And so it began to snow

Today marked the day of the very first time I experienced snow.

The first snow this year

I am not really so giddy about the idea of it but it is always nice to view something new.

Since winter has officially started, my host family accompanied me to buy my very first winter boots. Having no need for that in the Philippines, I am at a loss on how to find a good one. We went to Ozdelik, a shopping mall here in Kocaeli and did rounds to find the one for me. In less than 5 minutes I found my boots. It is not smashing but it looks sturdy and is cheap.

Afterwards, we had dinner somewhere. This feels like my first real restaurant experience in Turkey and I am happy that my host family paid the bill. They said I can always pick the tab next time. Yikes.

aji... Hot pepper na kinakain nilang parang mani

With Dilber... my host mother

My meal that I wasn't able to finish, Cok buyuk...

My host family... Guess who's lucky? :)

It has always been the case that we meet up with their very close friends Ahmet and Sevim. We meet them almost twice or thrice a week. Tonight, it was Ahmet and Sevim's turn to host in their house.

We had baked potatoes. This food is called Kumpir in Turkey. We put salt, ketchup and butter into it. I had my first Kumpir in Istanbul and there were so much stuff going on inside. I liked the simpler one of just salt and ketchup.

The traditional Turkish heater which is also used as an oven

Ahmet checking if the potatoes are ready

The girls enjoying their Kumpir

Yemek yemek yemek...

Tomorrow, my host family and Ahmet's family will get together again for a breakfast buffet at Ozdilek. Weekend is equivalent to eating. I am not complaining though.

 

1.5 degrees Celsius... the temperature on our way home

I expect to see white when I wake up tomorrow.

Filipino Meal

My new host family is super. To somehow show my appreciation, I attempted to cook a Filipino meal for them and their friends.

Last Saturday, I cooked Adobo, Pancit Canton, Lumpiang Shanghai and Turon. They ate all of them but they liked the Lumpiang Shanghai the most.

Ahmet, Baris, Dilber and Seda (The two in the middle are my host family. Yey!)

Thanks to Youtube, I was able to tide through the ordeal.

One thing I realized when I was preparing for the meal is that meat is SUPER EXPENSIVE in Turkey. One whole chicken costed me around Php330. I think in the Philippines, chicken is only half the price. Beef was also outrageous. A quarter of a kilo costed me Php300. I think you can buy almost a kilo of beef already in the Philippines with that money.

Nevertheless, I am just so happy that I was able to feed Turkish people with our food. People here are known to be picky and not so adventurous with different cuisines. They might have been too polite to eat what I cooked but I am happy to whip a meal for them again but hopefull not very soon. :)

November and Alive

My November was trying.

This was the time when I was seriously considering if I should go home or not. I was so homesick aggravated more by the fact that things are not going well in my house and my work.

The situation in my house is not attractive and my responsibilities at work is not challenging, to say the least.

Thank God November was over. I was able to find a new home, transfer to a new traineeship and met a lot of nice and new people.

If I will try to fondly remember November, it will be because:

1. I met Mila and Elvira. Mila is from Ukraine and almost the same age as mine. I think we click and I am looking forward to knowing her more. Elvira is from Kazakhstan and only stayed until the end of November.

Mila from Ukraine and Elvira from Kazakhstan

2. I was able to stay at Erkan and Elizabeth's house and experienced being taken cared of. They were just amazing.

My life savers

3. I was able to go to Eregli and meet Manay's Turkish-Filipino family together with her in-laws. It was just so fun eating and laughing with them. They reminded me of my big family at home.

I enjoyed

4. I was able to go to Bursa and eat at the original maker of Iskender or kebab.

The house of the original kebab

5. I have a super new host family.


November wasn't so bad after all.

I just need to suffer some selective amnesia.

Russia, Romania and Ukraine

October 31, 2010

I got to meet some fellow trainees for the first time.

It was a Sunday and AIESEC invited me if I can be part of the interview panel that will screen applicants for their exchange program abroad. I will evaluate the applicants' English speaking skills.

There I met Katya. She is a Russian and has been in Turkey for about 2 months. She will stay for 10 months in the country I think.

She is very warm and always ready with a smile. AIESEC guys are always swarming around her.

