Turkish class,synagogues,disposal of rubbish ....

My plans to write every week have gone down the pan!!. I wanted to write sooner and have for a few days been thinking & reminding myself to sit down and write an update for you (& myself!). It’s so easy to forget what you have been doing, when you are doing a lot and everything is new and different.
Just recently I suggested to G that we keep a scrap book of our experience in Istanbul. He thought it would also be fun to record some of our conversations about experiences we have had, plus record some of the more interesting sounds in Istanbul i.e. drumming at 3am in the morning (By the way it is still happening!) and the call to prayer, the street vendors calling etc. I like this idea very much…. it would also be great resource materials for future projects. I.e. theatre, art or book ideas!

Many of you suggested that I write a book or write for a newspaper column. Thank you for suggesting the idea. If I felt I was good enough I might consider it, but I just know that Id keep rewriting things and loose the spontaneity of the experiences. However I do enjoy writing very much. And by the way I don’t write these ramblings in one session. I come back to it them when I get the chance.

So yes you are all wondering about the drumming & singing? yes it still continues and yes it has something to do with Ramadam!. It is the traditional Turkish wake-up call for the pre-dawn breakfast. We have actually managed to sleep through it on some occasions, whether this is due to neighbours bribing the drummer & his entourage I don’t know?. What I read is that you can throw a small envelope of coins out your window and they will drum less loudly on following days. However on some mornings the din is unbelievable!

Ramadan hasn’t really affected us too much apart from the early wake-up call. Restaurants & cafes in the city centre have been open for business as usual & people are eating as normal… especially tourists and many non practising Muslims. You wouldn’t know anything is different.

G works in Gasioosmanpasa which is a fairly fundamental Islamic quarter to the north of the city and he complained that absolutely nothing there was open until about 4 or 5 o’clock in the afternoon. The first few days he unwillingly took part in Ramadam and came home starving saying he couldn’t find anything to eat, not even in the school.

G has had it really tough this last week. He has to start at school at 7:30am. It takes him about an hour to get to school so he is rising at 5.30am. Last week he didn’t do much at the school (merely introductions & orientation) .This week he has had perhaps two complete lessons as the administration department haven’t drawn up his timetable yet. He is just hanging around (and of course smoking a lot of cigarettes!). He says the kids are really nice and are pleased that he is there.

He has been appointed school spokesperson for the German department. This means he has to go to official group meetings with other school spokespeople and do more paperwork. But it reduces his teaching time by four hours a week. He was quite surprised to get the position as another teacher from the programme that is German/ Turkish thought she would be chosen…. (Ooops!) Anyway he seems to be embracing his new role well!

For the last two weeks he has had to navigate through a quagmire of Turkish bureaucracy to get his Ikamet (residency visa). This has involved several trips back and forth between the school and to a huge governmental and police headquarters in Aksaray (about an hour and a half in the opposite direction). No one speaks English in this place and it is probably one of the worst bureaucratic places you will ever go in your life. It is jammed packed with dazed & confused individuals including lots of desperate migrants & refugees seeking some form of help, which they rarely receive.

The big news is that we both enrolled in a Turkish class last week.We go three times a week (in the evenings). So I now spend part of my day learning Turkish and doing homework for the class. The language school seems nice and at every session we are offered nibbles and a selection of drinks. The class has about fourteen people of mixed ages. Most of the people are teacher’s like G, foreigners working in Istanbul, students and me!. There are a lot of Germans and yesterday I was really proud of myself, there I was learning a new language and also explaining something in German to one of my neighbours next to me. My mother would have been proud. I was proud of myself. My mum was multi-lingual & she really had a talent for picking up new languages. For me it’s more of a struggle but it is such a thrill when it works and you can actually communicate in another language with some sort of confidence.

The class is fast paced and at times pretty confusing! However I am enjoying studying together with G and already enjoy the camaraderie created in the class. The teacher hardly speaks any English and is quite strict; she expects a high standard of study. The first class was really confusing. There was a businessman from Preston in the UK and he was just incredulous about her teaching method. He kept muttering and sighing loudly & every time she asked him a question such as “what is your name?” He would answer “I don’t know what you are talking about!”. Needless to say he has dropped out of the class, which I am rather upset about. It was comforting to know there was someone else worse than me!

I noticed something quite interesting at the sessions and that is that other English speakers get quite defensive when they don’t understand what the teacher wants from them. Maybe I am wrong?.... but what I’ve noticed is that in the early stages of learning a new language we (Brits) are not very talented at improvising or attempting to get a rough feel for the language. We either understand or we don’t. There just seems to be a strong inherent need to understand every single word that is being spoken to us before we utter a word.

