BY YAREN SAĞLIK (TRIN/III)
Name: Assel Amirzhanova
Department: Chemistry
Country of Origin: Kazakhstan
What do you like best about Turkey?
The mild climate and the kind people.
Are there any similarities between Turkey and your home country?
The Kazakh language is similar to Turkish.
What will you miss most about Bilkent/Turkey?
Bilkent: My department and my classmates.
Turkey: The opportunity to visit İstanbul every holiday.
What’s your favorite place on campus, and why?
There’s a small gazebo on Middle Campus. The city looks beautiful from there at night.
What’s your favorite Turkish food and/or favorite part of Turkish culture?
Turkish cuisine is generally awesome, but my favorites are kıymalı patatesli kaşarlı pide and künefe. I’m not sure if it’s the culture or just that Turkish people are super-kind human beings, but hearing phrases like “kolay gelsin,” “iyi akşamlar,” “iyi günler,” etc. makes me feel good.
Where do you expect to see yourself 10 years from now?
Well, I don’t really like to plan that far ahead, so we’ll see.
What’s the hardest challenge you’ve handled in Turkey?
The language barrier. Not being able to communicate outside of campus made me feel terrible. Almost three years have passed, but I’m still anxious about my Turkish.
What places have you visited in Turkey, and which one is your favorite?
İstanbul, Bodrum, Antalya, Çeşme, Aliağa and Balıkesir. So far, the most impressive ones are Çeşme and İstanbul.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I haven’t discovered my talents yet.
What’s an interesting question or comment you hear frequently about Bilkent/Turkey?
Bilkent is the best private university in Turkey.