Autumn in Izmir

     November 2009
          Autumn snuck up on Izmir, hitting it with it's sharp light and long shadows, but it couldn't take it by surprise. The cold air sparks the coal furnace and the air begins to thicken with black smoke. The lights  glow dim now and sometimes they can't be seen from across the bay. Some evenings when the pressure is low, the air is so think in the streets, it is difficult to breath. - "get used to it" is the expression. So we sit cozy warm in the apartment and hope for the winds to blow out the exhaust by morning. But, It does make beautiful sunsets every night!

     Rena is in the groove of school and getting more accustom to the Turkish curriculum. The Ministry sets the curriculum, with little room for creative educational exploration. It's the way it is and she is accepting this role in this educational system. Other than that - kids are kids -and it seems not too different from the states; good days, bad days, loving and amazing kids and little stinkers. Some days she's home by 4:30, other days, maybe be a  meetings, or works late etc. but never past 6.pm. Which means dinner is on the table and we enjoy the evenings together. A great change from our Seattle life, when a week would go by and we would only see each other for  "good night" and "good morning".  It's been nice spending our lives together. Oh, and she loves her commute-a few minute walk or 1&1/2 song in her ipod !

       I am finding my groove here as well. I visit my new one year old friend, Gulse, 3 times a week, for an hour. She is adorable. We look at books, roll balls around, discover little things like tape, and open/close, up/ down ...that sort of thing. It is a blast and the girl is hilarious.  I often feel like a sports commentator giving an English play by play to Gulse's play. After we finish our hour of early childhood developmental English education. The family serves me breakfast. Over beautiful food we talk, trading stories and language. This one hour session usually takes most of the morning due to breakfast, tea and conversations. They are wonderful folks and enjoy the mornings with the family.
 

After that I have the day. Often stop at my new pal Veysi's Tatlilar (dessert shop) and we sit for more tea and trade language. It's sort of a barbershop setting. Familiar faces usually stop in for a hello, tea, and they share the news of the day over some bakliva or börek (layered pastry w/cheese/egg). Yesterday was interesting. It was the before the holiday(Bayram) and a lot of people coming to order.  I sat with 2 other guys and put small boxes together for the bayram orders. We must have put 100 packets together for orders that were ringing off the hook and we talked about religion, local strike, family and football. It was good to be working and I gained the nickname Kutulı Bey (box man)

Other days I have errands to run, books to read, journals to write or whatever. I started writing a story or I 'll work on drawings or get lost on the internet. All I know is time moves at different paces and soon I'm in the kitchen chopping something and exploring the Turkish kitchen cuisines getting ready for an evening with Rena.

     We had a day trip to the last Nazer (evil eye) factory near Izmir. You can get there buy a city bus. It was a new route for us, with lots to see on the hour ride. We arrive at the end of the line in a tiny rural town of Görece and start to walk around hoping to find the big factory. We couldn' find the place and after gathering enough nerve, we asked a local about the factory. He looked a bit confused, but when in  here's a tip: When in Turkey-just ask! People here are so nice they'll help. The owner of a shop pointed us in the right direction, of course the road forked a few times, and we wandered with photo opportunities of a locals,  horse, cool chicken coops and cows. We turn a corner and we saw a hand painted blue eye. "That's it"! We walked up and to our surprise it was someones home. I think that was the confused look of "factory" with the shop owner.  It was a house with nazars hanging all around and one in sight, but in the back, we found the "factory".  It was  a "garage" and inside  a clay furnace/kiln for fabricating the eyes. Amazing.  Soon someone appeared from the house to say merhaba and we supported the local artist by filing our bags with eyes to ward off the evil.

 

Now we are safe!
      Our next adventure starts with a visitor! Cuz'n Patty won the first visiter's award- Free unlimited stay in Turkey w/ bus pass. Congrats Pats- it was so great to see you!
                       Next blog:  Cuzn'Vistit................... stay tuned.

Island of Chios, Greece

October 2009

October 29, 1923, the Turkish constitution was amended and Turkey became a republic. This formally declared the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. Essentially it's "4th of July". Fireworks and parades mark the celebration and on every balcony the Turkish flag flies high. Schools were closed, so we took the opportunity to travel for the long weekend. Our Destination was to the Greek Island of Chios. 

