Dear Friends,
Please take a few minutes to view some of our memorable moments during our trip to Turkey ( May, 2013).
Dr. Sherbini
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
May 29, Chicago ... Final Thoughts,
While my body is physically in Chicago, my heart is still in Turkey! And I strongly believe its not just me that feels that way, but the same for the members of my group.
This was truly an amazing and life changing experience for everyone. Despite the ups and downs, despite the bumps in the road, the stress and frustrations that went into planning for this educational project, in the end it was all WORTH IT. I met 12 great people, I formed new friendships, I learned a lot about myself and others, and manged to fulfill a dream for a all 12 members of my group. Everyone on this trip regardless of being a student or faculty member had a compelling reason for wanting to go. I am very proud, happy, and honored that I was able to fulfill this dream and give this group an experience that will forever remain in their hearts and mind. I also hope that our experience will be an inspiration for other faculty members and OCC students to ponder.
Thank you my very dear, loyal and beloved students:
Eleanor Lyon
Amber Antus
Jawad Sayal
Tom Burns
Remon Aguib
Chis Evaoxiadis
Neil Chiisholm
A special thank you to my dear colleagues
Nancy Ressler
Mary Ellen Lavin
Patti Interrante and her wonderful husband Razz Jenkins
A BIG thank you to our amazing guide Aysenur Coban, the tremendous support , organization/ planning by the Niagara Foundation, Chicago .
A sincere thank you to the President of Oakton Community College Peg Lee for her genuine support, guidance, and confidence in me.
Thank you for the support by my colleague and Dean of Division 4 Brad Wooten, to my Amazing Chair of the HPS department, colleague and dear friend Erick Mann.
And last but not least, a special thank you to the support of the VP of Academic Affairs Tom Hamel.
Thank you guys.
Until next time..... maybe a new adventure?????????
Dr. Sherbini
While my body is physically in Chicago, my heart is still in Turkey! And I strongly believe its not just me that feels that way, but the same for the members of my group.
This was truly an amazing and life changing experience for everyone. Despite the ups and downs, despite the bumps in the road, the stress and frustrations that went into planning for this educational project, in the end it was all WORTH IT. I met 12 great people, I formed new friendships, I learned a lot about myself and others, and manged to fulfill a dream for a all 12 members of my group. Everyone on this trip regardless of being a student or faculty member had a compelling reason for wanting to go. I am very proud, happy, and honored that I was able to fulfill this dream and give this group an experience that will forever remain in their hearts and mind. I also hope that our experience will be an inspiration for other faculty members and OCC students to ponder.
Thank you my very dear, loyal and beloved students:
Eleanor Lyon
Amber Antus
Jawad Sayal
Tom Burns
Remon Aguib
Chis Evaoxiadis
Neil Chiisholm
A special thank you to my dear colleagues
Nancy Ressler
Mary Ellen Lavin
Patti Interrante and her wonderful husband Razz Jenkins
A BIG thank you to our amazing guide Aysenur Coban, the tremendous support , organization/ planning by the Niagara Foundation, Chicago .
A sincere thank you to the President of Oakton Community College Peg Lee for her genuine support, guidance, and confidence in me.
Thank you for the support by my colleague and Dean of Division 4 Brad Wooten, to my Amazing Chair of the HPS department, colleague and dear friend Erick Mann.
And last but not least, a special thank you to the support of the VP of Academic Affairs Tom Hamel.
Thank you guys.
Until next time..... maybe a new adventure?????????
Dr. Sherbini
May 28... Istanbul Airport,
Woke up, had breakfast, checked out one last time from our hotel, hopped on the bus, on our way to the airport to catch our flight to Chicago.
Next thing you know, all 12 of us are on the plane, happy to be going back home to our friends and family, but with a heavy heart to be leaving this magnificent and amazing country.... Turkey!
Once in Chicago, we say our good byes, each goes their own way but with promises of continuing the bond of sincere friendships that developed on this trip and with a bigger promise of staying in touch with one another. After all, we had become ONE BIG FAMILY, with one major tie connecting us to each other forever... our beloved Turkey.
Dr. Sherbini
Woke up, had breakfast, checked out one last time from our hotel, hopped on the bus, on our way to the airport to catch our flight to Chicago.
Next thing you know, all 12 of us are on the plane, happy to be going back home to our friends and family, but with a heavy heart to be leaving this magnificent and amazing country.... Turkey!
Once in Chicago, we say our good byes, each goes their own way but with promises of continuing the bond of sincere friendships that developed on this trip and with a bigger promise of staying in touch with one another. After all, we had become ONE BIG FAMILY, with one major tie connecting us to each other forever... our beloved Turkey.
Dr. Sherbini
May 27... Back in Istanbul,
Checked out from our hotel in Bursa, hopped on our bus, then on to a ferry, back on the bus, and finally arrived were it all began... the exquisite Istanbul!
