (=
My host mom called me her daughter numerous times and when introducing me to other people, she would say, "These are my daughters, Ece, Melisa, and Abbie." And when her husband was taking me to my new house he said, "Abbie you are like third daughter to us. Everytime. Whenever you want to visit just come over. You are welcome at our house anytime, everytime." Needless to say, they were incredible and helped me a lot.
3rd HOST FAMILY*
My third host family is an eclectic group of people. My host mom is German, my host dad Turkish. My host sister lives in Spain and my host brother is at boarding school in Germany. My host dad is the nicest person. My host mom on the other hand... I haven't really figured her out. She is a wonderful person but I haven't decided if she is genuinely happy i'm there or if she is just acting happy. I'm hoping it is the first one, but either way it's a challenge. And I love challenges. I was with them for one night before I left for a brief trip back home to America (more about that in the next post).
So far So good.
1st HOST FAMILY*
My first host family was/is wonderful. I absolutely love them. My first weekend in Turkey they took me rafting, bought me Ben & Jerrys and made me feel right at home. After the jet lag wore off and I stopped my late night eating binges/movie watching/being depressed days, I started realizing how alone I really was. My host brother was home all the time of course because school hadn't started yet, but my host parents were scarcely seen. Partially my fault, and partially theirs. Granted, I was a hermit for the first 2 weeks, but because I still had no idea what I was doing, there weren't many options.
My host mom works ALL the time. She leaves in the morning at about 9 and gets home about 10. During the six months I was there my host dad did most of the taking care of the exchange student. But even he had to work. I never really figured my host brother out. He LOVES computer games but what 13 year old boys don't? Of course there was anger at how reclusive he was and how rude he seemed to his parents but now as an outsider looking in on the family (and understanding the language) I see that he really isn't that rude. That he actually is a pretty cool kid. I'm just sad it took me so long to realize it.
Anyway, my home atmosphere was kind of like living in a hotel. I would leave when I wanted, come back when I wanted, eat when and where I wanted. I loved the freedom but after awhile I started longing for a family atmosphere that didn't start after my bed time. I never really adapted to my family's going to bed at 12 or 1 a.m. then waking up at 7 for school/work lifestyle. It just didn't take. So, I would come home from school about 5 o'clock, sit in my room if I wasn't out with friends, eat dinner with whoever was home, then go to bed. I usually made it until 10 o'clock. Then my host mom would get home and everyone would sit around the T.V. drinking tea.
I have a whole load of emotions (good and bad) towards this family, but I don't want to give the impression that they weren't incredibly helpful for me.
Two of my younger cousins, Yaprak and Nurten, were and still are 2 of the most amazing people I have ever met. Even though they are only 14, they took care of me in the first months of my exchange and on occasion still take care of me. We have created a bond of friendship/sisterhood that will be hard to break.
After my big trip around Turkey I switched families.
2nd HOST FAMILY*
Even though I was only with my second family for a week, they instantly became my favorite family. I had two younger host siblings, one was 14 and the other 8. I spoke and learned more Turkish in that one week than I had for the last 2 months. I camped out on a mattress on the floor of the 14 year olds room. And my 8 year old sister camped out in her sister's room with us for the week. (: It was a week of fun and late nights. We made new Facebook pages, new friends,and I even got a few new stickers on my laptop. (=
My host mom called me her daughter numerous times and when introducing me to other people, she would say, "These are my daughters, Ece, Melisa, and Abbie." And when her husband was taking me to my new house he said, "Abbie you are like third daughter to us. Everytime. Whenever you want to visit just come over. You are welcome at our house anytime, everytime." Needless to say, they were incredible and helped me a lot.
3rd HOST FAMILY*
My third host family is an eclectic group of people. My host mom is German, my host dad Turkish. My host sister lives in Spain and my host brother is at boarding school in Germany. My host dad is the nicest person. My host mom on the other hand... I haven't really figured her out. She is a wonderful person but I haven't decided if she is genuinely happy i'm there or if she is just acting happy. I'm hoping it is the first one, but either way it's a challenge. And I love challenges. I was with them for one night before I left for a brief trip back home to America (more about that in the next post).
So far So good.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Turkey Tour
Long time since my Christmas post. You have my apologies.
A lot has happened since then! So many good things that have made my trip more amazing.
The biggest thing was a tour of Turkey with 19 of my fellow exchangers.
