Culture and Such

It's about 96 degrees today with no air conditioning. I walked about 25 minutes from my host family's house to the Metro station, just to see how far it was. There mountains that surround the city are green, but down on the central avenues, its all concrete, brick, and stucco. I had breakfast at the apartment of a woman who lives upstairs from my host family with my host mother. I am just not used to eating a lot for breakfast, but it's rude in Turkey not to finish the food that has been given to you. There is a little girl that learned a few English words from the last AIESECer that stayed in the building. She is very sweet and learned my name quickly, and will call out to me when I pass on the sidewalk. I am at the AIESEC office now working on revising the reception booklets that they give to trainees, especially since I found my way from Istanbul to Bursa by myself following the directions in the old reception booklet.

Before I left, a lot of people asked me if the women wore veils in Turkey. The answer is, many do. A lot of women cover their entire bodies with loose pants, long jackets, and headscarves. However, these silk scarves are colorful prints and patterns: geometric shapes, flowers, animal prints. These women wearing the scarves are not oppressed in the way that the Western world envisions them. It is out of respect for their faith and themselves that they choose to cover their bodies so as not to be objectified. There are women here that choose to cover themselves in long black veils and loose cloaks that reveal only their eyes and hands. It is their choice to wear such clothing in a culture that freely permits tank tops, skirts, t-shirts, etc. to be worn on the city streets. I think sometimes the purpose of wearing a veil needs to be clarified, and its negative connotation is rarely deserved.