Sorry

First, dear readers, I must apologize for leaving you in a state of confusion. One of my last posts "Least You Think It's All Rose Colored Glasses" left most people wondering if I was hopping the next plane home. Yes, there have been days I wanted to, but that isn't me. While I had every intention of posting a follow-up (before I left for Botswana), spotty internet and end of the semester craziness didn't really allow me to do that. So I apologize for the delay in my explanation. Feel free to skip to the more exciting post about Botswana if you want. ;)

Here are the details of my frustration: Yes, my job is challenging -- everyone's is. However, the last month of the first semester left many of us newbies feeling overwhelmed. From grading final exams, to entering grades (in multiple places on a website that is all in Turkish! Thank you to my department head for her help!), to students' behavior, to general chaos, it just felt like too much. Several of us comforted each other as we struggled to figure out just how to do our jobs the best we could given the newness of it all. After many emails and several bitch sessions, we supported each other the best we could. It was comforting to know that I wasn't alone in my funk.

It wasn't so much living far away (part of it), or the continued challenges of living in a foreign country (some of it), or not knowing the system (more of it), but mostly just a combination of all of thee above and then some. Working within the education system in Turkey has definitely been an education unto itself. While it sounds rather obvious, I learned that I can't just teach English to tenth graders like I did in the US. Duh.

From my limited experience here, there are many factors that contribute to a student sitting in my class. From what I can gather, children are highly protected from natural consequences. Coddled some may call it. Discipline appears to be obscure. Even more so because I an working for a for-profit school. My limited experience as a public educator in the states didn't really prepare me for what that meant. Again, from what I see, it means that most behavior is tolerated. Behavior that would have most students on a discipline contract within a heartbeat in the US. This isn't to say all students behave horribly; it's to say there are limited options when a student does behavior inappropriately. (Oh, what I would give for Mr. Kaufman to talk with the Turkish Ministry of Education! :)

Additionally, while all three schools in my "district" have an entrance exam, my school takes the lowest scores from all over Turkey. Each school has a cut off score; TAC is the lowest and at the beginning of the school year that number was lowered in order to increase enrollment. Again, this doesn't mean that students with lower scores are behavior problems, but it does create a different clientele.

Finally, there is a system of tradition that is quite strong at TAC. The other three schools do not have such a tradition. While students see the tradition as a way to help teach respect to younger students, those of us on the outside see it as bullying. It's a fine line to walk -- one of creating a respectful tradition and one of instilled  fear. And, as I stated earlier, discipline is a bit mysterious. Something about honor points, discipline committees composed of students' peers -- no detention after school or at lunch time, no in-school suspension, no out-of-school suspension, no truancy court, no expulsion. I have not seen any of these implemented within my first semester of being here.

Cajoling. Convincing. Listening. Give. Take. Ebb. Flow. Push. Pull. It's a fun dance to convince any student to learn, but here, I'm exhausted (another contributing factor). Sadly, it's too much for so little in return. Again, I do want to say that this isn't all students, but those of us in the profession know, that it's the exhausting students who drain us.

I'm not ready to go back to work tomorrow, but then again, I don't think I've ever met anyone who said, "Yeah, it's Monday. I get to go back to work!"  :) I'm hoping second semester is a little easier. A little more familiar. A little less "new" and a little more routine.

That's a glimpse of what prompted my post. I hope that clarifies, but my guess is that it leaves you with more questions than answers. Sorry. I'm living it, and I'm still not quite sure how it works ! :)  Thank you for everyone who contacted me just to check on me. I really do appreciate it. And, I must say you are all doing very well on the replying. Thank you! I miss you all!


P.S. I promise the next post will be wild! :) Stay tuned.

whew!

Limited internet,  but three countries and two continents in less than 24 hours! More when I get back home.

Least You Think It's All Rose Colored Glasses

Dear Friend,

I seriously want to go HOME right now….I’m so frustrated I think I might cry. I'm feeling overwhelmed today. I don't have the energy to keep doing this job. 

My students are so disrespectful—there are some students who just do NOT know common courtesy or appropriate behavior no matter what you do to help them. I literally could not teach a lesson today.

I am sitting in my class and they are not here. I have no idea where they are….I checked my email messages and they are not scheduled for any activity that would take them from my class. I can’t leave the room because they might show up. And on top of all that, there are kids slamming doors in the hallway when I'm pretty sure they are supposed to be in class. 

Today, I want to book my ticked home for good. There are good parts about this job, but today it all just feels like too much. 

Newbie

Dear Newbie,

I’m so sorry. I was right there with you last week. Hang in there. Remember, it’s only a job. Yes, we know the importance of an education, but we are not in Kansas any more, so we don’t know the system which makes it that much harder. Breathe. That is all you need to do. Teach what you can and let the rest go. Let go of the disrespect, let go of the laissez-faire attitude, let go of the disorganization  You cannot change these things. The only thing you can do is show up for your job and do what you can. And, that my friend, will be enough. Promise.

