Aegean Pearls: My Life in Izmir

Since arriving in Turkey, I've known I wanted to hike. It's been hard to do: temperatures have been in the mid-30s most days since I arrived at the beginning of August (it is now mid-September). But I really want to see this country and experience it, and hiking is the best way to do both. My third week in country I found the article " The Most Beautiful Hiking Routes in Izmir ," and I've taken it as a personal challenge. Over the Victory Day (August 30) weekend, I chose the trip to the Ionian city of Teos. To get to this ancient city, I hopped on a bus at a stop around the corner from my house. It was a three hour bus ride with two transfers. It was totally worth it. I was in such a hurry to see an ancient city -- I prefer the term, "lost city," because I am an Indiana Jones fan, but the fact is that the site is open to all-comers -- that I got off the bus one stop too soon.  I quickly found a path into the site via the "back way." As I follow...

The first week of school we went over procedures with the kids. One procedure that caught my attention was the Earthquake Drill. We have to be ready for earthquakes here. The ground often shakes. Here's what we do: a siren sounds for 30 seconds. When it sounds, we duck under our desks and protect our heads. When the siren stops, I lead the class out the front door to the edge of campus and follow a wall to a parking lot, where we wait for ... aftershocks, clearance for return, I haven't figured this out yet. I have experienced one earthquake already, the week before school started. It wasn't much. The building shook for about 15 seconds, and my swivel chair kept moving around under me. But I wasn't knocked around or anything. I saw the tweet below this week. For me, it combines fascination and fear. I'm fascinated by the history and art that has shook this landscape for thousands of years. People moving in and out, empires rising and falling, and art that is anc...

Next to the coin collection, this "Statue of a Running Athlete" is the highlight of Izmir's archaeological museum. This statue, which dates to around 50 BCE, was fished out of the sea near a village close to here. I'm not sure if my poem adds to its beauty, but I wanted to capture it in words. He runs--bronze athlete-- Laurel-crowned, eyes focused on the Finish line. He runs, His arms lifted not In victory, but outward, Reaching. One more goal! Why does he run, still? Fixed in bronze, his laurel won. Why does he sprint, still, Towards some eternal finish? He runs. Still, he runs. And I, when I have Stumbled far from finishing-- Dry dust in my mouth, Nettles for a crown-- Will think of this bronze runner Frozen in a moment Of glory and I Will get up and keep     On          Running!

After church today, I resolved to beat the heat and go to a museum. My target: the İzmir Archeological Museum , just south of the bazaar in the Konak district. My friend, Jen, had told me about a slogan she had seen: "Turkey, it's the world's largest museum." It's true. At any given place where I might stand, especially at an important harbor like Izmir, I may have seven millenia of history at my feet! I quickly learned, upon entering the gallery that ancient history is a pretty broad topic to examine. When we think of Ancient Rome, we think of a specific civilization that endured for 500 years. Ancient Greece casts our minds to Socrates and Alexander. But Ancient Turkey? There is really no one thing.  I don't want to go into much detail here. I have years of living in and exploring this fascinating country ahead of me. So I have plenty of time to figure it out for myself. I'll just write that before the Greek civilizations, known as Ionians and Aeolians, ...