Some News

First, some good news: I got my work visa on Monday! Woo! I'm so happy to check that off my list. It's a huge relief. I went to the Turkish Embassy on Monday, August 3rd between 9am and 1pm, just as the shrewd lady had advised. When I picked up my passport, the lady handed me a receipt and quickly bid me adieu. While I've had warmer encounters, that morning, I was just happy I got my vize.

Second, some okay news: I've started packing a little bit, but not too much. I can't decide what clothes to take, what items to leave behind, what can be bought in Turkey (like shampoo and soap) and what cannot (apparently index cards). I'm not sure if I should pack some American board games like 'Apples to Apples' or 'Uno' -- would my students even enjoy them? One of my roles as a Fulbright Scholar is to serve as a cultural ambassador for the U.S. Hmm, I need to think some more about how I can best convey the values of America while still keeping the classes fun and engaging. I'm open to suggestions if anyone has any!

Third, some exciting news (saved the best for the last): I have received my flight itinerary from the Turkish Fulbright Commission. It's official -- I am flying out on Saturday, August 29th! I will be having a small layover in Le France before arriving to my final destination of Istanbul. In talking to other Turkey Fulbright scholars on Facebook, looks like we are all arriving to Istanbul around the same time. All of us will then have a connecting flight to Ankara, where we will have a two-week Orientation. In preparation for the intensive Orientation, I have checked out some books from the library to learn some Turkish phrases.

This is all becoming real, slowly by slowly. I suppose you can say the countdown has begun.

Applying for Visa

With just over a month left for my departure, I have one very important thing to take care of: obtain my work visa to Turkey. I had hoped to check this off my to-do list before leaving Boston, but unfortunately, due to both timing and the poor experience I had with the Turkish Consulate in Boston, I decided to wait until I arrived home to D.C. Besides, I felt more comfortable driving to the official Turkish Embassy in Washington than having a small  consulate office in Boston mail me my passport--I'm a risk-averse person and I feared losing my blue key to traveling the world.

Turkish Embassy was easy to spot with its bright red flag.

On Monday, Baba drove me to to the Turkish Embassy located on Massachusetts Avenue. Without looking at the address, I could tell which building was the Turkish Embassy: a bright red flag with a white crescent and star waved outside the brown square-ish towers. I rang the bell to enter the heavily gated embassy, passed through security, and left my phone in a locker before being instructed to go downstairs, where the offices were. It was eerily quiet and a bit dark when I got downstairs, and wondered if the office was closed. After a few minutes of roaming around, behind one of the glass windows, I spotted two ladies sitting behind a desk so I approached them. When I told them I needed a work visa as part of the Fulbright teaching program, they verified my name against a master list they had obtained from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I submitted all the required paperwork, a $330 fee (so expensive!), and my passport. The lady advised that the visa would be ready next Monday. I was so relieved to hear this. Baba is right; these things should always be handled in person.