My one and only class tomorrow has officially been canceled, but worry not; I will still be waking up at 5:45 so I can get on my mini-bus to go to the police station. Having left at 6:15, the group that went today got back at 10:45, which is actually not as bad as I would have thought, considering it takes a while to get down to the police station. The purpose of my visit is to acquire my Turkish residency permit card and to get my passport back.
My classes today were pretty uneventful, and I really think I'm going to like my Turkish politics class as well as my Ottoman history class. My others, maybe not so much... They involve the same American professor, and she has a tendency to talk to us as though we are in elementary school. Correlative though should be an easy pass in her classes.
My Ottoman history course provides a great framework for the establishment of the Ottoman Empire, giving great context to this already fascinating city. The factors behind what worked--and did not work--in the early days of Ottoman history have residual effects in modern-day Turkey. This juxtaposition of eras in history is incredible to examine; they are alike in some ways, but the way Mustafa Kemal Ataturk transformed Turkey is mind-boggling. Struggles exist today in many areas, but the foundations that Ataturk had laid out in 1923 remain the fundamental and driving forces behind how the Turkish Republic functions today.
It's kind of a lot to wrap your head around for one paragraph, but I am sure that I am going to go on these semi-intelligent rants from time to time as the semester progresses. Beware/stay tuned!
Have a great Thursday everyone! Nap time for me---wish me luck on getting my voice back!
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