Hello's and Goodbye's

As I teach my students proper greetings and goodbye's, I thought I'd divulge an element of Turkish culture I have yet to grow accustomed to: the old faux-double-kiss-on-the-cheek. I believe you know what I refer to. And although it's common here, I feel caught off-guard every time someone "leans-in." In a few weeks I'm sure I'll get the hang of it, but I haven't mastered the transition from smile to handshake to (complete transition of the hands) cheek-tap, not to mention the timing, which has resulted in some awkward lingering just centimeters from the face of a colleague or a student.

On a less uncomfortable note, I've been spending a good amount of time acquainting myself with the city. I appreciate seeing some of the same faces every day, and although we won't speak the same language, their presence is comforting and helps me feel less alone. The family-owned restaurant I regularly eat at, the cafe down the road, and the lobby of my hotel are comfortable spots I'm feeling increasingly familiar with. Right now, in fact, I'm at a favorite cafe (Khaverengi, which also means 'brown') that seems popular with the university crowd. I usually find a table by myself, work on lesson plans, determine future plans, edit writing samples, and compose blog entries. The stares of most people haven't ceased, but it's provoked a few good people to introduce themselves. Their limited English and my limited Turkish make matters a little tough, but if you can flash a few smiles at just the right time everything seems to work out just fine.

Also, I'm starting to get acquainted with the various personalities at the University. I can't help but smile when I run across the Turkish version of a friend back home. That's happened quite a bit and it's always a joy, not simply because it's funny, but because it's nice to keep friends in mind. I've even been compelled to defend my thesis to a colleague in the Economics department. For those unfamiliar, it was a comparative study of democratization in Egypt and Turkey, and I'm glad for the input and the criticism. It's revealed to me the limits of academic research from outside the environment I've studied.

That's it for the time being. I'll head back to my hotel, watch an episode of 30 Rock, and hit the hay. I'm thinking of a trip to Izmir. We'll see. Goodnight.