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ak_tesl
Joined: 24 Jun 2005
Posts: 50
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 Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 4:10 pm Post subject: REFUGEES IN TURKEY |
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I just heard from one of our students who works for the Red Cross that last week there were 3000 Canadian refugees from the Israel-Lebanon conflict in the Adana/Mersin area (SE Turkey). She doesn�t have much information; presumably they have already been flown back to Canada. She saw a list that was sent from the Canadian Embassy in Ankara. Two thousand refugees of mixed nationalities arrived this past weekend. They are being lodged in sport complexes. I don�t know about the temporary living arrangements, but it is quite hot in the area right know (day 35C). It must be an awful situation to be in.
Last edited by ak_tesl on Mon Jul 24, 2006 6:37 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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thrifty
Joined: 25 Apr 2006
Posts: 1665
Location: chip van
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| Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 4:37 pm Post subject: |
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| If they are looking for any TEFL work then Mersin is not the place to be. |
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ak_tesl
Joined: 24 Jun 2005
Posts: 50
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| Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 4:48 pm Post subject: |
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FLASH NEWS
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/
About 1,800 Australians, Canadians and Swedes arrived in Turkey Monday (TODAY MON JUL24) in the latest wave of evacuations from war-torn Lebanon. |
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saloma
Joined: 07 Jul 2005
Posts: 211
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:07 am Post subject: |
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I was talking to my mom yesterday and the whole situation of getting Canadian/Lenanese out of Lebanon is quite controversial in Canada. It turns out that a lot of Lebanese hold dual citizenship, but haven't been or worked in Canada for over 20 years, they just keep the passport in order to take advantage of medical in their old age. They are also eligible for Canada Pension.
Because of this, there has been some debate this week about Canadians who live abroad and don't contibute to social systems, there has been talk of cutting off medical to those who've been away 5 years or more, and setting harsher regulations on the pension plan.
On top of this, it was reported by the CBC that Canada is the only country who flew or shipped everyone home for free. Every other country charged for the transport home. |
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tvik
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
Posts: 371
Location: here
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:37 am Post subject: |
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| well, that was really nice of them to give free tickets and free money. |
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thrifty
Joined: 25 Apr 2006
Posts: 1665
Location: chip van
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:29 am Post subject: |
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| Not true. The UK did not charge although there were initial reports that they would. |
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justme
Joined: 18 May 2004
Posts: 1944
Location: Istanbul
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Aside from the foreigners married to Lebanese nationals visiting families for the summer, why the hell are there so many European and North American tourists in Beirut? Has this suddenly become a wonderful holiday destination? In my mind, Beirut is synonymous with 'bombed out sh*t-hole.' Am I behind the times here? Why would anyone go there? |
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ghost
Joined: 30 Jan 2003
Posts: 1693
Location: Saudi Arabia
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 2:46 pm Post subject: Canadians.....passports of convenience |
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Who is Canadian and who is simply a person of foreign heritage and culture who has had the fortune to acquire a Canadian passport? That is the question.
Many of the thousands of so called ``Canadians`` being shipped back to Canada are not really Canadians, in the eyes of many. Some of them lived for a few years in Canada (3 years), then obtained their citizenship (Canadian) and once the coveted passport in their pockets, headed back to where they came from, simply keeping the passport for insurance purposes. This is the sad reality of the situation. And so called ``Canadians`` of Lebanese descent are not the only culprits. Many Canadians from Honk Kong openly admit to acquiring Canadian Citizenship for the same reasons.
All the above ``Canadians`` - many of them not having lived in Canada for over 20 years are back in the Montreal area, and housed (at tax payers` expense) at the Montreal Hilton hotel for processing which can take days and weeks...
Most of the ``Canadians`` complained about the poor service provided by Canada to ship them home......this created a lot of ink in the Canadian press......Stephen Harper was criticized for his defence of Israel to defend itself.....(ghost believes the Israeli attack was excessive.....)
Just yesterday, in a local park, in the area where ghost lives in Montreal, a jewish person, wearing his traditional ``kipa`` was attacked by a group of adolescent boys (age 13-15) of Moroccan descent.....the jewish person was beaten and humiliated in front of a cheering crowd of adolescents of North African (Moroccan and Algerian) origins.
Things are tense.....
