four ex-students avoiding the real world
I found this “diary” post in the drafts folder. Back from October. hoşgeldiniz//welcome 05.10.11I’ve been in Turkey for one month now. And I’m feeling like I belong.Today, Sarah, Nick and I took a day trip to Bolu, a city in the mountains about 45 mins from the Duz. Bolu is smaller than Duzce, but it feels like there’s more to it. Duzce is a relatively new city, whereas Bolu has old mosques and hamams and even a teeny old medina. We got another glimpse of Turkish hospitality today. As we were sampling some amazing ground hazelnuts in a shop, we befriended Tarkan.  Tarkan was very helpful. He let us try all the yummy, fresh-made delicacies on display, including fig preserve, pickled figs & hazelnut butter. Tarkan also decided he was going to be our official guide to Bolu. He showed us the old medina (all three cute streets of it). We couldn’t shake him, and then we decided he was harmless enough and we didn’t have anything better to do, so we let him drag us around. He bought us some saray helvası, which is a dessert traditional to Bolu. He took us out for dinner and çay. He introduced us to his young friend Emra. Then after a few hours of hangage they drove us to the otogar//bus station. Turkish people rock. Before meeting Tarkan, the three of us took an hour-long bus to Abant lake. We spent three hours walking around and being all contemplative and stuff.I realized a few things on our walk.I’m not my normal self here. And I don’t think this is a good thing. I think the heart of it boils down to this:The two other English teachers are a lot more advanced in their Turkish than I am. And—I new this would happen—I didn’t stop it from becoming a crutch. I’ve never been uncomfortable trying to communicate in a foreign country. Normally, I find it fun and exhilarating. But when I’m with someone that knows more of the language than I do it’s hard for me to try and take control of a conversation with my limited vocabulary & grammar. So I sit back and listen. Like today, I barely spoke with Tarkan & Emra.That’s not like me. The non-Turkey, real me would have been bouncing with energy trying to communicate and looking silly—but trying. Apparently, not anymore.And I don’t like that.  New Goal: fix that. -Tas 05.01.2012=FIXED! photo: woman in abant, from SKC

I found this “diary” post in the drafts folder. Back from October.

hoşgeldiniz//welcome

05.10.11
I’ve been in Turkey for one month now. And I’m feeling like I belong.
Today, Sarah, Nick and I took a day trip to Bolu, a city in the mountains about 45 mins from the Duz. Bolu is smaller than Duzce, but it feels like there’s more to it. Duzce is a relatively new city, whereas Bolu has old mosques and hamams and even a teeny old medina.

We got another glimpse of Turkish hospitality today. As we were sampling some amazing ground hazelnuts in a shop, we befriended Tarkan. 

Tarkan was very helpful. He let us try all the yummy, fresh-made delicacies on display, including fig preserve, pickled figs & hazelnut butter.

Tarkan also decided he was going to be our official guide to Bolu. He showed us the old medina (all three cute streets of it). We couldn’t shake him, and then we decided he was harmless enough and we didn’t have anything better to do, so we let him drag us around. He bought us some saray helvası, which is a dessert traditional to Bolu. He took us out for dinner and çay. He introduced us to his young friend Emra. Then after a few hours of hangage they drove us to the otogar//bus station.

Turkish people rock.

Before meeting Tarkan, the three of us took an hour-long bus to Abant lake. We spent three hours walking around and being all contemplative and stuff.
I realized a few things on our walk.
I’m not my normal self here. And I don’t think this is a good thing. 
I think the heart of it boils down to this:
The two other English teachers are a lot more advanced in their Turkish than I am. And—I new this would happen—I didn’t stop it from becoming a crutch. I’ve never been uncomfortable trying to communicate in a foreign country. Normally, I find it fun and exhilarating. But when I’m with someone that knows more of the language than I do it’s hard for me to try and take control of a conversation with my limited vocabulary & grammar. So I sit back and listen. Like today, I barely spoke with Tarkan & Emra.
That’s not like me. The non-Turkey, real me would have been bouncing with energy trying to communicate and looking silly—but trying. Apparently, not anymore.
And I don’t like that. 

New Goal: fix that.

-Tas

05.01.2012=FIXED!

photo: woman in abant, from SKC