He is representing us in Turkey.
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i dont know where to start its hard to really explain everything. i will start with a normal day i suppose. i wake up by my little 8 year old host brother considering i have to share a room with him which kind of sucks but ive started to get used to it. breakfast in turkey is kinda a big deal. before i came i couldnt remember the last time i actually ate breakfast. normally i only did on weekends and it was a bowl of cereal when i woke up at noon. here breakfast normally is cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese, and olives. i hated it at first but now i actually really like it. now that school has started i eat cereal and toast. but my host mom fixes cornflax weird. she heats up the milk and always trys to make sure they are mushy. i tried to wake up earlier to get to them before they got soggy but she always did the same. i think my host dad likes them that way. once i get to school thats where the fun begins.
there are 7 exchange students in our school and 4 of us have all of our classes together (the other 3 are brazilian girls). my classes are really easy because all the kids are studying for the huge college exam so most of their classes are english. it works out becuase i help with english their inglish homework and they help me with my turkish homework. i got myself in a bit of trouble the other day. i took the school english exam and one of the parts was i had to write a professional letter at least 200 words long to an add for a private english instructor. so me being my smartass self asked when i finished why would you need a private english instructor if u can write a professional letter in english. the teacher just kinda stared at me for a few seconds and then told me to turn in my paper. but after school i go to my turkish language course at ankara university for another 3 hours. fun fun.
but things have been really good i went to cappodoccia 2 weekends ago. it was amazing it was the first christain settlement and they carved the cities into the weird rock formations. plus to escape persecution they also carved all these underground cities. i had alot of trouble getting through them. then our last night there we had turkish night and we went end they did all these traditional dances and i got pulled up on stage twice that night. the first time i had to do some weird dance and propose to this swedish girl they had pulled on stage. she said no sadley. but then the turkish belly dancers came out and they pulled me and one of my friends on stage and tried to teach us how to bellydance. i will try to get some pictures up maybe make a photolog or something.
i havent really gotten to much anti americanism. there are protests every now and then downtown. my first week i accidently walked right into one but all their backs were to me and i couldnt figure out what they were chanting and i noticed some other spectators pointing and laughing at me. then my host mom ran over and pulled me away and said they were chanting death to america or something. but the ppl who protest are the communists from the slums and it wasnt anything like what u see on tv wit flags burning and stuff just about 75 ppl with posterboards. my only case of direct anti americanism came from a mentaly handicapped turk. i was walking with the brazil girls to meet some of our turkish friends and this homeless guy with no teeth jumps on the sidewalk with a straw held like a pistol and started making machine gun sounds like he was shooting us. then he yelled somthing at me and pointed his straw at my face as i walked past and kept pretending to shoot me. he followed us for a bit "shooting me" and yelling stuff. he got really into it. the part i found so funny was his weapon of choice was a mcdonalds straw... talk about irony.
thats all i really have i guess there so much more. the appendix was quite an experience to say the least. i guess i can look at the scar though as the ultimate souvineer. the host family is good. the are really nice but as with any family they have their ups and downs. the sharing the room is extremely tough i dont really have any privacy and my little brother is scared of the dark so we have to leave the door open with the hallway light on and the room is small so its not that dark which i cant stand. im the first host student they have had and my host dad sometimes forgets im 18 instead of 8. my host mom is great though i love her to death. ooo didnt answer the question really about schools. school here isnt as great compared to the US. i hate wearing the uniform and they didnt have a jaket my size so i no longer have a rotary jaket. im putting my pins around a turkish flag which i wantged to do anyways. but all the kids do nothing but study after school and on weekends because of the exams so i dont get to hang out with them much out of school. i mostly hang out with the former echange stundents in college and the other exchange kids here in ankara. its alot of fun. but thats all i really have to tell. hope all is well in the US.
rush