I'll have to admit this last week was quite long. Exhausted from the conference and 12-hour return bus trip, I went straight to work and taught for 5 hours. The next few days were quite similar with quite a lot of teaching. As each day passes, I'm beginning to become more and more frustrated with the nature of the position. Two minutes before each lesson I'm told what I will be teaching and I will ask and be told I'm teaching certain classes, and after having prepared I end up having to teach a completely different group. This lack of preparation is something that is imbedded in the Turkish culture and adapting to it has been a significant challenge in my stay here.
The EB of AIESEC Istanbul changed at the end of last week and on Friday night we attended a goodbye party for the old EB Members at a rather small but cozy club. The nature of the LC is quite different here. Being the number one LC in the world, AIESEC Istanbul is very proactive and I feel as though there is a lot to learn from them.
After partying, I went to sleep at 3am only to wake up a few hours later and get ready to head off to work (I left home at 7am so I would make it by 9). Working Saturdays is not a pleasure, in particular since I was there for 9 hours, 8 of which were spent teaching classes for which I had no more than 5 minutes to prepare for (if that). In any case, the morning trip was beautiful and as I sat on a bench waiting for the ferry, I looked out at the fog hovering above the Bosphorus and felt at peace.
Eurovision is a major phenomenon in Europe and it is particularly popular in Turkey. As such, on Saturday, despite my exhaustion, we went out to a Eurovision party where we watched the finale, counting of votes and eventual selection of Norway as the winner. I thought Turkey was fabulous and should have won more than fourth place. Norway won by an overwhelming number of votes, and although they weren't bad, I was not expecting it.
And then it was Sunday, finally a day off! It was a very relaxed and peaceful day. Early on I sat and read on the balcony, soaking up the sun. Later, Amine and I went grocery shopping and ate lunch on the balcony while listening to wonderful foreign music (including some fabulous Turkish music). In the evening Fatti, Abey, Amine and I went for a walk to Nasantasi. It is a very prestigious neighborhood only a few streets away. We also happened to enter into one of the most luxurious malls here in Turkey called "City Nasantasi". Despite its' eight floors and countless shops, more than 50% of which are American, the mall was quite empty. Of course this is attributed to the sheer magnitude of the prices. My curiosity lead me into a store and into the inside of the first shirt I saw. 200 Turkish Lira! (more than $150 CDN). Curiosity satisfied.
After dinner I also met with my dear friend Mellih for coffee at Starbucks. I'll have to say prices are quite high as they mirror those in NA. In any case, nothing beats a good conversation and so I was again reminded of my passion for people. This human interaction is something from which one can find inspiration and discover a multitude of new things. I am forever grateful that through AIESEC I have been able to live this experience and meet all of these wonderful people.
Now more than ever, I appreciate the beauty of the world and the warmth of these relationships. It is in these things that we take refuge when other things are not going well. Attitude changes everything. When you are so far from home in a country in which you don't speak the language, there are quite a few challenges on a daily basis. But this is when you learn to appreciate the beauty of your surroundings and the kindness of strangers. Istanbul is a truly magnificent city.
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