BY EHSAN SHAREEF (CTIS/II)
Name: Klaudie Lýsková
Department: Psychology
Country of Origin: Czech Republic
University: Masaryk University
What were your first impressions about Türkiye?
Honestly? My very first thought was: “This country is huge.” I mean, I knew that on paper, but nothing prepares you for actually feeling it. We were on the bus from the airport, and the landscape just kept going and going. It was so unlike anything back home in the Czech Republic. Suddenly you pass through these areas that look really rough around the edges, and just minutes later you’re staring at this glittering skyline that looks like a mini Manhattan. That contrast hit me fast.
What do you like best about Bilkent and Türkiye?
The people, without a doubt. There’s an openness here that you don’t always find back home. People talk to you, invite you in, share things with you. It’s warm in a way that catches you off guard. Then there’s the swimming pool, I genuinely love it. Bilkent also gives you so many non-study related opportunities; I love the student clubs and the fact that everyone is welcome.
Are there any similarities between Türkiye and your home country?
Not many, but what caught my eye is that the younger generation here has a very similar mindset to young people in the Czech Republic, the same energy, the same restlessness: wanting more out of life. And then there’s the coffee culture. Turkish coffee is serious business, and back home we have our own love affair with strong coffee that leaves your teeth dirty, so that felt familiar right away. And we of course have kebab, which is not the same as here, but the idea clearly crossed borders long before I did.
What will you miss most about Bilkent and Türkiye?
The people, absolutely. I’ve built connections here that feel surprisingly deep for such a short time. I’ll also miss my little rituals, the small, ordinary things that make the day a bit better: the walk to the pool, the coffee, the rhythm of campus life. University life itself is on a completely different scale here.
What’s your favorite place on campus, and why?
The swimming pool, hands down. I know it sounds like a strange answer, but it really became a ritual for me. There’s something about it; you go, you swim, you come out and the whole day resets. It’s my therapy, my excuse to not think about anything else. I do not have to rush, I can just let the time fly. I’m going to miss that pool.
What’s your favorite Turkish food and why?
Baklava. Honestly, any Turkish dessert, I’m not picky when it comes to sweets. But baklava holds a special place, and I totally understand why an entire culture is proud of it. I tried making peace with the fact that I’ll never find the same thing back home. I haven’t succeeded yet.
Where do you expect to see yourself 10 years from now?
I hate this question, and I mean that genuinely, not just as a clever answer. I don’t want to go big with it. I don’t want to say, “I want to be happy,” because happy feels like this vague, floating thing that you never actually reach. I want to be satisfied. That’s different. Satisfied means you look at your life and you’ve actually done the things.
I don’t want regrets; I don’t want the feeling of having missed something because I played it safe. I don’t want to have settled down with a house and a child, that’s just not the movie I’m making. I want to have seen as much as I can see. I want it to feel like something. If I’m alive in ten years, I want to feel like nothing was missed.
What’s one thing you learned from Turkish culture?
The biggest cliché answer is “slow down,” but it’s true. There’s a pace here that I had to learn. Not laziness, just a different relationship with time. Then there’s the hospitality, which is unlike anything I’d encountered before. People here will offer you tea before they even know your name. And then, and I say this with full respect, the smoking culture.
What places have you visited in Türkiye, and which one is your favorite?
I’ve been to the Black Sea region, İstanbul, Cappadocia, Eskişehir, Pamukkale, the Antalya coast and Cyprus. I know, I know—I was busy. But if I had to pick one, it’s Olympos. It’s this ancient city buried inside a forest right next to the sea, and there’s a feeling there that is hard to describe. The vibes, as they say. It reminds me of the American west coast in some way, the freedom you feel when looking into the sea from the mountains. Some places just hold something in the air.
What’s an interesting question or comment you hear frequently at Bilkent/in Türkiye?
There are a few classics. Number one: “Çakmak var mı?” which means “Do you have a lighter?” I heard that so many times I could probably say it in my sleep. Number two: “Are you Russian?” I am very much not Russian, but apparently light hair and Eastern European is enough. And number three, my personal favorite: someone names a football player and asks if I know him. Every single time. I’ve started just saying yes.
Describe yourself in three words.
Honest, impulsive, alive.
How is the studying experience at Bilkent?
It feels a bit like high school. You actually go to class, because it is mandatory, and the weekly assignments keep coming. There’s a structure and a rhythm that expects you to show up and stay on top of things, which is different from the more independent study culture I’m used to at Masaryk. But it’s also genuinely challenging, which I respect. It keeps you engaged whether you like it or not.
