Turkey Venture

And we are back! Well, most of us. We left Chance in Istanbul yesterday as he embarks for the rest of his European adventure. We also left our team leader, Anthony, who was awaiting the arrival of his wife for their extended Euro trip. As for the rest of us, after a long all nighter that consisted of many packs of paprika Pringles, coffee, banana grams, & Princess Bride, we made it safely into JFK at 11am. Although we are extremely tired, we are happy to be back home. This was demonstrated by our delirious, enthusiastic rendition of Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" while waiting at the baggage claim. As a team we'd like to thank you for your readership, prayers, love, and support. We have seen, experienced, and learned so much. One of the most impactful aspects of this trip was the amount of beauty we have absorbed. Whether it be natural or humanly devised beauty, from the mountains of Ankara to the Aegean Sea, from the inside of the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia to the ruins of Ephesus and the cotton cliffs, we have taken in the wonder of human creativity and the charm of nature. As one of our team members commented, it is hard to take in so much creativity, aesthetics, and beauty without offering a prayer up to the ultimate source of such beauty. Again, thank you all so much for your support. You are a large reason why our trip was so successful. We are truly grateful! One last time, iyi geceler!

Today was our last full day in Turkey. We arrived back into Istanbul at around noon, in order to get a full day of lasts in this beautiful city. We checked into a hotel room and put all our bags in there in order to freely move about. Then we took the train into the historical peninsula of Istanbul in order to view the old underground cisterns (pictured above). Built in the 6th century by emperor Justinianus, the basilica cisterns are one of the few of the only surviving architectural examples from the glory age of the Eastern Roman Empire. In the cisterns were also statues of Medusa, who will turn you to stone if you look at her. Creepy (pictured center). Afterward, we split into groups to do last minute gift shopping as well as stocking up on Turkish tea, cookies, and paprika Pringles. We are now sitting in a hipster coffee shops drinking more tea. Tonight we go to our last Turkish dinner. We are all rather sad that our time together is ending. It's hard to tear ourselves away from this beautiful land. Tonight (or early morning), we will spending the night at the airport for our 7am flight. So parents be nice to your kids when they get home! :) Tomorrow will be our last blog post, so stay tuned. But for now we are off to our last night!

The sun sets on Kuşadası, Izmir, and so does our time in Turkey come to an end. Today we spent a relaxing day soaking up the sun and swimming in the Aegean Sea. We also went out into the town of Kuşadası to eat a wonderful penultimate dinner in country. Afterward, over a round of tea, the team debriefed what it would be like reentering the States, what we learned about Turkey, about each other, and about ourselves. During this talk, Taylor (who is currently on his second international venture to Turkey) discussed what it is like revisiting the culture. Here are some of his thoughts: Returning to Turkey This year I’ve been blessed to return to Turkey with a new team and experience this wonderful country all over again. Istanbul, Ankara, and now finally Kuşadası have reignited my love for this culture that I felt during my first venture. Tomorrow we fly back to Istanbul to spend our last day in country, and I am equally excited to return to the U.S. and saddened to leave this beautiful place for the second time. In some aspects the two trips were very similar. My second visit to the Hagia Sophia was even more jaw dropping then the first, and the views from Ankara Castle were just as exciting. But most of the trip was very different from my first visit to Turkey; we visited historical sights in every city that I never saw last year, and spent our second week in Kuşadası on the Aegean Sea instead of Cappadocia. Aside from all of the tourism that was new from my first trip this second venture has solidified my love for a culture that I would never have dreamed of loving. From cultural food and drinks, interactions with my friends at Bilkent University, and exploring the economic and political world of Turkey I’ve realized how much this second venture has benefited me in addition to the relationships and knowledge I left with last year. I’ve loved exploring Turkey once again and introducing this culture to a new team of students from King’s. I’m excited to see how I can continue to appreciate Turkish culture, and grow in knowledge and love for this country over the next few years. This year’s trip was incredible and for me as a returning venturer, both to learn more about the culture as well as to continue building the relationship between TKC and Bilkent. I’ll miss drinking çay, eating bread and lamb on a daily basis, and responding to everything with an overenthusiastic “teşekkürler,” but I hope to be back sometime soon to experience it all again. -Taylor

