Love & Tolerance: Experiencing the Gulen Movement

"If, every day, we are able to increase our love for our surroundings, and, as much as possible, for all of existence, if we are able to minimize our hatred, we will be able to attain a world of human warmth and sympathy that has not yet been realized." --M. Fethullah Gulen

This is the philosophy of Gulen, the Turkish humanitarian and intellectual, that has inspired the recent Gulen Movement in Turkey. Turkey is very socially, ethnically, and religiously diverse, particularly in Istanbul. This causes a lot of natural tension, especially since Turkey is supposed to be a secular state. Gulen would say this is because the world is poor in love. His solution is to spread love by learning to understand and appreciate each other so that we can coexist in peace. Today's events centered around the organizations that have emerged from Gulen's principles and way of thinking.

Our guide, Ibrahim, took us around Istanbul to these different organizations. First, we visited Fetih College. This is a K-12 privately-owned school that resembles the best U.S. prep schools, and then some. It is supported by a Board of wealthy businessmen that freely donate for building expenses as well as tuition costs. With 1,500 students enrolled for this upcoming year, Fetih College is the place where parents want to send their children to school if they wish to continue on to University. Of the students that attend normal schools, only 25% are then accepted into University, wheras at least 90% of the graduating class at Fetih College is accepted into University programs. The curriculum is no different, but the teachers are very dedicated, making sure the students are doing well academically and personally. They even making house calls to see if the environment is one that promotes studying or if some distractions need to be removed. Each student (even at the kindergarten level) is interviewed, tested, and undergoes a personality exam before they are accepted. The building itself is rather new, with marble floors, multiple indoor gymnasiums, a beautiful lap pool, and complete with a high school cafeteria that scans your finger print for identification and entry! In comparisson with our humble Adventist school back home, it was learning in luxury. Reading is very important here, and 20 minutes each morning is devoted to reading. The children are all required to learn English (and Spanish their Freshman and Sophomore years), and the stairs even have English phrases on them to help the kids practice. Even if some, such as "Barking dogs seldom bark!" don't necessarily make sense, it's practice like this that sets these students apart. Their dedication to learning and understanding, paired with their hard-working teachers, is what helps their students do so well in their exit exams and then further on down the road in University.

Next, we went to visit the headquarters of Zaman Newspaper, the #1 newspaper in Turkey. They support democracy, joining the EU, and have complete freedom of speech. The staff is diverse, all coming from different backgrounds, in an attempt to promote an understanding of one another in a setting that fosters discussion and healthy debate. Even stories about the once untouchable Turkish military are becoming acceptible after corruption has become exposed. What was once reported as "Kurdish terrorism" is now being reported as the acts of a secret society of retired military officers who are now on trial. The goal of the paper is to be democratic, family friendly, and to promote a culture of understanding, not conspiracy. As Ibrahim told us, Zaman doesn't want "asparagus news," apparently a new term to describe false or ignorant stories.

After visiting Zaman, we ate a quick lunch at a shop that was famous for its delictible sweets, however the menus were all in Turkish, which posed as a bit of a challenge. Ordering pizza was easy, yet when it came to the pages of desserts to choose from, many of us could not differentiate one item from another and resorted to chosing deserts with names in which we could recognize a familiar ingredient.

The Fener Rum Patriarch was next. When Constantinople was the center of the Orthodox church, this Patriarch was its center. It looked like an old catholic church, with a large number of crystal chandeliers on the inside, and much gold decorating the front of the church. Very pretty.

From Fener, we went to see the Journalist and Writers Foundation. Here we were served juice, pastries, and tea, while discussing Turkish and American cultures and perceptions of each other. The Journalist and Writers Foundation, of which Gulen himself is President, stresses Love and Dialoge over different platforms and projects that aim to increase intercultural awareness and understanding. Many famous religious leaders, such as Pope John Paul II, and non-religious figures, such as the Turkish soccer team, have supported this foundation through dialogue meetings and fundraising events. Upon our departure we were each given "humble gifts" of Gulen literature. Both Dr. Mallery and Dr. Clark were given coffee cups, which are supposed to symbolize 40 years of friendship per cup. With each passing day, I perceive the Turks to be more and more generous.

