101 Things I Will Miss About Turkey

I have been in Turkey for nearly one and a half years. Here is a shortened list of the things I will be missing!! I linked some of these with a few of my past posts, if you want to read/browse and learn some more! :D

1. Izmir
2. Turkish Coffee
3. Hadise
4. Turkish Airlines
5. Nargile (Hookah)
6. Skiing In Uludag
7. Bayram
8. Yaprak Sarmasi
9. Manti
10. Turkish Language
11. Taxi Dolmus
12. Recis
13. Alsancak Night life
14. Cheap Travel
15. Bios Rock Bar
16. Movie Nights
17. O Ses Turkiye
18. Bazaar
19. Sahika / / "Avrupa Yakisi"
20. Gulsen
21. School Friends
22. Bufe & Pastavilla (School Lunch Time)
23. Turkish Hand Gestures
24. Turkish Superstitions
25. Bar Street
26. Cesme (The sea has 4 tones of blue)
27. Foca
28. Raki Balik (Fish and Traditional Turkish Liquor)
29. Brick Roads
30. Crazy Turkish Drivers
31. Istanbul
32. Tavla (Backgammon)
33. Taksim
34. Ferry Boat
35. Simit (Turkish Bread)
36. Fresh Tomatoes
37. Delivery Service for every and any food vendor
38. Cheap Cell phone bill (15$/Month, unlimited everything)
39. Mesir Macunu Paste
40. Sushi Sundays
41. Late Night Cafes
42. Trivial Pursuit
43. Scrabble
44. Smoking Area at School (Everyone's hang out spot)
45. Last minute decisions
46. Trip to Istanbul for one night
47. Turkish Coffee Fortune
48. Throwing your arms up like you are flying and snapping during an oriental song
49. Team Hadise
50. Birthday Celebrations
51. Hidirellez
52. Soda Water
53. Karisik Ayvalik Tost
54. The Belief in the Turkish Eye
55. Twitter Parties! :P
56. The Eyzan (The call to prayer)
57. The Sunset from my home
58. The Turkish Barber Shop
59. Turkish Shave
60. Hospitality
61. The Sea
62. Water Sports in Marmaris
63. Sun Bathing
64. Turkish Tea
65. The Markets
66. Driving in Craziness
67. Showing Chest Hair! ;)
68. The Exchange Rate (More for your money)
69. English in a Turkish accent
70. Walking on the sea side on a bad day
71. Mavisehir (The district I live in)
72. Karsiyaka, Always better than Goztepe! ;)
73. Yasar University's International Office Staff (Love Them!)
74. Marmaris
75. Deciding to go out at 2AM
76. Efes (Turkey's Fresh Beer)
77. Taking off your shoes as entering the house
78. Kissing each other on the cheek
79. No Homework
80. The way a Turkish will tell you if you look tired, bad, or fat.
81. Karaoke Sessions in the Kitchen with Burak
82. Drinking Tomato Soup at Kircicegi after every clubbing night! (Tradition for Turks)
83. The Belief in Energies
84. Baklava
85. Open-Mindedness of my friends
86. The Love of Ataturk
87. The Confusing Mapping of the City Streets
88. Turkish Proverbs
89. Hanging your clothes to dry
90. Hamams (Turkish Baths)
91. Turkish Concerts
92. Learning something new every single day
93. Sunshine at least 300 days out of the year
94. The weekly cleaning lady
95. Turkish Rice
96. Our pet rabbit, Noel
97. Virgin Mary's home / Ephesus / Syrince "Wine Tasting Village" (All one tour)
98. My AMAZING host family
99. Iskender Kebab
100. Not drinking from the faucet but water dispensers
101. Turkish Flag and its Colors

Every Story Has Its Ends!

What does one do when one has 2 weeks left after a year in a foreign country? I have laughed, I have cried, I have spent the best times, I have spent the worst times in Turkey. I have went through my ups and downs to adapt my life in Turkey. I have made Izmir, Turkey, the "city of love," my home!

I have only two emotions about going back to America. I have absolute excitement to see my family. They have been going through possibly the most worst scenarios a family can go through, and I want to be a light of hope for them. I also have complete and distinct fear of leaving Turkey and returning to the many problems that await me.

I feel like everything that I have experienced is coming to an abrupt end! How can this be? How does one cope with this kind of energy? This has been nothing I have experienced before. I know this slightly what I should be going through; however, the extremes that I will be going back to, to be frankly honest, scares the living shit out of me! I would like to know your thoughts, opinions, and advice in the comments section below!