What I’ve witnessed at this language course is that other students i.e. the Germans, Spanish and Belguim students are much better at guessing & using their intuitive skills to understand what is going on. G told me he recognizes the structures and just listens to the words used and then improvises. He doesn’t even understand what he’s talking about but somehow he manages to communicate rather successfully (sickening!!!).
Another student Will rarely answers a question using Turkish. When he doesn’t know the answer to a question he says something like “Well, er.. ehmm… I’m sorry but I’m not quite ready to answer that question yet!”. Last night it was funny we were asked to construct a short simple sentence using the present tense with a verb & an adjective and when the teacher asked Will for his sentence there was a lot of guffawing and he answered very seriously “ Im still working on the answer for that one!”. Poor Will!…. he’s trying honestly! And oh boy I can so empathize!!

And well as far as my progress goes?…..I am working hard & making a little progress (and it does help that I have G sitting right next to me!) I don’t get as excited as the other Brits about being spoken to only in Turkish as I experienced this when I learned German, but the teacher does teach at an extraordinary fast pace, which has the effect of making you feel quite dazed!.... thank goodness for the Raki served at the interval!!!! (only joking!......& wishful thinking!). We are served tea and offered grapes, cheese, bread etc. These offerings make up a little for the agonies & humiliation which one is regularly subjected to when learning a new language.

On Saturday a small crowd of us, some Germans and a Spaniard from the class are going to try out one of the many Nargile cafes in town. It is supposed to be a great way to slow down and I heard a very relaxing and leisurely experience. The nargile ritual sounds quite interesting and I am looking forward to the aesthetics of it all. Please don’t be alarmed I’m not going to start smoking on regular basis. I heard that by next year Istanbul’s smoking ban will extend to nargile cafes and smokers caught in the act will have to pay about 40€ .

Last Sunday G and I visited a day of Jewish culture in the city. The day was packed with concerts, exhibitions, talks and food sampling and we enjoyed a glimpse into the Jewish community living in Istanbul. We visited at least two or three synagogues. They were extremely well hidden with very tight security. One synagogue was fire bombed last year. Anyway most of these beautiful architectural creations were located in the Galata quarter of the city. We enjoyed ourselves very much wandering & exploring this new area. The Galata tower is a main feature in the city; it rises distinctively above the Golden Horn. It is about 60m high and dates back to the 6th century when it was used to monitor shipping. The views from the tower (if you have a head of heights) are beautiful. Galata is a charming area with lots of little twisting streets & staircases leading up to the tower. We discovered a few new places walking from venue to venue. In the evening we listened to a Klezmer concert and also some traditional Jewish music which was lovely.

The last time I wrote I was feeling a bit apprehensive about not having G by my side to chaperone me around Istanbul (cant believe I am admitting that) but I had become quite insecure about going out alone because of all the staring I attract. However last week I went out shopping and there was no problem. It was fine and since then I’ve totally got into the swing of doing things myself. Most people are extremely kind and friendly and well the ones that are not…I just try to ignore.

I did have a funny experience in Monsoon. I was looking for a mirror so that I could see what some sunglasses looked like on me. There was a guy standing to the side of the accessories and I asked him if there was a mirror nearby. He reacted a bit slowly (I thought due to him not understanding what mirror is) and before he had answered, I spotted a mirror. When I was looking in the mirror he came up behind me and started commenting on the glasses I had chosen. I thought he was being a friendly salesman; it is quite common in Istanbul that the salespeople stand very close to you (I mean a few centimetres away) either being very helpful and informative or very annoying, leaving you wondering whether they think you are a potential shoplifter!. Anyway back to my story I decided on a pair of the glasses and as I walked to the till the guy suddenly asked me to have a “coffee with him now”. I said thank you, but no thank you and he beseechingly said “Please”. I wondered if this was common Monsoon practice in Turkey ! I then told him I was married and he immediately apologised and guess what?.....disappeared!. I felt such an idiot because it was only then that I realised he didn’t even work in Monsoon!

I’ve also been chatted up at the internet café and well…. I am learning to avoid even looking at the opposite sex!

I read with interest(?!) in the Istanbul Time Out that Istanbul is a dating paradise for middle aged women. I now see why? I read that Turks are exotic, persistent and quite obsessive
(I must say some are very cute!). They wear their hearts on their sleeves and can be very charming! However depending on their education and background they can also have a very traditional & masculine outlook on life. As I wrote before many are way too chauvinistic and proud of themselves for my cup of tea! So…. G is safe and as most of you know I’m not keen on very short men!!

Some peculiar things I have discovered in this city is that it is not common to see Turkish people sitting alone, for example reading a book or newspapers in a bar or café. When we asked some Turkish people they thought it was a really strange question. To sit alone in a café or restaurant gives the impression you have no friends. Turkish people like to do things groups or with family. Personal space is not much valued and it is not thought normal to want to eat alone, go to the cinema or do anything else alone (although it is supposed to be better
in the bigger cities probably because of the tourists).Another thing I read is that many people shy away from individuality. People are admired for fitting in.

