COMMENTARY INVENTION

• School taking precautions to stop the spread of the H1N1 Swine Flu
• State amendment to “establish and protect a human being’s ‘personhood’ from the moment of fertilization” (centralfloridafuture.com); banning all types of birth control throughout the state of Florida, including college campuses
• Student organizations giving away free items/food to get others involved

MEMOIR FINAL

FOREIGN EXCHANGE TO TURKEY

Waking up at six a.m. to start my day usually isn’t my thing, but for this, I was ecstatic. I was finally getting a chance to venture into a world unknown to me. I was headed to Turkey with my Foreign Exchange student, Ferda, to complete the second half of our exchange. Even though I was so eager to try out this exchange, doubt flowed through my mind. Was I really ready to go to a foreign country all by myself? I had never been anywhere without a family member, and I really didn’t know what to expect. The whole plane trip there I kept questioning myself, and thinking prejudice things. At fifteen, could I really experience and enjoy a trip like this? Everything seemed to go downhill once I began evaluating myself.

After seventeen hours of flying, we were in Istanbul, Turkey, and I was exhausted and cranky. Ferda received news that our last flight from Istanbul to Izmir was delayed a few hours, so she called her aunt in Istanbul, and she lent Ferda and me her car and driver for a tour around the city. Before I arrived in Turkey, I imagined it to look like the Aladdin movies, and have sand dunes everywhere with exotic architecture and what not, but my first glimpse of Istanbul was nothing like that. Picture your perfect paradise on a Greek island, with blue oceans and cloudless skies; that is was these western Turkish cities look like. The sights I saw were unreal, and I began to slowly peel off the judgmental thoughts I had about the country. Istanbul is one of Turkey’s largest cities; all along the mountains you could see the millions of houses and other buildings. There were brilliant mosques, crowds of people, and the last thing you would expect… beautiful beaches, with sparkling, clear waters. As we drove over the bridge connecting Asia and Europe, I thought to myself how much I wanted to get back into my own bed and fall asleep, but I was overwhelmed with this amazing feeling, and I just couldn’t get rid of it. All I can remember thinking was “Wow! I am really in Turkey. How crazy is this?!” I was a tremendously nervous for my adventure in this peculiar country, but I was ready for it to start.

Soon enough, it was time for us to head back to the airport for our final flight to Izmir, Turkey. Thank God this was only a 45 minute flight; I began to think that I would be stuck in the sitting position forever for all the flying. Once we arrived in Izmir and picked up our luggage, Ferda and I headed off to find her parents. Her dad, Macit, and mom, Shenaz, were waiting eagerly for us at the “Arrivals” exit. As soon as they saw us, they smiled happily and started running toward Ferda. I then felt the first wave of homesickness, and all I wanted was to go back home and hug my own mom and dad. Of course, Macit and Shenaz also gave me a big hug and tried to make me feel like a part of the Şaşzade family, but nothing they did would take away this horrible feeling in my stomach.

Because the Şaşzade’s were staying at their summer home in Çesme, we had ANOTHER hour long drive. By the time we arrived home, it was way past midnight, and I was more than ready to go to bed. The next morning, well, afternoon, considering I woke up at 3 p.m., everyone was already awake. And by everyone, I mean Macit, Shenaz, Ferda, Shenaz’s parents, and two of Ferda’s cousins, Cem and Kerim. I was not ready to meet my entire host family just yet. This sent another overwhelming shock through my body. I was already off to a bad start, I thought. I was completely homesick, and all I wanted to do was call my mom. Every time someone would attempt to talk to me, I would get tears in my eyes. When I was able to speak with my mom, I let it all out, and the tears streamed out of my eyes. “Mom!” I cried, “I just want to come home. I hate it here. They’re all so weird! No one ever speaks English unless I ask them a question. I’m sick of it. Please! Just let me come home already!” My mom finally put a stop to it, and said to me, “If you keep crying every time we speak, I will NOT talk to you until you get home in three weeks. I’ll be checking in with Macit to make sure you’re getting along with Ferda and actually trying to get an experience out of this. I paid way too much money for you to just waste your time in Turkey.” That was enough for me. Once I heard my mom wouldn’t talk to me, I never let another tear fall.

Over the next few days, Macit and Shenaz did everything in their power to include me with their family, and make me feel at home. They thought I was too skinny, and so they would place a meal in front of me any time I was just sitting around. I knew I would never go hungry with these people. Food was one of the first things to start opening my mind to the new culture. Everything they ate was so different from American hot dogs and hamburgers. I surprisingly really enjoyed the Turkish food (desserts and a sandwich called a “Kumru” became staple parts in my diet).


