As I have less than a week left in Turkey (only 4 days in fact), I have begun compiling lists galore to remind myself of various tasks and experiences I need to take care of before heading onwards to China. And of course, I have my running list of things I must eat as soon as I arrive there. Thus, I’m going to share with you my life in lists.
Top 5 things I haven’t done yet in Turkey and must do:
1. Turkish Bath
2. Basilica Cistern
3. Eat the street chestnuts
4. Spice Bazaar
5. Eat fresh figs
Top 10 things I’ve done in Turkey and have to do again before leaving:
1. Tombik
2. Turkish delight
3. The Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and surrounding area at night
4. Künefe (a Turkish desert that is like a sweet, cheesy, frosted mini-wheat)
5. Spend hours shopping at Mephisto (my favorite Book Store/DVD emporium/CD vendor/café)
6. Watch the sunset from the bridge
7. haggle in a bazaar and use the phrase “I can get it cheaper in China” to force the price lower
8. Turkish cake (aka “pasta”)
9. Recreate the accent of the Dolmabahçe Palace guide (“Dear guests, all togethers we will go see the pyalace of the sultan midget and the second biggest carpet in the Turkey……”)
10. Either regain my American accent or embrace my newly adopted Canadianisms , eh
Top 10 musts in China:
1. Get my hair washed
2. Get a discount for speaking decent Chinese
3. Street food – all of it
4. At least one completely massive, disgustingly indulgent meal that costs less than 10 USD
5. Understand a Beijing cab driver (I’m convinced they only speak Troll, not Mandarin)
6. Buy a tailored suit
7. Tree Bar (peach beer – enough said)
8. 798 (the insanely quirky, avant-garde art district of Beijing that I’ve never visited but was told to spend quality time in by my honors thesis advisor)
9. Watch 80 year old Chinese people get up at the crack of dawn to do tai chi in public parks
10. Victoria Peak (Hong Kong’s skyline, need I say more?)
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
The Time Approaches
I now have less than one week left in Turkey before I head over to East Asia, and there is a lot going on – a lot of last minute shopping, a lot of goodbye dinners (most of my friends here are leaving at various points during the week), a lot of a lot.
As I’ve made very clear, I’m quite excited to be going back to China; however, things seem to happening one after the other. I have to do some planning before I head over there that I’ve hardly started as well as an application to take part in a company sponsored forum in Germany in October. This is, of course, on top of my work which so ruthlessly begins every morning at 7:15, only to end at 5:15. I also need to hunt down some films by my favorite director (Ferzan Õzpetek) who is Turkish-Italian before I leave.
One thing I will definitely miss as I venture 5 time zones further east is the musical taste here in Turkey. It’s almost as if the country is running on my iTunes… almost. You walk down the street and you hear some Alexandra Stan, or some “Englishman in New York.” I have actually discovered a whole handful of music while I’ve been here that I simply must get my hands on as soon as possible. Despite the excellent taste in music selection that seems to be pretty pervasive here, the placement of this music is not generally the best – sometime to quite hilarious results. By far the most shocking occurred when grocery shopping in a store that is attached to a neighborhood mosque. While selecting which of the thousands of similar looking cheeses to select, I hear, of all songs, “S&M” come on which could very well be one of the filthiest songs generated in recent memory. My fellow shoppers, clearly incapable of speaking English (like the vast majority of the population here), just carried on with the selection of their vegetables as if they were listening to a Beethoven piano concerto, completely oblivious of the North American women belting out line after line about “sex in the air” and how they “love the smell of it.” It was a classy moment. I think my jaw hung wide open for a good 30 seconds before I was able to regain my composure just enough to glance around for awkward facial expressions that would indicate some degree of comprehension among the others – there was, of course, none.
In more recent news, I had an excellent day of Shopping with friends this past weekend that took me for the first time to the Egyptian Bazaar where spices abound and make me wish that I had something too do with incredibly discounted saffron and vanilla bean. It also really makes me wonder what they put in the confection “Turkish Viagra” or “the sultans’ aphrodisiacs.”
Lastly, my concern: the Turkish Lira. Thanks to a vide variety of recent occurrences, the currency that was being exchanged for a bit under 1.5 to the US dollar when I arrived is now valued at around 1.72 (or at least it was at some point yesterday). As I am, of course, being paid in Lira, that wonderful little turn of events is going to really help me out when I have to exchange to Chinese RMB, Hong Kong Dollars, and Taiwanese Dollars very soon. Hopefully it will bounce back a bit.
As I’ve made very clear, I’m quite excited to be going back to China; however, things seem to happening one after the other. I have to do some planning before I head over there that I’ve hardly started as well as an application to take part in a company sponsored forum in Germany in October. This is, of course, on top of my work which so ruthlessly begins every morning at 7:15, only to end at 5:15. I also need to hunt down some films by my favorite director (Ferzan Õzpetek) who is Turkish-Italian before I leave.
