Monday, May 31, 2010

The Protests Continue at Night

When I returned to the scene at Levent in the evening, the event had grown tremendously in size and impact. As I climbed the stairs exiting the metro, I heard the chants. When I emerged above ground, I saw that Levent was an entirely different place.I had to push my way through packed crowds to even get a view of the chaos. People were gushing into the area by the metro-car-load, waving flags and yelling chants like "Kahrolsun İsrail" (Damn you, Israel). Flares were being lit, police were swarming. At one point everyone started yelling excitedly and when I saw the smoke I understood. A flag was being burned, but I could not tell what the flag depicted. Israel? Probably, but it didn't matter. Behind the crowds, a man was helplessly trying to keep the people out of the only remaining lane of the northbound Büyüdere Caddesi traffic. His effectiveness waned and 5 or 10 minutes later the cars and buses full of people were motionless. Their honking was mainly an attempt to encourage rioters to get out of the way, but I'm certain it was interpreted only as a show of support.


Bigger and bigger flags were moving in, followed by larger and larger signs. The ones which I could understand said straightforward and unoffensive things like "it's not alright to attack humanitarian aid ships". I can't speak for the others though.
To sum up, I will just say that the people here are very upset by what happened. I don't mean just at the protest. Killing a dozen or so Turks on a peaceful effort to deliver aid to a struggling people is just such a terrible and unnecessary thing. When you have the guns, you have the responsibility. With that, I hope that the fallout from this is policy change, not more violence. Time will tell.

Protests at Israeli Embassy

I took these about 1 hour ago. At the time the protest was just getting started, but the windows to the Israeli Embassy entrance were already broken and a police barricade established. The most popular chant was "Şerefsiz İrail, şerefsiz İsrail..." which of course means "Israel, you have no honor." As I was leaving, dozens by the minute were getting out of work and pouring in to join the protest. Sound and light equipment was being set up, tv crews were everywhere, and the folks working inside the embassy were being directed by police out of the building. I might return to the scene in an hour or so to take some more photos.

A Social Sunday, a Manic Monday

Spent a sunny Sunday afternoon in Maçka with my new friend, Nayat. We caught a movie, had smoothies and played backgammon (but that sounds weird to me because here it is called "tavla"). It was a tight match and we left it before it was over. As a side note, I learned the game and got fairly good after downloading this free computer version a couple years ago. Afterward, we took a bus to Beşiktaş and then walked to Ortaköy.
Our original plan was not to walk, but with all the traffic (and the free time!) we decided to. Actually, the traffic was so jammed that we arrived ahead of the bus that we would have taken there. In Ortaköy, there is a mantı place that Nayat likes that is inexpensive and really delicious. The air started to cool down in the evening, and the breeze coming off the water was a nice touch. And of course the mantı was fabulous. Definitely in my top 3 favorite Turkish dishes. I am thankful for these kinds of days where everything flows and the time just flies.

In sharp contrast to Sunday... Monday. Took care of a bunch of obligations, sent emails, checked job postings and the time just dragged on. To top it all off, Israeli military forces killed upwards of a dozen Turks who were part of a large international crew on an aid-delivery voyage to the Gaza Strip. Thousands of protesters have gathered at the embassies in İstanbul and Ankara. At the time of this posting I am preparing to go see the protests for myself. More on this later +pictures.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Saturday afternoon

I look forward to this moment all week. When Saturday late afternoon arrives, I go to a favorite cafe, sit outside, order a sandviç and a beer and write to friends, make plans, get organized.

