फ्लिघ्त एंड फर्स्ट डे

Saturday, August 29, 2009 – Off to Turkey!!!
My itinerary:
Saturday: 3:20pm depart from Rochester, 4:45 arrive in Detroit
7:15pm depart from Detroit

All morning it did not feel like I was going to be away for a year. Even driving to the airport, it did not seem fathomable that the next day, I would be in a different country and would be living there permanently for the next 10 months. I arrived at the airport after a hectic morning at home finalizing my packing, finishing my college application essays, and calling some family members and friends to say goodbye. However, chaotic as my house may have been, I was happy to be surrounded by people that I love – my immediate family and some close friends. Of course I cried before I even left the house. I even teared up looking at my bedroom which no longer seemed to have my presence in it- being empty of all the things which I brought with me. Those of you who know me well know that I seldom, if ever cry this often! Seriously, I have cried more times in the days leading up to my departure than I think I have ever cried in my life (excluding infancy). This is more related to the pain of goodbyes than to the prospect of being an exchange student in Turkey. I wished that I could have cried during my goodbye with my best friend-my sadness merited some tears, but they did not come.
My grandparents and my aunt Mieke met me at the airport. Sammy, my little brother, insisted on wheeling my carry-on over to baggage check in. My mother gave me this ridiculous jumbo sized plastic penny for good luck (Thanks MomMom!). And of course BOTH of my checked suitcases were over the weight limit J. This meant a frantic removal of the things that were deemed too heavy. Among the myriad of clothes and gifts that were removed (to be shipped by grandparents later!) was one of my dear novels that I had hoped to read this year. My mother tried to get me to leave behind another one of my books, The Ottoman Cage behind, but I insisted that it stay. I am curious to see how much this novel, which is supposed to elucidate some of the elements of life in Istanbul, agrees with my observations.
So, after check in was complete, it was time for group pictures with everyone before going through security. I felt like my family and friends and I really established our presence at the Rochester airport. Going through security, I began to tear up and cry quietly to myself as I took out everything under the sun that has to be scanned by TSA now a days. As I tossed an old slimy hand sanitizer back to my mom (I did NOT want to take that thing!), I was barked at by a TSA official for not using the trash can nearby. Oops. Yes, and I also did not appreciate that same TSA official making a disdainful comment about me holding up the line. Well, there was no line, first of all. Second of all, I had 6 bins of stuff to collect and was doing my best to try to hold it together as my brother was calling “Chiara, I love you!” and I’m trying to wave goodbye to by loved ones one last time. Another oops in the Rochester airport: not paying close attention because I had been crying, I knocked over a display stand of neck pillows and magazines. Sorry Hudson News!
The Detroit airport was simple to navigate. I left my airplane with chapped hands, a dry mouth and nose, and feeling freezing cold. I would GLADLY do without the dry airplane air and arctic breeze air conditioning. I easily found my gate, although I walked fist to the wrong terminal which took me 20 minutes out of my way; typical me. A few times, I found myself getting mixed up about where I was going. There were many Italians because the gate next to mine was boarding for Rome, Italy. Actually, it will feel different not to land in Italy this time, as I have been traveling there consistently my whole life. Turkey will be my first visit to an overseas country other than Italy! On the way to Amsterdam, I sat next to a French father and daughter, and a man who did not acknowledge me other than to pass me my food tray and say “thank you” when I said “bless you”. On the plane, I read, took a nap, and listened to Dianna Krall. Unfortunately, minimal sleeping. That airplane was old and highly uncomfortable.

Sunday: 9am arrive in Amsterdam
12pm Depart from Amsterdam, 4:30pm arrive in ISTANBUL!

My mom had insisted that I call her from Amsterdam, even though it would be 4:30 am local time in Rochester. It took me forever to figure out how to make the phone call because the payphones were in Dutch! So, 45 minutes and $11.50 (for a one minute phone call!) later, I had made the phone call to my mom and was off to freshen up in the bathroom and find something to eat. I sent off a couple postcards too, but was really confused by the English terminology on the mailbox, so I hope I put them in the right slot. I watched a British couple mail a postcard and just copied what they were doing. I’m an excellent observer!
Before boarding my plane to Istanbul, I took a series of pictures of my gate, which earned me some curious and bewildered stares like…”uh, who is this girl? And why would she be taking pictures of this?”. At the gate, the airline officials laughed and made comments about my big winter coat, which I was carrying over my shoulder. An official told me to say “Evet” (which means “yes”) to what he was saying. I did, and then everyone around me laughed. He had asked me if I was going to need my coat when I got to Istanbul. Well, eventually I will need it….but it was pretty funny. I slept the entire 2 hours and 45 minutes to Istanbul. There were a lot of Britts and Italians on the plane. Some Dutch people too. I was noticing how much the tone and inflection of the Dutch language sounds like English. I awoke when we were landing. The aerial view of Istanbul is gorgeous. Especially the view of the Aegean Sea (or was is the Sea of Marmara?). But anyways: Mom, when you guys visit in April, try to make sure your flight to Istanbul is during daylight hours. When I got through customs, I was greeted first with a big hug from my district chair of youth exchange. He then took me to my host family who greeted me with hugs and kisses, and a fresh bouquet of pink roses. J I have a host father who is a doctor, a host mother who owns a café, and a host sister who is 15 years old. After the airport, we came to my host mother’s café and I met several other members of their family: cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. The proficiency with which the well-educated children speak English here is amazing.
Now, I am sitting in my host mother’s café, Café Mint, with a short 20 minutes of battery left on my computer. My transformer is for the right current, but the outlets here in the shape of indented circles so my SQUARE adapter does not work!!! Oh, well. I will get a new one here pretty soon. I like my host family. They live in a gated community called Aqua City that, ironically, is right next to a shanty town with makeshift houses and decrepit apartment buildings. Living in a gated community will definitely take some getting used to; it seems so shletered. My host family is in the process of moving to a different apartment. I have my own room in their new house that has a balcony with a beautiful view. Today, I went on a two hour drive along the Bosphorous with my host sister and her uncle. Istanbul is a HUGH city; very hilly and with a lot of green trees and foliage. It sort of reminds me of San Francisco. It was also my first time inside an Ikea store!
Something I find interesting about Istanbul: you can find an apartment building built directly next to a mosque. Like, I’m talking there’s not even room for a sidewalk in between. There’s actually a Mosque near my house. And all across the city, almost like in echos, you can hear the Azan (Muslim call to prayer) five times a day.
Post questions about Istanbul, my feelings, whatever you would like to learn more about. I will be happy to answer them.
More posts to come…for now I am safe, happy, and tired (7 hour time difference…so when I woke up in the morning here, it was the middle of the night in Rochester).
Good luck to all my friends for the first day of school!!!