Today was a pretty low-key day. We started off with a really cool boat trip on the Bosphorous, and the weather was absolutely beautiful. We got dropped off at the Haghia Sophia, where Professor Hedeman gave us a quasi-tour of the mosaics. Having her explain everything definitely made me appreciate its grandeur a lot more.
For lunch we ate at a little cafe by the Blue Mosque, and then we headed to the Grand Bazaar. One of my friends wanted a purple headscarf, so it was time to bargain. After about an hour of chatting, modeling, and apple tea, Lucas, Heather, and I left with multiple scarves at 10 YTL each. Not bad, if you ask me.
After sleeping through dinner (whoops!), we all headed to Taksim for our last night in Istanbul. We found a club called Babylon, but I didn't really want to pay 25 YTL for cover, so Heather, Bryan, and I decided to walk around Istanbul. We saw a few good sights, but we were pretty tired, so we went to bed pretty early.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
Corporate Visits in Istanbul
Today was our last day of corporate visits in Istanbul. We started off the day by going to Sabancı Holding Company, one of the largest companies in Turkey. First, the Chief Economist talked to us about Turkish economics in general, followed by one of the Chief Straegy Officers, who detailed the major companies that Sabancı holds. It was interesting to see how the major sectors of Sabancı are also the main areas of activity in the Turkish economy; banking and finance are definitely the major areas of economic growth.
After lunch in this little touristy area on the Bosphorous, we went to Kagider, which is the Women Entrepreneurs Association of Turkey. There we heard a presentation about the growing interest in entrepreneurship in Turkey, and how people are trying to get women more involved in this growing trend. The president, Gülseren Onanç, was a manager of pharmaceutical sales in the Soviet Union before her involvement with the association. However, I found it interesting that in addition to entrepreneurs, women who were daughters of famous CEOs (like AKBANK) were also members. She also talked about services the association offers, like business incubation and consulting.
For dinner we went to Sultanahmet, and then Shaistah and I went to a Turkish bath in Chamberlitaş, which was quite an experience. I got an intense massage where this Turkish guy rubbed off a TON of dead skin - it was very weird. Afterwards my body felt so smooth, though. After that, I went to a little restaurant in Taksim with Mike, Maggie, and Tiffany, where we had a few drinks and just people-watched for a while. All in all, another busy yet satisfying day.
After lunch in this little touristy area on the Bosphorous, we went to Kagider, which is the Women Entrepreneurs Association of Turkey. There we heard a presentation about the growing interest in entrepreneurship in Turkey, and how people are trying to get women more involved in this growing trend. The president, Gülseren Onanç, was a manager of pharmaceutical sales in the Soviet Union before her involvement with the association. However, I found it interesting that in addition to entrepreneurs, women who were daughters of famous CEOs (like AKBANK) were also members. She also talked about services the association offers, like business incubation and consulting.
For dinner we went to Sultanahmet, and then Shaistah and I went to a Turkish bath in Chamberlitaş, which was quite an experience. I got an intense massage where this Turkish guy rubbed off a TON of dead skin - it was very weird. Afterwards my body felt so smooth, though. After that, I went to a little restaurant in Taksim with Mike, Maggie, and Tiffany, where we had a few drinks and just people-watched for a while. All in all, another busy yet satisfying day.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Sabancı University/CNN Türk
Today was another early day; we were at Sabancı University by 10 a.m., and it was a long drive to Asia. Seeing a Turkish university was quite an eye-opening experience. We sat in on an organizational management class, which was really similar to BADM 310 at Illinois. One of the most striking thinkgs about the university was that all of the classes were in English, not just business classes. We learned that admission to a Turkish university is based almost exclusively on an entrance exam, which is very different from the US. One of the students I met actually studied at the Wirschaftsuniversität Wien, which is where I plan to study abroad next spring. Small world, eh?
After lunch with the Turkish students, we drove back to Europe to CNN Türk, which was very similar to the CNN studio in Atlanta. It was cool to see how the studio functions, especially regarding foreign news in multiple languages. We also saw a live taping of a talk show, as well as many empty studios.
After CNN Türk, we had all planned to see the inside of the Haghia Sophia, but it ended up being closed when we got there. Instead, a few of us went to dinner at the Green Market, which was a very nice outdoor restaurant right near the Sultanahmet train stop (and it was cheap, too!). We stayed there for a while and talked, and then walked around the alleyways near the Blue Mosque, where we found another small restaurant owned by a guy named Friday. There we had a drink and listened to his stories of serving in the military and flying to Chicago for a while. After riding the tram and the funicular back to the hotel, we were all dead tired, so we went to bed.
Today was a good example of how relationships are just as important (if not more) than the exchange; makes you wonder if we shouldn't change our own idea of business in the states.
After lunch with the Turkish students, we drove back to Europe to CNN Türk, which was very similar to the CNN studio in Atlanta. It was cool to see how the studio functions, especially regarding foreign news in multiple languages. We also saw a live taping of a talk show, as well as many empty studios.
After CNN Türk, we had all planned to see the inside of the Haghia Sophia, but it ended up being closed when we got there. Instead, a few of us went to dinner at the Green Market, which was a very nice outdoor restaurant right near the Sultanahmet train stop (and it was cheap, too!). We stayed there for a while and talked, and then walked around the alleyways near the Blue Mosque, where we found another small restaurant owned by a guy named Friday. There we had a drink and listened to his stories of serving in the military and flying to Chicago for a while. After riding the tram and the funicular back to the hotel, we were all dead tired, so we went to bed.
Today was a good example of how relationships are just as important (if not more) than the exchange; makes you wonder if we shouldn't change our own idea of business in the states.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Istanbul: Day 1
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.
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.
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.
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