Iyi Bayramlar!
This morning I woke up and drank a cup of coffee, perhaps the most beautiful cup of coffee I have ever had. I ate a breakfast in which everything tasted delectable. I looked outside at the beautiful flowers and trees, the sunshine, and everything seemed more beautiful than I previously remembered. I am truly blessed to have been a part of Ramadan, to have fasted, and participated in such a deep tradition.
When I began this project at the beginning of the summer, my purpose was to explore Turkish music and how it influenced Mozart's writings. I began by researching the music theory, the forms, different singers, and music from different areas while attempting to learn the Turkish language. As the summer progressed, I quickly realized that an understanding of Turkish music required much more than a mere understanding of the theory or even the Turkish language. Turkish music is deeply embedded in the culture itself. Every day immersing myself in the culture, learning about the people, experience all aspects of Turkish live I was able, my understanding of the music grew exponentially.
Perhaps one of the most significant pieces of the Mozart's Turkish puzzle lies in the understanding that Mozart himself was influenced by the culture as well as the music. This can be seen through his characters that reflect the stereotype of Turkish people at the time: big personalities, unruly, a bit narcissistic, and often those who get involved in multiple relationships. Turkish characters were used in his operas when the character needed a disguise-one that often involved the seduction of women. One example is the two men in Cosi fan Tutte. Sultan Ahmet palace was the corner stone for Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail, an opera devoted to showing the difference between characters of the English world-calm, somewhat arrogant and rude, niave-and the Turkish world-barbaric, and seductive. Because the Turkish characters in the operas all had an element of seduction to them, it can be assumed that Mozart himself felt seduced by the Turkish people, their lifestyle, and their culture. Because these characters are used to teach other characters a lesson, it can be assumed that Mozart was creating the same juxtaposition that he is famous for between the minority and the hierarchy-minority teaching the hierarchy a lesson (he was often in trouble for this by the way and this is one of the reasons his operas were not all that famous while he was living-don't bite the hand that feeds you is appropriate here).
On a very brief musical scale, Mozart uses significantly more melismatic passages and chromatic notes in the music of these characters. Looking at this from a Turkish standpoint, a lot of the Turkish music can be assumed to be chromatic by the Western ear. Turkish music is also infinitely famous for its use of ornamentations and melismas regardless of the genre. Mozart was not able to completely recreate the Turkish sound only because Western instruments are unable to be tuned to the specific needs to produce Makam and the komas so prominent in Turkish music.
Experiencing any culture, especially through immersion into that culture, gives one an understanding of not only that culture but also oneself. It has been nothing less than a pleasure to experience Turkey in the many ways I have been able. This project is no where near completed which is very exciting. I look forward to returning to Turkey again in pursuit of more understanding of the culture and music and its influence on Mozart's writings.
To those who have been following my blog, I thank you so very much for your time and for sharing this adventure with me. Tomorrow I return home to the United States to finish my final year of Masters-therefore little attention will be given to Turkish language and music. I hope that this blog has been enlightening and informative while at the same time doing justice to this beautiful, rich culture. As the Turkish people say when they will see one another again, gorusuruz.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
26 August 2011
Merhaba on this cok guzel gun (beautiful day)!
Today is a very important day during Ramadan. According to Muslim, today is the day that God took Muhammad up the seven levels to speak with him. Muhammad is Muslim's only prophet to have spoken with God personally. This evening, we will go near the Hagi Sofiya to eat dinner, and I will have the chance to experience Iftar outside watching all the people at the restaurants wait until Ezan to drink that first glass of water and open their oruc (break their fast). Today, more than any other day in Ramadan, oruc is significant for all Muslims whether they have been fasting the entire month or not.
Oruc entails much more than just fasting the 16 hours however. Oruc is an overall cleansing and fasting. No alcohol, no smoking, no sex, and, of course, no food and water until Iftar. As it was beautiful said to me, "God does not need you to be hungry or thirsty." The purpose of Oruc is much, much deeper.
Ramadan is a long standing tradition in Muslim religion that originally fell on the ninth calendar month of the year. It is said that during this time, Muhammad received the Qu'ran from God. It is in the Qu'ran that Muhammad charges all Muslims to fast. Later, Ramadan served not only a religious purpose, but also to help preserve food from harvests that were brought during this period in preparation for winter.
Locals say that in the past eight years, more and more Muslism are not participating in Ramadan because of the burden that the conservative government places on the people to participate. The government controls television commercials, most of which are Ramadan themed, to the price of bread, especially Pide, the special Ramadan bread and these are only two examples of the many things that the government owns and uses as propaganda for Ramadan.
The government also works to provide for those who may not be able to participate in Ramadan. Huge food areas are set up for Iftar and Sahur giving away free meals that include the traditional Corba (soup), main meal with meat, and come complete with dessert in many cases.
While we are waiting for Sahur in the morning, we watch a government run program I wrote about previously in my blog. The program reads from the Qu'ran, discusses Iman (Muslim faith), and one can hear the morning's Ezan. Muslim has songs similar to hymns that are also sung during this time while accompanied by live, traditional, Turkish instruments. The reading of the Qu'ran is perhaps my favorite to listen to, however. Imams train for years memorizing the entire Qu'ran. Because the original Qu'ran is in Arabic, reading it entails something between chanting and singing the verses. It is very difficult form of singing, and often uses komas (those notes in between notes found in Turkish music).
This is a beautiful reading of the Qu'ran by a young boy in training to be an Imam
http://youtu.be/SVanIauqirw
A beautiful tradition, and an experience that I am very thankful I am having, Ramadan continues to hold knowledge and surprises not only in terms of understanding the Muslim religion, but also for me personally.
Fun fact for the day, Chevy Chase was in a commercial for the Turkish cola, Cola Turka:
Part 1: http://youtu.be/5YsrKy2z2T8
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUjuezFPyGE&feature=related
***The writings in this blog are based upon personal experience and research conducted about the country of Turkey and the Muslims therein.***
Today is a very important day during Ramadan. According to Muslim, today is the day that God took Muhammad up the seven levels to speak with him. Muhammad is Muslim's only prophet to have spoken with God personally. This evening, we will go near the Hagi Sofiya to eat dinner, and I will have the chance to experience Iftar outside watching all the people at the restaurants wait until Ezan to drink that first glass of water and open their oruc (break their fast). Today, more than any other day in Ramadan, oruc is significant for all Muslims whether they have been fasting the entire month or not.
Oruc entails much more than just fasting the 16 hours however. Oruc is an overall cleansing and fasting. No alcohol, no smoking, no sex, and, of course, no food and water until Iftar. As it was beautiful said to me, "God does not need you to be hungry or thirsty." The purpose of Oruc is much, much deeper.
Ramadan is a long standing tradition in Muslim religion that originally fell on the ninth calendar month of the year. It is said that during this time, Muhammad received the Qu'ran from God. It is in the Qu'ran that Muhammad charges all Muslims to fast. Later, Ramadan served not only a religious purpose, but also to help preserve food from harvests that were brought during this period in preparation for winter.
Locals say that in the past eight years, more and more Muslism are not participating in Ramadan because of the burden that the conservative government places on the people to participate. The government controls television commercials, most of which are Ramadan themed, to the price of bread, especially Pide, the special Ramadan bread and these are only two examples of the many things that the government owns and uses as propaganda for Ramadan.
The government also works to provide for those who may not be able to participate in Ramadan. Huge food areas are set up for Iftar and Sahur giving away free meals that include the traditional Corba (soup), main meal with meat, and come complete with dessert in many cases.
While we are waiting for Sahur in the morning, we watch a government run program I wrote about previously in my blog. The program reads from the Qu'ran, discusses Iman (Muslim faith), and one can hear the morning's Ezan. Muslim has songs similar to hymns that are also sung during this time while accompanied by live, traditional, Turkish instruments. The reading of the Qu'ran is perhaps my favorite to listen to, however. Imams train for years memorizing the entire Qu'ran. Because the original Qu'ran is in Arabic, reading it entails something between chanting and singing the verses. It is very difficult form of singing, and often uses komas (those notes in between notes found in Turkish music).
This is a beautiful reading of the Qu'ran by a young boy in training to be an Imam
http://youtu.be/SVanIauqirw
A beautiful tradition, and an experience that I am very thankful I am having, Ramadan continues to hold knowledge and surprises not only in terms of understanding the Muslim religion, but also for me personally.
Fun fact for the day, Chevy Chase was in a commercial for the Turkish cola, Cola Turka:
Part 1: http://youtu.be/5YsrKy2z2T8
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUjuezFPyGE&feature=related
***The writings in this blog are based upon personal experience and research conducted about the country of Turkey and the Muslims therein.***
Saturday, August 20, 2011
20 August 2011
Hello to All!
As my summer here in Turkey comes to a close, I find myself admiring all the things that I have come to love about this country-the daily Ezan, the wonderful people, the vigorous and vivacious energy, the exquisite food, and most of all, the deep, rich, beautiful culture that has engrossed all that I've come to love making it distinctly Turkish.
Fasting has been a very difficult experience, but one that I am very proud to have experienced. My stomach has grown used to eating at Iftar and Sahur, but that has not stopped daily hunger and thirst my body and mind has become accustom to for the past 25 years. But, with each sip of water at Iftar, I am more and more thankful that I am blessed to have the food and water I do to quench my thirst and fill my stomach.
My research of what music influenced Mozart has come to a stand-still as I need the resources available to me through my University and overall, in the United States. While attempting to research certain things here in Turkey, I find many websites are blocked by the Turkish government. In the same, the goverment has blocked access to certain US television stations online, and I am not allowed to purchase any books through my Barnes and Noble Nook. Yet another thing I am thankful for in the US.
Back to work and enjoying my last few days here.....
Thursday, August 11, 2011
12 August 2011
Hello to all!
I was able experience my first Turkish summer rain storm today. It was beautiful, although extremely hard and seemed to only poor harder when I tried to step outside to break my fast and go eat dinner. At the beginning of the summer, my poor Eee PC was having a very difficult time working correctly and as the summer went on, the little thing went completely kaput. I have been relying on other people's computers (and kindess) and my iPod to check email and write my blogs. In order to complete my German Project, I need to use Microsoft Power Point, and consequently, am learning not only to use a completely Turkish version of Microsoft Office but also learning how to type using a Turkish Keyboard
I was able experience my first Turkish summer rain storm today. It was beautiful, although extremely hard and seemed to only poor harder when I tried to step outside to break my fast and go eat dinner. At the beginning of the summer, my poor Eee PC was having a very difficult time working correctly and as the summer went on, the little thing went completely kaput. I have been relying on other people's computers (and kindess) and my iPod to check email and write my blogs. In order to complete my German Project, I need to use Microsoft Power Point, and consequently, am learning not only to use a completely Turkish version of Microsoft Office but also learning how to type using a Turkish Keyboard
For a person who is used to typing 100+ words per minute, using this keyboard has taught me much more patience and also made me check my spelling very closely! I have considered replacing my old Eee PC with one from here in Turkey since I will have learned to type using this particular keyboard. The thought is still under consideration, however.
Each night, after Sahur, when we break our fasting and eat the evening meal (usually around 7:20pm), we watch a special TV channel which features a show where experts speak about the Koran and matters of faith, Iman. The show has a timetable on the side that shows the time and will flash the cities that begin Sahur at that particular time. Sahur always begins with Ezan, and the first thing that we do is take that most beautiful drink of water. Most channels also feature commercials, Reklamler, that attempt to use Ramadan to sell their products. Before Iftar, when our fasting begins each morning (around 4:19), we watch the same channel that features the same conversations of Iman and Koran, and begins our fasting with Ezan when we drink one final glass of water.
Picture of a Sahur Table
For Sahur we usually begin our meal with soup, Corba, which is easy on a stomach that has not had food for a significant amount of time. After Corba, dinner features some form of pasta, meat, and vegetables and bread. Our Iftar is a standard Turkish breakfest, Kahvalti, with olives, tomatos and cucumbers, cheese, some form of eggs (fried, boiled, etc), and bread. During Ramadan, there is a special bread, Pide, that is standard to eat during both Iftar and Sahur and both of our meals usually include Pide.
Mosque in Istanbul during Ramadan
One more piece of information to mention. At the beginning of my project in Turkey, due to unfortunate sponsorship circumstances, I was forced to withdraw from the Language Institute as my funding did not come through. Others involved in my project, such as advisors, became very unhelpful and made it exceedingly difficult to continue with other portions of the project as well. These setbacks along with the untimely death of my laptop almost caused me to abandon the project; however, I was determined not to let the work I had done go to waste. Thus, I continued with my research on my accord and proceeded to teach myself Turkish. Yesterday, I took a Turkish language test through a language institute. The test consisted of beginning Turkish through advanced Turkish. I am very proud to say that I scored a 50% or a high intermediate level of Turkish comprehension. Thank you for all those who have been following the blog and have been sending your good thoughts and support!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
10 August 2011
Merhaba!
Back in Istanbul and having a very "eye-opening" experience with Ramazan.
Fasting has been a somewhat difficult yet very good experience for me. It has
taught me to be very thankful for that moment when Ezan begins and I take that
first sip of water for the day. I have also learned to value food especially when
helping prepare it for the evening meal that closes fasting for the evening, Iftar.
The conversation that comes during Iftar is priceless as well as I am not the only
one of many sharing in these feelings of thankfulness. Throughout the day when
I find myself the hungriest or thirstiest, I say a prayer that often leads to just talking
to God expressing my worries and whatever else is on my heart. What a beautiful
way to bring one closer to God and make one realize the value of basic human
needs-food and water.
Back in Istanbul and having a very "eye-opening" experience with Ramazan.
Fasting has been a somewhat difficult yet very good experience for me. It has
taught me to be very thankful for that moment when Ezan begins and I take that
first sip of water for the day. I have also learned to value food especially when
helping prepare it for the evening meal that closes fasting for the evening, Iftar.
The conversation that comes during Iftar is priceless as well as I am not the only
one of many sharing in these feelings of thankfulness. Throughout the day when
I find myself the hungriest or thirstiest, I say a prayer that often leads to just talking
to God expressing my worries and whatever else is on my heart. What a beautiful
way to bring one closer to God and make one realize the value of basic human
needs-food and water.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
July 31, 2011 part 2
Merhaba again!
I forgot to mention in my last blog that tomorrow morning at 5 a.m. marks the beginning of Ramadan. A holy month of fasting, Muslims neither eat nor drink during the day time. For many, fasting is a reminder to be thankful for what God has given, especially those basics needs of human life-water and food. Muslims eat and drink, known as Iftar, twice during the evening and early morning, 8 a.m. after evening Ezan and 5 a.m. after morning Ezan. At the end of the month of fasting, Muslims celebrate Bairam where they join together with their families to eat, and be charitable with their neighbors through the sharing of food especially a special meat that is prepared during that time.
