Lines of Communication

                A culture is defined in a sort of sense by the language it uses; many things can be gleaned from the way that individuals communicate.  The same is very true with Turkish, which is an interesting language that has been influenced by the unique mixture of cultures that have inhabited the region. Turkey is country that has roots dating back to the Hittites and spans the Persian, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires and is currently The Turkish Republic.  This is what makes the language so special although it holds a huge amount of challenge for me personally. Arriving in Istanbul the first day I was struck by an utter lack of communication skills.  The very first issue that I had was that my checked baggage was left in Paris somehow. (It’s safe now) This was a nightmare for me not because I was worried about my luggage but because I took a separate flight from my group I didn't know where we were staying yet and I was unsure of how to explain the situation in the office.  Thankfully the very kind man who was picking up our group from the airport was able to talk to them and let them know what was going on and gathered all the information I needed to get it back.  Then after being at the hotel for a little while we ventured down the main thoroughfare of Istanbul.  I was struck by how I could barely read any of the signs and as I perked up my ears to catch the local conversations I couldn't make head or tails of it.  I feel a little bit lost every time that we try to order dinner or have some other thing that we need to buy.  I have to rely on others to do those things for me. This is a drastic difference for me since talking to local people is a large part of the sociology research I would like to do in the future.  The one thing that shines through this difficulty is the ambivalence of the Turks.  In America for the most part when people that are non-native speakers have difficulties communicating no one steps forward and helps. In Istanbul, I have found that if we are having difficulties communicating then random strangers will intervene and assist us. Even our tour guide, out of the kindness of her heart has been attempting to tutor us slowly in the Turkish language.  This refreshing kindness and helpfulness creates a love for Istanbul and in an academic sense makes me ponder what formed the cultural norms of our two countries. On the bright side after hanging out with some of the local Turkish guys I have been able to establish a sort of non verbal communication. While this doesn't carry the weight of a conversation we can share laughs and agreement through this system. All in all I feel like a foreigner here more than anywhere but someday I will master this lovely language.