The Turks and Their Hospitality
9:53 PM
My arrival story, check.
My first sightseeing in the city, check.
My days wrapped up in gloves, scarfs and thick jackets, check.
Beanies! Check.
And it’s time for the cultural exchange session! Yassss!
It was the 3rd day I was in Turkey, January 6 2013 to be exact. Since it is a winter, we did not do an outdoor festival, like the usual festival. So instead, we go to a Turkish Cultural Centre, called Afem Kültür Sanat Merkez (simply abbreviated as AFEM). We went there from the Sultanahmet area (where we stay) by a chartered minibus and from what I can remember, it wasn’t a long ride. It was like a short road trip along the coast of Marmara Sea. Hmm, sounds nice isn't it?
There was enough sun, but it was a kind of the tricky sun. You know? When the sun is up and you think it's warm outside, while in fact it is FREEZING cold! That kind of sun you’ll only find in winter season. It was good actually, won’t make us sweaty as hell.
When we arrived in AFEM, we were welcomed by a bunch of a really nice Turks! We went inside, be seated and was offered a cup of Turkish coffee (which tastes very bitter, especially for a non-coffee person like me) and some other Turkish snacks, including 'Ayran', a Turkish yogurt which taste is kinda different with any other yogurt. It was really nice, we introduced each other and then we went to one of their dancing studios.
When we went inside, there were loads of little cute kids dancing hip-hop in the studio! They all looks so cute and some of them are very talented. Not long after, their session is finished and there come the other groups of Turkish dancers, this one consists of teenagers and some grownups. They are the dancers of Turkish traditional dances. Their dance coach was a guy and very great at dancing, though our dancing coach is still the best, yay for Kak Toby and Kak Ismay ^^b
Well anyway, looking back to these photos I uploaded makes me really sick. I looked much more skinny there. I was still routinely dancing or exercising compared to me now. Tight campus schedule, organisation things, assignments, ugh!
When we were there, they taught us to dance like a Turkish. I kinda forgot the name, but the moves are quite easy. It wasn't a belly dance or any dances that need us to twirl and swirl, but it was a dance that needs us to swing our legs along with the rhythm. Of course, compared to Indonesian folklore dances, it is much easier, but honestly, much moooore fun to do! Especially with friends. It's that type of that happy dances! And in exchange, our dancing coach, Kak Toby, teaches us all how to do Bamboo Dance. Since there are loads of details and techniques to do Indonesian dances, the Turks fellas were like having a little difficulty. That is why all of us Indonesian teach them one by one and were really having fun!
Turkish people are one of the most friendliest people I've met. Istanbul is a metropolitan city in Turkey, yet you'll still be easy to find help on the street from strangers, see people smile even in the middle of a cold weather and the workers in a restaurant or a mini market are so nice with their big smile and warm greetings! I have to admit, even right now in Jakarta, we have difficulties to find a genuinely nice person.
Another post from this trip is coming up!
xoxo,
Kiara
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