The Holidays, Abroad, in a Muslim Country

The third week of November I was sitting in a Starbucks in Antalya outside the old city. The whole place was decorated with Christmas decorations and Christmas music was playing. I ordered a Peppermint Mocha, as only that and Toffee Nut Lattes are “New Year Specials” they have. (I really could have gone for an Eggnog Latte.) It was a really strange feeling for me, sitting there, thinking about where I was. Christmas is my favorite holiday. My mom’s ridiculous decorations at home have become something I cherish about the season. Last year she and my Nana mailed a small Christmas tree and some decorations to me, so that I could make my Turkish home a bit more holiday-like. I cried last year opening that package. There is no way before I left for Turkey that I could have known how homesick I would be not being home for the holidays, Thanksgiving and New Year’s included.

Last year we had a huge Thanksgiving dinner in the capital with about 20 Fulbrighters. This year I went to a small one in Izmir, on the Aegean Sea, visiting two Fulbrighters from last year. We had to celebrate on Saturday, so I flew in Friday night and left late Sunday night. (On Thanksgiving I set up my Christmas tree at home, listening to Christmas music and drinking hot cocoa, a tradition my parents have instilled in me.) I wanted to make as much of this short weekend trip as possible. It was my fourth time to Izmir, so I was not concerned with sightseeing or anything like that, and just wanted to spend time with my friends, people I hadn’t seen since last April.

It ended up that we had eight people for Thanksgiving dinner in Izmir. The two American friends I was visiting (who were Fulbrighters last year), a young American couple, one of who was a Fulbrighter two years ago and they now live in Istanbul, a Scottish colleague of my friends, and a Turkish friend of theirs too. I knew it was going to be a good day when we started off the morning with Starbucks coffee (ground coffee!) catching up sitting on their balcony. Then we spent the day cooking. I helped prepare our yams, which was really pumpkin, and with Turkish marshmallows, wasn’t too bad. I also brought cranberry sauce that I had found in Antalya. And we actually had turkey! I had thought we were just going to have a roasted chicken because turkey doesn’t really exist in Turkey. But they found turkey breasts! (which we baked with a honey mustard/apple sauce). The stuffing wasn’t too good, but the mashed potatoes were. Then for dessert: homemade pumpkin pie and crème brule! We also made mulled wine. Overall it was a pleasant meal, with good food and good company. We stayed up late playing games and had a really good time enjoying each other’s company. The next day was relaxing, sleeping in and going to see Breaking Dawn (the second time for me). At least I’ll keep up my family’s holiday tradition of going to the movies on holidays ☺

The women who deliver my packages to me at school must think I am really rich, have a crazy family, or both. So far I have received two packages full of small Christmas presents. It’s nice now that my tree isn’t so lonely. It’s also not going to be fun waiting a week to open them. At least when Santa comes at home, I don’t have the gifts staring at me for days!

I often hate technology and get very upset at my computer, but one thing that I am very thankful for is video chat. My mom and sister were then able to see me open my presents they had sent me (although I’m still waiting for another box to arrive). It’s just so nice that they can see me and talk to me! It really meant so much that they sent me presents, and then also that we could open them “together.”

I wasn’t able to leave Turkey for Christmas, but luckily since it was over the weekend, I was able to go to Istanbul. I stayed with family friends, which was really nice because their home has become another home for me in Turkey. It always feels so warm and welcoming. We didn’t do much together, although making gingerbread cookies was just great! I went with them to a Christmas Eve service at their church, so that made it feel almost like home, despite being in a Muslim country. On Christmas Day I met up with some American friends (new and old Fulbrighters). I had some French toast! and an excellent Turkish meal. Unfortunately I didn’t have a Christmas meal, but the company was very nice.

Saying it’s been hard being gone for the holidays is an understatement. It would probably be easier if I wasn’t in a Muslim country or if I had a larger community of friends here. But it also wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be. I had a fabulous Christmas in Paris last year, and getting out of Turkey then had been a great distraction. Although Turks don’t celebrate Christmas, they have morphed it into a New Year’s celebration that unfortunately really gets to me. They think that Christmas is the same as New Years’. They say they are the same thing. They have Christmas trees for New Year’s. So there are Christmas decorations everywhere. The malls look like American malls. But the spirit just isn’t the same. And I had no idea how hard that would be on me. I don’t mean for this post to be so down, I’m just struggling a bit at the moment… Anyway, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.