Wednesday 18 July 2007 - Fehmican, Asli and myself headed for Eskisehir (pronounced Eski-shey-hear, written Eskişehir).
Early evening we walked around Eskisehir town centre in order I might enter into conversation with the local Turkish people. For example, I wandered into Studyo Dekor (0222 221 44 68), a shop providing photographic services and met Erkan Ordukiran and his co-worker. I introduced myself and the project and the camera into the shop to film the moment. Generally though, my understanding and spoken Turkish was depressingly poor. In the classroom I had achieved one standard, but in the field, I was suddenly reduced to a much lower level.
Thursday 19 July 2007 - We did find a hire-vehicle and celebrated with a fantastic Turkish breakfast; cheese, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, bali kaymak (balı kaymak - honey and goat's cream).
Leaving Eskisehir. There flags everywhere because of the up coming elections.
Fehmican's university, though this is as close as we got.
Small town of Seyit Gazi with monastery at the top of the hill. If you look above the green house to picture centre, you can see the monastery. Below we see Asli and Fehmican at the monastery; and when I find the correct name of it.
We then toured rooms of coffins and took shoes off and on. A final room containing coffins and pigeon poo was more than enough. However, on departing a magical moment happened. I heard an 80 year old chap sitting under a tree with his mate singing. I introduced myself and he sang for us on camera...
After the monastery we trucked on back down the road, Fehmi behind the wheel. After leaving Seyit Gazi, Fehmi noticed the gas was getting low. We stopped and I asked these youngsters where the nearest petrol station might be. They said 40km and Fehmi said we'll be OK.
We stopped to ask our way to Cifteler - written Çifteler in Turkish with a 'c' with a tail like ç.
Stopped at a site of antiquity along the way. We did not it's name or reason for being. It seemed to be an old burial site with recesses for bodies. It also provided a cool retreat from the sunshine and heat.
Above a possible chamber where once a body was laid to rest. Below the view looking back down onto the van.
We continues our journey to Cifteler, allegedly a location with natural spring where we hoped to find a fresh fish lunch. However, it did not smell very fresh and tedious restaurant owners aggressively selling their premises as the one to stop and eat at. It was just being at the side of the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul and so off putting. We did find a quiet restaurant - indeed, we were the only customers.
Cifteler was unfortunately disappointing with annoying restaurant owners and no black pepper on the table. Ordered, ate and left. Back on the road we found fields of sunflowers and they brightened the mood.
This next place was cool. No tourists, no vending machines, no commercial marketing. It will doubtless change eventually, but for now it was peaceful, beautiful and unspoilt.
The beautiful Yasilikaya - spelt Yasılkaya in Turkish. I loved it here, but struggled to give a decent Turkish dialogue to camera.
Asli sat on a rock with Fehmican below giving his rendition of "Olmak yada olmamak, iste butun mesela ol - To be or not to be, that is the question."
Fehmican likes rock climbing and up he goes...
The moment we had waited for - sun dowm.
On my last night in Eskişehir, my host Kadir and his friend were watching Turkish TV clips on YouTube. It was banal stuff, but great for my learning simple Turkish conversation. This one is where a girl sits on a desk, a boy sits at the desk, the girl answers questions and it seems if she gets too many answers wrong she is obliged to dance on the desk for the boy...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-uXDlLkitI&mode=related&search
This is another programme. Not sure what it is called, who it is or whatever, but again useful for basic Turkish...
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=i%C5%9Fin+asl%C4%B1&search
Another programme for Learning Turkish...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ErTHEFv6DU
Kadir also sent through this link about Galatasaray beating Arsenal on penalties in the 2000 UEFA Cup Final. It is so sad Turkish Galatasaray supporters still hark on about this. When will Turks raise their standards? Still, if it makes you happy Kadir, here it is...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-n1dSFv7J8
This is the best one, not necessarily anything to do with hearing spoken Turkish, but just watch out for some one dressed as Donald Duck as another sacrifices an animal to "celebrate" the opening of a store or supermarket or some kind of shop...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDRnJYe6oUA
Go to 27.07.2007 Marmaris