We went by bus to the sea town of Cesme, about an hour from Izmir and caught an afternoon ferry to Greece. It takes about 45 minutes to cross the Aegean to reach the island. We arrived in the evening as the sun set on the island  and rented a car for the weekend. Five of us squeezed into a Renaut Clio and headed for the grocer. One of the first major differences in Greece is the alphabet. Not knowing the language is one thing but not recognizing text and sounds is quite odd. Here are a few different Greek letters that I can't pronounce- ΣΘΠΣΔΦΓΗΞΛΨΩ. Not to mention learning Turkish has conditioned my pronunciation of English letters. So the grocery store was quite an "egg hunt". Shopping lists in hand we stocked up on bacon, pork sausage, peanut butter and some booze,  and had a blast looking at the labels and packaging, especially the candies and cereals.  Now the fully loaded down Clio took us to our pension called Mouzaliko (http://www.mouzalikohotel.gr/). I'd recommend the place.

After checking in John and Michelle (friends from school)  knew a great local hillside resturaunt above Chios. We weren't sure of the name and were relying on their memory for location. It took a few u-turns around the blocks to find the place, and finally the memories clicked and successfully found it.

This was well worth it! A great family resturaunt with one guy running the place. Literally running with loaded dished up and down the stairs to the basement kitchen. In the states this would have taken 4 server minimum and this guy did it all, and did it well! We ended up eating mostly appetizers; cheese plate, teziki, Greek salad (of course), calamari, fresh bread and a few bottles of ouzo.




The next day we hit the road and traversed over the Southern part of the island. Along the roadside there are these "God mailboxes". We seem to notice they often occured at a windy curve. Looking inside you'll see alters with religious icons, trinkets and candles, and offering. They are beautiful inside with hammered silver reliefs of patron saints, mosaics, or fresco's. There are many along the road of all different miniature replicas of churches. Thankfully one did not have to be built for us on one of these narrow cliff roads.  


Driving between towns is not far, but may take some time due to the mountain road and photo opportunities.  As we headed towards Pyrgi, we ventured up the hill and stopped at the remote Monastary of Παναγία Σικιελιά.  The impressive door was locked but the ancient key hole was big enough to get a generous peek of the beautiful interior.

 

The next town to divert our travels was Mesta, just to take a peek, look at the center bell tower and drive though the streets not made for automobile. We were then delighted to be squeezed in the small Renault. Anything bigger and we just wouldn't have fit.

We arrived in Mesta which still stands as it was built. The city is built for defense. Narrow passages, some leading to dead ends. Built behind fortified square design with a defense tower at its
center and only a few entrances with huge steel gates. No cars allowed here. Here we sat and had a fabulous lunch- Gyros- What else!

Then we headed for Pyrgi. This is a town know for the decorative facades on every building with the unique black and white geometrical decor of the outer walls of the houses. -The "xysta"(scraped graffiti) -are the things which enchant the visitor. Again narrow roads, the innumerable churches, and amongst them the 13th century Byzantine church of St. Apostles. We loaded the camera with photos and enjoyed a snack in the town square.

Then we hit the road an circled the southern part of the island. Stopping here and there for snapshots, collecting rocks and had to pull over to visit a potter.  After a long road we enjoyed a quick to-go meal (you guest it Gyros) and back to the hotel for an evening of games.

The next day we headed north along the east coast Just north of Chios is Vrontados which lays claim as the birthplace of Homer. Its connection to the poet is supported by an archaeological site known traditionally as "Teacher's Rock" (Δασκαλóπετρα). So here is a few more teachers for Homers school house rock!

Then off to the fishing town of Λαγκάδα   or Lagada. Here we sat as they pulled fresh octopus from drying racks to prepare for our lunch. We had octopus, calamari and fresh fish for lunch. This was a very popular with the local cats. We had about 9 under our table as we ate waiting for our hospitality. Very well fed and very polite. It started to rain so we decided to sit for another round talking with the locals. But, with more to see, we headed out to circle the north island for photo opportunities.

    The Island is famous too for it's cultivation of mastic. An evergreen shrub or small the of the pistacio family which is harvested and hand processed for its aromic resin. Here you can get mastic soda, mastic gum, mastic taffy and even a liquor of mastic, and you'll see people sifting and preparing mastic just about everywhere you go. You'll have to try some.

• 

School

Many people have been asking me to write about school and what it is like. So here goes. First of all, I teach third grade English. Just the same as being a Spanish teacher in the states. Third graders get 11 hours of English a week, plus an additional 40 minutes a week of English Club. In club we are putting on an English production so they are learning songs and lines to a play. Classes are 40 minutes a day and they have to back to back lessons in a row with a five minute break in between. Considering for how long they sit for, the kids are very well behaved (in class). Right now we are working on proper present pronouns and before and after and time. besides my teaching time I have regular duties during lunch and recess and have provide after school tutoring once a week. The Turkish class day is very long and kids spend an enormous amount of time in school. They get out of school around 4:30 and start at 8:20. The also arrive to school by private service buses, often leaving their house an hour or so before school starts. Many kids are very excited to learn English and speak very well. But like in any classroom there are mixed abilities and some kids know very little. Overall I find their comprehension and spelling very good. Their spelling is better in fact then some of their English native speakers!

