Today was our first day without an assigned wakeup time - çok güzel! After a hearty mid-morning breakfast, we headed to the beach on the Aegean Sea. It was BEAUTIFUL. Sand, water, warm sun, mountains, and no corn - pretty much the anti-Illinois. We went in the water, laid out in the sun, typical beach stuff. I think I got burned, but it was definitely worth it. After the beach, we showered, ate, and got ready to watch the final game of the Champions League, which was Manchester United vs. Chelsea. I was rooting for Chelsea, since Michael Ballack of Germany plays for them, but unfortunately they lost :[. You can't have everything, I guess. It was still a great last night in Turkey.
I'm going to miss this place a lot more than I thought.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Government Presentations
Man, today was busy. We started off by heading to the Ministry of the Treasury to hear presentations on everything from the Turkish economy to accounting methods to risk management strategies. I don't know too much about the government side of finance (even in the USA), so these presentations were definitely very informative; it was kind of difficult to process all of the information at times, though.
After the four presentations, we had a break for tea, and we reconvened to hear a representative from the Ministry of Defense speak about Turkish diplomacy, specifically with regards to Turkish-American relations. We learned all about the history of our strategic alliance, but it was definitely interesting to hear a Turkish perspective on the war in Iraq - although the resolution to allow US troops in Turkey did not pass, it sounds like both countries are starting to understand each other's mutual interests and are taking steps to restore good diplomatic relations. When Brent asked about the AKP, however, the representative declined to comment on the issue; politics is politics, I guess.
After the governmental speakers, we went to lunch at Middle East Technical University, which is where Sibel goes to school. We saw a big of the campus and then went to a "Science Park," which is what Turkey calls its research parks. There were a few corporate presentations, including the administrative copmany and its governmental partner organization, and two technical firms that have rooms in the building. It is interesting to see that a common trend in Turkish business is maintaining a competitive edge, especially through emphasis on research and development. Many of the technical firms also do a lot of work for the government, which is also a bit different from the United States.
Once we ate dinner, it was back to the government building for our meeting with the Minister of Foreign Trade. I was surprised to learn that he was actually an alumnus of the University of Illinois, and that Professor Leblebici had taught him. He offered some interesting insights into Turkey's future as both a European and Asian trade partner. I was surprised to learn how much more Turkey exports than many present member states of the European Union, and that seems to be a big plus for the country.
After all this, we still had a flight to catch! Go figure. At 11:40 p.m., we left Ankara for Izmir, and then drove by bus to Selçuk. After an eighteen-hour day, we were exhausted, and immediately after arriving at our hotel, I was out like a light.
After the four presentations, we had a break for tea, and we reconvened to hear a representative from the Ministry of Defense speak about Turkish diplomacy, specifically with regards to Turkish-American relations. We learned all about the history of our strategic alliance, but it was definitely interesting to hear a Turkish perspective on the war in Iraq - although the resolution to allow US troops in Turkey did not pass, it sounds like both countries are starting to understand each other's mutual interests and are taking steps to restore good diplomatic relations. When Brent asked about the AKP, however, the representative declined to comment on the issue; politics is politics, I guess.
After the governmental speakers, we went to lunch at Middle East Technical University, which is where Sibel goes to school. We saw a big of the campus and then went to a "Science Park," which is what Turkey calls its research parks. There were a few corporate presentations, including the administrative copmany and its governmental partner organization, and two technical firms that have rooms in the building. It is interesting to see that a common trend in Turkish business is maintaining a competitive edge, especially through emphasis on research and development. Many of the technical firms also do a lot of work for the government, which is also a bit different from the United States.
Once we ate dinner, it was back to the government building for our meeting with the Minister of Foreign Trade. I was surprised to learn that he was actually an alumnus of the University of Illinois, and that Professor Leblebici had taught him. He offered some interesting insights into Turkey's future as both a European and Asian trade partner. I was surprised to learn how much more Turkey exports than many present member states of the European Union, and that seems to be a big plus for the country.
After all this, we still had a flight to catch! Go figure. At 11:40 p.m., we left Ankara for Izmir, and then drove by bus to Selçuk. After an eighteen-hour day, we were exhausted, and immediately after arriving at our hotel, I was out like a light.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Atatürk Youth & Sports Day
Day one in Ankara! Today was a huge rush of Turkish culture - it was Atatürk Youth and Sports Day. We went to a soccer stadium where we saw everything from marching bands to volleyball players. For about three hours, tons of little kids and teenagers danced and played sports on the field. There was also a card-holding section that put Block I to shame, frankly. I found it interesting that Atatürk created this holiday not to commemorate his start of the war for independence, but rather the future of the country. All over the city there were pictures of Atatürk and Turkish flags - it was like a more intense 4th of July.
Speaking of Atatürk, we went to visit his Mausoleum after the celebrations - it's very apparent that he is extremely important to the people of Turkey. Since it was Youth and Sports Day, there were tons of people there, as well as a really cool display of flowers in the form of a Turkish flag.
For lunch, we went to a little shop on the street that sold Döner Tavuk, and it was dirt cheap, so we were happy. After a quick catnap, we went to dinner at a place called Vitamin, and then walked around a little more. At night, we went back to the same bar as the night before to celebrate Brock's birthday at midnight, which was really fun. We got home before it got too late, though, because we knew we had a very big day ahead of us.
Speaking of Atatürk, we went to visit his Mausoleum after the celebrations - it's very apparent that he is extremely important to the people of Turkey. Since it was Youth and Sports Day, there were tons of people there, as well as a really cool display of flowers in the form of a Turkish flag.
For lunch, we went to a little shop on the street that sold Döner Tavuk, and it was dirt cheap, so we were happy. After a quick catnap, we went to dinner at a place called Vitamin, and then walked around a little more. At night, we went back to the same bar as the night before to celebrate Brock's birthday at midnight, which was really fun. We got home before it got too late, though, because we knew we had a very big day ahead of us.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Travel Day to Ankara
Today was also pretty low-key. After a seven-hour bus ride from Istanbul to Ankara, we met up with Sibel, Professor Leblebici's and Yontz's daughter. We all went to a great Turkish restaurant right around the corner from our hotel (which was very nice, by the way). Then she took us to a cool bar in the city where we met a few of her friends, including a guy who is originally from Germany. We talked a bit about college life in Europe/Asia, and found that there are definitely more similarities than differences. So far, Ankara doesn't seem quite as busy as Istanbul, but we'll see - it could still be promising.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Sightseeing in Istanbul
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.
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.
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.
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