I also met Ahmet. He is an AIESECer but is also an applicant for the exchange program. We exchanged greetings after the event and he invited me if I want to meet the other trainees from Ukraine and Romania. They will meet up and have tea or something in a while.

Ahmet from Turkey, Simona from Romania, and Natalie from Ukraine

I was very happy for the invitation. Having been cooped up in the house of my host family during most of my stay in Turkey, I am so happy to finally speak English, meet new people, and interact with fellow individuals with the same situation as mine.

I met Natalie from Ukraine and Simona from Romania. We gossiped about people and shared our expectations from the traineeship. To say that I was very happy to meet them is an understatement.

çok mutlu

My first çiğ köfte

October 30, 2010

çiğ köfte

çiğ köfte with lettuce and bread

It was a Saturday and I was bored. I was in school trying to pass time.  I don't have many friends yet and have no exciting activities to do so I just chose to go to school and bond with the teacher working on that day.

I found myself sleeping on the couch.

Thanks to Tuba and Seda, at least something interesting happened on that day.

I got to taste my very first  çiğ köfte.

I was not sure if I liked it or not. The texture of the food is too mushy for me and the taste is quite arresting. There were a lot of spices all rolling on my tongue and I can't decide if I like it or not.

Anyway, at least I can tell myself that I tried the food but I am not too excited to have it for lunch or dinner again very soon.

English Speakers and Cok Guzel Dinner

In a country where speaking English is VERY uncommon, you can just imagine how terribly happy I am everytime I get to speak the language without too much body language and facial  expressions.

Last October  26, Esin, the director of our school, arranged an after-office meeting for me with her English-speaking friends.

Off we headed to Izmit City Center. 

Beliz, Esin and me

I firt met Beliz. She graduated from Istanbul University. We hit if off instantly because I was very interested in her major which is Social Anthropology. While having coffee, she told me a brief history of their country, their people, and their current challenges. It was very nice.

Afterwards, their other English-speaking friends dropped by to say hello and grab a quick cup of coffee. They told me not to try learning Turkish for it is a dying language and is spoken only in their country. I am not really sure if it is a sensible advice. In a country where majority of people cannot understand me, the adage "if you can't beat them then join them" makes perfect sense.

After coffee, Beliz invited me and Esin to have dinner in her house. She said she cooked a lot of food and would gladly have us come for dinner.

Beliz, Black (her cat), and Esin

Corba (pronounced as chorba)

Makarna with yoghurt

The dinner was composed of corba, a vegetable dish, and makarna. Meat is way too expensive to have everyday. The food was simple but very filling.

Before leaving, we had the customary picture-taking. The night was very lovely. I would love hang out with them again.

me, Esin, Beliz, Berker (Beliz's husband)

Meeting Saide

Saide is the reason why I am in Turkey.

AIESEC has not yet raised my form but she found me. I received an email from her one night asking if I want to apply for their traineeship in Turkey. There's no harm in sending my CV and application letter so I did. A few days after I was matched.

It was nice to finally put a face on the name. I met Saide personally last October 23. She accompanied me to my first McDonald's moment in the country, helped me buy a dictionary and credit for my phone, and let me meet AIESECers from the University of Kocaeli.

It was a good day and I am looking forward to more AIESEC encounters in the days to come.

Filipino in Turkey

I started my research about Filipinos living in Turkey while I was still preparing for this traineeship. Going in a country where I don't know anybody is scary and the idea that there is a Filipino living nearby gives me at least slight comfort and makes me feel a little bit safer.

Thanks to Facebook and the people I met along the way who connected me to her (special mention to Kathie), I found Elizabeth.

She got married to a Turkish guy 3 years ago and has been living in the country since then. What's nice is she is super nice. She treated me and still treats me like I am a long time friend. I owe a lot to her.

So I got to meet her last October 17, just 4 days after I arrived in Turkey. She was with her son, and in-laws. Her husband suddenly got sick and cannot join the meeting.

I must say that I felt welcomed in that meeting. Elizabeth was so kind to lend me her winter clothes and gave me socks in preparation for the cold weather. The in-laws were also darlings and made my heart warm.

