A Love Letter -- to Istanbul

I was enchanted by you in the Fall, I loved you in the Winter, and now I’m infatuated by you in the Spring. 

You teased me in the Fall, and even though the days were getting shorter, your sparkle and energy came through.

We were more alone in the Winter, and though it was cold, you showed me your warmth.

Your beauty peaks in the Spring, with amazing colors and scents.

Time is not kind to some, but you are ageless. 

I am counting the days until I can see you again.

Turkey and the EU

EU Court of Justice -- Luxembourg 

I recently had the opportunity to be a participant in a week long Fulbright program concerning the European Union and NATO held in Luxembourg and Brussels.   Given Turkey’s status as an EU “wannabe” and my weak knowledge of the EU, it was a very interesting week. 

I learned a huge amount, the main thing being that understanding the EU is about as complicated as understanding the US and how all 50 of our states (plus DC and the territories) function.  For example, a country can be in the EU, but not use the Euro (e.g., UK, Hungary, Czech Republic, and others).  Some of those members have permanently opted out of the Euro (e.g., UK), but others (e.g., Hungary) must still aspire to using the Euro.  And any future EU members must all promise to attain Euro status. 

Furthermore, there are other countries that are in the EU, but not in the Schengen Zone (which permits free passage without passport from one country to another) (e.g., UK), and others that are NOT in the EU but are in the Schengen Zone (e.g., Switzerland). 

Lunch at the Court of Justice

Dessert at the Court of Justice

EU Council

And then there are the EU wannabe’s, such as Turkey.  Turkey probably won’t achieve EU status anytime soon (if ever) for a number of reasons.  1) Do they really gain anything?  Probably not economically, but as my colleagues point out, joining the EU might help to stop the recent trend toward more conservative and repressive politics.  2) The US is a strong supporter of Turkey’s EU status, but that’s like Germany supporting Mexico as our 51^st state.  We wouldn’t pay any attention at all!  3) Though the EU might actually gain economically from Turkey’s accession, there is a lot of anxiety because: a) Turkey would be the largest country geographically, b) Turkey would be the 2^nd largest country (after Germany) population wise (and would thus have a lot of votes and power in the EU Parliament).  4) There are some unresolved problems, such as the Cyprus issue and freedom of press.  5) An unspoken reason is that Turkey would be the only predominantly Muslim country in the EU. 

Now Turkey’s experience in NATO is totally different (even though there is huge country overlap between the EU and NATO).  Turkey was in the 2^nd group of NATO members, joining in 1952 (even before Germany!).  All of our US guides at NATO commented on what a very strong and valued NATO member Turkey is.

Politics aside, it was truly a privilege to be with 29 other Fulbrighters (all located in Europe proper countries) as we made our way through Luxembourg and Belgium on our EU/NATO tour.  In addition to the other Fulbrighters being extremely bright and interesting, we had a fascinating seminar program.  And as you would expect in this part of the world, the food was unbelievable!  And I don’t just mean nice lunches, but these were really nice lunches with red and white wine!

My take home lessons: 1) keep working on learning foreign languages; 2) we have a lot in common with the EU; 3) we need to learn from each other.

Will it ever end?

View today from our apartment

I'm asking that question about the terrible situation in Syria, and also about winter in Ankara.  It started snowing this morning, and it hasn't yet stopped (and it's now about 9 pm).  Tonight the forecast is for yet another 17-18 cm (about 7 inches).  As they say over here "Allah allah!"  Even my Turkish friends say that this is the worst winter they can ever remember.  Up until last week, I had a really good attitude about winter.  I didn't mind going out in the cold, wearing long underwear, boots, hat, and winter coat.  But now I'm beginning to get tired of it --  especially since even Europe is warming up -- and I heard that Charleston has had only 3 nights when the temps dipped below freezing.  Attitude adjustment (I keep telling myself) is what it's all about, along with maintaining equipment (i.e., keep out the long johns).  I will survive! 

My Work Day

Though it’s gotten to be pretty routine by now, my normal workday is still quite a bit different than when I’m in Charleston. 

8:00: First, I start out with my dolmuş ride to work (see earlier dolmuş blog), and since I never know when the dolmuş might arrive, I never know exactly when I’ll get to the hospital – but it is generally about a 30 minute ride. 