This tour has been the best part of my exchange. I got to spend 12 days with a big part of my family. And the best part? We were all squished together on a mini tour bus :)
We all met in Ankara and left in the morning. When we saw our mini bus, many of us were thinking that a joke was being played on us. It was no joke. On the first day, a couple of us were instantly linked together but on the second day, we were sprawled everywhere. We became used to each other almost instantly which was a great thing.
Another cool thing was that our tour guide was the same one we had for our Christmas tour to Kappadokia! It was wonderful in the beginning to have such a familiar face.
We went to many many different amazing and exquisite cities. Among them were Eskisehir, Izmir, Istanbul, Efes, Antalya, Konya, and a lot of others. Of course there was snow and cold weather in every town except Izmir and Antalya so I ended up buying snow clothes along the way. Nothing compared to the snow clothes used in my hometown of Driggs, but Turkish snow clothes. Each night we stayed at a hotel, often going to sleep at around 2 or 3 in the morning, then waking up at 6:30 the next morning. Needless to say, we did a lot of sleeping on the bus.
Our tour guide was completely wonderful in the amount of patience she had for us. At least for the first 4 or 5 days. After that she started not caring about niceties and felt free to tell us how she really felt about us being late. By the 2nd week a couple of us would take bets on what word she would use to begin the conversation. The words, "My friends," were her absolute favorite. We weren't being rude or making fun of her, but 19 exhausted teenagers can come across as...well, not the most enthusiastic bunch.
We saw the most amazing things on our trip. There were ALOT of ancient cities. Usually people exaggerate when using the word a lot, or people listening think they mean only 5 or 6. We saw about 12 ancient cities. They were beautiful and amazing though. One of my favorite cities was Istanbul. One of my oldest dreams came true when I walked into the entrance hall of Hagia Sophia. Hagia Sophia is the most amazing thing I have ever laid eyes on. One of my best exchange friends and I walked in together because seeing Hagia Sophia had been one of our dreams since we were young. It was a beautiful moment. I can't explain the magnificence of seeing something as old and exquisite as Hagia Sophia, I can only say that it is truly one of the most beautiful things I have ever and will ever see.
After Istanbul we headed to warmer lands. Izmir was next on our list and it was like a whole other world. Sunshine, grass, palm trees, wonderful amazing breeze. It was amazing. The first time the whole trip that I didn't have to wear winter clothes. Needless to say, I could tell I was almost home. After Izmir we headed to my hometown of Antalya. I was so proud to have my closest friends be able to see my city. The weather wasn't the best, but it was much better than the other places we had been. I truly am an island beach kind of girl.
When we arrived back in Ankara, we were happy, exhausted, sad, and once again, cold. But it was no time to rest yet. The next morning we had to get up bright & early (for an exchange student anyway) to meet next years outbound Turkish exchange students. We spent all day in meetings and spending our last day together. We all gave presentations about our home countries. In Turkish. Or mostly in Turkish. We kept taking to much time so some of us gave our presentations half in English and half in Turkish. Or as we call it, Turklish. (=
At the end of the meetings we got to mix and mingle, telling the out bounds about our countries and answering any questions they had. I had the pleasure of meeting an outbound from my city of Antalya. I had no idea who she was. And even better, she goes to my school! Her first choice is (of course) America! :D we've been able to talk and will be hanging out this summer quite a bit.
Our goodbyes were sad, but we know that we will see each other again. The next time for a meeting in....(drum roll please)....ANTALYA!
A lot has happened since then! So many good things that have made my trip more amazing.
The biggest thing was a tour of Turkey with 19 of my fellow exchangers.
This tour has been the best part of my exchange. I got to spend 12 days with a big part of my family. And the best part? We were all squished together on a mini tour bus :)
We all met in Ankara and left in the morning. When we saw our mini bus, many of us were thinking that a joke was being played on us. It was no joke. On the first day, a couple of us were instantly linked together but on the second day, we were sprawled everywhere. We became used to each other almost instantly which was a great thing.
Another cool thing was that our tour guide was the same one we had for our Christmas tour to Kappadokia! It was wonderful in the beginning to have such a familiar face.
We went to many many different amazing and exquisite cities. Among them were Eskisehir, Izmir, Istanbul, Efes, Antalya, Konya, and a lot of others. Of course there was snow and cold weather in every town except Izmir and Antalya so I ended up buying snow clothes along the way. Nothing compared to the snow clothes used in my hometown of Driggs, but Turkish snow clothes. Each night we stayed at a hotel, often going to sleep at around 2 or 3 in the morning, then waking up at 6:30 the next morning. Needless to say, we did a lot of sleeping on the bus.