Another day of beautiful sights and a mass amount of history! Today we drove three hours inland. The bus ride was culturally valuable by itself. We saw a lot of the countryside of Turkey. This included mountains, rolling fields, horses, sheep, cows, patched roofed houses etc. It was interesting seeing a more nature centric side of the nation after being in major cities for the past two weeks. It was also interesting to witness the more extreme versions of poverty in the country as opposed to the cities. We made it to the ancient Roman/Byzantine city of Hierapolis (now called Pamukkale). Here there were many ancient ruins including the temple of Apollo, another huge amphitheater, and random Roman pipes and columns. One of the highlights was climbing over the church in memory of martyrdom of Phillip the apostle. Not only was it cool to see the first century tomb of the apostle and the ruins of the eight-sided room of the fifth century Byzantine church, it was also great just to climb around the walls and hike up the mountains (top row). After lunch, we continued to explore Hierapolis until we reached the main attraction of Pamukkale--the cotton cliffs (which is what the word Pamukkale basically translates to). These are white cliff like things that were created by hot springs eroding over time. The team got to walk through some of the exciting hot springs (bottom right). These "foot baths" not only create the cotton cliffs but also apparently have healing properties. The cliffs were extraordinarily beautiful and unlike anything most of us have seen (bottom row). Getting to see Turkey in many different lights has helped the team gain a greater understanding of the culture around us. We are also engaging with a vast array of beauty which has been wonderful. But alas, only two and a half more days until we say goodbye.

This morning a couple of us went into one of the pavilions in the hotel and read the entire book of Ephesians in preparation for our day. And my what a day it was! We began the day by going on an hour and a half long banana boat ride on the Aegean Sea (top row). This was absolutely fantastic. We had a blast riding the boat, viewing the coastline, snorkeling, and getting knocked off the banana boat. It was a great time to be together and have fun while enjoying the views of the culture around us. After the boat ride, we had lunch at the hotel and headed out to our destination via the Takis (taxi in Turkish). We took almost a three hour stroll through the ancient city of Ephesus. It was absolutely incredible! Many of us felt that seeing this city was the coolest moment of the entire trip. We walked through the city and saw the housing complexes, the marketplace, the bathing houses, the library (bottom left), and much more. So much of the city still stands all in ruins but still beautiful. The best part was definitely sitting in the amphitheater where Paul the Apostle held a debate with the people in Ephesus (center). We actually sat there and read Acts 19 aloud recounting the story in the place it happened. It was amazing to get real life context to things we had only read about in the past. We sat in the amphitheater in silence just taking it in. What an incredibly powerful expierence it was. The rest of the city was wonderful as well. We saw inscriptions and artifacts from the Roman Empire as well as the Hellenistic age (bottom row). Some were thousands of years old. It was neat to see so much history so well preserved. Tomorrow we go on another adventure. We are taking a three hour bus ride into the rural parts of Turkey in order to see the famous cotton cliffs. It will be interesting to view the country in a non-urban light. Till then, iyi akşamlar (good evening).

We made it! We have said goodbye to the mountains and hello to the shore. We are staying at a resort on the Aegean Sea looking out toward the distant shore of Athens Greece. It's been thrilling for the team to be in a place with so much history. Take two overheard quotes from our team. 1. "I'm still geeking out that Achilles swam in this water." 2. "Guys we are in Turkey! And just yonder democracy was born!" Today marks the beginning of the debrief leg of our trip. This is the time were we can take a step back and process as a team everything we have seen and learn. In light of this, some of our team members wanted to reflect on specific aspects of Turkish culture. See Annette's musings below on the prevelence of smoking and tea in Turkish society: "Çay and Cigarettes Çay (pronounced "chai") is the Turkish word for tea, and cigarette has no translation --well, at least we have not encountered a Turkish translation. Either way, tea and cigarettes are a constant. From Istanbul to Ankara, someone around you is smoking cigarettes and drinking tea. We were introduced to tea after our first meal in Istanbul. Tea is served in small glasses with a saucer, mini spoon, and sugar cubes. It's acceptable to add one to two sugar cubes, per your sweet preference. From my tea experience, Turkish tea is pretty much your standard black tea with a hint of something special. Cigarettes are always welcome in Turkey. Every outdoor or open air restaurant has an ashtray readily available on each table. There are designated smoke breaks for most Turkish movies. Indoor restaurants and clubs will allow smoking, regardless of any smoking legislation. I don't think many cultures do it like the Turks. Tea and cigarettes are constantly consumed. It began as overwhelming but quickly settled as simply a facet of the culture. Being immersed in Turkish culture has made me think more about specific habits of my life - from recognizing my daily cup of coffee to finding the "smoke break" time in my life. So, I'll order another cup of çay and choose to not smoke, but I'll continue with the conversation that surrounds both." Tomorrow, we are headed to the ancient ruins of Ephesus. So exciting!