The last Gulen-inspired organization that we visited was the Kimse Yok mu Foundation. This is a foundation concerned with worldwide humanitarian aid that believes it is the duty of humankind to take care of the less fortunate. If someone does not have food, you feed them. If someone does not have clothes, you clothe them. If children do not have a school, you build them one. This is what a loving person does, according to the Kimse Yok mu Foundation.The name Kimse Yok mu is translated as "is anyone there?" and is the Turkish equivalent of yelling "help!" It is a fitting name, as this is the foundation there when disaster strikes, providing the basic needs for the victims.

This was a very eye-opening and educational day for all of us. After being in Turkey for a week and experiencing some extreme poverty and living conditions as well as racial/religious discrimination, I was starting to feel weighed down. The burden of responsibility when there are so many people in need of help is heavy. It starts to seem like a hopeless position. The Aya Sofya will never be remolded because people cannot agree on Muslim, Christian, or Secular rennovation. The Roma colony will be destroyed to clear out the poor gypsies and make room for rich people and nice buildings. A 10 year-old Kurdish child will get arrested for teaching her friends Kurdish because Kurds are still not accepted or equal here. It becomes a negative bubble of helplessness.

Yet Gulen's philosophy of love and understanding has planted a seed that is growing thanks to the help of organizations such as these. Each of these foundations gives back to the community, provides education, addresses basic needs, and promotes a strong sense of diversity and understanding. The people that donate and support these organizations financially are some of the real heroes. It all comes back to the compassion of the Turkish people (and the Eastern world in general). If America were posed with this same situation, I fear few people would have enough love and generosity to also attempt to "clean up the mess."

True Turkish Holiday-The Harem and Baths!

It was a sultry day in Istanbul, and our fine group of 16 congregated in the lobby of our Istanbul Holiday Hotel. How fitting, as today was a national holiday! Victory day for the Turks is a reason to celebrate. It was on this day in 1922 that Turkish forces repelled the Greeks and saved their independence. However, our group chose not to participate in the festivities, and instead paid homage to the Ottoman past of the fine city by visiting Topkapi palace, and the sumptuous Sultan’s harem. Sound sensual? In actuality, life inside the harem was far from the picture of idle luxury and seductive engagements painted by the kindly Europeans during the age of Orientalism. Instead, it was full of plots and intrigue, as every concubine and wife of the Sultan sought the next highest rung on the social ladder. This ladder’s apex was the position of mother of the Sultan, and many woman fought for this status. Of particular interest in the harem were the adjoining quarters and baths of the Sultan and his mother, as well as the “pool of the favorites,” where the Sultan’s first class ladies spent their time. In addition, many rooms in the harem were covered in painted tiles, and calligraphy adorned signs above entrances into the rooms. Almost every room in the harem also had a type of wood burning stove that came to a point at the top, something like a large cone hat. Views of Istanbul’s Asian districts were visible from a balcony off of one of the living quarters. A fine place to live! Also within the walls of the palace were the treasury, and a room of relics from the Byzantine and Ottoman eras. The treasury held many gifts from foreign dignitaries, including orders and awards, as well as tableware. Also among the treasures were a flashy set of chain-mail armor, decorated with gold, an engraved sword with a blade 6 inches thick, and a 86 karat diamond. The relic room held supposed threads of Muhammad’s beard, the staff of Moses, and the sword of David, among a variety of cagey artifacts. There appears to be a copious amount of Muhammad’s beard to go around, is all I can say! After this tour of the palace and harem, our group headed for lunch, and stopped at a cafe with cushions. They were so comfortable that many members decided that a nap was in store. After the late lunch, it was off to the hammam, or Turkish bath. Some were at first a bit apprehensive about the prospect of the baths, but it really was an enjoyable experience. First, the group paid at the door and entered the lounge area. Next, the men and women split and were led to different sections of the building. The bath was very warm and humid, and had a giant heated slab in the middle where master masseuses gave each victim a massage. After, the group was free to sit around in the sauna-like atmosphere, and then to shower and exit the bath. Fresh squeezed pomegranate and orange juices were being sold in the main lounge area. After the group rejoined, we were all so relaxed! Next, dinner was in order, and the group chose a restaurant, which Josh, our painter friend had recommended. The owner gave the group a great deal! 20 Turkish lira (the equivalent of about $14 USD) for a starter, a main course, and a drink. Very good, considering most of the main courses started at around 17 lira. The atmosphere was pleasant, with local artists playing some of our favorite songs in the background, and candles on the table. There may even be a video of us singing to put up somewhere around here later. After the meal, we spent some time just talking with the waiters, and then, being so tired and relaxed, and probably looking like the cat had drug us in when we arrived back at the hotel, we called it quite a day. (Hayden Cale)

082909

Hello faithful readers!

