It is hard to believe our trip is ending soon. We have enjoyed it so much, and it will be hard to return! On Friday most of us presented our topics to one another. We felt among friends, which made the presentations even better. I was very impressed that the principal had been to a Montessori in Boston, and valued the learning style and in fact had incorporated some of the Montessori philosophy into their programs, which I was able to see later at the school. The presentations were all very interesting and inspiring.
At night we went to the Rio Bravo restaurant. After a good meal we danced until past midnight to a Latin style two man band that made great music. We encouraged most of the bar/restaurant to join us on the dance floor. One of the highlights was the La Bamba party train. We are now staying at a 5 star hotel, Conrad, overlooking the city.
On Saturday we traveled to the kindergarten and the elementary/middle school to tour and then finish our conference. We were impressed by the schools' facilities, artwork and furnishings, and we enjoyed hearing about the others' programs, including our Turkish hosts. We had a great lunch in the school cafeteria (we never had food that good in my school cafeteria!)
Then we went to Hagia Sophia, a museum/mosque/cathedral. The many layers of history show how important Istanbul has been to so many over the centuries. Then we went to the Grand Bazaar, a shopping area to match no other!
At night we went to an amazing place called Sortie. It is part night club, part restaurant and occupies a large open air waterfront area. We dined al fresco, sampling a delicious variety of Turkish foods and drink. We celebrated Patty's birthday and Alice and Bart's anniversary. We danced and talked the night away and arrived back at the hotel at 3:30- in enough time for some to get ready to get to the airport for their flight home. The Turkish people really know how to have a good time- and evidently the Americans do as well.
We left the next day for the airport at about 12:30 and said good-bye to the those remaining. We will never forget this great experience.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Friday, June 22, 2007
back ın İstanbul
Last nıght at about mıdnıght we returned by plane from Izmır to İstanbul. Yesterday, we toured a school there, owned by Bahçesehir Schools. Then we went south along the coast to the Aegean Sea to the old cıty of Ephesus and to the Vırgın Mary's house. We walked where Alexander the Great and Cleopatra and Julıus Caesar once walked. We saw the tomb of John the Baptıst and saw ancıent mosaıcs and statues of the old great Greek phılosophers.
Dıd you know that ın Turkey over 95% are Muslıms? Most women dress wıthout head coverıngs and wear clothıng typıcal of other European countrıes- except very few people wear shorts. In the mosque, women are asked to cover theır legs and arms and wear head coverıng. There seem to be few dogs but lots of cats. There are over 18 mıllıon people ın Istanbul. It ıs faırly expensıve here, but less than many other European countrıes. Turkey ıs part of Asıa and Europe. In fact, Istanbul ıs part of both Asıa and Europe.
Istanbul used to be called Constantınople. It was the center of the Roman Empıre and later the Ottoman Empıre. The great Sultans of the world (and theır Vızıers) ruled the empıre. They had large harems and lıved elegant and extravagant lıfestyles. They entertaıned emperors from around the world.
We have had the opportunıty to dıscuss educatıonal phılosophy wıth these wonderful educators. It has been very ınspırıng. We are gıvıng our presentatıons today to each other and our hosts at the Unıversıty. As I thınk I mentıoned before, they gave us a tour of theır school and told us about theır program. It was really ımpressıve.
Dıd you know that ın Turkey over 95% are Muslıms? Most women dress wıthout head coverıngs and wear clothıng typıcal of other European countrıes- except very few people wear shorts. In the mosque, women are asked to cover theır legs and arms and wear head coverıng. There seem to be few dogs but lots of cats. There are over 18 mıllıon people ın Istanbul. It ıs faırly expensıve here, but less than many other European countrıes. Turkey ıs part of Asıa and Europe. In fact, Istanbul ıs part of both Asıa and Europe.
Istanbul used to be called Constantınople. It was the center of the Roman Empıre and later the Ottoman Empıre. The great Sultans of the world (and theır Vızıers) ruled the empıre. They had large harems and lıved elegant and extravagant lıfestyles. They entertaıned emperors from around the world.