One thing I will definitely miss as I venture 5 time zones further east is the musical taste here in Turkey. It’s almost as if the country is running on my iTunes… almost. You walk down the street and you hear some Alexandra Stan, or some “Englishman in New York.” I have actually discovered a whole handful of music while I’ve been here that I simply must get my hands on as soon as possible. Despite the excellent taste in music selection that seems to be pretty pervasive here, the placement of this music is not generally the best – sometime to quite hilarious results. By far the most shocking occurred when grocery shopping in a store that is attached to a neighborhood mosque. While selecting which of the thousands of similar looking cheeses to select, I hear, of all songs, “S&M” come on which could very well be one of the filthiest songs generated in recent memory. My fellow shoppers, clearly incapable of speaking English (like the vast majority of the population here), just carried on with the selection of their vegetables as if they were listening to a Beethoven piano concerto, completely oblivious of the North American women belting out line after line about “sex in the air” and how they “love the smell of it.” It was a classy moment. I think my jaw hung wide open for a good 30 seconds before I was able to regain my composure just enough to glance around for awkward facial expressions that would indicate some degree of comprehension among the others – there was, of course, none.
In more recent news, I had an excellent day of Shopping with friends this past weekend that took me for the first time to the Egyptian Bazaar where spices abound and make me wish that I had something too do with incredibly discounted saffron and vanilla bean. It also really makes me wonder what they put in the confection “Turkish Viagra” or “the sultans’ aphrodisiacs.”
Lastly, my concern: the Turkish Lira. Thanks to a vide variety of recent occurrences, the currency that was being exchanged for a bit under 1.5 to the US dollar when I arrived is now valued at around 1.72 (or at least it was at some point yesterday). As I am, of course, being paid in Lira, that wonderful little turn of events is going to really help me out when I have to exchange to Chinese RMB, Hong Kong Dollars, and Taiwanese Dollars very soon. Hopefully it will bounce back a bit.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Looking Ahead, Thinking Back, and Living for Today
Today marks the 2 week point. After today I have two Mondays left in Turkey, and on the second of those two, I will say goodbye to my coworkers and my abnormally slow work computer in the morning. That afternoon, however, will feature some frantic last-minute packing as late that evening I will board my Turkish Airways flight direct to Hong Kong.
I’m not really excited to be leaving Turkey, especially my new friends here; however, the prospect of going back to what just might be my favorite city on earth where I have the ability to communicate with people on the street is almost overwhelmingly exciting. I literally spent an hour or two last night gushing with my Chinese room mate over coffee about how good the food is in Hong Kong, and I simply have no idea how I’m going to eat everything I need to eat in such a short period. I will only be in Hong Kong for a couple of days since my main purpose of going there is just so that I can get a visa for Mainland China.
This trip to China is going to be an incredible mix of revisiting the familiar and experiencing the new as I will be seeing many of my close friends in Beijing and revisiting Xiamen where I studied abroad; however, this time, I will also be going to Shanghai and Taipei, Taiwan (provided I get a multi-entry visa for the mainland, which I should).
I’m actually quite tempted to fast for a couple days before I leave Turkey just to prepare myself for the frenzy of eating that will take place upon arrival. You can be sure that you will see pictures of Starbucks’ peppery chicken puff (Hong Kong), 辣子鸡丁– spicy chicken pieces (Xiamen), 炒面– real fried noodles (EVERYWHERE), candied plums on a stick (Beijing), 百香冰沙– passion fruit slushy (Taipei/Xiamen), and who knows what else…
Despite what I make it sound like, I am, in fact, not going back to China to eat until I look like a stereotypical American. Actually, I’m going to complete my field research for my honors thesis on branding in modern China. In essence, what I’m doing is observing the way in which companies use aesthetics, images, and other forms of product communication (advertisements, jingles etc.). As I completed the fist part of this project as a integral part of my coursework while studying abroad in Xiamen, I already have a 30-page paper worth of research to get me started. As I continue to do online research in my spare time here in Turkey, I believe that I may have narrowed my subject matter down a bit to the point that I may have a title for my thesis: “Communicating Luxury: trends in contemporary Chinese brand establishment, adjustment, communication and management”
What I plan to do, more specifically, is to examine overarching trends in business practices of both domestic (Chinese) and international (foreign) companies and the ways in which they communicate messages of luxury to Chinese consumers. It will encompass field research, which is basically shopping supplemented with marketing theory blended with other disciplines, particularly the study of urban aesthetics and postmodernism. From what I see right now, my argument can be boiled down to the thought that both Chinese and Western companies are adapting the essence of their brand, what their product/name means, in a way that conveys the concept of “luxury” to the Chinese consumer, and they are doing so in 3 key ways:
1. Exoticizing
2. Urbanizing
3. Modernizing
Companies are creating these brand messages for their products, and I intend to explore these trends, their effectiveness, and what this phenomenon means in the grander context of modern Chinese society, the Chinese economy at-large, and future expansion.
As much as I’m sure you are all as deeply fascinated by my thesis topic as I am, I’m going to save the explosion of china-related blog material until I’m actually there. For now, I’m going to continue making to most of the time I have left in Turkey and with my new friends here. Also, I am hitting the streets with a vengeance to improve my photography, so hopefully you’ll be seeing some incredible shots in the near future. Until then…
I’m not really excited to be leaving Turkey, especially my new friends here; however, the prospect of going back to what just might be my favorite city on earth where I have the ability to communicate with people on the street is almost overwhelmingly exciting. I literally spent an hour or two last night gushing with my Chinese room mate over coffee about how good the food is in Hong Kong, and I simply have no idea how I’m going to eat everything I need to eat in such a short period. I will only be in Hong Kong for a couple of days since my main purpose of going there is just so that I can get a visa for Mainland China.