We found the temple! We went to the Temple of Augustus (a Roman emperor). This temple has been around since 27 BC, and is one of the most important Roman Period buildings that still stands today. The team was awe-struck by the age of these ruins (top). Following our visit to the temple, our Turkish friends Ceren and Berkin (pictured from behind) took us to a Turkish Modern Art museum called CerModern. We all really enjoyed our viewing (middle row). It was amazing to see so much skill and talent on display in such a small place. There was also a fascinating exhibit by an artist named Robert Montgomery displaying unnerving quotes in pretty lights. Leaving CerModern meant saying goodbye to our dear Turkish friends. This was so sad! We are going to miss them, but have hopes of seeing them back home soon. Next, the team went to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations (bottom row). This museum had ancient artifacts dating back to 5000 BC. It begins in the Paleolithic age to the age of the Ottomans in the region of Anatolian. The museum conveys the national pride of Turkey by drawing their history back to one of the first existing peoples. The museum also had artifacts outside in a pretty garden, where we sat and took in the air. After our visit, we had a chill evening. We went to a mall (that had security checks at the entrance). We also went bowling. This much needed team time was so much fun! Tomorrow we are off at 6am to catch a flight to Izmir! It's beach time!

Despite the rainy day, our team made the most of the small historical tourist attractions in Ankara. Our first stop was the burial sight, museum, and memorial of Ataturk. Ataturk is an extremely important figure in Turkish history. He was the founder of the the Republic of Turkey in 1921. In many ways he completely embodies what it means to be Turkish. He came in at a time where Turkey was a struggling nation and united them under one identity. Seeing the grandness of this memorial (top row) and the great care the Guards took to change the flowers and keep the burial area safe displayed the magnitude of respect the nation still has for Ataturk, who's name literarily means father of the Turks. After our time spent in the memorial and Ataturk museum, we went to the old ruins of Ankara Castle (second row). Although the exact construction date is unkown, it is likely that this castle has been around since the ancient or medieval times of Turkey. The team had a blast eating lunch at and exploring the castle. It was fun to imagine how much history had played out on those very walls from the Romans to the Byzantines to the Ottomans. For the next part of the afternoon, we attempted to discover an old temple. However, we couldn't find it. So, instead, like good Turks we went to a tea garden (bottom right). We drank tea, laughed, and played the national game of Turkey, backgammon (bottom left). Tomorrow we are planning our last day with our Turkish friends. Hopefully, we will be going to a museum with them! Till tomorrow, iyi geceler!

