American Field Service Exchange Program - Overseaer Yearbook (New York, NY)

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We arrived at the airport near Istanbul 56 strong, glad to be there, but not knowing what to expect. Hardly had the wheels of our plane touched the ground when we were thrilled by the sight of throngs of Turks who had come to see us. This was to be only a hint of what was to come in our summer with one of the friendliest peoples in the world. We were greeted at the door by one who was to help us greatly all summer, Gonul Sipahi, secretary of the AFS in Turkey. The majority of us met our families at the airport, the rest waited to start a trip to Ankara, Ismir, and other parts of the country. Naturally we were soon interested in Turkish food. We are sure that eggplant can be prepared in more than 1000 ways. Rice proved to be a rare delicacy, and everyone was proud of the shish kebab. Fruit was a welcome part of every meal. Almost all of us admitted that the food was very good. All praised the wonderful pastries, especially the baklivar. Every one of us was impressed by the contrasts of Turkey. The modern build- ings stand beside ancient fortresses. The almost American life in Istanbul com- pared to the more Eastern life in the South, the crowds of the city and the slow quaint life in the villages, all these stood out in our minds. This land of two continents is one of great beauty. In the city numerous mos- ques seem all alike, but different somehow. The skyline is filled with minarets en- compassed by quaint scaffolds. Beautiful palaces and fortresses, only a few in ruins, will remain awesome in our minds forever. Can anyone forget Aya Sophia, the Palace of Dolmabahce, or the Blue Mosque of Sultan Ahmet? Even the Galata Bridge over the Golden Horn seems to possess some beauty. The biggest and happiest part of our trip was learning of the people of Turkey. Not only our families, but all our Turkish friends, just could not do enough for us. They were all warm, friendly, and sociable. Everyone had his own wild ex- periences to testify to the sociability of the Turks. We found that even the pres- ence of Russia could not mar the beauty of the Black Sea, but the rocks in it are quite rough. The Sea or Marmara is a romantic blue, and jamaica Farewell seems to be the song of those who really appreciate it. Away from the water, the men on donkeys, the crowded trams, and the crazy dolmus drivers all were an important part to us of Turkish Fraternity. As we gathered at the airport to leave, our attachment for our families was felt by all. As we sadly left our friends and happily began the trip home, we were again hailed by a mob of Turks, this time all our friends. Our trip wasn't over yet, however, there were 17 hours in Athens, doing nothing, and 800 pounds of baggage left there after the bags had lost weight after we ate all our food. Then there was Shannon, and money flying. Next was Gander- America at last! After 98 milkshakes from three machines, we left for New York. Tired, wondering about our luggage, and home at last, we all are glad to be back.

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An AFS get-together in the ruins near a Turkish village. POLLY ALEXANDER Phoenix, Arizona JOSEPH BERNHEIM White Plains, New York SALLY BONACKER Brecksville, Ohio ROBERTA BRAHM Ontario, California DAN BRASFIELD Tupelo, Mississippi BARBARA BRINK Stillwater, Minnesota MARY BUCHNER Baltimore, Maryland KIT BURNET Minneapolis, Minnesota REID CALHOUN Seaford, Delaware