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Sweetness of Getting Old
Without taking into account graduate students, as a senior, I am one of the oldest of Bilkenters. I can sense this so strongly given that the number of faces I am familiar with is decreasing exponentially, and it is definitely annoying! The reason for having this topic in my mind, and complaining about it, is the old style, or should I say "vintage", calendars that I found in my home. I know this will sound a bit complicated, and I haven't found the exact connection, at least for now. But, here I will give it a shot:
When I found this "brand new" calendar…Oops, I should first explain why I would call an "ancient" calendar "brand new." The answer is quite simple, just like me, my parents don't like those square-shaped, black & white, "today's menu" and suggested names for newborn boys and girls for any particular day (how cool!) calendars. Here rises a question: if we don't like it, how did we get it? I really don't have a clue, and neither do my parents. As an investigate reporter, I asked them about this 22 year old calendar and, interestingly enough, they could not remember.
So, another question: If nobody likes such a thing at home, why has it been kept for years? I wanted to link this with a famous cliché: parents just keep things for its own sake. If it was a 1986 calendar, I could understand, since that was my birth year. But I can't see any connection or special occasion related to 1987. Anyway, I grabbed the calendar and flipped through the pages until I reached my birthday to see whether the suggested name was the same as mine. If it would be, I would smile and treat it as a miracle! Well, to me, human beings are much more complicated in terms of psychology rather than physiology. If anyone can follow this chaotic article without moving back and forward, please let me know then I can present you with a medal of brilliance.
Now, when we come back to the first point from earlier (those of you who go to the top of the page just lost the medal now), I mentioned this calendar while chatting with my friends. One of them, who I had recently met, said he did not know about them! Maybe you aren't as shocked as I was, but the thing is, here is a generation who doesn't know what these calendars even look like. Whether they are liked or disliked, they are a symbol of those old times. He also didn't know anything about our popular genius space-creature, Alf! This is the reason why I don't see familiar faces around me, and why I dislike this situation; it reminds me of the "sweetest" (please note the sarcasm) thing in the world: getting old!
What I really wanted to talk you about in this week's article is the history of April's Fool Day by also mentioning the longest capital name of the world; Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit, and the fact that the Turkish or English equivalent consists of only 7 letters. But things don't go just as planned, and here is the result. Hope you enjoy!
Özlem Erdem (IE/IV)
oerdem@ug.bilkent.edu.tr
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