Adventures in Travel

On Sunday, I returned from The Turkish Republic of North Cyprus (which is its own country, dangit, no matter what the rest of the world says!). I have every intention of writing a blog about that entire trip, but tonight I want to tell you about the most adventurous part - coming back home. But first, a little backstory.

We (that is, Martha, Judy and I) booked plane tickets and hotels back in February. But a couple of weeks later, our flight out was cancelled. No big deal. We rescheduled for last Wednesday night. Thursday was a test day, so we figured we’ll get colleagues to cover our classes, nothing doing. Then a couple of weeks later, our flight BACK was cancelled. Well, we could either fly back Sunday on a different airline and return to a different city, or wait until Monday. Since we were already taking Wednesday off, we thought it would be very bad to take any more days off. So our return plan was to fly to Antakya and take a bus from there back to Gaziantep.

Fast forward to the trip and its end this past Sunday. We stopped into the Anglican church for their communion service. It was a great treat to go to church in English. Then we walked to the bus stop where we caught our bus to the airport. Then we took the short flight across the Mediterranean to the mainland. In Antakya, we endured the chaotic mesh of people pressing and shoving to get back onto Turkish soil.

And then the adventure began. We hadn’t really had a clear plan, other than catching the bus to Gaziantep. From my Easter trip, I knew that there were actually two bus stations - the first, more popular one, was the eski otogar (old bus station), where you could get the small, crowded, stuffy buses that are pretty uncomfortable for a four hour drive. Besides that, they stop EVERYWHERE to pick up anyone who flags them down. Then there’s the yeni otogar (new bus station), where you can get the more comfortable, large buses that don’t stop as much and actually enforce limited seating. So we wanted the yeni otogar.

We took the Havaş, the airport shuttle, towards town and stopped it at the yeni otogar. But there, we found out the next bus to Gaziantep was already booked, and there wouldn’t be another until 4:00 PM. It was only about 1:00 at the time. So that was no good. We then got another taxi to the eski otogar. But on the way, the taxi driver saw a bus headed for Antep, and flagged it down and let us get out and onto the bus.

This one wasn’t so small, but it did stop everywhere and pick up anyone who flagged it down. It took us about a half to three quarters of the way, then stopped and all the people bound for Gaziantep had to get off and get on yet another bus! This one was smaller, more crowded, and stopped even more times to pick up anyone who flagged it down, even if there was clearly no more room! They even put out little plastic stools in between the rows of seats! Cramped and uncomfortable as it was, we did make it home, eventually.

But if that wasn’t enough, just tonight I had another adventure in travel. Since I had to cancel the private Spanish lesson I’ve picked up on Saturdays because of my trip to Cyprus, I planned on doing a make up lesson tonight. I had to catch one of the student buses from work to the Grand Hotel, which is near the office for the continuing education program, where I give these lessons.

As I was walking to the buses, I saw three of them taking off! I thought, Oh no! but maybe it wasn’t a big deal. Maybe one of the ones that was still there was the one I needed. I asked the first driver I came across “Grand Otel?” and he pointed forward - to the bus that was already gone. As a look of dismay creased both of our foreheads, he suddenly brightened and waved me onto his bus. Through gestures, he made it plain that he intended to catch up to the other bus and stop it so that I could get on.

And he did. But he didn’t catch up to it in the Zirve University driveway. And he didn’t catch up to it on the main road just outside of ZU. He caught up to it at the roundabout on the road into town, which was a horrible place to stop, but the other driver finally pulled off to the side of the road just beyond the roundabout. Then I got out and mounted the other bus, after making sure that he was, indeed, going to the Grand Otel.

When I finally arrived, and waited for my student...and waited...and waited...the director at ZUCEP called her only to find out that she was flying to Egypt that night and would be gone for three or four days. So after all my crazy adventure in getting to the place, my student didn’t even show up! I wasn’t particularly angry or upset at the situation, just highly amused. All in all, it was just another day in Turkey.

Shipping and Handling

I thought I would take a moment today to explain how shipping a package from here works. Granted, I’ve only tried it twice, but it’s rather inconvenient. Some of my fellow teachers have had the full experience.

