Work is great, little bit challenging from time to time with the language barrier but most of the kids are really excited about learning. More and more they stop me in the hall to speak English. One of my students bought me some kind of breakfast roll this morning which I thought was very sweet.  Over the past few years I was miserable and questioning whether or not I wanted to teach anymore but here, I have really found my passion for teaching again. I am starting up a speaking club for my 6t, 7t, and 8th graders in the next couple of weeks. I think we will meet a few times a week and in the spring they will put on a play for the school......that should be interesting. I am starting a "sister school" program with Humes also. A former teacher had my old kids call me on Skype the other day and it was so much fun talking to them. They had so many questions about my kids here and what things were like here. My 7th graders are going to start the program out and then we will add the 6th and 8th graders.

We are going to start out by writing letters a few times. My 7th graders today came up with about 35-40 questions to ask. The funniest were "how many vacation homes do you have?" and "How often do you go on holiday in Europe?" They have no idea how different their living situations are. We are going to have a website that the students will be able to treat sort of like Face but they will be the only ones that can access it. That way we know that it is a safe and secure sight. I am going to have my kids here post videos talking about all of the different things in and around Gaziantep. They first post will be a tour of their school showing the garden and courtyard, the football (soccer) field, swimming pool and gymnasium. They are also going to have a cooking segment, so they can showcase their different foods. Very sneaky way of me getting them to write more and speak more in English

 

I was told by my department chair how pleased they are with me and that the kids are surprisingly fond of me (they have always been very standoffish to foreign teachers in the past). With all of the economic differences between my students here and back home one thing isn't different............middle school students are funny in any language. The headmaster told me that he loves how he doesn't have to worry about me making myself at home here but I had to promise him I wouldn't venture outside of the city (the suburbs here are called the slums). I told him he had no worries with that one. I was adventurous but not that adventurous. I am very aware that in certain areas around me, Americans are not well liked. Gaziantep proper is very safe and quite progressive but being as close to Syria as I am............I don't want to explore that part of the world.

 

It is getting cold here already. I had to close all the windows last night and today I wish I would have grabbed a jacket. My apartment is starting to feel more like a home. I bought a few nice rugs this past weekend and have picked up a few little things to decorate with. I am going to the open market bazaar this weekend so hopefully I will find some great treasures to put around the place.  Although it is hard to give it my special look that my friends make fun of me for.  Brooke and Corey I know you will miss that  decor.  

Just another Manic Monday

Monday #2 has begun and my life here in Turkey is in full swing.   I have neglected my blog over the past few days, I guess that is because I am getting used to my new life and surroundings.  I survived my first week with my new students and things went pretty well.  I love my new Turkish family, I truly believe I wouldn't be enjoying myself as much as I have been without them.  They have 2 of the cutest children, a daughter who is 7 and little boy who is almost 3.  They fill the void of not having my family here with me.  Just thinking about them gets me a little choked up because they have really made being here enjoyable
Osman is Turkish and his wife, Nicola is from England.  They both speak Turkish and have gotten me out of a few interesting situations with my lack of the Turkish tongue.  Last weekend I apparently ordered 7 Lahmacun (a type of Turkish pizza) and 7 colas.  And just yesterday while I was shopping, the salesman hands me 5 bags with 4 pairs of shoes and a bag for a total of $370 Turkish Lira.  I had tried on 4 pairs but only wanted 2.  So of course Osman had to spend another 10-15 minutes helping me to fix the problem.  Most of the language issues happen at Sanko Park (the mall) so maybe I should stay away from the mall :)
I have my apartment looking more and more like "home".  I purchased some rugs and things this weekend.  The only thing I need now is a few lamps b/c I hate those overhead lights.  It feels like you are in a hospital.  I will pick up some pictures and trinkets here and there as I go back to the bazaar each weekend.  As of right now I feel like I have my Turkish home.  I am getting used to hanging my clothes out to dry and hopefully will carry this back to the states with me.  I found that using extra fabric softener helps with the clothes not feeling so stiff as they dry.  It's funny how little things like this feel like great discoveries when you are in a different place. 
My biggest struggle is going to get my students comfortable talking in English.  I decided today that we will start each week out with them standing up one by one and telling me what they did over the weekend.  I think I will end the week with them telling me what they plan to do over the weekend.  I am going to be working with the PE teacher (my dear lifesaver Osman) on presentations for his class so that will help to get them talking.  I have a feeling a lot of this is going to be trial and error for me until I get a good understanding on where they are in their speaking and understanding of the English language. 
I was going to use a poem project that I always use with my students back in Memphis.  They write a poem (format is given to them) and create a collage of pictures that shows me something about them.  I think it will work with 7th and 8th grade but not 6th grade.  They aren't at that level yet, so I am going to have to come up with something for them. 
Finally received my contract and Turkish residency :)  I also found out that we get paid at the beginning of each month.  That is going to take some getting used to.  I am accustomed to twice a month but I am sure I can get used to it quickly ( I don't have any choice but getting used to it)
The private school I for is owed by a family that has many many businesses and they have many international clients and they want their executives to all be able to speak English well.  I was asked by one of the administrators if I would be interested in working for 2 hours on Saturday to teach English to their executives.  I don't know why I find it funny that an English teacher is going to be teaching English to multimillion dollar executives.  If anything it will be a great addition to my resume.  It will also be interesting to see how adults learn differently from students. 
Monday and Tuesday are my easiest days at work........I only see 3 and 4 classes on these days.  I am not used to my schedule yet.  I have 3 classes Monday, 4 on Tuesday, 7 on Wednesday and Thursday, and 6 on Friday.  I can't decide if I like it better on the days when I have lots of time off or on the days when I see more classes.  The days of more classes definitely go by faster that is for sure. 
I guess I should find my way back to planning for the week.  I need to take an English test to find out my proficiency level...........I hope I can pass ;)

