Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Merhaba from Sarıyer, İstanbul, Turkey!

Merhaba! (Hello!)


I would like to apologize in advance for the length of this post, as it is the first and I have seen so very much in the last 48 hours, it is very long. I anticipate that the next posts will be shorter and include more pictures (what everyone would really like to see!). 


It is the end of the second night in Turkey, and I am EXHAUSTED. I flew in on an overnight flight through Heathrow on January 28, arriving on campus at Koç University around 7:30pm Istanbul time (EST + 7 hours). After a rough night, we met with our group of international students (about 25 of us through CIEE) in the Koç student center for our first information session and "survival Turkish" course. After, we proceeded to the closest city center, Sarıyer, for a lunch of Turkish food (my first, ever!) and a scavenger hunt through the town.



Here is a map of where I am. A is the University, B is Sarıyer, and C is Sultanahmet, what many consider to be Istanbul. However, Istanbul itself extends far and wide, with many centers, including Sarıyer. The University is about a 40 minute drive out of Sultanahmet. We are visiting the Grand Bazaar and Topkapı Palace in Sultanahmet on Friday, when I will learn more about that center! 


Here is a photo of downtown Sarıyer. I was honestly trying to take a photo of the mosque in the background, without realizing until I was back in the dorm that Dominos and McDonald's were in the photo. It does, however, demonstrate the mix of old and new that I've found so far...




As part of the scavenger hunt, we had to find things such as the price of a converter, and purchase cookies to share with the other students when we met back up. It was nerve-wracking, as many people in the town spoke little or no english. We used our survival Turkish to get around and were able to find everything we needed. The people are so hospitable and helpful, and if you try to speak Turkish they will do almost anything to help you. When we met up with the other students we went to a cafe sitting directly on the Bosphorus, the strait connecting the Sea of Marmara (in the Mediterranean) with the Black Sea (north of Turkey). We enjoyed Turkish tea and coffee. The tea was delicious! Here is a photo:



It's served in these little glasses with saucers, sugar and spoons. I can't get enough! The coffee was very, very thick with many grounds at the bottom. However, it was very smooth and not that bad (even for a person who likes really light, weak coffee!) I am confident that it will grow on me. One of the Turkish students who was with us told fortunes with the coffee grounds and explained the meaning of coffee in Turkey, and how it is socially important in many ways. Apparently the interactions between a bride, groom and their parents over coffee can determine whether or not the two are allowed to marry. The bride is supposed to put salt in the groom's coffee, and he is not allowed to say anything or else the bride's parents believe he is unfit to marry her. Additionally, if the groom's parents express their dislike of the coffee, it means that they do not approve of the bride and therefore the marriage. 


Here is a photo of the seaside on the Bosphorus. It was beautiful, but it has snowed for the past two days so the photo is a bit dark, and may not reflect how utterly gorgeous the strait is. 



And another photo of the strait:




The opposite side is Asia, in which about 94% of Turkey resides. 


After the cafe, we all returned to campus. A few of us decided to venture back to Sarıyer to find some dinner. We eventually settled on a seaside restaurant. After dinner, 6 of us decided that we'd like to try Raki, a liquor that is unique to Turkey. We asked a man on the street where we could find a pub and he led us to the Meydan, a small pub above the street level. Most of the restaurants are one or two levels above the street, which makes for really nice views, and a respite from the rushed atmosphere below. The owner and the 6 of us tried to communicate but all we could really mutually understand was merhaba, Koç University, Raki and teşekkürler, which means "thank you". He was very nice, and we communicated a bit with hand gestures. The Raki was interesting and very different from anything that I've ever had. They give you two special Raki glasses and fill one about half way with the liquor and the other with water. They then top the glass with the Raki in it with water, and it turns a milky color. It is anise flavored and has a very strong taste. As I don't really care for anise, the taste wasn't really my cup of tea. However, this was clearly not a student pub, and we all agreed how great it felt to be with locals. The girls in our group, however, (5 of the 6) were the only women in the pub. I won't be surprised if we find this to be the case in much of Turkey. Raki, we are told, is consumed while discussing politics and solving the country or world's problems with your friends - over, and over, and over again as one Turkish student put it - right up my alley. 


We eventually thanked the owner and made our way back to campus on the dolmuş, a minibus that goes between campus and Sarıyer. The word dolmuş (pronounced dole-moosh) translates to "stuffed," and they aren't kidding around. People hop on and off all along the route and are often packed like sardines. I don't think that I can do justice to the situation by explaining how full these buses get, and the drivers drive like no one is riding on the winding and hilly streets. After a few rides you get used to it, but it is somewhat rattling at first.


Today was less exciting, but very good for familiarizing myself with the campus and area. We met our Turkish student mentors who will be our lifelines and Turkish language tutors and took a tour of the campus. We learned a bit more about what the semester would entail, were set up with Turkish cell phones, and were allowed to shop for anything that we'd forgotten or needed. We came back to campus and a few of us went to the international student welcome party, but ended up leaving soon after because we were all exhausted. Tomorrow we were supposed to venture off campus again, but a huge snowstorm (I thought it was supposed to be warm and bright here!?!?!) will keep us here and we'll learn more Turkish and get to know each other and the campus better. Now it is time for sleep! 


İyi akşamlar! (Good night!)