They treated me in a Lahmacun restaurant. Lahmacun is a traditional Turkish food. It is like a thin but big pita bread covered with meat and other spices. You have to squeeze lemon on top of it and put a lot of vegetables afterwards. Then, you will roll it and eat like shawarma. It was partnered with  Ayran, a traditional yoghurt-based drink. What's interesting is you have to add a pinch of salt to it before drinking. It was something new for me.

Lahmacun

with salt, seriously

We may have a lot of stereotypes and prejudices about people we haven't met but most of the time all are just based on lack of information or misinformation. I am just so happy for this first meeting and I am looking forward to fortifying friendship with these people I am getting to know just now.

...

It is Saturday, I am here at school wondering if this is what I bargained for.

I was browsing my facebook account earlıer and seeing all the familıar things back in the Philippines makes me think if where I am now and what I am doıng ıs well worth it.

I am living now in an unfamiliar place, eating unfamılıar food, hearıng unfamılıar language, ınteractıng wıth unfamılıar people,  and lıvıng an unfamılıar lıfe.

I mıss drıvıng. I mıss my frıends. I mıss my bed. I mıss the food. I mıss the famılıar surroundıngs. I mıss the traffıc. I MISS MY FAMILY AND ALL OUR SUNDAY DINNER AND ACTIVITIES TOGETHER. I mıss my lıfe back home.

But I chose thıs and I am here. I wıll be here for the next 8 months. I guess ıt ıs too early to tell what Turkey has to offer. I just hope that after I leave thıs country on June, I wıll just have all the fondest memorıes and nıce experıences that thıs country can offer. For now, I just have to wısh and pray that soon I wıll not be dreadıng weekends but would be lookıng forward to excıtıng actıvıtıes ahead of me.

So yeah, rıght now I am bored.

But let's stay posıtıve. Lıfe ıs what you make ıt. Soon ıt wıll change.

My thoughts

I have been here for a week and what I have discovered about the daily lives of the people in Kocaeli are very interesting.

It was not so difficult adapting here. We are now in Autumn and the weather is still mild save for some rain.
 
Food is quite different. They eat more vegetables than meat and most of the preparation are tomato-based poured with a generous amount of yoghurt on top. They also divide their meals into different "courses" if you may call it at that. Say for example for lunch or dinner the usual meal is corba or soup served with yekmek or bread, followed by a tomato-based dish usually with potatoes, capped with boiled macaroni where you can put either yoghurt or ketchup or both to taste. At first, I found the food very interesting but now I am eating them just like everyone else.

Turkish people also don't speak English. In my one-week stay here, I can count in one hand the people I have met who can speak the language. A lot of hand gestures and body language are needed to get my point across. Now, I am trying very hard to learn their language and I am trying to teach English as well to those who are interested to speak it so I can have a sensible conversation somehow in my upcoming months here.

Despite the language barrier, Turkish people are always ready with a smile. They are very helpful and kind and you won't feel afraid dealing with them. I tried walking to school alone twice and never felt the least bit scared. I must say I even enjoyed it. It was very relaxing and the best part is that they have sidewalks! But of course, like any normal foreigner in a new country, I shouldn't let my guard down for I only have myself at the end of the day.

Other observations will be written in Filipino.

Hindi sila madalas magpalit ng damit. Yung suot nila kahapon pwedeng suutin uli ngayon at bukas kahit madumi na. I swear. Wala naman masyadong amoy kasi malamig nga ngayon pero nakaka amaze lang na parang hindi nagpalit ng araw kasi yun uli ang suot nila.

Kung hindi sila mahilig magpalit ng damit, malamang hindi din sila mahilig maligo. Dahil Pinoy ako, naliligo ako sa umaga bago magpunta sa school. Sa tingin ko may dahilan naman kung bakit tamad sila. Tatlong araw pa lang ako dito masama na ang pakiramdam ko, may sipon at p*e*a, masakit ang ulo at parang lalagnatin. Sa South Africa sinabihan na ako na bawal lumabas ng bahay ng basa ang buhok. Deadma lang ako kasi ginagawa naman natin to palagi sa Pilipinas. Pero alam ko na ngayon kung bakit. Magkakasakit ka talaga pag napaspas ng malamig na hangin ang basa mong buhok.

