Instanbul, Turkey

"Istanbul…Istanbul? That's in Turkey, right? Are you sure?" I couldn't believe it. I was still hoping that one of those AIESEC reps from Australia was going to call. At the very least, a country that spoke a language I've heard before. "So, what language do they speak over there?" "I think it's Turkish," replied my Account Manager. "Oh, right. Hey, have you heard anything from Australia yet?" "Nope, sorry. I've heard a ton of good things about Turkey though. Everyone I know that has gone over there has absolutely fallen in love with the place." "Yeah, right!" I could smell BS from a mile away. "No really, I mean it. Think about, will you?" "OK, I'll look into it." I knew Australia was a long way off.

I remember bits and pieces about the city of Istanbul and the country of Turkey from classes in high school and college. Thanks to They Might Be Giants, I also knew that it's "Istanbul not Constantinople". The reason I wanted to work abroad was to have an unbelievable experience. I knew that this goal wasn't too specific, but I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. The more I thought about having a traineeship in Istanbul, the more I realized that the opportunity to have that "unbelievable experience" was possible. Turkey offered many things that Australia could not. First, it would take me out of my cultural comfort zone. For example, Turkey is about 96% Muslim. The only things I knew about the Islamic way of life came from movies, books and history class. Secondly, the traineeship would force me to communicate using a different language and thought process. The Turkish language is very unique when compared to Romance or Slavic languages. I wanted a challenge and the language barrier certainly was one. Finally, the history of Turkish region is one of the most celebrated in the world. Istanbul is one of the few cities in the world that actually spans two continents and it is most definitely the largest. I came to the conclusion that it would be silly to pass up an opportunity to live and work in the cradle of Western civilization.

"So, I've thought about it and I'll do it. Send me to Istanbul." "Great, you'll have such a great time. Let me give you the email address of my friend that worked over there a few years ago." So, she wasn't pulling my leg. This would be the first time that truly found out what an amazing network of people AIESEC brings together. I learned very quickly this was truly a remarkable organization.

The best way that I can convey my thoughts about my experience in Istanbul is by sharing excerpts from the journal that I kept while I was over there as well as emails to friends and family. These were the thoughts and feelings buzzing thru my head during the greatest summer of my life.

3 July 1999- "This being my first entry into the journal of my adventures in Istanbul, I think that it's appropriate to describe just what is going on in my head. I have a wide range of emotions bouncing back and forth in my head. It's as if my head is the lottery machine; the little-numbered balls representing every feeling imaginable - excitement, fear, bewilderment, sadness, happiness, anxiousness, loneliness, confusion, confidence…Why am I on this journey? There are several reasons. First and foremost, I see this as a test, a personal challenge. I think I 'have what it takes' to survive and thrive in this world; but, can I prove it? I could be at home right now, making money, hanging out with friends, enjoying the same routine - I am growing tired of it. This is definitely something new and different…I know my brother will think less of me for saying this, but maybe this will help me find out who I really am as a person and personality - chance to discover myself in one of the world's most historic and scenic places. It sounds like a typical answer to an interview question - a whole lot of bull shit, but I can't deny that I think I will grow as a person and unravel some of the tangled mysteries of who I am. On the other hand, a much simpler side of me tells me that I should sit back, enjoy the experience, and most of all, have fun."

5 July 1999- "It surprises me and it doesn't surprise me that these trainees know English fairly well. It makes me think that there should be changes in the American education system - begin teaching a foreign language at a younger age."

6 July 1999- This was my first day of work at a company named Ulker. Ulker is a food company that makes chocolates, cookies and pretzels, among other things. It happens to be the largest food manufacturer in all of Turkey. "I was nervous, I really didn't know what to expect. Were my co-workers going to be fluent in English, or were they going to speak like Tarzan? All I did know that I was extremely hot in my suit. Ozlem (an AIESEC-Instanbul Reception Team member that accompanied me) and I sat down to talk to my manager, Recap ( pronounce Re - jap). His English was basic, but I could understand. After Ozlem left, I felt very alone but a strange air of confidence blew over me. Recap invited the other workers in the office of budgeting and planning into his office to introduce myself and describe their work…They introduced themselves and when I began to talk about myself, I found it very difficult. I had to use words that they would understand and attempt to get my point across. I used hand gestures, drawings, and similar words to describe where I lived and what I studied in school. I believe I had this confidence because the other workers were all leaning in to listen to me and trying to understand what I was saying. Every Turkish person that I have met has been extremely friendly and courteous - it's almost frightening how cordial they are."

