The kids love being with family! Today on the way home from school ( a big disappointment for both of us so far!) Eldo said that he changed his mind about Turkey. Now, he only likes the freshly squeezed juice (a dollar per cup at a nearby store - apple, carrot, orange, or any other fruit mix you can imagine), delicious food and the family.
Living with my parents is very nice. It's great to wake up to a freshly brewed cup of tea and sip it quietly in the kitchen with my mom; it's even better to come home to a ready meal in the evening. My sister and niece also occasionally pop in to say a quick hello and spend time with the kids. Kerim is oozing with pleasure from so much attention. His grandpa takes him for walks in the mornings and he spends the rest of his day playing, watching Turkish cartoons, or terrorizing my grandma. (My grandma looked much worse a week ago. She seemed burdened and awfully quiet; almost like she was between the worlds. Today though I noticed that she became much livelier. Being around the kids has returned her back to life. She seems almost back to normal now! :)))
Eldo hated the school today. He is used to hands-on communicative learning, so he is bored by traditional Turkish teacher centered instruction. The teachers come in, talk, talk, talk and leave, he summarized his day. School lasts abominable eight hours from 8:45 to 4:40 with a 45 minute lunch break in the middle. Eldo was completely beat today. I am considering perhaps moving him to a government school, which lasts from 8 to 1 pm usually.
Izmir has changed for the worse, or did I already write about that? The streets are dusty, uneven and filled with trash, especially in certain neighborhoods. But the worst adjustment for us is getting used to the noise - people yelling, cars honking, construction machinery working through the night and most of the day, people talking on the phone in metro, my dad watching TV loudly in the living room! I miss the quietude of Fayetteville! I dream of the lakes, parks, the bike trail... I do not need the bustling life of a big metropolis to be happy; quite contrarily, I long for solitude and closeness to nature. I think the kids do too!
Love you posts, Nazilya! Hopefully, its just matter of time and you will adjust to these changes. It is different...stay positive :) Most important,you are close to the family! No matter what you decide- we are looking forward to see you guys back :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I think that 8 am to 3 pm is hard... Poor Eldo! Hugs to the heroic kid!
ReplyDeleteAs with all things, it seems, there are the positives and negatives. Your family sounds very caring and supportive. I hope that you are able to adjust to the hustle and bustle of your hometown. Strange that you should fondly recall Fayetteville as a quiet oasis of calm, but I guess - all things considered - it is. Thank you for for taking the time to think online and to share those thoughts with those of us who are missing your sweet presence here.
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