We have also started working with Eastside High School students on their part of the "Getting to Know Europe" grant (http://eastside.sbac.edu/pages/EHS0421). Thanks to the generous support of Professor Paul Ortiz and his staff at the Samuel Proctor Oral History program (http://oral.history.ufl.edu/), these lucky high school students are receiving expert advice from oral history professionals as they conduct interviews with Alachua county residents of European descent. The histories will be collected in the "Getting to Know You: Our Neighbors of European Heritage" exhibit at the Thomas Center next May and we hope that many of you come to see and hear these fascinating stories. As the selections are finalized we hope to give our readers a sneak peak.......so stay tuned for more! And of course, we have our ongoing Aegean film series that highlights the work of Greek and Turkish filmmakers every week. Check out the coming attractions and schedule at http://www.ces.ufl.edu/outreach/special_events/movie_nights/index.shtml.
Today's Turkish Tuesday entry comes to us from former UF student Iris Muradoglu (Anthropology 2013), who studied Turkish with Professor Emrah Sahin during her undergrad years. Like the work of the Eastside students who are collecting oral histories, Iris's entry reminds us of how important it is to appreciate our elders and listen to their stories, share in their wisdom, and take comfort in their memories. But enough about that - let's see what Iris's grandmother has to say about jobs, food, and husbands!
There are usually two paths in life after
graduation. The first path, generally, is for those going to graduate school,
law school, or getting a job—those that are overall certain about what to do
upon graduating. For the rest of us, including myself, we find ourselves with
absolutely no idea of what to do. We find ourselves taking one of the wisest
pieces of advice—“take a year off, figure out what you like and what you want
to do; travel.” Not wanting just yet to commit to graduate school and unable to
bear living at home again (sorry mom and dad), I found myself unsure of my
future. As the summer was ending, I hastily made the decision to teach English
abroad. I enjoyed getting my TESL certificate at the University of Florida and
really like teaching. So, I ran with it, all the way to Istanbul, Turkey.
You
might be wondering why Istanbul? Besides the obvious of it being one of the
most beautiful, culturally rich cities in both Europe and Asia, it is also my
second home. I told myself that if I truly wanted to be fluent in Turkish and
really experience living there, this was my chance. Otherwise, I would always
have this internal struggle. Therefore, here I am in Istanbul living with my 86
year old grandma, trying to find a job. Unfortunately there is a great deal of truth
to the saying that “the hardest job is finding a job.” I wish I could hire someone at this point to
go to interviews for me, but on the bright side I have a better idea of where
places are as a result of my never-ending search (Istanbul is huge and
confusing direction-wise!). I want to be happy and sure about my decision, but
my grandma jokes that if I can’t decide on a job how will I ever decide on a
husband?
Being
unemployed I find myself with a lot of free time. And besides getting a daily
crash course in Turkish by my grandma, (she doesn’t speak any English) she is
also teaching me how to make all kinds of Turkish foods (along with a good cup of
Turkish coffee), all essential to being a good future gelin (gelin=bride--it’s
a joke). Besides teaching me how to cook, she gives me advice, tells jokes,
shares words of wisdom, and tells me stories about her life, about when I was
younger, about my dad, and other family members. I think we often take our
elders for granted and fail to fully appreciate their time and words, so I find
myself in a truly unique position by getting to spend this time with her.
Istanbul
is unlike any city I’ve traveled to. It is very modern, yet at the same time
traditional; modern, in the sense that it is a lot like what we think of as a
typical European or American city and traditional in the aspect of religion,
etiquette, and the ever flowing cups of tea and coffee. Unfortunately I think
that oftentimes people have misconceptions about Turkey. This is only my
opinion based on what I’ve been asked about Turkey and what I’ve heard people
say. For example, I’ve been asked what kind of housing do I live in. Well, Istanbul is just like any other big
city, full of apartment buildings. What do they wear in Turkey? Well, they wear
the same things anybody in the U.S. would wear. Oh, and I’ve been in Italy for
an extended period of time, and in my opinion the people here, at least what
I’ve seen in Istanbul, dress way more fashionable than anyone I ever saw in
Italy. So yes, the shopping here is awesome.
Another great thing about living
here is that you really get immersed in the language. One of the most
frustrating experiences is when you really want to learn a language and all
anyone will ever do is speak your native language to you. Here, most people at
shops, restaurants, etc. only speak Turkish so practicing is convenient. All
you have to do is try to speak Turkish and they love it, and if you can bargain
in Turkish even better for you. In fact, multiple people have told me that
Turks think it is ‘cute’ when Americans speak Turkish. But it is nice to know that my efforts, and
those of other Americans, are appreciated, particularly when we feel foolish in
the attempt.
There
are many things to see in Istanbul, many places to go, and more importantly
many things to eat. While my cousin was here visiting with a friend I got to
enjoy going around to see some of the main tourist attractions. Besides making
sure my cousin’s friend saw the must-sees in Istanbul, we made sure that she
ate as much Turkish food as possible (naming them all will make me hungry.) We
did quintessential Turkish things such as riding in a dolmuş (basically a van
with a rocket engine), having tea, olives, fresh bread, and cheese for
breakfast, drinking tea on the ferry, and having simit as an on-the-go snack.
There really is an endless amount to see, do,
and eat in Istanbul and thus far I have been quite busy with all that the city
has to offer. I feel like I have made a
smooth transition in this big move. The things I miss the most are my family
and friends. But, it helps to have close family like my aunt and grandma here
so I don’t feel too homesick. And thank goodness for technology to help me keep
up my addiction to Breaking Bad, oh and of course, to communicate with those
back home. Now, let’s just all hope I find a job soon.
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