Stephanie Calondis Geiger, Director of Youth Progr ([info]youthdirector) wrote,
@ 2007-07-23 16:17:00
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Current location:Columbus, OH
Entry tags:ankara, intercultural, istanbul, travel, turkey

Turkey Study Tour Journal
I had the opportunity to experience Turkey as part of a study tour funded and organized by the Turkish Cultural Foundation (in partnership with World Affairs Councils of America).  Our group of 4 educators from Ohio joined peers affiliated with world affairs councils nationwide on July 25, 2007 in Istanbul for an 18 day journey that ended in the capital city of Ankara.  Please read entries, share your own memories of a trip to the region, and/or comment on what I've written.  Some entries will be in the vein of a journal recalling the sights and sounds of Turkey, while others will invite dialouge on policy.  I look forward to developing resources that make Turkey "real" for students and others in our community, as part of the Portrait of Turkey series of events that will occur throughout the year.  Helping me with this series are:  Beth MacLehose of Dempsey Middle School, Angel Lynskey of Central Crossing High School, and Patt Huss of the Buckeye Ranch, my companion educators in Turkey.  Beth also has a blog, filled with especially  unique insights, as this trip to Turkey marked her first EVER trip out the U.S.  You can read her blog at:  ttp://teachk9.edublogs.org/2007/07/14/merhaba/. 


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Turkey
(Anonymous)
2007-07-31 05:58 pm UTC (link)
Say hello for us to all of the South Dakota folks traveling with you (Kathy, Tracy, Rachel, and Jesse). Enjoy your trip! By the time you get back you will be able to use the word "baklava" as a verb. :)


Chris and Hande
Brookings, SD

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Re: Turkey
[info]youthdirector
2007-08-13 07:41 pm UTC (link)
They were all wonderful people! It was fun to see the experience through their eyes, since I believe that at least 3 of them had never been overseas before. That was an important element in selection criteria of trip participants from Columbus. We wanted to allow those who have never traveled abroad to participate since it is such a life changing experience. Of the whole group of 24, I think that 1/3 had never used their passports before.

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An Expereince of "Extremes"
[info]youthdirector
2007-08-16 03:00 pm UTC (link)
From the heights of a balloon ride over the region of Cappadocia to the depths of underground cities dug out during the Crusades, Turkey offers so much richness, history, and beauty. Making sense of it all requires patience and organization -- we're talking thousands of years of content about which one can write and teach (and learn)! The entire experience has rendered me inarticulate for now, as all I can manage is "wow."

I had planned to post from Turkey, but the pace of a study tour (and speed of available Internet connections in hotels) made the idea impossible. I'll do some reflective posting instead.

In the meantime, our group has been hard at work, posting links and notes to a group "wiki," gathering best photos for sharing, conceiving of ways to extend the experience to our students and broader community via the Portrait of Turkey Series.

Please stay tuned in to our website for information about how you can get involved. Please post to this blog if you are a Turkish national, an academic with some experience in the region, or a regular person curious about this important global player. We'd love to hear your thoughts.



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Preconceptions and Reflection
[info]youthdirector
2007-09-12 02:07 pm UTC (link)
I invited fellow educators from throughout the U.S. (travelling with me in Turkey) to comment on their preconceptions and reflections of Turkey. YOU, our reader are also invited to share your thoughts!

scalondis writes:
What were your perceptions of Turkey before the trip? How did they compare with your view now?
Posted Aug 16, 2007

johnbay writes:
I guess my perceptions of Turkey prior to the trip were that it was a developing country struggling to find its indentity. I really did not know nearly as much as I thought I did. What I came away with is that Turkey in many ways knows who it is and yet is still defining itself. Turkey is vey proud of its history and culture and rightfully so. I was very impressed by the diversity in its past history and how that has helped to create what Turkey is today. I was also very impressed with how modern it is, their infrastructure was very dynamic and it appears that they are investing in the future. The only exception to this would be the water issues of Ankara. I also find it facinating the issue of their Islamic identity and the role it is playing in their politics. I find it very disappointing the EU's handeling of their entry into the EU. Their future looks very encouraging no matter what comes of the EU situation.It will be very interesting to watch Turkey continue to develop its contemporary identity especially if it embraces a leadership role in the stability of the Middle East region.
Posted Aug 21, 2007

jessesealey writes:
I too thought of Turkey as a developing country. I guess in many ways it still is, but the only thing that is constant is change--and let's face it--Turkey is no stranger to change. I knew Turkey had been the site of civilizations long before places in our area, but I really had no idea of the rich history that is Turkey's. I have to say that I was amazed at how much I was able to learn about the country's history in just a couple of weeks.
Posted Aug 21, 2007