After checking in our hotel, we met in lobby ready to start our adventures in the famous Istanbul Grand Bazaar, the Mecca of shopping while in Turkey.
We divided into group, I went wit Amber and Nancy. The experience was just out of this word. The bazaar had four main gates, with shoppes in every corner, a maze if you will, but still easy to navigate. We conquered, we haggled, we laughed, we even took pictures with the shop owners, not to mention a "marriage proposal" for Amber. Amber wanted to buy a traditional Turkish tea set, the shoppe owner ( a handsome older guy) was so impressed with us and especially Amber, he not only gave us all great deals on our purchases, he even topped it off with a marriage proposal to Amber. It was hilarious! We laughed, took pictures of him and Amber, and continued our way through the bazaar, full of joy and happiness.
7:00 pm was our meeting time, By then everyone had finished their shopping and soon were regrouped and ready to go to our last dinner. As we headed into the restaurant, we realized that a table had been prepared for us ( beautiful setting). The food followed. We ate, laughed, recounted our adventures in Turkey, shared our reflection ( I recorded each one's on tape), as we enjoyed what was to be our final day in Turkey before departure the next day.
Dr. Sherbini
Checked out from our hotel in Bursa, hopped on our bus, then on to a ferry, back on the bus, and finally arrived were it all began... the exquisite Istanbul!
After checking in our hotel, we met in lobby ready to start our adventures in the famous Istanbul Grand Bazaar, the Mecca of shopping while in Turkey.
We divided into group, I went wit Amber and Nancy. The experience was just out of this word. The bazaar had four main gates, with shoppes in every corner, a maze if you will, but still easy to navigate. We conquered, we haggled, we laughed, we even took pictures with the shop owners, not to mention a "marriage proposal" for Amber. Amber wanted to buy a traditional Turkish tea set, the shoppe owner ( a handsome older guy) was so impressed with us and especially Amber, he not only gave us all great deals on our purchases, he even topped it off with a marriage proposal to Amber. It was hilarious! We laughed, took pictures of him and Amber, and continued our way through the bazaar, full of joy and happiness.
7:00 pm was our meeting time, By then everyone had finished their shopping and soon were regrouped and ready to go to our last dinner. As we headed into the restaurant, we realized that a table had been prepared for us ( beautiful setting). The food followed. We ate, laughed, recounted our adventures in Turkey, shared our reflection ( I recorded each one's on tape), as we enjoyed what was to be our final day in Turkey before departure the next day.
Dr. Sherbini
Hello From Chicago,
Due to technical issues with the Wi Fi connections in some of the hotels we were staying in, I was not able to post on the last couple of days of our trip. My group is all back safe and sound in Chicago, even though we were all rather sad to be leaving beautiful Turkey. Our consolation however, was that we are all positive we will be back again, and that this visit is the first of many to come. Turkey has so much to offer, no one can explore it in just 10 days.
Our second day in Izmir ( May 25) was just wonderful. It began with a visit to the ancient city of Ephesus, Virgin Mary's House, followed by a stop and demonstration at a local family owned ( for generations) pottery shop, and the same for a rug shop. We were also given an interesting demonstration of how Turkish rugs are made ( an old tradition) which is both fascinating as it appears so simple, yet is highly complex.
After a long and very interesting day, we went back to our hotel, were we got some rest. changed our clothes and headed for yet another scrumptious Turkish dinner!
May 26, it was time to head to our final city on this great tour throughout Turkey; the magnificent Bursa, the first capital of the Ottoman Empire. The day began with our usual breakfast buffet at our hotel in Izmir. When everyone was ready, we all hoped on our private bus and were ready and looking forward to Bursa. On our way, our wonderful bus driver, made a quick stop at a roadside fruit stand so that we could buy some local fruits in season ( cherries , apricots and green plums). We were really thankful for this simple but generous gesture. The fruits were ripe, sweet and delicious!
Everyone bought some fruit, hoped on the bus, and were soon on the road again. As was our ritual from the begin of our trip, stimulating and delightful conversation among the group members continued until we finally arrived at our hotel in Bursa. We checked in very quickly, as we were all looking forward to our lunch which was going to be in 700 year old ottoman village. No words ( except maybe through pictures) can express the beauty of this village and its people. We had lunch in a very primitive/local restaurant at the top of the hill. It was definitely one of the highlights of this trip especially for me, as well for the rest of the group.
After lunch we headed to the Grand Mosque of Bursa, one of the oldest Mosques built during the Ottoman era. Amazing architecture. This was followed by a quick visit to the Bursa Bazaar ( Bursa is famous for its silk) and hence, no visit would be complete without buying a traditional Bursa silk scarf.
