BY NAUSHERWAN AZIZ (MAN/III)
Name: Dovletgeldy Gurbandurdyyev
Department: ARCH/II
Country of Origin: Turkmenistan
What do you like best about Turkey?
For sure the food, because eating is one of my most favorite things. The climate is quite good too.
Are there any similarities between Turkey and your home country?
Our languages have some similarities, but in a “Turkmen people understand Turkish, but not vice versa” way.
What will you miss most about Bilkent/Turkey?
I’ll miss the activities that take place almost every day, but more than that I’ll miss spending time with my friends in those activities.
What’s your favorite place on campus, and why?
I like the Spring Fest area and the area in front of Bilka, because those places are really good for chilling and forgetting about everything else for a while.
What’s your favorite Turkish food and/or favorite part of Turkish culture?
I like all of the fast foods because I’m a meat lover, but my favorite is pide.
Where do you expect to see yourself 10 years from now?
Having my own company, and owning a house near the lakeside where I can go whenever I want to forget about the outside world.
What’s the hardest challenge you’ve handled in Turkey?
My stay in Turkey has been smooth from the very beginning, although sometimes small problems have come up. The biggest challenge for me was getting used to speaking in Turkish, which I’m still struggling with a bit.
What cities have you visited in Turkey, and which one is your favorite?
I haven’t able to travel a lot, and so I’ve only visited Istanbul. I’m positive that I’ll make up for that year without travel.
Do you have any hidden talents?
My talent, which fits really well with my love of food, is cooking. I don’t have many recipes in my arsenal and I don’t cook very often, but when I do, I make it memorable.
What’s an interesting question or comment you hear frequently about Bilkent/Turkey?
The most common thing I hear is “kolay gelsin” whenever I tell somebody that my department is Architecture.
Describe yourself in three words.
Optimistic, funny, adrenalin-addicted.
If you could master any skill, which one would you choose?
Parkour, because I’m a little bit of an adrenalin junkie.