US Teacher in Turkey

 Happy 2021 every reader of my blog!   I woke up today knowing the new year has arrived in Turkey, but not yet in the USA.  I felt anticipation, even though I am thousands of miles away.  My heart and soul are still in sync with America. I feel it's going to be a good year. We will appreciate small aspects of our life like never before - having drinks with a friend, going to restaurants, going to the movies, having visitors in our homes.  And big events will be even more memorable - weddings, family reunions, graduations. We will have a new president.  Thank God.  For most of my family and friends this is a "huge" relief.(Hope Trump doesn't mind me borrowing one of his infamous words from his infinite vocabulary.) My hope for the new year is civility and rationality will return to America and Americans.  America is a country founded on individual rights.  But that does not mean we have the right to degrade others for the color of their skin, or who they love, or what

 December 19, 2020 I am in Istanbul, Turkey lockdown.  Not what I imagined, but I'm okay.  I am visited everyday by my Turkish students and often my Turkish colleagues, as we meet in grade team meetings weekly.  I can walk to the grocery, and I even got a hair cut, manicure and pedicure yesterday.  But, restaurants are closed, stores are opened limited times on the weekdays, but closed on the weekends. And listen America, everyone complies!  I am busy all day. Unbelievable so.  Which is good because it wards off loneliness and homesickness.  Don't get me wrong.  I'm doing what I want to do, but I'm actually trying not to think of the fact that it's Christmas this coming week. It comforts me to think if I am ever going to miss Christmas, this is the one to miss.  The coronavirus is keeping all my children at home, and our always fabulous Christmas at Elsie's - my mother-in-law - is cancelled.  So sad since she thrives on holidays like Christmas and decorating her

 One of the reasons I am (trying!) to keep this blog is to remember my Turkish experiences, as well as share them..  I had not written an entry since November 15 and today is December 12!  Besides Enka School keeping me busy, I've had a visitor this past month.  Jim, my husband, came to stay for a month.  The school's fall break allowed us to finally go out and explore Istanbul together! I will share a few moments and not bore you with the details of the Archeological Museum!  (Which was fascinating by the way.)We all have "moments" when we stop, look where we are, and sigh.  Just sigh.  And take it in. I will tell you about two such moments.   One rainy day during fall break, Jim and I were accompanied by my dear friend Emily, a teacher from Zimbabwe, and her fiancé, Mert, who is Turkish, to visit the Archeological Museum, the Hagias Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cisterns of old Istanbul. Mert, an architect, is a history buff and loves to visit these sites

  Yes.  I'll admit it.  I had no idea how much time I would spend, and how hard it would be, to teach English at Enka Schools in Istanbul, Turkey.  I climb out of bed at 5:00am and my day begins as soon as I sit at the computer.  The work day doesn't end until about 8:00pm.  But, my coffeepot is nearby. And I haven't far to travel to bed. We are totally on line now.   I can honestly say: I love the work. When I am extremely tired,  the grading mounts,  and I see no end to the planning, I must remind myself, "I wanted this."  And I did.   I am working with an extremely talented and professional group of teachers. Let me tell you about some of the lessons I'm currently involved in. 9th Grade - Students studied about racism and Apartheid in South Africa, now we are reading the play  "Mast er Harold"...and the boys .  This week I am moving into a project to look at the UN 17 Sustainable Goals, do a problem-solution project, ending with a persuasive speec