More Istanbul

Spent 3 days shopping in Istanbul, Very exhausted by the end of it and also a bit short of money. I bought lots of clothes. On Sunday we went to the bazaar near where we stayed in Istanbul. Everything was really cheap so I bought even more clothes.

The bazaar

It was raining for most of the weekend, so I didn't really get the chance to take many photos. It stopped raining on Sunday but it was really foggy. I took a few photos they're a bit hard to see because of the fog, sorry. The buildings are really tall, everything in Istanbul is massive.

Istanbul

I am in Istanbul for a few days over the weekend. We arrived late last night, it is about a 3-4 hour drive from Canakkale. On our way to Istanbul we stopped in a town called Tekirdağ. It is really famous in Turkey for its amazing meatballs. So we stopped and had some for dinner, they were really nice.

Today we went to Istinye Park which is a HUGE shopping mall. It has nearly 300 stores and is very easy to get lost in. We were there for about 8 hours and now I am very tired. I did a lot of shopping, I bought a few things from H&M and few other stores that we don't have in New Zealand. The prices were quite cheap so I didn't actually spend that much money.

The Shopping Mall

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My days shopping

Turkey

Life in Turkey has been great, I have been settling into life here and trying some new things. Last weekend I went for a ride on the back of my host fathers Harley, it was very cool. I might have to save up and buy myself a motorbike.

School is good, I sometimes go to different English classes so they can practice speaking English, they are really good. I've been to most of the classes at the school and the kids are really funny. At school there is a canteen with lots of different lollies and things. The woman who works at the canteen knows I don't speak Turkish so she tells me how much things are by holding up her fingers. My friend Elifcan bought me this chocolate treat the other day. It comes in a small tube (like a toothpaste tube) and is filled with chocolate- like Nutella. You suck it out of the tube, it tastes really nice!

Nutella in a tube

My First Week in Turkey

Time has gone so quickly, I have already been here a week and it has been one of the greatest weeks of my life. I can't believe I only have 5 weeks left. Here are a few photos from my first week in Çanakkale, Turkey.

A few pictures from 18th March fireworks display and torchlight march

Sorry they're not very good, I couldn't keep the camera still.

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The 18th March is an extremely important day, it is like the Turkish version of ANZAC Day. Everyone is out celebrating Turkey and WW1 and remembering the lives that were tragically lost.

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My host sister, Mira and I at the beach near our house

My host family's dog, Cadi

The beach near our house

School

I have settled into living in Turkey and I have started school and have been there for few days. It is very different form my school in NZ. I go to Çanakkale Koleji, it's a nice school, it is really big but there aren't that many students. The school is for all ages (years 1-13). I'm in a class with about 20-25 other students, I am a couple of years older than them. They do a lot more subjects than what I am used to, and the classes are a lot harder. So far I have done biology, physics, English, English speaking, Turkish, history, geography, maths and this afternoon I had German. The classes can get a bit boring because I don't understand what is happening, I try and guess what the teacher is talking about but I rarely guess right. I have made some friends at school, they are really nice and they know quite a bit of English which is good, but we still find it a little difficult to communicate.

At school they have a zoo. It's a little area where there are goats, roosters, hens, ducks and peacocks. I find it a little odd having a zoo at school but it is actually quite cool.

Some pictures of my school and the zoo.

School is longer in Turkey, in NZ I would normally finish at about 3.20pm but here we finish about an hour later. They also have more periods a day than I'm used to, they have about 8 periods a day with breaks in between each period. At school we get lunch given to us, we get a tray and it is dished up for us, in NZ I bring my own lunch to school each day. I catch the school bus to school and home. It's not what I would call a bus, it is more like a mini-van with automatic doors. I catch it with my host sister Mira and the other kids that live near us. The other kids are a lot younger but they are very entertaining and cute. They try and teach me Turkish words and they all get very excited and yell "EVET" (yes) when I get the words right. So far I have learnt the Turkish words for couch, tea and light, I can also say "my name is Heather". Getting the bus is the best part of the day.

