Week Two: Settling In

For the first two weeks of my stay in Ankara, it's rained nearly half the time. This is highly unusual for summer in the warm, hilly, generally dry region of central Anatolia. But at a certain point almost every day, the sky would open up and rain would come pouring out, without warning. Then one day, it just stopped and hasn't rained since. I almost bought a rain jacket, but now I'm glad I did not.

The climate in central Turkey reminds me somewhat of San Francisco, sort of a balance between needing a jacket in the morning, but never again throughout the day. The flat city is warm, but the higher you go into the hills, the chillier and mister it becomes. 

In any case, a lot of what I expected Turkey to be like hasn't been true, including the weather. Also, much of what I had been told or had heard about the culture, customs, and social norms has seemingly been untrue. 

For example, although most of the country's population identify as Muslim, at least half of Ankara's residents are non-practicing. Also, I assumed that gender roles and public displays of affection would be much more traditional than they are in reality, at least in the big city. And lastly, I expected the dress to be a lot more conservative than it really is. It is not hard at all for an outsider to adjust to Turkish culture. Of course, some things are different. Teenage dating is a lot more discreet, and Turkish children typically show more respect for teachers and parents than Americans might. As I have said before, the blending of old and new here is extremely evident.

Now, for a recap of my week:

Classes are going well, and I've gotten to a point where I can construct basic phrases and say what I want to at an "awkward tourist" level of proficiency. But, I can't follow conversation or convey any very complex ideas yet. I realize that to reach any significant level of proficiency, I must put a significant amount of time into my study as well as practicing my spoken Turkish.

On Monday, I, along with three of my American friends, went to Kocatepe Mosque during lunch. It is within walking distance of our school, and we decided to skip lunch in order to use to the for a quick visit before the noon prayer, when we, being non-muslims, would have to leave. Kocatepe is the largest mosque in Turkey, and is a very beautiful and monumental place.

inside the mosque

We arrived before the mid-day prayer started, and some people were quietly praying in the corridors. It was a chilly and wet day outside, and the mosque was cool and dark. It was a very spiritual and somber place, juxtaposed by ornate and florid ornaments and designs on every surface. Quranic verses decorated the walls and ceilings in the form of calligraphic, and pluh carpets covered the great halls and decks.

looking up at the dome

Unlike a Catholic cathedral, a large and important mosque like this doesn't have chapels or crypts; it has only a larger prayer space with a library underneath. Actually, Kocatepe has a department store built underneath.

Turkish stained glass

Then, later in the week, after class my exchange student group went to an Arabic calligraphy lesson. This style of art is called "hat", and so when we first heard our coordinators talk about what we were doing, we all really though it was hat-making! In reality, it was the furthest thing from it. 

The studio was in the historic neighborhood of Hamamönü, an area with winding cobblestone streets. In the studio, there were dozens of golden calligraphy pieces that had taken artists months to make, and which cost thousands of dollars.

The ones we made were only slightly more modest.

Mine said in Arabic (not Turkish) : "Forgiving God", one of the 99 names of God in the Muslim Qur'an. Note: I did not draw it, only color it. The artists, however, have great talent. Also, notice "Kudret" in the bottom right corner. This is because many students in my group chose Turkish names for the summer, and I chose Kudret (or Kudred), which means "mighty and powerful." (There are multiple spellings).

A historic street in Hamamönü

Lastly, Friday after class, I went to what is now a museum, but was once the house of Mustafa Ataturk. It was a pristine and beautiful place, and every piece of art or furniture had a story that was used to give insight on the legacy of Ataturk. Everything said was very positive and reverent of the leader.

Ataturk's home. No pictures inside!

No pictures inside! (This is the front entrance)

It has been a good and busy week. Finally, last night I went to the house of another exchange student, Anika, to have dinner with her host family. Another American guy, who actually lives in the same apartment building as me, came as well.

I had gone to their house once before, and knew that they were very friendly people. Last time I was there, I made a joke about how my American friend Anika was very small and needed to eat more, and her host father hit my back (gently) and said "Don't say that about my daughter!" He was joking, of course, and I knew this, but apparently, he and his wife didn't realize that I understood it was a joke.

My friend Anika told me that they had felt badly about it all week, and so when I cam over again, they felt the need to make a long apology and explain to me that it was a joke. The main problem was that my Turkish wasn't good enough to express that it was no big deal, and that I knew he was kidding all along, so I just kind of had to go with it. 

After that, though, it was an enjoyable evening, full of mixed-language conversation (that I kind of followed) and Turkish card games. Not to mention the delicious meal.

A good evening | Akşamları iyi

   

This concludes my second week in Turkey, and brings us up to date. Stay tuned!