When we arrived, we were told we could have mail sent to Zirve, which it turns out is the best option. I’ve received several packages from back home there. Otherwise, in order to pick up a package sent to your home address, you have to travel way across town, almost in the middle of nowhere to pick up a package at the post office. To send a package, there’s another option that isn’t so far away, but is still most inconvenient from the side of town I live on. I live on the Southwestern outskirts of Gaziantep, just before the shops and apartment buildings become empty land and villages. The nearest post office is in the city center, downtown, a twenty or thirty minute bus ride at best, followed by a bit of a walk. And when you’re carrying a package to deliver, it doesn’t make for easy hauling.

The first time I sent a package was at the very, very far away post office, the same time a colleague was picking up hers. And the package still hasn’t arrived, I’m told. Perhaps it got held up in customs, since it was pictures of Christina’s and my trip in January on CD. I guess the customs folks worried that it might be Al Qaida training videos or something...anyway, it never got there.

The second time was just this past week. I planned to send a package from the downtown office, but it turned out that wasn’t necessary. I bought a birthday gift for Christina, but needed a box to ship it in, and wasn’t sure if I could get them from the post office. I asked at my local market, and they told me to bring the package there, and they would help me. I figured they just meant they would find a suitable box. Well, as it turned out, they took care of mailing it for me. The next day, when I went back, they asked me for the cost of shipping and gave me the receipt. This is, of course, a much more convenient way of handling the matter. I don’t know if it will be any more successful at making it through customs, but we’ll find out in a few weeks, I hope!

Easter in Antioch

We left Saturday morning; there were six of us. Four Americans including me, and two Turks - a fellow teacher and her mom. Only two of us were Believers, as far as I know.

Saturday wasn't all that important to me, since I'd been to the city before, although I did hit up the museum again. But it was Sunday that I had been looking forward to, and it was worth it! We went to St. Peter's church, a cave where early Christians met and Peter is supposed to have preached. After exploring a bit, we sat outside of the cave and read the Easter story. Tears came to my eyes reading about our risen Lord in the place where his followers were first called Christians. Then, later, we went to the Protestant church in Antioch, and again, I was moved to tears just being in a room so full of other Christians! You can't imagine how much being here wears on you - it was so refreshing to be with so many other Believers!

Turkish Language

Here are some Bible verses in Turkish. I'll write them in Turkish, then with interlinear translation. For the full translation, go read your copy of the Good Book!

Genesis 1:1 Başlangıçta Tanrı göğü ve yeri yarattı.

Başlangıç -ta Tanrı göğ -ü ve yer -i yarat -tı.

beginning-in God heaven - obj. and earth-obj. create -past

John 3:16a Çünkü Tanrı dünyayı o kadar çok sevdi ki, biricik Oğlunu verdi.

Çünkü Tanrı dünya -yı o kadar çok sev -di ki, biricik Oğlu -nu ver -di.

because God world-obj. that much very love-past rel. only son -his give -past

A word of explanation for the abbreviations and labels in the interlinear text:

obj. = direct object of a verb

past = past tense of a verb

rel. = relative pronoun, "that" in a phrase like "The dog that he bought"

And that's it for now, folks! See you next time!

Tea with Shepherds

After lunch today, I was heading back to the office when I saw Judy and Devon on their way out.

“We’re going for a walk up the hill, wanna come?”

Of course I did. So I joined them for the walk up the hill that runs beside the one currently operational building on campus, till Zirve’s property ends. The border is marked by a rather imposing barb-wire fence, as if it were a prison, or a military base. On the other side of the fence, however, is idyllic pasture perfect for herds of sheep and goats to graze on. And that’s exactly what was happening.

We could see to our left one shepherd with his flock, tending them in the distance. Eventually, they came closer, and another shepherd with another flock arrived suddenly from the right. It was fascinating watching scores of sheep pour over the ridge not far from us, but which had blocked our view of their approach until now. As the shepherd approached, riding a donkey while talking on his cell phone, we saw a perfect photo opp.

Now the sheep were very near us, in fact directly on the opposite side of the fence a little to our right. So we went over, and while we were ooh-ing and aah-ing over the sheep, the shepherds started trying to talk to us. Turns out one of them spoke a little bit of English.

