...on why I haven't said anything in weeks, not that anyone would miss me I might have mentioned it somewhere, but I'm doing a voluntary year in Turkey, an European Volunteer Service to be precise. That's why I don't really have time for gaming atm, and I don't even have internet in out flat, so yeah... It's really fun though, and man, Turkish is HARD. I speak English, German and Spanish, but Turkish is quite a different beast I work for a student exchange organisation called YFU, Youth For Understanding, for which I also volunteer in good ol' Germany I mostly do workshops with pupils aged 14 or such, telling them about different worldviews according to culture and exchange programs, etc. If by chance you speak German and are interested in Turkey, you might want to check out Turkish Iceberg, my personal blog Caution, wordy, though there are some pics on it For anyone else, I'll be happy to answer questions here or via PM
My brother, his family and his in-laws were in Turkey this past summer as tourists, and I know that they enjoyed it. I don't know about Turkish, but I did once try to teach myself Mandarin. Learning languages, as an adult, is hard, period. But yes, learning languages that have no relationship to a language you already know is even more difficult. But being able to communicate with people in their own language can be very rewarding. So good luck, and don't work too hard.
Luckily I'm not old yet But honestly, Turkey is so different from what I instinctively expected, damn stereotypes I've been to Turkey on vacation and I have some Turkish friends, and still I kind of expected third world with ramshackle houses and bearded people living only on garlic and yoghurt. Suffice to say, it's not really like that. Many things are quite a lot more expensive than in Germany actually, the schools are often nicer, public transport is pretty great and many people could pass as Europeans/Germans easily. I only notice that I'm not actually in Europe when I'm nearly run over by a car, which happens about ten times each day. Nobody tries to sell me carpets, most people aren't actually trying to scam me and my female flatmates haven't yet been called out for revealing too much skin. I really, really like this country
Stereotypes do tend to persist despite all else. I think anyone who has the opportunity or means of seeing the world, ought to give it a try, because it can broaden your mind, and change your outlook. I traveled a lot when I was younger, mostly around the U.S., and Canada, but also Europe, Mexico and Taiwan (which was why I was learning Mandarin). The trip to Taiwan was really to visit future family (my brother's in-laws), but I did get to travel a bit, even spend some time on my own, and there's nothing that can make you feel more like a stranger in a strange land than to walk the streets of a city where you can't even understand the road signs. I remember spending some time by myself, and the only people I met all day who could speak English were a couple of young carjackers who apologized to me because they thought I owned the car they were about to steal. Nicest criminals I've ever met in my life lol. But if you travel, you'll meet all kinds of people, good and bad.
Stereotypes are like rumors. As such they can only be dispelled by first hand knowledge. And many people you see every day are likely criminals. This world has too many laws and rules and such nonsense. I know a man who worked in the medical industry. Since he is trained in basic first aid. he is legally required to help if he stumbles upon a person who is injured. He is now a "Criminal" because he did that and could not afford a competent attorney when the Police decided he was "Aiding and Abetting" a wanted felon with a gunshot wound. He cannot work in the medical industry legally now since he is a "Criminal". And not to derail the thread, but politicians who could help will not because they could be said to be "Soft on Crime" by their rivals. In fact, I doubt there is a Human alive in any part of the world that never committed a crime. /derail off
Look up the phrase "Cognitive Dissonance" -- it refers to a known psychological phenomenon where when facts contradict a person's world view, that world view takes precedence. In other words, strong feelings take precedence over reality. In fact, some experiments have shown that when a person holds a strong belief, that evidence to the contrary actually can serve to strengthen and reinforce that belief. That's why people continue to believe in all sorts of strange things, because if there is evidence to the contrary, then clearly there is a conspiracy to cover up the truth. So really, the most effective way to fight stereotypes is in the young, because there's actually a lot of truth to the old statement about some people being 'stuck in their ways'.