As hard as teaching in a foreign country is, I do think we are all here to learn a lesson. Sometimes it’s patience, sometimes it’s to laugh at ourselves, sometimes it’s to appreciate the things we had at home. We took this big leap of faith knowing that it was going to be challenging, and we still said yes. I know I didn't know how hard it would be at times, but we are going to come out on the end stronger people and better teachers because of this experience.

I knew this year wasn't going to be my best year teaching; the first year at any job is never our best. But I guarantee that the kids will learn more than you think. Focus on the good kids. The ones we like, and who like us,  and the ones who are appreciative of our efforts. They are in our classrooms and our hallways, but it's easy to get caught up in the yuck so much so that we forget those goodies are out there! 

Hang in there! Let me know if you need anything. I have Patron at my house!:)

Talk to you later!!
Friend

It's the Little Things

I can tell it's nearing the end of the semester. Students are just now beginning to check their grades; it's good to know this scenario isn't specific to only students in the US. Only now do they magically become concerned about how they are doing. It's the little things like asking three weeks before the end of the semester, "What can I do to improve my grade?" that make teachers go crazy.

Today I went in search of a battery charger for my camera. If you didn't know, I lost my camera bag on one of my many flights within the first week of moving to Turkey. It's been a long time trying to get my new camera bag up to snuff. The school translator called several electronics stores, and she finally found one in Tarsus.

I had to psyche myself up to go in search of the store as I was uncertain of its location. Sometimes the daily stuff is the most taxing and easy to put off because I know the language is going to be challenging. However, when I found the store, the two ladies were the most helpful. My limited Turkish, one phone call to a bilingual friend, plus a few visits to Google translate, and, sadly, no charger was found. But they did point me in the right direction, and eventually, I was able to find one. It's the little things like people being willing to use Google translate to communicate
that make being in Turkey less challenging.

In my effort to find said new charger, I met a guy at the new technology store who helped me learn some new things about my camera. He actually works for Samsung, and he wanted to practice his English. It seems selfish, but it's always a relief to find someone who speaks English. It means my task won't be so daunting, and yes, there are plenty of times today when my Turkish wasn't enough, and I left not knowing what was being said. However, diligence did help me finally understand the if I make some really
great topping to go on my lahmacun, the bread guy will bake
 it right up in his stone oven. That was easily a 10 minute conversation.

This morning this was out my kitchen window this morning:
Sorry. I couldn't pick just one image. Yeah, it's the little things.

Finally, I have to thank all of you who commented, emailed, and Facebooked (yeah, I'm making it a verb). It was nice to hear from you. So far, as with most resolutions, we're off to a smashing start. I also have to applaud your commenting efforts. Not a single one of you told me that I needed to take some responsibility for my lack of blogging. I guess that proves that I'm the smart ass of my friends as that would have been my
reply to myself! Thanks for not being a smart ass.

Yeah, it really is the little things.

Just in case you missed the Facebook post from yesterday:

ten things that made me smile

• yoga with my new yoga cards
• listening to a podcast of The Splendid Table (I ♥ Lynne Rossetto Kasper)
• seeing two boys about 7 or 8 lift their little sister about 4 up and over a ledge
• a dog doing downward dog
• the smell of fresh bread from the bread cupboard in the market
• the smell of fresh carrots from the green grocer (yes, they do have a smell!)
• homemade chicken and rice soup
• two calls from home 
• Skype with my sister 
• going to bed early

 I hope you find all the little things you need today.





P.S. Make sure you check out the post titled Olive Oil if you want a good chuckle. :)

Reflections and Resolutions

31 December 2012
The time of year when we pause to look back on the year. Relish our triumphs, evaluate our disappointments, and plan for a fresh start. I kinda feel like I do this every day just on a smaller scale. :)

In the last week, I have been reminded countless times (ok, I can count them) that people have enjoyed my blog and are looking forward to the next one. Yeah, I've let posting on Facebook replace real writing. Sorry. I blame Facebook and you dear reader.

Facebook is instantaneous. It's magic. Those little icons in the upper left hand corner light up so fast to indicate a message, a "like", or a comment. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about (Ok, Andrea, you don't know :) but trust me, it's pretty cool.) Yes, I'm addicted to those. I love when I post a picture of any ordinary thing, and ding! Someone has seen it. It's like a silent conversation. Some sort of validation that let's me know, yeah, someone is actually curious about what I'm doing. I must admit though, my favorite is a comment or a message. Then it's really like a conversation from across the globe.

You dear reader are silent. I know you're there. I can see how many people view the postings. Yeah, bet you didn't know that, huh? Thank you for reading, but you're not Facebook. No magic. No zip. No ding. However, I like you and not just in the Facebook clicking kind of like you. I really like you.