This trip to China is going to be an incredible mix of revisiting the familiar and experiencing the new as I will be seeing many of my close friends in Beijing and revisiting Xiamen where I studied abroad; however, this time, I will also be going to Shanghai and Taipei, Taiwan (provided I get a multi-entry visa for the mainland, which I should).
I’m actually quite tempted to fast for a couple days before I leave Turkey just to prepare myself for the frenzy of eating that will take place upon arrival. You can be sure that you will see pictures of Starbucks’ peppery chicken puff (Hong Kong), 辣子鸡丁– spicy chicken pieces (Xiamen), 炒面– real fried noodles (EVERYWHERE), candied plums on a stick (Beijing), 百香冰沙– passion fruit slushy (Taipei/Xiamen), and who knows what else…
Despite what I make it sound like, I am, in fact, not going back to China to eat until I look like a stereotypical American. Actually, I’m going to complete my field research for my honors thesis on branding in modern China. In essence, what I’m doing is observing the way in which companies use aesthetics, images, and other forms of product communication (advertisements, jingles etc.). As I completed the fist part of this project as a integral part of my coursework while studying abroad in Xiamen, I already have a 30-page paper worth of research to get me started. As I continue to do online research in my spare time here in Turkey, I believe that I may have narrowed my subject matter down a bit to the point that I may have a title for my thesis: “Communicating Luxury: trends in contemporary Chinese brand establishment, adjustment, communication and management”
What I plan to do, more specifically, is to examine overarching trends in business practices of both domestic (Chinese) and international (foreign) companies and the ways in which they communicate messages of luxury to Chinese consumers. It will encompass field research, which is basically shopping supplemented with marketing theory blended with other disciplines, particularly the study of urban aesthetics and postmodernism. From what I see right now, my argument can be boiled down to the thought that both Chinese and Western companies are adapting the essence of their brand, what their product/name means, in a way that conveys the concept of “luxury” to the Chinese consumer, and they are doing so in 3 key ways:
1. Exoticizing
2. Urbanizing
3. Modernizing
Companies are creating these brand messages for their products, and I intend to explore these trends, their effectiveness, and what this phenomenon means in the grander context of modern Chinese society, the Chinese economy at-large, and future expansion.
As much as I’m sure you are all as deeply fascinated by my thesis topic as I am, I’m going to save the explosion of china-related blog material until I’m actually there. For now, I’m going to continue making to most of the time I have left in Turkey and with my new friends here. Also, I am hitting the streets with a vengeance to improve my photography, so hopefully you’ll be seeing some incredible shots in the near future. Until then…
Friday, July 15, 2011
Citizenship
Over the past few weeks, citizenship has been a concept that has continually come to the forefront of my thoughts. Coming from one of the largest, most populated, and economically prosperous countries in the world is surprisingly easy to not notice, especially while in the US. The power of my little blue passport is frankly astonishing. Entering into Turkey after my weekend in Greece, it was hard not to notice just how easily I can pass through passport control with considerably less scrutiny as I was in line behind several Russians and two people from Azerbaijan. Their entry was considerably less smooth while the golden eagle on my passport allows me to slide through as if I were covered with a nice layer of Crisco.
The ease with which an American passport holder can travel around the world is quite easily overlooked when you are one of those passport holders. Here, Turkish people need visas to go almost anywhere and the application process for visas are not easy. Similarly, I found out from my new Chinese room mate exactly how limited Chinese passport holders are as well. Neither of my room mates can enter the EU without going through a grueling visa application process while I just hop on a plane, hand over my passport and get a little black stamp without thinking about it.
As I said, I’ve been thinking a lot about my citizenship recently, and it’s not just in a traveling capacity. It’s always interesting to be outside of the US gaining a different perspective. Others notice things about the US that I rarely think about or at least in ways I rarely think about them. Many times, explaining our systems and methods of doing things, I have to confront the fact that we have little or no good justification for some of the things we do, and there is almost no way of validating some of our practices. For example, why do we use Fahrenheit? It’s a ridiculous system of arbitrary numbers that isn’t used or even understood almost anywhere outside the US while Celsius is both logical and used almost everywhere. Similarly, our bizarre clinging to imperial measurements is honestly baffling when you sit and think about it, and I don’t even think I fully understand it. Ounces and gallons and pounds, not to mention the entire concepts of tipping and sales tax (I could rant about the ridiculousness of sales tax for days) – why America, why?
Beyond trivial things like measurements, it’s quite a strange experience to explain to a German citizen that higher education in the United States costs thousands upon thousands of dollars, requiring many people to build up a hefty pile of debt before they ever begin any sort of full-time employment, while in Germany (and much of Europe) University costs almost nothing, although they lack such stimulating course work as “Shalom Ya’ll” (yes, that is a real class at UNC). It’s not that I doubt in any way the quality of our higher education system as I’m personally convinced that in many ways my education is shaping me in far more profound ways one at most foreign universities would, but it is simply incredible the disparity that exists in price. Similarly, for many nations, it’s a bizarre notion that the United States can supposedly be so large, powerful, and prosperous, yet not provide health care to its citizens. Explaining the significant displeasure with “socialized medicine” that exists in the US is quite difficult to do, much less validate. Moreover, the ways in which the US projectile vomits its message of “liberty,” “democracy,” “equality,” and “personal freedoms” upon its citizens and the world at large while it clings to antiquated ideologies and some of its frighteningly Ayatollah-like policies leads me to genuinely question my desire to be even associated with “my country,” much less live in it.