I have decided to participate in the fasting of Ramadan and to use this time to draw closer to God myself-although I may partake in the "child's version" of Ramadan, where I can drink water at a specific time during the day.
I forgot to mention in my last blog that tomorrow morning at 5 a.m. marks the beginning of Ramadan. A holy month of fasting, Muslims neither eat nor drink during the day time. For many, fasting is a reminder to be thankful for what God has given, especially those basics needs of human life-water and food. Muslims eat and drink, known as Iftar, twice during the evening and early morning, 8 a.m. after evening Ezan and 5 a.m. after morning Ezan. At the end of the month of fasting, Muslims celebrate Bairam where they join together with their families to eat, and be charitable with their neighbors through the sharing of food especially a special meat that is prepared during that time.
I have decided to participate in the fasting of Ramadan and to use this time to draw closer to God myself-although I may partake in the "child's version" of Ramadan, where I can drink water at a specific time during the day.
July 31, 2011
Merhaba from Adana, Turkey!
What a beautiful city and an exciting time I was blessed to have in Antalya. Although it was sad to leave the city, and the beach (which I admit, I quite enjoyed), it was an exciting trip to Adana, and I know more exciting events will come! We took a bus from Antalya to Adana. Twelve hours most of which were driving through the mountains. There is no straight road from Antalya to Adana, but rather the bus lines follow the coast. The roads were slightly nerve-wrecking as they were made of packed dirt and many times there was nothing between the bus and the drop off into the sea. The sights were absolutely stunning, however watching the sun rise above the mountains and merely looking over to one side to see the beautiful sea. The further we traveled into Adana, the more we traveled into a more "classical" Turkish mentality. Adana, though the city seems metropolitan, has an Eastern Turkish mentality. There are many more women wearing head coverings although not as many radical muslims.
The city itself is something of a wonder in terms of landscape. On one side, the sea and on the other, mountains. Therefore, the weather is incredibly humid because the humidity, or nem in Turkish, rises from the sea and travels to the mountain only to be stopped by a "wall" that is much cooler. This makes the soil and landscape very valuable as it is exceptional for farming.
I have noticed, especially within the last week, that my Turkish has taken an interesting turn. In Germany, I went through a period where I could neither speak nor hear German as well as I could before I I came to the country. It was incredibly frustrating. About three days ago, I realized that I was understanding conversations and television programming even when I was not actively trying. Although my vocabulary is still limited and I may not be able to answer, I can understand about 80% of what is going on. This is a significant amount considering I have not studied the language except upon arrival to the country. I must admit, knowing how the verbs work, conjugation and otherwise, has made the situation much easier and the entire educational process much easier. Although there is still far to go, good progress is always an exciting!
More exciting information to come!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
July 12, 2011
Hello all!
One of the most beautiful and exciting activities in my life will forever remain swimming in the sea.
We have been having
an exquisite time swimming at all different times of the day, during the week and during the weekend with a variety of crowds and activities to match each time. For instance, the weekdays bring in the touristic crowds and the beach DJs play familiar American music (especially that of Lady Gaga and other chart topping artists), and street vendors walk around frequently selling bread, muscles with rice and cay (tea). The weekends, however, bring in all the locals with their families and extended families. This crowd will bring grills and plan for an entire day at the beach complete with three cooked meals. The DJs play Turkish music, especially that of classical Turkish music. Street vendors are not frequently seen as the families cook their own food and even bring provisions to make their own cay.
Another contrast between the touristic crowd and the local crowd is the amount of Radical Muslims that frequent the beach on the weekend. The Radical Muslims do swim in the sea and actually have special outfits,
According to my host family, Muslims but not radicals, this is a ridiculous concept as the reason for covering is to avoid nudity and it is a sin for these Radical Muslims to see nudity of any kind.
Being blond'ish, blue-eyed, and fair skinned has made me somewhat of a minority even during the tourism season. The only other people matching my description are the occasional Russian girls. Russian girls are associated in Turkey with prostitutes; however, as many of them practice those sorts of activities during the summer in places such as Antalya. I have never had the feeling of thousands of eyes on me that has made me feel like an outsider. Perhaps next time I come across foreigners in my own country, I will have a much better understanding of their situation. God has a wonderful way teaching lessons doesn't He? :)
One of the most beautiful and exciting activities in my life will forever remain swimming in the sea.
We have been having
an exquisite time swimming at all different times of the day, during the week and during the weekend with a variety of crowds and activities to match each time. For instance, the weekdays bring in the touristic crowds and the beach DJs play familiar American music (especially that of Lady Gaga and other chart topping artists), and street vendors walk around frequently selling bread, muscles with rice and cay (tea). The weekends, however, bring in all the locals with their families and extended families. This crowd will bring grills and plan for an entire day at the beach complete with three cooked meals. The DJs play Turkish music, especially that of classical Turkish music. Street vendors are not frequently seen as the families cook their own food and even bring provisions to make their own cay.Another contrast between the touristic crowd and the local crowd is the amount of Radical Muslims that frequent the beach on the weekend. The Radical Muslims do swim in the sea and actually have special outfits,
According to my host family, Muslims but not radicals, this is a ridiculous concept as the reason for covering is to avoid nudity and it is a sin for these Radical Muslims to see nudity of any kind.
Being blond'ish, blue-eyed, and fair skinned has made me somewhat of a minority even during the tourism season. The only other people matching my description are the occasional Russian girls. Russian girls are associated in Turkey with prostitutes; however, as many of them practice those sorts of activities during the summer in places such as Antalya. I have never had the feeling of thousands of eyes on me that has made me feel like an outsider. Perhaps next time I come across foreigners in my own country, I will have a much better understanding of their situation. God has a wonderful way teaching lessons doesn't He? :)
Friday, July 8, 2011
July 8, 2011
Hello to all!
Carsamba aksam (Wednesday evening) through Persemba sabah (Thursday morning) we took an Autobus from Istanbul to Antalya. Driving instead of flying was an excellent choice as the scenery was absolutely beautiful and gave me a chance to experience Turkey's country side and villages-which look much like Kansas but with mountains in the background.
The highways in Turkey are mostly one lane, and much to my surprise had very little traffic. Autos, or Abra in Turkish, are very expensive and many do not have them but rather prefer to take the Autobus for long trips. The stops are giant bus terminals with gas stations, not the usual American pit-stops like in America.
The two villages we stopped at were around Izmit and Isparta. The first is famous for a delicious Turkish sweet called pismanye
The other is famous for a spiced meat called socuk.
Carsamba aksam (Wednesday evening) through Persemba sabah (Thursday morning) we took an Autobus from Istanbul to Antalya. Driving instead of flying was an excellent choice as the scenery was absolutely beautiful and gave me a chance to experience Turkey's country side and villages-which look much like Kansas but with mountains in the background.
The highways in Turkey are mostly one lane, and much to my surprise had very little traffic. Autos, or Abra in Turkish, are very expensive and many do not have them but rather prefer to take the Autobus for long trips. The stops are giant bus terminals with gas stations, not the usual American pit-stops like in America.
The two villages we stopped at were around Izmit and Isparta. The first is famous for a delicious Turkish sweet called pismanye
The other is famous for a spiced meat called socuk.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
July 5, 2011
Selam!
As you no doubt are already aware, they do not celebrate independence day in Istanbul, Turkey. It was a little unusual not hearing and seeing fireworks all night long! However a very happy Independence Day to all and please, go buy half priced fireworks for me today as I will be unable to do so!
I acquired a new book yesterday: Modern Turkish: A Complete Self-Study Course for Beginners. I like the book quite a bit and after making up my own lessons, it is quite nice to be able to have a book. Excited to use my new book, I spent a great deal of time on Lesson 1, pronunciation. To be specific fine tuning pronunciation and trying to get it closer to Turkish and less American Turkish-my speciality. The Turkish alphabet is similar to that of the English alphabet with a few extra vowels and consonants:
a a (as u in run)
b be (as in English)
c ce (as g in giant)
ç çe (as ch in change)
d de (as in English)
e e (as in get)
f fe (as in English)
g ge (as in get)
ğ yumuşak g (soft g similar to a glide that lengthens the vowel proceeding it)
h he (as in hotel)
ı ı (as in fun)
i i (as in fit)
j je (as s in measure)
k ke (as in kitchen)
l le (as in English)
m me (as in English)
n ne (as in English)
o o (as in novel)
ö ö (like the German ö where your mouth forms an "oh" but you say "ee")
p pe (as in Engish)
r re ( as in rabbit)
s se (as in sad)
ş ş (as sh in shade)
t te (as in English)
u u (as in pull)
ü ü (like the German ü where your mouth forms an "uh" but you say "ee")
v ve (as in English)
y ye (as in yes)
z ze or zet (as in English)
(Doğan, Orhan B. Modern Turkish: A Complete Self-Study Course for Beginners. Beşir Kitabevi Publishing, Istanbul: 2010)
I am constantly having to check my vowels and l's as the pronunciation should be in the middle of the mouth and mine tends to reside towards the front of my mouth. Most of the sound seems to sit in the middle of the mouth or further back towards the throat. Similarly, some of the consonants are controlled using the throat more so than Germanic and Romantic languages. The closest comparison is the German "R" being very guttural and in the back of the throat. It could be hypothesized that the throat singing of Turkish music is a direct result of the pronunciation of the language and vise versa. The melismatic control of the komas could have very well stemmed from the throat control needed for the spoken language. All in all, it is very challenging learning to use my voice in the right way. As a classically trained singer, the use of the throat and larynx is absolutely minimal if used at all.
Another aspect of the language worthy of note is the need for consistent supported breath. To make the throat movements necessary and to get the sound quality as well as placement just right, the breath has to be connected to the low body. In my opinion, this explains how Turkish singers can produce the consistency in sound that they do while using the larynx to control movement of the notes.
We will be heading to Antalya soon and from there, Adana until returning to Istanbul in August. I am looking forward to the trip which will be on a bus that makes frequent stops at larger cities allowing time for some sight seeing and, the best part, time to be able to taste the local cuisine!
Antalya, Turkey
As you no doubt are already aware, they do not celebrate independence day in Istanbul, Turkey. It was a little unusual not hearing and seeing fireworks all night long! However a very happy Independence Day to all and please, go buy half priced fireworks for me today as I will be unable to do so!
I acquired a new book yesterday: Modern Turkish: A Complete Self-Study Course for Beginners. I like the book quite a bit and after making up my own lessons, it is quite nice to be able to have a book. Excited to use my new book, I spent a great deal of time on Lesson 1, pronunciation. To be specific fine tuning pronunciation and trying to get it closer to Turkish and less American Turkish-my speciality. The Turkish alphabet is similar to that of the English alphabet with a few extra vowels and consonants:
a a (as u in run)
b be (as in English)
c ce (as g in giant)
ç çe (as ch in change)
d de (as in English)
e e (as in get)
f fe (as in English)
g ge (as in get)
ğ yumuşak g (soft g similar to a glide that lengthens the vowel proceeding it)
h he (as in hotel)
ı ı (as in fun)
i i (as in fit)
j je (as s in measure)
k ke (as in kitchen)
l le (as in English)
m me (as in English)
n ne (as in English)
o o (as in novel)
ö ö (like the German ö where your mouth forms an "oh" but you say "ee")
p pe (as in Engish)
r re ( as in rabbit)
s se (as in sad)
ş ş (as sh in shade)
t te (as in English)
u u (as in pull)
ü ü (like the German ü where your mouth forms an "uh" but you say "ee")
v ve (as in English)
y ye (as in yes)
z ze or zet (as in English)
(Doğan, Orhan B. Modern Turkish: A Complete Self-Study Course for Beginners. Beşir Kitabevi Publishing, Istanbul: 2010)
I am constantly having to check my vowels and l's as the pronunciation should be in the middle of the mouth and mine tends to reside towards the front of my mouth. Most of the sound seems to sit in the middle of the mouth or further back towards the throat. Similarly, some of the consonants are controlled using the throat more so than Germanic and Romantic languages. The closest comparison is the German "R" being very guttural and in the back of the throat. It could be hypothesized that the throat singing of Turkish music is a direct result of the pronunciation of the language and vise versa. The melismatic control of the komas could have very well stemmed from the throat control needed for the spoken language. All in all, it is very challenging learning to use my voice in the right way. As a classically trained singer, the use of the throat and larynx is absolutely minimal if used at all.
Another aspect of the language worthy of note is the need for consistent supported breath. To make the throat movements necessary and to get the sound quality as well as placement just right, the breath has to be connected to the low body. In my opinion, this explains how Turkish singers can produce the consistency in sound that they do while using the larynx to control movement of the notes.
We will be heading to Antalya soon and from there, Adana until returning to Istanbul in August. I am looking forward to the trip which will be on a bus that makes frequent stops at larger cities allowing time for some sight seeing and, the best part, time to be able to taste the local cuisine!
Antalya, Turkey
Saturday, July 2, 2011
3 July 2011
Merhaba!
To all my fellow Americans, a very happy July 4th. Please shoot off some fireworks for me as I do not think I shall be doing so here! I have been receiving so many pictures and news of the floods in Missouri and Kansas area not only from friends and family on the internet but also on Turkish television. For those involved, you are in my prayers, and the prayers of many Turkish people as well.
Today let's take a look at Turkish sentence structure. First of all, Turkish does not use nearly the amount of small words that English and Germanic languages do. For example: "the," "a," "to," etc. The main action always goes at the very end of the sentence with the subject at the beginning. There are no exceptions to this rule except for slang sentences.
I am going home.
Ben eve gidiyorum.
or Turkish would leave out the "ben" and the sentence would simply be
Eve gidiyorum
I gave a cookie to Caitlyn.
Caitlyn'e kurabiye verdim.
We are watching TV
Televizyon seyrediyoruz.
To all my fellow Americans, a very happy July 4th. Please shoot off some fireworks for me as I do not think I shall be doing so here! I have been receiving so many pictures and news of the floods in Missouri and Kansas area not only from friends and family on the internet but also on Turkish television. For those involved, you are in my prayers, and the prayers of many Turkish people as well.
Today let's take a look at Turkish sentence structure. First of all, Turkish does not use nearly the amount of small words that English and Germanic languages do. For example: "the," "a," "to," etc. The main action always goes at the very end of the sentence with the subject at the beginning. There are no exceptions to this rule except for slang sentences.
I am going home.
Ben eve gidiyorum.
or Turkish would leave out the "ben" and the sentence would simply be
Eve gidiyorum
I gave a cookie to Caitlyn.