I like that you supported me in this crazy adventure to teach overseas. You listened to my musings about Turkey. You watched documentaries with me about Turkey and Ataturk. You went out to dinner with me. You had drinks with me. (Man do I miss micro-brews and root beer martinis. Seriously. Delicious. Mad Cow in Greeley. Go if you haven't had one.) You were excited for my adventure but sad to see me go. You cried with me at the airport. You sent me emails and Skype messages. In the beginning. Now. We are complacent with each other. Me not blogging. You not commenting. It's sad because I really like you.

So in this time of reflection, I propose a revival in our relationship. A resolution if you will. I promise I'll blog about something every other week if you dear reader promise to talk to me. (Originally, I was thinking every week, but let's be honest.)You could send an email; you could message me on Facebook; you could even comment in the comment section below. Any message is a good message. I'm not picky.

It doesn't have to be long; it doesn't have to be insightful. Heck, you don't even have to use correct spelling or grammar. Just quit being a lurker and say something. Please? It really does mean a lot to me to continue my friendships back home. I think that is what I have learned the most on this adventure. No one really knows you like the people back home. The ex-pat community is small in Tarsus, and often it feels like they don't want to take the time to get to know people because someone is always moving.

It doesn't matter to me if you think what you're writing is boring. To me, it's a small glimpse into what is happening in your life that I'm missing out on by living in Turkey. Just like you get to travel through me, I need to know what's happening over there with you. Even if you just want to tell me about getting a great deal on some cereal because you had a double coupon, and it was on sale. Tell me. I miss you. All of you. And really, Facebook is cheating on the relationships I miss the most.

Here's to a new year, a new you and me, and a new relationship via Blogger.

Happy New Year!

Olive Oil

* This is the last post that was written on October. I forgot about it. I posted this before I posted the Resolution one, so this one didn't get many views. I think it got overlooked, so I'm posting it again. No, this does not count as part of the deal. I still owe you a post dear readers. ;0 
Enjoy!

Before I left the United States, I bought Lonely Planet’s guide to Turkey. I’ve always found Lonely Planet to be a good insider’s guide that allows you to act like a local yet still be a tourist. Their suggestions about events, attractions, and restaurants have always been worthy.

Lesley happened to be flipping through my copy and happened upon page 122. The highlighted blue box on this page reads “Slip-Sliding Away In Edirne.” She asked if I would be attending the slippery event. Probably not, as Edirne is in the extreme northwest region of Turkey near Thrace and Marmara – bordering Greece. Places I had not heard of nor have I explored since I’ve been here.

Yet, there was also a picture of this event within the Top 18 Experiences in Turkey-- Number 15: Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling. In late June/early July there is a festival in the city of Edirne where grown men and boys slather on olive oil and then wrestle each other for top honors. Honestly, it didn’t rank in my personal top ten.

However, last week (two months ago!) I was riding the bus headed to my tennis lesson (yes, I, too, see the discrepancy of me taking public transportation to tennis) when I noticed this poster.

Funny, not something that I would normally notice, but the picture is similar to that in my Lonely Planet guide. I quickly took a picture of the poster with my phone and asked my instructor to translate what I couldn’t figure out – where was this happening? and why was it being publicized in Tarsus? Just a quick geography lesson, Tarsus is in the southern part of Turkey – 30 minutes from the Mediterranean.

Turkish wrestling was coming to Tarsus. I had to go. While many of the foreign staff traveled during the Bayram holiday, I was here with two Canadians. I asked if either of the women wanted to go with me. Nope. Hmmm…apparently, they don’t value Lonely Planet’s suggestions as much as I do.  C’mon. This was Lonely Planet’s number 15! Of all the things to do in Turkey! Number 15, people! 15!

So, I rode my bike in search of the stadium. As I approached, it felt very roller derby-esque to me. It was similar in the way that there is definitely a subculture within roller derby. People in the stands were obvious fans, cheering on their favorite wrestler as he was introduced. The crowed was smaller than I imagined, but there was no lack of noise. People were there to watch their favorite oil clad wrestler.

Each wrestler had a warm-up ritual: some were out greeting fans, others were stretching, some were behind the scenes, and some were mucking it up with the refs. The crowd was well aware of the routine as well. Drums blared, musical was added, the national anthem was played, the mayor (at least I think it was the mayor or another governing figure) spoke, and the ceremony commenced.

All the wrestlers lined up and were introduced to varying degrees of applause. Each man stepped forward when called, and once they were in a line again, they crossed the soccer stadium in leaping jumps, waving with the opposite hand. I’m not doing a very good job of describing this part, but there is an exercise like this…kind of skipping and then getting more height by swinging your opposite hand. As they made their way across the field to the drummers, the ended the path by going to one knee - almost bowing.

