I’m From America But I Live in Istanbul

I said this many times over the past few days. Since I went by myself on my trip, I met a lot of awesome people and usually the first question was, “Where are you from?”.  I loved how excited and happy people were when I told I am currently studying abroad in Istanbul. Everyone thought it was so cool and a great experience. I totally agree!

It was really great how I got to teach people about Turkey and tell them more about Istanbul. Mostly everyone I met had been to Istanbul for at least a few days. It was fun swapping stories and hearing about what they think of Istanbul. It is much different to visit for a few days then to live there for several months. I also got to teach Turkish to them which was funny as I don’t know that much. But I felt proud that I could teach them some key words and phrases.

It was such a neat experience going to Ephesus and Pergamom. Knowing that it was where Paul was and where the book of Ephesians was written which is one of my favorite books of the Bible was amazing. I will never forget my trip and like my dad says, I can now point at travel posters and say I have been there!

Side note: Just got done with my Gender final which I think went well. One more final tomorrow and then I am done!!!!

Another side note: There are many more pictures of my trip on Facebook, over 300 hundred. Enjoy :)

Ephesus and Pergamom

What an amazing trip! I saw so many amazing places in just a few days! There is no way I can describe and tell you all about what I saw but I will try! Warning, this is long but I put pictures after I talk about them to break up the reading a bit.

After having a little trouble finding the hotel where I was suppose to meet a shuttle, I got there and had about an hour and half to kill before the shuttle came. I talked with the guy at the desk which was nice. He spoke English well. Finally the shuttle came but since it was rush hour, it took so long to get to the bus station. But I made some friends on the shuttle so it was fine. Most of them ended up being on the bus to Ephesus with me. This bus was pretty nice. More leg room then I figured and I ended up having empty seat by which was wonderful though I still didn’t sleep the best.

I was very happy waking up and being close to Ephesus. After almost getting off at the wrong stop, I got to the correct bus station where my guide was waiting for me. I was the first of the fifteen to be picked up. I really wished I could have changed and freshened up before the tour but no luck. Though when the driver and guide wasn’t looking, I changed shirts as I had a white tank top underneath and put my hair up.

First stop was the Isa Bey Mosque which is one of the few rectangle mosques. It was very pretty especially with the trees in the middle. We didn’t spend to much time here but it was a nice day to start the day. It was a beautiful sunny morning.

Then off to the House of Virgin Mary. It was at the very top of a giant hill. We were thankfully there early so there were not too many people but by the time we left there was. There was a house where people say that the Virgin Mary spent her last days. Ephesus, for those who do not know, is important for Christianity. Paul lived in Ephesus and wrote 1 Corinthians in Ephesus.

Then off to the main site of the ancient city of Ephesus. It was so awesome! I was talking with this guy and we just could not believe we were walking around the ruins. Only about 25% of the ruins have been discovered as it takes so much time. It makes you think what else is there. I saw many temples, columns, theaters and of course, the Library of Celsus. We spent lots of time learning about the city and though I don’t remember it all, it was such a wonderful experience.

First look!

Good view of whole city!

The Library of Celsus

After an okay lunch, we had the great pleasure of seeing how carpets are made (sarcasm). It wasn’t that bad as I had a nice conversation with a women from Australia. We then went to the Ephesus Archeological Museum and saw lots of Ephesus excavations. By this time, all of us were really tired due to all the walking and heat!

We then went to the Temple of Artemis. It wasn’t what I was expecting as there was not much left but it was still cool. It is one of the Seven Wonder of the Ancient World.

By this point, we were all ready to be done with tour but then the guide said there was a gathering to end the tour. We were all suspicious and it turned out to be this weird fashion show of jackets. There were about four young people showing of jackets and usually four of the same moves the whole time. And then we had to walk through all the jackets to get out and also through some jewelry. We finally got out and we all laughing about how ridiculous it was!

I was then dropped of at my hotel and it was such a nice hotel. I told a shower and then chilled by the pool until dinner. Dinner was good and it had more selection of dessert then the main course. I crashed about 8:30 and thoroughly enjoyed my bed all night as I knew I had a overnight bus the next night as well!