Caitlyn'e kurabiye verdim.
We are watching TV
Televizyon seyrediyoruz.
Monday, June 27, 2011
27 June 2011
Hello All!
I have been having such a busy and wonderful time that I have neglected my blog, my apologies. From the language to the culture, experiencing Turkey and understanding is coming along wonderfully. In Germany our class spoke a lot about "Kultural verstandnis oder misverstandnis," meaning, "Cultural understanding or misunderstanding." The longer I am able to experience Turkey inside the home of Turkish people, interacting with Turkish people, and altogether, experiencing the culture from an inside view, the more I realize the amount of "Kultural misverstandnis" that not only I had about Turkey, but, I believe others have as well. Speaking in general terms: certain Turkish words. Many times, when looking up the meaning of a Turkish word, my friends or I will find a very generic, non-descriptive word as an English translation. And, in many cases, this "English Translation" is not only insufficient, but also wrong. This can lead to a great deal of miscommunication and understanding. What is one to do if there are no adaquate translations? "Erlebnis" is a perfect German word meaning "Lived experience." I have often left Google translate or my Turkish dictionary and instead am taught words based on experience and examples. In Turkish, there are very specific words for specific occasions, for particular emphasis or to un-emphasis.
How about another cultural observation that is often misunderstood: the relationship between men and women. A few evenings ago, I was able to have a "girls" night-accompanied by the ever-so-helpful Google Translate. We talked, of course, about men and the difference between Turkish relationships and those of American relationships. Walking around Turkey, one can see an exceedingly larger amount of couples walking hand in hand, with their arms around one another. It seemed like very rarely were there single couples. In the same, there were usually groups of people, men with other men, or women with other women, three or more walking to and from destinations. The Turkish men are very sweet to the women in a way that can be considered, old fashioned courtship courtesy-opening all the doors, allowing the women to go first, pulling out chairs, and being very attentive to the woman's needs. They are also exceptionally affectionate, in public and in private, more than most in America. Public PDA, public displays of affection, are not at all uncommon. The women said that this is because God meant for man and woman to be together. A couple is two people that are one, and the men hold very firmly and proudly to this fact. When they are holding hands, they are holding hands with their other half. They will treat their other half the way that they want to be treated (aka, the golden rule). I then asked, how is that feeling retaliated because in many cases, I had not seen women be as affectionate towards their men. I was told that the woman take pride in serving their significant other and it is their way of showing their love and appreciation. Cooking, cleaning, washing, these are all things that the women found perfectly acceptable ways of retaliating the love that they are shown everyday.
A little before the "girls night," I was able to talk with a student of Turkish classical music at the Istanbul Conservatory. She was very excited to hear that a foreigner had an interest in Turkish classical music, and was slightly surprised to hear that there may be a correlation between Turkish music and Western classical music. The topic for that evening was how one sings Turkish classical music or in Turkish, "Türk Müziği" and what Turk Muzigi entails. There are 88 different forms of Turk Muzigi. Thank goodness, during Mozart's time, there were only 15 in use. Each form has specific characteristic traits, melismas, forms, etc. In short, different sounds to them. Every form requires the singer to use throat voice and use their larynx to control the melismatic passage (fast with lots of notes). The melismatic passages are unlike those in Western classical music in that they contain komas, or notes in-between our normal notes of the scale. "Zum Beispiel" or in English, For Example:
The Note "A"= 440 Hz
imagine the next note, "Bb"= 450 Hz
Our Western scale would only have A to Bb, nothing in between. However, Turkish music has 9 notes, 9 komas, between A and Bb
A=440,
1st komma= 441.1111 Hz
2nd komma= 442.2222 Hz
3rd komma= 443.3333 Hz
etc.
These are theoretical numbers, but they give a good idea of how fine the tuning is not only for the trained musician but also for the instruments with which the singer sings. It takes years of practice and training to be able to sing/play all 9 kommas.
Here is a beautiful example by one of the most famous Turkish classical music artists, Zeki Muren
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgbRbBVQc64
Hopefully, the next few days will not be as busy, and I can find more time to write. Until then, have a beautiful day!
I have been having such a busy and wonderful time that I have neglected my blog, my apologies. From the language to the culture, experiencing Turkey and understanding is coming along wonderfully. In Germany our class spoke a lot about "Kultural verstandnis oder misverstandnis," meaning, "Cultural understanding or misunderstanding." The longer I am able to experience Turkey inside the home of Turkish people, interacting with Turkish people, and altogether, experiencing the culture from an inside view, the more I realize the amount of "Kultural misverstandnis" that not only I had about Turkey, but, I believe others have as well. Speaking in general terms: certain Turkish words. Many times, when looking up the meaning of a Turkish word, my friends or I will find a very generic, non-descriptive word as an English translation. And, in many cases, this "English Translation" is not only insufficient, but also wrong. This can lead to a great deal of miscommunication and understanding. What is one to do if there are no adaquate translations? "Erlebnis" is a perfect German word meaning "Lived experience." I have often left Google translate or my Turkish dictionary and instead am taught words based on experience and examples. In Turkish, there are very specific words for specific occasions, for particular emphasis or to un-emphasis.
How about another cultural observation that is often misunderstood: the relationship between men and women. A few evenings ago, I was able to have a "girls" night-accompanied by the ever-so-helpful Google Translate. We talked, of course, about men and the difference between Turkish relationships and those of American relationships. Walking around Turkey, one can see an exceedingly larger amount of couples walking hand in hand, with their arms around one another. It seemed like very rarely were there single couples. In the same, there were usually groups of people, men with other men, or women with other women, three or more walking to and from destinations. The Turkish men are very sweet to the women in a way that can be considered, old fashioned courtship courtesy-opening all the doors, allowing the women to go first, pulling out chairs, and being very attentive to the woman's needs. They are also exceptionally affectionate, in public and in private, more than most in America. Public PDA, public displays of affection, are not at all uncommon. The women said that this is because God meant for man and woman to be together. A couple is two people that are one, and the men hold very firmly and proudly to this fact. When they are holding hands, they are holding hands with their other half. They will treat their other half the way that they want to be treated (aka, the golden rule). I then asked, how is that feeling retaliated because in many cases, I had not seen women be as affectionate towards their men. I was told that the woman take pride in serving their significant other and it is their way of showing their love and appreciation. Cooking, cleaning, washing, these are all things that the women found perfectly acceptable ways of retaliating the love that they are shown everyday.
A little before the "girls night," I was able to talk with a student of Turkish classical music at the Istanbul Conservatory. She was very excited to hear that a foreigner had an interest in Turkish classical music, and was slightly surprised to hear that there may be a correlation between Turkish music and Western classical music. The topic for that evening was how one sings Turkish classical music or in Turkish, "Türk Müziği" and what Turk Muzigi entails. There are 88 different forms of Turk Muzigi. Thank goodness, during Mozart's time, there were only 15 in use. Each form has specific characteristic traits, melismas, forms, etc. In short, different sounds to them. Every form requires the singer to use throat voice and use their larynx to control the melismatic passage (fast with lots of notes). The melismatic passages are unlike those in Western classical music in that they contain komas, or notes in-between our normal notes of the scale. "Zum Beispiel" or in English, For Example:
The Note "A"= 440 Hz
imagine the next note, "Bb"= 450 Hz
Our Western scale would only have A to Bb, nothing in between. However, Turkish music has 9 notes, 9 komas, between A and Bb
A=440,
1st komma= 441.1111 Hz
2nd komma= 442.2222 Hz
3rd komma= 443.3333 Hz
etc.
These are theoretical numbers, but they give a good idea of how fine the tuning is not only for the trained musician but also for the instruments with which the singer sings. It takes years of practice and training to be able to sing/play all 9 kommas.
Here is a beautiful example by one of the most famous Turkish classical music artists, Zeki Muren
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgbRbBVQc64
Hopefully, the next few days will not be as busy, and I can find more time to write. Until then, have a beautiful day!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Diving into Turkish
Merhaba!
Today's blog will be about the Turkish language from my perspective. The entire Turkish language is based upon a system of vowel harmony. Set rules exist for the conjugation of verbs; however, the vowels in those verbs may change depending on the need to keep the vowel harmony consistent. Turkish becomes similiar to French in this regard as many ellisions are created to keep the overall flow of the sentence. It is my opinion that the vowel harmony rule makes Turkish a much easier language than most in which to sing. In singing, it is essential to find the connection between vowels since it is vowels that allow the sound to be produced. The closer the vowels are related, the less change, and the easier it is to sing. The Turkish language compliments this.
From my first day in Turkey, I began writting vocabulary lists of words and verbs that I would hear throughout the day and wanted to know. Sometimes the list contains similiar words that I want to make sure I remember. The lists have been very common things around the house, especially the kitchen and food related, and the verbs until today have been in the present tense. This has been incredibly helpful as I hear these words everyday and can now listen to the tv or conversations and slightly understand what is going on when the native speakers speak quickly. When they speak baby Turkish to me, I can even respond and usually understand a great deal more. Vocabulary lists, therefore, are a great help! Here's a small example:
Sozler (words):
daha
simdi
bu gun
yarin
dun
hafta sonu
eglence
harika
Fiiller (verbs):
Gitmek (to go)
ben gidiyorum
sen gidiyorsun (musun)
o gidiyor (mu)
biz gidiyoruz (muyuz)
siz gidiyorsunuz (musunuz)
onlar gidiyorlar (mi)
Yapmak (to do)
ben yapiyorum
sen yapiyorsun (musun)
o yapiyor (mu)
biz yapiyoruz (muyuz)
siz yapiyorsunuz (musunuz)
onlar yapiyorlar (mi)
This is a condensed version of a list. The words in parenthesis after the verbs are what make that particular verb go from a statement to a question. Today we began working on past tense (gecmis zaman) and future tense (gelecek zaman) and combining those verbs with the present tense (simdi zaman) to start asking questions. From here on, we will be working to create sentences with the list of vocab words and verbs. It is all incredibly exciting!
Perhaps the most helpful part of learning Turkish has been in the kitchen. As I have helped with and/or watched dinner preparations, I am taught not only how to cook wonderful Turkish food, but also given instructions on how to prepare dinner in Turkish. And, since many of the dishes take time to cook, it is during those times that we chat and I am able to start utilizing the non kitchen related Turkish words I am learning. Therefore, another useful tool for learning a language, watch a cooking show in that language and cook!
One dish I learned to make is called beber dolma. It is a combination of rice and fresh herbs (sometimes meat) inside of a green pepper that is topped with a slice of tomato. Fabulous!
Next week I will begin voice lessons with the Turkish soprano since this week is the end of finals for the Conservatory as well as commencement for all of the Universities and Conservatories. End of the school year excitement has also been combined with excitement from the recent elections.
It was a very unique experience to be in another country while elections were being held. In Turkey, vans blairing music from that particular political party drive up and down the streets all day long. There are numerous stands along the street as well to help promote political parties, and they too blair music.
Rallies were held near the seaside daily, and at night, political activists spray painted walls along the highway in support of their political party. I was told that this is common and not illegal-a very different form of freedom of speech than compared to America.
More information can be found here:
http://www.todayszaman.com/menuDetail.action?sectionId=342
For many citizens, these elections seemed to mark a turning point in Turkish history. As it was explained to me, a political party is allowed to begin changing the laws during their fifth year in office. This year's elections put the radical muslim party in office for its fifth year.
This is the final map of the Turkish votes. The yellow is the votes for the Muslim radical party, a little over 50%.
Thank you for reading my blog today. More exciting information to come! Have a beautiful day!
Today's blog will be about the Turkish language from my perspective. The entire Turkish language is based upon a system of vowel harmony. Set rules exist for the conjugation of verbs; however, the vowels in those verbs may change depending on the need to keep the vowel harmony consistent. Turkish becomes similiar to French in this regard as many ellisions are created to keep the overall flow of the sentence. It is my opinion that the vowel harmony rule makes Turkish a much easier language than most in which to sing. In singing, it is essential to find the connection between vowels since it is vowels that allow the sound to be produced. The closer the vowels are related, the less change, and the easier it is to sing. The Turkish language compliments this.
From my first day in Turkey, I began writting vocabulary lists of words and verbs that I would hear throughout the day and wanted to know. Sometimes the list contains similiar words that I want to make sure I remember. The lists have been very common things around the house, especially the kitchen and food related, and the verbs until today have been in the present tense. This has been incredibly helpful as I hear these words everyday and can now listen to the tv or conversations and slightly understand what is going on when the native speakers speak quickly. When they speak baby Turkish to me, I can even respond and usually understand a great deal more. Vocabulary lists, therefore, are a great help! Here's a small example:
Sozler (words):
daha
simdi
bu gun
yarin
dun
hafta sonu
eglence
harika
Fiiller (verbs):
Gitmek (to go)
ben gidiyorum
sen gidiyorsun (musun)
o gidiyor (mu)
biz gidiyoruz (muyuz)
siz gidiyorsunuz (musunuz)
onlar gidiyorlar (mi)
Yapmak (to do)
ben yapiyorum
sen yapiyorsun (musun)
o yapiyor (mu)
biz yapiyoruz (muyuz)
siz yapiyorsunuz (musunuz)
onlar yapiyorlar (mi)
This is a condensed version of a list. The words in parenthesis after the verbs are what make that particular verb go from a statement to a question. Today we began working on past tense (gecmis zaman) and future tense (gelecek zaman) and combining those verbs with the present tense (simdi zaman) to start asking questions. From here on, we will be working to create sentences with the list of vocab words and verbs. It is all incredibly exciting!
Perhaps the most helpful part of learning Turkish has been in the kitchen. As I have helped with and/or watched dinner preparations, I am taught not only how to cook wonderful Turkish food, but also given instructions on how to prepare dinner in Turkish. And, since many of the dishes take time to cook, it is during those times that we chat and I am able to start utilizing the non kitchen related Turkish words I am learning. Therefore, another useful tool for learning a language, watch a cooking show in that language and cook!
One dish I learned to make is called beber dolma. It is a combination of rice and fresh herbs (sometimes meat) inside of a green pepper that is topped with a slice of tomato. Fabulous!
Next week I will begin voice lessons with the Turkish soprano since this week is the end of finals for the Conservatory as well as commencement for all of the Universities and Conservatories. End of the school year excitement has also been combined with excitement from the recent elections.
It was a very unique experience to be in another country while elections were being held. In Turkey, vans blairing music from that particular political party drive up and down the streets all day long. There are numerous stands along the street as well to help promote political parties, and they too blair music.
Rallies were held near the seaside daily, and at night, political activists spray painted walls along the highway in support of their political party. I was told that this is common and not illegal-a very different form of freedom of speech than compared to America.
