BY AMNA KARA (MAN/II)
Name: Figali Taho
Department: CS/I
Country of Origin: Albania
What do you like best about Turkey?
I love the culture, the people, and I also love Bilkent and the entire atmosphere on campus.
Are there any similarities between your country’s culture and Turkey’s?
Definitely, especially because most of the culture of the Ottomans and the Ottoman Empire has been transmitted to Albania over the course of the centuries.
What will you miss most about Turkey/Bilkent?
I’ll miss the friends I’ve made and will make, and university life. I don’t think I’ll miss Ankara, but I know I’ll miss these years.
What is your favorite place on campus, and why?
My favorite place on campus would be the Engineering building. I’m kidding, there’s nothing special about it, unlike the new and amazing EE Building. My favorite place is the hill in front of Dorm 76, especially during the summer.
Why Turkey?
Close to home, nice people, good university. That’s all you want, isn’t it?
Where do you expect to see yourself in 10 years?
I still don’t know, and I don’t think I’ll be ready for this question until at least two years from now. But I hope 10 years from now I’ll be happy, and surrounded by friends.
What is the hardest challenge you’ve overcome in Turkey?
Being away from home, especially from my brother. Life without my family is hard, and it’s a good thing I have good friends around.
What cities have you visited in Turkey? Which one do you like the best?
I’ve been to Istanbul, and I absolutely loved it for its crowds of people, the beautiful mosques and palaces, and my favorite place on Earth, the Bosphorus.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I wish I did; I don’t, though. Or maybe they’re just too hidden, even from me.
What is one question you are asked frequently or the most interesting comment you’ve heard?
“How?” (weird faces). People just don’t get my name right until I spell it or come up with shorter versions of it.