I woke up a little after eight and had a decent breakfast at the hotel. I was surprised that I wasn’t getting picked up until 9:40 as my itinerary said 8. Thankfully I found out through a fax they gave me the night before. A small van picked me up and I discovered it was just six people on the tour. It did not start well though as we had to pick up a couple at the airport and their plane was late. There was an Italian couple who were very upset while a man from California who is currently working in Poland and I were just annoyed. We still had about two hours to travel before we would arrive in Pergamom.

We finally get to Pergamom! We saw lots of ruins some more intact then others. We saw the Sanctuary of Trahan, Athena and Dionysus, just naming a few. The Library of Pergamom is the second best in the ancient but there wasn’t much left of it. It was very windy but once again, it was really cool. We then had a super late lunch (3:30) and then we headed to an ancient medical center of physician and scholars. It was only for the mentally ill.  They said that death could not enter so they basically wouldn’t let anyone in that could die, like pregnant mothers and old people. The mentally ill would go into the hallways and pray to the gods through an opening the roof. Then the people in charge would talk back to them, telling them they would be okay. Of course, the patients thought the gods were talking.

It was VERY windy!

Statue of Trajan

Theater

After that, we drove three hours back to Ephesus, was dropped off at my hotel, then picked up by another shuttle and taken to a bus station to get my ticket and waited in another place for the bus. The overnight bus smelled but I was so exhausted I didn’t care. I thankfully slept mostly all the way and was woken up at six this morning saying we had arrived in Istanbul. A guy helped me figure out how to get to the ferry and then got on it and then my good ol bus 19 back home. It was so wonderful to arrive back to my flat. It was such an amazing adventure, one that I will never forget!

It Is Becoming More Real

I usually like countdowns but I am starting to not like this one. I have many emotions about the whole situation. Part of me wants to stay here. This has been my life for four and a half months. I have grown to love Turkey so much. But another part of me wants to go home, to see my family and friends and all my comforts.

Honestly, I am nervous to come back home. I do not know how I will deal with reverse culture shock . Each of my friends from Senegal experienced it and still experiencing it differently. I know some things will have changed. Time didn’t just stand still when I left. I am trying to keep my mind open but there is only so much I can do before hand.

I also am stressed due to these emotions and of course, finals. I am so ready to be done. I had my second one today and it went fine. Now it is onto my two hardest ones. I know I need to study and I am going to go to the coffee shop I enjoy studying at soon, but I have little motivation. This whole week has been like that. I think it is because my schedule has been changed. I no longer have classes and my days are different. I like to have a schedule. But it has a chill week which also has been nice.

I head to Ephesus tomorrow night with an overnight bus. Hopefully I can actually sleep. I am really excited to see all the amazing places! I would appreciate prayers for peace over the next few weeks. Thank you!

Three Weeks!

In three weeks, I will be packed and ready to head the airport in the evening. My plane leaves the 13^th but very early in the morning so I am getting there the night before.

I am doing well with everything. I see that Isabelle got onto my blog so I hoped you all enjoyed that! I had my first final yesterday, Ottoman Empire, and I was happy about how it went. I have my History final on Friday and then my two Sociology classes next Thursday and Friday. I am so pumped for this weekend as I get to go to Ephesus and Pergamum! But since I still have my finals to worry about, I will be studying on the bus rides. Then in two weeks, I will be in Greece!!

I have many emotions and it is starting to become real that I am leaving soon. This week has been very chill. I haven’t had much motivation to study but I still have a little bit. Since Trista moved out, I am the only one in my flat and it can get lonely. Also since classes are basically over (last one is tomorrow as the professor missed so many classes this semester, she needed to make one up), I don’t get to see my friends as often. I am having a late lunch in about an hour with Judith which will be wonderful. I will really miss all my friends here but will be happy to see all of you when I return!

It's Me, Isabelle

Hey Guys! This is Isabelle, Abigail’s pillow pet. I have seen Abigail blog the whole time we have been here and she has never let me blog even one entry. Well, I thought it was about time that I get to write one so here I go!