That said, it’s not as if I want to jump ship and immigrate to Canada any time soon – although Canada seems pretty awesome from what I hear (I wouldn’t mind dual citizenship so I could get cheaper visas). It simply makes me realize that my political passivity is not really a good thing and that looking at the US from an outside perspective is a valuable thing that’s not very commonly practiced by its citizens. We, as citizens with voting rights and (in principle) freedom of speech, have the duty and responsibility to strive for what we feel is right, just, and needed in our society, and spending time away from the US is, in my opinion, one of the best ways to actually take an objective look at the US and determine what is right, just, and needed. The US is not and has not been for quite some time the hegemon it was coming out of World War II, and while outside of the United States, it becomes all the more apparent that we, as a nation, must cease and desist our strutting around as if we have all the right answers and we’re better than everyone else. We have many problems in the US that only we, the citizens, are responsible for fixing, and perhaps if we keep an open mind and accept that other places have good ideas too, we might just find solutions in other places. We could certainly learn a thing or two about public transit systems from Singapore (as could pretty much every other in the world).
Sometimes, I’m actually quite ashamed of the US in some regards. I am a direct reflection of our education system in many ways – good and bad. As such, I’m decently well-versed in things like the civil rights movement, the importance of wearing a seatbelt, and the value of teamwork, cooperation and mutual respect (I think those might need to trickle up to the national level and not just linger on wall decorations in elementary school classrooms); however, I also seem utterly stupid trying to mental which is, in my opinion, highly reflective of the simplicity of the American mathematics education. I personally believe that it is this exact simplicity in mathematics instruction that has caused the rampant problems with debt in the US since it’s clear many people don’t understand that they can’t simply live on credit. Alternatively, I take pride in the ideological creativity (not necessarily artistic) that is fostered in our education system. It’s simply not as common in many other countries. I’m sure that this post comes across as veritable bucket list of complains; however, its purpose was chiefly to share some of the more profound thoughts that have been going through my head recently (apart from my essentially never-ending obsession with food and swirling torrent of marketing related musings that are a direct reflections of my internship and honors thesis research). My blog can’t all be about pretty pictures and everything I eat.
I have to say, however, that despite my displeasure with many of my nation’s shortcomings, I’m very happy that I “pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands,” even if we still have a little ways to go before we really get to “liberty and justice for all.” At the end of the day, we’re leaps and bounds ahead of many countries in many regards, and “we the people” embrace many of my favorite things that I personally feel are integral parts of my “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness” like Mexican food, free refills, the 24-hour pharmacy, and the sheer ecstasy of drying clothes in a dryer – a concept that is impossible to fully appreciate without living without one for several months. The US is sometimes a frustrating place, but it’s home.
The ease with which an American passport holder can travel around the world is quite easily overlooked when you are one of those passport holders. Here, Turkish people need visas to go almost anywhere and the application process for visas are not easy. Similarly, I found out from my new Chinese room mate exactly how limited Chinese passport holders are as well. Neither of my room mates can enter the EU without going through a grueling visa application process while I just hop on a plane, hand over my passport and get a little black stamp without thinking about it.
As I said, I’ve been thinking a lot about my citizenship recently, and it’s not just in a traveling capacity. It’s always interesting to be outside of the US gaining a different perspective. Others notice things about the US that I rarely think about or at least in ways I rarely think about them. Many times, explaining our systems and methods of doing things, I have to confront the fact that we have little or no good justification for some of the things we do, and there is almost no way of validating some of our practices. For example, why do we use Fahrenheit? It’s a ridiculous system of arbitrary numbers that isn’t used or even understood almost anywhere outside the US while Celsius is both logical and used almost everywhere. Similarly, our bizarre clinging to imperial measurements is honestly baffling when you sit and think about it, and I don’t even think I fully understand it. Ounces and gallons and pounds, not to mention the entire concepts of tipping and sales tax (I could rant about the ridiculousness of sales tax for days) – why America, why?
Beyond trivial things like measurements, it’s quite a strange experience to explain to a German citizen that higher education in the United States costs thousands upon thousands of dollars, requiring many people to build up a hefty pile of debt before they ever begin any sort of full-time employment, while in Germany (and much of Europe) University costs almost nothing, although they lack such stimulating course work as “Shalom Ya’ll” (yes, that is a real class at UNC). It’s not that I doubt in any way the quality of our higher education system as I’m personally convinced that in many ways my education is shaping me in far more profound ways one at most foreign universities would, but it is simply incredible the disparity that exists in price. Similarly, for many nations, it’s a bizarre notion that the United States can supposedly be so large, powerful, and prosperous, yet not provide health care to its citizens. Explaining the significant displeasure with “socialized medicine” that exists in the US is quite difficult to do, much less validate. Moreover, the ways in which the US projectile vomits its message of “liberty,” “democracy,” “equality,” and “personal freedoms” upon its citizens and the world at large while it clings to antiquated ideologies and some of its frighteningly Ayatollah-like policies leads me to genuinely question my desire to be even associated with “my country,” much less live in it.