I was fortunate enough to be hosted by an upper-class family, and so we were able to take many trips around to historical sites in Turkey. My favorite two, which really opened my eyes, were Ephesus (a major city in ancient Anatolia) and the Virgin Mary’s home. They were the most breath-taking places I have ever been. I actually saw where the Virgin Mary lived after her son was born. These excursions taught me a lot about the Turkish culture and history. I was really starting to open up and appreciate everything about the beautiful country.


During my time in Turkey, I was able to meet many of Ferda’s friends, and actually become very close with three of them, Idil, Ipek and Aylin. I was very wary when meeting new people here, not knowing what to expect when I was introduced. Almost all of the teenagers I met here knew how to speak English, which made my whole experience much easier. I learned that Turkish and American teenagers are very much alike. We’re interested in the same things, like music (they mostly listen to American Rap!), partying and clubbing, shopping, going to the beach, all of those sorts of things. I was so surprised that we were so much alike, even though we were from complete different cultures, and on total opposite sides of the world. I was never taught much about Turkey, or even the Muslim culture, so I just kind of grouped them with Middle-Eastern Muslims, with all the women wearing headdresses, covering their whole body, and everyone being ultra-conservative. I was proved wrong when I made all these new friends.

Three weeks later, it was over. Even though Ferda and I didn’t get off to a great start in America, we became as close as sisters during the second half of the exchange. She helped me a great deal in overcoming my irrational fears and made sure I was okay every step of the way. It was the last thing I expected when we first met. As I walked to my gate in the airport, Ferda turned to me and said, “Julia, you don’t even know how much I will miss you! I love you so much!” She then began to cry, which made me cry as well. I replied, “I will miss you even more Ferda, you are one of my best friends. Seriously. I love you too!” All of my previous judgmental notions about Turkish people were replaced with real life experiences and true knowledge. I grew very close to the Şaşzade family; I still talk to Ferda every week. What I thought would be three weeks of Hell turned out to be the best time of my life. All I needed to do was let go of my prejudices and open my mind to new, and somewhat intimidating, ideas. Ever since I got back home, it is all I can talk about, even now three years later. I feel so blessed that I was able to have an experience that turned my whole life around, and I hope that everyone has a chance to do so one day.

MEMOIR DRAFT

FOREIGN EXCHANGE TO TURKEY

Waking up at six a.m. to start my day usually isn’t my thing, but for this, I was ecstatic. I was finally getting a chance to venture into a world unknown to me. I was headed to Turkey with my Foreign Exchange student, Ferda, to complete the second half of our exchange. After seventeen hours of flying, we were in Istanbul, Turkey. Ferda received news that our last flight from Istanbul to Izmir was delayed a few hours, so she called up her aunt who lives in Istanbul, and she lent Ferda and me her car and driver for a tour around the city. Before I arrived in Turkey, I imagined it to look like the Aladdin movies, and have sand dunes everywhere with exotic architecture and what not, but my first glimpse of Istanbul was nothing like that. Picture your perfect paradise on a Greek island and that is was these western Turkish cities look like. The sights I saw were unreal, and I began to slowly peel off the judgmental thoughts I had about the country. Istanbul is one of Turkey’s largest cities, all along the mountains you could see the millions of houses and apartments and other buildings. There were brilliant mosques, crowds of people, and the last thing you would expect… beautiful beaches, with sparkling, clear waters. As we drove over the bridge connecting the Asian and European continents, I was overwhelmed with this amazing feeling. All I can remember thinking was “Wow! I am really in Turkey. How crazy is this?!” I was a little nervous for my adventure in this peculiar country, but I was ready for it to start.

We had only been in the car for about an hour, but I was exhausted, and began dozing off. Soon enough, it was time for us to head back to the airport for our final flight to Izmir, Turkey. Thank God this was only a 45 minute flight; I began to think that I would be stuck in the sitting position forever for all the flying. Once we arrived in Izmir and picked up our luggage, Ferda and I headed off to find her parents. Her dad, Macit, and mom, Shenaz, were waiting eagerly for us at the “Arrivals” exit. As soon as they saw us, they smiled happily and started running toward Ferda. It was now that I felt the first wave of homesickness, and all I wanted to do was go back home and hug my own mom and dad. Of course, Macit and Shenaz also gave me a big hug and tried to make me feel like a part of the Şaşzade family, but nothing they did would take away this horrible feeling I had in my stomach.