Monday, May 24, 2010

A long Sunday

I got up at 6:30 to go rafting in the Sakarya province with my friend Gökhan. It was my first time rafting, and I had a great time despite the weather being off-and-on rain. The bus carried us about 2 hours east of İstanbul into the luscious green Black Sea countryside of Sakarya/Düzce.
We had a big breakfast and then the instructor gathered us around for vital instructions, in Turkish. I remember trying to link alarming phrases like "en önemli..." (the most important...) with what they described. Gökhan translated the essentials to me, though I understood 80% of it without his help. I was quickly briefed on all the command phrases the guide would give when we were out on the water. These were simple things like go forward, stop, hold on, and get down.
Out on the water, I became a quick friends with the others on the raft. I was good at following the instructions, but the guy in front of me could not always hear them. I had his back during the whole expedition. I would relay the instructions to him and once or twice, I held him in the boat when it looked like he was going to fall into the rough water. A real camaraderie developed between the 6 of us. We took turns leading the others in chants and songs. We splashed other rafters as they passed, or we passed them. We even developed our own team solute. No one in our boat fell overboard, but at one point while we were camped out in the calm water, another boat was entering the rough water nearby and lost two members. They were ok, but it was quite a sight. In the end they described it as being exhilarating.

At the end of trip, which lasted almost 2 hours, we changed out of our wetsuits and had a big lunch. We socialized for a while and relaxed. I didn't find the experience all that exhausting because the river did most of the work. Yet most of my friends we really tired. Still, I welcomed the long bus ride home as an opportunity to rest and listen to music. I got to talking with the two girls sitting behind me, who happened to be the ones who had taken a spill during the expedition. We selected some of our favorite songs and then exchanged mp3 players. This is something I like to do often with Pınar. It turns out that we (Pınar, as well as Nayat and Sezen pictured below) all have similar tastes in music. The time passed quickly yet the day felt long. In the evening, when I was back at my apartment, I gave a call to my friend Emir. We had been planning to meet for beer. We met up at a favorite location on Barlar Sokağı (the street with the bars). At one point, the power on the street and the local region went out. It was almost completely dark which was kind of nice because our conversation felt more private that way. Also, seeing Barlar Sokağı lit only by the Moon but still busy with people was a beautiful sight. For 23 minutes it was like this. A candle was brought to our table. We continued to share anecdotes and observations well into the night.

When I went to bed, it was hard to believe that this was the same day that started at 6:30 in Ataşehir and took me so many places.

Friday, May 21, 2010

anticipating

This weekend is going to rock. Friends, football, and rafting are on the docket. There is the Champions League Final. One thing that interests me is that anyone in the US can watch this game on TV. I think it is on Fox. This is the first time in history we get to watch the Champions League Final on national TV. I think the executives were hoping for Lionel Messi and Barcelona to be contenders in the final match, however that is not the case. Still, I hope a lot of Americans tune in.

Rafting. I got invited by a new friend to come rafting this Sunday. I can't wait. Strangely I never did this before, and I am excited to give it a try. The cost is about $75 for transport, 2 meals, and the rafting. Sounds pretty good. And I am also excited to meet up with Gökhan and meet some more of his friends.

I love Fridays so much. I'm outside in a favorite cafe. I am recovering from the last of a minor illness with a chicken sandwich and some ayran.
İstanbul is beautiful now. The bees have been busy with the flowers, but you cannot see them. You can only see their work. I wish they would show themselves at some point to take the credit. There are flowers in every color except blue.

I miss my friends, even the ones in İstanbul. This city is too big sometimes. If you are near or in a far realm, give a call sometime.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Visitors, Residency and Work

This week has brought me a special treat. I got to visit with Rick Vaz and Chrys Demetry from WPI. They were making a vacation to Greece and decided to pay a visit to İstanbul for a few days. We met for a chat and an awesome meal together. They filled me in on their travels and experiences while I also answered some of their questions about the life and culture here. It was so surreal to see non-Turkish friends of mine here. In my mind, this city is like my little world that is all mine. Like a kind of island that I discovered in which I now move about. But it was so nice to see Vaz and Chyrs. I greatly enjoyed hearing about their first impressions of İstanbul. Their observations consisted of many things which I noticed when I first came but had since forgotten about when I got used to being here. It was a really great time all together. A part of me wanted to accompany them on their tours and explorations for the following couple of days, but it will be much more exciting for them to go through the city on their own. Still, I drafted up a small list of essential phrases and information. I wish them the best. It was a special feeling to have visitors. At one point, after the meal, the waiter asked if Chrys was my mom. We all laughed and I told him that she is my friend. But I thought, how great would that be? If my mom visited me here :)