More information can be found here:
http://www.todayszaman.com/menuDetail.action?sectionId=342
For many citizens, these elections seemed to mark a turning point in Turkish history. As it was explained to me, a political party is allowed to begin changing the laws during their fifth year in office. This year's elections put the radical muslim party in office for its fifth year.
This is the final map of the Turkish votes. The yellow is the votes for the Muslim radical party, a little over 50%.
Thank you for reading my blog today. More exciting information to come! Have a beautiful day!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
9 June 2011
Merhaba!
Today's Turkish word is "Gunaydin" which means "Good morning!" Turkish lessons are going very well currently. There was a problem with the Dilmer Institute, and I am currently learning Turkish on my own with the help of my host families. Every day, I make up 25-30 vocab lists of words I hear throughout the previous day that I want to know. I then pick 4-5 verbs and learn how to conjugate them and ask questions. My host family helps me use those words throughout the day. A special thank you to my homeschooling background where I learned how to teach myself!
Being here for the past few days has brought about a very significant point of view: the Turkish people in Kreuzburg, little Istanbul, bear very litle resemblence to the Turkish people here in Istanbul. There is a certain vivaciousness that one feels being in Istanbul. This particular energy is lacking in Kreuzberg, both my German partner and I agree. Not saying that Little Istanbul was lacking in energy-it is a metropolitan city. However, the energy is different from that of Istanbul.
Today, my German partner and I will be going to the modern museum of art. There is an exhibit there currently entitled "Paradise Lost." The exhibit features animals; however, we are interested to learn if it has anything to do with the poem. We will also be heading to the Grand Bazaar.
With the help of students studying Turkish Classical Music, I have had many leads in my project regarding Mozart and Turkish music. According to the students, there are 88 different forms of Turkish classical music. The time period in which Mozart wrote lowers that number down to 15 potential forms through which Mozart found influence. More to come!
Thank you all for reading, and have a beautiful day!
Today's Turkish word is "Gunaydin" which means "Good morning!" Turkish lessons are going very well currently. There was a problem with the Dilmer Institute, and I am currently learning Turkish on my own with the help of my host families. Every day, I make up 25-30 vocab lists of words I hear throughout the previous day that I want to know. I then pick 4-5 verbs and learn how to conjugate them and ask questions. My host family helps me use those words throughout the day. A special thank you to my homeschooling background where I learned how to teach myself!
Being here for the past few days has brought about a very significant point of view: the Turkish people in Kreuzburg, little Istanbul, bear very litle resemblence to the Turkish people here in Istanbul. There is a certain vivaciousness that one feels being in Istanbul. This particular energy is lacking in Kreuzberg, both my German partner and I agree. Not saying that Little Istanbul was lacking in energy-it is a metropolitan city. However, the energy is different from that of Istanbul.
Today, my German partner and I will be going to the modern museum of art. There is an exhibit there currently entitled "Paradise Lost." The exhibit features animals; however, we are interested to learn if it has anything to do with the poem. We will also be heading to the Grand Bazaar.
With the help of students studying Turkish Classical Music, I have had many leads in my project regarding Mozart and Turkish music. According to the students, there are 88 different forms of Turkish classical music. The time period in which Mozart wrote lowers that number down to 15 potential forms through which Mozart found influence. More to come!
Thank you all for reading, and have a beautiful day!
8 June 2011
Merhaba!
The theme for today's blog is safe and sound in Turkey and already having great success finding leads to my project! There have been many changes and setbacks, but I am intent on remaining positive and continuing forward with my plans.
My German partner is currently with me in Turkey and will remain here until Monday. Our first evening here, she experienced Turkish wraps and loved them. The food here is completely different from that of the Turkish restaurants in Germany. Spices are much more flavorful and intense.
All of the University students are having finals this week and we find ourselves staying at home during the day working on our German project and waiting till finals for that day are finished to then go out and eat something. The Turkish people have a very strong mindset that should you go out and sightsee, you must also eat something good and authetic around that area. Experiencing Turkey must be done with all the senses!
Saturday we went to the seaside to eat a special fish meal, palamut. The fishermen catch the fish, bring their boats to the shore and cook the fish on their boats. The fish are then put in bread and served with onions and cabbage, fresh lemon and salt.
Sunday we spent out and about the European side of Istanbul. We went to the Spice Bazaar. Bazaars for those who do not know are giant markets. The spice bazaar is one of the oldest in Istanbul and while it does not only house spice vendors, it has the largest variety of spice vendors in Istanbul. Bazaars in general are a wonderful experience.
Monday we found ourselves in the Hagia Sofia. What an absolutely stunning piece of history. It is easy to see both the Christian and Muslim symbols fused together. An intriguing aspect to the Hagia Sofia is how these two different styles work so well together. The mosaic style is used by both the Christian and Muslim art, and a great deal of the carvings from both religious also compliment one another. After visiting Hagia Sofia, we ventured across the street to an underground, ancient Cistern. I have never been nor have I heard of such a thing. It was quite amazing. It is hard to believe that they had that capability to build those structures that functioned as efficiently as they did. Dinner that night was delicious Donner Kabab, as we were told, from one of the best locations in Istanbul.
The theme for today's blog is safe and sound in Turkey and already having great success finding leads to my project! There have been many changes and setbacks, but I am intent on remaining positive and continuing forward with my plans.
My German partner is currently with me in Turkey and will remain here until Monday. Our first evening here, she experienced Turkish wraps and loved them. The food here is completely different from that of the Turkish restaurants in Germany. Spices are much more flavorful and intense.
All of the University students are having finals this week and we find ourselves staying at home during the day working on our German project and waiting till finals for that day are finished to then go out and eat something. The Turkish people have a very strong mindset that should you go out and sightsee, you must also eat something good and authetic around that area. Experiencing Turkey must be done with all the senses!
Saturday we went to the seaside to eat a special fish meal, palamut. The fishermen catch the fish, bring their boats to the shore and cook the fish on their boats. The fish are then put in bread and served with onions and cabbage, fresh lemon and salt.
Sunday we spent out and about the European side of Istanbul. We went to the Spice Bazaar. Bazaars for those who do not know are giant markets. The spice bazaar is one of the oldest in Istanbul and while it does not only house spice vendors, it has the largest variety of spice vendors in Istanbul. Bazaars in general are a wonderful experience.
Monday we found ourselves in the Hagia Sofia. What an absolutely stunning piece of history. It is easy to see both the Christian and Muslim symbols fused together. An intriguing aspect to the Hagia Sofia is how these two different styles work so well together. The mosaic style is used by both the Christian and Muslim art, and a great deal of the carvings from both religious also compliment one another. After visiting Hagia Sofia, we ventured across the street to an underground, ancient Cistern. I have never been nor have I heard of such a thing. It was quite amazing. It is hard to believe that they had that capability to build those structures that functioned as efficiently as they did. Dinner that night was delicious Donner Kabab, as we were told, from one of the best locations in Istanbul.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
30 Mai 2011
Hello Everyone!
Today our class spent 6 hours in Kreuzberg, also known as Little Istanbul. Kreuzberg was originally founded around the 1820's by Jewish immigrants. The industrial boom in the 1860's caused a demand for more workers requiring Germany to hire immigrants. Many of these immigrants were from Turkey. As the Turkish population grew, Kreuzberg became fondly known as Little Istanbul. Kreuzberg was home to two significant streets in Germany, both housing a significant amount of businesses that drastically contributed to the Germany economy. Ritter Strasse, Ritter street housed a multitude of small businesses and was known as the export quarter. Koch Strasse, Koch street, was the press street housing the most significant German newspapers and printing companies of its time. Both of these streets were, sadly, destroyed during the air raids in 1945.
Before the wall fell, Kreuzberg was a part of West Berlin. In fact, three sides of Kreuzberg were outlined by the wall and a river lay on the fourth side separating Kreuzberg from rest of West Germany. After the fall of the wall in 1989, Kreuzberg remained its own little microcosm and home to the largest Turkish population in Germany.
I do not want to give my complete analysis of Kreuzberg until I go back to Istanbul for a solid comparison. Here are just a few of the things I noticed:
-Significant number of advertisements, and businesses either completely in Turkish or having both German and Turkish.
-The Mosques were either disguised as normal buildings or their entrances in the back or alley ways.
-Vivaciousness that can be found in Istanbul
-Most spoke Turkish
-More Turkish food in the local Bakeries
-Turkish book stores
More information to come!
Today our class spent 6 hours in Kreuzberg, also known as Little Istanbul. Kreuzberg was originally founded around the 1820's by Jewish immigrants. The industrial boom in the 1860's caused a demand for more workers requiring Germany to hire immigrants. Many of these immigrants were from Turkey. As the Turkish population grew, Kreuzberg became fondly known as Little Istanbul. Kreuzberg was home to two significant streets in Germany, both housing a significant amount of businesses that drastically contributed to the Germany economy. Ritter Strasse, Ritter street housed a multitude of small businesses and was known as the export quarter. Koch Strasse, Koch street, was the press street housing the most significant German newspapers and printing companies of its time. Both of these streets were, sadly, destroyed during the air raids in 1945.
Before the wall fell, Kreuzberg was a part of West Berlin. In fact, three sides of Kreuzberg were outlined by the wall and a river lay on the fourth side separating Kreuzberg from rest of West Germany. After the fall of the wall in 1989, Kreuzberg remained its own little microcosm and home to the largest Turkish population in Germany.
I do not want to give my complete analysis of Kreuzberg until I go back to Istanbul for a solid comparison. Here are just a few of the things I noticed:
-Significant number of advertisements, and businesses either completely in Turkish or having both German and Turkish.
-The Mosques were either disguised as normal buildings or their entrances in the back or alley ways.
-Vivaciousness that can be found in Istanbul
-Most spoke Turkish
-More Turkish food in the local Bakeries
-Turkish book stores
More information to come!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Sonntag, 29 Mai
Hallo Liebe Leute!
Guten Morgen! Gestern war mir ein schoener Tag! Ich hatte kein Arbeit und kein Unterricht. Fuer die miesten der die Tag, bleib ich im Potsdam. Mein Zimmergenossen (und deutsch Partnerin) und ich ging zum viele Geschaeften und kauften Souvenirs. Also, ich fand ein sehr wichtig Buch fuer ein Euro, Die Tuerkei: Zerreissprobe zwischen Islam und Nationalismus. Das war sehr schoen!
Spaeter im die Tag, ging ich zum die Fingernagel Salon. Ich moechte mein Fingernageln ausgefuellen. Es war ein Interessant Erlebnis! Die Fingernagelarbeiter arbeite sehr viel am mein Fingernagel und ich denke die deutsch Fingernagelgeschaeften ist mehr besser als die amerikanisch Fingernagelgeschaeften.
Die meisten der Mittag erforschte ich Information von Kreuzberg. Kreuzberg ist ein Ortteil der Berlin. Es hat die miesten grossen tuerkisch Menschen im Deutschland. Bevor die Mauer hat gefallen, Kreuzberg war im West Berlin. Est liegt naechsten die Spree. Es war im 1820 beim judischen Burgerinnen geformt. Die Name "Kreuzberg" ist die Name von ein Monument ueber die Napoleonic Kriegen. Kreuzberg hatte zwei wichstigen Strassen, Ritterstrasse und Kochstrasse. Ritterstrasse gab es viele export Unternehmen und Kochstrasse hatte gab es die meisten Druckunternehmen im Berlin. Heute, Kreuzberg gibt es noch vielen Immigrantennin und die meisten Arbeitsloskeitrate im Berlin. Mylii und ich werden heute nach Kreuzberg gehen zu photo nehmen und Forschelung machen.
Guten Morgen! Gestern war mir ein schoener Tag! Ich hatte kein Arbeit und kein Unterricht. Fuer die miesten der die Tag, bleib ich im Potsdam. Mein Zimmergenossen (und deutsch Partnerin) und ich ging zum viele Geschaeften und kauften Souvenirs. Also, ich fand ein sehr wichtig Buch fuer ein Euro, Die Tuerkei: Zerreissprobe zwischen Islam und Nationalismus. Das war sehr schoen!
Spaeter im die Tag, ging ich zum die Fingernagel Salon. Ich moechte mein Fingernageln ausgefuellen. Es war ein Interessant Erlebnis! Die Fingernagelarbeiter arbeite sehr viel am mein Fingernagel und ich denke die deutsch Fingernagelgeschaeften ist mehr besser als die amerikanisch Fingernagelgeschaeften.
Die meisten der Mittag erforschte ich Information von Kreuzberg. Kreuzberg ist ein Ortteil der Berlin. Es hat die miesten grossen tuerkisch Menschen im Deutschland. Bevor die Mauer hat gefallen, Kreuzberg war im West Berlin. Est liegt naechsten die Spree. Es war im 1820 beim judischen Burgerinnen geformt. Die Name "Kreuzberg" ist die Name von ein Monument ueber die Napoleonic Kriegen. Kreuzberg hatte zwei wichstigen Strassen, Ritterstrasse und Kochstrasse. Ritterstrasse gab es viele export Unternehmen und Kochstrasse hatte gab es die meisten Druckunternehmen im Berlin. Heute, Kreuzberg gibt es noch vielen Immigrantennin und die meisten Arbeitsloskeitrate im Berlin. Mylii und ich werden heute nach Kreuzberg gehen zu photo nehmen und Forschelung machen.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
27 Mai 2011
Lieben Leute,
Guten Abend oder guten Morgen fuer andere leute! What an incredible and full week it has been. With 12-14 hour days on top of homework each night, the intensive course has not only lived up to its name but has also made it difficult to write in the blog each day. So, I apologize for the delay! Below is a brief overview of each day:
24 Mai:
We began today with a 10 mile bikeride, Radtour, through Potsdam to the Wansee Conference House. I have to admit, although that was the longest bike ride of my life, it was one of the most enjoyable experiences I have had. What an exciting way to get around town and be able to see things. Perhaps what was more exciting was that the bike tour was an authentic German experience since many Germans ride bikes themselves. We rode by the Tiefer Sea and I had my first experience with a nudist beach. I almost ran my bike off the path trying to avert my eyes. Another authentic German experience.
The house of the Wansee Conference was a beautiful estate that overlooked the Tiefer. For those who do not know, the Wansee Conferences were a coming together of officials to begin documenting the events that were already taking place as far as collecting people and placing them in concentration camps and also to come to decisions regarding what would be done with those people in the camps-that ultimate decision being to put them in gas chambers and incinerators. It is important to note that the Conferences were not the starting point of the holocaust but rather they were a starting point for documentation. This is often mistaken. It was eerie seeing how beautiful the location was for such a devastating events.
