I am living in Eskisehir in Turkey where i study. And my family is living in Istanbul. I go near my family at weekends. I live alone in Eskisehir. I think Eskisehir is the best city that a student can live in Turkey. Because everything is very cheap. In addition i can describe my university in one word: PERFECT.
Anadolu University is one of the pre-eminent innovative universities in Turkey . Anadolu University houses 12 faculties, 3 of which are distance education, 7 schools, 4 vocational schools, 9 institutes (4 graduate schools, 5 institutes) and 28 research centers and units. Students, while enjoying an innovative and creative learning experience can also enjoy cultural activities such as plays, concerts and exhibitions. Students get a chance to meet and converse with many prominent artists, writers, and journalists who are invited to visit the campus. The staff and students also have access to sports facilities, tennis courts, and an indoor swimming pool. The Anadolu University Library and Documentation Center houses a rich collection of books and periodicals.
Walking on the street you see two men walking hand in hand or hugged. Then they stop and they meet another man and they kisses each other in the face. These men are not homosexuals. Friends walk through the street hand in hand or hugged. This is very common all over Turkey. Greeting with kisses are also common among the men!
If you rent a car in Turkey, drive carefully. Pedestrians cross the streets while cars are passing. Drivers have to be very careful with pedestrians. In busier Istanbul districts the situation can be chaotic. The famous "zebra cross" does not work in Turkey.
Don't get scared if you wake up with in the middle of the night with a speaker. Muslims call for prayer 5 times a day and one of them is at sunrise!
There is a public transport in Turkey that is called "dolmus". It is like a small bus, they stop in any point to leave or to take passengers. You pay the price from the place you get into the dolmus until your destiny. The prices is different for each person, depending on where they took the dolmus. The payment is made directly to the driver. When sitting in a dolmus, sit at the back seat otherwise you will have to pass the money and repeat the destiny of the other passengers to the driver.
Street vendors are very common in Turkey, they usually sell cheap products. Sometimes we see some street vendors running from the police, in this case they don't have authorization to sell at the street. The authorization is given by the city hall when requested.
Turks love to do picnic. I would say that it is the "national sport". At the weekends you can see whole families in parks and squares. They bring everything for a barbecue, from a rug or cloth to cover the ground to a barbecue grill and little stove for the tea.
A Popular Turkish belief: a person should not give a knife directly to another person. The knife should be put over the table and the other person should get the knife. If by chance the person forgets and she gives the knife directly for the other person, the person that receives the knife should spit over the knife. This "spit over the knife" protects against a discord among themselves.
Restaurants usually expose their food. That is great for the foreigners so that they can see and choose what to eat! The foods are usually seasoned, with a lot of vegetables and not much meat. Turks eat a lot of fruits and sweets in Turkey.
Turks have the habit of removing their shoes before entering home. Do not be embaraced if you visit a Turkish family and see in the entrance of the house or even outside the main door a lot of shoes ! The reason is good and simple: cleanliness ! When you walk in the streets, shoes will be in contact with a lot of dirt and the Turks don't want to bring it home.
The marriage in a notary lasts about 5 to 10 minutes. The bride usually wear bride western clothes and everybody will clap their hands after the YES! After the couple marries, the bride will receive a lot of gold gifts and money!! Good isn't it ? Relatives and friends hang in the bride gold coins with a red bow, gold necklaces, gold bracelets, money shines, etc... If there is a party the bride will wear the gifts. The bride also carries a small bag, where she keeps some of the gold gifts if they are so many. Depending on the wealth of the family and friends, the gifts pays the party and more ...
In villages there is usually a coffee bar. In this coffee bar you will see only men drinking tea or coffee, smoking and talking. The women's permanence in such places is not prohibited. They also meet at their own houses to have tea and talk gossips!
A typical Turk drinks approximately around 10 glasses of black tea pro day. Tea is the most popular drink in Turkey.
If you are in Turkey on November 10th at 9:05 you will see something very interesting. Almost all the population make one minute of silence. It is interesting to see a metropole like Istanbul, in a crowd place where millions of people, cars and buses stop for one minute. It is like to stop a film. This minute of silence is in memory of the death of the founder of the Turkish republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Some museum clocks are also stopped at 9:05, this is also in honor of Ataturk.
When a child is born, relatives and friends give her/him an evil eye. Usually the family hangs in the child an object that the Turks calls "nazar boncuk" which is a blue evil eye. The evil eye can be made of gold depending on the wealth of the family.
The "nazar boncuk" can also be put in the entrance of the house (the person already enters and sees that the house is protected), outside of the house, in the office, in the car, it can also be used as a jewelery. The "nazar boncuk" in its original form is a blue eye but it can also be represented in a bracelet or in an earring with a blue stone.
There is a ritual when a younger person greets an eldery person of the same family or a closed friend. The eldery person gives his/her hand and the youngest person kisses the hand and take the hand towards his/her forehead. This is a sign of respect.
Turkish families love to offer something to their guests. It can be lunch, dinner or a tea. If you have an invitation to visit a Turkish family, go with an empty stomach! Usually the woman of the family cook delicious dishes during the whole day and offer a banquet. Taste a little bit of everything because if you reject something they will be desapointed.
As you see Turkey is a rich country with cultural habits! I advice you to come and see Turkey.
