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Southeastern Anatolia has been a hotbed of controversy for much of the history of modern Turkey. With a large Kurdish population, the region enjoys a wide and sometimes competing diversity. Linguistically, both Turkish and Kurdish are widely spoken. Kurdish pronunciation influences Turkish in that the throat-based "kh" sound common in Kurdish and Arabic is common. Further, Kurdish uses the letter Q, which adds a softer pronunciations of names and words such as "Kemal". A common sight in Southeastern Turkey is the alternating black and white ring pattern on buildings, especially minarets on mosques. Such architectural designs allow for the continuation of Kurdish influence even when language and other cultural aspects are restricted.
Eastern Anatolia is full of ruins from many past civilizations, including the Armenian and Seljuk empires. Armenian architecture can be seen most readily between Van and Kars, most notably in the historical Armenian capital of Ani. There is much Seljuk influence in Erzurum and Divrigi. Such diversity is most apparent in the art of the region, especially rugs that combine Turkish, Armenian, Persian and Kurdish influence. As the area is cold and often snowy, it has a reputation of being drab and muddy. This perception was not changed by Orhan Pamuk's Snow, which is set in Kars. Both Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia are thought of as the most religiously and socially conservative regions of Turkey.
The Black Sea region is one of the most culturally distinct regions of Turkey. With a rainy and mountainous terrain, it is somewhat isolated geographically from the rest of the country. The Black Sea has a tradition of dance and music that has expanded throughout Turkey, most recently with the Kolbasti trend. The dialect is the thickest the farther east one gets. Residents of this tea-growing region make it known that they are proud of coming from the Black Sea.
Finally, the Central Anatolia region is the historical center of the Ataturk-led independence movement. Ankara, the capital, was formerly a small town but has expanded to be the country's second largest city. The region is diverse, with the region of Cappadocia frequented by tourists and the eastern part frequented by ticks (which notably carry Crimean-Congo Hemmhoragic Fever...). The dialect in Ankara is similar to that of Istanbul, but with an increased frequency of the word "hocam" as a term of respect, used for teachers and people in positions of authority though originally used for religious leaders. This region contains many rugs and clay tradesmen/women, reflecting the abundance of wool from Angora (the former name of Ankara) sheep and clay from the Red River.
HEBREW (Evreet) VOCAB LIST
Topic: Questions
Related vocab:
Topic: Days of the Week
Reshon - Sunday
Sheny - Monday
Shleshy - Tuesday
Revee'y - Wednesday
Hamishy - ThursdayShishi - Friday
Shabat - Saturday
Related vocab:
Shana - Year
Hodesh - Month
Shavoa - Week
Yom - Day
Topic: Family
Meshbaha - Family
Ahot/Ahayot - Sister/s
Ah/Ahem - Brother/s
Saba - Grandpa
Savta - Grandma
Ema - Mother (Mom)
Aba - Father (Dad)
Dod/a - Uncle/Aunt
Gesa - Sister in Law
Ben dod/a - Cousin m./f.
Hamot - Mother in Law
Hamy - Father in Law
Ges - Brother in Law
Teaomem - Twins
Topic: Questions
Ma - What
Llama - Why
Efo - Where
Matai - When
Kama - How much/many
Ech - How
Me - Who
Related vocab:
Po: Here
Gam - Also
Ve - and
O - or
Topic: Basic Verbs
Olech - goes/walks
lech - go
Halachti - went
Sagar - close
Patach - open
Rotze - want
Ledaber - to speak
Ohev - love
Topic: Animals
Hayot - animals
Kelev/Klaveem - dog/s
Achbar - Mouse
Kof - Monkey
Jerafa - Giraffe
Soos - Horse
Peel - Elephant
Zvov - fly
Hamor - donkey (insult)
Yetosheem - mosquitos
Hatol - cat
Eyal - elk (my fathers name)
Tsvy - deer (my grandfathers name)
Shoal - fox
Aryee - Lion
Nemala - Ant
Namer - Tiger
Topic: House
Bait - house
Delet - Door
Heder - room
Metbah - kitchen
Aron - closet
keseh - chair
Meklahat - shower
Mahshev - computer
tanor - oven
orot - lights
Gena - garden
Komah - floor
halon - window
Retspa - floor
Heder Shena - bed room
Sholhan - table
sherotem/betshemush - bathroom inf./form.
mekarer - fridge
mechonat kvesa - washing machine
meta - bed
hanyon - parking
Topic: Food
Al Haesh - BBQ
Mangal - Grill
Shook - Market
Kneyot - Shopping
Leknot - to buy
Kenyon - Mall
Topic: Colors
Yarok - Green
Adom - Red
Levan - White
Tsvae'm - colors
In order tounderstand the political system and government of any country, one must take a look at the different branches of government and understand how each one is comprised and how each system works within the government as a whole. Now, I’m going to take a closer look at the structure Islamic Republic of Iran. First off, the most powerful political office in the Islamic Republic is that of the Supreme Leader, of which there have been two: the founder of the Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and his successor, Ali Khamenei.