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Re: Preconceptions and Reflection
[info]youthdirector
2007-09-12 02:07 pm UTC (link)
Echoing the "rich history" comments, I agree with Jesse that it WAS so incredible how this trip made ancient civ interesting and how starting from "interesting" we can move to relevant. What I mean is, Turkey has been involved in globalization since (when? help me out...300 or so B.C.?) so for all of Tom Freidman's interesting and accesible writing about the phenomenon, the world has been flat for THOUSANDS of years. This is an idea which is difficult for Americans to understand.

Back to preconceptions, my knowledge of the country was based on current hot topics, news, policy, etc. I knew about the headscarf debate, but I wanted to FEEL it as an everpresent issue and understand how it played out in daily life.

Prior to the trip, I had read online postings at Turkish Daily News which led to extensive debate about "The Armenian Issue" and I wondered how something that occured so long ago could occupy so much space in the chat room (without prompting) and seem so important in a contemporary context -- I wondered if such debate was commonplace (in coffee shops, on the street, etc.) or if the anonymity of the Internet was providing a safe place for under-the-surface tensions to bubble up.

Many other questions were swirling around in my mind and ultimately the more I learned or observed during the trip the more complex it became of course. I even had a little freak-out feeling when we were at ASAM for the policy briefings, thinking -- I just don't have any idea what is going on here (do they or do they not want to join the EU? which opinions were we not exposed to during the tour either by design or just as a result of the pace of a large study tour? how representative is ASAM of the general view? how representative is Serhan - our tour guide - of the populace?).I found it very noteworthy that the speaker made a point of bringing to our attention his disdain for homosexuality and for conscientous objectors to war.

I feel like I now have a mental image of Turkey, a starting point for continued research and a desire to connect with more individuals of Turkish descent.

When friends and family ask "How was Turkey?" I find it much too broad a question and I understand they want a broad answer, lacking complexity. So, I say " It looked like much of WEstern Europe that you've visited in past travels" or "the landscape is amazing" or "there is so much history" or "I felt very safe and the people were very gracious" or even "it can be a very romantic and beautiful place -- I'll have to go back with my husband!" My challenge: find a way to make them ask more pointed questions, find a way to get students to be curious about the complexities, find a way to better articulare and organize the information, and just keep learning because there is so much I don't know!!!!!
Posted Aug 22, 2007

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Ataturk
[info]youthdirector
2007-09-12 02:10 pm UTC (link)
What did you know about Mustafa Kemal "Ataturk" before journeying to Turkey? What are your observations about him now?
Posted Aug 16, 2007 11:53 am

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Re: Ataturk
[info]youthdirector
2007-09-12 02:11 pm UTC (link)
johnbay writes:

My prior knowledge of Ataturk was limited to what my textbook mentioned of him which was not very detailed. I knew he was the father of modern Turkey and was very progressive in his reforms of the former Ottoman Empire. What impressed me during the tour of Turkey was the devotion the people show through statues, images and just his overwhelming presence at every palce we visited. I can not think of any one iondividual, even among our own founding fathers, that stirs this kind of dedication and devotion. The Ataturk Mausoleum and museum had a very profound affect on my personal impression of Ataturk's influence on Turkey historically, in the present, and what appears to be its future development. This experience will enhance my presentation of Ataturk to my future students.
Posted Aug 21, 2007 6:58 am

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Re: Ataturk
[info]youthdirector
2007-09-12 02:12 pm UTC (link)
No judgement allowed, but I had not heard of him until a year ago. Or, if I did, it was so fleeting and inconsequential that I did not remember. I don't think the name was uttered in all of my years of schooling.

He was a remarkable man who had a vision and the drive and talent to see it through. Conversion to the Latin alphabet in 3 months!? That is extremely important as it allowed the masses to become literate.

I am comfortable with democracy looking different in different societies. I also am more willing to give up individual freedoms in some cases for the sake of the whole group. i feel that as a society sharing space and resources, it just has to be that way. But, I can see why it could be said that Ataturk was a dictator.
Posted Aug 22, 2007 1:46 pm

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