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Day 1
We arrived in Bursa on May 3rd via ferry. As we left the boat, we could see the group of Rotarians waving excitedly. We each found our host families: Nikki was with Sait and Meral Tosun, Ted went with Mustafa Berker, Keith went with Murat Altinmakas, Carole went with Serdan and Asuman Durusut, and Laura and Cindy were with Oya and Necat Ketani. We spent the afternoon getting to know our host families and getting settled in.
Day 2
The next morning, May 4th, we woke up to the start of a busy day! We visitied Uludag University first. The University President greeted us, and hosted a wonderful meeting where we learned a great deal about higher education in Turkey. After our meeting, we visited the School of Education. We not only got to speak with the Dean, but we were also able to visit their English Language Exposition. All of the students had made games to help their students learn different aspects of English. Their games were not only exciting, but very well made – the quality of education at Uludag is very high, indeed! Cindy was also fortunate enough to get to visit the beautiful music school, while Carole met with a Leadership professor and the Director of Curriculum.
After Uludag U. we ate a delicious lunch, and then headed off to visit the Rotary High School. As we left the bus, the kids were yelling greetings from the windows; we felt like rock stars! Here, we met with the school’s principal to learn about Rotary’s wonderful gift to these students, and to learn about the country’s primary education system. The classes we visited were amazing – very new and very clean, and all the children were very excited to share their culture with us! Ted was especially fortunate – there were three little girls who were very enamoured with our “FBI” agent!
Next on the agenda was a visit to the Uludag Occupational School for the Disabled. Here, they teach students who require alternative educations how to do a trade. We were amazed, and a little ashamed of our system, to learn that in Turkey, there is a law that for every 50 workers a company hires, they must employ one person who is disabled, and one ex-convict. It was a truly eye opening experience, even though the students had already left for the day.
The Nilufer Rotary Club hosted our presentation this evening. Despite being our first presentation, it went over very well (though we did make some small adjustments afterwards!)
Day 3
Today was Cinco De Mayo back home... And we were all hoping we’d get to celebrate! Our first stop this morning was to Emine Ornek Private School, and Holy Cow was it incredible! Not only were the classrooms top notch, but there were so many amenities, we could have been at a 5 star hotel. It included a pool, health center, a Hamam (Turkish bath), a couple of gymnasiums, a cantina and a cafeteria. The staff included two doctors, two nurses, a dietician, and trainers, along with the traditional staff you’d expect to find at a school. We were also very impressed that the school has a garden which the students plant and tend, and which supplies the cafeteria!
TED (Turkish Education Association) is another private school in the area – and was also very nice, though slightly smaller that Emine Ornek. TED has been around since 1928, though this particular school was only founded 10 years ago The boys played football (soccer) with a group of boys on recess, and had a lot of fun! We talked with an English class that was very interested in what we thought of Turkey, and life in America was like. There were especially interested in American music and books (they’re all reading the last book of the Twilight series – it was very neat to see it in Turkish!)
From our school tours, we went to a paint company. We soon learned that this company was owned by the 2040 District Governor – Mehmet Iyigullu. He works here with both his sons – one of them holds an undergraduate from University of Virginia, and a Masters from Cornell.
After a wonderful meeting, we went to the Parlamis Fabric Factory – which is owned by Keith’s host family. It was incredible – we got to tour the dying and winding facilities and, afterwards, we were given gifts of cloth for us to use at home! We learned so much here, but one of the most interesting pieces of information had only a little to do with the fabric. Before Turkey’s military went to Cypress, American factories were providing the military supplies. When Turkey decided to take military action in Cypress, American companies could no longer supply the army. The Parlamis cloth factory was able to re-tool their set up and provide the army with cloth for their parachutes. It seemed very fitting that the company motto would be “Dream it, Work for it, Succeed!”
Before going home to prepare fro the evening’s presentation, we were fortunate enough to go to the dedication of a new park. When it is finished, it will be a place for all children – no matter the age or ability – to play together. The Osmangazi club preseident, the District President, and the Mayor of Nilufer were all in attendance.
That evening’s presentation happened to coincide with the installation of a new member, and the Gokdere Club’s 8th anniversary. As you can imagine, it was a BIG party! We ate a wonderful meal and the presentation went really well! We did “Missouri Karaoke” for the first time, and they really enjoyed singing “Meet Me in St. Louis.” After the presentations, there was live music – an clarinet, a keman (violin), an Ud (lute), A kayan (zither), and a tavul (drum) played late into the night. We danced and sang, and were showered in flower petals. As we returned home late that night, we were all happily contented with a Cinco de Mayo we will never forget!!