25 Mai
This was the most emotionally trying day I have experienced on this trip. In the morning, we went to the Gedenkstaette Deutsche Wiederstand, a museum featuring important Jewish figures that were impacted and in many cases killed by the Hitler regime. Throughout our tour, I did not see where in the museum spoke about literary figures as far as librettists, poets, and lyricists. During the Hitler regime, music became an important tool of control. Jewish composers and lyricists (for our purposes this term will encompass librettists, poets, and lyricisists) were either forced to flee the country or be put into concentration camps. Some, who were deemed entertaining enough, received a less harsher fate and were allowed to continue to compose. These composers were very closely monitored; however and they had to watch their every step. Germany lost a significant amount of its music culture during this time to other countries, mostly Italy and the USA.
The most emotionally fatiguing part of the day was our tour through the Stasi interrogation building particularly the holding chambers in the basement. It is easy to forget just how precious our freedom of speech is and because this freedom is such a large part of our culture, it is hard to fathom the terror that would come in a world where the Stasi existed. People could not say anything for fear of being arrested. Even if they were not saying negative things, the Stasi could very well arrest them and use them as incentive for another criminal. You never knew when a family member would just go missing, and you never knew when you would see that family member, or if you would see that family member again. The tour guide spoke about the process used to brain wash those being held in order to get them to admit to crimes they had never committed. Because the history is disturbing and somewhat gruesome, I will not go into details. Regardless, I said a thank you to God that I am lucky enough to live in the country I do without constant fear.
The evening concluded with a trip to the play by Max Frisch Biederman und die Brandstifter performed by the Berliner ensemble. What a wonderful experience! The playhouse was a smaller more intimate setting. The audience walked through the stage to sit in chairs facing the doorway and windows. The actors and actresses were often in the rows of the crowd acting. The play also used the tradition of early Greek and Italianate plays featuring music at the beginning, in the middle during the most "heavy" part of story, mostly as a comic relief. The play itself is well worth watching, and I would highly recommend it.
Mai 26:
This morning, our class had a Literature Fruehstuck, a literary breakfest at the home/store of a literary bookhandler. He spoke to us about German literature and explained a bit of the German mindset when it comes to books. In Germany, there is a set price for books and hard copies of books in general are more valuable to Germans than they are to the average American.
In the afternoon, our professor left the class to find our way through Berlin to the Pergamon Museum. An incredible sight to behold, the Pergamon prides itself in using ancient pieces of buildings to reconstruct the original building. For instance, the first room in the Pergamon features a life size entrance and steps to an alter in ancient Mesopotamia. People can sit on the steps to the alter. It was quite incredible. The most fascinating part of the museum for me was the reconstruction with original pieces of Nebekenezer's palace and parts of the tower of Babylon. Having heard the stories in church so often, it had a huge impact on me to be able to see an actual part to the building. Wow! The museum also featured ancient Ottoman and Turkish artifacts. My German partner and I took many pictures to use within our presentation. We were very intrigued to see that many of the patterns in the Ottoman/Turkish artwork can be seen prolifically in older German buildings as well.
The last part of our day was a tour of the Film und Fernsehen Museum, Film and TV Museum in the famous Potsdamer Platz, the German equivalent to Time Square. There was a section of the museum, towards the later half of German film and tv history that featured movies that were German stereotypes of Turkish people. Like the movie we saw earlier in the trip, Almanya, the guide described this era as having particularly strong German views of Turkish stereotypes based on Turkish people living in Germany.
Mai 26:
Today we had one activity before our Frei Wochenende, free weekend, began-a trip to the Berlin Wall. What a heart wrenching experience. There was a new exhibit up that not even our professor had seen, which was a miniature wall featuring pictures of those who were killed attempting to cross the wall. Many people were there looking for specific pictures and placing roses by them. The park had reconstructed what the wall would have looked like, complete with the dead zone between the two walls. It was eerie peering through the wholes in one wall, looking across the dead zone and seeing the other wall. As one student commented when the tour guide asked us how it felt to look into the holes, "it seems to close, yet it is so far away." For those who are not aware, the Berliner Mauer, Berlin Wall, was actually two walls, an open area in between belonging to the DDR with guard towers in the open area. Parts of the original wall are still stand in the park; however, the government is allowing greenery to grow over these walls in a symbolic attempt to show earth taking back the wall. Perhaps the most moving aspect of the wall is not in the reconstructions or original pieces but rather in the bricked areas on the ground tracing the whole wall throughout Berlin. This retracing stands as the most important reminder of a time divided and of the cost of that division
Guten Abend oder guten Morgen fuer andere leute! What an incredible and full week it has been. With 12-14 hour days on top of homework each night, the intensive course has not only lived up to its name but has also made it difficult to write in the blog each day. So, I apologize for the delay! Below is a brief overview of each day:
24 Mai:
We began today with a 10 mile bikeride, Radtour, through Potsdam to the Wansee Conference House. I have to admit, although that was the longest bike ride of my life, it was one of the most enjoyable experiences I have had. What an exciting way to get around town and be able to see things. Perhaps what was more exciting was that the bike tour was an authentic German experience since many Germans ride bikes themselves. We rode by the Tiefer Sea and I had my first experience with a nudist beach. I almost ran my bike off the path trying to avert my eyes. Another authentic German experience.
The house of the Wansee Conference was a beautiful estate that overlooked the Tiefer. For those who do not know, the Wansee Conferences were a coming together of officials to begin documenting the events that were already taking place as far as collecting people and placing them in concentration camps and also to come to decisions regarding what would be done with those people in the camps-that ultimate decision being to put them in gas chambers and incinerators. It is important to note that the Conferences were not the starting point of the holocaust but rather they were a starting point for documentation. This is often mistaken. It was eerie seeing how beautiful the location was for such a devastating events.
25 Mai
This was the most emotionally trying day I have experienced on this trip. In the morning, we went to the Gedenkstaette Deutsche Wiederstand, a museum featuring important Jewish figures that were impacted and in many cases killed by the Hitler regime. Throughout our tour, I did not see where in the museum spoke about literary figures as far as librettists, poets, and lyricists. During the Hitler regime, music became an important tool of control. Jewish composers and lyricists (for our purposes this term will encompass librettists, poets, and lyricisists) were either forced to flee the country or be put into concentration camps. Some, who were deemed entertaining enough, received a less harsher fate and were allowed to continue to compose. These composers were very closely monitored; however and they had to watch their every step. Germany lost a significant amount of its music culture during this time to other countries, mostly Italy and the USA.
The most emotionally fatiguing part of the day was our tour through the Stasi interrogation building particularly the holding chambers in the basement. It is easy to forget just how precious our freedom of speech is and because this freedom is such a large part of our culture, it is hard to fathom the terror that would come in a world where the Stasi existed. People could not say anything for fear of being arrested. Even if they were not saying negative things, the Stasi could very well arrest them and use them as incentive for another criminal. You never knew when a family member would just go missing, and you never knew when you would see that family member, or if you would see that family member again. The tour guide spoke about the process used to brain wash those being held in order to get them to admit to crimes they had never committed. Because the history is disturbing and somewhat gruesome, I will not go into details. Regardless, I said a thank you to God that I am lucky enough to live in the country I do without constant fear.
The evening concluded with a trip to the play by Max Frisch Biederman und die Brandstifter performed by the Berliner ensemble. What a wonderful experience! The playhouse was a smaller more intimate setting. The audience walked through the stage to sit in chairs facing the doorway and windows. The actors and actresses were often in the rows of the crowd acting. The play also used the tradition of early Greek and Italianate plays featuring music at the beginning, in the middle during the most "heavy" part of story, mostly as a comic relief. The play itself is well worth watching, and I would highly recommend it.
Mai 26:
This morning, our class had a Literature Fruehstuck, a literary breakfest at the home/store of a literary bookhandler. He spoke to us about German literature and explained a bit of the German mindset when it comes to books. In Germany, there is a set price for books and hard copies of books in general are more valuable to Germans than they are to the average American.
In the afternoon, our professor left the class to find our way through Berlin to the Pergamon Museum. An incredible sight to behold, the Pergamon prides itself in using ancient pieces of buildings to reconstruct the original building. For instance, the first room in the Pergamon features a life size entrance and steps to an alter in ancient Mesopotamia. People can sit on the steps to the alter. It was quite incredible. The most fascinating part of the museum for me was the reconstruction with original pieces of Nebekenezer's palace and parts of the tower of Babylon. Having heard the stories in church so often, it had a huge impact on me to be able to see an actual part to the building. Wow! The museum also featured ancient Ottoman and Turkish artifacts. My German partner and I took many pictures to use within our presentation. We were very intrigued to see that many of the patterns in the Ottoman/Turkish artwork can be seen prolifically in older German buildings as well.
The last part of our day was a tour of the Film und Fernsehen Museum, Film and TV Museum in the famous Potsdamer Platz, the German equivalent to Time Square. There was a section of the museum, towards the later half of German film and tv history that featured movies that were German stereotypes of Turkish people. Like the movie we saw earlier in the trip, Almanya, the guide described this era as having particularly strong German views of Turkish stereotypes based on Turkish people living in Germany.
Mai 26:
Today we had one activity before our Frei Wochenende, free weekend, began-a trip to the Berlin Wall. What a heart wrenching experience. There was a new exhibit up that not even our professor had seen, which was a miniature wall featuring pictures of those who were killed attempting to cross the wall. Many people were there looking for specific pictures and placing roses by them. The park had reconstructed what the wall would have looked like, complete with the dead zone between the two walls. It was eerie peering through the wholes in one wall, looking across the dead zone and seeing the other wall. As one student commented when the tour guide asked us how it felt to look into the holes, "it seems to close, yet it is so far away." For those who are not aware, the Berliner Mauer, Berlin Wall, was actually two walls, an open area in between belonging to the DDR with guard towers in the open area. Parts of the original wall are still stand in the park; however, the government is allowing greenery to grow over these walls in a symbolic attempt to show earth taking back the wall. Perhaps the most moving aspect of the wall is not in the reconstructions or original pieces but rather in the bricked areas on the ground tracing the whole wall throughout Berlin. This retracing stands as the most important reminder of a time divided and of the cost of that division
Sunday, May 22, 2011
23 May 2011
Guten Morgen Leute!
I apologize for the delay in postings. We have been incredibly busy! This entire weekend, from Thursday of last week through today, we have been working with Polish students and German students on audio-walking tour projects of various touristic locations around Potsdam. We were given the recording equipment and it was our duty to record various sounds of that area, write and record a script describing the history and importance of the area, put everything into garage band and create the tour in English, German, and Polish.
The group that I was fortunate enough to be a part of made an audio tour for the Alte Bahnhof at Pirschheide Station. Here is the script for our project attributed to writer Mylii Pukeman:
I apologize for the delay in postings. We have been incredibly busy! This entire weekend, from Thursday of last week through today, we have been working with Polish students and German students on audio-walking tour projects of various touristic locations around Potsdam. We were given the recording equipment and it was our duty to record various sounds of that area, write and record a script describing the history and importance of the area, put everything into garage band and create the tour in English, German, and Polish.
The group that I was fortunate enough to be a part of made an audio tour for the Alte Bahnhof at Pirschheide Station. Here is the script for our project attributed to writer Mylii Pukeman:
From the platform of the Pirschheide Rail Station, the solemn stillness provides a setting ideal for contemplation. An old, rusted can of spray paint lies forgotten at the bottom of a stairway that leads no where. Stripped bare of life and animation, the station sits peacefully, with boarded up windows and empty tunnels. A letter missing from the sign on the main building signifies the beginning of an erosion process. On every surface area, rainbows of Graffitti illustrate how this station, once a structure of function, will slowly deteriorate and fade into history. In the distance, an ederly woman sits quietly on a bench with her hands folded in her lap. It is clear this location holds a certain significance for her. Every stairway is walled shut, and now serves as a reminder of a time marked by division.
In 1958, the station opened as the southern Potsdam rail station. With the division of east and west Berlin, it became the most important station in the outer Berlin area. When the wall was constructed in 1961, the intercity subway and street rail-lines were severed. East Germans were not permitted to travel to west Berlin. In this railstation, the solution to the problem of having to navigate around west Berlin was to seal off access to those rail lines. In order to get into east Berlin, the workers from the Potsdam area could only travel around the outside of the city. Travel was restricted in this way for many years. After the wall fell in 1989, east and west Germany began a process of reunification. The opening of long-standing borders made the need for such circuitous routes unnecessary. Over the following decade the Pirschheide station became increasingly obsolete. Though the rail line is still in use, the station closed permanently in 1999.
Now one of only a few remnants of a past era, the station functions merely as a symbol. The walled in stairwells once served a purpose of seperation - an impenetrable division of people from one another. To visit the station today is to get a sense for that division. Those same stairwells now represent not only the wall that once existed between east and west, but also the wall that exists today between the past and the present. Locations like the Pirschheide Rail Station belong to those on both sides, who in their quest for understanding wish to break through.
I did the English recording of the tour and also sang the Schubert "Ave Maria" that floats lightly in the background throughout the recording. When it is released to us, I will be sure to send it out!
Today is the last day that we will work with the Polish and German students. It has been such an interesting experience. The common language we share with both the Polish and German students is prolifically German. Many of both sets of students speak some English though and there are a handful that are learning English for their college degree. At first, we all were incredibly frustrated and angry with our leaders who had given us tasks, such as cooking for the entire 42 person group, and completing this audio project, without seemingly any direction or organization. Going to the store in our 7 person groups of Polish, German, and English students and attempting to buy groceries and then attempting to cook for everyone-we found ourselves speaking broken English and German to get things done. It was altogether a wonderful experience.
Today's agenda consists of finishing up work with the audio tour and a final barbeque and then returning to the house and catching up on work before our busy next two weekends. Have a beautiful day and more information to come!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Good Evening!
We are finally back at the house after a very long day. Today was filled with a tour of Einstein's house, a nature hike to a micro-brewery where we had a tour of the facility and then ate lunch and then went on a walking tour of Potsdam. In a few hours we are going to have dinner and then class following the dinner.
The visit to Einstein's house was very interesting. He desired only three things in the design of his home-function, symmetry, and peacefulness only found in nature. When one is standing in the house, one has the feeling that although things seem normal, there is simply something not normal in regards to the design. The house was absolutely stunning. Every room had a sink in it. The windows were beautiful French windows. There were three terraces-one for each floor. The most beautiful aspect; however, were the beautiful garden and the incredible view of the entire city of Caputh.
