BY NAUSHERWAN AZIZ (MAN/II)
Name: Sanan Isayev
Department: Economics/II
Country of Origin: Azerbaijan
What do you like best about Turkey?
The friendly and hospitable people I’ve come across in different cities. Especially, I like how they treat me when they know that I’m from Azerbaijan.
Are there any similarities between Turkey and your home country?
There are many things in Turkey that remind me of Azerbaijan. Our cultures, languages, food and mind-set are quite similar. That’s why it wasn’t hard for me to adapt to living in Turkey.
What will you miss most about Bilkent/Turkey?
I’ll miss dormitory life, where all of my friends live five minutes away from me (or even, in the case of one of them, in my room).
What’s your favorite place on campus, and why?
My favorite place on campus is the grass area in front of Dorm 76, where you can sit on benches with your friends, drink tea and enjoy the great view of the city.
What’s your favorite Turkish food or favorite part of Turkish culture?
I love Turkish people’s obsession with tea. You can find a place to drink tea anywhere.
Where do you expect to see yourself 10 years from now?
Ten years is quite a long time, so it’s kind of hard to predict. But I hope I’ll have passed macroeconomic theory class by that time.
What’s the hardest challenge you’ve handled in Turkey?
The challenges have mostly been about living alone for the first time, away from my family. Specifically, ironing my shirts has been the hardest one. Even after a year, I still watch YouTube videos before ironing my shirts.
What cities have you visited in Turkey, and which one is your favorite?
I’ve visited Trabzon, Samsun, İstanbul and Konya. My favorite was İstanbul, because I’d seen it in a lot of Turkish movies, and walking on the streets you’ve seen in movies is a different feeling.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I can clap with one hand.
What’s an interesting question or comment you hear frequently about Bilkent/Turkey?
My friends from Azerbaijan usually ask this: “Is it true that there are more Azeris at Bilkent than at Baku State University?
Describe yourself in three words.
Maverick. Ambitious. Creative.
If you could master any skill, which one would you choose, and why?
I would choose to have a photographic memory, so I could remember everything I’d read and everything I’d experienced.