Americas Adventure: “Egemenlik kayitsiz sartsiz milletin”

Today I had the best day yet in Turkey. It was one of those days that you keep snapping out of and thinking “Is this really happening?”. However, I kept thinking “Is this really happening to me? Evie Stannard? The clumsiest, most ineloquent, un-academic (is un-academic a word?) individual you would ever meet?” They answer to this question was Evet. Yes. It was happening, and I’m so lucky that it was.

Although my day started with a very stressful dolmus ride (It was my first time to travel in Ankara rush hour. Not fun, I tell ya. Do not wanna do that again) I finally arrived in Kizalay, with very frizzy hair and panting rather animialistically. I need not to worry however, as Semra, my Turkish mother and the woman that was able to give me such a fantastic opportunity (she is the director of law in the grand assembly. She sits with the speaker to maintain lawful partiality within the assembly. She doesn’t need to show her pass anywhere within the parliament because she’s so important. She is also a babe.) was still waiting for me. We strolled towards parliament, ducking into a jewellery shop where she bought me a gorgeous necklace for my birthday. Afterwards, we continued and arrived at the parliament.

I was an honourary member of the “English Speaking Club” which consisted of 5 members including Semra. They meet weekly to read political passages in order to improve their English. At said club, was two commissioners of human rights, a political computer hacker (I think?) and a social research assistant. I got talking to the commissioner of human rights and we exchanged emails – he has invited me to come to any of his meetings and to talk to him at any point. The best way to describe this, is a politics students wet dream.
We then joined Semras friend for cay. Semra and her were chatting and she picked up a document from her desk, shouted Suriye Suriye Suriye (Syria in Turkish) and quite forcefully put the paper down. Exciting. I had no idea what she was saying -but still, exciting.
Apres ca, Semra showed me the grand national assembly, which is a beautiful building, we were allowed to go inside and it was very surreal to see the room which I have seen on the news a lot fairly recently in person. Gobsmacked. Following this we strolled round the MP’s buildings and through the gardens, and visited the ottoman pottery store.

Incredible, surreal and amazing day. I am a lucky panda.

P.s, I had my Turkish coffee fortune read last night. It was very strange. Semra read that my life was divided, and one may be at times weaker than the other. She said on one side of the cup, there was a woman alone. But she was strong, and she had a torch in her hand. Every time this torch went out she relit it, which meant her paths of life were always open and clear. On the other side, were two figures alone in a box (she suggested this may be me and my boyfriend, who clearly loved each other very much) She said that there was an angel looking over us, and that although things may be hard, the angel will protect us and our love (AWWWWWWWWWWW) Then came the weirdest bit, she pointed to a smudge on the side of the mug and said, that this my flight back to England. This was connecting my two lives. And then, she said “hmmmm… something about a festival? … a music festival maybe?” GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL. I BOUGHT MY TICKET ON SUNDAY. SHE WOULD HAVE HAD NO IDEA. SHE HAD NEVER EVEN HEARD OF IT. TURKEY IS MAGIC.