Pat from Yaniklar

Thanks to Pat for sharing her experiences in Turkey with us.

Tell us about yourself.
I'm 58 years old, used to live in the north of England where I worked in further/higher education as a teacher and manager mainly working with adults. In 2003 I bought a small, neglected orange grove with an old mud-brick house in it, in a village outside Fethiye and the following year moved out, refurbished and extended the old house and am now working on the garden.

What made you come to Turkey?
I first came to Istanbul in 1969, aged 21, to teach maths at the English High School for Girls in Beyoglu. I lived in Cihangir which was far from fashionable in those days. In 1972 I moved to Bodrum, then a small village with no English speakers, so living there for eighteen months worked wonders for my Turkish. I moved here permanently in 2004 to live in a better climate amongst friendly people.

What do you do in daily life?
In winter I read, write, help with a website www.fethiyetimes.com a 'mini mymerhaba' for people living in and around Fethiye. I teach free English classes in my village on Tuesday evenings and am also involved with various local projects. In between all of this I garden. In summer I welcome friends from around the world and it sometimes feels like I run a small pension. I am also trying to establish myself as a written translator of Turkish into English.

Family?
One daughter currently on world travels (last heard of in Laos) following graduation from university in 2005.

Can you compare your first days here with today?
When I first arrived Turkey was still classed as a 'developing country' and had little or no industry and no television apart from a small experimental station in Ankara. During the time I lived here 1969 - 73 the first cars were made in Turkey and factories started producing white goods. Now the cities and much of the Aegean coastal region of Turkey are totally developed - but inland you can still find towns and villages that have the flavour of old Turkey.

Has living in Turkey influenced your approach to life?
Absolutely. The four years I spent here as a young woman, learning the language and experiencing a different culture, broadened my outlook on life immensely. The past three years that I have lived here have given me the chance to slow down after a hectic twenty years of work in Britain.

Turkish language?
I speak fluent vernacular Turkish but can't yet write 'formal' Turkish. I am so glad I learned the basics of the language when I was young, as it is no joke trying to learn a new language in late middle age - I see other British residents struggling and know they will never attain my level of usage. Even worse are the people who seem to refuse to even try with the language and continue to speak English, loudly and slowly. It's so embarrassing.

Let's talk about the region you are living in?
It is glorious. Green, lush, mountainous, amazing flora and my village, Yaniklar, is fighting development, which has already overtaken whole swathes of Fethiye and its environs. The village is now into organic growing and has two eco holiday centres: Yonca Lodge and Pastoral Valley. Loggerhead turtles nest on the beach and there is a small lake which is major point on bird migration routes.

Have you travelled in Turkey? Tell us your discoveries.
I am very proud of a journey to the east of Turkey in a small British car with three other female teachers in 1971 - Van was amazing. Since my return I have visited Istanbul, Ankara, Konya, east to Urfa, driven along the Mediterranean coast as far as Mersin twice and often make the journey to and from Bodrum. However, there are still whole swathes of the country that I haven't seen and I intend to visit them over the years ahead.

What is your preferred characteristic of Turks?
They are friendly, helpful, generous and amazingly trusting.

What is the annoying one?
I want two: dreadful driving habits - no signals, talking on mobile phones, no seat belts, etc. Secondly their dreadful litter habits.

Turkish cuisine?
Delicious.

Any suggestions for newcomers to Turkey?
Don't just lie on a beach or by a pool; look, listen and learn about this incredible country with its incomparable history and mix of cultures.

Any suggestions for people planning to visit your region?
Come in May or October and bring your walking boots. We are on the start of the Lycian Way, Turkey's first long distance walking path, and there are countless glorious one-day walks you can do around Fethiye. Come to stay in one of the eco holiday centres in my village and they'll organise guided walks for you, feed you delicious organic food and give you a taste of the region as it used to be.

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