The Turquoise Chronicles

Turquoise: The word turquoise dates to the 17th century and is derived from the French turquois meaning “Turkish” because the mineral was first brought to Europe through Turkey from mines in the historical Khorasan province of Iran (Persia) and Afghanistan. (For more, check out Merriam-Webster’s take)

Istanbul has long been on my teaching bucket list, ever since my first visit in 2009 with my brother, Brett. He was studying in Budapest and we flew to Turkey for a few days. The myths and legends surrounding the city only added to our journey – from Marco Polo on the Silk Road to the whirling dervishes to the Turkish baths (100% worth it).

We saw the Blue Mosque, wandered the Grand Bazaar, ate kebab on the sidewalk and fish sandwiches off the dock. My favorite memory is drinking çay on a boat sailing along the Bosphorus. Served in a glass cup with a saucer, çay is the Turkish word for tea, pronounced “chai”. Palatial estates dotted the Bosphorus waterfront, much like those along my beloved Neva in St. Petersburg.

Over a decade ago, one of my favorite docents at the Peabody Essex Museum, Laurie, connected me with her good friend, a teacher living and working in downtown Istanbul. Throughout our two year correspondence, she shared the highs and the lows of living in the former Ottoman city, from the warm and welcoming locals to Istanbul’s notorious traffic (still horrendous). It was then that I bookmarked Istanbul as a highly desirable destination.

During my time in Moscow, I was lucky enough to coach middle and high school tennis. One year, our tournament took us to Istanbul. We arrived in May to temps considerably warmer than the thawing tundra we’d left in Russia.

While in Turkey, I had the chance to visit my upcoming school (unbeknownst to me at the time), located roughly 40km from the city center. In the lobby, I was struck by a beautiful art exhibit and the warmth of the community, evident in the wonderful families who played host to my players for the weekend. The tournament was very well organized and our host coaches were incredibly gracious. I love this gleeful picture of my friend and fellow coach, Matthew, tucking into a delicious Turkish fish dinner on the coast.

My upcoming experience will mark the first time I have ever visited the foreign country, never mind the school, where I will be employed. This makes for a radically different departure – knowing a bit about the culture I will find and the local fare (eggplant! hummus! simit!). This only adds to my excitement and eases my butterflies.

I hope you will follow along on my journey, wherever it leads. There will be ups and downs and I promise to paint a clear picture of my experience, respectful of my new country of residence and friends I will find there. I will post pictures regularly on my Instagram account (@puttputtchamp) so feel free to follow me there as well. This blog is my way of staying in touch with all of you wonderful humans so I thoroughly appreciate your comments and reactions in the space below. If you’ve been to Turkey, please send highlights and recommendations. I’m all ears 🙂