Students are students no matter what country you are in or their ecconomic background

So I just finished my second day with my students and I am teaching my beloved middle schoolers (there has to be some kind of sadistic reason I love working with middle schoolers).  I am in a foreign country teaching students from some of the most prominent families in town and I have come to realize that they are not much different than my kids from North Memphis.  Please don't misunderstand, I know there are significant differences between my students here and back home.  But at their core, they are the same.  They like some of the same things: PlayStation, the same kind of music, the same kind of movies.  They also just want to be kids.  My students here walk to talk and play in class, they want to run around in the halls.......they want to be kids. 
Its too bad that their differences will probably always keep them so separate.  One sad thing is that the world is made up of the have and the have nots in every culture and country.  My kids here probably have no idea about the real America.  From the few things they have said to me about what they know (or think they know) they think that most people in America are rich and that couldn't be further from the truth.  I think it could be a powerful thing if I could somehow introduce my students here in Turkey to my kids back in Memphis.............it could open some eyes to a culture that they may not know about.  They could also learn that they may look differently, talk differently, and have different ecconomic backgrounds, but they also have many things in common. 

Getting around the city

I had the most amazing weekend!!!!!!!  We were given a private tour of the city of Gaziantep.  I felt very lucky this weekend to have the opportunity to be in this city for the next 9 months.  I am walking on the land where so much history was made.  We went to the Gaziantep Mosaic Museum (the largest in the world).  All I can say is breathtaking. These works of art were thousands and thousands of years old and most of them in perfect condition.  It almost seemed like time stood still with these artifacts.  How amazing that such beautiful works of art were created by hand and created by placing tiny little pieces of till down one at a time. 
We also went to this open market bazaar.  You felt like you were walking down streets that time didn't seem to take over.   Men and women hand making silk clothes and shoes.  Men hand carving everything you can imagine out of wood.  Handmade mother of pearl that was amazing to look at.  There was a trunk that is one piece that I want to bring home with me.  Cooper cooking tools and pots.  Handmade chess boards, jewelry that I could buy one of each and not have enough days left in my life to wear.   If you can imagine it it is made there.  The spices...........oh my goodness the spices.  Truly a cooks dream.  The handmade candies and sweets, baklava around every corner, roasted pistachios that we have never experienced unless we have eaten them fresh from Gaziantep.  There is so much to see and take in, I could go every weekend for my 9 months hear and always find something that you didn't see the last time.  I can assure that my family and friends will be getting so many amazing gifts from me this year.  :) There were moments when I felt like I traveled back in time.  There are parts of the city that are new and metropolitan but sections of the city have really held onto and preserved its past. 
We had pistachio coffee (which I recommend to everybody who loves coffee) in a 13th century inn.  It was breathtaking.  I really felt like I had been sent back in time.  It seems like people here actually take time to enjoy life and the people around them.  You can see people sitting in the park drinking tea.  They aren't rushing here and there.  They are just living and enjoying what they are living for.  I think I have let my job consume my life for the past 3 years and forgot to how to just enjoy the beauty around me.    I wish that everybody had the opportunity to visit another country and really experience the culture there.  I am so grateful that I have been given this chance to go on this adventure and I have promised myself that I will not let myself waste one second of my time here. 

