Today was our first full day in Istanbul. At the beginning of the day, we took the bus to Şişecam Glass Company, which is also the parent company of Paşabahçe, a reatail brand of glassware that is the third largest producer in the world (behind Arc in France and Libbey in the United States). It was interesting to see how such a specific company can realize such a good profit margin, and how much business they did with other eastern countries like Iran.
After the glass company and lunch at the Kanyon Mall, we went to a yacht company called Yon-tech, which was a really cool experience. The copmany started in 1986, and has grown to a major competitor, especially with regards to military clients. The two founders of the company are an engineer and an entrepreneur who believe in maintaining a competitive edge by "learning faster than the competition," which is an interesting take on the notion in economics that short-run profits can be realized through innovations in technology. He also told a powerful story about the death of his son and how he was able to overcome such an obstacle in his enterprise. We definitely got a sense of Turkey's nationalism through his pride in his military projects. We got to see some of these projects, as well as some neat car molds he was working on; that seemed to be his hobby.
After the two corporate visits, we went to the Grand Bazaar, which was quite an experience. It reminded me of the international marketplace I went to once in Hawaii where you could bargain for the stuff you wanted to buy. I got a magnet for my parents and some postcards, but they were selling pretty much everything there. We took a long route back to the bus stop, and at night we ended up at a club featuring a live Turkish band named Pickpocket. After seeing them and wishing Maggie a happy birthday at midnight, we went home and went to bed - all in a day's work.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Arrival in Istanbul
Today was the second half of our "travel day," which ended up lasting until about 2:30 p.m. today. When we got to the hotel, we checked in and went to Taksim, the major shop street in Istanbul. It reminded me of a Fußgängerzone, or pedestrian-only zone in Germany. However, cars also drove on it, which was a bit weird. We got some money and went to the Blue Mosque and the Haghia Sophia, which were absolutely amazing. I had never been to a mosque before, and the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet) was simply breathtaking. We heard the call to prayer around 5:30 p.m., and while we waited, Professor Leblebici and Professor Yontz took us to a little cafe where they served fresh-squeezed orange juice (there were even seeds!) and Mike, Lucas, and I talked to them about Turkey in general.
After that, we went to an alley of shops called the Rasta Bazaar while we waited for the professors to recommend a restaurant for dinner. We ended up going to a great place called Tamara, which specialized in Kebobs. I got grilled meatballs, but what I really liked was the rice, actually. It was very reasonably priced, especially considering the favorable exchange rate of the US dollar against the Turkish Lira. After dinner, we took the tram to Karabaş, and then the funicular (underground tram) to the Taksim stop to walk back to the Hotel Villa. We were all really tired, but I went with Allison, Lucas, Varun, and James around Taksim for a while to see what all was open. We stopped at a grocery store and then went back to the hotel around 9:30 to go to bed - we were beat.
After that, we went to an alley of shops called the Rasta Bazaar while we waited for the professors to recommend a restaurant for dinner. We ended up going to a great place called Tamara, which specialized in Kebobs. I got grilled meatballs, but what I really liked was the rice, actually. It was very reasonably priced, especially considering the favorable exchange rate of the US dollar against the Turkish Lira. After dinner, we took the tram to Karabaş, and then the funicular (underground tram) to the Taksim stop to walk back to the Hotel Villa. We were all really tired, but I went with Allison, Lucas, Varun, and James around Taksim for a while to see what all was open. We stopped at a grocery store and then went back to the hotel around 9:30 to go to bed - we were beat.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Flight to Turkey
Today was our major travel day. We also have to travel through Tuesday because of the time difference, but there is a possibility we will do some sightseeing, so I'll write a separate entry. Traffic on the way to the airport was pretty bad, but seeing all my business honors friends (BizHos) made it instantly worth it. Our flight to Munich was pretty painless; I spoke German with the flight attendants, and the rest of the time I was pretty much out cold. In the Munich airport I bought Dean Hedeman and his wife Kinderüberraschungseier, which are not allowed in the US, so I did my part to spread at least a little German culture on my way to Istanbul. Right now I am on the plane from Istanbul to Munich, and all is well. I'll write more once Tuesday officially ends.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
More Afterthoughts
So life's been good, but I've been thinking about Germany a lot (surprise). I randomly got this influx of emails from the Americans who went on the trip, and I got to just thinking about the trip, looking at pictures, etc., and when I started listening to some of the World Cup songs and looking at all the awesome pictures, I got really giddy and happy and just couldn't stop smiling. It was weird. I felt like a total idiot, because I literally couldn't keep from smiling; I had this retarded grin on my face for like 20 minutes straight. But all the while, I knew I didn't want to stop, because it made me think of all the good times I had.