How should I spend my last 2 weeks here? Life is spinning out of control, that I need to grab a hold of something. I will! Dustin means brave and valiant warrior, and I believe our names were given for a reason. I have the strength to fight a million, but I feel like I may fall down to a peasant level, not able to fight anymore. I may need a refresher course to become the warrior I was and am currently.

Like my family, Turkey has been the light of hope for me. It has made part of who I am and appreciate them both soo much! I have learned many things through the eyes of the Turks and I hope to bring that back with me!

I have promised myself to be as strong as possible through this,, but it will be painstakingly hard. I have come here to become the person I am now, and would not trade any split second of a moment, EVER! I will leave with tears water-falling from my eyes and my heart beat at an irregular rhythm, but I would recommend this experience to the world!

I leave every single person that reads this with strength, hope, power, happiness, passion, courageousness, stability, knowledge, compassion, confidence and ultimate love for your near and far future!

Video to watch: Dido - Sand In My Shoes

How to Blend in With the Turks!

So as I write this, I am happily awaiting the arrival of my mother and my grandmother (mother's side) to come to Izmir this Wednesday. ONLY 2 FULL DAYS! Yes, That was needed, as I have not seen any of my family for nearly a year! In the midst of their packing, they constantly ask me how to pronounce names of my family and hello, how are you, and other basics. They also ask me about some normal to things to blend in. Although I am not Turkish, I am now at the point of being able to tell who is a tourist, and its very fun and down right cool to now know. I mean we all are tourists somewhere, and after living in a foreign place for nearly a year, I find it so cool to point out what I probably used to look like!

So what I can do is write a few recommendations or notes of how to at least slightly blend in with the Turks; you know, after your outfit, hair and skin color is taken out of the options to change.

1. Do not rely on maps! As a traveler, everyone has maps, right? Well, if you have a map for Turkey, many times they will be out of date or even completely wrong. You know how a map shows street names, numbers and all of that? Yeh. Don't come to Turkey expecting there to be street signs on every street corner like there are in United States for instance. Finding a road sign is like finding a needle in a hay stack, they are there, but trying to spot them takes up half your travels. My best recommendation is to ask the nearest market owner or people on the street. This is the easiest way to find your way, and also possibly even learn something or get a complimentary treat (Tea, gum, coffee, etc.) Which brings me to my next point.
   
2. Do not think that Turkish people do not know or speak English. If you go somewhere playing a game of charades or flipping through your fresh new Turkish-English phrase dictionary, you might get some innocent laughs and be asked to just simply ask in English. Although sometimes there is a huge language barrier, you will be very surprised how even simple English can help you on your travels.
   
3. When crossing streets in Turkey, run like there is a huge animal chasing you! Turks are known as very hospitable and polite people; however, something happens like a morphing transformation when they get behind the wheel of a car. It does not matter if the cross light says walk, look left and right before crossing, and while crossing, keep your eyes open for those little moped motorcycles. This and only this may be your only life-sentence while in Turkey, so I repeat, cross streets with speed and caution!
   
4. When entering the house of a Turk, take off your shoes. This is just a simple cultural respect. Some families even take their shoes off before even entering the house. Do not be surprised either if you are handed a pair of slippers to wear around the house, they want you to be comfortable. So after entering the house, take off your shoes, and if they say it is not a problem (as sometimes, this is not a problem), then leave them on as you wish.
   
5. Never disrespect bar owners, waiters, taxi drivers, or hotel receptionists. In general you should show respect anyways, as it is plain courtesy. However there are those times when something goes wrong: the wrong meal, bad hotel room, the taxi takes you to the wrong place, etc. When these instances come up approach them calmly, and I guarantee they will handle the situation to the best of their ability (Hospitality, AGAIN) and you may even get a free meal, taxi ride, or discounted hotel room. Turks will do ANYTHING to make you feel welcome, happy and relaxed. While talking about respect, never, ever, ever, ever disrespect the name of Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey. Do not even test what will happen, Please!
   
6. Be ready to eat when coming to Turkey. Again and again, I write on my blog about the Turkish hospitality, and it is so evident when you get here. When at a meal, they will push food on you over and over again. Sometimes, if you are not used to it, it can be overbearing, but they do not want you going hungry, EVER. It is considered rude if you do not at least try what they offer you, but if you are genuinely full, just put your hand over your chest and say tesekkurler (thank you). Turks are persistent with hospitality and will even give you their own bed if all the beds are taken up.
   
