The most impactful part of the trip occured the other day while we were in Antakya Hatay. (this area is southern Turkey- a matter of miles from the Syrian border) I just remembered the day was Sunday--because we visited a Christian church at noon. This service was obviously very different from Trinity but it seemed like home compared to the millions of Muslims I have been consumed by this past week. This church had been founded by a pastor who was sent from Spuyh Korea. His name was Jacob and he greeted us like he had known us for years. After we greeted a few people, we settled in the backrow. The service finally informally started after a few minutes (seemed like a lot longer to me). If the fact that the service was in a different language was not enough to deter me from paying attention, there were many other distractions. The pastor's kids (two twin girls around the age of 1-2) were the Cutest things EVER and running around like they owned the place. Also, people were entering and leaving as if the service had never even started. I recognized familiar parts of the service, such as the obvious sermon and communion. There was no confession or absolution-which definitely distinguished that church from my own. After the seemingly day-long service, we were greeted by more people and invited to tea in the church owned cafe below the church. We grabbed some tea and snacks and sat down in the fenced in courtyard outside. A young girl greeted us in English and continued to talk to us in almost perfect English.
Her name was Aria and she said she had studied her English in Iran and her family (sister Yelda who was 16 and mother) were refugees from Iran. I later found out that she wa 18-my age! And she was the first person my age who I had talked to or met while in Turkey! Plus she spoke English and was SO nice. She informed us that the English service started at two with the pastor my brother had met last time he attended. His name was Bob and that's all that he went by. He had an accent that indicated to me that he was from Iowa or somewhere north in America.
We moseyed upwards the small room off the cage and Aria introduced us to her mother and dosages who were just as nice (didn't think it was possible) as their outgoing relative. While we were standing and chatting, Aria talked about how hard it was for them to be in Iran as Crhistians and why they had to leave the country as refugees. turkey is famous for taking many refugees (like from Syria) BUT the Reuters have to wait for countries to accept tem. Aria said thy had been waiting for over a year to be accepted by the US, Austrailia, or Canada. I was thinking in my head how I would love to take the three back, take them to our church, and let them enjoy sharing their faith openly. Aria mentioned how hard it was to live in Muslim heavy areas and to still be a Christian. I believe I wrote on one of my first blogs how I felt alienated from people because of mugwort but think about these girls. They already stick out for not having their heads covered...imagine f peole knew their religion. How could I be so selfish as to say that sometimes I don't have freedom of religion? I was brought to tears talking to the girls and wished I could provide more hope for them. If only they could come to Amrrica with me, live in my home, all my plans for the future would change. I would stay locally for college and change my ambitions. After only minutes with these girls, I would change my life for them.
They asked us to pray for them. Mostly for us to prettier they would be accepted by a country. So, we stood hand in hand, instant friends, in the middle of a cafe, and prayed. I have never been sO moved. Their faiths were out of this world dispute their terrible situation. I am brought to tears writing this post knowing how much I have and wishing I could give it all to them. They deserve a life like mine. Blessed with freedom, new clothes, a home, and a church. These things seem so trivial to me-things I have taken advantage of my whole life. But I finally realized all I can do is pray. And I hope you will too. But if you don't pray or believe in a religion, keep them in your thoughts. Remember situations like this when you have to clean your room or go to a family member's house. Rememberthis when you are forces to go to church. Remember how BLESSED you are and always have been-despite minor obstacles or situations.
These girls were refugees looking for refuge. Refuge they could feel comfortable in, have hope in, believe in, and feel safe in. The physical representation was definitely this small church. But overall they found refuge in God and in fellow believers. She said this church has become her family. Ah. The memories of what she said bring me to tears even days after.
God is our refuge and strength. A PRESENT help in times of trouble. We will not fear.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Stare
Stare
Especially when I was younger (but truthfully still relevant), I loved receiving attention. Everybody does. As my brother and I were enjoying a late Turkish tea last night, we were talking about how kids will do anything to receive attention or a response from their parents. If they are mad for example, they will slam a door shut-waiting for a response whether positive or negative. Then when there is no response, that child may slam a book onto a table, wait, cry a little bit, and become angrier with lack of response.
