(i)
my students keep on referring to my maternity leave using the term "holiday".
"teacher, you are back from holiday!" they greet me cheerfully.
(imagine doing that elsewehere!)
(ii)
our director of studies looks like a retired air hostess. her hair is always perfectly coiffed and she always smiles in a way that is reassuring and empty at once. she schedules a weekly meeting that has no content whatsoever. during the said meeting, she seems to be only keen in reminding the female part of the staff to dress properly. she is basically encouraging to make proper (meaning: "enthusiastic"!) use of make up, skirts and dresses - that is. jeans are shabby - is one of the most crucial points of her manifesto. i find these reccomendations incredibly funny -- could not imagine anything of that kind being said in europe, let alone america. the retired air hostess would be sued - pronto - for sexism and sartorial discrimination, i suspect.
(iii)
was in the teachers' room watching the news on cnn the other day and fellow teacher H. walked in. the hypertypical brit you find around here (tubby, opinionated, wearing a buzz cut and strange shoes) he said hi in a cant-care-less voice and then gave a bored look at the images showing libya under gaddafi's bombings with tanks in the streets of tripoli and rebels waving green flags in the desert. his comment came in a growl:
"big mess. that JAPAN THING".
(iv)
still reading parts of orhan pamuk's "different colours". it is a must read to understand turkey and am very fond of his style. found online this interview he gave to charlie rose about the book.
still reading parts of orhan pamuk's "different colours". it is a must read to understand turkey and am very fond of his style. found online this interview he gave to charlie rose about the book.
very worth watching.
(v)
had the conversation "izmir versus istanbul" a couple of other times - coming to the conclusion that istanbul works best for:
- 20somethings
- singles
- well off people
- students
- fashion designers; architects; artists
- tourists
- expats who reside there without working
- people who do not mind major pollution / horrific traffic / crowds everywhere / etc
whereas izmir works best for:
- families
- sea and sun loving people
- the aged
- expats with a relaxed / part-time job
- foreigners with no need for much social / cultural life
- people who do not mind the feeling of living in a rather unglobalised setting
(vi)
keep on getting the feeling the international community here is fuddy duddy to say the least. was queueing up in a shop the other day and heard two ladies exchanging niceties in french. when the lady at the cashier (with the usual curiosity locals display) asked whether they were from france - they gave her a very offended look and replied in perfect turkish "of course not! we are italian".
(right...)
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