Job Discussion Forums

Freddie Miles · Joined: 09 Aug 2006 Posts: 91

Video English has changed ownership in recent years but I was wondering if anybody has heard anything about the former owner/manager, Atilla Bey. There was an uncomfirmed rumor going around that I would like to verify. Anybody know anything and I mean, the facts?

Golightly · Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 1:27 pm Post subject:

I used to work for Cinar English, owned by his brother Ferhan, back in 93-94; the story then was that both Atila and Ferhan were involved in the local mafya. Don't know how true it was, but they were both dodgy blokes. Is that the rumour still?

Freddie Miles · Joined: 09 Aug 2006 Posts: 91

The rumor I have recently heard is that Atilla jumped off his balcony and killed himself-- I am not sure if this is just wishful thinking on somebody's part.

Golightly · Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 2:16 pm Post subject:

A quick bit of internet fossicking revealed this from last year's Zaman paper - it would seem it was the new owner who topped himself.

Freddie Miles · Joined: 09 Aug 2006 Posts: 91

Drat!

Golightly · Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 2:23 pm Post subject:

Further fossicking reveals that the nice Mr Ferhan, who had a smile normally seen in terminal encounters with sharks, now runs Royal Language Training in the US.

Freddie Miles · Joined: 09 Aug 2006 Posts: 91

That is Atilla, right? I worked there for awhile and I must have blocked his name from my mind. A result of trauma.
Re: royal institute in the states....I thought all that Patriot Act legislation would have prevented that. I do know that he was refused a visa to recruit teachers in england because of complaints from survivors.

You must have worked at Cinar around the same time I was at.. THAT place. Do you remember Alastair? A tall guy with a beard and a ponytail. I remember on Saturday morning he went out for a break (10 minutes) and he was starving and after about 30 minutes, the entire class of children---- the saturday children's classes!!--- all of the children had their heads out the window screaming, "Alastair!!! ALLLLLISTAIR!!!"

Golightly · Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 3:07 pm Post subject:

Vaguely recall him - I think he left a couple of weeks after I arrived. I was based in Bornova and Konak with Guy Elders, Luciano Cellini, Alan, Heather, Vanessa et al.

thrifty · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1665 Location: chip van

Unbelievable-I worked with Guy Elders and have a lot of trivial gossip about him which if you are interested I would share by PM.

Golightly · Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 7:12 pm Post subject:

share it! Share it! I actually used to live in the same flat as Guy; to say it needed a bit of a tidy up would be the equivalent of saying that Istanbul's traffic system only needs a few final bits of work to make it perfect.

Freddie Miles · Joined: 09 Aug 2006 Posts: 91

That in itself is a good thread. Flatmates!
You might remember this Go. But there was a teacher in another school- word got around fast about him- he used to carry a tiny tape recorder around with him everywhere, taping street conversations and the like, trying ( he said) to learn Turkish. His days were numbered when the story was spread that he was saving his urine in plastic bags and throwing them out weekly. To be fair, I later heard it was related to the shody plumbing of the teacher' flat.

I had to share my teacher's flat with a strapping rugby-player type guy who, in fact, lasted only about a month. Seemed like a nice guy at first, but there were some quirky things. For example, he brought with a guide book for Greece and "American Psycho" and (I kid you not) a hammer and a power saw. Said he thought he might "need" them while he was in Turkey. Came home one night after a drink and began slamming his fist on the wall. Cowering like the wimp I am, I called through the half cracked door, "You, ok?"
I heard him murmur, "Migraine." Of course, it did little good to put the dresser in front of my door that night since the balconies were connected.

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Guy Elders. His name rings a bell. His CV has passed across my desk or something. The man is either a legend ...or he worked at E Fast.

thrifty · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1665 Location: chip van

no time now but have SAVAGE gossip about GE. I am so excited at the chance to tell all.

Freddie Miles · Joined: 09 Aug 2006 Posts: 91

Thrifty the teaser.
I havent heard anything about Mr. Elders. But, Golightly, did you ever have the pleasure of working with guy named Denby? Later to be involved in juicy scandal in Izmir involving photography?
Art, he called it.

billybuzz · Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Posts: 219 Location: turkey

I think that particular gentleman was working at the same private Kolegi that our mutal acquaintance G.E used to work at .