Today was our first Sabbath in Turkey. We didn’t really want to do too many activities since it is the day of rest and we all happened to be tired, so we just climbed the Walls of Constantinople, met some gypsies, walked through a neighborhood, and visited the Church of St. Savior. After that, we had free time until dinner.

The Walls of Constantinople were really tall. There weren’t any handrails so we all had to be careful not to fall. We weren’t even able to scale the whole thing. It extended farther, but we only walked along a portion of it until we got off to meet with Dr. Mallery and some local gypsies. The gypsy children were really cute! They all wanted their pictures taken and looked all shy about it. Then they started putting their palms out and started saying “Money! Money!” That wasn’t so cute; but I didn’t want to leave them empty handed, so I gave them hand sanitizer instead. It worked for a while. They seemed to be amused enough, until a much smaller child who was maybe only two years old put his little palm out for hand sanitizer and then put it in his eyes! I immediately signed to one of the older kids that that was NOT okay… So he poured water on his face and washed it out. I felt kind of bad, but I realized that many people in Turkey may not know how hand sanitizer is used. Note to self: be careful about the chemicals you hand out!

After our experience with the locals, we kept moving towards the Church of St. Savior. The building itself was nowhere near the size of the Hagia Sophia, but most of the frescoes were not plastered over. It was amazing. Each mosaic was so detailed and full of color. The clothes pictured had folds and shadows in them. That’s really difficult when you consider that it’s all colored tile and not just paint or a medium that is easily blended. These people who created this one church put so much effort into decorating a place for the Lord. Of course, the Muslims had their influence on it too. Some frescoes were plastered over and a lot of faces and crosses had been etched out. In one case, the Virgin Mary’s mouth had been removed because it was kissing the Baby Jesus. I thought it was kind of strange the lengths they would go to make the place not Christian.

Some of us started complaining that our necks were hurting from looking up at the frescoes, so eventually we left and went off to free time. The group split at that point, some going to the bazaar and the rest going back to the hotel to sleep. We all met later for dinner and that’s when the day took a darker turn (no pun intended).

Sabbath was about an hour over when we met with a Kurdish man (who I won’t name for his safety) in the privacy of his shop. He reminded us of all the things we studied prior to coming to Turkey. For example, Kurds are not allowed to speak their own language or play their cultural music. They’re also limited on what names they can give their children. The man we met just had a daughter a few days ago and they haven’t named her yet because he wanted to give her a Kurdish name. I realized for the first time since I arrived that things weren’t really what they seemed. I mean, everyone I met were all really friendly and accommodating. They tried to speak English with me and some even attempted Mandarin. It was a harsh contrast to the laws forbidding Kurds to simply speak their own language. Apparently, a six-year-old girl was jailed for showing others how to write in Kurdish! Turkey has really hushed up the things that make it look bad. We had to go to a private setting just to speak about these issues! The Kurdish man repeatedly told us how lucky we are to live in America where we have freedom to speak about things like this.

The whole time, we’ve just been going to sites and looking at things and this issue was right under our noses. Sure, we had jokes about what lies and tricks people here used to get money from us, but I think the issue with the Kurds is a much bigger thing. It’s not on the personal level where one person may or may not be honest. It’s on a government level that affects an entire body of people. It really got me thinking about how much depth this country holds. It’s not just a tourist site with a bunch of ancient places to look at and take non-flash photos of. It’s still alive and kicking with plenty of current affairs.

After having that question and answer session with the Kurdish man, we all just headed back to the hotel. Some of us decided to hang out and others just went to sleep. For those of you wondering about how we’re doing, I can tell you that none of us have died or been significantly maimed. We’re still alive and ready to keep going even if we are a bit tired.

Pray for our safety! We’ll see you soon.

08/27/09 Part 2

As aforementioned (in David’s post), we were separated into four groups on Thursday. My group, consisting of Ariel, Ivan, Mrs. Clark, and I, junctioned off on our specified assignment.

In the form of a tram, we experienced Istanbul’s public transit for the first time. We were shoulder-to-shoulder in standing-room only. The little free space left was filled with a pleasant aroma, trapped and amplified by the walls in the confines of our car. The odor faintly reminded me of flowers.

You know, the ones that smell like fifty people sweating during a deodorant boycott.