A minor yet interesting additional feature of visiting Vaz and Chrys was that it brought me to the heart of Sultanahmet where their hotel is located. This is a place that I have been avoiding at all costs because it is overrun with tourists and worse, Turks who make a lot of money off of tourists. When I was looking for the hotel, I asked a guy at a cafe if his cafe had wireless. He spoke to me differently than how I am used to here. He tried to speak English and sell me a watch. I was confused but I ignored the comment. He told me his cafe didnt have wireless but the neighboring one did. Then he tried to get me to pay him for telling me this information. This kind of thing is not Turkish at all. Any real Turk helps a person find a place they are looking for without asking anything in return. He also wanted me to tell him the password to the wireless after I was done at the cafe. This guy was just trying to take any advantage that he could of a seemingly helpless tourist. I flipped out on him, in Turkish. He backed off and I left in a different direction. I found a cafe where the people were real Turks and my experiences in Sultanahmet from that point were all wonderful. A little later when I was trying to find Vaz and Chrys's hotel, I asked a shopkeeper for directions. He gave them, and they were a bit long and complicated. I thanked him and started to leave when he asked me if I really understand everything he had just said. I told him "Yes, I really understood everything. Thanks and have a nice day." He smiled broadly and complimented me on my Turkish. I really felt great by this. Apparently in Sultanahmet, nobody expects a tourist to know anything! But I am not a tourist and with each passing day I feel less like one. This leads me to my next bit...

The other exciting news of this week is that I got my residency permit!
This took me so much time and effort but I finally got it. I feel more... official. Also I feel a greater sense of belonging. What it really means is that I can live here for a year (before I have to renew it... a much easier process than what I went through this time), and also it means I can get a work permit. This is huge because now I can get a real job. That having been said, I am exploring two job prospects right now. One would be assisting with communications for a trading company in their exchanges with foreign, English speaking business partners. The other job would be working at a fancy preschool, teaching English to 4-5 year olds. They are complete opposites of each other, but I kind of like each one in its own way. It might be possible for me to work part time at both, but at this point I really can't say for sure if I will work at either one or for how long. In other news, I am getting requests to tutor in English. This I think is the funnest for me and the most flexible hours-wise. I'm still in the process of arranging it. Opportunities seem to be presenting themselves to me all the time now and it is really encouraging. I met a new friend who is starting with his father, a renewable energy company. So who knows what will happen.

You can be sure I'll keep you posted about it though :)

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Part 2: Sunday

The highlight of Sunday, other than calling the mothers in my life to wish a happy Mothers Day, was that I got to hang out with my friends Pınar and Derya at Caddebostan. We were later joined by Ece, a friend of theirs whom I had heard about and was excited to meet. A little later, Ceren and Sezen, other friends of Derya's joined the group. The weather was perfect and I had a great time. Coming off a long Saturday night, it was just what I needed. We grabbed coffees and conversed over the joyous cries of Fenerbahçe fans outside celebrating a victory. Aside from the Fenerbahçe part, every weekend should end this way.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

The weekend part 1

Had a great day Friday. After working all morning and the first part of the afternoon on apartment stuff, job stuff, and favors for friends, I left for Beşiktaş. When I was near the place where the boats are, a woman approached me and asked me if I speak English. Of course I replied with a "yes", and a smile which was really the product of a, these days, rare feeling of capability. She asked me if I knew where the dolmuş (car-pooling taxi minibus thing) to Suadiye was located. She was going to the famous Suadiye Hotel. I had taken that exact dolmuş just two days earlier. She was about a five minute walk away from it, and I had free time, so I escorted her there. On the way she told me that she had come from Brazil to visit with her husband at his temporary work location and didn't know any Turkish. She lamented about how difficult it is to get around İstanbul alone without the language (well in order of strength she knew Portuguese, Italian, and English, but no Turkish). I knew exactly what that felt like. Five minutes later we arrived at the station and I asked around for the correct dolmuş. She climbed in and sat down. I told the driver in Turkish where she was going and he said that he would drop her off there. Then I turned and gave her smile, but I will never forget the look on her face. Complete relief and gratitude. I knew that feeling, too. I handed her the correct amount for the ride, but she insisted that she pay. I wished her the best and she thanked me.