Because the Şaşzade’s were staying at their summer home, we had to take an hour drive to get to Çesme, Turkey. By the time we arrived home, it was way past midnight, and I was more than ready to go to bed. The next morning, well, afternoon, considering I woke up at 3 p.m., everyone was already awake. And by everyone, I mean Macit, Shenaz, Ferda, Shenaz’s parents, and two of Ferda’s cousins, Cem and Kerim. I was not ready to meet all of my new family members just yet. This sent another overwhelming shock through my body. I was already off to a bad start, I thought. I was completely homesick, and all I wanted to do was call up my mom. When I was finally able to speak with her, I let it all out, and the tears streamed out of my eyes. I told her how much I hated it already, and I just wanted to go back home. I was already sick of Turkey, after only one night. These thoughts continued to flood my mind for the next few days, and every time I would get on the phone with one of my family members, I was cry. My mom finally put a stop to it, and said to me, “If you continue to cry every time we speak, I will not talk to you until you get home in three weeks. I will be checking in with Macit to make sure you’re getting along with Ferda and actually trying to get an experience out of this. I paid way too much money for you to just waste your time in Turkey.” That was enough for me. Instantly I had to change my mind set and try to think positively about things. Once I heard my mom wouldn’t talk to me, I never let another tear fall.

Over the next few days, Macit and Shenaz did everything in their power to include me with their family, and make me feel like home. They thought I was too skinny, and so they would place a meal in front of me any time I was just sitting around. I knew I would never go hungry with these people. Food was one of the first things to start opening my mind to new cultures. Because they were Muslims, they had a somewhat strict diet. They never ate pork, and their favorite meat was veal. I had never tried veal before this, so I was cautious when I took my first bite. I happened to really enjoy it, and it was a good thing because they ate it with every meal. Dinners are very important to the Turkish culture. Like many Spanish cultures, they eat very late. The earliest we ever ate dinner was probably 8:30 p.m. I began to grow very fond of Turkish foods. My favorite dish was a sandwich called a “Kumru”, although I have absolutely no idea what was on it, just lots of meat and cheese and vegetables.

I was fortunate enough to be hosted by an upper-class family, and so we were able to take many trips around to historical sites in Turkey. My favorite two, which really opened my eyes, were Ephesus and the Virgin Mary’s home. They were the most breath-taking places I have ever been. I actually saw where the Virgin Mary lived after her son was born. These excursions taught me a lot about the Turkish culture and history.

During these three weeks in Turkey, I was able to meet many of Ferda’s friends, and actually become very close with three of them, Idil, Ipek and Aylin. I was very wary when meeting new people here, not knowing what to expect when I was introduced to all of them. Almost all of the teenagers I met here knew how to speak English, and that made my whole experience so much easier. I learned that Turkish teenagers are very much like American teenagers. We are all interested in the same things, like music (they mostly listen to American Rap!), partying and clubbing, shopping, going to the beach, all of those sorts of things. I was so surprised that we were so much alike, even though we were from complete different cultures, and on total opposite sides of the world. I was never taught much about Turkey, or even the Muslim culture, so I just kind of grouped them with Middle-Eastern Muslims. I pictured all the women wearing headdresses and covering all of their body, and everyone being very conservative. I was proved wrong when I made all these new friends.

By the time my three weeks were over, and it was time for me to go back home to America, I was extremely sad to leave. If I could have it my way I would’ve stayed there for another month. All of my previous judgmental notions about Turkish people were replaced with real life experiences and true knowledge. I grew very close to the Şaşzade family, I still talk to Ferda every week or so. She has become like a sister to me. What I thought would be three weeks of Hell turned out to be the best time of my life. All I needed to do was let go of my prejudices and open my mind to new, and somewhat intimidating, ideas. Ever since I got back home, it is all I can talk about, even now three years later. The foreign exchange has made me think more about what I want to do as a career (maybe something with travel, or international relations), and I am even thinking of doing a semester studying abroad. I feel so blessed that I was able to have this experience, and I hope that everyone has a chance to do so one day.

Memo

TO: Ms. Moody
FROM: Julia Rice
September 15, 2009

Through the peer review, I received some very good constructive criticism. Andrew, who reviewed the introduction to my memoir, wrote that I did not need much improvement my introduction, and that it engaged him so he is now eager to read about the rest of my experience in Turkey. Though Andrew thought I wrote my beginning well, he made a comment about making the universal meaning of my more apparent in my introduction. While the main meaning of my narrative developed as my trip continued, I think I can at least start to mention it. I can try to incorporate more of my feelings throughout the beginning of my exchange in my first paragraph. This can then help the reader more fully understand my reasons and reactions to everything that is forthcoming in the memoir. I really want my readers to understand the mental journey I took while I was in Turkey, changing from a close-minded American to an experienced world traveler. Another change I can make to my introduction paragraph is adding more dialogue, since the only piece I have is really just something I thought. A few things I would like to talk about in the base of my memoir include the different excursions I took with my host family, the many Turkish people I met and became friends with, the journey my relationship with Ferda took, and some information on the country of Turkey to give my reader more background information. My host parents, Macit and Shenaz, were very welcoming people, and wanted to make sure I had the best time possible while I was with them. So to make certain this happened, they took me to many different historical places located in Turkey, including Ephesus, and the Virgin Mary’s home. Macit and Shenaz we’re very critical pieces in my mental refining throughout the summer. In the last paragraph I will conclude my trip to Turkey. I will explain how my opinions about the Turkish country and culture, and all other cultures for that matter, changed while staying with a Muslim family.

