Seeing the City

I've now been in Turkey just over a week. That seems rather wild to me, since it feels like an eternity ago that I was boarding a plane at the Toronto airport. Since my last post, life has not at all slowed down. Orientation continued through last week, with a lot of the administrative tasks with the university getting ironed out. I've been trying to plan my course schedule, which is super exciting. There are so many fascinating courses which I would love to take, especially in the field of my major, political science. I'll be taking a regular course sequence of five courses, but it's going to be hard to pick that few with all the selection. One of the classes I'll be taking is a Turkish Language course, which I'm very excited about too - I'm picking up a few key phrases so far - hello, thank you, and I can count to five - but it will be nice to have a structured time and place to really learn. I have the next two weeks to nail down my schedule, meaning I can attend lectures and see if the profs and the classes are good fits before committing, which is nice (and a luxury not afforded to regular METU students, making me rather grateful of the course selection flexibility I've had at uOttawa).  And while I never, ever believed I would be saying it, I'm also feeling rather grateful for Rabaska, uOttawa's online course registration software. Yes, Rabaska can be frustrating, but it won't be even half as time-consuming as the bureaucratic hoops I'll have to jump through for course registration - the number of signatures, approvals, and stamps I need is rather ridiculous and gives me a bit of a headache just thinking about it.

The weather has been mostly grey, but here's a taste of campus - lots of trees and other green spaces.

Speaking of headache-inducing bureaucracy, in the short week I've been here, I've experienced a lot of it, and I know there's more to come. Everything from getting a student card to buying natural gas for the month has seemed to involve an additional level of bureaucracy than I would find back home. For example, in order to legally live in Turkey for longer than 90 days, I need to get a residence permit (never mind the fact that I already paid for a student visa which is valid for 6 months - no, that's not enough). Thank goodness my orientation contained an extensive session on the topic, because I need at least 12 different documents, from petitions to insurance information to special folders (many of which are exclusively in Turkish and thus absolutely incomprehensible to me without translation help from the International Office and my flatmates). In the coming weeks, I'll have to make an appointment at the Security Office, trek across town (bringing in tow a Turkish speaker because the 'crats won't speak English), wait around, hope my papers get approved, and ultimately pay more money. But, at the very least, I think that will be the last of my "settling-in affairs".

I've also now met my second flatmate, Mustafa, who moved in on Friday. Mustafa is also a METU student, doing his Ph.D. in computer instruction (or something related - I forget exactly. Definitely has to do with computers though). Mustafa is a fantastic cook. He's made a couple meals for me so far, and they have been delicious. As in most cultures, food and eating have important places in Turkish culture, and I've been learning a lot about that, especially from Yasin and especially Mustafa, who maintains a lot of those traditions from his hometown life before he moved to Ankara. For example, we don't really use knives - even when spreading things like honey or the uber-delicious grape molasses & honey mixture on bread, we use a fork. More than I had expected, we eat with our hands, scooping with pieces of bread into a communal dish of the main course in the middle of the table. We eat a lot of bread, and the freshly baked loaves from the local bakery are amazing. I knew that meat was popular in Turkey (and it is), but I admit I wasn't expecting how prominent bread and other baked goods would be (sorry gluten-free friends, you'll really be missing out if you visit!).

On Thursday, our orientation involved a trip to a few of the key tourist destinations in Ankara, which was pretty awesome. First, we visited Atatürk's Mausoleum, namely the last resting place of Turkey's founder and national hero. Mustafa Kemal, who adopted the name Atatürk (meaning "Father Turk"). It was an interesting place for a number of reasons, and I'm still processing the significance of it. It's a huge complex, starting with a walk down a tree-lined avenue of lion statues, towards a huge colonnaded courtyard. Ataturk's tomb, on one side, is the highlight, in a beautiful building, with stunning ceiling and gorgeous lighting, even on the grey and dreary day we visited. Then, there's an extensive museum dedicated to Ataturk and the formation of the Turkish Republic. A lot of his personal effects are on display, which are kinda cool to see and give a bit of a glimpse into the life he must have lived - certainly a fascinating one. Next, there's a museum dedicated to the formation of the Turkish Republic. It's full of nationalist fanfare, to say the least. It seemed as though every second display was a painting of Atatürk, and you can learn the name of just about every person who was at all involved in the nation-building process. That said, I shouldn't be too critical, and I hope I don't sound too dismissive of it all - Turkey is a young republic, less than 100 years old, and the foundation of the Republic is of course THE major event in the Turkish national consciousness and in their republican identity, and I appreciate that. Additionally, there were these huge, murals that were sort of 3D and which were accompanied by sound effects to capture the essence of the events depicted, which was actually really neat.