After Einstein's house, we took a Wanderprobe, which is German word for nature hike through the forest to a micro-brewery where we took a tour of the facility and then ate lunch. Both were quite enjoyable. The last part of our long day before we were able to go home included a 6 mile walk through Potsdam. Which was beautiful considering the weather and the atmosphere. But, I must admit that after the fatiguing morning, I would have taken much more information in had I had a nap or a rest (Pausa auf Deutsch) for a little bit.
This part is not in the German blog. This evening we had a wonderful dinner of capreise made by the students. Our professor, Herr Mullins, has worked out a wonderful system in which the students rotate, four to a team, and cook dinner/do dishes for each night. This conserves energy and grocery money as well as gives people a chance to participate. After dinner we had class which consisted of our daily 25 vocabulary words and then a summary of the first chapter of our new German book, Deutschland: Ein neues Anfang.
Tomorrow we will begin a weekend dedicated to working with students from Poland (coming here for the same purpose of learning the culture and language) and German students. Together, we are working on a project to create a listening tour in Polish, German, and English for the city of Potsdam. Considering the only language we have in common with which to communicate is German, it will be an interesting four days.
I am waiting to hear from my voice instructor, Turid Karlsen, about voice lessons this weekend. It is rather difficult to find not only a time to sing, but a place to sing as well. Herr Mullins and I will get into contact with the church nearby to see if I can practice there a couple times a week at least. More wonderful information to come!
We are finally back at the house after a very long day. Today was filled with a tour of Einstein's house, a nature hike to a micro-brewery where we had a tour of the facility and then ate lunch and then went on a walking tour of Potsdam. In a few hours we are going to have dinner and then class following the dinner.
The visit to Einstein's house was very interesting. He desired only three things in the design of his home-function, symmetry, and peacefulness only found in nature. When one is standing in the house, one has the feeling that although things seem normal, there is simply something not normal in regards to the design. The house was absolutely stunning. Every room had a sink in it. The windows were beautiful French windows. There were three terraces-one for each floor. The most beautiful aspect; however, were the beautiful garden and the incredible view of the entire city of Caputh.
After Einstein's house, we took a Wanderprobe, which is German word for nature hike through the forest to a micro-brewery where we took a tour of the facility and then ate lunch. Both were quite enjoyable. The last part of our long day before we were able to go home included a 6 mile walk through Potsdam. Which was beautiful considering the weather and the atmosphere. But, I must admit that after the fatiguing morning, I would have taken much more information in had I had a nap or a rest (Pausa auf Deutsch) for a little bit.
This part is not in the German blog. This evening we had a wonderful dinner of capreise made by the students. Our professor, Herr Mullins, has worked out a wonderful system in which the students rotate, four to a team, and cook dinner/do dishes for each night. This conserves energy and grocery money as well as gives people a chance to participate. After dinner we had class which consisted of our daily 25 vocabulary words and then a summary of the first chapter of our new German book, Deutschland: Ein neues Anfang.
Tomorrow we will begin a weekend dedicated to working with students from Poland (coming here for the same purpose of learning the culture and language) and German students. Together, we are working on a project to create a listening tour in Polish, German, and English for the city of Potsdam. Considering the only language we have in common with which to communicate is German, it will be an interesting four days.
I am waiting to hear from my voice instructor, Turid Karlsen, about voice lessons this weekend. It is rather difficult to find not only a time to sing, but a place to sing as well. Herr Mullins and I will get into contact with the church nearby to see if I can practice there a couple times a week at least. More wonderful information to come!
18 Mai
Guten Abend!
Ich bin aus mein Wohnung nach ein lang Tage. Es war ein shoen Tage! Die sonner schien und das Wetter war warm-mehr als Gestern! Heute wir gingen nach Einstein's Haus, am ein Wanderprobe, Mittagsessen und ein Tour von die micro-burerei, spazierien durch Potsdam, und jetzt wir werden Abendessen haben und Unterricht haben.
Einstein's Haus ist sehr Interessant. Er moechte Funktion, Symmetrie, und Natur's Ruhe. Sein Haus lasst am ein Huegel im Caputh. Von die Haus, man kann weit weg sehen-die Baeume und vielen aus die Stadt. Die Haus ist sehr Funktionertlich. Der ist ein Spuelbecken am jedes Schlafzimmer und die Befeuerungen in jedes Zimmer sind am die Mittel der die Decken. Wenn mann ist im die Zimmern, man fuehlt etwas ist ein bisschen nicht normal. Jedes ist ein bisschen ungewoehnlich. Aber, est ist ein sehr schoen Haus. Draussen die Haus sind drei Terraces, und vielen Baeumen und Blumen.
Nach gingen wir am Einstein's Haus, wir hatten ein wanderproben zu ein Micro-burerei fuer ein Tour und Mittagsessen. Die Micro-burerei ist ein alter burerei und die Bier ist in ein "Old Fashioned" weg brauen. Ich trinkte kein Bier aber ich kaufte ein flasch fuer spaeter zu trinken.
Die Wanderprobe nach Mittagesessen war lang und machte mein Fuss schmerzen haben. Nur 6 miles traten wir durch Potsdam Parks beim ein See. Es war schoen die deutschen Familien sehen. Ich moechte wenn ich am jedes Tags leben sehen kann.
Und jetzt, ich bin aus mein Wohnung. Mein Group werden Abendessen haben und dann wir werden Unterricht machen. Es wird gut sein wenn wir ein bisschen Seit fur selbst haben werden. Ich liebe dieser Program und alle die Activitaeten, aber es bekommt schwerig sprachen und verstanden und zu hoeren Deutschen nach en lang Tag. Vielleicht es wird leichter bekommen :) Morgen wir werden mit die Pollen treffen. Zussamen, die Polen, deutschen studentinnen, und wir werden ein gross Projekt am polisch, inglisch, und deutschen machen. Bis Morgen!
Hello All! I will be writing a second blog to translate this blog. However a nap is calling my name :)
Ich bin aus mein Wohnung nach ein lang Tage. Es war ein shoen Tage! Die sonner schien und das Wetter war warm-mehr als Gestern! Heute wir gingen nach Einstein's Haus, am ein Wanderprobe, Mittagsessen und ein Tour von die micro-burerei, spazierien durch Potsdam, und jetzt wir werden Abendessen haben und Unterricht haben.
Einstein's Haus ist sehr Interessant. Er moechte Funktion, Symmetrie, und Natur's Ruhe. Sein Haus lasst am ein Huegel im Caputh. Von die Haus, man kann weit weg sehen-die Baeume und vielen aus die Stadt. Die Haus ist sehr Funktionertlich. Der ist ein Spuelbecken am jedes Schlafzimmer und die Befeuerungen in jedes Zimmer sind am die Mittel der die Decken. Wenn mann ist im die Zimmern, man fuehlt etwas ist ein bisschen nicht normal. Jedes ist ein bisschen ungewoehnlich. Aber, est ist ein sehr schoen Haus. Draussen die Haus sind drei Terraces, und vielen Baeumen und Blumen.
Nach gingen wir am Einstein's Haus, wir hatten ein wanderproben zu ein Micro-burerei fuer ein Tour und Mittagsessen. Die Micro-burerei ist ein alter burerei und die Bier ist in ein "Old Fashioned" weg brauen. Ich trinkte kein Bier aber ich kaufte ein flasch fuer spaeter zu trinken.
Die Wanderprobe nach Mittagesessen war lang und machte mein Fuss schmerzen haben. Nur 6 miles traten wir durch Potsdam Parks beim ein See. Es war schoen die deutschen Familien sehen. Ich moechte wenn ich am jedes Tags leben sehen kann.
Und jetzt, ich bin aus mein Wohnung. Mein Group werden Abendessen haben und dann wir werden Unterricht machen. Es wird gut sein wenn wir ein bisschen Seit fur selbst haben werden. Ich liebe dieser Program und alle die Activitaeten, aber es bekommt schwerig sprachen und verstanden und zu hoeren Deutschen nach en lang Tag. Vielleicht es wird leichter bekommen :) Morgen wir werden mit die Pollen treffen. Zussamen, die Polen, deutschen studentinnen, und wir werden ein gross Projekt am polisch, inglisch, und deutschen machen. Bis Morgen!
Hello All! I will be writing a second blog to translate this blog. However a nap is calling my name :)
16-17 Mai
Hallo Leute!
Die 15 von Mai war ein nicht sehr wichtig Tag so ich will ueber dass nicht schreiben. Am die 16 Mai haben wir ein lang Unterricht aus unser Haus und den ein Schnitzeljagd am Berlin. Wahrend ein schnitzeljagd mann muss Tipps benutzen fuer ein Ort oder ein Objekt finden. Mein partnerin und ich hatten ein Ort und ein Gebaeude finden. Wir mussten die Transit System benutzen. Aber, mein Partnerin und hatten kein Verstaendnis ein Stadtplan zu lesen. Das war schlecht. Wir suchten fuer etwas 3 Uhr und wir fanden kein Internet und kein Hilfe. Endgueltig, wir fanden ein Starbucks mit Wifi. Mit dass, wir koennten unser Ort finden und wir gingen schnell zum es. Unser Ort war Die Kultur Haus der die Welt im Tiergarten.
http://www.hkw.de/de/index.php
Translation:
Hello Everyone!
The 15th of May was not a very important day, so I am not going to write about it. On the 16th of May we had a long day of class at the house and then a Schnitzeljagd in Berlin. During a Schnitzeljagdt, one must use tips to find a place or an object. My partner and I had to find an object and a building. But, we did not understand how to read the map. That was bad. We looked for 3 hours and found no internet or help. Finally, we found a Starbucks with Wifi. With wifi we were able to find out place and go there quickly. Our place was the Kultur Haus der die Welt in Tiergarten.
http://www.hkw.de/de/index.php
Sadly, despite the fact that my partner and I eventually figured out how to read the train schedule and the map, I still am terrible at reading any sort of map. Twice we had incredibly kind Germans come up to us and point us in the right direction when we were about to make a fatal error. I will remain eternally thankful for those people and content in the fact that now know a little more about myself! I do have to make a comment; however, that it would do many American's good to take a page out of the hospitality book. Although I have not been to many countries, out of those I have been to I have yet to meet citizens who are completely unwilling to try and help if I ask. Furthermore, here in Germany, citizens came up to me when they saw me get out a map or standing in front of a map to try and help. In the future, I will attempt to be more kind to those who might be in need :)
Die 15 von Mai war ein nicht sehr wichtig Tag so ich will ueber dass nicht schreiben. Am die 16 Mai haben wir ein lang Unterricht aus unser Haus und den ein Schnitzeljagd am Berlin. Wahrend ein schnitzeljagd mann muss Tipps benutzen fuer ein Ort oder ein Objekt finden. Mein partnerin und ich hatten ein Ort und ein Gebaeude finden. Wir mussten die Transit System benutzen. Aber, mein Partnerin und hatten kein Verstaendnis ein Stadtplan zu lesen. Das war schlecht. Wir suchten fuer etwas 3 Uhr und wir fanden kein Internet und kein Hilfe. Endgueltig, wir fanden ein Starbucks mit Wifi. Mit dass, wir koennten unser Ort finden und wir gingen schnell zum es. Unser Ort war Die Kultur Haus der die Welt im Tiergarten.
http://www.hkw.de/de/index.php
Translation:
Hello Everyone!
The 15th of May was not a very important day, so I am not going to write about it. On the 16th of May we had a long day of class at the house and then a Schnitzeljagd in Berlin. During a Schnitzeljagdt, one must use tips to find a place or an object. My partner and I had to find an object and a building. But, we did not understand how to read the map. That was bad. We looked for 3 hours and found no internet or help. Finally, we found a Starbucks with Wifi. With wifi we were able to find out place and go there quickly. Our place was the Kultur Haus der die Welt in Tiergarten.
http://www.hkw.de/de/index.php
Sadly, despite the fact that my partner and I eventually figured out how to read the train schedule and the map, I still am terrible at reading any sort of map. Twice we had incredibly kind Germans come up to us and point us in the right direction when we were about to make a fatal error. I will remain eternally thankful for those people and content in the fact that now know a little more about myself! I do have to make a comment; however, that it would do many American's good to take a page out of the hospitality book. Although I have not been to many countries, out of those I have been to I have yet to meet citizens who are completely unwilling to try and help if I ask. Furthermore, here in Germany, citizens came up to me when they saw me get out a map or standing in front of a map to try and help. In the future, I will attempt to be more kind to those who might be in need :)
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Ein lang blog :)
Hallo Leute!
Ich bin hier am Deutschland! Which means, I am here in Germany! This will be a longer blog covering what happened the past few days. I apologize for not writing, but we have not had internet until late yesterday, and I have been exceptionally busy as well as jet-lagged.
13 bis 14 Mai (May 13-14)
My German partner was so kind to drive me from Duluth to the Minneapolis airport. She took her dog to her brother's house in Germany and waited till her flight in the evening. We spent the entire 2.5 hours talking about how excited we were and all the fabulous things we were going to accomplish. My first flight was from the US to Canada through Air Canada and was a very nice, short flight of about 1:45 hours. The layover in Canada was very short and the Canadian customs people were incredibly kind and happy. For those who do not travel, happy, kind customs workers are a supposed anomaly. Listening to the French being spoken around me and over the intercom and realizing I understood what they were saying lifted my spirits. Studying one language intensely seems to have taken a toll on my ability to speak quickly in the other languages I know. Surprisingly, it has not taken a toll on my comprehension both orally and written. It was an incredibly useful tool, it turns out, switching from English to French because it actually made me begin functioning in another language and prepared by brain for the total transitions when I arrived in Frankfurt.
The next flight was from Canada to Frankfurt, and that particular flight was my long flight of almost 8 hours. Air Canada is a really nice branch with very comfy seating, good leg room, very good food, and also a fabulous movie selection. I highly recommend them. Throughout my flight I was lucky enough to be sitting next to a very sweet Persian woman who was traveling from her current home in Canada to her home town in Iran which is on the border of Iran and Turkey. I found out that she had a great deal of Turkish friends and had even lived in the south of Germany for almost 11 years. We spoke quite a bit about Turkey and about the Muslim people living in Germany. It was her opinion that while Germany provided a lot of opportunities for Muslims and those from the Middle East it can create a situation questioning home verses homeland. She wished me the best of luck in both Germany and Turkey and encouraged me to fully immerse myself in the cultures and enjoy.
After landing, while sitting in the Frankfurt airport during my 3 hour layover, I was distressed to find I was unable neither able to access internet nor send SMS (texts) with my phone. To make matters worse, the Euro phones would not let me call home either. I had absolutely no way to contact anyone to let them know all was OK. I did not realize the importance of my communication tools in my life until that day.
