Job Discussion Forums

[dmb]

Ok, I've nicked this idea from
http://heritage.scotsman.com/wonders.cfm?action=list

but what, in your opinion are the seven wonders of Turkey.
My (initial, off the cuff) list in no particular order
1) Nemrut Dag
2) The Bosphorous
3) Aya Sophia
4) The Ottoman Empire
5) The Byzantium Empire
6) Introducing Kebabs to the world
and...
.
.
.
.
.
7)oh yeah Mustafa Kemal

(an unofficial 8th. How on earth did Turkey get 3rd in the last world cup?)

Limiting it to 7 is difficult. (If we lived in Belgium it would be so much easier)

[justme]

1) That they somehow manage to get the salt all over the inside of the pistacio nut, but not the outside.
2) That they all know all the words to all the songs.
3) That the minibusses don't crash as often as it seems like they should. In fact, traffic in general and the flow of chaos.
4) That so few students ever manage the difference between 'bored' and 'boring.'
5) Recognising the difference between 't�rk�' and 'fasıl.'
6) That B�lent Ersoy still has a career.
7) The amount of sweetness in a single piece of baklava.

[Baba Alex]

1) EVERY place serves a unique, famous, special Iskender Kebab that always tastes the same.

2) You shouldn't call the place Turkiye because 'turkey' is a bird, but calling Egypt - Mısır is fine.

3) World class football players suddenly start playign Sunday league style football the minute they join Fenerbah�e

4) despite speaking Turkish to a certain degree it is still essential that anywhere I go even those who can't speak English must speak English to me. - Except when I'm teaching them English.

5) Alex is the most enjoyable thing to say ever.

6) Ex-pats who complain about everything to everyone but still remian here.

7) Everything comes from Turkey.

[molly farquharson]

the tea garden at the base of the Galata Tower
the tea garden at Emirgan
the stroll along the sea at Ortakoy
the ferryboat ride across the Bosporus
the hidden or unexpected cesmes in the old and even modern parts of the city
touching walls that are 1000+ years old

I know this is only Istanbul...

[Frizzie Lizzie]

A dolmus ride over the Bosphorus bridge at night...

[justme]

The owls near my house.

[almuze]

the sheer amount of sugar that turkish children eat, and yet still manage to sit still longer than most of thier american counterparts

strangers on the street who give your children still more sugar than they have had already, but it is not scary at all and no one worries about razor blades stuck in chocolates here.

the ability of boys to get into shoving matches in the park without anybody worrying that they'll grow up and do the next Columbine.

The pleasantly managable worry that your children should eat more, perhaps more sugar to give them more energy, and then stuff some home-made baklava (sent from scenic Tokat) so they can shove each other off the couch a few more times.

and, of course, The Historic Sights, with which one can impress visitors and provide a lovely scenic backdrop to your slap happy sugar inhaling children boucing off the walls.

[yaramaz]

[almuze]

I know! I mean, I keep hearing these stories... my 12 yr old nieghbor used to stop by after school and tell me how he had spent the science lesson (for example) throwing spitballs and books at his teacher....But I have never personally experienced it.
In my primary school they had the kindergarten and first graders come in to learn about T.B, and an old old man in a white coat showed them really fuzzy old med school slides about what happens to your lungs for about 45 min, and then he sent us on our way. The kids sat like rocks for the whole time. it was surreal.
But not even this.... I think its nice to have little funky cultural things that the kids are supposed to learn, like kissing hands, dont drink cold water, sit still when other people are talking (ohhhhh my hippie ancestors are rolling over in thier graves!)
My favourite thing about Turkey is that it is so solidly Turkey, I mean, everyone (regardless of what the Turks will argue) learned the same songs, ate the same food, learned the same social rules... I think the city of Istanbul is a total dump, but I like the people.

[yaramaz]

[almuze]

Ah yes, the "I know more about your simplistic western country than you do, but you will never know enough about my historic eastern country" debate. But, even this annoying debate (makes me want to make my hand into a wolf ears shape and start waving it around, what is the name of that politcal party again?)
Anyway, even this annoying debate still falls into the "solidly turkish" action catigory. Given enough time and energy, I bet you could goad almost any Turk into having this debate, and I bet you could use almost the same sentences to do it.
I like my Turkish friends, so I havent tested this theory, but I bet one could. Double dare ya!

[yaramaz]

Actually, I did, with my ex boyfriend last week. This is one of the reasons why he is my ex boyfriend. I shoulda gone for the ears.


Note: Am not unusually grumpy tonight. It is merely a coincidence that all my posts are curmudgeonly. As a response to this, I just want to praise the following things:

1. Kadikoy beer gardens in summer (see also teras bars, nargile gardens etc)

2. Lahmacun with lovely fresh parsley and wedges of lemon (with or without ayran, sacriligious as it may seem- but hey,I'm not turkish so it's possible)

3. Ferries across the Bosphorus at any ime of day, from the open top deck or from the wooden benches at the sides

4. Cappadocia in general

5. All the little villages within the inner reaches of the city- between my home and my job I swear I walk through several different traditional urban/rural villages. Hell, they sometimes graze sheep in the vacant lot next to Bilgi! Heading down Elmadag, there are village women in shalwar sitting on front steps together canning tomatoes or knitting or eating together on a spread out newspaper laden with Loaf of Bread, Something Eggplanty, Beyaz Peynir, Cucumber, etc. Really good vibe.

6. Students who feed you, who bring you gifts, take you home for dinner with family, ask sweetly if they can kiss your cheek, etc.

7. That guy near Galata lise who makes and sells the funkiest clothes-see also the guy in Kadikoy who made me a pair of knee high lace up faux docs.

Etc.

[calsimsek]

My seven wonders.

1. Urfa: Great food and history.
2. Mardin: Great food and three cultuers in one.
3. Eski Foca: Sand clear blue sea and warm pepole and no drunk Brits.
4. Moda Cay: Great view coffee and a paper, perfect sunday moring.
5. Cappadocia: In winter, snow and all. the most rommatic place around.
6. Istanbul: The good the bad and the ugle of it.
7. Turks: For ever down, but they never give up. Always talking about the great empier, but they love the republic. Ataturk one man with one vison, every Turk has his/her own Ataturk. Drinking raki 11 months of the year and then go religous one month of the year. All Turkish women talk about weight, but try and force feed kids all the time. For all Turkish women its always to cold. My wife for putting up with me.

[dmb]

[yaramaz]

Haran?