Our tour guide was completely wonderful in the amount of patience she had for us. At least for the first 4 or 5 days. After that she started not caring about niceties and felt free to tell us how she really felt about us being late. By the 2nd week a couple of us would take bets on what word she would use to begin the conversation. The words, "My friends," were her absolute favorite. We weren't being rude or making fun of her, but 19 exhausted teenagers can come across as...well, not the most enthusiastic bunch.
We saw the most amazing things on our trip. There were ALOT of ancient cities. Usually people exaggerate when using the word a lot, or people listening think they mean only 5 or 6. We saw about 12 ancient cities. They were beautiful and amazing though. One of my favorite cities was Istanbul. One of my oldest dreams came true when I walked into the entrance hall of Hagia Sophia. Hagia Sophia is the most amazing thing I have ever laid eyes on. One of my best exchange friends and I walked in together because seeing Hagia Sophia had been one of our dreams since we were young. It was a beautiful moment. I can't explain the magnificence of seeing something as old and exquisite as Hagia Sophia, I can only say that it is truly one of the most beautiful things I have ever and will ever see.
After Istanbul we headed to warmer lands. Izmir was next on our list and it was like a whole other world. Sunshine, grass, palm trees, wonderful amazing breeze. It was amazing. The first time the whole trip that I didn't have to wear winter clothes. Needless to say, I could tell I was almost home. After Izmir we headed to my hometown of Antalya. I was so proud to have my closest friends be able to see my city. The weather wasn't the best, but it was much better than the other places we had been. I truly am an island beach kind of girl.
When we arrived back in Ankara, we were happy, exhausted, sad, and once again, cold. But it was no time to rest yet. The next morning we had to get up bright & early (for an exchange student anyway) to meet next years outbound Turkish exchange students. We spent all day in meetings and spending our last day together. We all gave presentations about our home countries. In Turkish. Or mostly in Turkish. We kept taking to much time so some of us gave our presentations half in English and half in Turkish. Or as we call it, Turklish. (=
At the end of the meetings we got to mix and mingle, telling the out bounds about our countries and answering any questions they had. I had the pleasure of meeting an outbound from my city of Antalya. I had no idea who she was. And even better, she goes to my school! Her first choice is (of course) America! :D we've been able to talk and will be hanging out this summer quite a bit.
Our goodbyes were sad, but we know that we will see each other again. The next time for a meeting in....(drum roll please)....ANTALYA!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
A Kappadokian Christmas
Christmas was absolutely amazing this year. The Rotary organization put together a tour for us exchange students that was absolutely amazing.
I went to Ankara on December 22nd and was able to go to an early New Year's Eve party. I met many Rotarians and had a wonderful time. On the 23rd I met up with my exhchange family(:
When we were all on the bus traveling to Kappadokia I felt at home for the first time in weeks. These kids are truly amazing.
On our tour we got to see many different and mind blowing things. We had lunch at a Turkish restuarant where they served us Turkish Kebab and rice. We went to a museum that was a city built into rock. The architecture was amazing. There was an old church we saw that was absolutely stunning. What is even more amazing is that even though the museum was about to close for the day, they let us in anyways. Being a Rotary exchange student brings about many experiences others miss out on everyday.
While traveling we stopped at many different roadside shops where they sold traditional Turkish clothing and trinkets. At one of these stops, a friend and I were so engrossed in what we were doing that we didn't notice the bus leaving until it was already moving. Luckily the people in the back seat saw us waving goodbye and they stopped. (:
Another place we saw was a castle. It was a fairly long and steep walk up to the top, I can't even imagine being an army and trying to attack it. The view from the top of the castle (carved from the rock wall/cliff) was absolutely stunning. And there was also snow at the top. I was hoping to go a whole year without touching snow...but....we win some we lose some.
My friends and I celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve. We all had a nice dinner at the hotel we were occupying (literally. occupying. not just staying.) then we went to a traditional Turkish entertainment night. The entertainers went through the different steps of a proposal, bachelor/bachelorette party, and the wedding itself. There was also a belly dancer that was phenomal (so all the boys thought.) xD
The owners then played some songs and let our group of exchange students take the floor. We all got partners and started doing the Salsa, the Tango, regualar Ballroom dancing stuff. It was really a lot of fun.
while packing all of our stuff into our bus on Christmas Day, the Brasilians (who had never touched/seen snow) started an epic snowball fight. The waiting staff of the hotel even joined in our little battle. After 30 minutes of constant snowballs we all got on the bus. Soaking wet and happy as could be.