7. When getting on a public bus, hold on tight. Turkish transportation offers many options from Dolmus (mini-bus), taxi, taxi dolmus, bus, metro, Vapur (Ferry), and metro-bus (Istanbul). Generally buses come every 15-25 minutes, ferries and metros have a set schedules, and the dolmus comes at random in their designated routes. Just a simple tip, though, when getting on a public bus, hold on tight, because the bus drivers love to drive, turn, and stop with speed. If you are elderly, individuals will give up their seat for you to sit in mild comfort. If you are young or capable of standing, be courteous and let the elderly or disabled have your seat.
   
8. Dont assume that you will come here and wear a turban. While some Turks prefer to cover their hair, you are not forced, nor inclined to wear one. Turkey is secular, and you can practice however you wish. If you are on the West, it is very modern and you may not even notice the difference, while the East has more conservative individuals. When touring mosques however it is required to cover your hair out of respect to the people actually practicing that religion.
   
9. Be prepared for a Turkish man to say I love you upon the first night of meeting. Turks are very romantic, and also have a different view on love. There is no like or dislike of something, it is always  love or hate. So when a Turk says he loves you upon meeting you, this does not necessarily mean he is in love with you, it just means he has a deep liking for you. Turks are very poetic and romantic, but also very jealous lovers. So be prepared to be swept off your feet, but I wouldnt recommend this in your itinerary.
   
10. Share everything. Just as Turks are hospitable to you, do yourself and them a favor and be the same back. For example, after buying a pack of gum, a bottle of water, or cigarettes, offer them some before taking some for yourself! You can also leave an open pack of whatever on the table, for people to have at their desire, dont buy something and stuff it in your pocket or purse for yourself. This thing is so simple, but will prove that you are just as much Turkish as the natives.

These were just a few that I thought of from the top of my head, but if you want to be as Turkish as possible check out some books at the library and listen to some music to feel the heart, soul, and peace of the Turkish individuals.

Everyone enjoy your stay in Turkey and in advance, Turkiye'ye Hosgeldin.

~Welcome to Turkey~

Turkey is Great!

While drinking my Turkish coffee, shuffling between music of Beyonce and Hadise I'm faced with predicaments. Looking over the bird paradise from the kitchen window with the sun gently going down, I keep wondering, how did I make it here. It was a pain to organize everything, paperwork, bank accounts, ID cards, plane tickets, housing arrangements; but I am here.

It has almost been 9 months here in Izmir, Turkey and I have completely fallen in love. The friends that I have met are awesome. They are open to breaking the language barrier, if there is any, and they are always welcoming. I should have expected that since that IS what the Turks are known for. The scenery does not consist of the Eiffel Tower or the Vatican, but Turkey offers more! It opens your eyes to the not so perfect lifestyle, that in my eyes, is exactly what perfection is! The food is amazing and always fresh, and with a Turkish mother around you will NEVER starve.

The sea and bayside in Izmir is soo peaceful and relaxing after a day at school or after a long conversation about stressful things. One of my favorite things is to go for a walk on the seaside at sunset. You can feel the breeze, listen to people talking in a foreign tongue, not worrying about if you are the one they are talking about. Off in the distance you can hear that little group of guys playing instruments and singing old Turkish songs about losing your love and finding happiness. You can almost taste the sea salt and the Turkish bread, simit, that is being baked for your liking at 25 cents a piece. You can hear under your feet the gravel crunching, surprised that it is even there, since many. many years ago it was the sea you would be standing in. Watching the sunset of Izmir. About the sunset, I must first say, it is indescribable! The mix between the sea and colors and the fishing boats and the birds. Amazement.

The cafe's are amazing social tools. Many time-constrained/conscience Americans could never imagine sitting in a cafe for 4-6 hours at a time. I mean, I didn't either to be honest. But this is the lifestyle that is relaxing, mind-provoking, and something to be cherished. Drinking teas and Turkish coffee, conversating, or playing a game or two of tavla (backgammon); THIS is pure simplicity that I could live with!

I'm not saying I don't love America for what it is. There are soo many positives about the freedoms and potentials in America. I just personally believe the Mediterranean lifestyle is something to partake in and really grasp in life. Being late for a meeting, spending more than the alotted amount of time with friends, taking a walk just because it is unplanned, going to the bazaar and spending less than 30$ on weekly groceries, conversations even when there are 50 things to do on your agenda. THIS is something to get used to.

