Tongue-tied

Classes have begun! Both the ones I'm teaching in BUSEL and the courses I've elected to take through the Universitesi on main campus and I'm loving it! I taught 3 courses on Thursday, each one being two hours long and the first class was a little rocky. It was at 8:50 in the morning and only 2 of the 5 students I was supposed to have showed up. Originally, I was glad that the classes were small because it seemed more manageable seeing as I have very limited teaching experience, but it has turned out that it's actually easier when there are more students. I have different lesson plans for every week but they don't function well when there are only 2 students are in class as the Universitesi really wants to encourage group work, role playing, and class presentations. However, during the second block for that class the other students showed up and since I had warmed up a little bit the class went much more smoothly. And even though I had always told everyone I never planned on teaching as a career nor did I care too, I actually really enjoy it! I also thought it would be awkward that the students and I are so close in age, most being only a couple years younger than me, but it has proven to be a problem...yet.



Most students are really enthusiastic about learning English and eager to participate. I consider myself lucky because I teach pre-faculty students which means this is the last English prep course they will have to take before they enter into their University departments, thus, they all speak and understand English rather well. It's so exciting too when you can see them make little improvements in class. For example, I used the word "luxurious" when describing a building to the students and they didn't know what it meant, so I gave them a list of synonyms to help them understand. They when they continued to speak and describe things they made an effort to use "luxurious" rather than just relying on words they already knew. It may sound silly, but it's so exciting when you see things like that in class!

Some of the students, however, are a little bitter and jaded about their English lessons. The way the BUSEL system works is rather intense and involves alot of exams. Courses are 8 weeks long, but before a student can move up to their next course, they not only have to acquire a certain number of points in the class, but they also have to take a large end-of-course exam to move up. If they don't get the required number of points in class, they can't take the exam. Similarly, if they do take the exam, if they don't meet the required number of points for the exam, they have to retake the course. It's quite a process and for prefac students, they have to take 6 hour exam called the COPE to move into their departments. So, I have one class of girls who already took the prefac class in the spring semester, but didn't pass the spring COPE. They all went to summer school as well and still didn't pass the fall COPE and now they're retaking the course for the third time and are feeling frustrated. Their frustration is understandable, but sometimes makes the course a little more difficult to teach. They speak and understand English very well, but they just can't manage to pass the test.

Friday, I had the my own classes, Spanish and Italian, and it was quite an interesting day! Spanish is interesting because since I took 4 years of it in high school and it's so similar to Italian I can understand everything the professor says in Spanish, but struggle to respond in Spanish. Everything comes out in Italian! and it's so hard to regulate; it's just such a natural response to want to speak in Italian. It's also interesting because all of the other students in my class are Turkish, but being that it's an English speaking college, they know English as well. The course ends up being this interesting, partially hilarious, compilation of Turkish, English, Spanish, and for me Italian. I wish I could videotape the course and watch the lesson because I'm sure it's just a mesy language disaster.

My Italian class, however, presents a bit of a problem. It's a low-level Italian course because there wasn't anything higher offered this semester, but I was okay with that because since I graduated in December I haven't had many opportunities to speak Italian. The last two years I had of Italian in college were also primarily literature so I worried that my grammar has been suffering and thought it would be a could idea to take this class and review it all. HOWEVER, there were originally 7 students enrolled in the class and only two besides myself actually showed up. Neither of the other students spoke Italian, I don't speak Turkish (yet!) and the professor didnt' speak English. So that was interesting....the professor had to explain to me in Italian 1) that if there weren't more students they would probably have to cancel the class altogether and 2) that I can't be in the class anyhow if I already speak Italian! I explained why I wanted to take the class to her, etc. but I don't think she was really having it. And now I'm in a bit of a pickle, because if I want to drop that class and sign up for another I have to find something that doesn't conflict with my teaching courses....a new project for the week and a potential headache, but so it goes.

Caption: Atatürk, "Father Turk". Know him.

I had yet another great weekend in Ankara though! The first weekend I was in Turkey the Universitesi planned a trip for all of the CSI's to go to Safranbulo and Amasra (a small town along the coast of the Black Sea, the saltiest water I've ever encountered in my life, but gorgeous!), so we didn't get a chance to explore our new home much. The last two weekends we spent in Ankara and tried to explore life outside of Bilkent, a.k.a. "little Amerika". I really like downtown/night life here thus far. One thing I've noticed is that people stay out later, even on weekdays. Of course, this might have more to do with Ramazan or the hot days and more enjoyable evenings weather-wise, but it seems like life floods the streets around 8 pm and people tend to stay out later, in a casual way, not tnecessarily out partying. For example, there is a lot of outdoor seating and there are just so many people out sitting at a cafe and chit-chatting and, of course, smoking. Again something else of noticed about Turks --- they love to talk and love to smoke. Very social people, I think, esp. in comparison with Americans.

Clubs and bars are fun too. Everything stays open later here, I think 4 am-ish. It makes it easy to lose track of time, esp. if you want to catch the last (1:30) bus back to Bilkent but Ankara surely isn't short cabs either and it doesn't cost too much when you're sharing it with a few other people. I love dancing here and I love Turkish music! I just downloaded a new album the other day - Mustafa Sandal - and when I told my students they frowned at me and gave a whole list of other Turkish artists I should listen to, but I like it and my Turkish teachers approved, so it works. It's great dancing and working-out music. It's hard for me to categorize though because it's really unique compared to American music. It just seems like a mix of so many genres I'm familiar with, but I don't know how to adequately categorize it. Maybe in another month or two I'll be more on the up-and-up of it, but for now I just enjoy the beat.