That said, it’s not as if I want to jump ship and immigrate to Canada any time soon – although Canada seems pretty awesome from what I hear (I wouldn’t mind dual citizenship so I could get cheaper visas). It simply makes me realize that my political passivity is not really a good thing and that looking at the US from an outside perspective is a valuable thing that’s not very commonly practiced by its citizens. We, as citizens with voting rights and (in principle) freedom of speech, have the duty and responsibility to strive for what we feel is right, just, and needed in our society, and spending time away from the US is, in my opinion, one of the best ways to actually take an objective look at the US and determine what is right, just, and needed. The US is not and has not been for quite some time the hegemon it was coming out of World War II, and while outside of the United States, it becomes all the more apparent that we, as a nation, must cease and desist our strutting around as if we have all the right answers and we’re better than everyone else. We have many problems in the US that only we, the citizens, are responsible for fixing, and perhaps if we keep an open mind and accept that other places have good ideas too, we might just find solutions in other places. We could certainly learn a thing or two about public transit systems from Singapore (as could pretty much every other in the world).
Sometimes, I’m actually quite ashamed of the US in some regards. I am a direct reflection of our education system in many ways – good and bad. As such, I’m decently well-versed in things like the civil rights movement, the importance of wearing a seatbelt, and the value of teamwork, cooperation and mutual respect (I think those might need to trickle up to the national level and not just linger on wall decorations in elementary school classrooms); however, I also seem utterly stupid trying to mental which is, in my opinion, highly reflective of the simplicity of the American mathematics education. I personally believe that it is this exact simplicity in mathematics instruction that has caused the rampant problems with debt in the US since it’s clear many people don’t understand that they can’t simply live on credit. Alternatively, I take pride in the ideological creativity (not necessarily artistic) that is fostered in our education system. It’s simply not as common in many other countries. I’m sure that this post comes across as veritable bucket list of complains; however, its purpose was chiefly to share some of the more profound thoughts that have been going through my head recently (apart from my essentially never-ending obsession with food and swirling torrent of marketing related musings that are a direct reflections of my internship and honors thesis research). My blog can’t all be about pretty pictures and everything I eat.
I have to say, however, that despite my displeasure with many of my nation’s shortcomings, I’m very happy that I “pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands,” even if we still have a little ways to go before we really get to “liberty and justice for all.” At the end of the day, we’re leaps and bounds ahead of many countries in many regards, and “we the people” embrace many of my favorite things that I personally feel are integral parts of my “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness” like Mexican food, free refills, the 24-hour pharmacy, and the sheer ecstasy of drying clothes in a dryer – a concept that is impossible to fully appreciate without living without one for several months. The US is sometimes a frustrating place, but it’s home.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Ruins and Ring Roads: From Athenian Memories to Chinese Travel Plans
In my previous post, I attempted to give you a small taste of what I ate in Greece; however, I assure you that’s not all of what I did while I was there. Greek food is, in fact, not the best thing about Athens.
Athens struck me as surprisingly tiny. Geographically, it’s not all that spread out, so it’s quite easy to get from place to place on food – unlike Istanbul which is several times larger. Each site I went to was only a few minutes walk to the next, and I almost never had to look around since you can pretty much see the next batch of ruins from whichever ones you’re at.
The most impressive, by far, were the Acropolis and the Ancient Agora. Though I wish I was better versed in ancient history when visiting the sites, it’s hard not to appreciate their size and grandeur. It just blows my mind that they are thousands of years old, and have been a part of Athens through countless wars and changes over time. They’ve seen the middle ages, the arrival of Christianity, the creation of the EU, and the recent demise of the Greek economy.
It’s truly incredible to see modern political movements taking place just blocks away from where the essence of Western civilization began. You can sit at a Starbucks, sipping your latte while you stare up at the Pantheon. Greece is a truly incredible place.
Perhaps one of my favorite things about Greece was it’s affinity for graffiti. Greek graffiti might be the most eclectic and sophisticated jumble of street drawings I’ve ever encountered, and it was definitely not something I expected to see. Images of Poseidon decorate store fronts while other messages simply remind us of important life lesions. Another strangely wide-spread trend was to adorn buildings and signs across the city with simply the word “Amigos.” Perhaps it’s just a testament to the friendliness of the Greek people who, if I haven’t already mentioned it, speak gloriously refreshing amounts of good English. The ability to discuss payment options and drink modifications while ordering my coffee was a luxury I had largely given up on in Istanbul, although the Starbucks nearest my apartment there does know my order on sight thanks to the few weeks I didn’t have internet at my apartment.
After my glorious weekend in Athens, I returned to Istanbul only to encounter a Sino-Turkish fiasco that could easily rival, nay top my experience with getting a visa to come to Turkey in the first place. My plan for Monday morning was to go to the Chinese consulate, apply for my visa, and then purchase my flights to China that evening. Upon arriving at the address listed on the Consulate website, I discover (thanks to a Turkish man who realized I was lost and called someone who spoke English on his cell phone in order to communicate with me) that the Chinese consulate is in fact in a completely different area of the city which is basically only accessible by taxi. A 40 lira taxi ride that involved the driver asking no less than 15 or 20 people directions on the way later, I arrive at the Chinese consulate ready to apply for my visa. When I get inside, I notice that they have more updated forms that I had already prepared sitting in neat stacks next to the waiting benches. I snagged one and filled it out. Once finished, I strolled up to the window and noticed that the woman behind the window was Turkish and not Chinese. I told her I needed to apply for a visa, and she promptly informed me that despite visa applications being “consular affairs” and me being at the consulate during “consular hours,” the Chinese consulate here does not accept visa applications. I was told that I had to go to a travel agent in Taksim (basically the heart of the city). Knowing that businesses in that area stay open later, I started my 2-hour journey back to work frustrated and slightly defeated, though hopeful.
