This weekend, all the FEBA groups in Ankara met up to visit
the Ataturk Mausoleum. Everyone in Turkey has a deep reverence for Ataturk as
the hero that freed them from the Ottoman Empire. Coming to to Turkey with very
little background knowledge, I felt that this museum has given me the most
information about Turkey. Afterwards we went to a park to walk around and have
dinner. Unfortunately, the riots occurring in Ankara stopped us from exploring
more of the city that day.
On Wednesday, we went with a research assistant to the
Estergon Kalesi Turk Kultur Merkezi Etnografya Muzesi Castle. It had beautiful
blue tiles and designs throughout the building. On the upper level, there was
an ethnography museum of Turkey. IT
showed the living situations and ceremonies common to the Turkish culture. We
were able to climb the turrets of the castle, giving us a breathtaking view of
Ankara.
To introduce us to Turkish tradition, the girls in our
medical group were invited to a henna party. This celebration is for a bride
before her wedding. There is tons of food, and dancing. At the end of the
party, the bride to be sits in the middle of the circle with a red scarf draped
over there head. The girls attending hold candles and dance and sing in a
circle around the bride. Then the mother in law is suppose to give the bride a
piece of gold so she will open her hand so they would be able to give her a
henna dot in the middle of her hand.
On the last day of our internship, we went to the Turk Ozal
Medical School for the last time. We a special lecturer from a different
university in Ankara came to give us a biochemistry lecture on free radicals.
Later, our group of students, the professors, doctors and dean sat down to have
dinner together. Following, we had a small graduation ceremony to celebrate the
completion of the internship.
On Saturday, we had a free day. Our medical group met up
with some of the medical students of Turgut Ozal. We went to one of the largest
parks in Ankara. We all split up, going to do paddle boating, go-carting or
just playing basketball or volleyball. Unfortunately, the weather turned foul
fast and we all had to make a mad dash for the bus stop.
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