Hindi din sila maagang gumising. Sa bahay namin, 5 AM pa lang gising na ang mga magulang ko. So ang aga ko ding gumising nong mga unang araw ko. Like 6 AM ligo na ako at ready to leave. Aba, 7 AM wala pang gumagalaw sa bahay, 8 AM wala pang naglalakad sa labas. 8:20 saka pa lang mag-aaalarm ang phone nila at kikilos. Diretsong bihis na to, minsan ng mga damit na pinaghubaran nila kahapon. Nakakaloka lang.

Ang umagahan ay hindi sa bahay. Sa school na madalas kumakain ng breakfast ang mga students. Naloka na lang ako kasi walang konsepto ng kape sa umaga. 9 or 10 AM ang breakfast pag may pasok, 11 AM naman kapag wala. Isipin niyo na lang kung gaano nanibago ang tyan ko nang mga unang araw.

Ang pre-school dito whole day. Sa Pilipinas mga 2-3 hours lang, dito one to sawa at kung kelan gustong ihatid at sunduin ng mga magulang ang anak. Pwede ding twice a week lang ang pasok o kung kelan nila gusto. Parang hinahabilin lang ang mga anak. Isipin niyo mga 7 months na bata iiwan ng 8 AM at susunduin ng mga 6:30 PM.

Sa ngayon yun muna. Nakalimutan ko na siguro yung iba o baka hindi ko pa lang masyadong naiisip.

Hanggang sa muli.

The Great Adventure Begins

 As of this writing, I am officially on my 4th day here in Turkey. Every time people ask me how I am, I just say so far so good. And that's actually how I am really feeling now. No very bad experience yet to make me hate the country and no ahah moment as well to make me love the country that much yet. Chill lang. :)

Since this is my first time to travel out of the country alone, this was such a unique experience. I am so proud of myself that I was able to breeze through all the airport and immigration drama and arrived in one piece in Istanbul. It was all so fast and I never had the time to miss anybody yet save for that moment when I was on the plane going to Istanbul. That 4-hour flight was crazy. Many thoughts entered my head like what the heck was I thinking going on this trip relegating 8 months of my life in this unknown country where I don't know anybody, I don't speak their language, I don't have the same religion and I am totally alone. But what the heck. The movies in the plane saved me from insanity. Thanks to I Miss You Like Crazy, Slumdog Millionaire and Letters to Juliet for keeping my thoughts at bay.

At the airport, it was interesting that I have to pay 1 Lira to use their trolley (and I have no Lira yet). I am so used to getting them for free that I was left wondering how to go about hurling all my things with no trolley. Thank God there were some nice ladies from other country with the same problem and we kind of figured out how to do it.

At the domestic exit, I found no AIESEC member holding a banner of welcome for me. I circled the area twice hoping that maybe I just missed it. Not yet panicking but getting a little disappointed, a young guy approached me and asked if I am Leslee. He is Burak Yilmaz and he is from AIESEC. I wondered how he learned it was me and he nonchalantly answered, "Oh, I saw your picture on Facebook." Yikes... scary what FB can do to you huh. Anyway, he was the one who will bring me to Kocaeli and I felt a little embarrassed at first with the tons of bags I brought. From the airport, we took the train going to the bus terminal to Kocaeli. The feel was no different from the Philippines. Freeway and buildings look very much the same. I caught myself smiling when we entered one of their small shopping area which looks very much like our version of tiangge.

In the bus, I was more than happy to learn that there was free wifi. I can already update my family about my whereabouts. There wasn't much long conversation with Burak since he cannot speak very good English. But he was very nice and polite. Alighting from the bus, we walked a good 1 to 2 km with all my heavy bags going to the AIESEC office. I swear, I thought I am going to die. Burak walks so fast and I don't have time to catch my breath. I am so shy to tell him to stop for a while because he seems to be in a hurry. He told me  he still has a class that day.

Bahrin and Saide met me at the AIESEC office and was quickly ushered to the house of my host family. They were thinking of walking again. Walking seems to be a pastime here. I begged them if we can use the cab. They agreed. Fee is around 20 Turkish Lira. I didn't really care about the cost anymore. I just don't wanna walk. In the cab, I tried computing how much is 20 Lira and it amounted to Php600!!! Whoa! Distance is only a good 3 to 4 km. Actually, our fare costed 28 Liras. Hay. Good thing Bahrin paid for it. I only gave 10 Liras for that's the only remaining Lira  I have. I paid 14 Liras for the bus from Istanbul to Kocaeli. That's Php420. Ang mahal!!!

