My Observations About Turkey

Observations about Turkey:

1.      They know how to use their car horns. Seriously, I feel like I’m the laziest driver ever because I don’t use it.

2.      There is a tradition that if there is a birth or death or something significant in their family, they pay for food (similar to doughnuts) to be made and given out to the public for free. We should start this in America!

3.      Many mosques are decorated throughout the city. It is a domed room with a minaret (a tall, skinny tower) connected. There are simple ones, and more adorned. I was not able to go in one during my time there (due to time).

4.      People play “chicken” with cars. They walk into the street and expect the cars to stop. Thank goodness I’m not driving, or I would definitely show them what’s up with a scare or two.

5.      The bread is awesome; I couldn’t resist it every morning with jam and cheese.

6.      There are many stray cats and dogs. Their shots and food are paid for by the city, and they are all so cute! They don’t come up to us and beg, they just do their own thing (if that’s even possible) and are very mellow and nonthreatening.

7.      Coffee or tea after meals are expected. Yes, you read that right. Expected.

8.      Turks take a very long time with meals. I learned that I have never appreciated a good restaurant meal in the US. It’s always eat and go, instead of ordering appetizers, entrees, and then tea at the end. I decided I’m taking this tradition home with me.

9.      Ataturk’s photo is everywhere. Nearly every office, street name, and statue. Also, tattoo parlors don’t charge for getting his signature. Yes, clients get FREE ATATURK SIGNATURE TATTOOS. So, guess who got their first tattoo?? (Just kidding)

10.  There are many archeological sites that are being discovered, especially on the coastlines. Many houses are built over remains, so they are not able to uncover all of them.

11.  The weather is very consistent. It’s been sunny and 96 degrees every day that I’ve been here, and only rained once. Is it possible to bring this back to Michigan?

12.  Backgammon is a common game.

13.  Smoking cigarettes is considered a social event.

14.  Fast food DELIVERS. Yes, you read that right. And in the US we all stupidly thought they just hadn’t thought of a way to do it cheaply…

15.  The country is mostly Muslim, and they pray 5 times a day. The prayer is projected throughout with loudspeakers on the mosques, so everyone can hear it on the streets. It’s in Arabic, and is pretty amazing when it comes on. Everyone just carries on their normal lives when it comes on.

16.  The Muslim sacred day is Friday.

17.  If you ask Turks, yogurt came from their country, not Greece. I now really have no idea where it originated, but I had never heard that before. Along with many other things. From my observations, they have a competitive sibling rivalry. They disagree, but since they are from the same area and were of the same country/empire at one period, it really makes no sense.

18.  Everyone I talked to was very helpful. Even if they couldn’t understand English, they tried their best to understand through hand motions, gestures, etc. I was very touched by their earnest efforts.

19.  Everyone was interested when I informed them I’m from the US, but no one asked about life there. I’m guessing it’s because they have their own view of America through movies and music, and even though I expected that, it was still odd to be asking all these questions to people from different areas of the world and no one be at least curious about regular life in the US.

20.  I miss it already, the warm sea nearby and the people. I can’t wait to go back! 

First Experience With Turkish Bath

I went to a Hamam yesterday! In English, it’s a Turkish bath. Let me tell you, it was the biggest culture shock I’ve experienced so far, but it was so much fun! Huma and I met at the ferry station, and took a taxi to the Hamam. There was a white sheet instead of a door, and when we pushed it open I was convinced I had entered the wrong way. There were women it towels, bathing suits, and just bottoms! Now, anyone that knows me, knows I always think “it’s just [insert any body part here].” But when you are not prepared for it, it’s a whole different story.

No one spoke English, but with hand motions and such we were led to a room to change and when we came out, we were led to another room. It was immediately hard to breathe because it felt like a sauna, but not as intense. It was completely marbled except for the ceiling, which was a cement dome and had little stained glass to let light in. The room was a large square that had seats along the walls, with large marbled bowls that water flowed into to pour on the body before laying on the middle area, which was also a square. It took up a good portion of the room, and when we walked in there were two women getting scrubbed on the middle area. Huma and I sat at the far end, and I observed them to understand what was going on. One woman had particles on her, and I assumed they used a scrub with (I don’t know what they’re called) little balls in the mixture, like in the US. But 20 seconds later I realized it was the skin. I was terrified! I was imagining what I would be like, this being my first time. To make it worse, I was severely overdressed in my bikini. I thought, “Well, it’s time to bite the bullet.” I had to blend in with everyone else.