7 July 1999- After telling my coworkers about my trouble getting to work, one of them offered me a ride. However, he was making the offer on behalf of one of his friends from another department. It was a nice gesture and I accepted. "As we drove to work, around the northern and western end of the city [on the European side], I saw how truly immense this city was. The city is just packed with buildings, apartments, shacks, mosques and highways. All of these structures are intermingled in an extremely confusing mess - all on top of large hills and deep valleys. And amongst this mess are ruins that are sometimes more than 1500 years old. Just amazing!"

9 July 1999- "That night, Mesut took me to his home for dinner. We traveled to his home in Sariyer, which is on the coast of the Bosphorous and near the entrance to the Black Sea…Mesut's house is on a hill that overlooks the Bosphorous. The view from his balcony was wonderful, stunning, amazing, cok guzel (Turksih for very beautiful)…We had dinner and tried to communicate the best we could - passing his Turkish-English dictionary back and forth. It seemed to work well…afterward we had fruit (melon, watermelon and peaches) on his balcony. I couldn't stop smiling when I began to think about where I was at an the situation I found myself in. I couldn't believe I was having fruit on a balcony overlooking the lights of Istanbul and the Bosphorous. I began to realize that my place and view of the world was so narrow before. The big picture is much bigger than I ever thought imaginable."

12 July 1999- "When I was picked up by Mesut for work on Monday, the first thing out of his mouth was 'I hate Monday's (Pazartesi)'. I guess it's the same all over the world- Monday's suck.

13 July 1999- "The job I do at Ulker is certainly an interesting one. I get introduced to an entirely different way of doing business. There are the obvious similarities such as business talk, computer work and meetings, but there are several differences. First, Ulker is a very traditional Turkish company. By traditional, I mean most workers are devout Muslims. My first few days of work I noticed that the four workers in my office would leave at what seemed like odd times and return in about 5 or 10 minutes. This phenomenon was too regular to be considered a bathroom break. I was confused. Then, my coworkers informed me that they pray five times a day and during work, there is a special prayer room on the second floor that they use. The second oddity that I noticed was that the floor of the bathroom was always covered with water. Did someone always splash water on the floor when they washed their hands? How could they be that messy? Then, I saw it. A man was washing his feet in the bathroom. According to Muslim religion, certain parts of the body must be cleansed in a certain order to begin your daily prayers - mystery solved…The co-workers are very curious about life in the States. Yet, they often ask me strange questions that I really don't feel qualified to answer - Why is the US economy so good? Why does inflation in the US stay so low? Are there really gay marriages in the US? Why is unemployment so low?"

15 July 1999- "I needed a pay advance from work today to pay for my security deposit, rent and the trip to Cappadocia [in central Turkey]. The company couldn't give me one, so I borrowed $100 from Recep and $100 from Mehmet Akagunduz. It was amazing to think that this was only my 8th day of work and they trusted me enough to offer me that money. The courtesy and friendliness that these people show never ceases to amaze me.

20 July 1999- "I really got to experience some Turkish culture today - I went to a funeral and a soccer match." My manager's step-father had died the day before. "The funeral ceremony or cenaze (pronounce ja- naz- ay) was for Recep's father-in-law. The first part of the ceremony was a mid-afternoon prayer inside the mosque for the deceased. The first thing I noticed immediately was that there were only men at the ceremony, not even the wife of the deceased. The ceremony was organized like this - the men were lined up in rows in front of what seemed like two leaders and the caskets carrying the bodies…the wooden caskets, which were very crude and had no top on them - you could see the shrouded body inside, were carried to transport vehicles which took them to the cemetery.

Ryan Leczyczinksi, USA

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