But that was not the end of our day, for our amazing and wonderful guide Aysenur had planned a surprise for us. We were headed to a performance of the famous Sufi Twirling Drevishs. Now this is an experience you have to see to believe. Everyone was just in awe of the experience (while I managed to record it on video) again, its an experience that has to be seen and felt live.
Once the performance was over, we were once again on our bus, not heading to our hotel, or a restaurant for dinner, but this time to the house of a Turkish family who had prepared for us a traditional Turkish meal. Another amazing experience, the family was so excited to be hosting us, we were truly humbled. We sat together, the women in one room, the men in another ( this is a traditional family) plus they did not have a big enough room to fit all of us. Dinner was mouth watering. Dessert was delicious, and as if that was not enough it was followed with fruit ( fresh cherries that our male host ( the husband) and his son had picked specially for us from their cheer tree.
Time flew, and before we knew it ( even though it was closer to 1:00 am) it was time to leave this wonderful, kind, and generous family. We gave them our gift, but were not surprised that they too ( as many of our hosts had done before) prepared a going away gift for us too. Each one of received a beautiful hand printed cotton towel ( Bursa is also famous for its textiles).
We finally arrived at our hotel, a little exhausted from the long day, but still full of excitement and pure joy! Despite the sad fact that tomorrow would signaling the ending of our stay in Turkey.
Dr. Sherbini
Due to technical issues with the Wi Fi connections in some of the hotels we were staying in, I was not able to post on the last couple of days of our trip. My group is all back safe and sound in Chicago, even though we were all rather sad to be leaving beautiful Turkey. Our consolation however, was that we are all positive we will be back again, and that this visit is the first of many to come. Turkey has so much to offer, no one can explore it in just 10 days.
Our second day in Izmir ( May 25) was just wonderful. It began with a visit to the ancient city of Ephesus, Virgin Mary's House, followed by a stop and demonstration at a local family owned ( for generations) pottery shop, and the same for a rug shop. We were also given an interesting demonstration of how Turkish rugs are made ( an old tradition) which is both fascinating as it appears so simple, yet is highly complex.
After a long and very interesting day, we went back to our hotel, were we got some rest. changed our clothes and headed for yet another scrumptious Turkish dinner!
May 26, it was time to head to our final city on this great tour throughout Turkey; the magnificent Bursa, the first capital of the Ottoman Empire. The day began with our usual breakfast buffet at our hotel in Izmir. When everyone was ready, we all hoped on our private bus and were ready and looking forward to Bursa. On our way, our wonderful bus driver, made a quick stop at a roadside fruit stand so that we could buy some local fruits in season ( cherries , apricots and green plums). We were really thankful for this simple but generous gesture. The fruits were ripe, sweet and delicious!
Everyone bought some fruit, hoped on the bus, and were soon on the road again. As was our ritual from the begin of our trip, stimulating and delightful conversation among the group members continued until we finally arrived at our hotel in Bursa. We checked in very quickly, as we were all looking forward to our lunch which was going to be in 700 year old ottoman village. No words ( except maybe through pictures) can express the beauty of this village and its people. We had lunch in a very primitive/local restaurant at the top of the hill. It was definitely one of the highlights of this trip especially for me, as well for the rest of the group.
After lunch we headed to the Grand Mosque of Bursa, one of the oldest Mosques built during the Ottoman era. Amazing architecture. This was followed by a quick visit to the Bursa Bazaar ( Bursa is famous for its silk) and hence, no visit would be complete without buying a traditional Bursa silk scarf.
But that was not the end of our day, for our amazing and wonderful guide Aysenur had planned a surprise for us. We were headed to a performance of the famous Sufi Twirling Drevishs. Now this is an experience you have to see to believe. Everyone was just in awe of the experience (while I managed to record it on video) again, its an experience that has to be seen and felt live.
Once the performance was over, we were once again on our bus, not heading to our hotel, or a restaurant for dinner, but this time to the house of a Turkish family who had prepared for us a traditional Turkish meal. Another amazing experience, the family was so excited to be hosting us, we were truly humbled. We sat together, the women in one room, the men in another ( this is a traditional family) plus they did not have a big enough room to fit all of us. Dinner was mouth watering. Dessert was delicious, and as if that was not enough it was followed with fruit ( fresh cherries that our male host ( the husband) and his son had picked specially for us from their cheer tree.
Time flew, and before we knew it ( even though it was closer to 1:00 am) it was time to leave this wonderful, kind, and generous family. We gave them our gift, but were not surprised that they too ( as many of our hosts had done before) prepared a going away gift for us too. Each one of received a beautiful hand printed cotton towel ( Bursa is also famous for its textiles).
We finally arrived at our hotel, a little exhausted from the long day, but still full of excitement and pure joy! Despite the sad fact that tomorrow would signaling the ending of our stay in Turkey.