Today the conference at the Turkish University was continued with a presentation from Madeline and Geoffrey on the important link between freedom of speech and innovation in a nation (top left). They compared the levels of free speech and innovation in Turkey and the United States, and ultimately suggested that the United States had better innovation due to its higher levels of free speech. Next, came an interesting presentation from the Turks about the changing gender norms and how girls and boys are conditioned for certain types of jobs from an early age (top center). After that presentation, we went to lunch. The Turks have been so good about hosting us. They always provide us with a limitless amount of Turkish tea, water, fruit, and pastries. Today they even payed for our lunch! They've been so wonderful. After lunch we had two more presentations. One from Darien. Discussing institutional economics in Turkey (top right). This sparked a lot of questions and comments from the Turkish students as well as one of their economics professors, who came specifically to hear this presentation. The second presentation was given by Annette and Annalise (bottom left). They gave an overview of the way beauty is communicated in our culture specifically through slogans and images in advertising. The Turks had pretty much the same experience with advertising in their culture. And after a robust conversation about advertisement and how companies create dissatisfaction in order to sell products, the presentation became a fun back and forth showing of different ads in Turkey and the U.S. Following the last presentation, we had a small closing ceremony with the students and the associate dean. This was complete with actual certificates and more Turkish tea. We even took a group photo (bottom center). To top off the night, the Turks took us to an American food place! Bless! Our team was so excited to be eating American food after a whole weak of eating rich, traditional Turkish food. The restaurant even had Heinz Ketchup (bottom right)! We were in heaven. Now we are getting ready for bed. Talk to you tomorrow!

Today we left our tourist adventures behind and focused more on the academic leg of our trip. Ankara is a mountainous area that provides a nice break from the hot weather by providing cool, breezy air. We began the day with an intro to the university from the associate dean of students. The university we go to is relatively new (founded in 1984). We were spending time in the Business and Economics building. Leah started the conference off with a presentation on the facets of feminism in the United States (left). This led into a robust discussion about women's roles and the perception of women in both Turkish and American society. After that we took a lunch break, and ate traditional Iskender with our new turkish friends. There is so much butter in this dish it's amazing (center). Right after lunch, there was a change of plans and instead of Darien Chance and Taylor gave a presentation on foreign policy (right). Followed by a presentation by the Turks on a business case study on the packaging of cherries. The rest of the evening was spent socializing and bonding with the Turkish university students. Tomorrow we continue with the conference. Stay tuned for more!

Goodbye Istanbul! Hello Ankara (top left)! Today was a traveling day. After a slow, restful morning, and a leisurely breakfast, we made our way over to the airport for our second flight. The flight to Ankara (the capital of Turkey) was around 30 minutes long which is shorter than most commute times in New York! We were surprised in the plane with white cheese and vegetable sandwiches that had our names on the label. The landing was smooth, and we were awaited by our driver in our rental 15-passenger van that we lovingly call the Merhabus (top right). Which is a play off of the Turkish greeting "Merhaba" combined with bus. Yeah, sometimes we make lame jokes. We had a pretty light evening. We checked into our hotel in Ankara, which is located in the business distract and close to the political assemblies. Most people stay here for business. After check in, we went to a the prominent Mosque in the city (bottom). This Mosque was relatively newer in age and modern in design, but still evoked much of the traditional style of an Ottoman Mosque. We are astounded by the beauty and splendor of the interior of the Mosque. Which had a huge, gold light fixture in the center of the prayer floor as well as intricate paintings of symbols on the ceilings. Tomorrow, Leah and Darien will give the first two presentations for our team at the conference. We will also be hearing a presentation from the Turkish students as well. Stay tuned for more!

After spending the last three days touring historic Istanbul, we took the metro down to Levent a business area in Istanbul comparable to the Financial Distract in NYC. Instead of old buildings, this area was filled with modern skyscrapers. We met up with a former student of the university we go to every year. He took us on a tour of the corporate building of a main Turkish bank called Garanti. He showed us the garden where the employees take their smoking breaks and breaths of fresh air. He also mentioned that there was a gym in the building. It seemed as if the bank took great care of their employees in order to increase productivity and general welfare. The ten of us piled into a conference room with around eight Turks and their manager. They gave us a presentation on their mobile banking app called igaranti. This is a banking app that does almost everything, from making payments to tracking your spending habits and giving financial advice. The presentation spurred on a great conversation of what the app market in the US was like in comparison to Turkey. Afterward, the Turks treated us to lunch in their in-building cafeteria. The next thing on our agenda was the Grand Bazar. This was a 30 block stretch of shops in every direction that sold pretty much the same goods of various kinds like tea sets, daggers, scarves, tiles, even some brand name knock-offs. The Bazar prices start off high but one could soon bargain to a much cheaper price (top left & right). Some of our team loved bargaining with the vendors while others just wished there was a set price. Either way it was a great experience and most of us came out with some great purchases. We ended the evening with a delicious dinner at an old Ottoman style restaurant where you take off your shoes and sit on pillows on the floor (bottom left). Most of us tried the greatly anticipated dish called Iskender, which is basically a lamb dish with Turkish tomato sauce doused in butter. The rest of the night was spent walking around the city, playing with lanterns (bottom right), and much laughter. Tomorrow we fly to Ankara to meet with the Turkish students for our three day conference. Wish us luck on our presentations!