After work, I got on the shuttle to Taksim at which time I realize that my supervisor is on the same shuttle. She and I discussed where I was going exactly to apply, and she told me that she didn’t think that the address I had written down was correct. She made a phone call in Turkish and eventually informed me that where I was going was indeed to wrong place, but the correct place was right on her way to where she was going. She showed me the way, and I climbed 5 flights of narrow, winding stairs up to the visa application services office of a major travel agency in Turkey. Upon arriving , I was informed that had closed 20 minutes prior to my arrival and that I had to come back the next morning.
Tuesday morning, I hauled myself back to the visa application office, documents in hand. When I sat down in the chair opposite the man I had spoken to the previous day, he took a look at my application and said “you are missing some documents.” Having made completely sure that I had everything listed on Chinese government website, I responded with a slightly perturbed “What? Which documents?” Come to find out, in order for me (even as an American citizen with a US passport) to get a Chinese visa in Turkey, I’m subject to the same requirements of Turkish citizens (though I still would have to pay the higher fee for the visa as an American citizen). I would be required to show bank statements showing that I have at least $5,000 USD in liquid assets to support myself while in China as well as provide proof of airfare to China and hotel reservations for my time there. As I need flexibility in my travel plans while in China, I have no hotel reservations and do not really plan on making any until shortly before hand. Also, I wasn’t going to fork over several hundred dollars for flights until I was sure I could get a visa, and as a college student, I don’t exactly have $5,000 USD just chilling in my bank account to tickle the Chinese government’s fancy. My decision: fly to Hong Kong and apply there so that I would not have to deal with the strange Turkey-specific requirements, and could apply just like as if I were in the US – only with way cooler scenery and better food. Thus, I now am the proud holder of flight confirmations for Turkish Airways flights 70 and 71 non-stop from Istanbul to Hong Kong (amazingly the cheapest possible path, with the best times, and on a Star Alliance member airlines; thus, I can add to my current approximate total of 20,000 air miles on US Airways).
After I left the visa application office, I’m quite glad that it takes almost 2 hours to get back to the office, because I was filled with such profuse displeasure with Turkey that I would have easily said things I would have regretted, plummeting an already low approval rating of Americans even lower. I’ve already been told that “Turkish people really like British people - in fact, even more so than Americans.” To that, I responded with “oh… ok.” The comment came out of nowhere a week or so ago, and I’ve yet to figure out exactly why the UK is so much better. They have neat accents, but really are they that much better than us? I personally think they kind of messed up big time. As one British friend puts it “the UK used to have all of this land all over the world, but look at it now – they’ve lost all of it and are stuck on that crappy little Island.” Crappy, and overcast it may be, but it’s still an Island that I’ dying to visit, regardless of its apparently preferred status here in Turkey.
As my time remaining here in turkey rapidly approaches the two week mark, I’m trying to make plans to do the rest of the “musts.” I have to go to the Modern Art Museum and go to a Turkish bath (hamam) before leaving for sure, so we’ll see how those go. I am glad, however, that most of my friends here will also be leaving around the same time I do, so I’m not necessarily sad to be leaving soon. I’m massively looking forward to my return trip to China. According to my current plans, it will involve time in Hong Kong (Probably tied with New York for my favorite major city in the World), Shanghai (which I’ve never been to before), Xiamen (where I studied abroad Fall 2009), Taipei (which I’ve also never been to), and Beijing (which will be hosting no less than 6 or 7 of my good friends from the US). All I can say is if you think my raving about food has been bad thus far, watch out for my China posts because food there is like nothing else in the world.
Lastly, I’m going to leave you with an interesting update on the strange affinity for the theme song from The Godfather. If you recall, there is apparently a trend to have the theme for a car honk here in Istanbul; however, I have recently discovered it’s an even more wide-reaching phenomenon. While in Greece, I noticed on no less than 3 occasions accordion players on the street playing the theme, and just a few days ago a man in Taksim was trying to sell these devices that you can put in your mouth and chirp like a bird. Of course while demonstrating the amazing abilities of this device, he let out several loud chirps and, of course, the first few bars of The Godfather’s theme in faux birdsong. Why it’s so popular, the world may never know.
For more photos of Greece, check out my Facebook album: Athens
Athens struck me as surprisingly tiny. Geographically, it’s not all that spread out, so it’s quite easy to get from place to place on food – unlike Istanbul which is several times larger. Each site I went to was only a few minutes walk to the next, and I almost never had to look around since you can pretty much see the next batch of ruins from whichever ones you’re at.
The most impressive, by far, were the Acropolis and the Ancient Agora. Though I wish I was better versed in ancient history when visiting the sites, it’s hard not to appreciate their size and grandeur. It just blows my mind that they are thousands of years old, and have been a part of Athens through countless wars and changes over time. They’ve seen the middle ages, the arrival of Christianity, the creation of the EU, and the recent demise of the Greek economy.
It’s truly incredible to see modern political movements taking place just blocks away from where the essence of Western civilization began. You can sit at a Starbucks, sipping your latte while you stare up at the Pantheon. Greece is a truly incredible place.