I have gotten used to it! When reading this, you may think, oh. ok. So go to Turkey to become lazy. NO. That is not at all what Im saying. The Turks get things done, they stay healthy and fit. But what they dont tend to do is stress over the little things like time, agendas, and fast paced lives.

I am very tempted and have a strong urge to stay another semester. Again, I love America a lot, but in a way, there is a major weight or dread that is keeping me from going back. I have adapted to this lifestyle so deeply and cherish everything about Turkey, even its ignorant leaders. Again, this is growth and the growth that I am having is tremendous and wish everyone had the opportunity to do this same thing.

Now that my Turkish coffee is over, maybe I shall plan what to do this evening. Perhaps a cafe or maybe the Eurovision Song Contest. However with whatever I decide to do I know to be at the meeting place a half hour late, to still beat the Turks on being on time! Have a great weekend, and book your flights to Turkey!

Sultan Tea and Mesir Macunu Paste - Manisa

Another attempt at random travelling was succeeded over the weekend. Upon waking on Sunday afternoon, I was directed by my host mom that we would be travelling for a cup of tea and relaxation, as the entire family needed it. Laying an hour drive from Izmir, Turkey is the ancient city, Manisa. We ate a light lunch of macaroni and kofte (meatballs) and prepared for the short drive.

The moment you arrive in Manisa you can feel the religious and mind-provoking atmosphere. The city itself is home to 5 of the past historical sultans of Ottoman Empire and was the training grounds for many upcoming princes. While the city is quite modern and hosts various options, one can still see or feel the history, Ottoman architecture, and spiritual aura. Manisa is home to many ancient thinkers and philosophers; that of religion, politics, family, and health.

Inside of Ayni Ali

Collection of Nargile/Waterpipes

There is a quaint and popular area, the Sultan Mosque, where there is a café named Ayni Ali, where we went to enjoy Sultan Cayi (spiced tea), Nargile (Hookah), and Turkish coffee. Of course I had my fortune read, which seemed to be much more in depth than times before. The quaint, relaxed, peaceful, and spiritual aura seems to permeate one into thinking more profoundly. The other thing that Manisa is highly known for is Manisa Mesir Macunu, an herbal spice paste, which is delicious and very healthy for you.

Another style of preparing Turkish coffee over coals.

The story behind this paste is Ayse Hafsa Sultan, the Sultans wife, being very ill after her husband’s death with no cure found from doctors. After receiving word that the Sultans wife was ill, Merkez Muslihiddin Efendi he mixed 41 different types of plants and spices together to form a medicinal paste and sent it to the palace. When the Sultans wife ate this paste she regained health. After this finding, they decided that this paste should be available to everyone. So they chose March 21st, the start of spring, to make a festival distributing and "tossing" the paste to public.

Below is a list of spices and herbs used in making the Mesir Paste, along with their Turkish and Latin names:

• Allspice (Yeni bahar)
• Alpina officinarum root (Havlican koku)
• Anise (Anason)
• Black cumin (Corek otu)
• Black myrobalan (Kara halile)
• Black pepper (Karabiber)
• Buckthorn (Topalak or Akdiken)
• Cardamon (Kakule)
• Cassia (Hiyarsenbe)
• Chebulic myrobalan (Kara halile)
• China root (Cop-i cini)
• Cinnamon (Tarcin)
• Cloves (Karanfil)
• Coconut (Hindistan cevizi)
• Coriander (Kisnis)
• Cubeb (Kebabe)
• Cumin (Kimyon)
• Dried orange blossom (Portakal cicegi)
• Fennel (Rezene)
• Galingale (Havlican)
• Ginger (Zencefil)
• Iksir sugar (Iksir sekeri)
• India blossom (Hindistan cicegi)
• Java pepper (Kuyruklu biber)
• Licorice extract (Meyan bali)
• Licorice root (Meyan koku)
• Mastic (Cam sakizi)
• Millet (Hintdarisi)
• Myrrh (Murrusafi)
• Muskroot (Sumbul)
• Mustard seed (Hardal tohumu)
• Orange peel (Portakal kabugu)
• Rhubarb (Ravend)
• Saffron (Safran)
• Citric acid (Limon tuzu)
• Senna (Sinameki)
• Turmeric (Zerdecal)
• Udulkahr (Udulkahir)
• Vanilla (Vanilya)
• Woad (Civit)
• Yellow myrobalan (Sari halile)

Easiest way for me to eat it: Bite off a small piece, and then suck on it. This will prevent it from being all stuck in your teeth, as it is a very sticky and tacky substance.