We have now been in Turkey for about three and a half months. My how time flies! It feels like I was just let out of Abigail’s suitcase onto the bed in the dorm. I am much happier with the bed in our flat. It has a nice wall that I can lean on when Abigail is gone. There is a window by my bed which is nice. Lately the weather has been weird. One day it is super sunny and warm and then all of a sudden it will storm. The temperature varies a lot but lately, Abigail has left the window open a bit for some fresh air to come into the room.

I spend most of time on Abigail’s bed. I wake up usually somewhere on the bed as Abigail moves a lot and I never know will I will end up! Anyway, Abigail gets ready for class and I just chill on the bed. She goes to class and if she leaves her ipod on the table, I will listen to it for a while. She sometimes takes it with her as she likes to listen to music as she is walking to class or if she has time to kill between classes. But I like when she leaves it as I love listening to Taylor Swift and I am a huge RENT fame so I listen to the soundtrack a lot. I snicker to myself when Abigail returns and wonders why her ipod is always low on battery!

Abigail keeps her room pretty clean so I don’t have to worry about that. Though the stupid ants think they own the place. I hate when ants decide to make their home in our room. Thankfully they haven’t been too bad recently. I like when Abigail gets back from class because she usually goes on Maddie (her laptop) and starts listening to music. She loves Christian music and country. Though she does have this Other playlist with a mixed variety of pop/Disney songs. Yeah, weird combination. She usually Skypes with Darrell every night. She gets so happy when she talks with him. Well they don’t talk, they message chat as video doesn’t usually work. I sometimes say hi to him but since my nose is so big, I can’t type very well (I am typing this with my horn and it is taking a long time!). But she also Skypes with other people like Debbie, Val or her family.  She misses them all. Anyway, she loves to talk but you all already know that!

She usually heads to bed about 11 depending on when she has class. I enjoy cuddling with her as she turn off her light. She usually prays for a while and then she curls up and sleeps.

Yeah, so I haven’t experience Turkey like Abigail has but it has been a nice change of scenery. I did get to go to Cappadocia a few months ago which was fun! I might go to Ephesus/ Pergamum next weekend but I don’t know.

Oh, Abigail is back! Take care all you wonderful people!

Surprise Visit In Class

I had a very strange experience in my Gender class yesterday. We were all sitting listening to our professor talk about sex workers when all of a sudden, the door flies open and a guy comes running in. A guy that looked like a ninja and who dropped a huge plant right at our professors feet and runs back out!  I had the angle that I could see a guy outside the door recording it. We were all so surprised and I almost had a heart attack! There was a note attached. It said basically sorry to take up a moment of your time but every minute soil is getting destroyed. Please plant this plant. It was something I would kind of expect at Beloit but not really here. But we all had a good laugh. Lets just say, it took a few minutes to focus our attention back to our discussion! 

See You Later Trista!

Last night, I had to say “see you later” to my wonderful flatmate Trista. She is heading to travel for about a month starting with Greece. She was going to take all her stuff in her old apartment and only take one backpack for her trip. People get on my case for a lot of stuff but she had lots of stuff! I will give her a break as she has been here since last September. Since she had so much stuff, I had to go with her to Kadikoy. We hugged several times and said how much we love each other. While I was on the bus home, I started to tear up and cried when I got home. She has been one of my closest friends here and I will really miss her. I will have to get use to having the house all to myself. I will miss coming home and having her to talk to but we will for sure stay in touch and will see each other someday.

Nations Church!

I am so grateful for my "home away from home" church here in Istanbul, Nations Church. The hour and a half bus ride one way is totally worth it. Coming into the 5th floor of the building, my heart just cries out for joy. I love walking in and seeing so many smiles greeting me. Well, not so many as this is a newly planted church but you get my drift. It is so nice to feel so welcomed.

