2017 Archives - Page 5 of 12 - following the funks

EVENTS: Arkas Sanat Merkezi’s Landscape of Water Exhibition

October 18, 2017October 18, 20172017, EVENTS, IZMIR, REVIEWS, TURKEY Catie

From September 20 to December 29, 2017, Arkas Art Center (Arkas Sanat Merkezi) is hosting Landscapes of Water (Su Manzaraları) collection. As a member of the IWAI, I attended with a group of ladies on a special guided tour to hear about the collection. You may remember this groups from last year’s Christmas Bazaar or our outing to the Costumn Museum in Doğanbey and Priene.

Located in a beautiful sea view side the French Honorary Consulate Building, the Arkas Art Center was created with the art-lovers in mind sharing collections and art interest with others as the wish of Mr. Lucien Arkas, the President of the Board of Directors of Arkas Holding. The building itself has a long history. Construction of the building started in 1825 and took about 10 years to complete. Throughout the next 100 years, the structure has survived several earthquakes and an even a couple of fires.

The French Government assigned the building to be used for a 20 year period for cultural and artistic purposes, and after renovations, opened in 2011. Now it is one of the first centers in Izmir that has hosted international painters.

Spanning throughout the 10 exhibition rooms over 2 floors, Landscapes of Water contain landscape paintings dating from the first half of the 19th century to the second half of the 20th century. The paintings represented several artistic movements such as such as the Barbizon School, Impressionism, Symbolism, Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, and Expressionism. Artist represented include works of Eugéne Boudin, Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, Maurice de Vlaminck, Francis Picabia, Henry Lebasque, and Hippolyte Camille Delpy, among others.

The Arkas Art Center says:

“Landscapes of Water “reflects” the historical evolution of the pictorial medium over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries. Here you will find the remarkable They invite the viewer on a fabulous odyssey through diverse geographic areas, from the banks of the Seine and the Scottish lakes to the summits of the Alps, by way of the warm light of the Mediterranean, the North Sea and the rivers of Europe.”

Being my first art gallery viewing in Izmir, I found the gallery to be well-maintain and beautifully displayed. I found the impressionist pieces to be some of my favorite, similar to a Monet type of painting. Both upstairs and downstairs are projector screen which brings the paintings and movement of the sea to life. I found an area for children to color their own painting to match the ones on display. A favorite of everyone was a luminous sunset painting that looked as if it was glowing, but instead just showed the power of colors and the impressive creations of an artist with oil paints, a canvas, and a brush.

How to get there:

The center does not have any private parking. From the Alsancak Ferry, the center is about a 12-minute walk West along the coast. From the Pasaport Ferry, it is a 7-minute walk East along the coast.

Entrance Information:

Entrance is free. Lockers are available for large bags, belongings, jackets, umbrellas, etc. on the ground floor.

Tours:

Free guided tours are provided in Turkish or English for a minimum of 5 people upon request on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Tours for children are also available in similar form. See information below for contact details and operating hours.

For more information:

ARKAS ART CENTER

Monday: Closed

Tuesday-Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00 (Entrance Free)
Thursday: 10:00 – 20:00 (Entrance Free)

Website: http://www.arkassanatmerkezi.com

Address: 1380 Sokak No:1 Alsancak, İzmir

Phone: + 90 (232) 464 66 00, + 90 (232) 464 60 06

For Guided Tour Reservations: 0232 464 66 00

Email: [email protected]

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EVENTS: Ballet at the Ancient Theater of Ephesus

October 15, 2017October 15, 20172017, EVENTS, IZMIR, REVIEWS, TURKEY Catie

In September, we attended 1 of the 3-part annual “İzmir Efes Opera and Ballet Days” (Devlet Opera ve Balesi Genal Müdürlüğü) sponsored by the T.C. Culture and Tourism Ministry (T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı). The festival is part of a country-wide initiative to preserve and promote opera and ballet arts in Turkey. They are not only held in Ephesus but also other major cities throughout the country.

The first of the 3 part series began with the “Gala Concert”, on Saturday, September 16. At the concert, the İzmir State Opera Orchestra performed pieces as well as accompanied an Italian soloist, Soprano Daniela Cappiello, and tenor, Gianluca Terranova. The second part on September 19, the Istanbul State Opera performed compositions from the 18th century, influenced by Ottoman culture and life in Europe. The closing performance, a ballet of “Romeo and Juliet,” was held on September 22 accompanied by a live orchestra.

At 30 Turkish Lira (approximately $8) a ticket, an event in the ancient theater of Ephesus is actually affordable to the general public. We definitely took advantage of attending at least one event! While we purchased our tickets quite easily online, our seats were not specified to any location in the theater. I heard some of our friends purchased their tickets for 15 TL from another source. Even others were about to purchase tickets with reserved seating.