They guided me to the marble center, and a woman told me to do something. Not knowing what she was saying, she had to guide me to turn around and lie on my back, as she took a scrubber (it looks like an oven mitt) and flipped me, section by section. I was scared to look down because I didn’t want to know what she was getting off my body! After finishing and pouring water over me (all of this is communicated through pointing and just doing, might I remind you), she did it again with soap. Then she washed my hair, and scrubbed like it was the first time I had ever washed my head. When she got the soap out, I was sent back to the original bowl to pour water again, and Huma was there as well. All the movement and scrubbing made the skin very hot, so we stayed in the room for a while, enjoying the cold water. When we walked out, they were asking if we would like a massage. We wanted to go all in, so we agreed. They took us upstairs to some massage beds, and we got the whole kit. It was so relaxing, and we didn’t want to leave! We ended up staying past their closing time a little bit, but it was too much fun.

The women were really nice, and were trying their best to understand us. It was quite funny, trying to listen and watch their movements to get some hints of what they wanted. If I had gone by myself that part would have been stressful, so I was very glad I had someone with me. I would definitely go again, it was very traditional and I felt like it was the most ethnic experience I’ve had so far in Turkey.

This is a traditional Turkish bath, but not the one I was at. 

Intro for International Office Staff

Today, I will introduce the lovely (albeit, mysterious) people I have been talking about and have the privilege of working with for the month!

First is Pat, who is from Scotland, and is the director of the international office. She is an absolute peach, to put it simply. She is just like a surrogate mom, and invited me to spend a day with her last weekend, showing me a beautiful seaside town close to Izmir and taking me into her home. We enjoyed the day by the sea (and pool). At work, she is just as kind and always asks if everything is going well.

Meline is from Argentina, and I’m currently taking up space in her office for the month J . She is so sweet, and funny! She has great stories to tell, made even better by her animations.

Jacob is from America, so it’s fun to find another to compare differences of Turkey and the US with. He has encouraged me to watch soccer (the Euro Football Championship is now underway), and the first night I arrived I was invited to go out with him and his friends.

Selin is from Turkey, and she is willing to help anytime. When I have questions, she is fast to help. Plus, I love her cute wardrobe!  

Levent is from Britain and Turkey. Well, something like that J He has a great sense of humor and double checks that I’m still here because I’m so quiet. How kind of him!

Kursad is from Turkey, but he might as well be from America. He graduated from Ferris, and lived in the US for 5 years. He has been my “tour guide,” especially the first weeks, and is my communicator.

They are all so helpful, and without them I would have had a much harder time figuring out how to live and communicate here! 

My Weekend in Izmir

Friday, Kursad and I had dinner on the Konak Pier because I hadn’t been there yet, and we were able to eat on it as the sun went down. We left quickly, taking a taxi to make it to the famous Elevator before the sun finished setting. We were there two minutes too late, but it was still a beautiful sight. Before we left to go back down, we noticed some stairs heading up the hill. I wanted to see what was up there, so we started walking. Getting to the top we saw it was only residential, but still a cool sight to look at. We climbed down and walked to Alsancak, where we watched the soccer match (everyone except America is obsessed with soccer).

Saturday I went to the fruit market Meline had told me about earlier this week, and walked around for a while mesmerized by the color and marketing of the sellers. Sounds odd, but as a business major I notice this stuff. When everyone is selling nearly the same product, you have to do something to stand out. And to make themselves more appealing, they had all the fruit organized perfectly. As soon as a customer left, they fixed whatever they moved. They created shapes and designs with the setup. I thought it was pretty nifty, and it made sense. It didn’t matter what fruit. Watermelon, lemons, cherries, even lettuce. I know I went crazy buying fruit, but it was so cheap!

After dropping off the fruit and hanging out in my room to avoid the heat, I went back out and adventured to Konak by myself. I wanted to find the old Bazaar that I was at earlier this week because they had some trinkets I liked but had decided to wait on. I wasn’t able to find it again, but I enjoyed a nice dinner by myself (something I’ll have to get more used to). I came back after watching the sunset. I don’t think watching the sun go down ever gets old.

Sunday my tour guide (Kursad) and I went to a restaurant by the sea and had a traditional Turkish breakfast. We ordered honey, dried tomatoes, cheese I’d never tried, regular tomatoes, jam, Turkish butter, and regular butter. It was all set in small dishes in the middle, and you take bread and dip it in each one. I got an over easy egg with salami and garlic, and it was good for something different with egg. I couldn’t get enough of the bread dipped in the different options. I wish I could duplicate it at home. I also had my first Turkish coffee, and it wasn’t as terrible as I’d thought it’d be. Still, it’s not as good as the tea!