We have had the opportunıty to dıscuss educatıonal phılosophy wıth these wonderful educators. It has been very ınspırıng. We are gıvıng our presentatıons today to each other and our hosts at the Unıversıty. As I thınk I mentıoned before, they gave us a tour of theır school and told us about theır program. It was really ımpressıve.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Izmır
Wednesday, June 20: We were very surprised and thrilled to find out that we were going to fly to Izmır to see the ancient ruins in Turkey. On Wednesday we traveled to Bergama to see the Roman ruıns. Alexander the Great was there! We also joined Sila's very nice parents, and had a great lunch along the way. At nıght we returned to the town and had dınner at sunset along the Aegean Sea at the Deniz Restaurant in Kordon, Izmir. We had fresh fısh and many had Rekı to drınk- an ouzo type lıquor. Not me! We took a horse drawn carrıage back to the hotel and then fınıshed wıth drınks on the rooftop bar of the Ege Palais, the hotel we stayed in, overlookıng the cıty. What a great day!
Thursday: We awoke early, had another delicious Turkish breakfast and traveled by van to Selcuk. There we visited Mary's House- yes THAT Mary. Then we went to the Train museum to meet and have lunch with the area governor. We had a delicious and elegant lunch, and then went to a place where they make beautiful plates. The potter showed me how to create a pot on the wheel, but I didn't do so well. Then we went to Ephesıs and to the tomb and ruins of the basilica of St. John the Baptist. We shopped and toured a quaint hillside village called Sirince, and had refreshments (Turkish cheeses, bread and fruit, wine, soft drinks and Reki) outside in a restaurant. The Assistant Superintendent of the School and the Business Manager of Bahcesehir joined us. We made it back to the airport in just enough time to fly back to Istanbul.
All for now-
Thursday: We awoke early, had another delicious Turkish breakfast and traveled by van to Selcuk. There we visited Mary's House- yes THAT Mary. Then we went to the Train museum to meet and have lunch with the area governor. We had a delicious and elegant lunch, and then went to a place where they make beautiful plates. The potter showed me how to create a pot on the wheel, but I didn't do so well. Then we went to Ephesıs and to the tomb and ruins of the basilica of St. John the Baptist. We shopped and toured a quaint hillside village called Sirince, and had refreshments (Turkish cheeses, bread and fruit, wine, soft drinks and Reki) outside in a restaurant. The Assistant Superintendent of the School and the Business Manager of Bahcesehir joined us. We made it back to the airport in just enough time to fly back to Istanbul.
All for now-
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
We made ıt!
Hello.
We have been havıng a wonderful tıme. We arrıved on Sunday and dıned outsıde ın a cafe ın Istanbul in Taksim Square. The next day we toured around the cıty. We went to the Blue Mosque and to the Topakı Palace. You can take a virtual tour of the Sultan's palace at http://www.topkapisarayi.gov.tr/ Then we had lunch on the Bosphorus Rıver at a wonderful restaurant called Konyali that is part of the palace grounds. In the afternoon we went to a cafe for Turkish tea. They also served hookahs, or water pipes with different smelling tobaccos.
At nıght we went to the Galata Tower, now a restaurant, but built in the 1300s and used by the Sultans. Go to http://www.galatatower.net/eng/index.php to see pictures and read about the history. The show at the tower was fantastic, and included belly dancer, tradtıonal folk dancers and a sınger! We met our host Mr. Enver Yucel, the founder and owner of the Bahcesehir University and schools. We also met the new president of the university, Dr. Deniz Ulke, and her husband, a former soccer star now business man, and the principal of the high school, Sunim.
Today (Tuesday) we had a Turkısh bath and massage at the Galatasary Turkish bath - what an experıence. Let me tell you - I am very clean. The baths were built in 1460, thirty two years before Columbus sailed!
Then we went to Taksim Square, a shopping area with lots of little places to eat and have coffee or tea. We took a ferry boat ride to the Asian continent and had lunch in Kadikoy at an outside cafe.
We went to the graduatıon at the hıgh school in the suburb of Bahcesehir in the evening and toured the school. We were surprised and honored to be included in the graduation ceremonies. Several of us presented diplomas to the graduates. The graduation ceremony was spectacular. There was Turkish/new age type music playing loudly and the graduates were called up two by two, and their parents and someone to present their diploma were called up as well. They announced their names, the diploma was presented, and pictures were taken. It was open air and they had elaborate video and photo equipment to record the special event. The leader of our group, Jerry Brodsky, said a few words of welcome, as well as the President of the college, the Chairman Yucel, and the Principal of the High School. Afterwards, we took a tour of their new state of the art science and technology high school. They had genetics, biology, and chemistry laboratories. There was a large computer lab and smartboards in each classroom. The school is very impressive to see.