Tips and tricks: The performance is (literally) in a 2,000-year-old theater made of stones and marble, and I suggest for your comfort to bring pillows for your seats! Also, blankets will keep you warm if the evening becomes a little chilly and windy. Since there is only 1 way in and out and limited parking in the lower arena of Ephesus, get there early and be patient when leaving! We had a rental car, but there are plenty of taxies available for transport.

Since the ballet didn’t start until 9 pm, we decided to make a weekend of it and stayed Friday night in the Ayasoluk Hotel and Restaurant in the nearby city of Selçuk. The next day, after a leisurely breakfast, we spent the day exploring the House of the Virgin Mary, the Grotto of the Seven Sleepers, and the Basilica of St. John before heading back to Izmir.

Seeing Ephesus at night was a rare treat I hope everyone can enjoy at least once!

For more information:

İZMİR EFES OPERA AND BALLET DAYS

Website: http://www.dobgm.gov.tr/opera2013/menu.aspx

Address: Ephesus Antique Theater

When: Every September

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GOING HOME SERIES: 6 ways to make your expat visit ‘home’ more enjoyable (Part 1)

October 15, 2017November 29, 20172017, Culture, EXPAT, EXPAT GOING HOME, EXPAT LIFE Catie 2 Comments

If this is your first time living in another country, you maybe find yourself going through reverse culture shock when you return home. It is possible that feelings of frustrations and bitterness towards friends and family who may not have kept up with your life abroad. You may also find it hard to explain the culture and life you have lived in for the last year. Because culture and questions about everyday life usually overshadow the conversations, the harder it will be sharing the deeper more meaningful moments that happened to you. In addition, personally, I have found the longer you live abroad, the less you want to talk about the small details of culture anyways.

Because culture and questions about everyday life usually overshadow the conversations, the harder it will be sharing the deeper more meaningful moments . Click To Tweet

If you are just wanting to prepare for a better return trip to your native country, preparation is key. Know that you are returning back to your native home where life has moved on without you. While you may consider your transition to be harder or greater, remember that your friends and family have also conquered their own battles. And if they have never visited your new home (or traveled much), the questions may be harder to form. Generally, the offense is unintentional.

While you may consider your transition to be harder or greater, remember that your friends and family have also conquered their own battles Click To Tweet

With preparation, expats can adjust their expectations of their friends and family back home. With even more prep, they can adjust expectations of themselves and how to help the conversations move toward the direction they need as well.

Here are 6 ways you can help those back ‘home’ understand better:

Think of what questions they will ask you when you get back. (ex. What is the best and worst thing about living overseas, etc.)

Much to Jason’s sadness, I am a reflector and evaluator – see here and here (link to review post). I love setting goals even if I can’t achieve them. I like to see what we have done over the past year. All this means that we do a lot of questions answering ourselves about the good, the bad, and the ugly. In turn, it has made going home much easier because we don’t have to think about the answers to the question others will ask us!

And now, much to your advantage, I also wrote a list of them here. Take these questions and work through them alone or as a family. If your friends or family are thoughtful with their questions, your answers should be respectfully thoughtful in return.

Short answers that answer the questions swiftly.

A friend of mine spent a summer in Africa, and in 6 short weeks, she grew into such a different person. Upon arriving home, she spent the next 48 hours (minus sleeping hours) talking about all that happened and what she learns. Unfortunately for her (and us), we probably tuned out about 1 hour into it. Your friends and family are capable of lengthy discussion, but sometimes without the context to understand all you are sharing, it could be hard for them to follow along. So instead of talking about what the 30 types of olives are at the weekly market, consider talking about the market and that there are olives there. Help build a base so later you can go deeper.

Help build a base so later you can go deeper. Click To Tweet

Short stories can be powerful.

Sometimes you only have 5 minutes with friends. Those passing meeting can be some of the most rewarding conversations if you prepare for them! The usually questions begin: “You’re back! Where are you living now? Do you like it there? and how are you?” Instead of just saying “Ummm… good. It’s great”, consider a different approach.

The company I was a part of my first international move shared a great tip for expat returning home. For more meaningful short interactions, prepare 4-5 3 minutes stories that have grown you over the last year to year. Your friend says, ” How are you?” You may say, “ok” OR you can say “Actually, I have a 2 minute story to tell you about how I have learned to…. in the past year. Do you want to hear it?” Then proceed with your story.

For more meaningful short interactions, prepare 4-5 3 minutes stories that have grown you over the last year to year. Click To Tweet

Plan to visit people before you get to the states.

When we first booked our 4 weeks in the states, I thought, “oh, we have plenty of time!” The first week in Louisiana felt too short, then halfway through the 2nd week in Iowa, I melted down about how we didn’t have enough time! Our problem wasn’t enough time. Our problem was not planning ahead and we assumed people would contact us or make time for us. Remember: Your friends, while they want to see you, are busy with their normal lives! If you really want to meet with people, reach out to the most important ones first. Then if there are others, meet them in groups or with other people as well.

