BY AMNA KARA (MAN/III)
Name: Kamila Karimli
Department: MAN/III
Country of Origin: Azerbaijan
What do you like best about Turkey?
I would say the different cities with varying traditions, values, landscapes and touristic offerings.
Are there any similarities between your country’s culture and Turkey’s?
The language, values, people and cultural norms are all quite similar; after all, we’re brother countries.
What will you miss most about Turkey/Bilkent?
At Bilkent, I’ll miss the green hill in front of Dorm 76 (Teletubbies Hill, as we’ve coined it among my friends), and the serenity when there are no classes. However, I will mostly miss the relationships and memories I have formed and made here over my years of studying.
What’s your favorite place on campus, and why?
Nothing too creative: my dorm room. It’s a place I can escape to, especially because my twin sister has a pet guinea pig named Rodrigo (Rico), who’s always there to cuddle with.
Why Turkey?
Basically, Turkey was close to home, my parents and I had quite a few acquaintances here, the cultures and people were similar, language was not much of a barrier and of course, we heard that the educational level at private universities here could be compared with that of other countries’ private institutions.
What’s your favorite Turkish food/favorite part of Turkish culture?
I love İskender and Beyti kebabı, along with Maraş dondurması and Turkish tea. I adore how giving the Turkish people are; for example, the obligatory ikram mevsim salatası or meze before meals and the çay that follows afterward in typical traditional restaurants. I would describe most Turkish people I have met as samimi. I also find their tradition of reading fal in coffee cups quite intriguing; I already use a fal-reading app on my phone in case my Turkish girlfriends are not in their mojo for some fortunetelling!
Where do you expect to see yourself 10 years from now?
To sum it up in one sentence, a healthy, happily married businesswoman living in a more peaceful and tolerant world, with a pet Rottweiler named Julius Caesar.
What’s the hardest challenge you’ve overcome in Turkey?
Perhaps realizing that living without your parents is not all that easy, and that it takes quite some willpower to get responsibilities you’ve never had to take care of before done. And the food. Boy, oh boy, do I miss homemade meals and Azerbaijani cuisine. As much as I enjoy cooking, and eating Turkish food, it’s just not the same.
What cities have you visited in Turkey? Which one do you like the best?
I have visited many, especially as a kid when I was living here 13 years ago. To name a few: İzmir, Amasra, Kapadokya, Bodrum, Kemer, Fethiye, İstanbul, Antalya, Samsun and Amasya. Each city is unique in its own way, but I’ve noticed I prefer the ones that border a body of water, as I was born in Baku, a city where the sea and sun are a part of life.
Do you have any hidden talents?
Does hiding my own talents from myself count? Because I’m pretty sure I still haven’t found them 😀
What’s a question you’re asked frequently, or the most interesting comment you’ve heard at Bilkent/in Turkey?
I’ve gotten a few surprised looks, especially from Turkish people, when I tell others where I’m from. And then the occasional smile of acknowledgment that follows is always rewarding.