I usually get there early with Judith and we mingle and talk with people. Then Pastor Payton will tell us to come over to the chairs and we start in with worship. I love worshipping with these people whose hearts are for the Lord. Then we have a few announcements and offering. Then we have a message. Usually it is Payton but a few times, a member of the church will give a message. After the ending song and prayer, every time they say, “Let’s now have cay”.

I love cay! Not just the cay and the treats but the time of fellowship. I miss just talking with other Americans and Christ-followers. Today, our fellowship was longer then usual which was awesome.  We had a band visiting us and they are performing tonight at the church. We went out to lunch to the Trump Towers mall by the church. We went to a nice restaurant and had a variety of food. Everyone was so full and so very happy. I really enjoyed talking to a few women, including the pastor’s wife Clover. They really care about me and tell me how happy they are that I am attending Nations Church.

I feel so blessed to be part of this church, even if I just have a few more Sundays with them. I will never forget the love I feel when I walk into the church, a church that looks nothing like church, just a huge room on the fifth floor of some building. I love it and I know God is working in lives of the people in the church and around that area. 

Football to the EXTREME!!

Last night the big match between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray happened. I was smart and stayed inside and away from all the action. However, I could hear yelling and shouting at times from my house. The outcome was that they tied 0-0 but this meant that Galatasaray one the Turkish league championship.

Some of my friends were on the European side and people were celebrating like crazy with shouting and waving flags everywhere. Today on my way to church, this guy was were a Galatasaeay shirt and we were heading to Kadikoy. Even though I didn't know what the two old men were saying this this guy, I knew that they were saying that he shouldn't be wearing that shirt around here as Kadikoy is Fenerbahce territory. Then, like Turks do, the old man shook his head and made 'tsk tsk' sound. I found it funny as I learned my mistake a few weeks ago!

To read more about the craziness:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18046286

The two teams going at it!

Interesting Dream

I had the most interesting dream last night. Let me tell you two things first. One, I have been watching a lot of episodes of The Office. Second, last night, I went to church and saw a women perform a drama of Esther and Mary.

In my dream, I was surrounded by all the members of The Office. One woman was saying that I was pregnant as her husband was my doctor. I was so confused because I went to the doctor for a different reason and since I never had sex before, it was not possible. The whole dream people were being mean and calling me names. I was saying over and over that I was a virgin but nobody would listen to me.

When I woke up, I was super confused! But then when I thought about it, I was feeling how Mary, the mother of Jesus, was feeling. Nobody believed her either and they all shunned her. Nobody believed her that the Holy Spirit came upon her and made her pregnant.

Anyway, dreams are interesting and thought provoking.

5 Weeks!!!!!

It is crazy to say that in five weeks, I will be on an airplane headed back to Iowa! Time is such a strange concept. When I first got to Turkey, time seemed to stand still. Febrary lasted what seemed like forever. But then March went by fast and April even faster. Now it is May 9!!! CRAZY!!!

Anyway, I still have a lot to do and see before then however. It have a week and a half left of classes then two weeks of finals. I have two finals the first week and two the following week. It worked out that I can go to Ephesus and Pergamom between my finals. I am really excited and I will have plenty of time to study on the long bus ride there and back. After my finals, I have a few days to chill and then I go to Greece for a week. Then I have a day to pack and then I leave! I will start packing before I head to Greece though because I always start packing early. So much to do but I am looking forward to it, well mostly the trips and not the studying for finals…

Several of my friends who are abroad as well made a list of things they will miss and won’t miss. I started this list a while ago and have added to it. Here it is so far.

What I will miss

Simit, beautiful hills, my friends from all around the world, doner, simple pure Turkish interactions, the ferry, Turkish hospitality, cheap food and clothes, bazzars, Trista, the parks

What I won’t miss

Getting yelled at by all the store clerks, yogurt, not having a microwave/oven/dryer, long bus rides, not understanding conversations in the classroom, cigarette smoke everywhere, kids pointing and laughing at me, stared at everywhere I go

There are days that I am just totally in love with Istanbul and want to stay longer. But then there are days where I am just ready to go home, to see my family and friends and have all my comfort things back. It is definitely a rollercoaster of emotions! But most of the days I am just content and striving to learn even more and enjoy the time I am here. So here is to the next five weeks!

