BY MAH\u0130R HASSAN M\u0130AN (ECON\/III) <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Name:<\/strong> Leman El Aydin <\/p>\n\n\n\n Department:<\/strong> Molecular Biology and Genetics <\/p>\n\n\n\n Country of Origin:<\/strong> The Netherlands <\/p>\n\n\n\n What were your first impressions about T\u00fcrkiye? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Since I was born, I\u2019ve been coming to Turkey every year, and my impression has always been the same: incredibly hospitable people, delicious food and beautiful landscapes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What do you like best about Bilkent and T\u00fcrkiye? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I love how Bilkent feels like its own little village with cats everywhere you go. Back home, we don\u2019t have proper campuses, just scattered faculties all over the city, so being here, where everything is in one place, feels different but in a really nice way. And in T\u00fcrkiye overall? The food, the culture and how you can go from historical ruins to stunning beaches in the same weekend, it\u2019s unbeatable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Are there any similarities between T\u00fcrkiye and your home country? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Both countries have a deep love for bikes. In the Netherlands, we ride them everywhere, while in T\u00fcrkiye, they mostly show up in seaside towns for Instagram pictures. Also, both cultures value hospitality. But while Dutch hospitality means offering you coffee, Turkish hospitality means offering you coffee, tea, baklava and possibly a three-course meal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What will you miss most about Bilkent\/T\u00fcrkiye? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The fact that everything on campus is within walking distance is a game-changer! Also, the food; Turkish cuisine is comfort food at its finest. Lastly, I\u2019ll definitely miss the cats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s your favorite place on campus, and why? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019d have to say where I grab lunch every Thursday with C\u00e9cile, J, Nahia and Nuria at S\u00f6zeri B\u00fcfe. They have free tea, which is already a win, but the highlight? The ketchup. Yes, the ketchup deserves its own shout-out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s your favorite Turkish food and why? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It depends on where I am and the season. In Bursa, it\u2019s definitely \u0130skender. During the summer, I can eat fish every single day. But my ultimate comfort food is lahmacun with salad rolled up inside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Where do you expect to see yourself 10 years from now? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Hopefully, in a hospital or clinical setting, doing my own research as well as surgeries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s one thing you learned from Turkish culture? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sharing meals. In T\u00fcrkiye, food is never just about eating; it\u2019s about connection, family and friendship. I\u2019ve also learned to slow down and appreciate the moment, especially during Turkish tea or Turkish coffee breaks. You can\u2019t rush those, they\u2019re practically sacred. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What places have you visited in T\u00fcrkiye, and which one is your favorite? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve been to \u0130stanbul, Bursa, Ayval\u0131k, \u00c7e\u015fme, Ku\u015fadas\u0131, Marmaris, Ka\u015f, Antalya, Kapadokya, Kars and, of course, Ankara. My favorite? I would have to say Ayval\u0131k, Kapadokya and \u0130stanbul. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s an interesting question or comment you hear frequently at Bilkent\/in T\u00fcrkiye? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n One question I\u2019ve heard a lot is, \u201cDid you pack enough for all four seasons?\u201d Ankara\u2019s weather has a reputation for being unpredictable, and honestly, it lives up to the hype. One day it\u2019s sunny, and the next, you\u2019re digging out your winter coat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Describe yourself in three words. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Optimistic, balanced, spontaneous. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How is the studying experience at Bilkent? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s going great! The midterms and quizzes definitely keep me on my toes, but the quality of education, supportive professors and the campus vibe make it all worth it. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" BY MAH\u0130R HASSAN M\u0130AN (ECON\/III) Name: Leman El Aydin Department: Molecular Biology and Genetics Country of Origin: The Netherlands What were your first impressions about T\u00fcrkiye? Since I was born, I\u2019ve been coming to Turkey every year, and my impression has always been the same: incredibly hospitable people, delicious food[Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7853,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[176,83,164],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7852"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7852"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7852\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7873,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7852\/revisions\/7873"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}