But then I realize that not only are these people spread out all over the country, but all over the globe. I always said the coolest people I ever met are on the other side of the world, and it's the truth. I miss these people so much it's sick. The people, the culture, the language, the festivals, the ALPS, the castles, the food, the cherries, the beer, the parties, the heated political debates (in English and German), the World Cup craze, the Fan-Meile, the family, the country.
I guess i'm not as over it as I thought.
But then I realize that not only are these people spread out all over the country, but all over the globe. I always said the coolest people I ever met are on the other side of the world, and it's the truth. I miss these people so much it's sick. The people, the culture, the language, the festivals, the ALPS, the castles, the food, the cherries, the beer, the parties, the heated political debates (in English and German), the World Cup craze, the Fan-Meile, the family, the country.
I guess i'm not as over it as I thought.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Afterthoughts
Hey everyone. Well, I've been back in the US for about 2 weeks now; it's weird to think that just 14 days ago I was in a pub in a little town in Germany with people I had just met barely a month before that, and we were all talking like we'd been friends our whole lives. One of the americans put this in an away message today:
--
It isn't very smart
Tends to make one part
So broken-hearted
rufus had it right. the PAD [organization that gave us the scholarship] should know what throwing together 10 kids and tossing them into germany to have the best three and a half weeks of their lives and then yanking them right back out again does to poor kids' hearts.
--
It all just seems like a dream, you know? I just can't fathom that it all actually happened. From the day we got there, Everyone just took us with open arms to experience Germany at its finest. I can remember Max's first words to me like it was yesterday:
"You are Anthony? Hi, I am Max. Tonight, I am going to work, but then we are having dinner, and then we are hanging out with my friends, and, well, drinking, because you are in Germany, and that is what we do here."
And that's exactly what we did that night. And the next night, and so on. I can't speak for everyone else, but I always felt like they actually wanted us to be there, and it was a pretty cool feeling, I must say. And pretty soon I kind of came to be a regular in all their little get-togethers and whatnot. At first it was kind of awkward (I could barely understand a word of their Bavarian dialect), but a few beers and shots later, all was well. And from then on, I never looked back. I had experienced a whole new life on the other side of the world that I never dreamed could have existed: intelligent, coherent people who unknowingly embraced one of my greatest passions (speaking German) and who also knew how to have a very, and I mean very, good time. You truly haven't lived until you're walking along the streets of a small German town at midnight after a few beers just bullshitting (in German) and then being challenged to a tipsy sprint race by a kid who is somewhat well-known among his friends for having the same birthday as Hitler.
Enough said.
And then there are of course the Americans. We all were really typical nerds at first, comparing AP classes, years of German, etc. Especially on the way from the Nuremberg airport to our school in Kulmbach, the trip was so much small talk and mindless chatter, but it was the best we could do. Even after a few days in school together, the timid factor and barriers were still there. Then came berlin. This amazing group of individuals and I are among the only teenagers I know to have gotten totally decked out in German attire and scream and yell in the Fan-Meile in Berlin as Germany advanced into the semifinals of the World Cup, narrowly defeating Argentina in penalty shots. How many people can attest to the fact that over 4 hours later, cars were still honking in the streets of Germany's capitol? These 10 Americans, that's for sure.