Make a mini photo book and have it ready to show people

Walgreens ran a free mini photo book (maybe 40 pictures) sale right after our wedding and I bought one for all the parents in our family and ourselves. That first summer we traveled to Turkey together for the first time and saw old friends. That photo book was so handy and I whipped it out every time we talked about our wedding. I regret to tell you I did no such thing this last visit to the states. We assume this day in age, that our social media lives are followed by everyone and that all should know what we did during our expat year. But unfortunately, that is not the case and honestly, people just forget. Having a photo book is a natural and easy way to share your lives visually with others. (Read more ways to document your time abroad.)

We assume this day in age, that our social media lives are followed by everyone and that all should know what we did during our expat year. Click To Tweet

Give others AND yourselves grace.

No matter how long you spend visiting your home country, time escapes all of us. There will always be places we did go, things we didn’t do, and people we didn’t see. And in fact, I would suggest that you do have that list of what you did and things you are thankful for while you visit. Your time home also needs to refresh you and help you process your time living in another country. So be ok with saying no and instead, resting for a day, going out to a movie or just staying home to spend time with your expat family.

Do you live in another country other than your native one? If so, where?
What ways do you prepare before going back to your native country?
Which one of this 6 tips stuck out to you?

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P.S. – This is the first post of a 6 part series called EXPAT GOING HOME SERIES. Stay tuned for the following articles:

Going Home Series: 10 thoughtful questions to ask your returning expats

Going Home Series: 8 ways you can bless your returning expats

Going Home Series: 6 ways to make your expat visit ‘home’ more enjoyable (Part 1)

Going Home Series: 6 practical ways to destress your next expat visit ‘home’ (Part 2)

Going Home Series: 5 expectations to explore before expats’ returning home

Going Home Series: 7 self-care tips and why it is important for expats returning home

EVENTS: 2016 Izmir Coffee Festival

October 13, 2017October 13, 20172017, EVENTS, IZMIR, TURKEY Catie

Last October 2016, Jason and I attended the first ever Izmir Coffee Festival. In honor of the 2nd annual Izmir Coffee Festival which starts today, I am recapping our experience from the last one. The same organizers, Next Organization and Ateş Prodüksiyon, of private festivals, also planned the Izmir Chocolate Festival in March 2017.

Coffee is no stranger to Turkish culture. In fact, Turkish coffee is one of the oldest ways to drink coffee and has long been a tradition in many homes. I cannot justify all the history that comes with Turkish coffee but you can read more about it here. Maybe one day I will feel comfortable covering it!

Turkish coffee made from a coffee powder and water mixture (sugar can be added as well) that is boiled briefly to get a nice foam – double boiled if you want more! The coffee is then poured into a small traditional coffee cups and usually serve with a glass of water and a small piece of candy. Yes, it is like a strong espresso! But be careful not to drink to the bottom of the cup or you will end up with a mouth of coffee bean grit!

Oh, there is so much more. I will have to write another post just about Turkish coffee! Or maybe I’ll get my friend Michael to…

Specialty coffee, on the other hand, is fairly new to Turkey. I can remember 8 years ago when I lived in Istanbul the only filtered coffee you could find was made at home or at Starbucks. To be fair, I didn’t know a lot about filtered coffee itself, but I knew a lot about what fancy creamers I wanted to go in them! My friend Michael was saddened by my lack of knowledge of coffee and all that comes with it! Through his love for coffee, I learned over time to appreciate the taste of coffee and the many ways you can prepare it. I am definitely not a pro, but I can drink espresso and black coffee without sugar and milk like a champ now!

Almost 10 years later, Turkey is home to lots of little startups for coffee roasting and small coffee shops serving not only filtered coffee but also options for pour-overs, Chemex, and AeroPress. In our neighborhood alone I can find 5-6 different coffee shops to enjoy my favorite way to drink coffee! Many of them do their own roasting too.

The 2016 festival was much larger than I anticipated and well planned with many booths representing mostly coffee companies, but there were several other small businesses stands that are selling miscellaneous items to give the guests some diversity. We also found a large area to grab lunch or dinner. Along with purchasing items from the businesses (or free sampling at some of the more generous booths), the festival offered workshops and held seminars on different topics related to coffee like ‘How to make coffee with an Aeropress’.

For those who want to visit for the whole day, the festival has a list of performers such as DJs, dance instructors, and sports instructors. The program rotates performers on a central stage with a large area to sit and enjoy your purchases and free coffee samples.

Here is a great video that walks you through the 2016 Izmir Coffee Festival. Don’t worry there is no Turkish (or even English) to worry about. Enjoy the music and check out the scenes.