Home sweet home

So I moved into my apartment today and the other English speakers arrived.  I think that there is one more that is going to be coming next week.  One gentleman is from Sri Lanka and the other family is from England but have lived in Turkey off and on over the past 11 years so a great resource.  Didn't really have to work today, I just met with the founders wife and had lunch with her.  We had an interesting conversation when I said that my school in Memphis was Elvis's school.............why does everybody get so excited about Elvis?!  They said that I should tell my students this information and they would get really excited.  They couldn't believe that I had never gone to Graceland. 

My apartment is very basic but nice.  The bedroom is quite large and has one wall that is all windows...great light floods into the flat.  The living room/kitchen is very small. The washing machine is in the kitchen (it's either in the kitchen or bathroom in most flats here).  There are no dryers which is probably a good thing........no more shrinking clothes.  My fridge is a little bigger than the kind we had in college and I will be cooking on a hotplate.  No stove or oven.  I guess I could look at it like I am back in college again.  I don't have Internet yet.  I was told the cables were being put in today and I should have it tomorrow.  I better since that is my only contact with the outside world. 

Total side note...........I'm in a cafe and they are playing Rhianna but she is singing in Turkish and English.  American music is very popular over here (thank goodness).  They were playing Lil Wayne and Snoop Dog before that.  Total random thought but oh well.  Also, people keep walking buy and are selling tissues.  Not sure what that is about.  I guess its better than just begging for money. 

Interesting day at work

So we are still preparing for the students to arrive next week and I still am excused from all meeting which leads to a very boring and long day.  Today and did have an unexpected surprise when I walked into the English Department offices to an authentic Turkish breakfast.  It was quite a feast.  There was an egg and sausage casserole, a cake that was nothing like our kind of cake.  It was a savory type of cake.  There was nonbread with roasted peppers, tomato, ad feta cheese.  We had a platter of tomoto, cucumber, and cilantro and there was a sesame seed bread.  There breakfast is very different in that they have no sweet things like we do.  It was all very very good.  And as if I wanst still full from breakfast, when we went to lunch about 4 hours later, I was introduced to the Turkish version of Steak Tartar.  I still cannot get over how the prepare lunch at my school.

This afternoon a sign was put on our Department door that stated "English Only!".  Now if the members of my department will remember this I will be truly surprised.  Almost everybody speaks English but there are a couple that never do.............I can only imagine what their English class is like.  I am being embarrassed by my department and even though we do not speak the same language, each day I feel more and more like a part of the team.  I spent a good part of the day planning projects and am excited about how they might turn out.  I am very excited about the potential project where my students here will be working with some of my older students that are now in high school and with an elementary school back in Memphis.  It is a great opportunity for my kids back in Memphis to go exposure to another culture that the would otherwise not have the chance to encounter.  It is also going to be a great way for my kids here to strengthen their English skills in reading, writing, and speaking.  I'm excited about eh potential of this project, now I just need to figure out how in the heck to plan this and put it into action.

Tomorrow is going to be a big day........I am moving out of the hotel and into my flat.   I'm so ready to have a place of my own.

Surprise Angie

So I surprised myself today and become proactive and resourceful.  I was reading an article in the New York Times about Gaziantep and there was mention of a Bed & Breakfast here in town that is owned by an gentleman that was raised in America but his parents are both Turkish.  The article talks about how much he helped this food critic from the states when he was visiting Gaziantep.  I figured I would give it a shot and contact him and maybe he could guide me towards other English speakers in the city.....I honestly didn't think he would reply but hey, it was worth a shot.  Sure enough he replied right away and when he gets back from the states at in 2 weeks he is going to get me in touch with some of his friends here that are English and he is going to show me around............lets hope this doesn't blow up in my face :)

Work

I have finally discovered a benefit of being the only English speaker at work..........I get out of all of those meetings that we as educators hate going to!!!!  There were 2 meetings today and I was excused from them because they would be in Turkish.  I feel very welcomed here at Sanko School, even though nobody speaks my language fluently.  The teachers in the English department are extremely friendly....I hope that is something I bring back, and keep with me, in the states.  I have not encountered anybody that didn't seem genuinely happy to meet me.  I am kind of like that new and exotic toy that everybody is curious about.  I have been warned that people are going to want to speak to me all the time because they want to learn better English.  The school actually sent all the English teachers to England for 2 months the last 2 summers so they could learn English.  Could the schools in Memphis send us to Central America or Mexico for the same thing? 