Topkapi Palace

Yesterday, since my class was cancelled, I decided to visit the Topkapi Palace on the European side. It was a beautiful sunny day which meant that I got sun burnt but it was nice to just be in a t-shirt and jeans. As I got off the ferry, I went the wrong way and ended up having to walk through the Spice Bazaar to get there. I tried going around but the new James Bond movie is getting filmed around there so it is all blocked off. Anyway, I went through a huge park thinking it was the way to the Palace. A man said “Merhaba (Hello)” to me and we proceeded to have a short conversation in mostly all Turkish. I was so proud of myself! He directed me in the right way. As I was walking, a huge group of boys in high school walked past me and they said Hi. When I said hi back, they all started yelling and clapping. I also got some high fives. It was funny.

I finally got to the Palace and was sweating like crazy. I waited in line to get my ticket but turns out, I didn’t need to get a ticket as I have this wonderful museum card so I got in for free! Score! I love the look on the employees’ faces when I show them my student card as they always think I am just a tourist. I got in and decided to buy an audio set so I would know exactly what I was looking at. The line wasn’t that long but it took forever to get to the front. The guy was super nice and friendly. After he explained how to use the audio set, he said to me, “Abigail, keep that smile on your face. It looks good on you”. It was really nice of him. He knew my name because I had to give him an ID card as a deposit.

So I walked around for several hours and it was really cool to see so many Ottoman Empire buildings, art and objects. There are four courtyards and several gardens as well. I decided to pay 15 Lira to go into the Harem which was the private area of the Sultan. It was really cool to stand and explore places that Sultans had lived during the Ottoman Empire. Even cooler because I have learned about several Sultans in my Ottoman Empire class!

International Day

Yesterday was International Day at Yeditepe. Basically every country had its own table and people were suppose to make food from their country and anything else related to their country. There are six Americans here this semester but two are on a trip and one doesn’t really participate with things like this. So it was Eddie (who also goes to Beloit), Autumn and I. We bought chocolate chip cookies, grilled some hamburgers and hotdogs and I made Snickers Salad. Snicker Salad, for those who doesn’t know, is chopped apples and Snickers mixed in vanilla pudding and whip cream. However, the pudding never set so I could just use whip cream. But it turned out well and everyone loved it so I was happy. We also had BACON!!!!!! We didn’t cook it until later so really only the Americans got some. But it was super exciting after not eating pork in about three months! We also were told to dress up like famous Americans so I wore my Hawkeye jersey and went as an American football player.

It was fun going around the other tables and trying so many types of food. I know mostly all the other international students so it was fun tasting their food and getting to know their culture a little more. There was also live music which was fun. I am glad that lots of people came because I was a little concerned that people wouldn’t. But it was a success and it was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday.

American table!

Judith with the German table

Trista at the Taiwan

BACON!!!!

Lost in Translation

Even though I have been here for three months or so, the Turkish language is still a mystery to me. Of course I know some words and phrases that will probably come out of my mouth when I get back home. As frustrating as it is at times, sometimes it makes me laugh when talking to Turks and they try to translate to English.

I was with two of the Turkish friends at lunch in one of the cafeterias and I asked about a certain dessert. They were telling me it was “chocolate pasta”.  I was confused and asked “Like noodles”. They both laughed, as they do a lot, and I finally figured out that pasta means “cake”.

With the same two girls, we were in our Ottoman class and one of them asked me a question. She showed me a picture of a gorilla on her electric translator. She was asking about what are professor meant by gorilla warfare as the only gorilla she knew was the animal. So I then had to explain that our professor did not mean a real animal!

But it is also the other way around, I am trying to talk in Turkish. Usually if someone comes up to me and asks a question in Turkish, I say “English Pardon” meaning Sorry, I just speak English. Usually the then just stop talking to me. But on Tuesday, Trista and I went to a park to do some homework. While we were reading, two old men sat down. They then started asking us questions in Turkish. Since Trista has been here longer then me, she knows some Turkish. We were trying to communicate but it was so hard with the very little Turkish we knew. But overall, it was cool that the two men were trying so hard to talk with also.