Regardless, everyone loves attention.
There are certain types of attention people usually don't enjoy. My example from the land of Turkey is staring.
Do you ever feel like someone is staring at you? (but when you look at them, they are not) I have. Except, every time I turn to discover if someone is looking at me, they are. And they do not turn their eyes away from me.
Staring is when someone is judging you.
Let me tell you how I have arrived at this conclusion. Staring is a form of observation. Observations, however, are sorted out in your mind instantly. They can be classified as right or wrong, good or bad, liberal or conservative, and a million other things. These classifications are imbedded into your conscience based on your background, upbringing, experiences, and your opinions based on those experiences. Therefore, every fact and observation that enters your mind via your senses is automatically sorted. It is almost impossible for a person to make an observation and objectively avoid judging.
Therefore: staring = judgement (not in all cases such as when someone is so beautiful you literally cannot turn your eyes from theirs)
Anyways, let's relate this rant to my experiences.
Today is a day of traveling. We are crossing the countryside via bus. The first bus we took from Cappadocia to Kayseri was about an hour. I sat next to my father and my brother ended up not having a seat. The bus attendant (two per public bus) came and said something to me while motioning for me to come with him. I got up out of my comfort zone to provide a seat for my brother and sat next to an elderly woman in full dress.
(as a side note, buses are organized males on one side and females on the other unless you are married)
When I walk down aisles or stand in buses, I expect stares. I am a young woman who is showing her hair, ankles, and American origin. But have you ever been stared at for an hour?
A full hour. Unbroken stare.
This woman so would have destroyed me in the staring game.
At first, stares are uncomfortable. Let me tell you that this uncomfortability does not subside after a certain amount of time. In America, when the person who is being stared back responds with a glance, that glance usually deters the staree from staring again. Not in Turkey.
Even my glances did not break that stare. It is a stare that is hard to explain however. I don't think it is state that is jealous of the fact that I have the freedom to show my hair, ankles, and individual style. It is a stare that questions my very existence for not abiding by the cultural norms. This stare is much more uncomfortable than a 'you look weird' stare.
I have felt this for every minute I have been in the public eye in Turkey. Every traveler feels like an out of place foreigner to a certain extent because they are not a part of the local community or culture and never can be no how hard they try. I have felt even more out of place than the normal foreigner. I am not oblivious enough to be the older lady from America who wears her flag fanny pack and gets away with it because she is THAT crazy American. I am one who respects and envies local culture and tradition but cannot truly fit into this foreign culture as a woman.
Luckily, this seven hour bus ride to Hatay, I am in the backrow, making my presence less noticeable (besides when I had to walk to the back of the bus...).
My brother has had an easy time in Turkey overall. If he needs directions or help, he can walk up straight to a middle aged man and chat for many minutes- making instant connections and friends. If I had been living in Turkey for a year, I cannot walk up to men (or make eye contact even) to ask for help. The women surely can help but rarely talk, especially to foreigners.
I am not necessarily a feminist but this culture makes me feel like I am. In America, there is complete freedom. I am beginning to understand our founding words and constitution more and more with every trip.
Overall, do you like attention? If so, come to Turkey. You'll receive plenty of it and more than you even want. Opposite of my personality, I just want to slip under the radar and hope no one notices me.
Until that time (a week away), I will be stared at. For hours upon hours. On planes, buses, and trams, in stores and restaurants, at mosques and historic sites.
And just for emphasis, let me say the word one more time:
STARE.
Especially when I was younger (but truthfully still relevant), I loved receiving attention. Everybody does. As my brother and I were enjoying a late Turkish tea last night, we were talking about how kids will do anything to receive attention or a response from their parents. If they are mad for example, they will slam a door shut-waiting for a response whether positive or negative. Then when there is no response, that child may slam a book onto a table, wait, cry a little bit, and become angrier with lack of response.
Regardless, everyone loves attention.
There are certain types of attention people usually don't enjoy. My example from the land of Turkey is staring.