It has been less than a week and I already miss my exchange family. But luckily I only have 21 more days until I get to see them again. And this time its for 17 days instead of only 3. (:
I went to Ankara on December 22nd and was able to go to an early New Year's Eve party. I met many Rotarians and had a wonderful time. On the 23rd I met up with my exhchange family(:
When we were all on the bus traveling to Kappadokia I felt at home for the first time in weeks. These kids are truly amazing.
On our tour we got to see many different and mind blowing things. We had lunch at a Turkish restuarant where they served us Turkish Kebab and rice. We went to a museum that was a city built into rock. The architecture was amazing. There was an old church we saw that was absolutely stunning. What is even more amazing is that even though the museum was about to close for the day, they let us in anyways. Being a Rotary exchange student brings about many experiences others miss out on everyday.
While traveling we stopped at many different roadside shops where they sold traditional Turkish clothing and trinkets. At one of these stops, a friend and I were so engrossed in what we were doing that we didn't notice the bus leaving until it was already moving. Luckily the people in the back seat saw us waving goodbye and they stopped. (:
Another place we saw was a castle. It was a fairly long and steep walk up to the top, I can't even imagine being an army and trying to attack it. The view from the top of the castle (carved from the rock wall/cliff) was absolutely stunning. And there was also snow at the top. I was hoping to go a whole year without touching snow...but....we win some we lose some.
My friends and I celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve. We all had a nice dinner at the hotel we were occupying (literally. occupying. not just staying.) then we went to a traditional Turkish entertainment night. The entertainers went through the different steps of a proposal, bachelor/bachelorette party, and the wedding itself. There was also a belly dancer that was phenomal (so all the boys thought.) xD
The owners then played some songs and let our group of exchange students take the floor. We all got partners and started doing the Salsa, the Tango, regualar Ballroom dancing stuff. It was really a lot of fun.
while packing all of our stuff into our bus on Christmas Day, the Brasilians (who had never touched/seen snow) started an epic snowball fight. The waiting staff of the hotel even joined in our little battle. After 30 minutes of constant snowballs we all got on the bus. Soaking wet and happy as could be.
It has been less than a week and I already miss my exchange family. But luckily I only have 21 more days until I get to see them again. And this time its for 17 days instead of only 3. (:
Thursday, December 1, 2011
heya!
So much has happened since my last blog post, I dont even know where to start.
Let me first say, that I apologise for any spelling/grammar errors. My English has gotten quite bad but it seems to come in fits and starts.
Well. I have been pretty busy the last couple of weeks. I keep telling myself that I am going to skip school just because I can, but I love it to much. Skipping school doesnt seem like a rebelious act to me because I love it so much. My classmates and teachers are absolutely amazing. My conversation teacher has been making us write 1 essay a week much to the disgruntled remarks of my classmates. I absolutely love it. I am able to write an essay, but am asked by classmates to help them with their essays. I love being able to teach them things about my language.
I have also been studying my SAT alot. I am going to Ankara tomorrow to take the SAT AGAIN. I am actually quite excited to take it because its American in a way, and I kind of miss America.
I found out 2 weeks ago that there is an AFS exchange student here in Antalya. He's Belgian and his name is Robbe. He is a super nice kid, but has to return back to Belgium in a week or two. We were only able to hang out once because of our busy schedules but it is nice knowing that I am not the only exchanger in Antalya. For now at least.
Exams have started again in my school. My classmates are studying more than normal but we have fun anyways. They are slowly loosening up and realizing studying isnt the only thing in life. My Irish-Turkish friend Yasemin took me to see the new Twilight movie. I didnt know that there was going to be 2 parts to the last movie until the end of the movie when the credits started rolling. But, as you all know, that isnt surprising.