Arriving

After a very long trip I have finally made it to Çanakkale. I flew from Wellington to Auckland to Singapore (where my flight was delayed) then to Istanbul a total of 34hours travelling. Then I meet with a couple of very nice ladies from AFS who drove me the rest of way to Canakkale (5hours and then a ferry ride). I arrived in Çanakkale this afternoon where I finally met my host family who I will be living with for the next 6 weeks. They are a lovely family and I am very excited to be here. I am extremely tired, I slept a little on my flight to Istanbul but not enough. We are going out for dinner tonight and I think I am starting school tomorrow. I am a bit nervous about school considering I don't know any Turkish but hopefully it'll be fine. After a shower and some food I am feeling a lot better but still very tired. It is really cold here, I'm glad I bought lots of warm clothes.

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A few pictures I took on my way to Çanakkale from Istanbul

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A war memorial

The women who brought me to Çanakkale, I think, told me there is a Turkish side and an Anzac side and, there is a figure of woman in the middle- a mother. I think it is in Eceabat but I'm not too sure, I was quite tired and don't remember the names of the places

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View from the ferry

Gallipoli Youth Award 2011 recipient announced

AFS Intercultural Programmes New Zealand has awarded the 2011 Gallipoli Youth Award to a young Wellington student with close connections to ANZAC soldiers who served at Gallipoli.

AFS is the largest organisation in the world to facilitate non-fee-paying cultural exchanges.

The award, which is run by AFS in partnership with the Royal New Zealand RSA, runs from March to May 2011. It involves a six-week exchange, attending a local Turkish school and participation in ANZAC and Turkish commemorative services.

The student will document her exchange experiences via an online blog, where she will also post photos and their winning presentations.

The award is only eligible to students who have a blood relative who was involved in the Gallipoli Campaign of the First World War.

The recipient is 16-year-old Heather Mackay of Wellington, a Year 12 student at Wellington Girls College. Her great-great uncle, Private Herbert Stanley Sing served as a signaller during the Gallipoli Campaign.

Herbert joined the army in 1914. During his years in the war he fought in Egypt, Gallipoli and France. Sadly Herbert was killed in action in 1916 and is now buried in France.

Like most other boys, Herbert joined the army thinking it would be a new and exciting adventure. Herbert landed at Gallipoli on 25th April 1915. According to an extract from a letter home he put his foot on Turkish soil at about 10.00am.

In a letter home he described the fighting as “living hell”. The Turks were chasing them back, “We had to run I can tell you, I don't think I ran so fast in all my life”. Herbert was wounded on the first day of fighting and was admitted to hospital in Mena, he rejoined his unit on 22nd June 1915.

“My great grandmother, Bertha (Birdie) Frances Mackay-Campbell (Grandma) died last year at the age 105. There was someone extremely special in her life, her brother, Herbert Sing. I have been hearing stories about Herbert for as long as I can remember. Herbert was always the brother Grandma loved to talk about” says Heather.

His mother and his sister (Grandma) always wanted to visit Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery and see the final resting place of Herbert. Unfortunately they never had the opportunity to go. “One day I hope to travel to France and fulfil the dreams of my great great grandmother and my grandma”.

“Although I never met Herbert I feel as if I know him. This (Gallipoli Youth Award entry) essay has made me feel closer to Herbert than I ever felt before. It also makes me feel closer to my grandma; because I now see she loved him so much”.

AFS has organised over 10,000 cultural exchanges throughout 52 countries worldwide. The exchanges have a family focus and are based on the AFS mission of peace through friendship and cultural understanding.

The Gallipoli Youth Award is particularly special, says Tony Calvert, AFS New Zealand Communications Manager.

“Our origins lie in the American Field Service, a volunteer ambulance corps formed in World War I and active through World War II,” says Tony Calvert.

“AFS ambulance drivers believed that personal interaction and friendships between people built international peace and understanding.

“The sharing of cultures that the 2011 award recipient will experience, and their own strong family connection with brave First World War Gallipoli veterans, makes the Gallipoli Youth Award exchange a significant and poignant event.

“The award is a true celebration of the spirit of ANZAC and New Zealand’s bond of brotherhood with Turkey.”