If you make a journey to Turkey and see the costumed individuals selling this paste on the street, take a leap and spend the 5TL. It is worth it and highly recommended.

Making the most of every day is what I try to do, and while staying in Turkey, I may not be doing anything extravagant; however, the simple thing, new opinions, and new knowledge are what make my day. When travelling, even your home town, open your eyes and smell your surroundings. It can be very amazing what you might realize and come to find even in your own back yard or a foreign country.

Dinner Time

You know as an American family, dinner times can be many different things. Sometimes dinner can be grabbing your plate of food prepared by your parent and taking it to your room, enjoying while watching TV, studying, or browsing the internet. Sometimes, dinner is enjoyed at the dinner table with the family, where you talk about what happened during the day and then leave immediately after the food was inhaled. Other times you may grab the plate of food and crowd around the tube (TV), not saying a thing, but paying attention to the comedy show, reality show, or daily news.

One of the things I love about dinner time in Turkey is not just the absolutely fresh and fulfilling food that is served, but rather the conversations. Typically it is started by a simple thing that happened earlier in the day, but then is extended to a very intriguing and sometimes intense conversation. When the food is all gone, they stay at the table and talk for another half an hour. After a while it is typical, if it’s not too late, someone offers to prepare Turkish coffee. This then leaves for at least another hour of conversation and fortune reading.

If you don’t know a typical thing to do after drinking a small cup of Turkish coffee, you cover the cup, flip it over while wishing something, and then the fortune will be read by another person after the cup has cooled. The easiest way I can explain this is through Harry Potter where they are looking at their personal objects.

I love the Turkish culture for many things it offers to the family and friendships. Conversation is a very easy thing to strike up, especially over dinner or Turkish coffee. This is something I would love to carry over to America. Dinner time that lasts more than the meal, conversations that can solve the world’s problems, and fortunes to explain the future. Maybe with even an hour of sanity over dinner, we can all find relaxation and health over good nourishment.

Yasar University - Izmir, Turkey

Science, Unity, Success

My Campus - Yasar University, Selcuk Yasar Campus

The center of the campus. (A mini amphitheater, and a cafe).

Turkish Flag raised high and proud!

Typical Classroom.

Yasar Logo

Beautiful Campus!!!! :-)

My campus is like a resort!

This is where the International office should and tries to relocate to! ;-)

Mini Amphitheater. Great for resting between and after classes.

Sir Winston Cafe

We have security and card entry at both ends of the campus.

Great entrance to the campus. Library on right. Tallest building is the business building.

My metro stop in Bornova every day.

Note: All pictures were taken by me, AKA no copyrights needed ;)

Refreshments - Foca, Turkey

Yesterday, Burak, Cansu, and myself made a little adventure to a nearby town, Foca. Foca is a small town, located about an hour away which is well-known for their fish(Balik) and Raki(a turkish liquor). The town is small, with tiny alleyways as roads; we actually got caught up a couple times with the car. We ended up sitting at a small cafe right on the seaside, with the water nearly smashing us with every wave. There was a light breeze and no traffic, given its small size of a city. It really was a peaceful place.

After tea, we went to this small Hotel(5 rooms!). It was right along the seaside as well. They had just finished designing it after so long. Each room was designed differently, and they were all supposed to resemble a French domain. The beds were huge, and the bathrooms were so clean and neat. In one of the rooms, the bathtub was strategically placed in front of the window which faced the sea! It cost was about 100-250 dollars per night. A perfect honeymoon hotel.

We went to a fish place, Celep restaurant. We ordered calamari(fried and cold), Russian salad, and a whole fish, that Cansu and I chose out. There was also bread and olive oil. We also ordered a bottle of Raki. When you do such a thing, they call it a Raki table. Typically, there are old songs of romance and depression sang, and a lot of reminiscing. Typically its rude or out of the normal to bring up current issues or problems, because it is supposed to be a time of happiness and memories. the Raki is poured half-way then you add water which turns the liquid from clear to a cloudy white color. It tastes and reminds me a little bit of licorice, however the nice thing about this drink is you can decide how strong you want the taste to be. Its a Turkish classic, Fresh Fish and Raki.

Of course after, we were pleasantly happy and meandered over to the nearest Dondurma (Ice cream) shop!! It was a gummy texture and fresh flavors. It was a great way to end a relaxing, refreshing, and mind-opening day.

"In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed."

~Kahlil Gibran!