Syndrome Turkey - outside of the classrooms of IYTE

Life in IYTE

City Planning

This is one of the most complicated part, I may say something dark if the end didn’t happen. But it’s now clear, that we all tried, but the chemical, and timing, created this misunderstanding, no ones to blame. It started good, ended well, I think I’ll just let this phase go.

So, I’ll talk rational.

I’m glad that people are nice and friendly, to be honest I’m not initiative,

So, I tried my best to return this friendliness, I know what kind of man I want to be, I’m always there for friends who worth it.

I received a lot of help and made my first steps to blend in, this also made me too clingy to this campus life, thinking being here is really nice.

Fun and happy is really what October is like.

And then Winter came.

November, December.

The part made me turn to the dark side? First, we all need to admit the language barrier, I never picked on grammar or terms, as long as you speak anything I’ll listen and try to understand. But when you turn your head, and one Turkish sentence, two, and more, I’ll be just lost.

To intrude or not to intrude, that is a question.

Then, the pressure of life among people, everyone is having there really life here: studies, carrier, family, friends, relationships. These took over their time, I can understand I’m just someone in the class, there is my position, and how much time I worth to people.

Segregation only brings more segregation, in all cities, still I cocooned myself.

I’m not sure if it’s a foolish move or just happened when you overcame this depression with everything but local help.

“What didn’t kill you, only makes you STRANGER.” -Joker, 2008. The Dark Knight.

When I’m back from that hell, I’m a new metamorphosis type.

This demon, is me, until the very end and growing, be the daredevil.

Still, I’m glad that I chose to show my true self to the end, and the people who didn’t gave up. We all are kind and tried, but just some destiny brought this lesson.

Clubs

-general

At the beginning, I was trying to stay to diving and kiting, when I saw other clubs, only cycling club made me really want to try it, since bicycle is part of me.

But what happened? I’m not in the group of diving and the other groups never reply in English to my questions.

Not to say going to meet them, this issue really haunted the whole semester here, language.

Just be a foreigner, stay a foreigner.

-Diving

I took the free diving course before the semester begins, but it just put me in great danger.

The first parts are just starting to keep my breath and the body position, I did well and learn fast.

The first indoor lesson was awful, because Astan always forgot to translate and I’m already kind of sick of this language issue and not trying so hard anymore, I was just tired.

And then the next dive I coughed blood out of my mouth.

The next indoor lesson still useless, though Baris translated everything, but too many things are just not that easy for student to translate, and when the coach spoke for 5 minutes and it translated into three sentences, I really just don’t know if I should keep on.

And then I missed one indoor class cause I’m not in the group.

Baris told me one Friday if I’m going, when I never know there was a dive.

The other coach speaks NO English.

And I coughed blood again.

The coach noticed but say that it’s just normal, I just don’t believe that.

Baris is really the most supportive guy in the group, and Astan is the most advanced one in the group, and out of diving, he is also being a friend, revealed the effect of Raki to me.

But I wanted to be better, and I leave with only 2 times 20 meter with blood, and no certificate.

Kitesurfing

This is the only thing that I enjoyed everytime, for a long time, it is the only savior of my darkness.

Nico at the Urla surf house is super supportive, a good friend and more a good mentor.

Without him I won’t be able to enjoy kite this much.

The situation in here is that North wind we kite at the place close to IYTE, South wind we need to go to Alacata, a place not available to go with public transportation. I only went there with Nico’s van or Jan’s cool car.

So here we met Jan, he’s from Belgium and do home office in Gulbahce with his wife. They are a lovely couple and young in their heart.

They are also beginner and wanted to kite a lot, really kind to me and I’m thankful about it.

The only pity is that they went back to Belgium when I was as my trip with the Hospital Team, so I never had the chance to say goodbye.

As an Urla man

Urla is heard for students to rent in this place, but I didn't know many people here, and mostly old people live here.
Whenever I go to Izmir, it's crowded and takes 65~80 minutes just on the bus
to IYTE, 35 minutes, minibus

Basically in the house it is not so tidy, though in the Turkish standard it is not dirty
For privacy, no photos will be shown here.

For the most personal, I'm mad every morning for the dirty unwashed pan and dish, I'm not a fan of it

otherwise, my roommate is cool, taken care of every bills and nice, friendly guy

the air in Urla is kind of polluted because people burn things so they stay warm without paying for heater

the electricity and water is not constant, sometimes it just gone for hours

living in this town is just not a pleasant thing, for language, traffic, environment, and I'm also once almost hunted by a pack of stray dogs
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So, this is the things related to IYTE outside of the classroom

I don't want to specify my depression to any of these, cause it's a combination of all of them

and the most is the super murphy's law happened through all the time

I guess it's just my back luck all happened in this land

Life still goes on