This last blogpost will certainly resonate as the conclusion of these 9 months spent here.In a week’s time, I won’t be taking the ferry across Karşıyaka to Pasaport as I’ve done so many times over the last few months, but rather turning my back on Çeşme and setting my sights on Chios, Greece then Italy and finally setting foot in France.
Leaving doesn’t mean turning my back on Türkiye, but rather adopting a new outlook ; that of a rich past experience that would have marked my mind (and my body ‘hello the little 35 tattooed on my arm’) forever.
Sitting on the Alsancak kordon, one of our first and best encounters with the Turks, I keep telling myself that this is what makes Izmir a city at the crossroads of the worlds. Stretched out by the mountains on one side, and eaten away by the sea on the other, with its colourful little towers set against each other, and in the middle of it all a kordon that lives off Turkish flags, groups playing volleyball, and young couples flirting in front of the sunset. So many different lives come together in the jigsaw puzzle that is the city of Izmir, and more broadly Türkiye, but all in a surprisingly tranquil way for such a densely populated city.
What’s remarkable about this metropolis is that it gives you the impression that it’s like a small town where you know your neighbours, where you can see the sights and sounds of the city.Destinies cross and intertwine for the duration of an experience. Who could have guessed that our paths would cross at the other end of Europe, even though some of us lived dozens of kilometres away and didn’t even know each other ?
And sometimes, during our personal activities or at workshops, we meet other people who share common interests, who know our language, who know our town. Bridges exist, and others need to be built, but they all deserve to exist.
Over the last 2-3 months, we have had the opportunity to build bridges between volunteers, with mentors and with participants in certain workshops. During the latter the activities have remained broadly the same, nevertheless we have had the opportunity to discover new places such as in Karşıyaka or the south of Konak, and new activities such as distributing meals during Iftar. Moments suspended in time when the call to prayer rang out and the breaking of the fast announced itself. As for the workshops, most of which were with young children, but I particularly enjoyed meeting and talking to the women from the south of Konak. In every case, I discovered a new facet of Turkish culture.
I didn’t necessarily understand it at first, but it always gave me a new perspective on the country where I was based for 9 months, and gave me the opportunity to learn more about its culture.My jigsaw puzzle may not be complete, but I’ve been able to grasp its profound beauty, and understand that there isn’t just one Türkiye, but many. Whether through the landscapes, the different specialities or the people who live there. As far as the landscapes are concerned, I had the opportunity to go to Ankara, Konya and Cappadocia with a few volunteers. Of course, it was a feast for the eyes, but I also appreciated what I saw and experienced in Konya (about the whirling dervishes) and Ankara (the different civilisations that have lived in Anatolia). Fethiye with the rest of the volunteers during Bayram was also a highlight of joy and sharing.
I could make a long list of places discovered, stories learned and exchanges made, but that’s not the most important thing. Türkiye is a beautiful country, there are so many possibilities and its people are diamonds (in french we say literally “nuggets” but it’s doesn’t make sense in English.. so, you “Shine bright like a diamond” would say Rihanna).
That’s the note on which I’d like to end this blogpost, but also this voluntary service.