Do you ever feel like someone is staring at you? (but when you look at them, they are not) I have. Except, every time I turn to discover if someone is looking at me, they are. And they do not turn their eyes away from me.
Staring is when someone is judging you.
Let me tell you how I have arrived at this conclusion. Staring is a form of observation. Observations, however, are sorted out in your mind instantly. They can be classified as right or wrong, good or bad, liberal or conservative, and a million other things. These classifications are imbedded into your conscience based on your background, upbringing, experiences, and your opinions based on those experiences. Therefore, every fact and observation that enters your mind via your senses is automatically sorted. It is almost impossible for a person to make an observation and objectively avoid judging.
Therefore: staring = judgement (not in all cases such as when someone is so beautiful you literally cannot turn your eyes from theirs)
Anyways, let's relate this rant to my experiences.
Today is a day of traveling. We are crossing the countryside via bus. The first bus we took from Cappadocia to Kayseri was about an hour. I sat next to my father and my brother ended up not having a seat. The bus attendant (two per public bus) came and said something to me while motioning for me to come with him. I got up out of my comfort zone to provide a seat for my brother and sat next to an elderly woman in full dress.
(as a side note, buses are organized males on one side and females on the other unless you are married)
When I walk down aisles or stand in buses, I expect stares. I am a young woman who is showing her hair, ankles, and American origin. But have you ever been stared at for an hour?
A full hour. Unbroken stare.
This woman so would have destroyed me in the staring game.
At first, stares are uncomfortable. Let me tell you that this uncomfortability does not subside after a certain amount of time. In America, when the person who is being stared back responds with a glance, that glance usually deters the staree from staring again. Not in Turkey.
Even my glances did not break that stare. It is a stare that is hard to explain however. I don't think it is state that is jealous of the fact that I have the freedom to show my hair, ankles, and individual style. It is a stare that questions my very existence for not abiding by the cultural norms. This stare is much more uncomfortable than a 'you look weird' stare.
I have felt this for every minute I have been in the public eye in Turkey. Every traveler feels like an out of place foreigner to a certain extent because they are not a part of the local community or culture and never can be no how hard they try. I have felt even more out of place than the normal foreigner. I am not oblivious enough to be the older lady from America who wears her flag fanny pack and gets away with it because she is THAT crazy American. I am one who respects and envies local culture and tradition but cannot truly fit into this foreign culture as a woman.
Luckily, this seven hour bus ride to Hatay, I am in the backrow, making my presence less noticeable (besides when I had to walk to the back of the bus...).
My brother has had an easy time in Turkey overall. If he needs directions or help, he can walk up straight to a middle aged man and chat for many minutes- making instant connections and friends. If I had been living in Turkey for a year, I cannot walk up to men (or make eye contact even) to ask for help. The women surely can help but rarely talk, especially to foreigners.
I am not necessarily a feminist but this culture makes me feel like I am. In America, there is complete freedom. I am beginning to understand our founding words and constitution more and more with every trip.
Overall, do you like attention? If so, come to Turkey. You'll receive plenty of it and more than you even want. Opposite of my personality, I just want to slip under the radar and hope no one notices me.
Until that time (a week away), I will be stared at. For hours upon hours. On planes, buses, and trams, in stores and restaurants, at mosques and historic sites.
And just for emphasis, let me say the word one more time:
STARE.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Every Step
I have found myself saying this phrase many times:
"every step provides a new view"
Turkey has been a very interesting experience for me. There have been good times and bad times and times that cannot be explained by a single word. Sometimes we will br walking all day or hiking and I begin to wonder why I should even take another step. Today especially, I have found that every addition step I took, I saw a new view or a new angle of a mosque, rock formation, or tree. Every step provides a new view.
I think this idea can be paralleled to life easily. Every additional day or step in your journey of life provides you a new outlook or view allowing you to form your own opinion based on experience...
Whether you are starting a new day in Turkey, at college or even at home, your past experiences allow you to look at that opportunity to make less mistakes or more mistakes based on your feelings of the previous events. I have had many monumental steps that allow me to take another look at life. Going to Italy and now being in Turkey has Truly widened my perspective. No, I have not seen the world. But I have expanded my world...