After a few stops, my group transferred transits, from tram to ferry. We crossed the Golden Horn and disembarked at Kashimpara, a district in Istanbul. Once there, we made food our foremost priority. It was a while, however, before we ate. It wasn’t easy finding an open restaurant since it was Ramadan, the Muslim time of fasting. This would normally be no problem in the area of Istanbul that surrounded our hotel, but the district we were exploring could have been a different city; it was no tourist destination. Eventually, we were directed to a café that was still open. To order food, we had Ivan cross the language barrier with his international communications skills. A few hand gestures and animal noises later, we had our meal.

Pic 1. A man is very happy to model for a camera-touting American

At last, we were able to start our assignment. A pie, we worked our way through the streets of Kashimpara. We found row upon row of tightly packed housing. Loud graffiti and piles of trash were not in short supply. We got to see limp wooden shacks, once the homes of oppressed Romas that were finally forced out. Nowhere could we find the smallest scent of the grand, ancient relics that resided just across the water. This place had a separate culture from the tourist trap that surrounds the Haghia Sofia and its fellow wonders in another part of the very same city. As we looked up a hill, crammed with cheap, undesirable housing, Mrs. Clark commented “Poverty has the same face everywhere in the world.” We had no illusions about what we were seeing.

Pic 2. Sabri shows us the product he sells. He gave us some as gifts.

It was obvious that the beauty can't be found in the shanties, nor the cheap ticky-tacky that made up most of the area; the beauty is in the people.

As we passed them, many people would toss us looks that seemed to say “What are you doing here?” But this was only a natural curiosity and none of it was backed by animosity of any flavor. We saw children playing in the streets and shying away when we looked at them. We watched the mannerisms of people in general, noting the differences between covered and uncovered women among other things. People were only too excited to have us take their picture. We saw so many people, each more interesting than the last.

We ended up talking to a man on the street. His name is Sabri. In no time, we were sitting in chairs in his office, glasses of lemonade and gifts busying our hands. All this before he even knew our names. First, we used his limited knowledge of English to communicate. As time passed, we progressed through pictures on paper and ended up using Google: Translate on his computer to have a complete discussion. We talked about Turkey, how much we liked it as students, and he in turn told us about how he worked in New York and his perceptions of America and its people. After a while, we had to leave, but not before Sabri had a chance to offer us dinner and a stay at his resort if we ever came back.

It’s hard to emphasize both how nice people there were and how valuable the experience was. We can learn theory and facts about a culture without immersing ourselves into it, but experiencing it firsthand is invaluable. As a young, immature student, I realize the naivety of both of these statements. Nevertheless, this is how I feel after even a brief stint here.

Pic 3. Wooden shacks in Kashimpara

While we waited for our ferry, we sat in a park and talked about how friendly and nice the people were. Eventually, all the groups convened from their ‘missions’ to have dinner together at one of the nicer restaurants, the tourist-oriented prices many times more than what you’d pay for in the district we had just left. We were at the restaurant for quite a while, so we were happy when we finally arrived at our hotel. Exhausted, many fell asleep right away. A few of us stayed up writing journals and ‘chilling’ that night, even though we knew that the sooner we went to bed, the sooner another exciting, educational (for the parents reading this) day would come.

27.8.2009

Hello from Turkey! To the friends, parents, and loved ones of Ariel, Alex, Becca, Nilmini, Amanda, Sterling, Brandon, Nolan, and myself (David). We're alive. I can't speak for everyone else because they aren't in the immediate vicinity. But I'm sure they’re doing just fine. The seven of us are upstairs in our hotel, journaling and hanging out after a busy day exploring in Istanbul.

Today started just like the day before. Many of us were tired from the previous night’s escapades, but we all made our way to the lobby at 9:30…ish. We walked to Josh’s art center for lemonade, tea, and cookies. There we discussed the tasks for the day. We were split up into 4 groups. Nikki, Sterling, and I were assigned to visit the Ayasofya and the Grand Bazaar. When they weren’t throwing money at small children or getting their shoes shined the other groups were visiting various neighborhoods around Istanbul talking to Turks about their neighborhoods, lives, and anything and everything else. I’m sure someone will talk about those adventures tomorrow.