Dr. Sherbini
Friday, May 24, 2013
Hello from Izmir,
We have arrived in beautiful Izmir. Our road trip from Ankara to Izmir took several hours, but time flew! Hours on the road went by like minutes due to stimulating conversation and great company. We made a few stops on the way including one for lunch. The food was mouth watering as usual leaving everyone satisfied and ready to continue the rest of the trip. We finally made it to Izmir. What an interesting city, full of life and beauty. We made our way through the traffic finally reaching our hotel. Once inside we were pleasantly surprised by the hotel's elegant style and atmosphere. Our rooms were simply fabulous! After checking in, we had less than two hours to get ready for dinner. We were told that the hotel offers a free Turkish bath option for its guests which some ladies in our group chose to explore. Once again and in a blink of an eye, it was time to hope on our bus and head for dinner. And what a wonderful experience it turned out to be.
Ok, not sure what just happened but the lights in the hotel just went out. Need to check it out. Ok all is good. Electricity is back on.
Until next time.
Dr. Sherbini
We have arrived in beautiful Izmir. Our road trip from Ankara to Izmir took several hours, but time flew! Hours on the road went by like minutes due to stimulating conversation and great company. We made a few stops on the way including one for lunch. The food was mouth watering as usual leaving everyone satisfied and ready to continue the rest of the trip. We finally made it to Izmir. What an interesting city, full of life and beauty. We made our way through the traffic finally reaching our hotel. Once inside we were pleasantly surprised by the hotel's elegant style and atmosphere. Our rooms were simply fabulous! After checking in, we had less than two hours to get ready for dinner. We were told that the hotel offers a free Turkish bath option for its guests which some ladies in our group chose to explore. Once again and in a blink of an eye, it was time to hope on our bus and head for dinner. And what a wonderful experience it turned out to be.
Ok, not sure what just happened but the lights in the hotel just went out. Need to check it out. Ok all is good. Electricity is back on.
Until next time.
Dr. Sherbini
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Hello again from Ankara,
This day was just great! I seriously believe that after today, there might be very little about Turkey's political and economic issues that we don't know. The day lstarted with a visit/tour of the Ataturk's Mausoleuml, followed by a lecture on Turkey's relations with the EU at the Ministry of European Union Affairs. Next came a visit and a guided tour of Turkey's Parliment ( our guide by the way was a public official in the Parliment). That was followed by a meeting with the Mayor or Kaisriya. Then off to another lecture on Turkey's foreign policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In addition to one final lecture on Turkey 's political system and structure of government. If that was not enough, after a quick rest at our hotel, we were off to have dinner with the principle of a private high school to get an idea, as well as a tour of the secondary school system in Turkey.
That was one packed day full of valuable information and first hand experience. It really felt great, especially during the time we were actually inside Turkey's Grand Assembly ( equivalent to being inside the US Congress ( house of reprentatives). Everyone was just unbelievably excited and glad to be there. We are all learning so much about this wonderful country and are truly humbled by the welcoming attitude and graciousness of its people especially when they find out we are not only from the US but also represent a higher education institution ( students and faculty).
Despite the hectic schedule, some of our group still had some energy left to go out and explore Ankara by night. As for me and a few other members, we decided to go back to the hotel to get some rest as we will be traveling early in the morning to our third city on this trip... The beautiful Izmir.
Time to put away the iPad and go to bed!
Dr. Sherbini
This day was just great! I seriously believe that after today, there might be very little about Turkey's political and economic issues that we don't know. The day lstarted with a visit/tour of the Ataturk's Mausoleuml, followed by a lecture on Turkey's relations with the EU at the Ministry of European Union Affairs. Next came a visit and a guided tour of Turkey's Parliment ( our guide by the way was a public official in the Parliment). That was followed by a meeting with the Mayor or Kaisriya. Then off to another lecture on Turkey's foreign policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In addition to one final lecture on Turkey 's political system and structure of government. If that was not enough, after a quick rest at our hotel, we were off to have dinner with the principle of a private high school to get an idea, as well as a tour of the secondary school system in Turkey.
That was one packed day full of valuable information and first hand experience. It really felt great, especially during the time we were actually inside Turkey's Grand Assembly ( equivalent to being inside the US Congress ( house of reprentatives). Everyone was just unbelievably excited and glad to be there. We are all learning so much about this wonderful country and are truly humbled by the welcoming attitude and graciousness of its people especially when they find out we are not only from the US but also represent a higher education institution ( students and faculty).
Despite the hectic schedule, some of our group still had some energy left to go out and explore Ankara by night. As for me and a few other members, we decided to go back to the hotel to get some rest as we will be traveling early in the morning to our third city on this trip... The beautiful Izmir.
Time to put away the iPad and go to bed!