We stayed in La Maison hotel, a very nice hotel with a rooftop restaurant overlooking the Bosphorus River. Our group is fantastic. I was invited by Jerry Brodsky, who runs a consulting group in Ohio. He is a retired superintendent from Aurora, Ohio and my sister Beth used to represent his teachers in union negotiations. Also on the trip was his wife Cindy, also an educator, Bart and Alice Teal, from Chapin, South Carolina who run a non-profit consulting group called Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence. Other members were Ed B, a retired middle school principal who now works at Case Western Reserve University. Emece, an English teacher from Serbia, Patty Picard, the head of technology at Hudson Schools and Diana Garvey, an ESL teacher from Hudson, and Beth and me. Our tour guide, Sila, is one of Mr. Yucel's assistants and she was with us all day as part of our group. She took very good care of us and we thoroughly enjoyed her company, as well as each others. We found the Turkish people to be warm and welcoming and I never felt an anti-American sentiment, although some were curious as to why the American people voted for Bush.
-Susan
We have been havıng a wonderful tıme. We arrıved on Sunday and dıned outsıde ın a cafe ın Istanbul in Taksim Square. The next day we toured around the cıty. We went to the Blue Mosque and to the Topakı Palace. You can take a virtual tour of the Sultan's palace at http://www.topkapisarayi.gov.tr/ Then we had lunch on the Bosphorus Rıver at a wonderful restaurant called Konyali that is part of the palace grounds. In the afternoon we went to a cafe for Turkish tea. They also served hookahs, or water pipes with different smelling tobaccos.
At nıght we went to the Galata Tower, now a restaurant, but built in the 1300s and used by the Sultans. Go to http://www.galatatower.net/eng/index.php to see pictures and read about the history. The show at the tower was fantastic, and included belly dancer, tradtıonal folk dancers and a sınger! We met our host Mr. Enver Yucel, the founder and owner of the Bahcesehir University and schools. We also met the new president of the university, Dr. Deniz Ulke, and her husband, a former soccer star now business man, and the principal of the high school, Sunim.
Today (Tuesday) we had a Turkısh bath and massage at the Galatasary Turkish bath - what an experıence. Let me tell you - I am very clean. The baths were built in 1460, thirty two years before Columbus sailed!
Then we went to Taksim Square, a shopping area with lots of little places to eat and have coffee or tea. We took a ferry boat ride to the Asian continent and had lunch in Kadikoy at an outside cafe.
We went to the graduatıon at the hıgh school in the suburb of Bahcesehir in the evening and toured the school. We were surprised and honored to be included in the graduation ceremonies. Several of us presented diplomas to the graduates. The graduation ceremony was spectacular. There was Turkish/new age type music playing loudly and the graduates were called up two by two, and their parents and someone to present their diploma were called up as well. They announced their names, the diploma was presented, and pictures were taken. It was open air and they had elaborate video and photo equipment to record the special event. The leader of our group, Jerry Brodsky, said a few words of welcome, as well as the President of the college, the Chairman Yucel, and the Principal of the High School. Afterwards, we took a tour of their new state of the art science and technology high school. They had genetics, biology, and chemistry laboratories. There was a large computer lab and smartboards in each classroom. The school is very impressive to see.
We stayed in La Maison hotel, a very nice hotel with a rooftop restaurant overlooking the Bosphorus River. Our group is fantastic. I was invited by Jerry Brodsky, who runs a consulting group in Ohio. He is a retired superintendent from Aurora, Ohio and my sister Beth used to represent his teachers in union negotiations. Also on the trip was his wife Cindy, also an educator, Bart and Alice Teal, from Chapin, South Carolina who run a non-profit consulting group called Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence. Other members were Ed B, a retired middle school principal who now works at Case Western Reserve University. Emece, an English teacher from Serbia, Patty Picard, the head of technology at Hudson Schools and Diana Garvey, an ESL teacher from Hudson, and Beth and me. Our tour guide, Sila, is one of Mr. Yucel's assistants and she was with us all day as part of our group. She took very good care of us and we thoroughly enjoyed her company, as well as each others. We found the Turkish people to be warm and welcoming and I never felt an anti-American sentiment, although some were curious as to why the American people voted for Bush.
-Susan
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