Final Weeks in Turkey (For Now...)
I've been back in Texas about a week, and finally have the time to put some of my memories to pen and paper. This summer has been one crazy, fast-moving roller coaster of experiences. I'll be getting caught up over the next few days.
My host mom still wanted me to have the Turkish wedding experience, so she asked the security guard, who agreed to let us sit on on the next wedding of a stranger. The weddings were held in a large, auditorium-like hall, which I think was strictly reserved for that purpose.
The wedding lasted only 10 minutes. At the front of the room, the bride and groom sat at a large, elegant table, and their best man and maid of honor sat opposite, to serve as witnesses. A government official sat at the middle. The official read short questions from a book, and the couple both answered "Evet!", yes, to the questions. Then they signed, and kissed. Camera flashes kept going off the entire duration of the ceremony. A wedding such as this is the epitome of Turkish secularism, with no clergy or long ceremony. That being said, the couple still could have been religious, even though most weddings aren't.
In these last few weeks, we spent more time together as a family, playing the Turkish game of OK, and making bets about who would buy the ice cream the following day. We had many interesting and often humorous conversations. It was very interesting bridging cultures, and often we'd compare thing between central Turkey and Texas. My host family once said to me: "We like the south of America, because it doesn't change, just like Turkey." Good or bad, I think this statement has some truth in it.
A few times in July I went to an organic fruit market with my host father, where I got to watch him haggle with sellers and search for the best quality. In Turkish market culture, it is permissible to "steal" a taste of a food from a basket if you have the intention to buy it, and so my host dad would always slip me a sample of a nut or a piece of fruit to try.
I walked in and was greeted my a very friendly barber who was full of questions about America, and wanted to test my Turkish ability. He spoke no English, and with my minimal Turkish I explained that I wanted my hair cut shorter and a beard trim.
For around $11 USD, I got a haircut, shave, and shampoo. It was the finest haircut I've ever gotten, and far cheaper than what I'd pay stateside. Afterward the barber made me a glass of tea and we sat and talked for about 20 minutes about Turkey, as he had no other customers at the time.
For the last three weeks of the summer, Turkish folk dancing became a once-weekly activity for my group after classes. The goal was for us to learn a traditional dance that we could present for our host families at the closing ceremony. Needless to say, I, with my multiple left feet, was terrible at the dancing, and could never master the steps. The instructor always seemed to be watching me, which things worse. I put on an awkward smile and tried to fake the steps, and thought of how comical the whole situation was. I never really mastered the steps, but then again, very few of us did.
Another of the afternoon activities we did a few times was peer-to-peer language practice, where some of our host siblings would come to the AFS building, and we'd spend 2 hours having Turkish conversations. While awkward at first, this activity really helped, and I realized how much language skill I've picked up in just a few short weeks. It was a proud realization.
Another day after class, I went to Ulus, a historic Ankara neighborhood, with some friends. We were searching for a market, where we could buy illegitimate football jerseys to take home. We found a vendor, and I bought five different Turkish soccer team jerseys to take back for myself and as gifts. The total cost for all of them was around $50 USD, less than the price of even one authentic Nike jersey. And that's the American price. I imagine that a gifted Turkish bargainer could get it for less.
The time finally came for the TÖMER language school's sinav, or final exam. I wasn't too stressed, as this was one of the most laid-back exams I'd ever taken, and we had been reviewing for it all week. It consisted of grammar, speaking, essay writing, and listening. Out of the beginner class, I scored the highest with an 83.
After the exam, Nihan, the AFS coordinator met us at the school, and we took a bus to the Ramada Hotel in Tunali, where we had time to practice before the program's closing ceremony that evening.
More on that in my next post!
Turkish Wedding
A few weeks ago, my host mother and brother invited me to come along to my brother's teacher's wedding. I quickly agreed, since I thought that a culturally-unique wedding would be an unforgettable experience. As it turns out, Turkish weddings are nothing like those in the US. Due to traffic, we were fifteen minutes late and missed the entire ceremony. We were only able to greet the bride, groom, and extended family, as the procession left. (The wedding was mid-day and the reception was the following night, but only for closer friends and family.)My host mom still wanted me to have the Turkish wedding experience, so she asked the security guard, who agreed to let us sit on on the next wedding of a stranger. The weddings were held in a large, auditorium-like hall, which I think was strictly reserved for that purpose.