Dr. Sherbini
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Hi from Ankra capital of Turkey,
Due to Internet connections issues, I was not able to post yesterday. I will therefore give you the highlights of yesterday and today. Yesterday the day started with a breakfast meeting for our group with the Mayor of Faith, one of the most important districts in Istanbul. To give you a better picture, imagin having breakfast with the mayor of Chicago. We were treated like royalty in a beautiful setting over looking the Bosphours. The mayor and two other members of his cabinet were gracious and down to earth, making all of us feel at ease and comfortable even when asking questions. Not only were they generous in that regard, when it came ttime to say our good byes they even had a wonderful parting gift for each one of us, and I being the leader of my group was given a beautiful and special gift ( a ceramic plate with the picture of sultan Mehmet the II, known in Turkish history as Faith).
The day continued on with a visit to the second largest newspaper in Turkey " Zaman" where we met with one of its reporters/journalist who gave us a briefing on the newspaper and its English publication, followed by a Q & A. Once we were done, the reporter escorted us to the paper's cafeteria where we all sat together with her and had lunch. The next thing we know it was time to move on to our next destination, a meeting/ lecture at the writer's foundation ( an NGO) that does charity work in a number of countries in the world. It was a great lecture! Next we visited a famous park that sits on top of a hill with an exquisite view. We walked around , took in the beautiful view, had something to drink, and were off to a resturant famous for fish; for dinner. Finally it was time to go back to our hotel. Some members of the group decided to do some more exploring on their own, while others preferred to stay at the hotel and get a head start on packing as we were getting ready to leave fon our road trip to Ankara the next day.
It was an unbelievable day. At this point I would like to invite everyone who is interested in learning more about our trip to check out the group member's own reflections that I will be posting on our department website ( including pictures and video) when I come back.
As for today, our road trip to Ankara was smooth sailing and wonderful. The landscape on the road was so beautiful and inviting, the weather was warm and breezy, and the atmospher on the our priviate and cozy bus ..... Priceless. We stopped a couple of times for snaks and use of restrooms, and once for lunch; and before we knew it, we were in Ankara. Tonight we will be visiting one of
Ankara's biggest private universities while meeting with students , followed by dinner.
Everyone is having a great time, and are all in awe of how hospitable and welcoming the Turkish people towards visters of their country. I really do hope everyone will consider visiting Turkey. They will not be dissapointed!
Until next time.
Dr. Sherbini
Due to Internet connections issues, I was not able to post yesterday. I will therefore give you the highlights of yesterday and today. Yesterday the day started with a breakfast meeting for our group with the Mayor of Faith, one of the most important districts in Istanbul. To give you a better picture, imagin having breakfast with the mayor of Chicago. We were treated like royalty in a beautiful setting over looking the Bosphours. The mayor and two other members of his cabinet were gracious and down to earth, making all of us feel at ease and comfortable even when asking questions. Not only were they generous in that regard, when it came ttime to say our good byes they even had a wonderful parting gift for each one of us, and I being the leader of my group was given a beautiful and special gift ( a ceramic plate with the picture of sultan Mehmet the II, known in Turkish history as Faith).
The day continued on with a visit to the second largest newspaper in Turkey " Zaman" where we met with one of its reporters/journalist who gave us a briefing on the newspaper and its English publication, followed by a Q & A. Once we were done, the reporter escorted us to the paper's cafeteria where we all sat together with her and had lunch. The next thing we know it was time to move on to our next destination, a meeting/ lecture at the writer's foundation ( an NGO) that does charity work in a number of countries in the world. It was a great lecture! Next we visited a famous park that sits on top of a hill with an exquisite view. We walked around , took in the beautiful view, had something to drink, and were off to a resturant famous for fish; for dinner. Finally it was time to go back to our hotel. Some members of the group decided to do some more exploring on their own, while others preferred to stay at the hotel and get a head start on packing as we were getting ready to leave fon our road trip to Ankara the next day.
It was an unbelievable day. At this point I would like to invite everyone who is interested in learning more about our trip to check out the group member's own reflections that I will be posting on our department website ( including pictures and video) when I come back.
As for today, our road trip to Ankara was smooth sailing and wonderful. The landscape on the road was so beautiful and inviting, the weather was warm and breezy, and the atmospher on the our priviate and cozy bus ..... Priceless. We stopped a couple of times for snaks and use of restrooms, and once for lunch; and before we knew it, we were in Ankara. Tonight we will be visiting one of
Ankara's biggest private universities while meeting with students , followed by dinner.
Everyone is having a great time, and are all in awe of how hospitable and welcoming the Turkish people towards visters of their country. I really do hope everyone will consider visiting Turkey. They will not be dissapointed!
Until next time.
