More Pumped Over Futbol
Last night Beşiktaş fans took to the streets and celebrated their teams Turkish Super Lig cup victory. Coincidentally, the last time Beşiktaş won was 2003, the last time I was here. Another coincidence: there mascot is a BALD EAGLE! American spies?
The flag waving, standing through sunroofs, flare lighting, shouting “Beyaz” “Siyah” (white, black) reminded me just how unpumped American sports fans are when their team wins the Super Bowl, NBA finals, or what have you. For such a sports obsessed country where millions analyze statistics in fantasy leagues and read every article on their favorite stars’ accomplishments, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of outward passion.
Sure, there is horn honking and the occasional overturned car in cities that win titles, but we don’t think of too many creative cheers or clever chants to make rooting a real interactive sport. The closest thing we have is college football, for which fans sing fightsongs.Here it is TRIBAL!
I could be wrong…Discuss…
PS. My team is Galatasaray. Oops.
“English”
Below are samples of news briefs that I am charged with editing. The English is…um…very peculiar (and written by a senior editor!)
Diyarbakır (IHA) — Diyarbakır anti-smuggling and organised crime bureau police confiscated 8 million 123 thousand cannabis roots within 3 raids they staged. 9 suspects who were taken into custody ,were convicted in the court.
A mother whose name has not been identified yet , was taken into custody in Karsıyaka district of Gaziantep with the accusation of torture on her own little children .The mother is alleged to have stuck hot porks that she heated , on the skins of her 2 and 3 years old kids and to have burnt their clothes .It was reported that the relatives hearing the children crying with pain and fear , saved them from the mother’s hands at the last moment.The mother was restrained but she was later released by police since nobody testified against her.
Adana — Republican Peoples’ Party ,CHP ‘s deputy chairman and Istanbul parliamentarian Kemal Kılıcdaroglu stating Kurds should be allowed to constitute private newspaper and TVs peculiar to them , added: “ PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party ) must lay down weapons so that a solution for Kurdish issues then can be provided ”
Van —- Military activity in east and south-east regions which inclined up with spring is still ongoing.
Last evening , a convoy consisting of 18 martial vehicles including armored ones to accompany the convoy , set off towards Hakkari after getting loaded in Van .
Searching
My perspective on my life in Istanbul is in total flux right now. I am at that point where I am no longer a fresh off the boat newbie in this town. My mind has raced ahead to me being fluent in Turkish and fully understanding the culture, but alas, it will always be a long time before I get there, and that is frustrating in this gotta have it now culture. I want to download the knowledge, the Turkish, directly to my head in the next few days…BOOM…as John Madden would say, I am fully acclimated! Acculturation takes time. Hey! I have only been here two full days!
I applied for a job at Berlitz language schools and I was given a test as to my English skills. I think I passed. I would be a hopeless person if I was not able to pass this sucker. Still looking for digs. My friend Doa was nice enough to take me in for a little while, and I sure do appreciate it.
Yours truly is using this opportunity to explore new areas of the city I have never seen. I love seeing places that I have been to before from a new angle. It is almost better than plunging into a new city altogether, because you have the oppurtunity to have your notions of certain areas of town disproven. Take the area of Besiktas for example. I thought it was a very westernized area. Then my friend who I had dinner with said there weren’t a lot of places to drink beer in Besiktas and…well…if that is not a warning sign of non-western i.e. “Islamic!!!!” culture, then I don’t know what is. WHERE IS THE TGI FRIDAYS?