Balloon Man

8:45: My entrance to the hospital is through the children’s emergency area, and it’s always a colorful entrance, as every day --rain, snow, or sunshine – there is a man at the entrance who has enough balloons to fly several little children all the way to İstanbul!  I move through the children (who these days are so bundled up in snow suits and blankets that they look like miniature Michelin men) past Kardioloji and Radyoloji, down 2 flights of steps past Üroloji (always a lot of old men sitting in the waiting area), past Plastik ve Rekonstrüktif Surgery (always sad on Mondays when it’s children’s clinic), and into my office in Psikiyatri. 

Serdaniye

9:15: After a few minutes, Serdaniye, whose job it is to serve coffee and tea (çay), has brought me a little glass cup of Turkish çay.  Though she speaks not one word of English, she and I always greet each other and she brings me special treats like cake and simit (more about this yummy Turkish version of bagel in a future food blog).  

Erdoğan Bey

12:00: A few minutes before noon, everything stops – and I mean shuts down – for a full 90 minutes.  All of the faculty go to the faculty restaurant where we sit down (cloth table cloths) and eat a hot meal.  Every day the menu is different, but always soup, salad, meat, and a vegetarian selection (and never over $5.00!).  Psychiatry faculty always sit together and at the same table, with Erdoğan Bey as our waiter.  My colleagues truly consider it their right to have a hot meal at lunch and to enjoy the pleasure of their friends’ company.  Many of my colleagues who have been to the U.S. say that the one thing they abhor is our short lunches with cold sandwiches (and I'm beginning to see their point).  After lunch, there is Turkish coffee and more çay, which on most days (even when sub-freezing) is taken outside on a terrace (Turks are crazy about al fresco dining!).  We return to Psychiatry a little after 1pm (the door is locked to patients until 1:30), and by 2pm or so Serdoniye has a new pot of tea followed by Turkish coffee (these people seriously drink gallons of coffee and tea).  

My Colleagues

çay

Afternoon: Many afternoons are broken up when a grateful patient brings in a homemade cake or some other treat, or when it is someone’s birthday.  All this talk about food might lead you to think that my colleagues are heavy, but not so.  The Turkish diet (will cover in the future food blog), combined with lots of walking seems to protect from weight gain.  And speaking of walking, though there are many elevators in the hospital, everyone takes the steps.  I have even seen patients with canes hobbling up the steps.  (Mercifully, both Kardiologi and Orthopediks are on the ground level!)  Stairways in most Turkish buildings are really attractive, wide, and inviting as opposed to being an ugly unfinished afterthought as they are in most American buildings.  And it seems to result in greater use.

5pm: As I leave the hospital for home, I am always amazed to see the balloon man still there! 

Snow

view from our window

Cef (Jeff) in turban

Thursday night and Friday we had snow (or kar in Turkish) for 24 hours straight!  And on top of that, we are facing a week of sub-freezing temperatures.  As this might be my only opportunity to experience a whole winter like this (and since we don’t have a car here), I am doing best to embrace the elements.  I got my start by reading the Turkish Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk’s novel Snow (or Kar in Turkish).  It’s about a young poet (named Ka) who finds himself in the city of Kars (do you get a theme here?) isolated from the rest of the world due to a snowstorm.  Although I don’t feel isolated, I certainly identify with his looking out of the window and seeing it snowing all of the time.  And in addition to reading, I have bought the following in the past few weeks: winter coat, wool socks, 3 pairs of gloves and mittens, 2 pairs of glove/mitten warmers (they go on top of the hand part of the gloves/mittens), 4 winter hats, a complete set of long underwear, 1 pair of Uggs, and 1 pair of boots.  My husband, always the sartorial dresser, has added to his wardrobe: countless sweaters, 1 pair of gloves, 1 set of long underwear, 1 pair of boots, 2 hats, 1 turban (I'm not kidding -- see above pixture!), and 9 scarves.  Do you think we have winter on our minds??  We will NEVER, EVER complain again about winter in Charleston!