Dr. Sherbini
Monday, May 20, 2013
Monday, May 20
What a day! Started with a great breakfast buffet in our hotel resturant, lunch in Sultan Ahmet square, and ended with a delious dinner in a beatuful resturant in downtown Istanbul. And that's just the food excursion part. So what was in between you wonder?
1. A grand tour of the breath taking Topkapi Palace
2. The amazingly beautiful Blue Mosque
3. The Hippodrom Square
4. A boat trip on the Bosphorus
Our guide on these four sites provided us with a plethora of information that expanded our knowledge of Ottoman history to new horizons. He also made every step we took and every site we saw, interesting and fun. Never a dull moment. During our tour Eleanor ( our designated photographer) took tons of pictures ( pics will be posted once we come back), but that did not stop other members of our group from taking their own pictures too.
Despite the hot weather and the constant walking, laughter, smiles, and great engaging conversation continued to thrive among the members of the group. Topics ranged from those on Turkish politics, culture, to fashion; even the high price a street vender was charging for 3 small pieces of water melon.
During our visit in the Hippodrom, Nancy disappeared for a few minutes. Where did Nancy go we asked, she's always following the group. Aha, smart Nancy we find out had discovered this little shop tucked in a corner where you could dress up in Ottoman glamour clothing from the grand old era ; and have your picture taken . As she told us her little secret giggling with excitement for daring herself, making us all laugh knowing what a smart move it was. And we actually thought for a second that she might be lost... Hahaha.. Good one Nancy!
More fun moments occured when more than half our group invaded a pharmacy trying to help Jawad find a container for his contact lens. The store was so small but cool, while the hot sun outside was in its glory. It was obivous the pharmacist was not amused when she realized that the rest of us where not actually in there looking to buy something... Hahaha.. Good one guys, we 're lucky we were not kicked out!
Now comes Eleanor, who broke her inexpensive shades, and was soon in the market for a new one. Chris ( my great student; aka Socrates) conviences Eleanor to buy a knock off Ray Ban, but when the street vender charges, again too high a price for what Chris is offering him, the man walks away quiet annoyed. The good news however, Eleanor still manages to stop at a store with MaryEllen during the time while everyone was literally running in the streets of Istanbul trying to reach the docks in time to board the boat taking us on our trip throughout the Bosphorus.
Ok, looks like you get the picture! I could go on and on about many more hilarious moments during this day, but hey, I'll leave some to your imagination. Bottom line; Istanbul is a fabulous city that brings so much joy into people's lives, while infusing a feeling of pure happeness!
I don't know about you... But I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. A hint.... It involves, a politician, a reporter, a group of business men, and a writer. Can you guess? If not, you're going to have to wait until tomorrow.
Dr. Sherbini
What a day! Started with a great breakfast buffet in our hotel resturant, lunch in Sultan Ahmet square, and ended with a delious dinner in a beatuful resturant in downtown Istanbul. And that's just the food excursion part. So what was in between you wonder?
1. A grand tour of the breath taking Topkapi Palace
2. The amazingly beautiful Blue Mosque
3. The Hippodrom Square
4. A boat trip on the Bosphorus
Our guide on these four sites provided us with a plethora of information that expanded our knowledge of Ottoman history to new horizons. He also made every step we took and every site we saw, interesting and fun. Never a dull moment. During our tour Eleanor ( our designated photographer) took tons of pictures ( pics will be posted once we come back), but that did not stop other members of our group from taking their own pictures too.
Despite the hot weather and the constant walking, laughter, smiles, and great engaging conversation continued to thrive among the members of the group. Topics ranged from those on Turkish politics, culture, to fashion; even the high price a street vender was charging for 3 small pieces of water melon.
During our visit in the Hippodrom, Nancy disappeared for a few minutes. Where did Nancy go we asked, she's always following the group. Aha, smart Nancy we find out had discovered this little shop tucked in a corner where you could dress up in Ottoman glamour clothing from the grand old era ; and have your picture taken . As she told us her little secret giggling with excitement for daring herself, making us all laugh knowing what a smart move it was. And we actually thought for a second that she might be lost... Hahaha.. Good one Nancy!
More fun moments occured when more than half our group invaded a pharmacy trying to help Jawad find a container for his contact lens. The store was so small but cool, while the hot sun outside was in its glory. It was obivous the pharmacist was not amused when she realized that the rest of us where not actually in there looking to buy something... Hahaha.. Good one guys, we 're lucky we were not kicked out!
Now comes Eleanor, who broke her inexpensive shades, and was soon in the market for a new one. Chris ( my great student; aka Socrates) conviences Eleanor to buy a knock off Ray Ban, but when the street vender charges, again too high a price for what Chris is offering him, the man walks away quiet annoyed. The good news however, Eleanor still manages to stop at a store with MaryEllen during the time while everyone was literally running in the streets of Istanbul trying to reach the docks in time to board the boat taking us on our trip throughout the Bosphorus.