On Wednesday, we were trying to convince our professor to make our final open book and I said “lutfen” (please). Everyone thought it was so funny and awesome as I never talk Turkish in the class. It was just really funny.

So even though the language barrier can be frustrating, it makes it much easier to manage when I think positively and not get so worked up about it.

Football Madness!!!

Wow, just wow. Football (soccer) here is so ridiculously crazy! Let me back up and tell you what I encountered this week in regards with football.

I was told earlier this week that there was going to be a football game on Thursday that was free and just for women and children. This was due to a punishment of all men after causing riots (ripping chairs out and throwing them on the field, running on the field). I was excited and wanted to go so Trista and I went to the stadium on the European side on Wednesday afternoon. We got our tickets and then walked around and each bought a jersey from the Spice Bazaar. We bought Fenerbahçe jerseys as that is the team in Kadkoy and it is also Beloit colors (blue and yellow).

So yesterday, I wore my jersey all day and was very proud of it. As we got on the ferry, I was surprised I didn’t see anyone else wearing Fenerbahçe colors only the other team, Beşiktaş, which is black and white. A women about my age told me to be careful since I was going to the opposite teams stadium. I didn’t think much about it. I figured it was like in America where there is rivalry but not a huge deal. I was wrong. As we were walking, we had several groups of guys yelling at Trista and I. Mostly me as Trista covered up her jersey with a jacket. Then a group of guys that were yelling from the other side of the street with a huge flag, came over to us and started yelling. It was really scary. I then decided to put on my sweatshirt. I felt much better.

We get to the stadium and had to figure out which door to enter. There were so many people! After we got through on door, we went through another one. That is when I got pulled over by the policeman. Side note: there were so many police there! They pointed to the top of my sweatshirt where you could see a little bit of my jersey. They told me it was a problem as it was against stadium rules to wear Fenerbahçe colors. Well they said this in the little English they spook. So then we went back out and since I had a black tank top underneath, I took off my shirt and put just my sweatshirt back on and put my jersey in my bag. What happened next was completely unexpected.

As we were going through the doors again, they checked my bag and the policewomen pointed to my jersey. About five Beşiktaş fans walked by and saw my jersey in my bag. They all start screaming that I can’t go in there and I shouldn’t be here if I support Fenerbahçe . They did speak English well. I was trying to explain I would leave it in my bag and that I just wanted to watch the game. By this point, there were several police around and I was so mad and upset. So we just left. Trista was already having a bad day and this made us both in bad moods. I never thought it would be like this. I was warned they loved their team but not being able to wear the colors of the other team was not what I was expecting.

Today in class, my teacher said she saw that my team lost as I had class yesterday and was wearing my jersey. I then explained my story and she was also shocked. I guess the rule is new just this year. Anyway, that is my football craziness story!

This was Wednesday after getting the free tickets

The Beşiktaş stadium

Waiting to get in

Us all covered up. This was in Kadikoy after coming back from Beşiktaş  and we really were not in the best moods but we were together so it made it better.

Identity

Before I left for Turkey, I would have said I was a female student who comes from a middle class family. Now that I am here, I mostly identity as an American female whose native language is English. It is so interesting just how my perspectives of myself and others have changed. Being in the US, being an American is normal but here, it is so rare. People are so excited to hear that I am from America.

Just today, after Trista and I went to a park to read some homework, we went into a clothing store. As were we were looking around, a woman asked where we were from. Then as we were in the dressing room, I heard the lady saying several times to other people in the store, “America”. As I walk down the street, little kids love saying “Hi” or “Hello” and when I say it back, they are just so happy. Never in my life have I thought about being able to speak English as an awesome thing and in some ways, a privilege. It has always been the norm but here, it is not at all the norm. All my European friends are jealous at how I can speak English so well and so are my Turkish friends. If I compliment one of them on how good their English is, they get really excited since I am a native speaker.

I realize that I am very sociological in the blog but this is how my mind works!