This is why I encourage you...whoever you may be....to take another step. It may cause you pain or discomfort or have minor side effects but in the end, that step is the medicine you need to fulfill and live a healthy life.
"every step provides a new view"
Turkey has been a very interesting experience for me. There have been good times and bad times and times that cannot be explained by a single word. Sometimes we will br walking all day or hiking and I begin to wonder why I should even take another step. Today especially, I have found that every addition step I took, I saw a new view or a new angle of a mosque, rock formation, or tree. Every step provides a new view.
I think this idea can be paralleled to life easily. Every additional day or step in your journey of life provides you a new outlook or view allowing you to form your own opinion based on experience...
Whether you are starting a new day in Turkey, at college or even at home, your past experiences allow you to look at that opportunity to make less mistakes or more mistakes based on your feelings of the previous events. I have had many monumental steps that allow me to take another look at life. Going to Italy and now being in Turkey has Truly widened my perspective. No, I have not seen the world. But I have expanded my world...
This is why I encourage you...whoever you may be....to take another step. It may cause you pain or discomfort or have minor side effects but in the end, that step is the medicine you need to fulfill and live a healthy life.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Lightening and Caves
The day has been one of traveling. Starting in Istanbul, we took a plane to a small village and wasted around two hours figuring out their city bus system :) it was a beautiful city though. On one of the rides, a mother heard my brother and I speaking English together and turned around and encouraged her small, beautiful daughter to listen for practice. In all the Turkish schools, English is required. French used to be the required language until twenty years ago or so.
Anyway, I was stared at quite heavily for my clothig choices because my ankles are showing. I cannot wait to be in the country where showing your ankles is not a taboo thing! A part of traveling is wanting to experience/fit into the culture. I know for sure that I am not fitting in, makes me feel like the loser who sits by herself at lunch in the cafeteria...
Even if I were to have the same outerwear as my Middle Eastwrn cOunterparts, I would still not fit in. My face doesn't necessarily distinguish me as an American. But I am most ibviously a foreigner and understand only 5 words, besides DVD and toilete, in Turkish...
We traveled an hour by bus to another town-Nevishir I believe. It was surprisingly modern and beautiful! We met a man at the bus stop who had a bag full of fresh fruits! He said he was in tourism for ten years and became an instant friend to my brother. My brother told him where we were going and he offered to get on the bus with us and help us determine where to get off. He later decided we should get off with him and he would drive us around to elp us find a cheap hotel. After a few stops and some sight seeing escapades (such as the fairy chimneys) we decided on a hotel that is dug out of stone. We argued for an extremely low price and received an extra bed. The man then took us to a nice meal where we insisted on buying him dinner but he refused because he needed to get home to his 51 day ol baby girl and his wife. We enjoyed the nicest meal on a roof top woth a lightening storm in the background over the mountain. As it started to rain, we moved our meal inside and enjoyed some delicious Turkish tea!
Finally we left. As I am sitting in my cave that was dug before Islamic times, I am lucky to be in the company of the two greatest men on eaRth. I am very proud of how fluent my brother ia in Turkish! He has been a lifesaver!
Anyway, I was stared at quite heavily for my clothig choices because my ankles are showing. I cannot wait to be in the country where showing your ankles is not a taboo thing! A part of traveling is wanting to experience/fit into the culture. I know for sure that I am not fitting in, makes me feel like the loser who sits by herself at lunch in the cafeteria...
Even if I were to have the same outerwear as my Middle Eastwrn cOunterparts, I would still not fit in. My face doesn't necessarily distinguish me as an American. But I am most ibviously a foreigner and understand only 5 words, besides DVD and toilete, in Turkish...