What a great day! It was again jammed pack with tourist sights and cultural expeirences. We started the day by getting on a bus toward a small, old Byzantium church. The Chora Museum (the new name of the church) was a tiny gem filled with old 1300AD mosiacs. It's only around four rooms big, but has possibly the largest collection of these types of mosiacs. It was spectacular. There was a dome that had an image of Christ in the center with the people from linage of David surrounding him. There was another one with the line of Kings surrounding the Madonna and Child (top left). It was astonishing to see so much history portrayed through images that have been well preserved for so long. The artistry was beautiful. Shortly after our visit to the church we went to an old wall of Istanbul. This would of been the portion of the wall that guarded the city of Constantinople. We came. We climbed. We conquered (top center & right). After lunch (which was at a great non-touristy authentic Turkish deli-type place), the team dispersed and went shopping! Some of us got Baklava ice cream concretes from Shake Shack which were incredeble. We ended the day with a boat ride to the Asian side of Istanbul (which is 90% residential with hardly any tourists) We viewed a spectacular sunset (bottom), sat peacefully next to the Bosphorus river, and ate a Turkish type pizza. Tomorrow we are headed to a tour of a Turkish bank. Goodbye for now!

Oh what a city, what a day. Today was a long day of walking (over 8 miles), touring, and eating. It was filled with good food, good history, and great scenery. We started the day by taking the metro which basically was a line that takes you uphill or downhill. We transferred to a train that was on a normal street instead of underground. It ran sort of as a monorail which was super cool. It took us to the Blue Mosque (top right). In order to enter we needed to be appropriately attired covering our knees, taking off our shoes, and wearing headscarves for the girls. This was a breathtaking experience. The inside was beautiful. Right after we went to the Hagia Sophia. Here the most amazing thing was seeing the uncovered Christian mosaics mashed with the intricate Islamic art (top left). It was wonderful to be in a place with so much history, particularly of the Muslim and Christian traditions. Next we had a little picnic in the Royal Gardens (bottom right), followed by a tour of the Topkapi Palace and the treasures that came with it --an 86 carat diamond!!! The views from this palace were incredible (bottom center). We were able to see both the Asian and European side of Istanbul. A highlight of the evening was walking home after dinner and experiencing the immense excitement of the crowds coming home from the futbol game. The local Turkish soccer club, Galatasaray, had just won a huge game and the people's reaction was fantastic. There was chanting, music, flares, a massive crowds in jerseys running through the streets. The city was filled with excitement and provided the team with a great cultural experience. Now we are off to bed. İyi geceler! (Goodnight!)

(One of the many views from Galata Tower) We're here! We made it. We are safe. We are tired. But we are happy! We arrived in Istanbul Atatürk Airport at 2:30pm local time. After getting our visas, going through passport control & baggage claim, and getting on an hour-long bus ride, we finally made it to our hotel! We spent the evening taking in the sights, smells, and sounds of the main streets of Istanbul. We ended our small trek around the city at the Galata Tower where we saw the most incredible views of the city. Our team is already taken with the beauty of Istanbul. Our night ended with our first in country meal--lamb & chicken kebab with sour cherry jucie, bread, and all the fixings. Tomorrow we take on some of the most famous historical sights, but for now SLEEP.

Still waiting...

...the team is currently waiting in our terminal at JFK. We have a two hour delay so we will be sitting tight and cozy for awhile. BUT we have meal vouchers...thinking on the bright side! Time for some quality team bonding. See you on the other side.