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We woke up on the train just in time to pack and hop off in Ankara.We took a long bus ride to Cankiri, which was cool because we went through the mountains and I got some great picture.Arriving at Cankiri University, we were served tea and then had a lecture about Turkish culture, followed by one about Cankiri University.It was very interesting, but we were all ready to get moving by the end of it (long bus ride).
We had lunch with the university people at a lovely outdoor restaurant.The food was excellent!I was sitting near a really friendly Polish guy.He said he wanted to create some new exchange relationships with his university, so I gave him my card.He gave me a book about Polish products as he left, a book written in Polish, English, and German.How cool is that?
We headed off to our lodging next, dropping off the guys and the teachers at one dorm and continuing to a dorm right on campus for the girls.We got off the bus and were greeted by a large group of friendly, enthusiastic female students, who generously shared their rooms with us and tried to communicate, despite our rather pathetic Turkish skills.We met lots of them, but it was pretty overwhelming.The dorm mother showed us around and we used charades to figure out what she was telling us.Kelsey must kill at party charades—she figured out exactly what the lady was saying every time.We were also able to shower, which was fantastic.Unfortunately, most of us didn't have towels (we had been told we'd stay with host families).I had a hand towel and most of the other girls ended up borrowing towels or using extra sheets that the dorm mother had managed to find.In any case, we were finally clean and we were sufficiently revived to meet up with the guys and teachers for a little tour of Cankiri.
We first went to a museum that showcased a traditional Turkish house and learned about the traditional Turkish clubs (sounded a little like the mafia), and then headed to the local mosque.We hadn't been told we were going to a mosque, so most of the girls didn't have headscarves, but it was nearly empty and we tried to be as respectful as possible.We thought they would have something for us to use as a head covering inside, but there wasn't an attendant.This experience was completely different from the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.It felt much more holy and sacred, and this time I felt weird about not wearing a head covering.There were no tourists other than our group and I felt much more peaceful and serene in this mosque.It was much more like what I had expected and I was happy to have the experience.
The next place we went was a small art studio, set in a traditional art exhibit.An older man and his daughter showed us how to make beautiful paintings, which was especially nice of them because I think they were ready to close when we walked up.Hakan, our Turkish minder, translated for us.The make paintings by getting a pan of clean rain water and flicking and swirling paint on top of the water, and then painting a design (maybe a flower, for example) in the center, still on top of the water.They then lay the paper on the water so that the paint can set.The paints are all natural and stay colorfast for decades.They carefully remove the paper and the designs are gorgeous.We all looked through a book of the artist's work to see the other stuff he had done, and he gave Campbell the painting he had just finished.Then he shocked us all by offering us each a painting from the book.He wouldn't take any money from us (and believe me, we tried), but he did autograph each painting for us.I was thrilled with my painting, which was a pale blue swirl pattern with an abstract white design in the center.I showed Campbell and he asked if I wanted to him to turn it for me.What?One ninety degree turn later, I was looking at the outline of a whirling dervish.oops.I still love it though.We all carefully stored our paintings on the bus (rolled together) and headed off to dinner.
We ate dinner at a partially outdoor restaurant and had pide, which is a Turkish pizza (cheese, but no sauce).I chose meat pide, which had different kind of meats crumbled on top of the cheese.It was excellent—new favorite!*Note:I found a recipe for this online.Search for "Turkish Pide".*We were all talking and joking, swapping stories and listening to Campbell's study abroad tales, until there was a commotion at the far end of the table.Campbell was on the opposite end, but the students called him over to solve the dispute.It seemed they wanted him to explain to our two Turkish guides what "fisting" was.Apparently, they had been talking about a "fistfight", and didn't understand why their misstatement caused such an uproar.I thought the students would die laughing.Poor Campbell.
Translational issues aside, dinner was great and filling, so we headed back to the campus to go to the rector's party.The Rector is something like the director or president of the university, so it was an honor to be invited to his party.We arrived to find students and faculty making little soft meatballs and stuffing them with lettuce into tortillas.They meat was super spicy, but the thick yoghurt drink they were passing around made it bearable.We chatted with the students and then the music started.A group of people sat at the front of the room, flanking a guy with a guitar and another guy with a bongo drum.Live music!Everyone sang (well, everyone who was Turkish did, because they knew the words), and some of the Turkish people got up and danced.They did some traditional Turkish dancing.One guy was fantastic at it, and he pulled up some of the guys from our trip to teach them how to dance.The guys on this trip seem to really like dancing.Ashley and Missy danced too, and some of the other students in our group go to sit up front with the musicians.It was a fun party, with plenty of time to relax and meet new people.The music was nice too.Soon enough it was time to go back to our dorms though, so we took the bus back and hung out with the female students and wrote in our journals before bed.I was trying hard to get enough sleep, but I could feel exhaustion creeping up on me.We had to be up early the next day for our trip to the Black Sea coast, so I wrote in my journal until I was caught up and then went to bed.Ah, sleep:just as good abroad as it is at home.
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