As I waited for the boat, I listened to some Americans trying to translate the news coming over the TV. The Greek financial crisis, the BP oil f***up, and the weather were dominant. The boat ride to Beşiktaş was perfect. I took a picture for a young Turkish trio of friends. The weather was great and I bought a can of peach juice. When I go to Beşiktaş I met up with Safiye. We went shopping and perusing. We stopped for tea and later for beer. We were joined later on by Gökhan, my new crazy Beşiktaş friend. He and I paraded to the game with the other crazy Çarşı people.The game was great. Highlights are here. I have to say, I have a special respect for Beşiktaş and more importantly Beşiktaş fans. They are organized, dedicated, involved and very spirited.
Saturday was strange and Sunday was beautiful.

Saturday I went to a new bar in Bebek. The getting there was a bit of a story. I thought to go there the old familiar way, but the traffic was terrible. So I exited the bus and ran for 45 minutes through the night streets along the sea. I ran past motionless cars with their windows rolled down and music thumping as they waited for the car in front of them to move, but there were just too many people trying to go to the same places. I ran past couples sitting by sea, people fishing nearby, and people selling food to the people fishing and sitting. I was amazed that I was not getting tired. I guess all that weekly football is paying off. Ortaköy was bustling and bright, Arnavutköy was crowded but peaceful, and Bebek was vibrant. When I got to Bebek, I bought a bottle of water and chugged it at once, crushing the bottle in the process before immediately discarding it in a nearby trash bin. By the way, I did beat the bus there.

In the bar, I was greeted by the owner, Serdar. He welcomed me and I began to speak Turkish. He began to speak English, which was a nice surprise, and he asked who I was meeting there. I gave him their names and he escorted me to where they were hanging out. I had a lot of fun. After running so much and making it there, I felt like I had climbed a mountain. I was tired, but I was energized by the view. Or in this case, it was the atmosphere of the place and the friends were my reward. I have decided that I really like the place and the owner, and I will try to make it a place I frequent.

I will write a little about Sunday in the next post.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Hıdırellez 2010

Met up with Pınar and a new friend, Müge, at Hıdrellez 2010 in the seaside Ahırkapı Park. Hıdrellez is a kind of gypsy festival with music, dancing and fireworks. Also there is a tradition of people writing their wishes on paper and tying them to trees with colorful ribbon.There was food and beer everywhere. Apparently buying 3 beers at once got you a tambourine, and so the three of walked all over the park passing the instrument around and joining in roaming dance circles.
All ages were well represented at the event. Super old people, families, young folk, groups of children and even babies in strollers could be seen everywhere. I gave our tambourine to a little boy and his sister who were standing near us. We talked with the mom for a little while. She was very friendly. I had my picture taken with them.
We prepared our wishes. Mine was simple but deeply felt.
At nightfall, we tied the wishes to a tree.
Exhausted, the three of us rode a boat that took us from the park and crossed the Bosphorus. I got back to my apartment at around midnight:30. As I walked from Kadıköy through the night streets, I contemplated my situation here. Sometimes it really seems strange. I had a conversation in my head with the Jeremy from 5 years earlier. He was surprised and amazed.
Hayırlısı.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

My new place

I've been busy lately securing myself an apartment. It is street level, sunny, peaceful, spacious, inexpensive, and I love it. I got the keys yesterday and cleaned the place. Tomorrow I will buy some furniture and move in. The neighborhood is nice, too.The park 10 minutes walk down the street is also nice.
My address is:

Hacıahmet Bey Sokak No:4
Ulaş Apt. Daire: 2
Bahariye, KADIKÖY
TURKEY/TÜRKİYE

The place on Google Maps: link.

Please visit me!!