So many expectations!

Merhabalar! I now know to make that greeting plural when speaking to more than one person (instead of the singular “Merhaba”). Although, now that I think about it, it may still be inappropriate since you are supposed to use it only when eye contact is made, never to an empty room, for example. Maybe I will have to alter it again before my entry. Anyway, proper greetings is just one of the many facts we have been inundated with since our 10 day orientation in Ankara began. 

I arrived her without any problems. I secretly enjoy airplane food and openly love the movies so I had very enjoyable ride. I met fellow Fulbrighters on each leg of journey so it was great to have some people to chat with during our layovers. 

About 12 hours after I left Detroit, I arrived at our hotel in Ankara. Since our daily orientation sessions in its basement, this hotel has become my first Turkish home. Our days have been full of lectures on topics ranging from modern Tukish political history to gender issues to Turkish language (essential) to various cultural tidbits like when and how to say hello. The rest of the orientation will include instruction how to actually teach English which I am very eager to receive!

I think the most valuable part (and I even hesitate there, so many parts have been valuable!) of orientation has been the opinions I’ve heard about where I’ll be spending the next 10 months: ERZURUM. Judging by the mix of reviews I’ve heard, I feel as if it could be called the “Detroit” of Turkey. Examples: “You are going to Erzurum? For 10 months? Why?” “You know it’s cold there, right?” “I hope you like winter sports.” “No one speaks English in the East.” “Last time I was in Erzurum, there were only two cars there.” [NOTE: that was in 1963.] “You know it’s cold there, right?” “They had the Youth Olympics there!” “You know it’s a lot more conservative than Ankara.” “Are there even bars in Erzurum?” “You know it’s cold there, right?” YES, I know it’s cold! I’m used stereotypes about places from people who may have no experience with the place. So I’m taking everything with a grain of salt. I’m only taking our University contact seriously. And he told us about Erzurum’s lit ski slopes that open at 5 pm and stay open until late in the night, about its treeless, inviting mountains, about its unique “cağ kebab” sandwich (the Coney Dog of Anatolia!), and streets of restaurants that were enclosed with roofs long ago to keep out the cold and snow. Needless to say, I am optimistic and excited. My three co-English Teaching Assistants are excited and proud as well to be the most eastern Fulbrighters in Turkey. East side! Only time will tell, but I have a great feeling about my city. I can’t wait to move there on Thursday.

To appease my number one reader (here’s your shout-out Libby Hagemeyer), I will talk about the food. However, I will not be able to do it justice. First of all, I’ve decided to make learning how to cook one of my goals this semester. Because, wow,Turkey has the most diverse, tasty food I’ve had since, well, the last time I was in Turkey...and I’ve eaten almost every meal in a hotel. Let’s see, for lunch today, I had lentil soup, rice, a beef and pepper stew-like dish to put over the rice, tomato and cucumber salad and a chunk of fresh feta cheese (it does not even taste like the feta we buy at Sam’s Club). Breakfast usually consists of more feta, bread, cucumbers, tomatoes and olives--but for lunch and dinner there has been a different spread each night. Like I said, I’m not to explain it fully. I will have to try again--but I am putting it in writing now that I am determined to learn to cook!

Week 1 comes to a close. My commutes to Georgetown have already proved to be worth it. I spent some time with some Turkish friends that I met last summer this evening and although my speaking skills are close to comical, they insisted that we speak in Turkish the entire time. You can imagine that our topics of conversation were limited but they were kind and yavaş, yavaş--slowly, slowly--I will get better...inşallah!

Here's a picture of our group in front of Anıtkabır, Atatürk (the founder of modern Turkey)'s mausoleum.