Once to the other side the group of 20 or so separated; eight men gathered in the center; the others made their way to the opposite corner and waited. The eight men broke into four groups of two. And before I knew it, the wrestling began. Again, roller derby came to mind as parts seemed orchestrated, but once things got underway, it was obvious that the men were having difficulty. This was hard work. Pig wrestling came to mind. Oil. Squirming. Grunting. No squealing allowed.

Participants were slathered in olive oil. I mean slathered. Dripping off of them, running into their eyes, grass sticking to them. A mess. The men only wear leather pants – capri-like in style. Some have their names stitched into the pants. Additionally, I noticed they were wearing what looked like a knee brace of sorts, but it was just below the knee.My guess is that it was there to hold the bottom of the pant leg in place so competitors wouldn't be able to get an advantage of a loose article of clothing. 

As the matches continued simultaneously, referees monitored each pairing. Whistles were blown to indicate a man out of bounds; hand signals were used, and the winner’s hand was raised when a match was over.  One interesting observation is that competitors put their hands down the other’s pants. According to Lonely Planet, this is the best way to get a good grip. I’m not sure I want to know what is being gripped, but contestants who used this technique usually were successful in taking down their opponent.

I stayed for about an hour and found the event to be entertaining at least. Once I got home, I had to do a bit more research. The sport has been going on since the Ottoman Empire – that’s over 6 ½ centuries!  No wonder it’s Lonely Planet’s number 15. Not a bad way to spend some time in Tarsus.

Here are a few websites in case you’re planning your next vacation around oily men. www.kirkpinar.com 

 www.turkishwrestling.com

I was so enthralled that I took quite a few pictures. If you're interested, let me know, and I'll send you the link. ;)

Public Displays of Affection

Yesterday (Ha, really it was three weeks ago! It's taken me a bit longer to get back to this post.)was my first day off for the Bayram holiday. While other foreign staff decided to head out on a Blue Cruise on the Aegean, I decided to stick around Tarsus, Mersin, and Adana for the break. I figured not only do I have papers to grade, but I also have yet to really explore these three cities.

My first unplanned day quickly became jammed packed.  It started with a trip to one of the local mosques. On Monday of this week, Rüştü, one of the Turkish staff members, gave some of us a historical tour of Tarsus. Our last stop was at the mosque, and we were extremely lucky as the imam there let us inside. There were only a handful of people, so we were given an impromptu tour. Additionally, we were led to a special area where officials and heads of states usually pray.

Historically, people have been killed while worshipping, so a special area was built. It is an elevated area about eight feet high with a narrow staircase that leads to a platform. Most of the current officials don’t use the area any more as they claim they want to be closer to the people (sounds like a politician), but my guess is that the staircase is a bit too steep!

After the tour on Monday, Donna and I were able to arrange a time to come and take pictures during the day with better lighting as our original tour was in the evening. We met Wednesday morning only to find that we were the only ones there – no imam and a heavily locked door.

We decided to take pictures of the outside of the mosque and figured something had been lost in translation; after about an hour, an elderly gentleman found us and led us to the opposite side of the mosque to a grave. It was obvious he wanted us to see it and attempted to explain its importance to us. We have no idea what he told us, but in the end we asked if we could take his picture. He obliged and posed stoically and military like.

Donna had a brilliant idea that she would set the timer on her camera and get all three of us in a picture. She set the timer, we posed, she joined us.  Just before the camera clicked, the gentleman’s arm quickly went around my shoulder into a tight grasp. A picture was taken. Donna checked the photo and noticed it was a bit dark. We tried again.

My gut was a bit hesitant, but I figured what the heck. It’s just one more photo. Again, Donna set the timer, we posed, she joined us.  His arm quickly came around my shoulder this time a bit tighter. Picture taken. Donna checked again, and it’s still too dark.

As I’m telling her in English that I’m not posing again, the gentleman attempts to kiss me on the cheek! Ewww! “Yok, yok, yok!” I yell. (A negative response a bit more stern than “No.”)  Ahhh, yes a fun start to a busy day. As I write, I honestly don’t know where he ran to, but he was nowhere to be found as we headed to the front of the mosque.

However, an imam had arrived and unlocked the doors. We were led inside and allowed to take as many pictures as we wanted. A payoff well worth the unwanted kiss…..well, maybe not, but Donna seemed to get a good chuckle out of it. It was amazing to be inside the mosque with our cameras during daylight hours. We profusely thanked the imam and went on to take some pictures of daily life on a Wednesday in Tarsus.

From there…tennis lesson at noon, Mersin at 3:00. Camera shopping and dinner at Subway. Yes, I did enjoy a spicy Italian sandwich with a Belgium beer. Delicious!  Beer at Subway needs to happen in the States. I have to say day one of break turned out to be more than alright…despite the kiss.