And from then on we never needed small talk ever again. Whether it meant being chewed out by our chaperone for swearing too much or having to carry each other up countless mountains, we stuck by each other through thick and thin. And let me tell you, leaving these people at the baggage claim was quite honestly the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my entire life. Especially after leaving all the German people just hours before. I guess I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this, but I felt like I needed to put it down somewhere, and hopefully here is the right place.
I know they say it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, but the whole "and lost" part seems pretty damn stupid right now.
Here's to the Americans:
To the World Cup:
Of course, a toast or two to the Germans:
And last, but most certainly not least, here's to this kid,
the most kickass host brother I ever could have asked for:
Wow, it's hard to look at all of those. That's about all I've got for now. If you want to see more pictures, PLEASE ask.
I'll talk to you all later.
Gute Nacht
It's hard to realize that some of the coolest people I've ever met are stuck on the other side of the world.
--
It isn't very smart
Tends to make one part
So broken-hearted
rufus had it right. the PAD [organization that gave us the scholarship] should know what throwing together 10 kids and tossing them into germany to have the best three and a half weeks of their lives and then yanking them right back out again does to poor kids' hearts.
--
It all just seems like a dream, you know? I just can't fathom that it all actually happened. From the day we got there, Everyone just took us with open arms to experience Germany at its finest. I can remember Max's first words to me like it was yesterday:
"You are Anthony? Hi, I am Max. Tonight, I am going to work, but then we are having dinner, and then we are hanging out with my friends, and, well, drinking, because you are in Germany, and that is what we do here."
And that's exactly what we did that night. And the next night, and so on. I can't speak for everyone else, but I always felt like they actually wanted us to be there, and it was a pretty cool feeling, I must say. And pretty soon I kind of came to be a regular in all their little get-togethers and whatnot. At first it was kind of awkward (I could barely understand a word of their Bavarian dialect), but a few beers and shots later, all was well. And from then on, I never looked back. I had experienced a whole new life on the other side of the world that I never dreamed could have existed: intelligent, coherent people who unknowingly embraced one of my greatest passions (speaking German) and who also knew how to have a very, and I mean very, good time. You truly haven't lived until you're walking along the streets of a small German town at midnight after a few beers just bullshitting (in German) and then being challenged to a tipsy sprint race by a kid who is somewhat well-known among his friends for having the same birthday as Hitler.
Enough said.
And then there are of course the Americans. We all were really typical nerds at first, comparing AP classes, years of German, etc. Especially on the way from the Nuremberg airport to our school in Kulmbach, the trip was so much small talk and mindless chatter, but it was the best we could do. Even after a few days in school together, the timid factor and barriers were still there. Then came berlin. This amazing group of individuals and I are among the only teenagers I know to have gotten totally decked out in German attire and scream and yell in the Fan-Meile in Berlin as Germany advanced into the semifinals of the World Cup, narrowly defeating Argentina in penalty shots. How many people can attest to the fact that over 4 hours later, cars were still honking in the streets of Germany's capitol? These 10 Americans, that's for sure.
And from then on we never needed small talk ever again. Whether it meant being chewed out by our chaperone for swearing too much or having to carry each other up countless mountains, we stuck by each other through thick and thin. And let me tell you, leaving these people at the baggage claim was quite honestly the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my entire life. Especially after leaving all the German people just hours before. I guess I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this, but I felt like I needed to put it down somewhere, and hopefully here is the right place.
I know they say it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, but the whole "and lost" part seems pretty damn stupid right now.
Here's to the Americans:
To the World Cup:
Of course, a toast or two to the Germans:
And last, but most certainly not least, here's to this kid,
the most kickass host brother I ever could have asked for:
Wow, it's hard to look at all of those. That's about all I've got for now. If you want to see more pictures, PLEASE ask.