Ghost |
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thrifty
Joined: 25 Apr 2006
Posts: 1665
Location: chip van
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 2:49 pm Post subject: |
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| It is also surprising how Marmaris is so popular. |
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sandyhoney2
Joined: 01 Jun 2005
Posts: 189
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 5:19 pm Post subject: Re: Canadians.....passports of convenience |
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| ghost wrote: |
Who is Canadian and who is simply a person of foreign heritage and culture who has had the fortune to acquire a Canadian passport? That is the question.
Ghost |
CBC interviewed a radio personality. He strongly disagreed with Canada going into Lebanon to retrieve its citizens. His point was that Lebanon is a war zone - anyone there needs to recognize that and take their chances. In this guy's opinion, those 'paper-only-Canadians' are taking advantage of the system and should be left behind to have their 'real' government take care of them, in whatever capacity they can.
He is not alone in this view, sadly.
Who said we were 'nice', anyway...
You also have to wonder what was it that these expats saw in the 'bombed-out sh*thole' that is Lebanon that made it patently more livable than Canada... These people put in more than 3 years (we were 6) and likely put up with enough c.rap here and got out. I would if I were them and was expected to deal with the anti-immigrant bias that exists outside of major cities.
On a similar note, I noticed a lot of Newfoundlanders moving to Toronto area, staying for a few years, and then high-tailing it back home. Some things are just too different for people to handle. My Newfoundlander friends thought Ontario was very unfriendly. I wasn't aware of this personnally until I moved to Turkey and was met with their warmth and hospitality on a scale of which I had never before experienced. I hope living in Turkey has changed me as far as that goes, but I can never be the perfect hostess here. If someone likes my art print on my wall, I have to kick my husband from offering it to them... |
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saloma
Joined: 07 Jul 2005
Posts: 211
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:50 pm Post subject: |
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Lebanon was not the bombed out shit hole you would think. Many of my friends from Egypt cite it as THE place to vacation. Liberal attitudes, great clubs, cheap place for plastic surgery and the apparently the best looking Arab chicks in the Mid-east made it a hot vacation spot. Also the Arabic spoken in Lebanon is supposed to be the best accent for women, it sounds feminin and educated.
Also, Lebanese are very accepting of western business. For example, Starbucks steered clear of most of the mid-east but set up a few outlets in Beirut. Travelers stopped off in Lebanon between Jordan and Syria to stock up on their favorite brands of personal products and groceries.
Having said that, Beirut IS probably a bombed out shit hole NOW. |
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calsimsek
Joined: 15 Jul 2004
Posts: 775
Location: Ist Turkey
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:06 pm Post subject: |
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God forbid..... What would we all do if Istanbul was in the same boat as Beyrut.
How long would it take to get out all the ''passport holders''?
If there are around 30,000 passport holders in Beyrut how many do you think there are here?
Would you want to go or see it out?
I, for one am not sure I could leave all my friends behind.....then again I hope I never have to find out.   |
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justme
Joined: 18 May 2004
Posts: 1944
Location: Istanbul
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| Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 5:37 am Post subject: |
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| Sounds like it's awfully easy to get a Canadian passport... |
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thrifty
Joined: 25 Apr 2006
Posts: 1665
Location: chip van
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| Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 1:05 pm Post subject: |
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| saloma wrote: |
Lebanon was not the bombed out *beep* hole you would think. Many of my friends from Egypt cite it as THE place to vacation. Liberal attitudes, great clubs, cheap place for plastic surgery and the apparently the best looking Arab chicks in the Mid-east made it a hot vacation spot. Also the Arabic spoken in Lebanon is supposed to be the best accent for women, it sounds feminin and educated.
Also, Lebanese are very accepting of western business. For example, Starbucks steered clear of most of the mid-east but set up a few outlets in Beirut. Travelers stopped off in Lebanon between Jordan and Syria to stock up on their favorite brands of personal products and groceries.
Having said that, Beirut IS probably a bombed out *beep* hole NOW. |
The Middle East is full of Starbucks-Saudi, Bahrain, UAE, kuwait are saturated with Starbucks and their clones. |
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Sheikh Inal Ovar
Joined: 04 Dec 2005
Posts: 1208
Location: Melo Drama School
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| Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 1:58 pm Post subject: |
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For the politically argumentative ... there appears to be a new forum ...
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/forum/
As for Starbucks ... Thrifty is quite right ... it's harder to miss a Starbucks ... than to spot one |
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