The role of the Leader is to appoint the heads of many powerful posts - the commanders of the armed forces, the director of the national radio and television network, the heads of the major religious foundations, prayer leaders in city mosques, and the members of national security councils which deal with defense and foreign affairs. He also appoints the chief judge, the chief prosecutor and special tribunals. With the help of the chief judge, they together appoint half of the 12 jurists of the Guardian Council; the powerful body that decides both what bills may become law and who may run for president or parliament.
The Executive Branch
The Constitution defines the President as the highest state authority after the Supreme Leader. The President is elected by universal suffrage, by those 18 years old and older, for a term of four years. Presidential candidates must be approved by the Council of Guardians prior to running. The President is responsible for the implementation of the Constitution and for the exercise of executive powers, except for matters directly related to the Supreme Leader. The President appoints and supervises the Council of Ministers, coordinates government decisions, and selects
government policies to be placed before the legislature. Currently, 10 Vice-Presidents serve under the President, as well as a cabinet of 21 ministers, who must all be approved by the legislature. Unlike many other states, the executive branch in Iran does not control the armed forces. Although the President appoints the Ministers of Intelligence and Defense, it is customary for the President to obtain explicit approval from the Supreme Leader for these two ministers before presenting them to the legislature for a vote of confidence.
Legislative Branch
As of today, the current legislature of Iran is unicameral. Before the Iranian Revolution, the legislature was bicameral, with the senate (upper house) half elected, half appointed by the Shah. The senate was removed in the new constitution.
Parliament
The Parliament of Iran comprises 290 members elected for four-year terms. The Parliament drafts legislation, ratifies international treaties, and approves the national budget. All Parliament candidates and all legislation from the assembly must be approved by the Council of Guardians.
The Guardian Council is composed of 12 jurists, including six clerics appointed by the Supreme Leader, and six jurists elected by the Majles from among the Muslim jurists nominated by the Head of the Judicial System. The Council interprets the constitution and may reject bills from Parliament deemed incompatible with the constitution or Sharia (Islamic law). These are referred back to parliament for revision. In a controversial exercise of its authority, the Council has drawn upon a narrow interpretation of Iran's constitution to veto parliamentary candidates.
As of the early 1990s, the Guardian Council approves candidates for national election in Iran.
Special note: According to the CIA World Factbook, The Guardian Council is a part of the Executive branch of the government, not legislative.
The Expediency Council has the authority to mediate disputes between the Majlis and the Council of Guardians, and serves as an advisory body to the Supreme Leader, making it one of the most powerful governing bodies in the country. The council also mediates legislative disputes between the Parliament and the Guardian Council. Its members include heads of the three government branches, the clerical members of the Guardian Council and various other members appointed by the supreme leader for three-year terms. Cabinet members and parliamentary leaders also serve as temporary members when issues under their jurisdictions are under review.
Judicial Branch
The Supreme Leader appoints the head of the Judiciary, who in turn appoints the head of the Supreme Court and the chief public prosecutor.
There are several types of courts including public courts that deal with civil
and criminal cases, and "revolutionary courts" which deal with
certain categories of offenses, including crimes against national security. The
decisions of the revolutionary courts are final and cannot be appealed. The
Special Clerical Court handles crimes allegedly committed by clerics, although
it has also taken on cases involving lay people. The Special Clerical Court
functions independently of the regular judicial framework and is accountable
only to the Supreme Leader. The Court’s rulings are final and cannot be
appealed.
Information found at:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/middle_east/iran/structure.html
http://www.voiceseducation.org/category/tag/guardian-council
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5314.htm
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ir.html
In the Marmara region, Istanbul is the most prominent population center. This year, Istanbul is the European Capital of Culture, not to mention the cultural center of Turkey. Much of the Turkish enternatinment industry is located and set in Istanbul and the dialect spoken in the city is considered modern standard Turkish. Outside of Istanbul, Thrace has a multitude of culture that is truly representative of the crossroads between Europe and Asia. In Edirne, for example there is a significant Roma population that contributes Gypsy music to Turkey. Iznik, to the East of Turkey, is the center of production for tiles, popularized in the Ottoman times.
The Aegean region has been historially populated by Greeks, Romans and others. There are many ancient ruins, such as Ephesus, Pergamum, and Hierapolis. Besides the penchant of young males for hair gel and European glamor-fashion, the easiest way for one to recognize an inhabatant of the Aegean region is the use of the word "be" (pronounced like 'bay') at the end of sentences. There is no real pattern of situations in which it is used, but is safest to use it for emphasis at the end of short expressions. f
Finally, the Mediterranean region is renowned for its resorts. While the Aegean beaches are most frequently visited by Turkish vacationers, the Mediterranean is often full of Europeans. Some time ago, there were mostly small towns and villages along the coast. Currently, however, the region is inundated with tourists. English is often spoken. In the very eastern part of the region, the language sounds more similar to Arabic than most other places in the country, as Hatay province is so close to Syria (Syria still claims Hatay as its own city). In this way, the Mediterranean region is very cosmopolitan, but in a much different way than Istanbul. Linguistically, it is a wide mix.