I'll talk to you all later.
Gute Nacht
It's hard to realize that some of the coolest people I've ever met are stuck on the other side of the world.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Winding Down
Hi everyone. Well, as they say, all good things must come to an end. I leave for the US on Friday really early in the morning, and I seriously don't want to leave Germany. Adapting to a totally new culture was an amazing experience for me, and it was cool because it was still pretty familiar (with the whole school scene and all). Anyways, I'll come back to that later. Every weekend I've had in Germany has been amazing, and this past weekend was no exception.
On Friday, we went to Munich just to do the tourist thing and see all the sights. Then later on we drove through the alps to Austria. Holy shit. when I saw the alps, I finally realized the meaning of the word "breathtaking." It was so amazing. Our hotel room was about 1200 meters above sea level, and the view was incredible. Literally breathtaking. And then we went to Innsbruck (a fun little Austrian town) and saw the sights there, and then went home. We didn't actually go to a whole lot of places in Austria, but just being there was so cool; I love the culture shock. I definitely want to see if I can study there in college.
Anyways, that's about it for the whole excitement scene. The past few days have just been dumb little excursions to random mountains that we hike up....and then hike down. Wow, exciting. BUT at night on Monday, Max took me to eat Haxen (pig leg), and it was sooo good. Then afterwards we went to his friend's house (this friend lived in America this past year and went to a high school right near New Trier, small world, eh?) and we watched part of "How High" and just bullshitted and drank beer. Then randomly afterwards we went to another friend's house and knocked on the window until he came out, and just sat outside his house and hung out for like a half hour. And it was all spontaneous. Talk about truly kickass. Then on Tuesday Max invited people over to play cards (german and american card games) and we just played cards and drank, but one of the American girls got so hammered that we walked her home, which was cool since she lived kind of far away, so we were just this roaming hoard of (slightly intoxicated) teenagers parading down the streets of Kulmbach at like 11 at night. It was so cool. Damn, it's gonna be hard to leave.
Anyways, back to my culture ramble. It was really neat learning to adjust to the ways of a totally foreign country, and I feel that I did it pretty successfully. Just realizing how similar teenagers are all around the world was just such a cool experience for me, because I talk to the high school kids here about a lot of the same stuff that people in America talk about too. Germany for me is truly a dream come true, and I simply can't reiterate that enough times. I think that's all for now, I'll probably update once more before I leave. Servus!
On Friday, we went to Munich just to do the tourist thing and see all the sights. Then later on we drove through the alps to Austria. Holy shit. when I saw the alps, I finally realized the meaning of the word "breathtaking." It was so amazing. Our hotel room was about 1200 meters above sea level, and the view was incredible. Literally breathtaking. And then we went to Innsbruck (a fun little Austrian town) and saw the sights there, and then went home. We didn't actually go to a whole lot of places in Austria, but just being there was so cool; I love the culture shock. I definitely want to see if I can study there in college.
Anyways, that's about it for the whole excitement scene. The past few days have just been dumb little excursions to random mountains that we hike up....and then hike down. Wow, exciting. BUT at night on Monday, Max took me to eat Haxen (pig leg), and it was sooo good. Then afterwards we went to his friend's house (this friend lived in America this past year and went to a high school right near New Trier, small world, eh?) and we watched part of "How High" and just bullshitted and drank beer. Then randomly afterwards we went to another friend's house and knocked on the window until he came out, and just sat outside his house and hung out for like a half hour. And it was all spontaneous. Talk about truly kickass. Then on Tuesday Max invited people over to play cards (german and american card games) and we just played cards and drank, but one of the American girls got so hammered that we walked her home, which was cool since she lived kind of far away, so we were just this roaming hoard of (slightly intoxicated) teenagers parading down the streets of Kulmbach at like 11 at night. It was so cool. Damn, it's gonna be hard to leave.