I feel very welcomed at my school.  They always want to know how I am and if I would like a coffee or to go have a smoke.  They know I don't smoke but they always ask me if I would like to join them.....Yes my dear friend that will remain nameless.........TEACHERS TAKE SMOKE BREAKS HERE.  That is the strangest thing to me.  I wonder how that will work when the students start back Monday? 

I had a couple interesting encounters with cab drivers the past few days.  They speak absolutely no English and can't understand it either.  I did however figure out how to get a train pass, so that will be my mode of transportation for the next 9 months.  I decided that I can't go another day without attempting to learn the Turkish language, so last night I bought the Turkish Rosetta Stone.  I will begin studying tonight.  I just need to know enough to get around town, go to a restaurant, and do basic shopping.  It would be nice if I became somewhat fluent but I'm not hoping for a miracle. 

I am going on another tour of the city today after work with one of my department members.  There are a few things I must find out before the weekend:
1.  Where do I go to get a good pedicure
2.  Where do you go to buy toiletries (there are no Walgreen stores on every block here)
3.  Where is a good grocery (I am so tired of room service)

September 12.......

I have made a choice that is going to be very difficult.  I have moments of excitement and moments of sadness.  I am a stranger in a strange land.  I have not come across any English speakers as of yet.  I think this is going to be a year of finding myself and refection.........each time I want to get on a plane and fly back home I have to remind myself it's only 9 months but June seems so very far away right now.  It wouldn't be so hard if there was somebody else here that was experiencing all of the changes that I am.  I never realized how hard it must be for people in America that have to deal with the same things.....feeling lost and alone.  Something as simple as ordering a meal becomes difficult with the language barrier.   I miss my family, my friends, and simple conversation................

Finally here..........

So it is 8:07 pm on September 9th and I am in my hotel room.  I arrived at 2:30 am after over 24 hours of travel (12 hours spent in layovers).  Today I went and visited my school and it is very new.  There are over 1000 students and 100 teachers!!!  I am the only English speaking teacher to arrive; the other 3-4 will be here within the next few weeks. 
I have had moments where I have asked myself  "What in the hell were you thinking?!"    Just being the only native English speaker is very difficult.  Sitting in a meeting today hearing Turkish being spoken was definetly a constant reminder that I have left my comfort zone.  I am in a place that is very different from what I know and love. 
I wanted to get back to the hotel after visiting the school and take a nap to catch up on some sleep; I am going to venture out into the city tomorrow and check things out.  I know these next 9 months are going to fly by and in a couple of weeks I am going to feel a little more comfortable but right now............I am definatly missing home.

36 hours........

The departure is nearing and the mix of nerves, fear, excitement, and curiosity are running through my mind.  There is still a little voice inside my head that keeps asking "What in the heck are you thinking?  Why are you determined to travel 8000 miles away from everything and everybody you know?"  I think it is that same fear of going that is the reason I am going.......I cannot let the fear of the unknown rule my life and my decisions.  I need to know that I can go on this adventure and survive. 

So I am really throwing caution to the wind and flying off into the unknown........I have completed the packing........knocked it down to one suitcase and a carry on.  Anybody that knows me knows how difficult that was.
I now know that the saying "The Lord works in mysterious ways" is so very true.  Two weeks ago I was in tears because the job in India fell through, but now I know what a blessing that was. 

Depature Date Nearing

As I sit here thinking about my ever nearing departure date, I realize that I have already been on a journey.  My journey began in May as I interviewed for a potential job in India.  I spent the past 3 months preparing for that experience, only to have it riped from me 2 weeks ago.  I have been on an emotional roller coaster this summer and at one point just knew my dream of traveling overseas to teach was over.................and then Turkey presented itself to me.

I don't know what this year holds for me but I know that it is going to be an exciting and memorable one.  So Wednesday at 2:00 this adventure begins.  I have a feeling that I am going to find my true self on this path that I am taking..........I really think I am going to like who I find at the end of this road.