Memoir Draft

FOREIGN EXCHANGE TO TURKEY

Waking up at six a.m. to start my day usually isn’t my thing, but for this, I was ecstatic. I was finally getting a chance to venture into a world unknown to me. I was headed to Turkey with my Foreign Exchange student, Ferda, to complete the second half of our exchange. After seventeen hours of flying, we were in Istanbul, Turkey. Ferda received news that our last flight from Istanbul to Izmir was delayed a few hours, so she called up her aunt who lives in Istanbul, and she lent Ferda and me her car and driver for a tour around the city. Before I arrived in Turkey, I imagined it to look like the Aladdin movies, and have sand dunes every where with exotic architecture and what not, but my first glimpse of Istanbul was nothing like that. Picture your perfect paradise on a Greek island and that is was these western Turkish cities look like. The sights I saw were unreal, and I began to slowly peel off the judgmental thoughts I had about the country. Istanbul is one of Turkey’s largest cities, all along the mountains you could see the millions of houses and apartments and other buildings. There were brilliant mosques, crowds of people, and the last thing you would expect… beautiful beaches, with sparkling, clear waters. As we drove over the bridge connecting the Asian and European continents, I was overwhelmed with this amazing feeling. All I can remember thinking was “Wow! I am really in Turkey. How crazy is this?!” I was a little nervous for my adventure in this crazy country, but I was ready for it to start.

Invention Process

• Grandpa Larry passed away: In the summer of 1998, my grandpa from my dad's side was nearing 80 years old when his doctors diagnosed him with brain cancer. He was given about 6 months to live, but was told that his health would be deterioriating rapidly. Since he lived in Massachusetts, and my family lived in Florida, we thought it would be a good idea to plan a last trip to see him for our Christmas holidays. But my dad thought things over, and decided we should go before the summer was over, and we did. When we saw my Grandpa, he seemed pretty normal to me, and his health wasnt in too bad of shape yet. So we visited for the weekend, and went home thinking everything was going to be okay, and we would still see him in a few months for Christmas. My dad got a call from his mom 2 days later to tell us that Grandpa Larry had fallen down the stairs and was in the hospital for braking his neck. He was put on life support, and was basically in a coma. By that time, my grandma and my dad's siblings had all given up on him, and were just waiting for nature to take its course. No one had any hope left for him, and so my grandma decided to pull the plug on him. Ever since my Grandpa Larry's death, the Rice family has not been the same. We would usually have family reunions every year at his house, and always fly to Boston for Christmases. A few months after his death, my grandma moved out of their house, and the Rice's have not had a reunion since 1998. Also, almost all communication between the family members has been lost. None of my dad's siblings talk to each other much anymore, even though they all live within 10 minutes of each other.

• Changing Schools: My elementary school, Eagle Ridge, went from 4th to 6th grade, but there was a middle school, Westglades, a few miles down the road that began at 6th grade. All of my siblings had gone to middle school starting in 6th grade, and so my mom thought that I should do the same. Everyone my age from Eagle Ridge were staying there for their 6th grade year, except for me. I got to Westglades on my first day not knowing anyone. I was the only person who had come from Eagle Ridge. Everyone in my class had already known the other kids since kindergarten, and they already had their cliques, and groups of friends. I used to be very outgoing and social when I was little. Everything changed that year though. I didn't know a single person in the school, and so I became very quiet and didnt talk to anyone. I went through the whole first semester like this, watching all the other kids with their friends. Slowly I came out of my shell. I started hanging out with two other girls from my homeroom class, and they brought me around to get to know people. It took a long time before I was comfortable with my classmates. This change affected me, and still does today. I am still extremely shy when it comes to meeting new people, or having to speak to a class.

• Rotary Exchange: Three years ago, I signed up for an exchange program through the Rotary Club. I thought this would be the coolest experience in the world. I was assigned to go have an exchange with a Turkish girl, Ferda, for six weeks over the summer. During the first three weeks, Ferda came to stay with my family in Florida. We didn't get along very well at first, because I was being so shy. And then the tough part came, when Ferda and I had to fly to Turkey together for the next half of our exchange. It was very hard on me, since it was my first trip away from home. Ferda was extremely kind to me and tried to make the best of everything. I was terrified of being in another country, and Ferda took notice in this. She took me under her wing and showed me all the great things about her country. By the end of the trip, neither of us wanted to leave the other, and we had become great friends. Going on this exchange program made me learn a lot about myself, and the Turkish culture.