2 Nights in a Cave

Adam in Cappadocia

Ballooning in Cappadocia

We have just returned from a wonderful trip to Cappadocia, a region of Turkey about 3 hours south of Ankara.  Though it was further south, it was no warmer, with about 4 inches of new snow, high daily temps around freezing, and night temps in the teens.  Despite these balmy conditions, it was truly a peak experience and a “must do” in Turkey.  To start with, Cappadocia has amazing natural rock formations, resulting from 3 volcanoes thousands of years ago.  Winds have made all kinds of interesting indentations in the rock, resulting in hundreds of fairy chimneys and other unusual sights.  Along with the winds, humans realized how soft the rock was, so they built homes in the formations.  In fact, there are amazing underground cities which go on for many stories and kilometers.  The early Christians built little churches in the rocks, and there are beautiful religious picture painted on the walls – some still remarkably colorful.  Cappadocia is a region, so it takes a car to go from area to area to see everything.  Alternatively, one can tour by air, which is just what we did yesterday at dawn – by hot air balloon!  Despite freezing temps, the balloon fire provided a lot of warmth (except for the feet), and we had amazing views of valleys and snow-covered formations. 

 

Our Cave

Hamam

Now the real pièce de résistance was living in a cave.  We stayed in Kale Konak, a cave hotel.  This hotel was probably someone’s ancient abode and is literally carved in the rock.  Our cave room had no windows, but 2 holes in the ceiling that were probably for ventilation in ancient times (but now provided a small bit of light during the day).  Our cave was warm and toasty, but even better was the hamam, or Turkish bath, located just below our cave.  In the old days, folks would go to the hamam for their weekly baths (and this may still be the case in some villages), where they would first sit in a very humid wet sauna type of room to work up a good sweat.  Then they would scrub (or be scrubbed) to remove all the dead skin, followed by soaping and cleaning.  We went to our hamam every day while in Cappadocia, and it is truly one of the most relaxing experiences ever.  Fred and Wilma never had it so good!

Spiritual Awakenings

When I walk past the mosques, hear the calls to prayer 5 times a day, and see women in headscarves, I am reminded that 99% of Turks are Muslim.  Other religions are not forbidden, but here in Ankara I’ve not seen a single church except for the little one that we’ve found.

Cef & Father Geoffrey

St Nicholas Church

Nonie, Cef, & David (British Ambassador)

It’s no accident that this church is named St. Nicholas, as St. Nicholas is from Turkey (and is the origin of our Santa Claus).  Now St. Nicholas is the only church I’ve ever attended that requires a passport prior to entry, but then again, this one is located in the British Embassy compound.  This past Sunday, 8 Iranians were baptized – an act that could have been a death sentence were they still in Iran.  Father Cefri (Geoffrey) (see pic at right with Cef) is the only priest and shepherds this small motleyed congregation of about 50 Brits, Aussies, Americans, Turks, Iranians, and even an Iraqi or two.  Father Geoffrey’s strongest suit is the hymns, which he sings loudly and lustily (and he needs to since the non-English speakers don’t sing at all!).  He is retiring on Christmas Day (after >50 years of service to the Anglican Church) to İzmir – a testament to the hold that this country has on expats who live here.  One of the fringe benefits of attending St. Nicholas is that we were invited to a Christmas Caroling party at the British Ambassador’s residence (see picture of our British friend Nonie, Cef, and the British Ambassador).  Though there are almost no visible reminders of Christmas in the streets and stores here in Ankara, this evening of carols got our Christmas spirits soaring.

Shabbat

Last Friday we were invited to dinner at the home (flat) of our American friends, Alice and Carnot Nelson, who are with Bilkent University.  Just before dinner, Carnot handed Cef a yamakkah to wear, and he and his grandson Josh did the shabbat prayers – complete with a sip of kosher wine.  Once again we were reminded of the tolerance of this country for all religions.

Konya

Today we were lucky enough to have gone to Konya, a town about 2 hours south of Ankara by high speed rail.  During this one week in December, Konya commemorates the death of its most famous inhabitant, the Turkish mystic Rumi who espoused a philosophy of love and tolerance.  He felt that the best way to achieve oneness with God was through the arts.  Rumi is well known for his poetry, but best known for the beautiful, haunting, and mesmerizing dance that his followers perform during this week.  The Mevlevi, or Whirling Dervishes (as we call them), is an experience I will never forget.  I wish I had a picture, but photos were not allowed (and I did not want to risk being thrown out of the show), so here's a picture of a plastic one instead.  Note the right palm turned up, the left turned down, and they always twirl counter clockwise.