My name is Amy, I live in Baltimore City, and I work at Johns Hopkins. I attended an intermediate Turkish class at MARTI to improve my reading and writing.

Here is the questions:

I taught English for two years in Turkey and I learned to speak the language there.

2- What was your thoughts about Turkey and Turkish people before visiting Turkey?

I had an open mind with not many preconceived ideas. The only major misunderstanding I had before going (that I can remember) is that I thought women would not go out at night in Istanbul. I also didn't think Turkey was going to be dangerous, but I was surprised at just how safe it was to walk home very late at night in Istanbul. It's a very safe city in most parts.

3- Could you tell us the place you liked the best in Turkey?

I like a lot of places. I lived in Kadikoy for a while. Bahariye Caddesi in Kadikoy and Istiklaal Caddesi in Taksim/Beyoglu are probably my favorite parts of Istanbul. Kirkpinar in Kocaeli is quite beautiful, and the regions around the dams in Izmit. But if there was a place I could spend a long time in it would be Mardin in Eastern Turkey.

4- Could you tell us one of the memories that you'll never forget in Turkey?

There are too many! All the weddings I went to, all the food I ate... But one of the most important memories, although a sad one, was when I was just starting to be able to really understand Turkish and could understand the stories of earthquake survivors in Golcuk. It was the year anniversary of the 1999 earthquake and I was in Golcuk. A friend of mine there walked me
around town and showed me where her building had been. I will never forget that.

5- What do you think about Turkish Classes at MARTI? How do they contribute to your Turkish level?

My reading skills have really improved after taking the class. There is a noticeable difference when I read books and things online. I understand a lot of of the grammar than I did before because my teacher was very good at explaining it.

6- Do you have any message for our members? (Interview was in english. She answered this question in turkish.)

Benim MARTI'yi bulmami cok guzel oldu. Zaten her an Turklerle gecirmek seviyorum. Bu guzel dernegi kurdunuzu sasirmiyorum cunku siz cok sicak bir halksiniz ve elleriniz yabancilara her zaman aciktir. Tesekkur ederim.

(It was very good to find MARTI. I like spending time with Turkish people everytime. It's not surprising that you established such a beautiful association because you are so sincere and generous to strangers. Thank you.)