Who am I??

There are no such things in life as coincidences or innocent events. Even if we try to avoid entering some doors, we will end up in the same, initially rejected rooms, embraced by our destinies. The foggy fate is watching our steps and directing them towards the accomplishment of the purposes of our lives. Which is the purpose of my life? What is my mission? I don’t know yet. But I know where I should look for it. In the bazaar… It’s not an option, it’s a fact.

I have been unconsciously attracted to the so-called Orient since my early years. My favourite cartoons were “Aladdin and the Magic Lamp”. Furthermore, in the 5th grade my “most successful” descriptive essay, published in the school’s newspaper, was depicting olive trees, dunes, oasis, mosques, spicy fragrances and endless summers, inspired by the “1001 Arabian Nights”. My fascination has never faded away… Long after, it burst into my life by mistake, a fortunate mistake. Even though I dreamt to become a psychologist, I ended up (still don’t know how) studying international relations. In my second year of university I participated in the European Parliament Simulation, working on the issue of human rights violation in Iran. That was the moment when I became aware of the stereotypical representation of the Muslim societies and decided to write my Bachelor thesis about westernization and orientalism, trying to debunk some Western myths related to the majority Muslim countries and to Islamic culture. Turkey was one of the case studies of my thesis, and a year after it turned into my temporary home, as I was undertaking an internship in Turkey.

Who am I? I’m a Romanian citizen, studying in Italy about Turkish politics… determined to learn Turkish and to understand Turkish realities. I’ve created this blog in order to motivate my “inner Turk” with sugar and words. With lokum (Turkish delight) and Turkish language. Why Turkish Delight Bazaar? Because this blog is a bazaar, where you can find diverse posts related to Turkey, from Turkish language lessons, issues, study materials, short translations  to cultural “sweets”, curiosities, facts, news… Because I’m delighted to learn Turkish and about Turkey… Because I love Turkish delight, and even more, a few years ago a very kind Turkish woman called me lokum.

Before starting, I must add that I’m neither a Turkish teacher nor an expert in linguistic, consequently this is not a professional language blog… I’m still learning Turkish and I intend to transform this blog into a personalized learning tool. Therefore, Turkish Delight Bazaar will provide you learning methods sweetened with cultural Turkish lokum. Learning and sharing. Learning and enjoying. Learning and delight. Turkish delight. A colorful bazaar with countless types of Turkish delights.