Anyway, arriving at my host family's house, the real challenge began. So they really cannot speak English. I was welcomed by Seda, one of the school teachers of Arda Cocuk Evi. She was babysitting my host family's children for a while because Selma, my host mother needs to run errands or something.

Communicating with them was difficult since basic English words were totally unknown to them. Thanks to translator from the internet we were able to manage.

The following day, I found myself in the school observing and looking how they go about things. It's a good thing that the director speaks a little English and she served as my translator. All the rest knows no English. All the charade practice paid off. I get to act what I mean and I get to undersatnd what they mean as well.

This is a challenge, a welcome challenge, and I am willing to take and win it. :)

So far, the kids in the school are very adorable. They speak to me in Turkish and I just smile at them all the time looking like an idiot. Maybe the kids were saying how stupid I am without me knowing it.

They just wait. I will be speaking their language sooner than they expected.

Food was interesting. I have been eating a lot of corba (pronounced as chorba). It makes me smile knowing that chorba is a gay language in the Philippines. Other food were pretty similar and I think it is not going to be a real problem. I just hope that I will find an opportunity to cook my noodles soon. I am so shy to bring them out now. :)

Turkey is a very interesting country for me and I am looking forward to more things this place can offer. I am also looking forward to sharing a lot of things about the Philippines.

Right now, I am just excited to have a lasting relationship with this country I will call home for the next 8 months of my life.

Realized

Family and friends, I am finally realized.

I am now here in Turkey ready to live the upcoming 8 exciting months of my life.

tick tack

I'm off to leave in less than 48 hours and I haven't packed yet.

There are just too many things to do, too many people to meet, too many stuff running in my head that I don't know how and where to begin.

It's also my birthday today and I have no idea how I want this day to happen.

I just believe and pray that everything will be ok.

Homesick and not even there yet...

I haven't left yet but I am already homesick. Is that possible?

I booked my ticket today. I will be leaving on the 13th. I guess I got what I wished for. Words really are powerful. I remember when Kiel, the MC VP OGX, asked me when do I want to leave. I said maybe mid October, a few days after my birthday.

I never realized that God was really listening intently. God, You're so funny.

Anyway, yeah... in less than 20 days I have to temporarily say goodbye to the things I am used to and embrace a life of unknown together with my dirty laundry and unironed clothes.

I hope that whatever it is I am doing now will all be worth it in the end. Maybe this will be my last hurrah before I finally settle down and really have a definite career. We'll see.

Visa!!!

After several trips to the Turkish embassy, it's official! I am really going to Turkey.

With my passport holder I got from Dumaguete... Isn't is to Filipino? :)

365 days... Turkey here I come...

Now I just have to purchase that plane ticket and soon Turkey we will meet.

P.S.
The Consul and the Vice-Consul were ultra nice, funny and accomodating. If this is a preview of my Turkish life, then I can hardly wait. :)

AIESEC Farewell Dinner

Exchange participants leaving this September and October were given a farewell dinner by AIESEC UP Diliman. Everybody met around 6:30 PM at Shakey's, Katipunan.

I got to meet some trainees from other countries who are doing their internship in Gawad Kalinga. They were mainly Germans and Japanese.

(from l-r) Zim, Patrick Draegart, me, Cielo, Daichi, Tiff and Mutsumi 

(from l-r) Chikako, Yuko and me

Mutsumi and me

Cielo and the Germans

And of course, I also got to meet my fellow trainees and learned about the countries they were matched to. Cielo is going to Hungary, Tiff to Japan, Marielle to Australia and I to Turkey! Yipee to us.

AIESEC Trainees
 

Matched trainees were seated. (from l-r) Cielo to Hungary, Marielle to Australia, Tiff to Japan and me to Turkey!

AIESECers also gave us a nice presentation about the country we will visit and a touching gift to help us get through on our first few days in the country.

My guidebook! Thanks AIESEC!

A peek on what's inside.

Thanks AIESEC UPD! I enjoyed it so much and I am looking forward to more fun times like this. :)