Hey Cool People,
So Turkey has been absolutely amazing so far and a bit different that what I originally thought it was going. In the news, back in the U.S, I didn't hear or see much about Turkey; I know it is close to Syria and near the middle east, it is a strategic location that the U.S. military would like use to enter Iraq, but culturally I was blind; I had no idea what to expect. Turkey was the place my family and friends were most worried about me visiting. Well, their worries were falsely held.
It has been interesting talking to some of the locals from Turkey about the culture and life style here and how it compares to the United States and the rest of the world. In Turkey, it is completely legal to be gay, and always has been, while it might not be the most socially accepted thing to kiss in public, it isn't against any law. Woman don't have to wear burkas or evan a head scarfs for that matter. And while the culture is male dominated, if your boss is a woman, you do what the boss says, it doesn't matter the gender, what matters is who is writing the checks. People go out and drink and among the younger generation, there is not that much different. In fact, I have felt very safe in this country and seen how progressive and liberal it actually is.
Even more, a lot of the converstations I have had across europe, when talking about the differences in culture, come to the topic of guns. Obviously it came up here in Turkey and it was quite interesting to be asked if I was afraid that people can so easily carry guns around. In Turkey it is illegal to have guns apparently; something I had no idea of. The person I was talking to was fasinated by the fact that I personally owned guns and was licensed to carry a concealed weapon back home. It was, again, a bit of a culture shock to see someone scared of America and its gun culture and laugh when I said my family was scared about me coming to Turkey.
This trip has been amazing in allowing me to learn about so many different cultures. The U.S. media is so overly hyped and is full of fear mongering. When I went to Greece, I was told to take out all the cash I needed, to be careful because there are going to be protest and riots, that things are going to be a little catoic all because of the financial crisis. When I got there, none of that was true; most places I could use my credit card, people were friendly, there was no rioting or demonstrations. What I was told and read on the news was not reality.
Now, I know I am only expereincing and seeing a small fractions of these many different cultures, but I am still experienceing something that I would have never been able to without being here. I am so blessed I took this opportunity; that I made this happen.
For everyone that has supported me in my journey to get here, THANK YOU!!
Gerald