Following Dr. Mallery’s explicit instructions, Nikki, Sterling, and I slowly walked in to the Ayasofya. As we passed through the Sultan’s door we were all blown away. It was built as a church in the 6^th century AD, but it has gone through so much over the years. It’s been destroyed and renovated time and again. Now it’s a state museum, and although there is much to be repaired, it is nothing short of the Eighth Wonder of the World. It’s designed so beautifully both architecturally and interiorly. The fusion of both Christian and Islamic art makes it truly unique.

We took a lunch break, and then hopped on the metro to a high-end shopping district searching for an interested, English speaking Turk. We encountered a hotel cook who had just finished work for the day. He was fluent in Turkish, German, and spoke some English. He told us his story (he aspires to be a chef in a Ritz Carlton in the US) and showed us the area as he walked us to the Bazaar.

The best way to describe the Bazaar is an overcrowded mall; it’s pretty over whelming. There are the normal clothing, jewelry, and shoe stores, but also shops with products unique to Turkey. After some bargaining, the three of us managed to snag a small prayer rug for just 30 TLR!

At the end of the day, we all met for at a restaurant knew to eat dinner and share stories about the day’s experiences. So here we are, in the hotel breakfast room falling asleep as we journal, looking forward to tomorrow.

(sorry there are no pics. my camera died right when we got to the Ayasofya)

For the students who were here last year ...

The group who was here last year and some of the readers of both years' blogs may be interested to hear who I ran into yesterday. Any guesses? Yep, Tolga, or "green shirt guy" (as those who had trouble with Turkish names may remember him). I laughed when I saw him, remembering the times we had last year! I had thought he would be long gone off to hunt for buried treasure (long story, but that was his plan the last time we saw him), but he was standing outside the Basilica Cistern the same as always.

I've also run into several other people we knew from last year, and it's been fun to reconnect. Interestingly all of them remembered me and seemed happy to see me and asked about how the rest of you were doing. So ... for last year's group, know that you are remembered by people here. Tosun (our guide for the second part of our time in Turkey last year) was very impressed with our students, so although he is the owner of the agency he works for and employs a number of other guides, he decided that he and his wife (Sayeste) would travel with and guide our group again this year for the last few days of our time here, because he "gets" that what we are doing is different from the average group, and I think it's more interesting to him to work with us.

So I send greetings from Istanbul to all of you who were here with us last year.

Day 2

It's only Day 2 and ALREADY there has been talk of "wondering what it would be like to live here", and "how much it would cost to ship out our belongings from home"...

Obviously, we're smitten with Istanbul.

We woke up at around 4 a.m. to the haunting chant of the morning call to prayer blaring from the speakers of the Blue Mosque's minarets. The responses were various in nature. Nolan reportedly snapped out of bed, slammed the window, and was back under his covers in two seconds flat. Ariel did more of the muttering and murmuring in half consciousness about how it "sounded like people dying" outside. Apparently, Ivan heard nothing and slept through it all, and to this hour wonders what the big problem is...

A little later in the morning, after recovering from this culturally shocking experience, we awoke at the more decent hour of 8, some 9, to have breakfast on the top floor of our hotel and then proceed to meet in the lobby at 9:30 for a debriefing of the day's events. The first thing on the agenda was called "The Hippodrome", which was only a couple blocks down in a nearby plaza. It was once, as Amanda pointed out in her presentation, one of the main forms of entertainment for the city, as it was a racetrack where the most popular rivaling horse and chariot teams would race. Today, there remains a road where the track once stood and inside the track are three obelisk-like structures remaining from the days of "Hippodrome glory".



The second place on the agenda was the Basilica Cistern which was unlike anything I have ever seen before! It is what remains of an underground cistern, however it is more like an underground palace, with 300 some columns holding up the structure, sitting in several feet of water that now only inhabits a variety of surprisingly large fish! (Fortunately for us, there was no memory of the cistern's smell from days past, which I can imagine could have been rather overwhelming.) There are wooden bridge paths above the water so that tourists can walk around inside without fear of getting wet..except for the occasional dripping from the ceiling.





It's dank, cool, atmosphere is just as eerie as the darkness accompanying the dripping ceilings, but the lights that have been strategically placed around the columns made for some fascinating photos. I believe Dr. Clark won our friendly competition of who could capture the best photos of the columns. Perhaps one day when we are no longer students and can also afford an amazing camera....

But I digress.

Next, we headed up to a small restaurant area that used to be an Islamic school, and had tea and lemonade under the draping canvasses outdoors while discussing some cultural differences we had noticed in the environment around us. We also discussed the learning approach we wanted to take while here and decided we would be flexible to whatever opportunities may present themselves to better know the culture, rather than just plowing through a checklist of touristic sites.