Ok, looks like you get the picture! I could go on and on about many more hilarious moments during this day, but hey, I'll leave some to your imagination. Bottom line; Istanbul is a fabulous city that brings so much joy into people's lives, while infusing a feeling of pure happeness!
I don't know about you... But I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. A hint.... It involves, a politician, a reporter, a group of business men, and a writer. Can you guess? If not, you're going to have to wait until tomorrow.
Dr. Sherbini
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Hello from Istanbul, Turkey
Saturday May 18, started very well. The rather was great, the sun was shinning, the smell of flowers in the air was inviting, and the excitement, of knowing that in a few hours we would be in Turkey; was unbelievable. Everyone got to to the airport on time. The check in and security went like a breeze, and before you can spell Turkey... 13 very eager and happy people were boarding the plane. For, and to my knowledge, 11 hours flew so fast ( no pun intended) hahaaa! Some of slept, others watched a movies, or read and before long we were landing in Istanbul. Got off and headed to the area in the airport where every person entering Turkey can be found standing holding a $20 bill in his/her hand and their passport. You walk up to the window, hand your money and passport and boom get a visa stamp on your passport. We then proceed to the customs ' s area, where you get another stamp on your passport coupled with a simile and a welcome to Turkey from the immigration officer. Them its off to claim your baggage.
At this point are group is all together, everyone gets their bags, and are almost ready to to leave the airport. Just one more quick stop at the currency exchange whereupon each one of exchanges their dollars for Turkish liars. We head to the exit happy, laughing, and looking forward to meeting our host and guid throughout this trip. Once we are are out I quickly spot Aysenur who is waiting in the crowds holding a sign saying " Oakton ".
She greats everyone and and asks for their names, then we all follow her outside to board a bus that is waiting for us. Once on the bus we all in one voice scream hooray! We are in Turkey. I'm joining in while assuring myself that I'm not in a dream, I'm actually in Turkey. With everyone excited and in very good spirits, Aysenur tells us we are on our way to dinner first before we head for our hotel.
Once at the restaurant, we entire into a private room prepared for us. On the table is a variety of mouth watering small dishes known in Turkey as " meza" , kinds of appetizers. We dig in ( we are all very hungry). While enjoying these dishes, we begin to introduce our selfs to Aysenur. A few minutes later our main dish of delicious looking kebabs are served with our choice of drinks. Some of us ask for soft drinks, or water, while the more daring ones choose a famous yogurt drink known in Turkey as " ayrum". Everyone is eating, talking to the person on his/her side, and smiling while enjoying this fabulous meal
. After dessert, we leave head outside, take group picture, and get on the bus heading for our hotel. The sights of Istanbul by night are magnificent. Aysenur tells us that we had just dined in the Asia section of Turkey ( Turkey lies between Asia and Europe) and that by crossing this bridge we were on, we would be heading toward the Europe section. We arrive at our hotel, check in, get our keys and head for our rooms. Wow! What a surprise awaits us. The rooms are just incredibly beautiful, modern, and big. A few of the group decide to go out and explore. I for one am exhausted.
I go into my fabulous room, shower, do some writing ( for my my blog followers) and finally fall on the bed. Tomorrow we will be meeting in the lobby at 8:30 ( after breakfast) to begin the our first cultural excursions. We are all soooooo looking forward to it!!!
Stay tuned..
Dr. Sherbini
Saturday May 18, started very well. The rather was great, the sun was shinning, the smell of flowers in the air was inviting, and the excitement, of knowing that in a few hours we would be in Turkey; was unbelievable. Everyone got to to the airport on time. The check in and security went like a breeze, and before you can spell Turkey... 13 very eager and happy people were boarding the plane. For, and to my knowledge, 11 hours flew so fast ( no pun intended) hahaaa! Some of slept, others watched a movies, or read and before long we were landing in Istanbul. Got off and headed to the area in the airport where every person entering Turkey can be found standing holding a $20 bill in his/her hand and their passport. You walk up to the window, hand your money and passport and boom get a visa stamp on your passport. We then proceed to the customs ' s area, where you get another stamp on your passport coupled with a simile and a welcome to Turkey from the immigration officer. Them its off to claim your baggage.
At this point are group is all together, everyone gets their bags, and are almost ready to to leave the airport. Just one more quick stop at the currency exchange whereupon each one of exchanges their dollars for Turkish liars. We head to the exit happy, laughing, and looking forward to meeting our host and guid throughout this trip. Once we are are out I quickly spot Aysenur who is waiting in the crowds holding a sign saying " Oakton ".
She greats everyone and and asks for their names, then we all follow her outside to board a bus that is waiting for us. Once on the bus we all in one voice scream hooray! We are in Turkey. I'm joining in while assuring myself that I'm not in a dream, I'm actually in Turkey. With everyone excited and in very good spirits, Aysenur tells us we are on our way to dinner first before we head for our hotel.