Anyways, back to my culture ramble. It was really neat learning to adjust to the ways of a totally foreign country, and I feel that I did it pretty successfully. Just realizing how similar teenagers are all around the world was just such a cool experience for me, because I talk to the high school kids here about a lot of the same stuff that people in America talk about too. Germany for me is truly a dream come true, and I simply can't reiterate that enough times. I think that's all for now, I'll probably update once more before I leave. Servus!
Sunday, July 2, 2006
Germany Update
Hello all. Sorry for the lack of updates, but Berlin was crazy busy all the time. Did anyone see the Germany vs. Argentina game? Because I was in Berlin and saw it there, haha it was awesome. And then Brazil lost, so I dunno what's going to happen now. We've been to a lot of Holocaust museums and such, and Berlin was awesome, but I must say I'm very glad to be back in Kulmbach. We went to Altstadtfest (more German "culture", about 6 mugs to be exact) and I guess it's still going on so we're going again tonight. Max (host brother) is amazing, the other American kids are seriously missing out, but what can you do. This coming weekend my family is taking me to Munich to see the alps and Austria too. Needless to say I'm excited.
Germany is just so amazing overall. The culture is so laid back, and all everyone cares about is having a good time. A lot of German kids ask me questions about american culture and "why does everyone have these hot pockets for dinner instead of eating together as a family?" or "why do all american teenagers freak out so much about what other people think?", and quite honestly they are very valid questions. Everyone here just shook my hand and started talking to me, which at first was a little unnerving since that never happens in america, but it's actually quite nice. People don't fret about everything like they do in the US; there's not this constant need to put pressure on people. I know I personally needed this somewhat forced relaxation, but I had no idea my life was that stressful. At this point I realize I should stop rambling, because it's not really going anywhere haha.
Most of all, though, I just wanted to touch base with everyone back in the states. If you want me to email you, leave your email in a comment or email me, and i'll be sure to write you back.
Sorry, one last thought:
At the world cup game on friday, the announcer said "Es ist kein Traum; Es ist die Wahrheit," which in English means "It's no dream; it's reality." That's what Germany means to me right now. I feel like this should be some dream, it's so amazing, and the perfect balance of everything I love. At the risk of sounding too queer and sentimental, I can say that I've never been more satisfied with my life for as long as I can remember. words in any language can't describe how awesome it is here, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm literally having the time of my life right now. I miss everyone of course, but if I ever had to choose where to be away from home for a whole month, I'd have to say Germany is number 1 on my list.
Now i'm done, haha. Talk to you all later.
Germany is just so amazing overall. The culture is so laid back, and all everyone cares about is having a good time. A lot of German kids ask me questions about american culture and "why does everyone have these hot pockets for dinner instead of eating together as a family?" or "why do all american teenagers freak out so much about what other people think?", and quite honestly they are very valid questions. Everyone here just shook my hand and started talking to me, which at first was a little unnerving since that never happens in america, but it's actually quite nice. People don't fret about everything like they do in the US; there's not this constant need to put pressure on people. I know I personally needed this somewhat forced relaxation, but I had no idea my life was that stressful. At this point I realize I should stop rambling, because it's not really going anywhere haha.
Most of all, though, I just wanted to touch base with everyone back in the states. If you want me to email you, leave your email in a comment or email me, and i'll be sure to write you back.
Sorry, one last thought:
At the world cup game on friday, the announcer said "Es ist kein Traum; Es ist die Wahrheit," which in English means "It's no dream; it's reality." That's what Germany means to me right now. I feel like this should be some dream, it's so amazing, and the perfect balance of everything I love. At the risk of sounding too queer and sentimental, I can say that I've never been more satisfied with my life for as long as I can remember. words in any language can't describe how awesome it is here, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm literally having the time of my life right now. I miss everyone of course, but if I ever had to choose where to be away from home for a whole month, I'd have to say Germany is number 1 on my list.
Now i'm done, haha. Talk to you all later.
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