After finishing our little rendezvous, we meandered up to a Calligraphy and Marbling Shop owned by a friend of Dr. Mallery's named Josh. He was more than willing to explain to us his trade and even offered to make free posters of each of our names in special calligraphy to give to us when we return again to visit tomorrow. We also got an offer to check out an authentic shop of nomadic Turkish art, but whether it was our rumbling stomachs, or our distracted attitudes, Dr. Mallery decided that it would best be left for another day in favor of taking us to lunch.

For lunch, we ordered a variety of lamb or chicken kebabs or lentil soup which, I can personally say, was one of the best soups I've ever tasted...much to my surprise. We've been trying to be adventurous in trying new things and our drinks included Cherry Juice, Turkish coffee or Tea, or Aryan...a plain sour yogurt drink with salt and water added. A common treat around the area. I ordered some and, after making it through half the glass, graciously decided that I did not need to drink all of it and could share it with absolutely anyone who was willing to take it off my hands...in the name of generosity of course...my stomach has yet to recover.

After lunch, us, women, donned our beautifully colored scarfs that we had purchased earlier that morning, and all of us made a trip to the Blue Mosque that had so intrigued us from the moment we saw it's towering minarets and dome. We followed suite as those in front of us took off their shoes, selected a plastic bag from the giant bin on our right to put them in, and passed through "inspection" to make sure they were properly dressed to enter. The woman inspecting me, made sure my scarf covered all of my hair, and draped properly over my chest, covered though I was. Girls passing by me in shorts or tanks ended up coming out of inspection looking like walking bed sheets as they had to juggle holding shoulder shawls in place as well as sheets around their legs like towels.



We walked in and it took our breath away, (perhaps because of the overwhelming smell of bare feet), but ALSO because of the huge carpeted expanse in front of us littered with faithful Muslims praying towards Mecca in a very deliberate repetition of standing, kneeling, and bowing to the floor. The huge dome structure inside was amazing, with mosaics and huge low-hanging chandeliers that cast a friendly light on the red flowered carpet below.



We looked around, listened to a review of several Islamic concepts we'd missed before, and sat near one of the four powerful pillars inside, just taking in the atmosphere. We drifted into a discussion on whether, perhaps, there was some merit to the strict women's dress code, therefore eliminating distractions and causing a different, more spiritually focused environment in the mosque...not that we would jump to implement it at home, but it was an interesting topic to consider.

At this point in the afternoon, jet lag had once again begun to set in and everyone was looking rather tired, so Dr. Mallery anounced that we would be allowed free time until dinner, which most of us used to slip in a nap. For dinner, we went nearby to a restaurant with an excellent view of the Blue Mosque on the roof patio where we were served, and as our stomachs were a little wary from earlier gastronomical adventures, most of us decided to settle for the known: cheese pizza and fruit juice. It was beautiful weather and we had a great time laughing and talking on the patio.



As the day's agenda was pretty much over, we were free to do as we wished and most took the opportunity to turn in for the night or contact family on the few computers we have with us. Six of us decided we weren't done exploring the city and headed out to get a taste of Turkey in the evening hours, after Ramadan. We took a pleasant walk around the different streets, encountering some areas where the Turks lived without touristic interference, checking out a Turkish soccer game, observing the groups of men sitting around drinking tea and playing backgammon, and finally coming back to the Hippodrome, from earlier in the day, to find it alive and bustling with nightlife and music. We walked around the different shops and restaurants, dodging the restaurant hosts persistently trying to serve us food, and stopping here or there to listen to a group of musicians or watch the curious, almost humiliating tease that takes place at every ice cream stand.

In the midst of it all, we just happened to meet up with Josh, the calligrapher, from this morning, who greeted us cheerily and, at our request, suggested a nice spot to hang out where a close friend of his worked. We found ourselves seated in white couch-like booths, drinking tea and juice and chatting with Josh about some good places in Turkey we must see that tourists don't usually get to hear about. The soft jazz playing in the background, along with the soft murmur of those talking around us, beautifully complimented the cafe area we were seated in, close to the road, yet intimate and set apart, enough to have some privacy. After Josh regretfully left, to "paint more in order to sell tomorrow", we lingered a bit, enjoying the atmosphere and then decided it was time to head back home, but not before buying a copy of the relaxing jazz tracks that had charmed us throughout our visit.