Once at the restaurant, we entire into a private room prepared for us. On the table is a variety of mouth watering small dishes known in Turkey as " meza" , kinds of appetizers. We dig in ( we are all very hungry). While enjoying these dishes, we begin to introduce our selfs to Aysenur. A few minutes later our main dish of delicious looking kebabs are served with our choice of drinks. Some of us ask for soft drinks, or water, while the more daring ones choose a famous yogurt drink known in Turkey as " ayrum". Everyone is eating, talking to the person on his/her side, and smiling while enjoying this fabulous meal
. After dessert, we leave head outside, take group picture, and get on the bus heading for our hotel. The sights of Istanbul by night are magnificent. Aysenur tells us that we had just dined in the Asia section of Turkey ( Turkey lies between Asia and Europe) and that by crossing this bridge we were on, we would be heading toward the Europe section. We arrive at our hotel, check in, get our keys and head for our rooms. Wow! What a surprise awaits us. The rooms are just incredibly beautiful, modern, and big. A few of the group decide to go out and explore. I for one am exhausted.
I go into my fabulous room, shower, do some writing ( for my my blog followers) and finally fall on the bed. Tomorrow we will be meeting in the lobby at 8:30 ( after breakfast) to begin the our first cultural excursions. We are all soooooo looking forward to it!!!
Stay tuned..
Dr. Sherbini
Friday, May 17, 2013
Dear Friends, Students, Family Members, and Colleagues,
Only hours separate us from our final destination... Turkey! I am soooooo excited and so are the members of this wonderful group. Let me introduce them to you:
Eleanor, Amber, Remon, Jawad, Chris, Tom, and Neil, all wonderful students looking forward to a trip that will hopefully add to their knowledge of the world.
Mary Ellen, Patti, Lisa, and Nancy, great colleagues and faculty members at Oakton community college, hoping to expand on their knowledge.
And, the Razz! A new friend, and spouse of Patti; who is looking forward in his own words " to an adventure"!
I would also like to introduce another wonderful member of our group, Aysenur our guide throughout this trip in Turkey.
Ok. That's it for now. Next time you hear from me will be from Istanbul, our first stop on this magnificent trip!
Dr. Sherbini
Only hours separate us from our final destination... Turkey! I am soooooo excited and so are the members of this wonderful group. Let me introduce them to you:
Eleanor, Amber, Remon, Jawad, Chris, Tom, and Neil, all wonderful students looking forward to a trip that will hopefully add to their knowledge of the world.
Mary Ellen, Patti, Lisa, and Nancy, great colleagues and faculty members at Oakton community college, hoping to expand on their knowledge.
And, the Razz! A new friend, and spouse of Patti; who is looking forward in his own words " to an adventure"!
I would also like to introduce another wonderful member of our group, Aysenur our guide throughout this trip in Turkey.
Ok. That's it for now. Next time you hear from me will be from Istanbul, our first stop on this magnificent trip!
Dr. Sherbini
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Field Study Trip: Turkey 2013
Hello and Welcome to my Blog,
I am Dr. Sherbini, Professor of Political Science at Oakton Community College. Today, I am so excited to be launching my new blog for everyone who is interested in exploring the world through dialogue and travel.
May 18-28, 2013
And what better way to start than to take you along on my journey to Turkey. Starting May 18, I will be leading 12 wonderful people (8 students and 4 faculty) on a ten day trip throughout Turkey. While in Turkey, we will visit four major cities; Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, and Bursa, exploring the political, cultural, and historical aspects of this beautiful country. I am very happy and proud to share this trip with you, as it is the culmination of several months of hard work I put in developing and planning this project as part of my PSC 201 Comparative Government course.
Why Turkey you ask?!
Well, the purpose of this course/trip is two fold: first, to highlight the importance of Turkey as a
transcontinental nation, and an emerging political actor in the Middle East and Europe, as
well as addressing Turkey’s governmental structure, model of democracy,
challenges, societal issues, and historical characteristics; and their impact
on politics in the region. Second, to introduce the above mentioned material in form of a field study trip, whereas the major component of the course is a hands
on approach to the study of Turkey infused in the course as a trip to Turkey itself. In other words, take the student out of the classroom and into the field itself. Make it interesting and fun. t
The real purpose..
I strongly believe that no one can argue that in the 21st century, education is taking center stage. We live in an age of innovation and information. In a world were we are all connected ( or want to remain so). Hence, there is no better way to cultivate global citizens than through the power of international education, travel, and the exploration of cultures and peoples of this fascinating world.
So please join me and my group as we begin our exploration of the world; our first destination: Turkey.
Welcome aboard!
Dr. Sherbini
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