The school campus is beautiful. The school has been running for over 100 years. The campus is huge with olive trees and beautiful meandering pathways. Our building is five years old and each classroom has smart boards and a sink. However, the entire educational system is set in accordance with the Turkish Ministry. They set the dates, what we teach, changes and it is not very modern. Teachers are expected to carry these huge "black books' which are to be signed every period. This includes recess duty, attendance and what is taught. Also teacher's have to turn in weekly lessons plans for the ministry. This leaves very little room for emergent or alternative education ideas. Probably my least favorite part of the job. there is no changing it as it a old system and all the school administrators are acting in accordance to the ministry.

The students are great and fun. They are hard workers and have very high expectations for themselves. They talk to me a lot in Turkish. I can get the idea of what they are saying but usually it is lost in translation. A huge difference among them and their American counterparts fall around food. The Turkish cuisine is what they eat and there is very little variety in it. Lunch is provided everyday and made by a wonder chef. Kids sit with their classes and eat. They eat whatever is in front of them. They eat off of real plates, glass cups and use real silverware. For example, lunch today was lamb and chickpea stew with rice and a side of yogurt. They rarely serve dessert and when they do kids still eat their entire lunch and then dessert. Salt, spices, lemon, and olive oil are on the table and students add it to their food to their liking. They even pour water from water pitches into their own glass! It is eating with the kids that I notice the biggest difference between them and other kids. They are very independent.

Overall, I am very happy with my job and my teaching partners. If I could I would change many things. I am guest in their system and am in no place to questions rules and regulations as it has been working for them for many years. They will slowly change to their own accordance in time to come. The kids are kids and some things do not change no matter where you are. They laugh, run, play kitty and need their teachers attention as much as the next kid. I just hope I can lean all their names in the next weeks. That has been very hard! The pictures I have included are of my classroom , the cafeteria, the library (including one of Gary's five birthday chairs he painted), the common hallway  (on my floor) and the outside of my building.
Let me know if you have questions. Love, Rena

 

Naber! (What's up!)

       Doors are starting to open as opportunities knocks. The last few weeks have fairly busy. I went to meet  an new friend, Oya, at the Fine Arts Facility (Güzel Sanatlar Fakültes) at Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi. She is a ceramic artist completing her masters in ceramics. How did I meet this artist? Thanks to Rick Mahaffey in Seattle and the open arms of the ceramic world. Rick met Oya in a few different countries at ceramic seminars/ symposiums and told me to contact her when I arrived in Izmir. Now here I am, and after settling in, I gave her a call and she invited me to tour the ceramic department. I spent the day at the University checking out the kilns, wheels, clay and meeting a few of the professors.I am soon going to talk to the head of the ceramic department in hopes of being
allowed to use the facility, for an exchange of knowledge and labor. I don't know if it is a possibility but I will propose the idea of an artist in residence. It would be fantastic if this works out. I didn't know how much I'd missed that mud..."ya don't know what ya got till it's gone." 

       Oh! On that note. I purchased my first Turkish pottery. It is a extremely simple, functional country casserole pot of terracotta, unglazed and very soft bisque from a pit fire. I made a delicious lamb stew in it and I'm ready to season it with many meals. I highly recommend you get one for your kitchen. 


         Then, I met another friend of a friend who knows this family with one year old. The family wants to teach their daughter to be multilingual. So they started from birth talking to her in English and Turkish. They have hired me to play and talk with the girl for an hour a day, three times a week, to develop her vocabulary and speech. Her name is Gülse, which translates as Smile or Rose, and she is all smiles, just  about to walk, with a great personality. She can go from place to place holding on, or she'll walk holding hands.  Her Birthday is this Wednesday. Yes, another cool Libra!  I am excited to attend my first Turkish family celebration and meet the whole family. It's a great "job".
     So that's my recent news. Other than that I keep house, cook, clean and such. I study Turkish 1-2 hrs a day,  meet my pal Veysi at his pastry shop to talk and been working on some sketches and one painting on the easel. 

Time to hit the market for tonight's meal. 
 Sonra! (later!)