The wedding lasted only 10 minutes. At the front of the room, the bride and groom sat at a large, elegant table, and their best man and maid of honor sat opposite, to serve as witnesses. A government official sat at the middle. The official read short questions from a book, and the couple both answered "Evet!", yes, to the questions. Then they signed, and kissed. Camera flashes kept going off the entire duration of the ceremony. A wedding such as this is the epitome of Turkish secularism, with no clergy or long ceremony. That being said, the couple still could have been religious, even though most weddings aren't.
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| The wedding hall; all important rooms will have a Turkish flag hanging and a portrait of Atatürk (The lady at the right is the government officiant) |
It began to dawn on me that my time in Turkey was drawing to a close...
I realized that I will really miss my host family: My brother, who is 14 and loves video games, basketball, singing English pop songs, constantly telling me "I think I got the swagger back." One of his favorite things to do was say a fast and obscure Turkish sentence, and then ask me "Tell me, Kyle, yes or no?" Usually I would guess and answer the question the wrong way, and he'd tell me what he'd asked. I will miss my host mom, a very sweet lady, who woke up early every morning to make me a hot breakfast, and always took time in the afternoon to ask me about my day and make me speak Turkish to practice. I will miss my host dad, who even though I didn't see a lot due to his work schedule, I grew to admire for his knowledge of 5 languages and his extensive travel.In these last few weeks, we spent more time together as a family, playing the Turkish game of OK, and making bets about who would buy the ice cream the following day. We had many interesting and often humorous conversations. It was very interesting bridging cultures, and often we'd compare thing between central Turkey and Texas. My host family once said to me: "We like the south of America, because it doesn't change, just like Turkey." Good or bad, I think this statement has some truth in it.
A few times in July I went to an organic fruit market with my host father, where I got to watch him haggle with sellers and search for the best quality. In Turkish market culture, it is permissible to "steal" a taste of a food from a basket if you have the intention to buy it, and so my host dad would always slip me a sample of a nut or a piece of fruit to try.
Misc. Experiences
About two-thirds of the way through the program I was in dire need of a haircut. So, after hearing recommendations from a few of my fellow exchange students, I decided to pay a visit to the Erkek Kuaför, men's hairdresser, across the street from my school.I walked in and was greeted my a very friendly barber who was full of questions about America, and wanted to test my Turkish ability. He spoke no English, and with my minimal Turkish I explained that I wanted my hair cut shorter and a beard trim.
For around $11 USD, I got a haircut, shave, and shampoo. It was the finest haircut I've ever gotten, and far cheaper than what I'd pay stateside. Afterward the barber made me a glass of tea and we sat and talked for about 20 minutes about Turkey, as he had no other customers at the time.
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| I was at the mercy of the barber due to the language barrier; a very "Turkish" style haircut and style |
For the last three weeks of the summer, Turkish folk dancing became a once-weekly activity for my group after classes. The goal was for us to learn a traditional dance that we could present for our host families at the closing ceremony. Needless to say, I, with my multiple left feet, was terrible at the dancing, and could never master the steps. The instructor always seemed to be watching me, which things worse. I put on an awkward smile and tried to fake the steps, and thought of how comical the whole situation was. I never really mastered the steps, but then again, very few of us did.
Another of the afternoon activities we did a few times was peer-to-peer language practice, where some of our host siblings would come to the AFS building, and we'd spend 2 hours having Turkish conversations. While awkward at first, this activity really helped, and I realized how much language skill I've picked up in just a few short weeks. It was a proud realization.
Another day after class, I went to Ulus, a historic Ankara neighborhood, with some friends. We were searching for a market, where we could buy illegitimate football jerseys to take home. We found a vendor, and I bought five different Turkish soccer team jerseys to take back for myself and as gifts. The total cost for all of them was around $50 USD, less than the price of even one authentic Nike jersey. And that's the American price. I imagine that a gifted Turkish bargainer could get it for less.
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| In the market - I never got to go to my real Turkish football game, but this is the next best thing! |
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| My last simit, procured on my last walk to school |
More on that in my next post!
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| Smiling because we passed the exam |
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