Monday, November 17, 2008

Re-doing my tourist visa

This morning I returned from my little weekend trip to Yunanistan (Greece). I left friday evening, after my sociology mid-term test (only one question: 'was Durkheim a male chauvinist pig?', unbelievable!). I was not too enthusiastic at first because I was going all by myself, so I brought some books, but I immediately met a nice girl who was also going to Thessaloniki, to re-do her visa. The bus dropped us of early in the morning, luckily not too far from the city centre. Linn, the girl I met, had the address of a guy that lived in town and we ended up couch-surfing that evening at his place (see picture). He was very nice and took us around town the first day. It was nice to walk next to the sea. We saw the big statue of Alexander the Great and many, many Orthodox Churches, in which people were very actively praying and kissing the icons. Also in neighborhoods were you in the Netherlands would see a mosque (more newly build houses) or completely no religious buildings, there were now newly erected churches (see picture). But there were also very old churches, old city walls and towers and a very nice ethnological museum that we visited the next day. Sunday evening we left in the sleepers-train, which was very comfortable. At 3 o'clock we had to get out and show are passport and buy the visa we had undertaken all of this for. This morning I arrived in the middle of Istanbul with the train, it was very interesting to see the city just all of a sudden begin in the middle of grasslands and than slowly evolve into this massive colossal metropolis at the end of the train-line.
Well, that was my little visa-adventure. Not too much of an adventure, but I liked it. 
The winter has really started here, or at least, it is very gray, but still not cold. Hope you are hanging in there at home. Enjoy Sinterklaas's company!
xxx sacha 

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Yes they did!

hi all,

just a few pictures from the Democrats Abroad event I went to with some US-exchange students here. It was a lot of fun, very interesting to have CNN on. I didn't get home before 5 and completely overslept for my classes today, but it was well worth seeing this historical day. I can recommend all the clip of Obama's victory-speech: beautiful! I really really hope he can deliver. For me it is not even so much what he literally promises as for policy-points, but more the fact that so many Americans were willing to vote for someone with his message. It is amazing to see the hope of all these people. That they are choosing for a positive and open view to the world, for a fundamental change, and of course, for an African American president. I can almost not even imagine his face as the face of the US. But it is now! Some commentators said that this is the best thing to happen for their international image, after the winning of WW II. 
Well, anyway, just to show how it was to follow it here. I hope you enjoyed it too. 
x sacha

Monday, November 3, 2008

Having visitors in Istanbul

sorry for neglecting my posts, but  here is a new one:

so much has happened! Of course the visit of Phil and Arie and Anneloes was the highlight of the past month. It was really nice to hang out together and we saw a lot of the must-sees of this beautiful city.  Traffic was horrible the day they arrived, so I was way to late to pick them up from the airport, but we found each other and even were on time for the Jazz concert that I had tickets for for that evening. It was really gezellig, and it was a good way for me to realize how special this city really is and how much I had already seen of it and how much there still was to see. It was a nice homely and familiar bubble to be floathing around in for 10 days.  And I could even treat my guests to a powercut and a cockroach, so they now know all the daily details of my stay here. 
When Arie and Anneloes left Phil and me left for the Kapadocia region. Beautiful! Since the 4th century Christian communities have lived there (in the centre of Anatolia) and carved their houses and churches etc out of huge rockformations. (see pictures). It was really cold there though, and I was happy that Phil had brought my wintercoat. We had a nice hostel and met some funny people. The region was beautiful to just hike through, as we did in the afternoons. And there were some spectacular caves that were turned into museums that showed the real cave-dwellings and even an entire underground city. They think the city went about 28 floors deep, but we could only go down to the 6th since it was otherwise too dangerous. We even went on a tour (hilarious, never felt like such a tourist), but it was absolutely worth it because we got to see lots of things that we would otherwise not have seen. The food was really nice, much cheaper than in Istanbul, but not any bars or anything like that. 
Then we left for Konya, the most religious city in the country, about the size of Utrecht. It had a nice relaxed atmosphere, and we found a decent hotel. The city doesn't get many tourist, but it does receive many many pelgrims, since it is the Mevlana capital of the world. Mevlana are the whriling derwishes, the mystic movement of Islam. That it was more concervative we noticed imediatly when having lunch. We went into a little soup/doner-place and I noticed people kept staring at me. At first I thought it was because they are not so used to western tourist, but then I noticed I was the only girl in the whole place. The staff of the tiny restaurant was very normal to us, but all the other people kept staring. When two girls entered I was relieved, until I saw them enter a basement-room that had a sign 'aile-oda'. I knew 'oda' means 'room', and the dictionary told me that 'aile' means 'family'. Then I remembered that, in places where they have such a room, women are expected to take place there. Oops! We based ourselves on the reaction of the people working at the restaurant and not on that of the guests, so we stayed where we were, cause otherwise we had to move all our plates etc. But it made it clear that we had to be a little more careful with where to sit next time. 
That evening we went to a cultural centre where the Derwish gave a performance/service/training-session. In a huge indoor-dome, filled with locals and pilgrims and a few western tourists, we could watch them. There were a few Derwish that were obviously very important and they led the ceremony. There was music and a men singing in Arabic. Honestly, I think that language is designed more for being written than for singing, or at least it sounded very difficult to do. But it did bring the dancers in trance and us too a bit. The dancing was magical. The men dancing were a group who were in training, I think. It was impressive how smooth everything went and how concentrated they were. Even the youngest ones, about 10 years old, were focussed, and even the oldest ones, about 60, were gracious. 
Back in Istanbul Phil and I took it really easy. Seeing an amazing exhibit on Dali, studying a bit and just enjoying each others company. 
Now Phil went home and for me my student life has really began, since up to now it was just one prolonged holiday. Midterms are coming up and essay deadlines are approaching. But I guess it is good, since I need to stay in some what of a shape for UC next semester. 
One of the things I did recently that I really liked was writing an article for the UC-newspaper, the Boomerang. It will be out in not too long, so if you want mail me or phil and I am sure one of us can arrange you a copy. 
Well, that is about it. Oh, and of course Turkey celebrated its 85 years of existence. The best fireworks I have ever seen! So impressive, first a huge light-show over the whole Bosphorus, which made it look like they hung a huge softly glowing spiderweb over the city. Then it changed into greenish stroboscope lights flashing franticly over the skyline. And than: the fireworks! Like the 5th of May in NL, or the 4th of July in US, but then from 9 different places along the river! Very very impressive. I got stuck in traffic, of course. This was the evening after I dropped Phil of at the airport. But it turned out alright cause at the moment I had enough of the bus that didn't move, and got out to walk the rest home, I found myself at the best spot to watch the show. 
I am halfway through my stay here now, and I still feel very very lucky to be here. Because even though we did not have electricity the last three days (no warm water, internet, light or fridge!), and even though it is sometimes exhausting that all of the social things at the uni are in turkish, and even though I would love to have a normal beschuitje kaas or a pepernoot, and even though I miss you all a lot... it is still the most vibrant and gorgeous city I have ever been in and I am still enjoying it every day, finding out new things to see, eat and do. 
I hope you are all happy where you are,

xxx sacha