Day 4
Today is our trip to Isnik! We stopped on our way, to for a cup of Chai (Turkish Tea). We were all glad to get off the bus when we finally arrived in Isnik. The first thing we did was to hit the ancient Roman theatre. It was incredible! We were surprised to find that they don’t place many safeguards on their history here. We were able to climb up to the top of the remaining seats and take photographs. The accustics were not perfect anymore – due in large part to the number of shrubs growing among what was left of the stone seating. Our tour guide – Nec (pronounced Nej) – told us that the seating had, at one time, been much taller, but an earthquake had destroyed most of the upper seating areas.
After the theatre, we were cutting through an olive grove on the way up the mountain, when we came to a very big fire in the road. Keith told us that over night between May 5 and May 6 the Turkish people make wishes and jump over small fires to make their wishes come true. The bus drove through the edge of the fire, so we all decided we were going to make a wish. The view from the top of the mountain was amazing, but we were very surprised to see many women in traditional dress and scarves walking up the steep incline, and then praying somberly. Nec informed us that the grave of Osmangazi – the person who freed Turkey from Byzantium – was located here, and the Turkish people would come here to pay homage. After snapping a few pictures, we headed back down the mountain. We stopped at part of the city wall where you could see the influence of Hellenistic, Roman, Byzanine and modern cultures – it was very cool! After, we headed to a ceramics shop – one of our guides, Melih, knew the artist, Can (John), and his wife. We saw his workshop, watched some of his artists work, and then bought some beautiful ceramic to take home! From there, we headed to lunch at a Kebapci (a kebab shop) and then to a museum. This museum was very special – it had once been a soup kitchen to serve the poor of Isnik, but it now housed ancient artifacts – including many incredible marble tombstones, column capitals, and the most impressive collection of Medusa figures in Anatoliya (Nec said so!).
Our second Aya Sophia Church (one of four in Turkey) was next on our schedule. It was very bare, but the archetecutre was amazing and, in one small niche on the side wall, there was a beautiful paining of Jesus with two disciples from the early Christain period. This church was linked to the Council of Nicea, but Nec wanted us to see more. He took us down to the lake’s edge, and told us the story of the palace that once stood here. This was the actual location where the Nicean councils met. Unfortunately, in the earthquakes, the palace and surrounding buildings were either destroyed or submerged in the lake. And, even more unfortunate was the fact that there was nothing that marked the spot as having historical significance – no plaque, no sign, only Nec!
During the trip Nec and Keith discussed early Christianity, and Nec told Cindy about the Jewish population in Turkey. He said there were only about 25,000 Jews living in Turkey today, especially in Istanbul and Imir. When Israel was established, many of the Turkish Jews took advantage of the opportunity, and left the country. These Jews, though, are not Ashkenazi (European). They are actually Sephardic (from Spain); they left during the ___________________, and speak Ladino, not Yiddish!
When we returned to Bursa, we all spent the evening with our families, and the rest was a welcome end to a very busy day!
Day 5
Our last full day in Bursa was very busy – but was very relaxing, and didn’t require very much thinking! We started by heading up Uludag mountain to see the view, and drink Chai in the shadow of a giant, 600 year old tree! On the way back into the city we stopped at a monument to Hacivat and Caragoz, the folklore puppets that Bursa is famous for, and then headed on to the City Museum which did a wonderful job of showing the history of Bursa and her people.
We then visited the graves of the early sultans, and took some great pictures of the wonderful views. We visited the Green Mosque and Cemetary, and then headed to lunch at Hayat Lokantasi (the Hayat Restaurant) which was right across the street from the stadium where Bursa’s Soccer Team, the BursaSpor Crocodiles play.
After a very satisfying meal, we headed into the city center for shopping at the silk bazaar and the clothing bazaar. At the silk bazaar we met a friend of Can’s (GIM team leader to St. Louis, April 2009). He owned a beautifull jewelry shop and said that it had recently been visited by the Queen Elizabeth II of England!
When we had spent our small fortune for the day, we headed to Ulucami – the Grand Mosque! It was enourmous – in size and beauty!
After so much excitement, it was nice to get home and relax… Packing our suitcases, however, was another story! We met again at the Demirtas Club meeting for a very incredible dinner that included an artichoke dish sent straight from heaven, and another great presentation!
We’re having a lot of fun getting to know the different clubs and their personalities – Nilufer Club’s meeting was very somber and intelligent, Gokdere was full of vibrancy and excitement, and Demirtas was very elegant and sophisticated! We’re so excited to see what the future clubs will be like!
Day 6
This is our last morning in Bursa. We were so sad to leave our host families – these wonderful people who took us into their homes and have found permanent places in our hearts – but we are looking forward to meeting our new families and friends, and to our next adventures in Ayvalik!
Things we learned in Bursa:
People here love their pets – especially cats!
Ataturk did A LOT for the Turkish people– and his pictures are EVERYWHERE!
Even with water, Raki is still VERY strong!
Chai is the international sign for welcome – behind every door waits a cup of boiling hot chai and two cubes of sugar!
When in doubt, take a group photo.
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