To Market, To Market!

We have been in Antalya for almost two weeks now. Wow. This last week has been a whirlwind of observing at the rehab center and the kresh where we will be spending most of the next months, and experiencing Turkish culture.


This weekend we went to the market again, which I think will become a much looked-forward-to weekly event. The big Saturday market brings vendors that sell everything from shoes to fresh produce to plastic clothespins, and just about everything in between. There is a whole section devoted to all manner of clothing, and most of it is piled in a jumble on tables, selling for five lira or less. It is incredibly tempting, mostly because it is so cheap! Better than the clothes however, is the fresh produce. This weekend Verna took us to a different market that is devoted solely to fresh produce. It is huge, and there is such a range of veggies! I just want to make soup, stir fry, and anything else that involves large amounts of vegetables! So inspiring! There are markets all over town, throughout the week. Today we went to one that has been set up in a park, especially for the celebration of Biram, the holiday at the end of Ramazan. Very fun.


The rehab center has been good. We went three days this past week, and will continue with that schedule for a while. I have been feeling a little worried about what I can actually do, with my lack of language. Friday’s visit was encouraging, because I saw what felt like actual instruction in one of the classes, instead of the rote work they seem to rely on in most classes. I got to practice English with one student who has been learning the language out of a work book, and I actually felt useful! That was a good feeling. I was also able to sit in on some individual instruction sessions with students with autism, and because the teacher spoke a fair amount of English, I was able to understand more of their goals, and how they approach teaching students with autism at the center. Again it was encouraging, because I felt like my feet back on solid ground. With the help of a translator, I feel like I might actually be able to contribute something, but I was feeling sort of useless at the beginning of the week. We are hoping soon to have a translated conversation at the center to see who they would like us to work with on a more permanent basis, and start to observe that group a little more pointedly.



Last night we went to an Iftar meal that was hosted by Rotary, randomly. Iftar is the meal that breaks the fast after sundown each evening during Ramazan. We had a lot of fun, until they began the actually Rotary meeting, which of course was in Turkish... We may have thought twice before going if we had known there was a meeting to follow, but the food was good! This is Verna and I at the meal.



Along with the rehab center, we get to teach English two days a week at Tansule’s kresh, a preschool. I am very excited for this! Preschool is the age group that I feel most comfortable working with, and I think it will be really life-giving to do this. We get to sing songs, do arts and crafts, and generally have fun together, all while the students are learning some English! This will be great! This week we will observe the age groups, see where they’re at, and learn what the themes will be for the weeks that we will be teaching. Tansule has an amazing vision for her kresh, and I am so excited to work with her!

Lanuage Barrier

(Alli and I in the Old City, part of Antalya)

Yesterday we had our first full day at the center, and it was intense! I don't think I realized quite how much the language barrier was going to impact me. We took the teacher service bus to the school, which will be a great resource. Once we got there though, there was just about no one who spoke English. There happened to be a woman in the office who was just starting her first day as a teacher, and she spoke some English, so she translated to get us situated. I went with a teacher who did one-on-one therapy, but she spoke close to no English. We attepted some conversation, but mostly just laughed a whole lot, because we couldn't really say anything! My head keeps reverting to Spanish, because at least in Spanish I have the words to give a general idea of what I mean, or to explain around something. In Turkish, I have nothing. it was comical at times, because the teachers would slow down what they were saying, and say it very clearly and loudly. At this point, no matter how much they slow it down or raise the volume, I still don't understand. I spent most of the day with a dumb, apologetic smile on my face. Verna reminded me though, that this is the worst it will ever be, because we are steadily picking up more and more. We had a day at home today, and I will spend most of this afternoon trying to learn more.

I finally put some pictures onto my computer, so here are a few to give a small idea of what we are seeing!

This is the Old City. Not all of Antalya is as picturesque as this, but it sure is beautiful! The church is in this area of town too. There are fountains all over Antalya, and one in the Old City happened to have fun ceramic birds in it!

The water is the most ridiculous blue!! I could stare at it for hours!

This is the harbor in the Old City. We wanted to take a tour of the bay, and ended up on a boat with several tour groups of elderly German tourists. That was an adventure!

P.S. Sorry about the crazy format and layout of this blog. I am still figuring it out!

The Mediterranean!

This week we have been slowly settling in to life here in Antalya. I am slowly picking up more and more words in Turkish, and I'm sure that once we live with a Turkish host family words will come faster.
Alli and I have discovered two favorite swimming spots. One is on the beach a ways from Verna's house, where we can rent umbrellas and chairs and relax the afternoon away! We have done this a couple of times now, and it is simply amazing! The water is so warm! The other is a local swimming hole off the rocks in front of Verna's house. There is a long, steep makeshift stairway down to the rocks, where ladders have been put on the biggest rocks, to make it easier to get into deeper water. There's no sharks or anything to worry about, but I've seen a few people fishing with spear guns there, which tells me there's something big... The water is so warm that I am actually thankful to find a cold patch! Alli and I have gotten in the habit of swimming in the early evenings. This could be the beginning of a great routine!
We've tried to do a little exploring of Antalya this week, beginning with the tram and the dolmes, or bus. Yesterday Alli and I took the tram into the old city, and walked down to the harbor, in hopes of finding a short cruise (we see the boats all the time passing in front of the apartment). We fell in line with some older touristy-looking people, paid the captain a small fee, and joined a couple of German tour groups for a cruise of the bay! We laughed a lot, but enjoyed it all the same! On Saturday morning we explored the big market, which was wonderful! Apparently there is a market somewhere in the city every day, but Saturday's market is the biggest. We bought all kinds of fresh vegetables and fruit for next to nothing. Then we found lunch at one of the stalls - my new favorite food, guzleme (goozlahmay)! Its basically a chewy crepe, full of fresh feta cheese, spinach, or meat, or a combination of the above. So amazing!
Even more exciting was our visit to the rehabilitation center where we will be working. We went in on Friday to give them our papers (the center has to explain to the government why foreigners are there), and to set up details. I was shocked - the center was huge and beautiful! They just moved into a brand new building, with tons of open space, lots of rooms for individual instuction and physical therapy, several craft rooms, a theater, and even a pool! I was especially excited to see the pool - maybe I'll get to teach some swimming lessons! Tomorrow we will start our semi-normal schedule there, going on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. We start out just observing, to see how they do things there, and also to see what kinds of gaps we can fill. I am so looking forward to tomorrow!

Blunders

We arrived safely! The flights were long, but fine for the most part. Whoever invented the videos-on-demand with individual screens for each passenger was brilliant! Yay for catching up on new releases for free!

Verna met us at the airport, and we went out to discover that Antalya is very muggy! It is also incredibly hot, but apparently it has cooled down from the summer months. We are currently staying in her apartment, which is big and beautiful, and looks out over the Mediterranean. Gorgeous!

I am about 12 hours into my stay in Turkey, and already I feel slightly like an idiot. Apparently I commited my first cultural no-no on the plane, when I blew my nose. Apparently "wrapping snot up in your pocket" (according to the cultural guide pamphlet) is not acceptable, and should be done only in the bathroom. Whoops. And then, in the middle of the night, when I was fumbling with the air conditioner, I somehow managed to basically turn the heat on, so we woke up sweating like crazy. I think I'll sleep much better tonight, without the extra heat. And then, I blew out my hair dryer that I hauled all the way over here, because I forgot for about 5 seconds to use the converter. Sigh, so glad I made space for it in my luggage. Oh well!

This afternoon Verna will take us to the market, which I am so looking forward to! Already we have had some amazing nectarines, and Verna says that most of the fruit is amazing here! I'm excited!