It is late, true, but the streets will still remain alive until 1 or 2 in the morning when the shops and restaurants will finally close down and traffic will finally start to grow thin. It's been a second charming day in the city of Istanbul and it's time to get some rest for tomorrow's adventures, whatever they may be.

(Rebecca)

Personal space

Brandon gets speared in the stomach with an ice cream cone. Interestingly we'd just finished having a conversation in which the students talked about their perceptions that the Turks have different notions of personal space than most of them do.

Adventures in ice cream

Traditional Turkish ice cream is sticky and elastic. Here the vendor is taking advantage of these characteristics to snatch back the ice cream cone from David before David has a chance to take it from him. This type of ice cream traditionally comes with a little "show" in which the vendor teases the buyer before finally handing over the treat.

A few photos from day 2

Alex and Sterling looking exhausted

Ariel falling asleep at lunch

Ivan and David listening to Amanda's description of the hippodrome

A fairly typical back street in Istanbul

Day 1

Today is August 25, 2009 – the day when our La Sierra Honors group landed in Istanbul, Turkey. Nikki, Hayden and I (Ivan) spent a fantastic time in Russia and flew into Istanbul approximately five hours earlier than the rest of the group. Since there was only one hour difference between Moscow time and Istanbul, which meant that we didn’t have to suffer from jetlag, we immediately decided to explore the city. Since I am the first one to make the contribution to this blog I will say this – Istanbul is a great place! Being prejudiced, I did not expect that this city would capture my heart entirely the minute we drove away from the airport. I used to think that Istanbul would be more like Southern California, but much older. Well, there is a lot more to it than that. First, it is a lot greener; Second, as I already mentioned, it is MUCH older than SoCal; Third, people are extremely friendly and talkative; and finally, this is just a whole new world in which every corner of a building can tell you something fascinating about the past civilizations. In our free time we went to see the Blue Mosque (which is about a 10 minute walk from our hotel) and as we arrived to the site there was only one word left to say – wow! What is more fascinating though is when you look at the Hagia Sofia church and think to yourself: “Man, this building has been there for 1,500 years…” As I’m writing this blog, the rest of the group has arrived and has been safely taken to the hotel. I bet everybody is tired and needs to get some sleep. After everybody dropped their bags at their rooms we went to a Turkish restaurant and had a variety of delicious Turkish dishes. This was the summary of our first day in Turkey, and I’m sure my colleagues will write more about our exciting trip so keep checking for the updates.

For all those parents reading this blog and worrying about your kids here is some info: everybody looks somewhat alive and made it to the hotel. We were placed in a touristy area in a (from what I can tell) safe place with lots of little shops and cafes. The hotel has extremely small rooms due to the age of this part of the city but they are renovated nicely with AC, a small flat screen TV, 50X50cm shower cabins, and comfortable beds. Also there is unlimited wireless internet so, if your dear child doesn’t email you for a few days (like I tend to do) please don’t blame it on someone else :)

Mosque

11 pm Istanbul time - Well, there's definitely a mosque directly behind the hotel! And of course the Blue Mosque and the Kucukayasofya are only a few blocks away too, so we're getting stereophonic (and out of sync) calls to prayer here. It's beautiful but may seem a bit loud to the group in the very early morning after they've had such a long trip. Hope they brought earplugs if they want to sleep through it.

Advance team has arrived in Istanbul

OK, I admit it, the "advance team" is only me, but I've come to Istanbul a day early to prepare for the students' arrival tomorrow. I am getting transit passes for the students and setting up a lot of the details for some of the activities they will be doing here.

Our guide from last year met me at the hotel when I arrived, and he and his wife will be traveling with the group once we leave Istanbul. I think the students will enjoy him and his wife. Both are informed about Turkey and are able to talk intelligently about the issues facing the Turkish Republic today, and it's really helpful for the students to hear their views.

I have to say the weather here is gorgeous. There's a lovely breeze off the Bosphorus, and the temperature is just right. Last year it was pretty hot while the group was here, so this is a welcome relief.

Our hotel is in the old quarter of the city, only about a block from the Blue Mosque and Hippodrome and only a bit farther to the Haghia Sophia. We can see the minarets of the Blue Mosque from the roof terrace of our hotel.

The photo above is of the view of the Bosphorus from our hotel terrace. I'm looking forward to the arrival of the rest of the group tomorrow.