One of 24 snow-covered lions.

Columns in the courtyard.

The mausoleum itself (and a gaggle of exchange students).

Atatürk's tomb.

Trying to capture the beauty of the ceilings. Just not doing it justice with my digital camera.

Next, we bused to Ankara's Old Town, called Hamamönü. This was a great area to just walk around in, though since we were in a group we kept getting herded along faster than I wanted (I'll have to go back!). The streets were narrow and felt almost European, but the foods and smells and details were undeniably Turkish. We also entered a lot of little art shops, which were pretty cool and housed in historic buildings. We even saw some demonstrations of traditional (and very cool) art techniques, like this woman who poured paint on water, swirled it around to make flowers, and then put a blank sheet of paper on the water. When she pulled it off, the paint (and its flowers) was gone from the water and was instead on the paper - pretty neat. We also stopped for Turkish coffee, which was served in the traditional way and included these absolutely delicious marshmallow-like sweets. It was fantastic.

I saw this couple and asked to take their picture. They just looked so, well, Turkish to me, enjoying their cays outside at one of these little tables.

I thought this guy with his little butcher shop was great too - the building was so unique looking, and he just stands at the door, waiting to welcome customers inside.

Beautiful AND delicious - Turkish coffee is such a treat.

Finally, we made our way to the ancient Ankara Citadel. It's an incredibly old fortification, started in the 7th century and expanded in the 9th century by Emperor Michael II of the Byzantium Empire. We climbed around on the ramparts and took a bunch of photos and it was pretty cool!

From the citadel, looking back on the snow-capped roofs of Anakara

The inner walls of the citadel (ft. a lot of Germans)

No one's pretending it's the most beautiful city to look at, but I like the red roofs and the mountains in the distance.

The 1300-year-old fortifications juxtaposed with some crumbling modern houses below. The neighbourhood around the citadel actually looked rather rough.

The interior of the citadel, from the walls.

More ramparts, more city.

On the weekend, Yasin showed me more of the city. Saturday morning we visited a farmer's market right in my neighbourhood of Balgat, which was a lot of fun and had great food. Even though it's winter and it's relatively cold in Ankara, other parts of the country are much nicer and still producing delicious fruit. The oranges we bought are some of the best I've ever tasted.

Later, we went exploring in Kızılay, the downtown neighbourhood. We walked along some of the more famous streets, which are especially popular among young people. There's also a concentration of leftist political groups in the area (due to the younger demographic) and a ton of little cafes and shops which seem to accompany such groups.  Again, it was fascinating and requires a second visit - when the weather gets even warmer, I'm sure I'll spend more time outside and exploring this cool area. We met up with Yasin's friend, and drank tea and chatted at one such cafe [I heard some interesting stories, but I'm not going to share them now - I think they belong in a later blog post]. Overall, a delightful afternoon.

In the evening, there was a Welcome Party for exchange students hosted by the METU International Students Network at a club downtown. It was a lot of fun, but the real reason I mention it is just to note that clubs and bars in Ankara - which is NOT by any means known as being a party city - don't close until 5 or 6am. As a Canadian (and specifically having lived in Ottawa, the city where you can't find a coffee shop open past 9pm), I find that mind-blowing. Needless to say, I didn't stay out that late, but can you imagine?

A New City and a New Home

My first impression of Turkey was of the minarets. I awoke from a deep slumber as we began our descent and immediately noticed how many of these towers rose from Ankara, a city that is unsurprisingly filled with mosques. I have visited a majority Muslim country once before, when I visited Bangladesh, but so far I feel as though the way in which Islam affects everyday lives is very different. We'll have to see.

My second impression was that Esenboga Airport in Ankara smells of cigarette smoke. I have to assume this is a lingering smell, since there didn't appear to be anyone smoking inside, but I think it was an appropriate introduction to how much people in Turkey smoke (though it probably doesn't help these first impressions that I've been spending much of my time in the company of German exchange students who are also notorious for their tobacco consumption).

