Have you ever been to Turkey? Yes, on Erasmus!

by Daria Zacharova

By the moment I was officially chosen between volunteers to go to Ankara by Erasmus programme I could hardly imagine I’m going anywhere. It was some kind of experiment or joke actually –  “I am bringing the papers, and in case I am selected – OK, I will think if I am going”. Some kind of the game with a faith. Hahaha, so funny, isn’t it?

And then, suddenly, email saying “You’ve been chosen to study in Ankara for a semester” came. Pam-pam.  The joke didn’t seem such anymore. I didn’t know how to react. Whether to cheer about it or to cry. I had to make a decision, depending on which the way I was going to spend half of a year was determined.

And I made it. Actually we made it. Somehow me and two friends of mine, who also applied for this programme brought ourselves  to go to Turkey.  Approximately till last week I still couldn’t realize entirely I’m here.

9^th of September. Morning started in Vilnius, my home city, in an unusual (quite not in a rush) for a journey, way. We calmly got to our bus which was going to Riga, where we had our plane to Istanbul and then a change flight to Ankara.

After long and exhausting trip I was totally out of myself. We caught a bus from Ankara airport to the city centre in condition of myself almost sleeping. So strange I didn’t leave any of my heavy bags. The first thoughts I had half-sleeping in the bus next to the window was something like “mhm, good roads, so wide..” and “oh, Turks like putting some green lights in to trees so that they would seem even greener at night”...

Several days after our arrival the only thing I saw was the flat of our Turkish friend and surrounding neighbourhood. Well, it was quite pretty. Colourful houses, greenery, lots of different people. It was funny thing to discover that I could be Turkish. Because my skin is not so pale as the majority of European’s, and my hair is brown, and my eyes are dark Turkish people often tried to talk to me in Turkish. And when I tried to explain them I can’t understand a word of theirs they seemed not to believe me.

Speaking about the language, another paradoxial thing I’ve noticed is that when you tell a Turkish person you can’t understand the language, they continue explaining you something even more intensively. That is silly on the one hand, though quite funny and shows friendly will of people to communicate with you.

When I was going to Ankara I stereotypically thought Muslims are so different people and they will look at me in a bad way because of my short haircut and piercing in a tongue (of course, it’s not a thing everybody can notice, but in case they did I was sure it won’t result smoothly). But they didn’t and they don’t. All in all, first of all I can’t say I meet too many extremely religious people in the streets. Secondly, they don’t pay attention on me in case I don’t scream “Hey, look, I am a foreigner”. Of course, I never do. So people pass by, sometimes even smiling. And when they find out I am a foreigner they smile even wider trying to make a good impression about their country on me.

What I really love about Turkey is the variety of fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts in the shops. I think it’s a paradise for a vegetarian, although I’m not one of them. But still, when I just came I couldn’t stop eating local peaches – they are so juicy and big and sweet – you could never find something like that for such a low price in Lithuania. As a matter of fact, even for one million euros you couldn’t find them inside the borders of my country. They are all imported and taste like rubbish.

Another discovery of mine in this country was its traditional drink – ayran. Thank you anybody who invented this delicious thing! This makes you feel so refreshed on a hot day. This will help you to fill your stomach enough after drinking some of it. This is so easy and simple in the same time. In Lithuania we have kefir, I like it so much as well, but ayran is absolute winner of dairy products competition.

I like yellow cabs of Ankara, but sadly it is one of not so many facts I like about the city itself. I like the areas, but I can’t say same about the city centre. Used to rich European architecture, I feel lack of it here. Here I have to mark that I am being here only for two months, one of which was spent in sightless search of a flat so I can’t say I have already seen enough to make final conclusions. 

When my friends ask me about my impression about Turkey and particularly about Ankara, I always say them this same thing. I mention some facts which I see around me, give some examples and descriptions. But till the last day of my being here I am not going to give any certain evaluation even to myself. Who knows what will happen and how my opinion can change during 4 months? What I know for sure is that anyway it is a good life experience and the feeling of sweet nostalgia I have when thinking about home is something indescribable.