We traveled an hour by bus to another town-Nevishir I believe. It was surprisingly modern and beautiful! We met a man at the bus stop who had a bag full of fresh fruits! He said he was in tourism for ten years and became an instant friend to my brother. My brother told him where we were going and he offered to get on the bus with us and help us determine where to get off. He later decided we should get off with him and he would drive us around to elp us find a cheap hotel. After a few stops and some sight seeing escapades (such as the fairy chimneys) we decided on a hotel that is dug out of stone. We argued for an extremely low price and received an extra bed. The man then took us to a nice meal where we insisted on buying him dinner but he refused because he needed to get home to his 51 day ol baby girl and his wife. We enjoyed the nicest meal on a roof top woth a lightening storm in the background over the mountain. As it started to rain, we moved our meal inside and enjoyed some delicious Turkish tea!
Finally we left. As I am sitting in my cave that was dug before Islamic times, I am lucky to be in the company of the two greatest men on eaRth. I am very proud of how fluent my brother ia in Turkish! He has been a lifesaver!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Observations
There are many things I noticed today in Istanbul:
1) it is impossible to determine where people are from. Walking through the streets, I thought I had found a few Americans only to find out they speak French or Spanish. What I have determined is that we are some of the only Americans here. That is an exaggeration but it ia hard to find Americans.
2) the smells are either heavenly or awful. There are good smells of cooked meat and veggies. However, Turkish men smell awful and the trash on the street is common.
3) apparently I am the only one who wears zebra socks in mosques.
4) my body is so confused-by the time, smells, and food. I haven't felt great but not necessarily bad either.
5) I am tired. Good night.
1) it is impossible to determine where people are from. Walking through the streets, I thought I had found a few Americans only to find out they speak French or Spanish. What I have determined is that we are some of the only Americans here. That is an exaggeration but it ia hard to find Americans.
2) the smells are either heavenly or awful. There are good smells of cooked meat and veggies. However, Turkish men smell awful and the trash on the street is common.
3) apparently I am the only one who wears zebra socks in mosques.
4) my body is so confused-by the time, smells, and food. I haven't felt great but not necessarily bad either.
5) I am tired. Good night.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Different
With my limited traveling experience, I don't know much about anything. However, I can tell that Turkey is VERY different than my last European vacation. Upon arriving to The airport in Istanbul, my dad and I were already confused (along with other Americans) on where to go and what to do. We eventually figured out we needed to buy Visas before going through passport control. Luckily, they didn't really question us on why we were there. (even for Turks who speak English, it is hard to understand them). We finally exited and met with a man who was holding our names. He took us outside, it was hot and smelled of heat as well. We got into a shuttle and headed to our temporary abode. It turned out to be a lot more temporary than planned. Apparently he thought we were Barbara Silva (do I look like a Barbara) and family and therefore took us about 25 minutes out of the way. Eventually, I showed the driver the name and address of the hotel and we arrived! Also, Brett was waiting outside of the hotel for us!
We settled in and decided to take a 4 hour nap. When we finally woke up and got dressed (9:30), we hit the town! We took the tram across the golden horn and walked around Istanbul to the top of one (out of seven) hills. There we ate Duram (meaning wraps) that were quite delicious. Finally we walked all the way back (took about an hour). We only got lost a few time amongst our short journey.
I better get some sleep so I can be ready for the adventures that lie ahead tomorrow. (such as me wearing a burka)
We settled in and decided to take a 4 hour nap. When we finally woke up and got dressed (9:30), we hit the town! We took the tram across the golden horn and walked around Istanbul to the top of one (out of seven) hills. There we ate Duram (meaning wraps) that were quite delicious. Finally we walked all the way back (took about an hour). We only got lost a few time amongst our short journey.
I better get some sleep so I can be ready for the adventures that lie ahead tomorrow. (such as me wearing a burka)
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Turkey
Hello World,
I am on my way to Turkey and am VERY excited. Yes, I am excited to see the sights of a different land and culture. But most importantly, I am excited to see my brother who I have not seen since September 13th!
I could not ask for a better summer :)
Pray for safe travels!
BYE!
I am on my way to Turkey and am VERY excited. Yes, I am excited to see the sights of a different land and culture. But most importantly, I am excited to see my brother who I have not seen since September 13th!
I could not ask for a better summer :)
Pray for safe travels!
BYE!
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