Istanbul to Belgrade

Tuesday, July 14 Happy Bastille Day!
We had no morning appointments today, but my body clock let me know when 5:30 AM came around. We got up at 6:30 and went to breakfast at 7 then Jess went to Starbucks to use their wireless since her computer doesn’t like the hotel’s wireless (I’ve had almost no trouble!). I walked along Istiklal Street from its beginning at the Tram station to the other end at Taksim Square – about 2 KM. It is interesting seeing what on the weekends is a street filled with throngs of tourists as an early morning street of locals getting to work or preparing their businesses for the day’s opening. Pastry and coffee shops were open but the rest of the shops open at 9. There was a queue already at the Russian Consulate – I guess Russian visas are expensive and hard to get. Istiklal on the weekends and during the day/evening is closed to traffic, but before shops open there is all kinds of traffic – delivery trucks, garbage trucks, equipment trucks unloading building materials, and private cars. It was an interesting view of the area we are staying near and spend most of our evenings in.
After checking out of the hotel, we headed by taxi (an experience of its own!) to Bosphorous University. We met with a second year teacher in a private high school and a professor in the School of Education. We had a fabulous lunch at the Faculty House and a great discussion about education and curriculum in both the US and Turkey. In both, teaching is one of the lowest paying professions. Students in Turkey are required to attend through 8th grade (but they don’t start school until they are 7) and then must pass tests to get into high school and college. Most kids’ career paths are set by the time they finish 8th grade. They are also expected to finish all advanced education by the time they are 35….there are no “second career” opportunities in Turkey. People are expected to work 20 years then retire with their pensions, though most need a second job and then will work after “retiring” to get by. The private school tuition for 1 year is 30,000 Turkish Lira; a teacher makes about 24,000 TL…..public education is free all through way through high school, and if accepted to University, one pays only a small stipend each semester (about $100). A very interesting discussion also ensued about what the Turkish teachers would hope we American teachers would teach our students about Turkey and the Ottoman Empire. The main items were to concentrate on the people, culture, Ottoman organization and administration, and the modernity of Turkey, not the wars. I think that would be applicable to any culture/civilization and was a good reminder of why I teach and what I want my students to know.
We are now on our way to Serbia! Belgrade to be exact. We pass one time zone, so I will be one our closer to home! But 13 days……not that I’m counting….OK I miss home, but there is the second half of this adventure first!