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.