Perhaps one of my favorite things about Greece was it’s affinity for graffiti. Greek graffiti might be the most eclectic and sophisticated jumble of street drawings I’ve ever encountered, and it was definitely not something I expected to see. Images of Poseidon decorate store fronts while other messages simply remind us of important life lesions. Another strangely wide-spread trend was to adorn buildings and signs across the city with simply the word “Amigos.” Perhaps it’s just a testament to the friendliness of the Greek people who, if I haven’t already mentioned it, speak gloriously refreshing amounts of good English. The ability to discuss payment options and drink modifications while ordering my coffee was a luxury I had largely given up on in Istanbul, although the Starbucks nearest my apartment there does know my order on sight thanks to the few weeks I didn’t have internet at my apartment.
After my glorious weekend in Athens, I returned to Istanbul only to encounter a Sino-Turkish fiasco that could easily rival, nay top my experience with getting a visa to come to Turkey in the first place. My plan for Monday morning was to go to the Chinese consulate, apply for my visa, and then purchase my flights to China that evening. Upon arriving at the address listed on the Consulate website, I discover (thanks to a Turkish man who realized I was lost and called someone who spoke English on his cell phone in order to communicate with me) that the Chinese consulate is in fact in a completely different area of the city which is basically only accessible by taxi. A 40 lira taxi ride that involved the driver asking no less than 15 or 20 people directions on the way later, I arrive at the Chinese consulate ready to apply for my visa. When I get inside, I notice that they have more updated forms that I had already prepared sitting in neat stacks next to the waiting benches. I snagged one and filled it out. Once finished, I strolled up to the window and noticed that the woman behind the window was Turkish and not Chinese. I told her I needed to apply for a visa, and she promptly informed me that despite visa applications being “consular affairs” and me being at the consulate during “consular hours,” the Chinese consulate here does not accept visa applications. I was told that I had to go to a travel agent in Taksim (basically the heart of the city). Knowing that businesses in that area stay open later, I started my 2-hour journey back to work frustrated and slightly defeated, though hopeful.
After work, I got on the shuttle to Taksim at which time I realize that my supervisor is on the same shuttle. She and I discussed where I was going exactly to apply, and she told me that she didn’t think that the address I had written down was correct. She made a phone call in Turkish and eventually informed me that where I was going was indeed to wrong place, but the correct place was right on her way to where she was going. She showed me the way, and I climbed 5 flights of narrow, winding stairs up to the visa application services office of a major travel agency in Turkey. Upon arriving , I was informed that had closed 20 minutes prior to my arrival and that I had to come back the next morning.
Tuesday morning, I hauled myself back to the visa application office, documents in hand. When I sat down in the chair opposite the man I had spoken to the previous day, he took a look at my application and said “you are missing some documents.” Having made completely sure that I had everything listed on Chinese government website, I responded with a slightly perturbed “What? Which documents?” Come to find out, in order for me (even as an American citizen with a US passport) to get a Chinese visa in Turkey, I’m subject to the same requirements of Turkish citizens (though I still would have to pay the higher fee for the visa as an American citizen). I would be required to show bank statements showing that I have at least $5,000 USD in liquid assets to support myself while in China as well as provide proof of airfare to China and hotel reservations for my time there. As I need flexibility in my travel plans while in China, I have no hotel reservations and do not really plan on making any until shortly before hand. Also, I wasn’t going to fork over several hundred dollars for flights until I was sure I could get a visa, and as a college student, I don’t exactly have $5,000 USD just chilling in my bank account to tickle the Chinese government’s fancy. My decision: fly to Hong Kong and apply there so that I would not have to deal with the strange Turkey-specific requirements, and could apply just like as if I were in the US – only with way cooler scenery and better food. Thus, I now am the proud holder of flight confirmations for Turkish Airways flights 70 and 71 non-stop from Istanbul to Hong Kong (amazingly the cheapest possible path, with the best times, and on a Star Alliance member airlines; thus, I can add to my current approximate total of 20,000 air miles on US Airways).
After I left the visa application office, I’m quite glad that it takes almost 2 hours to get back to the office, because I was filled with such profuse displeasure with Turkey that I would have easily said things I would have regretted, plummeting an already low approval rating of Americans even lower. I’ve already been told that “Turkish people really like British people - in fact, even more so than Americans.” To that, I responded with “oh… ok.” The comment came out of nowhere a week or so ago, and I’ve yet to figure out exactly why the UK is so much better. They have neat accents, but really are they that much better than us? I personally think they kind of messed up big time. As one British friend puts it “the UK used to have all of this land all over the world, but look at it now – they’ve lost all of it and are stuck on that crappy little Island.” Crappy, and overcast it may be, but it’s still an Island that I’ dying to visit, regardless of its apparently preferred status here in Turkey.
As my time remaining here in turkey rapidly approaches the two week mark, I’m trying to make plans to do the rest of the “musts.” I have to go to the Modern Art Museum and go to a Turkish bath (hamam) before leaving for sure, so we’ll see how those go. I am glad, however, that most of my friends here will also be leaving around the same time I do, so I’m not necessarily sad to be leaving soon. I’m massively looking forward to my return trip to China. According to my current plans, it will involve time in Hong Kong (Probably tied with New York for my favorite major city in the World), Shanghai (which I’ve never been to before), Xiamen (where I studied abroad Fall 2009), Taipei (which I’ve also never been to), and Beijing (which will be hosting no less than 6 or 7 of my good friends from the US). All I can say is if you think my raving about food has been bad thus far, watch out for my China posts because food there is like nothing else in the world.
