Places

What makes up a home?  Rather, what makes up an ‘exchange student’s’ home?  For many people, a home means one place, one house, one address.  It is true, I do have an address here in Turkey.  I do live in an apartment.  I say ‘I´m going home’ after TÖMER finishes every day.  But what other places in the city do I feel ‘at home’?  Where do I go when I want to feel at home without actually being in the apartment?  For just a quick list on some of those places:

TÖMER

Like I have said before, TÖMER is where we go when we can´t go anywhere else.  It was the center of our world in fact those first few months (I wonder just how many times we said ‘just meet at TÖMER’ in lack of another place we all knew).  Everything in Samsun was related to TÖMER´s location…seriously.  Not to mention the ridiculous percentage of foreigners at TÖMER.  That helps a lot when it comes to feeling out of place.  There is an interesting connection that is formed between two foreigners when there are very few in the city.  Although there are only 4 Americans and over 50 Palestinians, we are all yabancı in this country. 

Samsun Anadolu Lisesi

Another place I have mentioned a million and a half times.  I don´t know if there is much more to say, other than I could not be happier with my school and class.  It may not be perfect, but SAL has never given me any problems.   A lot of memories have come from the days spent in the classroom at the end of the hall, in the cafeteria, or talking with the administrators.  The picture is from our cafeteria.  Yes, the mother is a chicken and the babies are ducklings. ‘Salep’/Gramafon

First off, the ‘Salep’ cafe has a name, it´s just that we don´t always need to say it.  ‘Salep’ is enough.  Gramafon is another cafe-one of the first we discovered in Samsun.  We have our cafes.  Yes, the waiters know us.  But it´s okay and is part of being ‘established’ (does that word make sense?) in the city you live in. 

This last picture has nothing to do with a special place in Samsun.  Just part of Turkey.  We saw this one day while walking throughout the city.  No, this is not an uncommon sight to see.