Today, Dr. Mirzeler came into our class today to introduce the book Memed, My Hawk to us. He started by explaining to us his youth then related his experiences back to the novel. I was surprised by the beauty of Turkey that Dr. Mirzeler showed us in his pictures. He showed us all different types of landscapes in this country; I loved all the medieval castles the most. I assumed, like most Americans, that the Middle East was all desert with no other descriptive landscape. In reality, there are mountains, valleys, deserts, swamps, and everything in between. He discussed the Turkish culture being based primarily on agriculture and how Roman/Greek remnants are still around from previous occupation. Even though this occupation was hundreds of years ago. Dr. Mirzeler told us of a bridge that was built and how no one can seem to figure out how. The current was so strong, and the bridge itself is very secure, despite being over 2000 years old. He also discussed honor killings, and how men are never involved in being killed, but Dr. Mirzeler himself would have been a victim of the cycle of violence had it not been for the quick thinking of his mother and other family members. I was dumbfounded by this, we see it on television or hear about it...but never really experienced it. I couldn't it is unthinkable, imaging have to make a decision like that. To harm one of my family members is not even worth considering to me. I read the short stories on Sunday and found them getting progressively more difficult to understand. "World for Sale" was the most understandable for me, but the man seems to have a very depressing life. To lose not only your wife, but your child as well and another family member on top of that would be unbearable. But it seemed as if the man had a disconnect with reality. There was not a lot of emotion, maybe because he was so numb from all the pain he couldn't feel anything anymore. I think what he wanted to do with the money was profound as well..."So this kind-faced, unkempt man sitting in the corner of the coffeehouse is the man who wanted to buy the world." Everything was taken away from him, so he wanted to buy the world to make up for everything he couldn't have. The next two stories we more difficult for me to understand. It wasn't that they were hard to read, more that the subject matter was difficult to grasp. I'm hoping that we discuss them in class tomorrow to have a better idea of their meaning.
I really enjoyed Dr. Mirzeler coming to talk to our class as well. At the end, I couldn't think of any questions because I was just amazed by his story!
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