{"id":8802,"date":"2025-05-12T11:03:11","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T08:03:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/?p=8802"},"modified":"2025-05-13T10:17:31","modified_gmt":"2025-05-13T07:17:31","slug":"the-international-chronicles-65","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/?p=8802","title":{"rendered":"The International Chronicles"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Name:<\/strong> Sagda Elfadil Hassan Abdelhalim
Department:<\/strong> GRA\/IV
Country of Origin:<\/strong> Sudan
What were your first impressions about T\u00fcrkiye?<\/strong>
I had my first impressions of T\u00fcrkiye on registration day in 2021. I got off a flight and headed directly to Bilkent. On the way, I enjoyed the cool breeze, as it was a welcome change from the dry hot air I\u2019m used to back home in Riyadh. I also got a very nice impression from the general public. Despite not knowing the language, the staff were nice and very accommodating. It was the first glimpse at Turkish hospitality for me, with more to come.
What do you like best about Bilkent and T\u00fcrkiye?<\/strong>
The convenience of the campus and the country itself. I loved living on campus, where everything I need is a short walk away; off-campus, public transport has made my time here much easier.
Are there any similarities between T\u00fcrkiye and your home country?<\/strong>
Sudan and T\u00fcrkiye both have family-centred cultures and hospitality. Also, they have similar artistic scenes, focusing on textile art, as shown in Sudanese tobes and Turkish carpets, for example; relatedly, these textiles can be bought in a lively \u201csuq\u201d or \u201cpazar.\u201d Sudan and T\u00fcrkiye also have rich literary histories.
What will you miss most about Bilkent\/T\u00fcrkiye?<\/strong>
I will definitely miss everyone I\u2019ve met so far. Once again, I will miss the ease of transport. I will also miss the availability of \u201cthird places,\u201d shown in the abundance of caf\u00e9s and parks here. Lastly, I will most definitely miss the weather.
What\u2019s your favorite place on campus, and why?<\/strong>
There\u2019s a picnic bench in front of Meteksan. I enjoy solitude, and it\u2019s a quiet place that I grew attached to in my first year.
What\u2019s your favorite Turkish food and why?<\/strong>
I love creamy desserts, so I really like f\u0131r\u0131nda s\u00fctla\u00e7.
Where do you expect to see yourself 10 years from now?<\/strong>
I don\u2019t have set plans for the future at the moment. But I really hope that, in 10 years, I will be working an honest job in the illustration field that would direct me to opening a studio of some sorts. I also hope to have a family of my own by that time.
What\u2019s one thing you learned from Turkish culture?<\/strong>
Turkish culture has rich literary roots. Storytelling is a part of everyday speech, and I\u2019ve been told idioms are even used casually; my favourite has been \u201cKedi buradaysa, ci\u011fer nerede?\u201d mainly for how funny it is. Their deep respect for literature has inspired me to learn more Arabic idioms and read more literature in both English and Arabic.
What places have you visited in T\u00fcrkiye, and which one is your favorite?<\/strong>
Besides Ankara, I\u2019ve been to \u0130stanbul and Eski\u015fehir. I love Eski\u015fehir\u2019s charm. I wish to visit more Turkish cities in the future.
What\u2019s an interesting question or comment you hear frequently at Bilkent\/in T\u00fcrkiye?<\/strong>
I\u2019m often told that I don\u2019t look like my ethnicity: I\u2019ve gotten French, English and even Indian. I like hearing where people think I\u2019m from, it\u2019s fun!
Describe yourself in three words.<\/strong>
Creative, nostalgic, cheerful.
How is the studying experience at Bilkent?<\/strong>
At first, it does feel isolating, as sometimes you have no time to socialize because of the workload; however, once you find a rhythm and a balance between the social and work aspects, it becomes a fun and rewarding experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Name: Sagda Elfadil Hassan AbdelhalimDepartment: GRA\/IVCountry of Origin: SudanWhat were your first impressions about T\u00fcrkiye?I had my first impressions of T\u00fcrkiye on registration day in 2021. I got off a flight and headed directly to Bilkent. On the way, I enjoyed the cool breeze, as it was a welcome change[Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8804,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[192,83,164],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8802"}],"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=8802"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8802\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8803,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8802\/revisions\/8803"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8802"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8802"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bilkentnews.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8802"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}