One More Week

Yes! Just a week until I begin my 22 hour journey from Austin to Istanbul on Tuesday, September 4th. I'm looking forward to the new culture and the Turkish way of life, the  traditional Turkish baths, the markets, and experiencing the eastern and western approaches. It's important to keep in mind though that I am going as a student and will be attending Kadir Has University for the fall semester as well. As an International Studies and Political Science major, my focus on Eurasian Geopolitics, Energy Security, and the role of the Balkans will have obvious relevance. I will live in a Turkish apartment; go daily to class using Istanbul's public transportation; and shop for  groceries in the local markets 'Türkçe karşılığı' (in Turkish).

Window into Turkey

                      Turkish Lady gazing out the window

My goal is to share my experiences this semester and be a window into the life and culture of an American student living  and studying in Istanbul.

~In preparation for my journey, I have been learning more about my new environment. In this post, I am including two unexpected historical facts~

1.  Our Love Affair with Coffee

                       A classic cup of coffee (Turkish style)

The Ottoman Turks sieged Vienna in September of 1683. As my Austrian host father put it, when the troops retreated from the Austrian forces, the Turkish coffee beans were left behind. The Austrians, being unfamiliar with such, thought the beans were nothing more than horse feed.  They soon discovered it was better suited for people than horses and thus began the western world's addiction to coffee.

2.  Land of Tulips

               My ideal vision of Holland

Today, Holland is the land of tulips, but before the 17^th Century, the tulip was a wildflower in what is now eastern Turkey and the Middle East. In fact, the word tulip derives from an old Turkish word for “turban.” Thanks to an Austrian Botanist and his good friend, the ambassador in Constantinople, the tulip bulb made the journey from Turkey to Holland and changed the economy and image of Holland forever.

...And the next time you hear from me will be from Turkey!