I will first describe the holidays, and then I will discuss the implications of the holidays from a political/religious point of view.
I have found two very helpful sites that described the customs of the Turkish holidays. The first resource defines and describes the concept of the “bayram” and continues to explain the specifics of
the two holidays. With both text and photos, the website uses an encyclopedia tone to describe the bayram basics. The second,
from Turkey Travel Planner, is a guide to foreigners who are traveling during
the time of the holiday. This source is very helpful because it describes what
foreigners should expect when encountering the holiday. This outsider’s
perspective provides insight into the aspects of the holiday that are
immediately apparent to the observer but maybe not to the participant. It does,
however, lack some depth about the activities of the family once the
celebrations begin. Finally, I used a Turkish etymological dictionary to explain
the origins and perspectives on specific vocabulary words, and how they relate
to the culture.
Powerpoint: Turk Bayramları.pptx
Calendar.tif
No, we haven't time-traveled to the medieval era! It is the date according to the Persian calendar (aka Jalaali aka Shamsi). The calendar was named after Jalaal-ol-Din Malek-shaah-e Saljuqi, the ruler and patron of Hakim Omar Khayyam (who revised the calendar in 1079). It is official in Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asian Republics andKurdish Mesopotamia.
The calendar year is the same length as the Gregorian one, but but is based on the seasons and deals with leap years differently. The first six monthsof Jalaali all have 31 days and the second six months all have 30 days
in leap
years, with the last month having 29 days in non-leap years. The first day of the year is the first day of spring (our March 21st). I imagine this reflects the ideals of the rulers during the time it was created. The Gregorian calendar if based on religion: it counts years from the
traditional incarnation of Jesus. It is curious that the Persian rulers' focus during this time differs from the European one, since both were agrarian societies and both were politically dominated by their religion.
Some of the beginning segments of the film are really important to know before studying abroad. Things like knowing phrases that have no purpose other than showing an understanding of social rules ("What's up?"). I wonder what I'm going to encounter in Senegal. I don't know how I will be expected to act in classes. I may be considered rude and pushy for giving my opinion openly in class. I know the language, but I don't know the social rules at all - how would I even get that information? Senegalese informational sites and books don't give you that kind of information. I suppose talking to other students who have gone through it.
I also learned about time. The clock is the same (unlike the calendar), with 12 hours. That is why I didn't stop at counting to ten! Sofia gave me some phrases related to time, like "When will you come to the university tomorrow?" with the reply "I will come at 7 o'clock." While writing this, I realize I don't know how am/pm works.
I am going to practice these as I have been my word lists, repetition of writing. I think I will also try converting my calendar into Persian numbers, as a practice exercise.
Another communicative task that we worked on was the Hebrew version of Head, Shoulder, Knees and Toes song. Haya taught us how to sing this song in Hebrew, and once we all felt comfortable enough and memorized all the lyrics, we decided to perform and record. Zach, Nora and I had a lot of fun while recording it. I think this was a useful way of learning new vocabulary. Also, because we repeated the song so many times, the song got stuck in my mind all day, and now I can actually remember all the vocabulary.
Head --> Rosh
Shoulders --> Ktafaim
Knees --> Berhayim
Toes --> Etzbaot
Eyes --> Enayim
Ears --> Oznayim
Mouth --> Pe
Nose --> Af
My Family.ppt
That's what I thought. So I asked Sofia to show me how to make sentences with these words. Eek! Sentence structure is simple enough, this I already had a rudimentary understanding of. However, now that I want to say, "I went to work" I have to grasp tenses and possessives. There are special verb endings depending on whether the subject is me, he/she, them, or us etc. It would be great if that were all. BUT no. Before the special verb ending there is also a random syllable that relates to nothing at all! It's different for each verb, and I simply have to memorize them all. Sigh.
I guess we'll see how I'm able to do that. No ideas so far for learning techniques. I'll try to employ the same ones I've been using for vocab and sentences.
My dad is from a kibbutz called Degania Bet which is located in the Jordan Valley in the center of Israel. This makes my dad a kibbutznik (any member of a kibbutz). Degania Bet is an agricultural kibbutz producing bananas, avocados, dairy products (specifically producing principally yogurt, which is delicious!) In Degania Bet there is a communal dining center, several communal bikes and cars/vans and a communal swimming pool. Food (two meals a day), housing, and education is all taken care of without cost. Everybody works and there is some rotation between jobs depending on the nature of the job. My dad mainly picked bananas and watermelons while he was in the kibbutz. The elderly retire and get a "pension". Everybody gets paid a certain amount of money (not that much because education, food, and housing are taken care of , but something substantial) depending on the size of their family. Their used to be an "ulpan" where immigrants/foreigners could come and learn hebrew and stay for free as long as they worked. I'm not sure if it still exists. I went there to visit when I was 15 and I loved it. I'll upload pictures if I can find them.
