Thursday, August 10, 2006
I began to think that my travels and efforts here were taxing me too much, as I was constantly sweating and uncomfortable. Turkey is not supposed to be so hot. Then today, I found a conversion chart, and realized I'd been trekking around Ankara in about 96 degree heat. I'm so tempted to wear shorts and a t-shirt, but that will mark me a foreigner (though I believe there is little doubt anyway).
Today I want to say how impressed I was with the Fulbright program, which hosted a three day orientation in Washington for all the Fulbrighters before we left. It was during the extremely hot days at the start of August, but we were put up in several nice hotels in Alexandria for meetings, informative sessions and just chat time with our exchange partners. At the opening dinner and plenary (yeah, I had to look it up again too), a high ranking politico mentioned a meeting with George W. that week, where (and here he asked if there were any journalists in the room)...the word "despair" was used to describe the world situations at present. Our exchange has as one of its goals to foster empathy between cultures, and so I will be trying to meet as many different people here as possible. Our keynote speaker was the current U.S. national teacher of the year, Kimberly Oliver (which I thought was fairly impressive). Since we only numbered 200, and the lights were up (we were still seated for dinner), I had a great chance to study her as a speaker (I do teach public speaking, after all). I was amused that she used an acronym (heart, as in h is for helping others...) as the basis of her speech, since I teach my students that in a pinch, they can always pull out an acronym and fill 30 or more minutes for a speech (though her speech was well prepared and presented).
It was a pleasure to be in such an international village for a few days (literally - I would sit down at a meal and ask what country the others were from, and where they were headed), and a good lead in to Turkey.
Speaking of Turkey, I must describe our apartment. If you have seen the recent Adidas commercial where a boy plays a game in his dusty yard with imaginary soccer greats, until his mother yells out the window, "Jose, in la casa," then you have seen my apartment and surrounding area. Everything in my neighborhood has a yellow tint to it - due to the light and the buldings and ground. I live in one of many five-six story stucco and brick buildings, surrounded by little dusty cement and dirt courtyards. Everything has the feel of being under construction, but appears to have been this way for quite some time. There is construction going on in the area, which only adds to the dust.
Approximately 150 yards from my apartment is a large cream-colored mosque, with a towering minaret, surrounded by more of these apartment buildings and shops. Five times a day, the ezan, or cry proclaiming that Allah (God) is great is heard, and already I have grown fond of it. The call is in Arabic, and is very beautiful. Last night, when the traffic had quieted, I heard the echo of the ezan 5 times (it is that clear, due to the surrounding hills, and the fact that the ezans are now broadcast over speakers rather than just shouted as in days of old). The hours of the call are supposedly posted in the paper, and the call is from before 5 am to late in the evening, and lasts for about five minutes. If it's possible to miss something before it's even gone, it will be the ezan (Silvia says I'm too sentimental like this, but I don't see that as a weakness).
There are other touches that makes the apartment unique: the large tree stump that was left standing in the paved road in front of our apartment door is interesting, the Muslim women in headscarves that hang their laundry only 10 feet across the drop between their tiny balcony and mine, and the kopoche (sp?) who acts like a superintendent, but brings your order of bread in the morning, and will go stand in line and pay bills, etc.
I already feel at home here, and am looking forward to a wonderful year. If possible I will try to add some pictures on this blog in the near future.
Today I want to say how impressed I was with the Fulbright program, which hosted a three day orientation in Washington for all the Fulbrighters before we left. It was during the extremely hot days at the start of August, but we were put up in several nice hotels in Alexandria for meetings, informative sessions and just chat time with our exchange partners. At the opening dinner and plenary (yeah, I had to look it up again too), a high ranking politico mentioned a meeting with George W. that week, where (and here he asked if there were any journalists in the room)...the word "despair" was used to describe the world situations at present. Our exchange has as one of its goals to foster empathy between cultures, and so I will be trying to meet as many different people here as possible. Our keynote speaker was the current U.S. national teacher of the year, Kimberly Oliver (which I thought was fairly impressive). Since we only numbered 200, and the lights were up (we were still seated for dinner), I had a great chance to study her as a speaker (I do teach public speaking, after all). I was amused that she used an acronym (heart, as in h is for helping others...) as the basis of her speech, since I teach my students that in a pinch, they can always pull out an acronym and fill 30 or more minutes for a speech (though her speech was well prepared and presented).
It was a pleasure to be in such an international village for a few days (literally - I would sit down at a meal and ask what country the others were from, and where they were headed), and a good lead in to Turkey.
Speaking of Turkey, I must describe our apartment. If you have seen the recent Adidas commercial where a boy plays a game in his dusty yard with imaginary soccer greats, until his mother yells out the window, "Jose, in la casa," then you have seen my apartment and surrounding area. Everything in my neighborhood has a yellow tint to it - due to the light and the buldings and ground. I live in one of many five-six story stucco and brick buildings, surrounded by little dusty cement and dirt courtyards. Everything has the feel of being under construction, but appears to have been this way for quite some time. There is construction going on in the area, which only adds to the dust.
Approximately 150 yards from my apartment is a large cream-colored mosque, with a towering minaret, surrounded by more of these apartment buildings and shops. Five times a day, the ezan, or cry proclaiming that Allah (God) is great is heard, and already I have grown fond of it. The call is in Arabic, and is very beautiful. Last night, when the traffic had quieted, I heard the echo of the ezan 5 times (it is that clear, due to the surrounding hills, and the fact that the ezans are now broadcast over speakers rather than just shouted as in days of old). The hours of the call are supposedly posted in the paper, and the call is from before 5 am to late in the evening, and lasts for about five minutes. If it's possible to miss something before it's even gone, it will be the ezan (Silvia says I'm too sentimental like this, but I don't see that as a weakness).
There are other touches that makes the apartment unique: the large tree stump that was left standing in the paved road in front of our apartment door is interesting, the Muslim women in headscarves that hang their laundry only 10 feet across the drop between their tiny balcony and mine, and the kopoche (sp?) who acts like a superintendent, but brings your order of bread in the morning, and will go stand in line and pay bills, etc.
I already feel at home here, and am looking forward to a wonderful year. If possible I will try to add some pictures on this blog in the near future.
# posted by Michael Strich @ 7:27 AM 
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Hi Michael, I am a fellow Fulbrighter who has not yet left for India.
I wanted to tell you that I am using Picasa to add pictures to my blog (www.steinhornindia.blogspot.com). It's easy and allows you to post more than one picture.
Your journey sounds amazing so far and you capture the wonder of it in your writing.
I'm not sure how you received my email address...maybe at the orientation in the City June 3rd?
Anyway, thanks...
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I wanted to tell you that I am using Picasa to add pictures to my blog (www.steinhornindia.blogspot.com). It's easy and allows you to post more than one picture.
Your journey sounds amazing so far and you capture the wonder of it in your writing.
I'm not sure how you received my email address...maybe at the orientation in the City June 3rd?
Anyway, thanks...
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