“Where are you from? What is your name?” he asked, and we answered, one by one.

We were discussing the freedom these shepherds must feel with their simple life and contrasting it with ours. The sheep surely can’t be as hard to deal with as a bunch of hormonal 18-25 year olds, right? These guys don’t have to worry about staying all day at work even if there’s nothing to do. And so on.

The shepherds would occasionally call their sheep with bizarre whoops and hollers, and I started thinking about John 10 in a whole new way.

Suddenly, “Çay istiyor musunuz?”

“Is he offering us tea?”

“I think so...”

“Okay,” we told him.

They start gathering the dead brushweed lying around. “Are they going to start a fire and brew it up right here?”

Turns out that’s exactly what they were going to do. They lit a fire with the dead stuff, pulled out a very old, very black teapot, and put it directly on top of the burning weeds. A few moments later, one of the men pulled out a glass - glass! - tea cup, and poured a small amount into the glass, then poured it out again - to sterilize the glass. He did this one more time, then handed me the glass, and proffered a jug of sugar with the small, silver teaspoons common to Turkey. He poured tea into the glass and I took a couple of spoonfuls of sugar.

It looked like there was only the one glass, so I started sharing it with Judy and Devon. As it turned out there was one more, so we were sharing two glasses between us.

“I think this is the best çay I’ve ever had,” Judy said. We all quickly agreed. “Maybe we should do this every day.” We all quickly agreed. And once again, Turkey proved to have bizarre, pleasant adventures in store where you least expect them.

Türk İnsanlar Çok Güzel

"Turkish people are wonderful!"

I just had the most amazing experience. I went to the café where I know the owner, and ordered a quick bite to eat. Because it’s a lovely day here in Antep, I sat outside, and there was another gentleman there, to whom I said about one word in Turkish - I don’t even remember what I said. But because I had tried to speak to him, he invited me to play “Tavula,” that is, Backgammon, with him. We then had a pleasant game and a coupe of çays together, exchanging English and Turkish words here and there, exchanging English and Turkish conversation. It was wonderful! The kind of thing that makes all the rest of it worth while.

Vacations and Coming Back

THIS POST WAS WRITTEN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, BUT NEVER QUITE FINISHED. I'VE POSTED IT HERE ANYWAY.

Just returned from two weeks spent trouncing around Turkey with the love of my life. This vacation was much needed for a variety of reasons. It was invaluable for Christina’s and my relationship, allowing us to be together in the same place for the first time since we began dating. Unfortunately, I won’t divulge much more on that subject - our relationship is worthy of a blog of its own, so I will do the difficult task and maintain the focus of this blog on the experience of this country.

And that experience during this vacation revealed to me that, when you actually get out in it, this country isn’t so bad. Not that it’s bad usually, but when life becomes routine and you feel trapped at work all day every day and uninterested in doing anything else after work, it can seem that way. It seems boring and depressing. But seeing new, wonderful parts of it breathes fresh life into the experience of living here.

When I returned, however, it was right back into the grind. There was a major upheaval that resulted from administrative missteps, and soured my mood about this experience almost immediately. I won’t go into detail because it is not my intention to defame my workplace. However, I will express how it has affected me.

How can I respond to these fiascos? Well, in typical introspective fashion, I find myself asking how this is affecting my relationship with Christ and my experience of the Gospel. In other words, I’m asking myself: “What is God teaching me through this?”

First, of course, is perseverance. Whatever poor decisions are made by admins, I am responsible for my own reaction, and I still have a job to do. All I can do is do the best that I can in my responsibilities.

Second, I can’t help but ask the same question I have been asking, which has been on my mind from the beginning: how much of this is cultural, how much is unique to my employer?

Third, it may be God’s way of showing me the drawbacks of inefficiency and sluggardly work. I often worry about my work ethic. I think I’m too lazy, or too undisciplined. Seeing the negative results of such attitudes in others helps me desire to avoid them myself. It is essentially a motivator - I see how bad things get, so I want to do better myself. The problem is, I am still too self-focused when I think this way.

And that brings me back to the gospel.