We got Friday off because of a snow day. Yes, we still have snow on the ground. Going about 2 and a half months strong at this point. Friday was nuts though: the temperature dropped drastically right as school was getting out. A ton of people got stuck in their cars, and actually one of our school buses was in an accident and was hit by another bus. Luckily everyone was alright, but several students and even some families got stuck at school. We divided them up and sent them to various teacher's houses.
That is something I really appreciate about this school. There is a familial vibe, but it is more than that. It is an evolved family, because we love each other and are like minded about why we are here, but also because we need each other. Cigdem is turning into a bit of an expat ghetto. There are tons of American families that have moved into the area. At times its frustrating because I would love to live deeper in the center of the city, rather than in the southwest corner near the forest. Still, this is a great place. There is this bizarre dichotomy in play here: We live a massive, fairly modern city in a foreign country....And yet I see this idyllic neighborhood community that is reminiscent of classic Americana. It reminds me of the stories my Dad tells about growing up as a child in the 60's, where you could just go out into the neighborhood, meet friends and goof off. It reminds me of the movie "The Sandlot" where the narrator talks about how perfect summers were. That is Cidgem, and to be honest, that reality is one of the weirdest things I have ever seen. We have beautiful parks here. Kids are allowed to leave their homes in the morning and stay out for hours. I might mention that the advent of cell phone culture has changed what it means to be "out on your own" as a kid, but still. I see kids who are 4 or 5 years old walking across the neighborhood with their older brothers and sisters, who might be 9 or 10. I never fear for their safety. This is a great place. I just have to admit that its so strange, but a wonderful surprise. I never thought when moving to Turkey that I would walking to my neighbors houses to borrow things, something I would never have done in southern suburbia. We all get together and have dinners, or play board games at each others houses. Sometimes all the teachers and their sons will get together and play video games one night in the computer lab. It is a blast. When the sun decides to bless us with its presence, we will all go out into the park and just hang out. Throwing footballs, frisbees, going for walks in the forest will be a norm.
I must say that it isn't an American thing either. The whole community here (Americans, Turks, and other foreigners) all live together extremely well. We are greeted kindly on the street. The Turkish people in our neighborhood are very accommodating with my language inadequacy. On Sundays I feel no hesitance in walking a few kilometers, past our neighborhood mosque, with the good book in my hands. It is a good place to be. We are content here. Sure there are things that are hard. Sure we take precautions. Still, we are very blessed that we are here and I honestly believe that we are intended to be here and no where else right now. It's a nice peace to have.
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