G asked his pupils what the most important thing is in their lives? They all answered without doubt family & they really meant it. Family is everything here and always comes first.

Did I tell you that Istanbul has a staggering 16million people (that’s the official figure!) And Wow!...do you sometimes feel it. We live in Cukurcuma in Beyoglu (described as a funky antiques district in the guide books) close to Cihangir which is mainly residential. Nearby is the Istiklal Caddesi which is the main street in Beyoglu. It is like Princes Street in Edinburgh but twice as wide and just for pedestrians. Known to the locals as Istiklal the street stretches between Tünel and Taksim Square. (Taksim is a vast open square and the centre of activity in modern Beyoglu). Istiklal Caddesi has many high street shops like Benetton, Monsoon, Lush, Body Shop etc and markets, street vendors, restaurants, cinemas, cafes…. you name it, you’ll find it there!. There is an old fashioned tram that rattles along the street every half hour. What I wanted to tell you about this street is that it is incredibly full of people, especially at night time. It is literally a sea of people. The first time we walked on it we couldn’t believe our eyes but now we enjoy the lively atmosphere. If you need to get a buzz that’s the place to go! But if you are in a rush or feeling unwell it’s the street to avoid at all costs.

Another strange thing here is disposal of rubbish. I am SO confused. You basically throw everything out in one bag, bottles, newspapers, cardboard, plastics, compost, tins, sanitary towels, nappies etc! It’s gross. And then poor people sort throw the rubbish and they take out what can be recycled. They haul huge Hessian sacks (which they’ve constructed into sort of pull along sleighs). I have seen a woman as old at 75 doing this job but mainly it is men. There has been quite a lot of outcry about this but the city are in two minds about changing the system as they feel many people are dependent on this way of making a living. Rubbish is collected everyday and the street is cleaned with machine and manually everyday.

Apart from that, the quarter we live in is just great !!... I love it more and more each day. Our street is so full of character, there’s always something new to see. Every afternoon neighbours (mainly women) sit on their doorsteps and talk to each other (or sweep!). There is a real sense of community spirit. Anyway also during the day there is a lot of shouting, either residents or work men shouting to each other or to local tradesmen & shop owners. I am often on the verge of yelling “shut up” and have to bite my tongue to stop myself! What we really love to see however is when a neighbour lowers a basket from a window on the fifth floor and gets it filled with their daily bread and newspapers. In the evenings the children play outside, trying to kick a ball about, whilst dodging the cars that career down the street. Most of our Turkish neighbours are friendly and polite we always greet each other with a friendly Merhaba (hello). The ones that live in our house are a bit more reserved and on the cool side. It could be that they are fed up of more foreigners as neighbours. There are at least four flats including ours that are occupied by expats in the building.

I feel in general there is a certain amount of animosity towards foreigners from some of the locals.

I heard from one of our neighbours (who we met last week on the roof terrace) that two neighbouring buildings are being renovated (& yes we also hear the banging and drilling on a daily basis from there too), one by a Turkish football star. He is making an exclusive hotel?!! And the other one is being renovated into deluxe apartments. These places are not affordable for the locals and in a way I guess they feel as though they are being squeezed out!.

But on the whole most people are not unfriendly just a bit indifferent at times, which I can empathize with. But at the same time we are purchasing our groceries from the local shops and eating in restaurants. It’s a hard one to fathom.

We are still exploring and discovering new areas. This city is so dense; you really have the feeling it will be impossible to discover it all in two years. We find new places that excite us every day.

Cukurcuma has many second hand, antique and vintage clothes shops. It is an Aladdin’s café of treasures & collectibles. G and I took our first look in a selection of shops near us one evening during the week. I am looking for an old wooden desk so I can have an area for doing some creative work. There’s also an amazing selection of craft/art boutique shops. You feel quite overwhelmed with all the lovely things. It really is a shopper’s paradise. Plus it is funny to think when we were here twice before but we hadn’t even discovered this quarter.

The weather is a bit cooler at the moment, it has even got rather chilly in the evening! We also had a terrific rain storm last week but followed by warm fresh weather. It’s been about 28 degrees. And I am pleased to report that there are not so many mosquitoes about anymore!

G gets five days off in about two weeks and we have decided to go to a remote island so that we can enjoy the sun and swim (hopefully). The island is called Bozcaada and is an Aegean island which I think belongs to Turkey. It is a place to chill out and go with the flow so I can’t wait.

Well, I will sign off now. Hope all is well with you and till the next instalment!