Wednesday, November 01, 2006
I have been very remiss (but also very busy). To get at least something put down in this blog, I am cutting and pasting part of an e-mail Silvia sent to some family members (and was written to send some information, not dazzle you with her customary style). I have her permission, however, to post it. It discusses a little about our children's schooling.
"Yes, we are all doing well. Michael at work, likes it, good colleagues, decent students, and at a top-notch private school. Mara (our seven-year- old) goes along happily with him everyday, in her uniform of blue pleated skirt, pin-striped shirt and choice of red vest or red cardigan. Can you almost see her skipping to school, her skirt following along? She loves the school, even though or perhaps because it is in Turkish, and she's picking it up and figures out what to do at school cuz everyone, students and teachers, give her cues or help or outright English translations! I think she savors all this attention, from her lone time with Papa to and from school, to being the American in a Turkish class of 1st graders.
For Elli Sol (our five-year-old) we also found just what she needed and loves as well. A smaller, private international school where instruction is in English, but Turkish language is a subject and the students are from all around the world, hence not all English-dominant. Her class is tiny, about 13, compared with Mara's 24, the teacher's an Asian American from CA, and the staff there are likewise so helpful and welcoming. Whenever Miguel and I show up to do holiday crafts, I am served tea and snacks and stay too long and get too little crafting done in favor of picking all the fellow-crafter's brains about how-to's, where-to's, what-to's in Ankara. Now Elli Sol likewise wears a uniform, of muted colors, no specific wardrobe, although for ease of mind we got her some jumpers (like tanktop dresses with pleated skirts at bottom which you wear over a blouse or shirt) in blue and grey, plus some white shirts to go underneath. So off she goes romping with her jumper outfit and backback stuffed with snack and lunch, unless she buys lunch (whereas Mara is served a hot Turkish restaurant-like meal of several courses fresh-cooked by chefs in those white uniforms and chef hats). Elli Sol, on the other hand, will buy a pizza slice this Friday. But Elli Sol comes home jumping to tell me about the day's happenings and the letters, and journals and numbers and Turkish and library and computer and art...
Miguel (our three-year-old) needs a school soon. For now he's content tagging along with me all day to playgroups and parks and errands, of which there are many in this bureaucratic land. But brief detachments from me might do us both well. Me? Just trying to keep the household running smoothly, and the inhabitants happy, or at least constructively occupied. (Cash-flow willing, maybe Turkish and German courses in the works, while Miguel at preschool, a tricky mission on public transport too.).
Everyone here, truly everyone, has been wonderful to us, and especially to the children. Here, children are quite openly adored. Ours are just now getting used to complete strangers stroking their heads, hugging them, picking them up, offering them food, in short, loving them. We can send our kids, at least two of them, up the street to buy bread, knowing everyone is watching out for them. Even the breadmaker gives them more bread than the coins they carry should buy, but probably cuz like all other Turks they are thrilled to hear them speak even a word of Turkish, and asking for bread involves at least three, which they know fluently by now: bir ekmek lutfen (one breadloaf please) or, during Ramazan which just ended, bir pide lutfen. Mara and Elli Sol were especially saddened that the fresh, warm, evening pide is no longer available. They will always remember the aroma, the weight (while carrying it home), the taste, the feelings associated with pide during Ramazan. Isn't that great?! And so much else too."
If you're interested in seeing more about their schools, here are some sites:
For Elli Sol, try:
http://www.oasisis.org/schools/ankara.html for general info; it links to school’s web site http://www.icsankara.org/
For Mara’s school, where she’s in 1st grade (and immersed in Turkish!): http://www.odtugvo.k12.tr/
"Yes, we are all doing well. Michael at work, likes it, good colleagues, decent students, and at a top-notch private school. Mara (our seven-year- old) goes along happily with him everyday, in her uniform of blue pleated skirt, pin-striped shirt and choice of red vest or red cardigan. Can you almost see her skipping to school, her skirt following along? She loves the school, even though or perhaps because it is in Turkish, and she's picking it up and figures out what to do at school cuz everyone, students and teachers, give her cues or help or outright English translations! I think she savors all this attention, from her lone time with Papa to and from school, to being the American in a Turkish class of 1st graders.
For Elli Sol (our five-year-old) we also found just what she needed and loves as well. A smaller, private international school where instruction is in English, but Turkish language is a subject and the students are from all around the world, hence not all English-dominant. Her class is tiny, about 13, compared with Mara's 24, the teacher's an Asian American from CA, and the staff there are likewise so helpful and welcoming. Whenever Miguel and I show up to do holiday crafts, I am served tea and snacks and stay too long and get too little crafting done in favor of picking all the fellow-crafter's brains about how-to's, where-to's, what-to's in Ankara. Now Elli Sol likewise wears a uniform, of muted colors, no specific wardrobe, although for ease of mind we got her some jumpers (like tanktop dresses with pleated skirts at bottom which you wear over a blouse or shirt) in blue and grey, plus some white shirts to go underneath. So off she goes romping with her jumper outfit and backback stuffed with snack and lunch, unless she buys lunch (whereas Mara is served a hot Turkish restaurant-like meal of several courses fresh-cooked by chefs in those white uniforms and chef hats). Elli Sol, on the other hand, will buy a pizza slice this Friday. But Elli Sol comes home jumping to tell me about the day's happenings and the letters, and journals and numbers and Turkish and library and computer and art...
Miguel (our three-year-old) needs a school soon. For now he's content tagging along with me all day to playgroups and parks and errands, of which there are many in this bureaucratic land. But brief detachments from me might do us both well. Me? Just trying to keep the household running smoothly, and the inhabitants happy, or at least constructively occupied. (Cash-flow willing, maybe Turkish and German courses in the works, while Miguel at preschool, a tricky mission on public transport too.).
Everyone here, truly everyone, has been wonderful to us, and especially to the children. Here, children are quite openly adored. Ours are just now getting used to complete strangers stroking their heads, hugging them, picking them up, offering them food, in short, loving them. We can send our kids, at least two of them, up the street to buy bread, knowing everyone is watching out for them. Even the breadmaker gives them more bread than the coins they carry should buy, but probably cuz like all other Turks they are thrilled to hear them speak even a word of Turkish, and asking for bread involves at least three, which they know fluently by now: bir ekmek lutfen (one breadloaf please) or, during Ramazan which just ended, bir pide lutfen. Mara and Elli Sol were especially saddened that the fresh, warm, evening pide is no longer available. They will always remember the aroma, the weight (while carrying it home), the taste, the feelings associated with pide during Ramazan. Isn't that great?! And so much else too."
If you're interested in seeing more about their schools, here are some sites:
For Elli Sol, try:
http://www.oasisis.org/schools/ankara.html for general info; it links to school’s web site http://www.icsankara.org/
For Mara’s school, where she’s in 1st grade (and immersed in Turkish!): http://www.odtugvo.k12.tr/
# posted by Michael Strich @ 8:31 AM 
