BY AMNA KARA (MAN/III)
Name: Igli Alivoda
Department: Mechanical Engineering/I
Country of Origin: Albania
What do you like best about Turkey?
Nice places to visit, and people being nice and open.
Are there any similarities between your country’s culture and Turkey’s?
Yes, there are lots of similarities. The Albanian and Turkish languages also have many words in common.
What will you miss most about Turkey/Bilkent?
Turkish culture and Bilkent’s multinationality.
What’s your favorite place on campus, and why?
My room, because it’s warm, and the grass area on the way to East Campus, because it’s a nice place to hang out with friends.
Why Turkey?
Because Bilkent is not bad at all, and Albania is close, so I can travel easily between the two countries.
What’s your favorite Turkish food/favorite part of Turkish culture?
My favorite foods are durum and kumpir. The thing I like best about Turkish culture is its hospitality.
Where do expect to see yourself 10 years from now?
Probably as an entrepreneur in California.
What’s the hardest challenge you’ve overcome in Turkey?
The orientation program—getting used to the city and getting used to a new lifestyle.
What cities have you visited in Turkey? Which one do you like the best?
I’ve visited Bursa, İstanbul, Ankara and Denizli, and my favorite is İstanbul, because I had the chance to spend more time there and visit more places.
Do you have any hidden talents?
Not really, unless being humorous and able to cheer up your frıends is a talent.
What’s a question you’re asked frequently, or the most interesting comment you’ve heard at Bilkent/in Turkey?
I don’t know why, but lots of people at Bilkent ask me if I’m happy with the department I chose and if I want to change it. Well, it would be better if there were more girls wanting to be mechanical engineers, but anyway, I like my department.