Lastly, I’m going to leave you with an interesting update on the strange affinity for the theme song from The Godfather. If you recall, there is apparently a trend to have the theme for a car honk here in Istanbul; however, I have recently discovered it’s an even more wide-reaching phenomenon. While in Greece, I noticed on no less than 3 occasions accordion players on the street playing the theme, and just a few days ago a man in Taksim was trying to sell these devices that you can put in your mouth and chirp like a bird. Of course while demonstrating the amazing abilities of this device, he let out several loud chirps and, of course, the first few bars of The Godfather’s theme in faux birdsong. Why it’s so popular, the world may never know.
For more photos of Greece, check out my Facebook album: Athens
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
“What do you mean he don’t eat no meat?!?”
My Big Fat Greek Wedding had it right when they say “Greek meat… very nice…. Very nice Greek meat” or when they look upon vegetarianism with shock and disbelief with the exclamation of “What do you mean he don’t eat no meat!?!” Anyone limiting their diet in Greece is limiting themselves to far more than I would have imagined before this past weekend.
In my attempt to catch up on my highly awaited, much needed blogging about my weekend trip to Greece, I’m going to start with my favorite of all topics: The food.
Simply put, it was glorious. I think I might have almost wept tears of joy from how good this stuff was. Meal number one was a Greek salad, complete with giant slab of fresh feta. In the US, much of the feta is not very flavorful, but still a quite nice salad-additive. If history had only been slightly different, I’m sure Greece could have easily started its own religion followed worldwide based on its feta alone. This tuff was delicious, and totally made my salad. The meal would not have been complete without the personal sized bottle of white wine, which was, amusingly, the second cheapest drink on the menu and only fractions of a Euro more than bottled water. Needless to say, I had to have a quick sample of the local vintage. I was impressed. As I’ve said before, and I will surely say again – I could go on for hours about food, but why yap incessantly when a picture is worth a thousand words (or in this case, some stomach growls of fond memory and a few thousand words, most of which are just grunts of enjoyments something along the lines of ommmmmmmg).
I also had a pita of wonder. Much like a Turkish döner, it was a pita with meat and some other vegetables inside; however, Greece, being on top of all things food, decided to add one more thing. That thing was the sauce. I have no idea what this stuff was. It was not tzatziki sauce. It was some other glorious Greek concoction that I only hope I can eventually figure out how to make. I would have eaten by the bucket load with vigor that is usually reserved for depressed pregnant women eating Ben & Jerry’s .
The final food tidbit I will leave you with is my final meal in Greece. It was a pasta with chicken, bacon, mushrooms, and a white cream sauce – need I say more? Of course it doesn’t end there – its Greece. I had to have the Cappuccino Freddo, basically like a iced cappuccino, but creamier and far more delicious.
Lonely Planet’s article on the top 10 countries in the world for food outlines some pretty incredible eating experiences, and I must say that my weekend fully validated Greece’s presence on that list along side some pretty heavy hitters like Indonesia, China, France, and India. Spain’s presence on the list, however, still boggles me. Did I just simply eat the wrong things there? I thought it was good, but not top 10…. Maybe Lonely Planet just forgot about phở and gave Spain Vietnam’s place by accident.
In my attempt to catch up on my highly awaited, much needed blogging about my weekend trip to Greece, I’m going to start with my favorite of all topics: The food.
Simply put, it was glorious. I think I might have almost wept tears of joy from how good this stuff was. Meal number one was a Greek salad, complete with giant slab of fresh feta. In the US, much of the feta is not very flavorful, but still a quite nice salad-additive. If history had only been slightly different, I’m sure Greece could have easily started its own religion followed worldwide based on its feta alone. This tuff was delicious, and totally made my salad. The meal would not have been complete without the personal sized bottle of white wine, which was, amusingly, the second cheapest drink on the menu and only fractions of a Euro more than bottled water. Needless to say, I had to have a quick sample of the local vintage. I was impressed. As I’ve said before, and I will surely say again – I could go on for hours about food, but why yap incessantly when a picture is worth a thousand words (or in this case, some stomach growls of fond memory and a few thousand words, most of which are just grunts of enjoyments something along the lines of ommmmmmmg).
I also had a pita of wonder. Much like a Turkish döner, it was a pita with meat and some other vegetables inside; however, Greece, being on top of all things food, decided to add one more thing. That thing was the sauce. I have no idea what this stuff was. It was not tzatziki sauce. It was some other glorious Greek concoction that I only hope I can eventually figure out how to make. I would have eaten by the bucket load with vigor that is usually reserved for depressed pregnant women eating Ben & Jerry’s .
The final food tidbit I will leave you with is my final meal in Greece. It was a pasta with chicken, bacon, mushrooms, and a white cream sauce – need I say more? Of course it doesn’t end there – its Greece. I had to have the Cappuccino Freddo, basically like a iced cappuccino, but creamier and far more delicious.
Lonely Planet’s article on the top 10 countries in the world for food outlines some pretty incredible eating experiences, and I must say that my weekend fully validated Greece’s presence on that list along side some pretty heavy hitters like Indonesia, China, France, and India. Spain’s presence on the list, however, still boggles me. Did I just simply eat the wrong things there? I thought it was good, but not top 10…. Maybe Lonely Planet just forgot about phở and gave Spain Vietnam’s place by accident.
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