The flight from Frankfurt to Berlin was fairly short and went well despite a huge amount of turbulence. I waited at the airport for my German partner who arrived an hour after I did. I do not think I have ever been so happy to see the face of someone I know. We both waited for a third person whose flight arrived early, thankfully. And, the three of us set off from the airport to have our first German experience!
Finding a taxi in Germany was, thankfully, easy since we were at the airport. We spoke to him in German, telling him where we needed to go and informed him we were students here in Germany to practice German. Talking with him during the drive, we found that he is Turkish, born in the East of Turkey, and moved to Germany about 10 years ago. Gastarbeiter is the non PC (politically correct term) for someone of his same situation.
Our hotel was absolutely beautiful! We stayed at the Marriot in the Zentrum (center) of Berlin. We had a small Abenteur (adventure) attempting to find somewhere to eat but were lucky enough to find an authentic hole-in-the-wall German restaurant, Bistro Kneipe. I ate Brotkeit, which was a plate of various cheeses, meats, and vegetables served with bread. Because I had not eaten anything but airplane food, it was the most delicious meal I have experienced. That evening I was able to use the internet and contact my loved ones and friends. And, the beautiful, king, bed was never more welcome!
Ich bin hier am Deutschland! Which means, I am here in Germany! This will be a longer blog covering what happened the past few days. I apologize for not writing, but we have not had internet until late yesterday, and I have been exceptionally busy as well as jet-lagged.
13 bis 14 Mai (May 13-14)
My German partner was so kind to drive me from Duluth to the Minneapolis airport. She took her dog to her brother's house in Germany and waited till her flight in the evening. We spent the entire 2.5 hours talking about how excited we were and all the fabulous things we were going to accomplish. My first flight was from the US to Canada through Air Canada and was a very nice, short flight of about 1:45 hours. The layover in Canada was very short and the Canadian customs people were incredibly kind and happy. For those who do not travel, happy, kind customs workers are a supposed anomaly. Listening to the French being spoken around me and over the intercom and realizing I understood what they were saying lifted my spirits. Studying one language intensely seems to have taken a toll on my ability to speak quickly in the other languages I know. Surprisingly, it has not taken a toll on my comprehension both orally and written. It was an incredibly useful tool, it turns out, switching from English to French because it actually made me begin functioning in another language and prepared by brain for the total transitions when I arrived in Frankfurt.
The next flight was from Canada to Frankfurt, and that particular flight was my long flight of almost 8 hours. Air Canada is a really nice branch with very comfy seating, good leg room, very good food, and also a fabulous movie selection. I highly recommend them. Throughout my flight I was lucky enough to be sitting next to a very sweet Persian woman who was traveling from her current home in Canada to her home town in Iran which is on the border of Iran and Turkey. I found out that she had a great deal of Turkish friends and had even lived in the south of Germany for almost 11 years. We spoke quite a bit about Turkey and about the Muslim people living in Germany. It was her opinion that while Germany provided a lot of opportunities for Muslims and those from the Middle East it can create a situation questioning home verses homeland. She wished me the best of luck in both Germany and Turkey and encouraged me to fully immerse myself in the cultures and enjoy.
After landing, while sitting in the Frankfurt airport during my 3 hour layover, I was distressed to find I was unable neither able to access internet nor send SMS (texts) with my phone. To make matters worse, the Euro phones would not let me call home either. I had absolutely no way to contact anyone to let them know all was OK. I did not realize the importance of my communication tools in my life until that day.
The flight from Frankfurt to Berlin was fairly short and went well despite a huge amount of turbulence. I waited at the airport for my German partner who arrived an hour after I did. I do not think I have ever been so happy to see the face of someone I know. We both waited for a third person whose flight arrived early, thankfully. And, the three of us set off from the airport to have our first German experience!
Finding a taxi in Germany was, thankfully, easy since we were at the airport. We spoke to him in German, telling him where we needed to go and informed him we were students here in Germany to practice German. Talking with him during the drive, we found that he is Turkish, born in the East of Turkey, and moved to Germany about 10 years ago. Gastarbeiter is the non PC (politically correct term) for someone of his same situation.
Our hotel was absolutely beautiful! We stayed at the Marriot in the Zentrum (center) of Berlin. We had a small Abenteur (adventure) attempting to find somewhere to eat but were lucky enough to find an authentic hole-in-the-wall German restaurant, Bistro Kneipe. I ate Brotkeit, which was a plate of various cheeses, meats, and vegetables served with bread. Because I had not eaten anything but airplane food, it was the most delicious meal I have experienced. That evening I was able to use the internet and contact my loved ones and friends. And, the beautiful, king, bed was never more welcome!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Zwei Tage bevor Deutschland/Türkiye'den gün yirmi üç gün
Hello!
Yesterday evening my voice students auditioned for the Musical Theatre department (known as Qualifying), and I was absolutely stunned. All of my students were exceptionally well prepared and presented themselves in such a wonderful and professional manner. I was so proud of them! Today they all had their vocal juries-voice final exams where they sing their repertoire in front of the voice faculty. I was yet again so very proud of them. They have worked so very hard this semester and their hard work paid off with positive feedback from their voice jury grades. I am a very proud voice teacher. I was also very proud of the students in the Vocal Technique (Pedagogy) class that I help teach. They all did exceptionally well too!
My voice jury was today as well. In my personal opinion, I sang absolutely horribly and was rather upset about the whole thing. However, my voice teacher informed me that it was the most consistent I have ever sung and that it was one of the best times I have performed that repertoire. Who would have though!
Now that finals are officially over, I am in the process of attempting to finally start packing both my bags for Germany and Turkey and also my things to store them before leaving for the summer. Perhaps it will be nice to actually walk through my room without the threat of being eaten alive by my clothing and belongings.
In Germany class we ended the semester talking about stereotypes "Stereotypen" and our curriculum addresses the stereotypes that German's have of "Auslanderinnen" foreigners especially Turkish peoples. "Zum Beispiel" (for example), it is a common stereotype by Germans that Auslanderinnen, especially Turkish Auslanderinnen come to Germany for the purpose of taking jobs away from the German people. I have to admit that before the past summer, I had stereotypes about Turkish people that were severely disproved when I got to know the Turkish people that I know lovingly call friends. My German partner and I will be assessing the various stereotypes we see in Turkish people living in Germany and in Turkish people living in Turkey. Here are some of the bullet points we desire to keep in consideration:
Yesterday evening my voice students auditioned for the Musical Theatre department (known as Qualifying), and I was absolutely stunned. All of my students were exceptionally well prepared and presented themselves in such a wonderful and professional manner. I was so proud of them! Today they all had their vocal juries-voice final exams where they sing their repertoire in front of the voice faculty. I was yet again so very proud of them. They have worked so very hard this semester and their hard work paid off with positive feedback from their voice jury grades. I am a very proud voice teacher. I was also very proud of the students in the Vocal Technique (Pedagogy) class that I help teach. They all did exceptionally well too!
My voice jury was today as well. In my personal opinion, I sang absolutely horribly and was rather upset about the whole thing. However, my voice teacher informed me that it was the most consistent I have ever sung and that it was one of the best times I have performed that repertoire. Who would have though!
Now that finals are officially over, I am in the process of attempting to finally start packing both my bags for Germany and Turkey and also my things to store them before leaving for the summer. Perhaps it will be nice to actually walk through my room without the threat of being eaten alive by my clothing and belongings.
Here is an interesting topic for today that I'd like to take into consideration pertaining to Germany and Turkey:
Stereotypes in both German and Turkish cultures not only that Americans
may have about the two, but also that the two have with one another.
- Turkish enterprises in Germany and how they differ from enterprises in Turkey (doner kebab)
- Turkish people living in Germany and the way they interact with one another in Germany vs how they interact with one another in Turkey.
- Turkish family life in Germany vs in Turkey.
If you have any opinion on these topics, please let me know.
I would greatly enjoy hearing your comments.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Vier Tage bevor Deutschland/Türkiye'den gün yirmi beş gün
Guten Morgen und Günaydın!
Both of those phrases are "Good Morning" in German and Turkish respectively. It is 1a.m. and I am completely and utterly unable to sleep because of how excited I am about leaving on Friday. The mess that is my room is now occupied by plastic bins ready to be filled before I move out of my current resident and store my things. The next two days are on the top of my list, however. Tomorrow I will play piano for my voice students as they audition for the Musical Theatre program. Tuesday I have my voice jury, and I will be playing piano again for six students who have voice juries, one of which is auditioning to get into the Music Program. For those who do not know, a jury is a final voice exam where the student sings a set number of pieces in front of the voice faculty. About 20% of a student's grade is based on their jury scores. :) Busy, busy days!
Both of those phrases are "Good Morning" in German and Turkish respectively. It is 1a.m. and I am completely and utterly unable to sleep because of how excited I am about leaving on Friday. The mess that is my room is now occupied by plastic bins ready to be filled before I move out of my current resident and store my things. The next two days are on the top of my list, however. Tomorrow I will play piano for my voice students as they audition for the Musical Theatre program. Tuesday I have my voice jury, and I will be playing piano again for six students who have voice juries, one of which is auditioning to get into the Music Program. For those who do not know, a jury is a final voice exam where the student sings a set number of pieces in front of the voice faculty. About 20% of a student's grade is based on their jury scores. :) Busy, busy days!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Neun Tage bevor Deutschland/Türkiye'den önce otuz gün
Guten Abend Leute!
The regional opera auditions went just wonderfully. It is always interesting to audition for those with whom you have previously worked although not necessarily during the same sort of activity. I am not sure when they will send out cast lists and information, but I will let everyone know as soon as I do. Everything is in a suspended state currently as the end of school draws near and the days tick down until May 13th. One more audition to go, two Opera Scene performances, finals, and then I can finally breath! :)
The regional opera auditions went just wonderfully. It is always interesting to audition for those with whom you have previously worked although not necessarily during the same sort of activity. I am not sure when they will send out cast lists and information, but I will let everyone know as soon as I do. Everything is in a suspended state currently as the end of school draws near and the days tick down until May 13th. One more audition to go, two Opera Scene performances, finals, and then I can finally breath! :)
Zehn Tage bevor Deutschland/Türkiye'den önce otuz bir gün
Merhaba ve Günaydin!
Günaydin is "Good Morning" or "Guten Morgen" auf Deutsch. It is getting to that moment where I realize I have too much to do and only ten days to accomplish everything. Today I will be teaching my voice students all day then auditioning for the regional opera company followed by a full dress rehearsal for opera scenes. I suppose I'll need to do homework at some point.
Yesterday I took time to notify my bank I'll be going over seas for a length of time this summer. I've also been reading the United State's warnings and helpful hints for those traveling over seas during this time. I'm very thankful that my international connecting flights both leaving and returning are through Canada. Likewise, I fly directly from Canada to Germany. Therefore, my flights are not in the red-zone as much as other flights.
Because this summer is such an enormous project, I have allowed Turkey and Germany to permeate my
life for the past year in a slow acceleration towards the summer. In piano lessons this semester I am studying Mozart's Alla Turca a rondo he wrote using Turkish influences. Here are my personal opinions on what makes this piece "Turkish"
Turkish Janissary Band as known for its percussion and distinctive rhythms. Turkish popular and folk music has also come to be recognized with much of the same percussive and rhythmic distinction. What Mozart adds is character. Mozart is known for his operas more so than any other works and has been given due credit for the characterization with which his music relates to individual characters in those operas. With each section of the rondo, there is a different character being portrayed-all Turkish in nature and bearing the same theme, but each very distinctive and individual. The Janissary Marches would use different themes themselves depending on their battle tactics. A good example of this can be found in this video below of a recreation of Janissary Marches in Istanbul, Turkey:
http://youtu.be/D0Fyf63qI_E
Günaydin is "Good Morning" or "Guten Morgen" auf Deutsch. It is getting to that moment where I realize I have too much to do and only ten days to accomplish everything. Today I will be teaching my voice students all day then auditioning for the regional opera company followed by a full dress rehearsal for opera scenes. I suppose I'll need to do homework at some point.
Yesterday I took time to notify my bank I'll be going over seas for a length of time this summer. I've also been reading the United State's warnings and helpful hints for those traveling over seas during this time. I'm very thankful that my international connecting flights both leaving and returning are through Canada. Likewise, I fly directly from Canada to Germany. Therefore, my flights are not in the red-zone as much as other flights.
Because this summer is such an enormous project, I have allowed Turkey and Germany to permeate my
life for the past year in a slow acceleration towards the summer. In piano lessons this semester I am studying Mozart's Alla Turca a rondo he wrote using Turkish influences. Here are my personal opinions on what makes this piece "Turkish"
An orchestral version:
http://youtu.be/se_Swf7-68M
The piano version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGDHe14m8ew
Turkish Janissary Band as known for its percussion and distinctive rhythms. Turkish popular and folk music has also come to be recognized with much of the same percussive and rhythmic distinction. What Mozart adds is character. Mozart is known for his operas more so than any other works and has been given due credit for the characterization with which his music relates to individual characters in those operas. With each section of the rondo, there is a different character being portrayed-all Turkish in nature and bearing the same theme, but each very distinctive and individual. The Janissary Marches would use different themes themselves depending on their battle tactics. A good example of this can be found in this video below of a recreation of Janissary Marches in Istanbul, Turkey:
http://youtu.be/D0Fyf63qI_E
Here is your challenge! Listen for a little bit to the Janissary Marches in Turkey, then listen to either the piano or orchestral version of Alla Turca
SOMETHING FUN
Here is a link to a drummer who added a drum part to the Alla Turca. It is fabulous and he has a good feel for those moments where the percussion desires to be more or less.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zI2-obHP8s Sunday, May 1, 2011
Zwölf Tage bevor Deutschland/Türkiye'den önce otuz üç gün
Merhaba!
As I lay in my bed staring at my pile of clothes that still need to fit in my bag somehow, listening to the wind howling while I read the weather report of 65F and sunshine in Potsdam, and looking at my schedule for the last week of school with all the auditions, accompanying, teaching, and performing, it is no wonder I do not want to get out of bed!
Currently, everything is in place and smoothly sailing towards May 13th. I and my Turkish liason are still searching for sources of funding, but, as always, God will provide. I am setting up dates on which to study with teachers and conduct interviews. And, for the first time last night, I was watching a movie in which people started speaking German and I did not have to drastically "shift gears" to understand what they were saying. That was a very exciting moment for me. My grandfather used to say that to learn the language, think in the language. This seems tedious, but it is absolutely true!