Getting through customs at the airport was (surprisingly?) smooth and easy, and then I waited at domestic arrivals for Yasin, my roommate, to arrive. Yasin is from Agri, a city in the east of the country, and he had been home for holidays like the rest of the university. It was rather fortunate that we were getting into the airport within an hour or so of each other, since it made my trek into town (much of which happened in darkness by the time we left the airport) much less terrifying.

My apartment is a real delight! Aside from the toilet, which is "Turkish style" - ie. a hole in the ground, familiar to those who've also traveled India and other parts of South East Asia - I adore every part of it. It's located in a short, rather non-descript-in-a-quaint-sorta-way building on a quiet, tree-lined street. I'm a big fan of the front door. There a shared kitchen, living room, shower room, and toilet room, and then three bedrooms. The decor is simple and a little bit retro, but since Turkey is in the midst of a rather rapid modernization process, it feels more "authentic" than some of the other more modern apartments Yasin has described to me. My room has a bed, a desk, a couch and a large wardrobe. It's small, but certainly plenty big enough for me. Comparing my living situation with that of the exchange students living on campus, I'm incredibly happy I chose the off-campus option.
University dormitories are either cramped with multiple roommates, or truly expensive (even by North American standards). I have another roommate, Mustafa, but he hasn't yet moved in yet since the regular semester hasn't started. His English, apparently, is not anywhere near as strong as Yasin's, but I'm hoping this will serve as a strong motivator to learn Turkish.

My room when I arrived. We've since added a desk. A little tight, but more than enough. I love the couch.

On my first night, Yasin took me on a walking tour of Balgat, which is my neighbourhood in Ankara. While I still have a lot more exploring to do before I pass judgement on Balgat, so far it seems to be pleasant. There are a lot of small shops and restaurants, and the buildings are only a few stories high. At night, it remains well-lit but traffic quiets down completely, making it calm but safe.

The next morning, Yasin accompanied me to campus, for the start of my orientation. I've met a whole bunch of international students, from Slovenia, to Taiwan, to Kazakhstan, to the US. They are all friendly and as excited as I am, and there are a few with whom I've really hit it off. There's another Canadian here, too, from the U of A, which is kinda cool. I've been spending a lot of time with the exchange students, since my orientation week is packed from morning to night with information sessions and social events. A lot of the info is critical and it's great to network with the other internationals, but I'll be happy when classes start so that I can meet some real Turks and get going academically.

The Middle East Technical University (from now on, forever and always, to be referred to simply as METU) campus is unique, and not quite what I expected. First of all, it is huge. Truly massive. I don't know measurements, but trust me for now. It's also very isolated from the city. When it was first built, it was constructed completely outside the city limits, but the city has since grown around it. Nonetheless, it has maintained a feeling of being completely separate from the city, thanks in part to the large number of amenities (there is a shopping mall and a hospital, for example). It reminds me a bit of UBC in the way in which it is distinct from Vancouver. In fact, I'm learning that METU is culturally very distinct from Ankara. It is certainly more liberal, and behaviours that are not acceptable in Turkish culture are fully accepted on campus. I know that campuses are usually more liberal, but I have never seen it to this degree. For example, romantic couples will kiss on campus as they do in North America, but in the city itself you would never see this behaviour. Even a couple holding hands in downtown Ankara is considered risque. I'm sure that as time goes on and I see more of campus, I'll fill you in with more details.

At the end of my first day of orientation, I took a bus home alone. It was nerve-wracking, as I had to wave down the bus, pay, and then recognize my stop alone at night, but doing so gave me a big confidence boost. Since then, I've traveled alone a bit more, and each time it becomes easier. Again, there is huge motivation to learn Turkish, since it is not needed on campus but is oh-so-critical in the city itself.

In terms of city exploration, it has been rather limited so far, what with me being so busy with orientation and other campus activities. However, in a block of free time today, a couple of international students and I headed to Kizilay, the downtown, for a few hours to check things out.

I would be lying if I said that I found downtown Ankara to be pretty or photogenic. The city is relatively young, having been turned into the capital only in the 1920s with the establishment of the Turkish Republic. Thus it has few of the architectural masterpieces downtown you might find in other great cities. The oldest part of the city, with the most tourist and architectural sites, is away from the city centre, and I haven't yet visited.

