Turkish Republic Day

Tomorrow is a holiday in Turkey. It is "Republic Day". The Turkish Republic came into existence 86 years ago.

In honor of Turkish Republic Day, I would like to share the words of Turkey's national anthem:

Fear not! For the crimson flag that proudly waves in these dawns shall never fade,

Before the last fiery hearth that is ablaze within my nation burns out.

And that, is the star of my nation, and it will forever shine;

It is mine; and solely belongs to my valiant nation.

Frown not, I beseech you, oh thou coy crescent,

But smile upon my heroic race! Why the anger, why the rage?

Our blood we shed for you will not be worthy otherwise;

For freedom is the absolute right of my God-worshiping nation.

I have been free from eternity and forever will be so.

What madman shall put me in chains! I defy the very idea!

I'm like the roaring flood; I'll run over my embankment and overflow,

I'll tear apart mountains, exceed the offings and still gush out!

The horizons of the West may be armored with walls of steel,

But I have borders guarded by the mighty chest full of faith.

Recognize your innate strength! Never fear: how can

this fiery faith ever be killed,

By that battered, single-fanged monster so-called "civilization"?

My friend! Leave not my homeland to the hands of villainous men!

Render your body shield, so that this disgraceful rush shall stop!

For soon shall come the promised days, by God....

Who knows? Perhaps tomorrow? Perhaps even sooner?

View not the soil you tread on as mere earth, recognize it!

And think about the shroudless thousands who lie so nobly beneath it.

You're the noble son of a martyr, hurt not your ancestor, that will be shame on you!

Unhand not this heavenly homeland, even when you're given worlds.

What man would not die for this heavenly piece of land?

Martyrs would gush out were one to just squeeze the soil! Martyrs!

May God take my life, my beloved and all my possessions from me if He will,

But may He not deprive me of my one true homeland for the world.

Oh glorious God, the sole wish of my pain-stricken heart is that,

No extrinsic hand should ever touch the bosom of my sacred temple.

These adhans, shahadahs of which are the base of my religion,

May they resound over my eternal homeland.

For only then shall my tombstone - if there is one - lay its forehead on the earth,

a thousand times in ecstasy.

And, oh God, my bloody tears shall gush out from the earth like an eternal spirit,

And perhaps only then shall my head rise and at long last reach the heavens.

So flap and wave like the bright dawning sky, oh thou glorious crescent,

So that our every last drop of blood may finally be worthy!

Neither you nor my nation shall ever be annihilated!

For freedom is the absolute right of my ever-free flag;

For freedom is the absolute right of my God-worshiping nation!

I have a chair... and a table

After a month and a half of preparing lessons on my knees and other various surfaces at Apartment No. 10 on Sair Latifi St., I finally bought a chair and desk today for 200 TL. It truly is remarkable the difference it makes to have a desk and a chair. I came home after class giddy with excitement. Internet, a place to sit and work... it really is too much! A 60 year old man lugged the furniture up the hill for me. I can only hope to be in such good shape when I reach that age.

More characters

I made the acquaintance of a very curious man today. His name is Goltis. He is a "gifted darling of fortune". Here is his website: http://www.goltis.info/en/

Pilates Class

Pilates is a form of exercise invented by a German man named Joseph Pilates. He invented the system to rehabilitate wounded veterans in World War I. Nowadays, it is the preferred method of exercise for women of a certain age. Last month, I signed up for membership at the Sports Universe Gym in Kadikoy, where they offer free Pilates classes every Friday morning. The original impetus for the decision was related to the question of showers. At my apartment, we have a shower. In many respects it is a good shower - it has hot water and is relatively clean. There is even a place to put your soap and shampoo. However, the showers at Sports Universe Gym are fantastic - from the water pressure to the North American style shower-head (what I mean by this is that you can hang up the shower-head on the post and use both hands while you wash), one can find all the ingredients for a successful bathing experience.

Pilates class is fun. It is filled with middle aged Turkish women. The instructor doesn't know any English and shouts out the instructions in Turkish (Guzel! - Great!; Yavas! - slowly; Yapma! - don't do that!) Sometimes we play with plastic bands. Yesterday, I was a little too enthusiastic with my plastic band and broke it. I didn't feel badly, though, because Hocam (literally, 'my teacher') told me not to worry and provided me with a brand new grey plastic band. She calls me "canim", an affectionate term which means "my dear". The secretary at work calls me "tatlim", which means "my sweet". The choir director at the church I'm attending calls me "zayetz", which means "little rabbit".

The unquestionable highlight of the class was when Hocam played Leonard Cohen's "Dance Me to the End of Love". I've actually used this song in my English classes. Cohen sings clearly, and his lyrics are thought-provoking. My Turkish professor at the University of Minnesota played songs for us in class where we had to fill in the blanks as a listening exercise. I've tried to do the same in my classes.

At the end of the class, I exchanged a few words with the only other representative of the male gender present, a plump fifty-year old Communist who recently demonstrated at the IMF meeting in Istanbul.