This year’s 3-day festival starts Friday, October 13, 2017, and continues through Sunday, October 15, 2017, at the İzmir Arena. Pre-bought tickets are 38 TL each for 1-day or 76 TL for a 3-day entry. We are excited to head back to the 2017 festival and see what they have in store for guest this year!

For more information:

Website: http://coffeefestivalizmir.com

Address: 1649 Sokak No: 107 Turan – Bayraklı / İZMİR

Telephone: 0 232 382 2 382 & 0 232 382 38 28

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GOING HOME SERIES: 8 ways you can bless your returning expats

October 9, 2017October 22, 20172017, EXPAT, EXPAT GOING HOME Catie

Going ‘home’ after a year of living in another country and culture is not always easy. My single, extroverted, newly college grad self that moved to Turkey the first time would thrive on going ‘home’ and would love to visit friends and eat the southern foods I missed so much! While I was thriving off of the time I spent in my own culture, my finances were not (Thanks, Dad and Mom for the support and feeding me!).

Being our first time to go home since moving to Turkey a year ago, it seemed to be more stressful as I thought about finances or all the logistics of travel, dinners, and visits. Yes, some of it was by choice, but the craziness of travel is always worth it in my mind!

Before ever leaving the states, one of our goals for our first 3-year timeline in Turkey was to travel home every year, and we were willing to make it work (and use our airline miles to do so!). We know that in the future it may not be as affordable nor flexible enough for us to do so. The fact that we have 7 nieces and nephews is a strong reason as well!

While we were not in ‘need’, we definitely had some pretty sweet friends provide in super awesome ways. Which got me thinking about how other state-side (or native friends) may be interested in how they could also bless returning expats in the future!

That being said, here are 8 ways you can bless your expats that are returning home:

1. Invite them to dinner or just bring them dinner.
Jason and I don’t have kids yet and it was usually easier to visit our friends by going to their home. To be honest, it was sometimes exhausting. If you are able to, ask your expat, (especially if they have children) what would be easier for them. Even better ask them if there is a favorite food they would like to have.

2. Ask good questions and really want to hear the answer.
There are some visits that are just easier than others. But the ones we most enjoy are people who ask good questions. Don’t know what those are? I wrote about 10 thoughtful questions to ask your returning expat.

3. Welcome Home basket with their favorite goodies (and some of your own!) – (OR even JUST A NOTE to say hello!)
If other expats are like me, then they will have a running list of items or food they miss from their native country. For me, it is dried mangos, blueberries, sweet potatoes, Target dollar section, stationary… Just like you prepare gift baskets for new moms or new homeowner, a basket of goodies with American snacks and treats is never a bad idea!

4. Gift Cards for groceries or restaurants
Expats move around a lot on their visits. And if they don’t have a home-base like we did, then that means they will have to eat on the road as they travel. Consider a gift card to a restaurant or visa card for however they want to use it.

5. Online shopping gift cards (ex. Amazon)
Turkey is great and we can get most everything we need. However, there may only be 1 kind of it. And the art and craft store, Hobby Lobby? Not a thing here. Consider a gift card to store you know your expat like to buy from when they return home. Amazon, Target, movie theater, gas cards, etc. are just the start!

For the extremely generous or able givers out there:

6. Provide housing –

Our family and friends were so sweet to offer us places to stay. Especially our longer 3 weeks in Iowa, a friend (as well as family) offered us their basement apartment to spread out in – with a living room, bedroom, and bathroom, it was a place we were able to be alone and rest if we needed too. On the other hand, if you are willing and your expat friends don’t take you up on the offer, don’t be offended! For some expats, staying with family can be more stressful than not staying with family. We are just trying to figure out what will be restful for us taking time away from foreign culture while trying to see everyone as much as possible.

For some expats, staying with family can be more stressful than not staying with family. We are just trying to figure out what will be restful for us taking time away from foreign culture while trying to see everyone as much as… Click To Tweet

7. Provide a car –

Rental cars in the states can be pricey! We did rent a car to drive from New Orleans, Louisiana to Des Moines, Iowa, and National was the best we found at $550 with no one-way fee! But it was really nice to know that we didn’t have to pay for a month’s worth of rental car.

8. Share airline miles –

Some people used credit card rewards for hotels, Jason and I used them for airline miles. This summer Catie was able to fly home and back for around $100 thanks to airline miles! If you have miles that will expire, consider donating them to an expat friend.

Our family and friends were so very generous with us! (Thank you!) They have also asked us good questions when we return home. I hope sharing what they did for us could encourage others who may not know what to do for their visiting or returning expat!

Do you know someone that is living in another country?
How often do they make it back to the states?
Do you want to do something thoughtful but don’t know how? What blessing stood out to you?
What other ways do you like to bless those who come back home?

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