Home away from home

When I embarked on my voyage, little did I know the wonders that were about to be bestowed upon me. Firstly coming from the grey skies and rainy temperate of the British Isles, the nearly blinding light and immense sensation of the sunshine ın February was a much reveled moment in. From there the character and vibrant energy of the Turkish culture was felt from the moment I stepped foot out the airport.

Upon arriving in the city of Ankara things begin to truly immerse you with the chaotic rush of a capital city blended perfectly with the warm personalities and amazing hospitality that can only be found in this magnificent nation.

My first port of call was none other than experiencing the unrivaled cuisine, rich in flavour and variety at a extraordinary value for money. Whether it be the mouth-watering menemen to the güzel gözleme or be it the bewildering Börek and even the poignant Poğaça… and these are just a few of the breakfast options that encompass a vast menu, packed with endless dishes that keep you wanting more and more. A reminder to be careful of this as like many who visited before the struggle to not overeat can be very real.  Additionally being greeted by and making friends with many cats can be expected and adds further to the unique experience.

There are many adventures to go on and sights to see for those who are explorers. Centrally located there are many museums and the awe that is Anıtkabir (Home to the founder of the Republic of Turkey), Ankara Kalesi which boasts incredible views far and wide. Along with many parks and architectural marvels that deserve much admiration.

My time spent so far with İYACA has been truly joyful and I'm excited going forward. They have supported me throughout and made every effort to ensure I feel part of their family and at home.

Half of the way ! (Servet)

After three months of isolation, my project is in the half way and I am in my fourth month already. We were talking with my friend and she said “quarantine was long as a time period but it was like passed very fast because everyday was same of yesterday“. I think yes she was right actually, when I think about it now it seems it was passing so fast…

After that I talked with my mentor and we decided for me to join a summer camp in Roma center. I had very valuable time with kids in there, we organize with them various type of activities. I was feeling so good because I can see the happiness in their eyes 😊

Also month of June was so fast for me because I had many different activities after quarantine. Let me start from beginning 🙂 after Lithuania lifted the isolation I directly bought I ticked and went to visit my friend in Klaipeda District, it is in Lithuania and very cute city nearby Baltic sea. We had great time there with him, a lot of adventure. During our trip also we decided to have small
Europe trip once the situation get more normal :))

We went with our group to the zoo, animal shelter, fun fair and we organize hip-hop workshop with them. We create a rap song end of this activity ☺

End of the camp I needed to say goodbye because the organization was going to close for a summer break. İt was the hardest moment for me because we had already emotional connection with majority of them. I hope we could see each other again.

As always said; happiness is only real when it shared ….

See you next month and stay healthy …

Regards,

Servet Avcı

Greetings from Ankara

     Hello, everybody, my name is Dumitru and I am Romanian, but I come from the Republic of Moldova.

    I have already spent a month in Ankara and I am just in love with this city. I was acquainted a little with the turkish culture before, but I still can find out a lot. I came here on 9th of July. The first place I visited here was Anitkabir, which is the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. It is a very emotional place for Turks and I consider it to be a very important place to visit for anyone interested in Turkish history. Unfortunately i was not able to visit the museum there, because of coronavirus pandemic it is closed. I could still admire the architectural and historical beauty of Anitkabir and I hope I will return to Ankara to visit the museum.

Turkish culture is very rich. The food in Turkey is so delicious and diverse. In my opinion only a foreigner can understand the feeling when you are in a restaurant and you don't know what to choose, because you would like to try everything. I like very much Turkish music, especially Angara music. One can see people singing in the street and playing musical instruments, some of which I have never seen anywhere else, like the bağlama or the goblet drum. Turkish dances are also very beautiful.

    The next place i visited was the Ankara Castle. It is located in Ulus region. The castle has a beautiful architecture and an amazing view of the city. Not far away from the castle there is the Rahmi M. Koc Museum. It is definetely the best museum i visited. You can find anything there. Retro cars, model trains, vinyl players and vinyl disks, small sculptures of different people, paintings, planes, walking sticks, smoking pipes, sewing machines, engines, computers, musical instruments, ships inside bottles, bikes and motorcycles. Everything can be found in this museum, and also working rooms of craftsmen. It takes a few hours to visit the museum, because it is very big.

    I enjoy being here. At the office everybody is very friendly and collegial. The environment is very pleasant. This is my first time as a volunteer, and i like it very much. The host organization is helping me with anything i need and giving me good advice. I am so happy i came to Ankara and I look forward to coming here. I recommend everybody to come to Ankara and encourage to become a volunteer, as it is an amazing experience.

Salutări din Ankara - Ankara'dan selamlar

”Would you like to go to abroad for two months?” was the question that I asked myself when I heard about this particular opportunity. I found a positive answer almost instantly to this question.

My volunteering experience began one month ago, as I was preparing for the trip of my life from Bucharest, Romania, to the beautiful and heavily and diversed culturalized Turkey. I confess that I am one of the lucky ones when I say that I made my journey by car (the road from Bucharest to Ankara took about 14 hours), because I had the chance to enjoy the special landscapes and the unique architecture that thıs country offers to ıt’s visitors.

It didn't take long until I got used to the city and the lifestyle in which the people here live, because the capital of Turkey is similar to the Capital of Romania, Bucharest. The fact that I know a little about the language and lifestyle of the Turks helped me to get acquainted with the city, so I didn't feel the cultural shock. The stay here was and is a relaxing and challenging one. The challenges I went through were managing my money, spending responsibly, and having to learn to cook in order to better manage my money. As the result of this money management,  I had the opportunity to visit different museums and cultural places like Anıtkabir, Etnografya, Anadolu Medeniyetleri Müzesi and Rahmi Koç. I’m thankful to the volunteers that came with me because they offered me/gave me the chance to deepen my knowlege regarding the turkish civilisation and their history.

As a month went by, I relised that I have become fearless regarding new places, new people and new countries, I succeded working on my patience, I managed to impprove my turkish language. I want to conclude with the fact that anyone wants to become a volunteer, and this brings benefits to society, but more importantly brings personal benefits, because the experience of being a volunteer helps you grow as a person, increases self-esteem, provides a sense of purpose and helps you become an active member / citizen of the society in which you live. If you need find a reason to volunteer, there are plenty, but the main reason to be a volunteer is because it makes a difference.