My Travel Writing Scholarship 2011 entry - Journey in an Unknown Culture
WORLDWIDE | Monday, 28 March 2011 | Views [1944] | Comments [43] | Scholarship Entry
I might be not an experienced traveler, but my first journey to a foreign country was more than what I had expected before. I am almost 19, and I spent my last winter for a month in Turkey. Yes, Turkey. People might only know about Istanbul or Ankara, but I didn’t stay there, I stayed at Kocaeli.
Before I decided to go to Turkey for my internship project, I hadn’t known anything about Turkey. I bought books and dictionaries, but I hadn’t read them until I arrived. I didn’t know that Ankara was its capital. I also didn’t know about Turkish history, even the famous Ottoman Empire. I was really blind about Turkey. It was exactly a journey in an unknown culture and a life-changing experience.
Being an intern for a project named “Break Up The Barriers” was such a blessing. I had to teach and play with disabled kids in the rehabilitation center where I worked. It was not easy since most of Turkish people—also these kids, couldn’t speak English at all. I got this challenge—to learn a lot of Turkish spontaneously, so that I could survive and communicate with the Turkish people I met. All of the kids in the rehabilitation center were very nice, and I learned how to break up the barriers between a foreigner like me and them.
Turkish food are really delicious, and I was very happy for trying the original Kebab and Turkish delight. While doing my internship project, I was so lucky to stay in a real Turkish family. My Turkish parents really treated me like their own daughter, even though we just knew each other. Anne, which in Turkish means mom, always cooked Turkish food, and I always got the chance to eat meal with plain yoghurt—which was really new for me. Most of Turkish dishes are eaten with plain yoghurt, but I enjoyed doing this the most. I also had a cup of black tea most of the time, and I felt like a real Turkish.
People might not really know about Kocaeli, but it was a really good city for staying. This city was really peaceful. It had its own charisma that made itself really special. It might be not a very famous city for tourists, but there were a lot of things that you couldn’t find in another city in Turkey. I met a lot of Anatolian people in Kocaeli who still lived originally with their cultures, so I could experience the original Turkish tradition. Turkish people were really friendly and helpful in telling me about Turkish history and Turkish culture, that was why I had learned a lot. Living there was very wonderful.
I was indescribably overjoyed for being a blind traveler in Kocaeli, Turkey. I learned a lot, and got million unforgettable experiences. As I am not in Kocaeli anymore, I always know that Kocaeli will always be my second hometown. Tesekkürler, Turkey. Seni çok seviyorum, Kocaeli. I will see you soon.
Tags: #2011Writing, Travel Writing Scholarship 2011
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