That being said, Kizilay is certainly not uninteresting. In fact, it is fascinating, watching cars and people interact. It was loud, with plenty of flashy signs and neon lights, and tons of shops. We ate simit, a traditional bagel-like food from a street vendor, and doner (basically a traditional Turkish meat sandwich) from a hole-in-the-wall restaurant. We also came across the Kotcatepe Camii, a huge white mosque which is often used as a symbol of Ankara. It seemed almost out of place in the bustling commercial city-centre, but the giant advertisement for Kiwis at a local grocery store hanging just in front of the entrance helped remind us that we were still in Kizilay. In fact, there appeared to be an entire shopping mall underneath the mosque, which was confusing and felt kinda cheap.

The first view of Kotcatepe Camii. Note that kiwis are on sale. The top of the kiwi ad is actually the bottom of the raised platform which the mosque sits on.

Looking back on the city from the Kotcatepe Camii platform. Nothing special, no, but just past those apartment buildings, down that road of red lights is the bustling commercial heart of the city. Also note the snow. Everyone's complaining about the cold and I'm finding it rather balmy.

However, when we mounted the steps to the mosque platform, we left the commercialization behind. As stunning as it was from afar, the sheer size of the Kotcatepe Camii is overwhelming. The mosque is relatively new (built in the second half of the 20th century) but the architecture is stunningly gorgeous. While we were there, too, the call began from the minarets. It was fascinating to see the literal "call to prayer". People at shops and offices across the street ran up the steps as the call went out, and funneled into the mosque. I didn't go in, because I wanted to respect those that were praying, but I hope to come back and take a look inside because I hear it is truly spectacular.

Trying to capture the enormity and beauty of the Kotcatepe Camii,

I've already stayed up too late writing this post (I think I'm only just kicking the jet-lag now) so I'm going to have to let you go, despite the fact that there are a million more stories to tell already! -C

New Adventures

Aaaaaand we're back!

Hi everyone.

As you can all see, I've decided to use the same blog as my 2012 adventures in Bangladesh and India. This is both for your benefit, in case you're at all curious about my previous travel experiences (I know, so selfless of me), and for my own, so that I can keep everything in one spot and because 100daysofcam.blogspot.com already autocompletes in my web browser.

Anyway.

As the subtitle mentions, this blog is going to document the four months I spend on exchange at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey, which will be the last semester of my undergrad degree (yes, I need these credits to graduate). After exams are finished, the plan is to travel indefinitely. I don't have a return ticket or a defined destination - we'll just have to see where the world leads me.

 An exchange has been on my radar basically since I started my undergrad, and so it's incredible to finally be making it happen. Plus, I've been itching to travel the world since I've been back from India. It feels like ages ago already. I've had to appease the bug with a bit of North American travel - visits to Vancouver, Boston, New York, Chicago and Winnipeg were all incredible and tons of fun, but I'm more than ready now to be back in Asia.

Starting this adventure is not without sadness. Since it's my last semester of undergrad, I'm saying goodbye to Ottawa as I've known it and a number of people who are incredibly important to me and have been such incredible friends through my undergrad. People tell me that I'll meet new friends on my adventures; undoubtedly this is the case. But I'm not looking to replace the people I've left back home - they're already perfect. I'm happy to add new friendships, which can hopefully be as meaningful as the ones I've left in Ottawa (and all across this country, really, from Vancouver to Montreal to Halifax) but I'm also looking forward to seeing my Canadian friends again in the not-so-distant future.

This post is being made pre-departure at the airport, so I've got all of the travel excitements and anxieties piling up and overflowing. I'm flying from Toronto to Munich (8 hours), with a short layover there before heading onwards to Ankara (about 3 hours), getting me to Ankara mid-afternoon the day before my orientation classes start. The plan is to meet my new roommate at the airport (he'll be flying back to Ankara from his hometown in the east) and together we'll make the trek to what will be my new home. Somehow, in those next few hours, I'll figure out how and where I need to be the next morning, and how to get there, and just hope the jet-lag isn't too bad haaaaaaaaaaaaaa. But actually, my orientation week looks super packed and super fun, and I have a feeling it will be a good start and might produce some storytelling gems!

So with that, I'm off! Can't wait for this adventure to get underway! See you on the other side of Turkish customs!