Alcohol is expensive here as well. Which isn't surprising as much of it is imported and traditionally not allowed in Islam. Efes, a very popular Turkish beer though, is pretty good and not too badly priced. That reminds me of my little rant about services and products I brought up in my blog last week. The dichotomy is a little perplexing at first, but makes sense when you really think about it: services here are very cheap by American standards, but a lot of products are really expensive. My manicure and pedicure only cost 40TL, which is about 30USD and normally less than the price of one of those services in the states. Yet, the nails polish I saw at the Supermarket the other day was 17TL. It's outrageous. Make-up in generally is VERY expensive here and I'm glad I brought mine with me. Mascara is somewhere around either 20-30TL and that's not even a special brand, just the typical Loreal product you would buy at Walmart. I can have water delivered to my flat door whenver I like, have someone come in a clean my apartment for a reasonable fee whenever I like, and we were served coffee, tea, and snacks on our bus trip to Safranbulo, but mustard costs 10TL and paper is incredibly expensive, 9TL for a simple single subject notebook...something we might pay a quarter for at Wal-mart. But then when I think about it, it all makes sense: mustard is imported, as are many products, and it is the desert so there aren't bountiful forests of trees to use for paper. And it's all so fascinating to me because Bilkent and Ankara just don't seem that different to me from the States, but it's the small differences that catch you by surprise.

Anyhow, my fingers are tired. If anyone wants to get a hold of me send an e-mail to dankert@bilkent.edu.tr and from there I can also give you IM contacts or my phone# otherwise check out facebook. Keep in mind, I always accept snail mail! It's my FAVORITE. And as soon as I can actually find some postcards I plan on doing a mass mailing soon =) Hope all is well with everyone and please stay in touch!

Merhaba!

Where to begin? Today is approximately my 18th day living in Turkey and, as you all know, I'm always asking for a story. but now find myself struggling to return the favor and recap everything that's happened in the last two and a half weeks.

For the sake of brevity and comprehension, I'll focus on Bilkent for the time being. The University campus is incredibly different than any college campus I've been on in the States. Despite the fact that I come from the largest college/campus of all my fellow CSI's (Communication Skills Instructors), I'm generally lost and confused. I have some pictures of the campus posted to my flickr account (http://www.flickr.com/photos/christa_lynn) but they don't really convey the layout too well. It's an interesting campus because it is more or less divided into three parallel sections with giant ravines separating the different areas - main campus, middle campus, and east campus. I live on middle, take classes on main, and teach on east so getting around is a bit of a struggle, but since I like walking it's not too bad. Thursday I will start taking Italian and Spanish classes, and Turkish lessons will start next week. I teach for the BUSEL program (Bilkent University School of English Language) and am scheduled to work 14 hours a week starting Thursday (a dream compared to the cube life I was living this summer).

My flat is wonderful! I was expecting some crappy dorm room, aka closet, like freshmen year of undergrad, but it's a new, non-shared, full amenity space with a nice view of the city. The campus, and my lojman (lodging) itself is very isolated, about a 10 min bus ride outside of Ankara and equally interesting because it's an entirely gated community. One of the oddest things about the transition has been the omnipresence of security; it's everywhere all of the time! There are 24 hour security guards at our apartment, guards at all the university buildings, at the two entrances to the campus, the grocery store....literally, everywhere. We've already had an akward little incident entering campus on the bus one evening: in order to even come on to campus whether by bus, cab, whatever, you need to have identification as proof of either living and/or taking classes on campus. Naturally one night a few of us didn't have said ID with us. Before a bus can enter campus it has to stop at the gate and a guard boards to check for the ID. However, I've realized there is some privilege to being the clueless foreign American, as after an awkward 30 second exchange of blank stares the security guard, slightly annoyed, went along his way and let the bus continue with us on board. We've also been told to always carry our passports with us regardless of where we are or going as without it there is reason enough for the polis to arrest us....funny the things we all take for granted in the States.

The people have been fanastic as well, both the Turks and other English language teachers. There are 13 other CSI's besides myself from all over the states and they're mostly pretty chill and generally hilarious! The Turkish teacher's we've met, and the Turks in general, might possibly be the friendliest and most hospitable people I've met. One thing they've pointed out to me that I've never realized before is the way in which Americans always say things they never mean, but Turks mean everything they say. For example, we have the ridiculous habit of always making comments to one another, whether we like the other person or not, about getting together to do something or go out or whatever, but we never really mean it. One of the teachers specifically was really surprised by this when she visited the States and told me that Turks always mean it when they make plans and are very enthusiastic about picking dates, times, etc. when they make such comments....and experience has shown me just how true that is. Even if you mention the slightest thing, they will 1) bend over backward to help you and 2) immediately set a specific time and place and follow through with it! It's great!

Last week I had told one of the teachers I was looking for a good place to get a mani and pedi and she immediately took my cell number, set up a date within a week, called the salon to make an appointment, and picked me to take me to the appointment as well as bring me home. It seems to be a theme as well that the smallest event turns into a whole night deal....getting my nails done, for example, also ended up being a trip to the mall, a late dinner, and a few glasses of wine! Which also reminds me of a little story about services and products, but my work day is over for the time being and I'm off to the bookstore. Hopefully I will make another post sooner rather than later, but the days go by too quickly!

Hope all is well with everyone, and I will post my contact info soon if anyone wants to get a hold of me!!