Even though there are many good things, the bad follow as well. I am feeling conflicted about moving host families. I want to stay with my current family longer because I absolutely love my host mom and host dad. My host mom is amazing. And even though my host dad has a bad habit of sneaking food on my plate when im not looking, he's pretty awesome too. The bad thing is my host brother. Every night my 13 year old host brother picks a fight with both of my host parents. He calls them names and treats them like they are his servants. A lot of times I am woken up at midnight from my host brother shouting. We aren't very close. At first he wanted to be an only child and resented the fact that he had to share his parents when his sister was gone, and now he complains to his cousins (my best friends) that he feels like an only child because we never talk or really interact. Im not really sure how to deal with it, but I am moving host families soon enough so it won't be a problem much longer.
The only other bad thing that happened was when 2 girls in my school decided to read my journal. I have been writing in cursive, because they can all semi-read English. Turns out they can semi-understand cursive to. The only thing they read was about how unhappy I was one day, but that was a really bad day. I absolutely love Turkey. Through all the ups and downs.
The weather is getting colder and winter has arrived in the form of t-shirt and jeans weather for me, and multiple layers of clothes and coats for everyone else in Antalya. My host dad always points to my feet indicating that I need to put socks on or I will get sick. It's quite entertaining(:
My Turkish improves every day but I am very frustrated with my slow progress. After I get back to Antalya from taking the SAT I am going to get a Turkish tudor.
I am also gearing up for the Rotary Christmas trip to Kappadokya. Im really excited to see my other exchangers(: it has been far to long.
Let me first say, that I apologise for any spelling/grammar errors. My English has gotten quite bad but it seems to come in fits and starts.
Well. I have been pretty busy the last couple of weeks. I keep telling myself that I am going to skip school just because I can, but I love it to much. Skipping school doesnt seem like a rebelious act to me because I love it so much. My classmates and teachers are absolutely amazing. My conversation teacher has been making us write 1 essay a week much to the disgruntled remarks of my classmates. I absolutely love it. I am able to write an essay, but am asked by classmates to help them with their essays. I love being able to teach them things about my language.
I have also been studying my SAT alot. I am going to Ankara tomorrow to take the SAT AGAIN. I am actually quite excited to take it because its American in a way, and I kind of miss America.
I found out 2 weeks ago that there is an AFS exchange student here in Antalya. He's Belgian and his name is Robbe. He is a super nice kid, but has to return back to Belgium in a week or two. We were only able to hang out once because of our busy schedules but it is nice knowing that I am not the only exchanger in Antalya. For now at least.
Exams have started again in my school. My classmates are studying more than normal but we have fun anyways. They are slowly loosening up and realizing studying isnt the only thing in life. My Irish-Turkish friend Yasemin took me to see the new Twilight movie. I didnt know that there was going to be 2 parts to the last movie until the end of the movie when the credits started rolling. But, as you all know, that isnt surprising.
Even though there are many good things, the bad follow as well. I am feeling conflicted about moving host families. I want to stay with my current family longer because I absolutely love my host mom and host dad. My host mom is amazing. And even though my host dad has a bad habit of sneaking food on my plate when im not looking, he's pretty awesome too. The bad thing is my host brother. Every night my 13 year old host brother picks a fight with both of my host parents. He calls them names and treats them like they are his servants. A lot of times I am woken up at midnight from my host brother shouting. We aren't very close. At first he wanted to be an only child and resented the fact that he had to share his parents when his sister was gone, and now he complains to his cousins (my best friends) that he feels like an only child because we never talk or really interact. Im not really sure how to deal with it, but I am moving host families soon enough so it won't be a problem much longer.
The only other bad thing that happened was when 2 girls in my school decided to read my journal. I have been writing in cursive, because they can all semi-read English. Turns out they can semi-understand cursive to. The only thing they read was about how unhappy I was one day, but that was a really bad day. I absolutely love Turkey. Through all the ups and downs.
The weather is getting colder and winter has arrived in the form of t-shirt and jeans weather for me, and multiple layers of clothes and coats for everyone else in Antalya. My host dad always points to my feet indicating that I need to put socks on or I will get sick. It's quite entertaining(:
My Turkish improves every day but I am very frustrated with my slow progress. After I get back to Antalya from taking the SAT I am going to get a Turkish tudor.
I am also gearing up for the Rotary Christmas trip to Kappadokya. Im really excited to see my other exchangers(: it has been far to long.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
To the Soldiers
This post was going to be happy and amazing things that make me want to cry, but my heart and my country are now filled with a sadness and hatred. Today there was a terrorist attack by the PKK on the East part of Turkey. 24 soldiers lost their lives.
Soldiers, you will be forever remembered.
Soldiers, you will be forever remembered.
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