Sunday, May 1
-Bach's St. Johannes Passion
-Opera Scenes Dress Rehearsal
Monday, May 2
-Classes, teaching, and accompanying
-Opera Scenes Dress Rehearsal
Tuesday, May 3
-Classes, teaching, and accompanying
-Audition for the regional opera company
-School of Fine Arts Banquet
-Full Dress Rehearsal for Opera Scenes
Wednesday, May 4
-Classes, teaching, and accompanying
-Full Dress Rehearsal for Opera Scenes
Thursday, May 5
-Classes, teaching, and accompanying
-Voice Masterclass
-Opera Scenes Performance
Friday, May 6 (LAST DAY CLASSES!)
-Classes, teaching, and accompanying
-Audition for Cosi fan tutte
-Opera Scenes Performance
As I lay in my bed staring at my pile of clothes that still need to fit in my bag somehow, listening to the wind howling while I read the weather report of 65F and sunshine in Potsdam, and looking at my schedule for the last week of school with all the auditions, accompanying, teaching, and performing, it is no wonder I do not want to get out of bed!
Currently, everything is in place and smoothly sailing towards May 13th. I and my Turkish liason are still searching for sources of funding, but, as always, God will provide. I am setting up dates on which to study with teachers and conduct interviews. And, for the first time last night, I was watching a movie in which people started speaking German and I did not have to drastically "shift gears" to understand what they were saying. That was a very exciting moment for me. My grandfather used to say that to learn the language, think in the language. This seems tedious, but it is absolutely true!
- Here is a challenge for this week: The Turkish word for water is "su." Everytime you come across water, whether it is to drink water or use it for cooking, or you just see water, think "su." After a couple of days, you will not have to think about thinking about "su"-it will just happen automatically. Step 2: Send me your feedback on this experiment! Step 3: Try it in a different language! German-"Wasser" or for those foreign speakers following the blog, English-"Water".
Sunday, May 1
-Bach's St. Johannes Passion
-Opera Scenes Dress Rehearsal
Monday, May 2
-Classes, teaching, and accompanying
-Opera Scenes Dress Rehearsal
Tuesday, May 3
-Classes, teaching, and accompanying
-Audition for the regional opera company
-School of Fine Arts Banquet
-Full Dress Rehearsal for Opera Scenes
Wednesday, May 4
-Classes, teaching, and accompanying
-Full Dress Rehearsal for Opera Scenes
Thursday, May 5
-Classes, teaching, and accompanying
-Voice Masterclass
-Opera Scenes Performance
Friday, May 6 (LAST DAY CLASSES!)
-Classes, teaching, and accompanying
-Audition for Cosi fan tutte
-Opera Scenes Performance
Friday, April 29, 2011
Vierzehn Tage bevor Deutschland/Türkiye'den önce otuz beş gün
Guten Abend Leute!
This evening was the first performance of the Bach's St. Johannes Passion. It was an absolutely breath-taking experience! I felt so honored to be the soprano soloist and sing with actual professionals. The chorus was spectacular as were the two organs, chamber orchestra and other soloists. They made a professional recording of the evening as well as a professional video, so I will give out details about both as soon as I hear.
Overall this weekend marks the start of our last week of classes, and a week full of opera scene rehearsals, the two opera scene performances, auditions for the regional opera company, and auditions for next year's opera Cosi fan tutte. I am trying very, very hard to concentrate on classes; however, I am desperately excited for Germany and Turkey!
Tonight we're going to discuss language, particularly word order as I currently understand it in this juncture of my study. For this we will say that S=subject, V=verb, DO=direct object, and IO=indirect object. Here is a basic comparison of word order in English, German and Turkish:
English: S-V-O I read the book.
German: S-V-O Ich lese das Buch
Turkish: S-O-V Ben kitap okuyorum
German and English are similar. However, in a basic sentence in German (sans clauses), the verb will always be in second position. In Turkish, the verb is usually at the end of the sentence. Let's add a DO to the order:
English: S-V-O-DO I read the book to you
German: S-V-DO-O Ich lese dir dem Buch
Turkish: S-DO-O-V Ben sana kitap okuyorum
Because I am still learning Turkish, my Turkish may be flawed, but this is what I understand thus far about the word order. Now let's get fancy:
English: I want to read the book to you.
German: Ich moechte dir dem Buch lesen.
Turkish: Ben sana kitap okumak istiyorum.
Here we have abstract verbs, or in German, modal verbs. In English the two verbs are together in second position right after the subject and before the indirect and direct objects (S-V1-V2-O-DO). In German, when there are two verbs, the conjugated verb goes in the second position and the other verb at the end of the sentence (S-V1-DO-O-V2). Hence why we always hear if you want to find out what happens in a sentence in German, you have to wait till the end of the sentence to find out. In Turkish, both verbs are at the end of the sentence and it is the conjugated verb that is at the very end (S-DO-O-V2-V1).
The thought that I want to pose this evening now that we have a better understanding of word order is this: How does changing the word order affect how one interprets through singing the text in a song? Does it affect the text at all? This is one of the questions I hope to address throughout my studies this summer. Have a beautiful evening everyone!
This evening was the first performance of the Bach's St. Johannes Passion. It was an absolutely breath-taking experience! I felt so honored to be the soprano soloist and sing with actual professionals. The chorus was spectacular as were the two organs, chamber orchestra and other soloists. They made a professional recording of the evening as well as a professional video, so I will give out details about both as soon as I hear.
Overall this weekend marks the start of our last week of classes, and a week full of opera scene rehearsals, the two opera scene performances, auditions for the regional opera company, and auditions for next year's opera Cosi fan tutte. I am trying very, very hard to concentrate on classes; however, I am desperately excited for Germany and Turkey!
Tonight we're going to discuss language, particularly word order as I currently understand it in this juncture of my study. For this we will say that S=subject, V=verb, DO=direct object, and IO=indirect object. Here is a basic comparison of word order in English, German and Turkish:
English: S-V-O I read the book.
German: S-V-O Ich lese das Buch
Turkish: S-O-V Ben kitap okuyorum
German and English are similar. However, in a basic sentence in German (sans clauses), the verb will always be in second position. In Turkish, the verb is usually at the end of the sentence. Let's add a DO to the order:
English: S-V-O-DO I read the book to you
German: S-V-DO-O Ich lese dir dem Buch
Turkish: S-DO-O-V Ben sana kitap okuyorum
Because I am still learning Turkish, my Turkish may be flawed, but this is what I understand thus far about the word order. Now let's get fancy:
English: I want to read the book to you.
German: Ich moechte dir dem Buch lesen.
Turkish: Ben sana kitap okumak istiyorum.
Here we have abstract verbs, or in German, modal verbs. In English the two verbs are together in second position right after the subject and before the indirect and direct objects (S-V1-V2-O-DO). In German, when there are two verbs, the conjugated verb goes in the second position and the other verb at the end of the sentence (S-V1-DO-O-V2). Hence why we always hear if you want to find out what happens in a sentence in German, you have to wait till the end of the sentence to find out. In Turkish, both verbs are at the end of the sentence and it is the conjugated verb that is at the very end (S-DO-O-V2-V1).
The thought that I want to pose this evening now that we have a better understanding of word order is this: How does changing the word order affect how one interprets through singing the text in a song? Does it affect the text at all? This is one of the questions I hope to address throughout my studies this summer. Have a beautiful evening everyone!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Achtzehn Tage bevor Deutschland/Türkiye'den önce otuz dokuz gün
Guten Tag und Merhaba!
Ich gab ein Presentazion heute am mein Deutsch Klass. Es war sehr gut aber die Computer aßt meinen Noten. Ich musste Improvizen machen. Das Wetter ist sehr schoen hier heute. Es ist etwas 65F! Hoffentlich, Potsdam wird schoen auch sein. Heute ich war zu viel aufgeregt ueber Deutschland und auch die Tuerkei. Es war sehr schwerig Konzentrazion haben. Mein Stimmestudentinnen sind nervoes von ihren stimmen Exammen bekommen. Es ist ein bisschen schwerig eine Lehrerin und Studentin sein. Ich muss Zeit fuer mein Studentinnen finden aber ich muss auch Zeit fur mich finden. Wenn ich bin am dieser Situation, ich ueber allein meinen Studentinnen denken und ich habe ein schwerig Zeit ueber selbts denken. Ich kann nicht Alles sein.
Translation: I gave a presentation today in my German class. It was very good but the computer ate my notes. I had to improvise. The weather is beautiful today. It is 65F! Hopefully, Potsdam will also be this beautiful. Today I was way too excited about Germany and Turkey. It was very hard to concentrate. My students are becoming nervous about their singing juries (exams). It is a little difficult to be a teacher and a student. I must find time for my students, but I must also find time for myself. When I am in these situations, I only think about my students and I have a hard time thinking about myself. I can't be everything.
It was a very beautiful day today which did not help my excitement about Germany. It is hard to believe there are only 18 days left. Since creating a packing list, my room is in utter chaos as I have sorted most my clothing into that which will be going with me overseas, and that which will not. I am keeping the packing to a minimum though, and am successful thusfar!
This weekend is the Bach's St. Johannes Passion, and I am the soprano soloist. It is a very busy week as well as weekends, not only because of the rehearsals for the Passion, but also because next week is the last week of school, the week of the opera, and the week of auditions for the next opera Cosi fan tutte and auditions for the local regional opera company for Ghianni Schicchi. Oh, and, of course, whatever is needed for classes, teaching my students, and preparing to play for my students for their juries. I am thankful for it all; however, and know that the time will fly by. And I will soon be on my way!
I want to make one quick comment about one of the most useful pieces of equipment I have ever possessed: my Nook. The E-Readers are absolutely incredible not only because you can have so many books in one place quickly at your fingertips, but, many of my librettos and music books have turned out to be completely FREE. What more could you ask for being a broke graduate student! It is a fabulous machine that I am very thankful for and would highly recommend to anyone especially those who will be going on to higher learning. More and more, Nook and Kindle have textbooks that can be purchased. And, both the Nook and Kindle have the option of making notes, highlighting, and uploading PDFs. Fabulous!
Ich gab ein Presentazion heute am mein Deutsch Klass. Es war sehr gut aber die Computer aßt meinen Noten. Ich musste Improvizen machen. Das Wetter ist sehr schoen hier heute. Es ist etwas 65F! Hoffentlich, Potsdam wird schoen auch sein. Heute ich war zu viel aufgeregt ueber Deutschland und auch die Tuerkei. Es war sehr schwerig Konzentrazion haben. Mein Stimmestudentinnen sind nervoes von ihren stimmen Exammen bekommen. Es ist ein bisschen schwerig eine Lehrerin und Studentin sein. Ich muss Zeit fuer mein Studentinnen finden aber ich muss auch Zeit fur mich finden. Wenn ich bin am dieser Situation, ich ueber allein meinen Studentinnen denken und ich habe ein schwerig Zeit ueber selbts denken. Ich kann nicht Alles sein.
Translation: I gave a presentation today in my German class. It was very good but the computer ate my notes. I had to improvise. The weather is beautiful today. It is 65F! Hopefully, Potsdam will also be this beautiful. Today I was way too excited about Germany and Turkey. It was very hard to concentrate. My students are becoming nervous about their singing juries (exams). It is a little difficult to be a teacher and a student. I must find time for my students, but I must also find time for myself. When I am in these situations, I only think about my students and I have a hard time thinking about myself. I can't be everything.
It was a very beautiful day today which did not help my excitement about Germany. It is hard to believe there are only 18 days left. Since creating a packing list, my room is in utter chaos as I have sorted most my clothing into that which will be going with me overseas, and that which will not. I am keeping the packing to a minimum though, and am successful thusfar!
This weekend is the Bach's St. Johannes Passion, and I am the soprano soloist. It is a very busy week as well as weekends, not only because of the rehearsals for the Passion, but also because next week is the last week of school, the week of the opera, and the week of auditions for the next opera Cosi fan tutte and auditions for the local regional opera company for Ghianni Schicchi. Oh, and, of course, whatever is needed for classes, teaching my students, and preparing to play for my students for their juries. I am thankful for it all; however, and know that the time will fly by. And I will soon be on my way!
I want to make one quick comment about one of the most useful pieces of equipment I have ever possessed: my Nook. The E-Readers are absolutely incredible not only because you can have so many books in one place quickly at your fingertips, but, many of my librettos and music books have turned out to be completely FREE. What more could you ask for being a broke graduate student! It is a fabulous machine that I am very thankful for and would highly recommend to anyone especially those who will be going on to higher learning. More and more, Nook and Kindle have textbooks that can be purchased. And, both the Nook and Kindle have the option of making notes, highlighting, and uploading PDFs. Fabulous!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Neunzehn Tage bevor Deutschland/Türkiye'den önce kırk gün
A joyous and peaceful Easter to everyone.
Around normal Easter festivities (decorating eggs and such), I have begun creating my packing list for both Germany and Turkey as well as organizing and collecting all flight and housing information. It is going to be challenging to not pack wisely and not excessively. Sadly, being both a soprano and woman, I feel I am slightly prone to over-pack. In my defense, I merely desire to be prepared. I am only pack travel size toiletries; however and am excited to go shopping in Germany and Turkey for things like shampoo and conditioner.
I do need help though! For those reading, please throw out advice and suggestions for things to pack-I would greatly appreciate having them.
The wonderful Turkeye Institute has awarded me a $750 scholarship towards my studies in Turkey! This money will help pay for the Turkish language courses and for transportation around Turkey, most specifically, to and from the language classes. The Institute has requested that I consider working for them next year since I will have formal training in the language and because of the interest I have shown in studies and travel in Turkey. This is actually wonderful news because I do need a job next year! Thank you Turkeye Institute, and thank you to everyone who is praying and keeping good thoughts coming. I am still searching for funding to help with other portions of the trip and expenses that I have thus far paid out of pocket.
In an attempt to stop speaking Turkish in German class, among the other languages that seem to be randomly coming out of my mouth (Italian, Spanish, and French), I have put a temporary halt on learning Turkish phrases and am concentrating solely on German. For those who pursue studying a foreign language, here are some hints I found helpful:
- Immerse yourself in the language!
- Listen to news broadcasts (http://www.dw-world.de/)
- Watch foreign movies (kids movies are great and use basic language, plus they are fun to watch)
- Be active when you read
- You can pick up a lot on the language if you are active while you are reading.
- Find a pen pal from the particular language you are studying
- Go to school websites first to attempt to find this. Please don't just type in foreign pen pal on Google. Contact study abroad programs and ask about pen pals too.
- Post-It Notes and Coloring Books are your Foreign Language Friend
- I have post it notes all over my house with the German words for different everyday household items. In the same, I have coloring pictures of clothing, place settings, and house plans in my room. These are fun and incredibly helpful.
- Don't be afraid to speak
- More often than not, natives of the language you are learning WANT to help you learn the language. And, let's be honest, you can't improve if you don't try.
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