While in Turkey, I didn't really have an opportunity to talk much about the school visit but it was one of the highlights of my trip. It was special because we were commemorating the strong friendship between Turkish and Australian people, which was forged during and after the Gallipoli campaign.
We spent most of the day playing sports such as volleyball, basketball and AFL outside, but we also had the opportunity to explore the school grounds and dance in the classrooms. It was nice to finally meet the people we had been chatting to over email and getting to know their local community and lifestyle. My penpal Ilayda was so lovely and friendly, and putting the language barrier aside, we have become great friends.
The school held a beautiful commemorative ceremony to remember the Gallipoli campaign from both an Australian and Turkish perspective. The Turkish people lost so many more lives during this campaign than all of the other Allied forces combined, so it was nice to acknowledge both countries even though 100 years ago they were enemies.
After the school visit, we went out for lunch along the water and then returned to Kesan to prepare for the ANZAC Day Dawn Service. We had a quick briefing, packed our bags, ate dinner and pretty much left immediately after that for the Gallipoli Peninsula. That was only the beginning of the exhausting 30 or so hours to come...
We spent most of the day playing sports such as volleyball, basketball and AFL outside, but we also had the opportunity to explore the school grounds and dance in the classrooms. It was nice to finally meet the people we had been chatting to over email and getting to know their local community and lifestyle. My penpal Ilayda was so lovely and friendly, and putting the language barrier aside, we have become great friends.
The school held a beautiful commemorative ceremony to remember the Gallipoli campaign from both an Australian and Turkish perspective. The Turkish people lost so many more lives during this campaign than all of the other Allied forces combined, so it was nice to acknowledge both countries even though 100 years ago they were enemies.
After the school visit, we went out for lunch along the water and then returned to Kesan to prepare for the ANZAC Day Dawn Service. We had a quick briefing, packed our bags, ate dinner and pretty much left immediately after that for the Gallipoli Peninsula. That was only the beginning of the exhausting 30 or so hours to come...