This weekend was active and fun. I was nervous at first because I don’t know many people here and I thought I wouldn’t know what to do, but it was easy to keep myself busy.

Pictures From Around Izmir

These are the dorms at Yasar. Very nice. 

A more traditional way to drink tea. 

Clock Tower. 

Beautiful sunset at the top of The Elevator.

Traditional Turkish breakfast. Delicious!

Lots of colorful fruit being sold. 

Benefits of Travelling, Both Personal and Professional

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." - Mark Twain


Better words have not been written about this topic. I have developed a love for new places since going on early trips to Florida, visiting my grandparents. I like noting differences, whether it’s the salty spray from South Carolina or the warm wind from the Aegean Sea.

I also enjoy travelling for more selfish reasons. I don’t want to be stuck in one place, living there for the rest of my life. There is so much of the world to be seen, and I don’t want to miss out. Going on an adventure gives me more determination to discover the unknown and remember why we are on this planet: to experience and feel, to be citizens of the world. I believe that this idea of experiencing and feeling the world around us also takes the sheath from our eyes unconsciously. Since being here, I have had minute and large experiences that have helped me understand what international students at Ferris have been through. I know that through this I will be more helpful and empathetic.

A question that I was asked before I left was, “How will this experience help you personally and professionally in 10, 20 years?” Well, it’ll help me as soon as I get back, along with every job I have and personal experience. It will help me, as I said before, be more empathetic, encouraging, and adventurous. Travelling such a long distance by myself has not only stretched myself to my limits (it seems to me), but also helped me realize just how independent I am. I am proud of that fact. Not a smug pride. But that I trusted myself to do this revealed to me how much I can really accomplish as I go through life, and that realization makes me both happy and proud.

Professionally, this experience will look great on my resume (let’s be honest), and when employers ask about it I can go into detail about responsibilities, travels, and benefits of the trip that I can use for the rest of my life (there are a lot!). I am hoping that it will help me as soon as finding a job for next summer, and that this and other activities will also help me stand out from the many Business Administration majors when I graduate. Long term, I believe this will help me understand the differences of cultures and is only the start of a good career with lots of travelling. It will teach me to become even more independent, go outside of my comfort zone, and go out of the normal routine.

Really, there are so many benefits that travelling in general offers. Why wouldn’t you want to experience all that the world has to offer? 

Arrival in Izmir

I will be working in Yasar University’s international office, doing marketing research and encouraging other college students to study abroad in Turkey. So if you are interested, email me! J

I’ve been in Izmir for 3 days now, but I will backtrack to when I first found out I was even coming to Turkey. About a month before I left I got a phone call, asking when the earliest date I could leave the United States. Due to family health issues, we agreed to me going for the whole month of June.  May was crazy; between working, travelling, planning, & packing/planning  for a foreign country (including immunizations, passport, visa &registering at the embassy),  I kept busy and did not have a lack of things to do. I was in continuous  contact with Kursad, one of Yasar’s staff (who is also an alumni of Ferris) and he was able to help me out immensely with moving forward to get here.

The few weeks before I left I was extremely nervous. No, petrified would be a better word. Not because of the University, but because I had never travelled this far with someone, let alone by myself. I went to Italy two years ago with my mom, and I remember feeling only excitement and anticipation. At first I kept thinking to myself, “What is wrong with you? Deal with it, everything will be fine.” But as I thought about it more, it dawned on me that I was nervous only because I was going by myself. The realization didn’t make me less nervous, but it helped me conquer my fears eventually. I read more on safety, the state of Turkey’s government, and Izmir to calm myself. There wasn’t anything negative, so that also helped calm my nerves as well. I wasn’t scared because I was specifically going to Turkey; I was scared because it was a different language, social setting, and culture that I had never been exposed to. I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I’m telling you all this because I think everyone experiences a little fear when going into the unknown, and I want to share my emotions and experiences through this blog. I have enjoyed my time here, and as I walked around the area and learned more my fear was gone, like a weight off my shoulders. I am now comfortable and do not have any fear (besides the normal, common sense ones!).

Once I arrived in Izmir, I was greeted swiftly and taken to the Halls of Residence, where I was impressed upon sight of the building. Large, beautiful, modern architecture- nicer than Ferris! (I do love my school very much, but I give credit where it is due.) My room is set up for two people, with desks, beds, extra chair, and shared bathroom. Again, impressive!

I was shown around town the next day, and the Aegean Sea is right along the city, creating a beautiful view. Shopping is much like some big cities in the US—street peddlers, cafes, and fancier stores within a five minute walk. It is humid, with little mercy shown at night. However, I am not complaining one bit. It is much better than needing a coat occasionally during June in Michigan!