Röportaj
Erasmus Interview with Alix Mathias
Where did you come from Alix, could you give some informations about yourself?
I am from France and the city where I do my studies is Nancy. I study at an Engineering National School and I am a graduate student in food engineering.
Did you choose Turkey specially, why did you come here?
I have been there many times before. I had a lot of Turkish friends because my brother did the first semester here. I visited him and it was so great. I had never been in Istanbul and I loved the city. Then I said, why not? Because of the politics, my school didn’ t want to bring so many people here, but I insisted. They said“ Ok, if you take the risk, you can go”. I really wanted to see by myself what is going on, because it is too easy to follow media. Before I came there, in France, they all told me“ You have to be careful”. Then, I came there, there is no war. It is so cool, I can go wherever I want. I’ ve been there because I wanted to see by myself.
What did you fear or think when you came ITU?
I was scared that it is going to be so hard because I didn’ t know what level, but the campus is very big and I love it. I think I’ m lucky to be in this campus instead of others, because there is gym and it is so cool.
If you think differences between ITU and your hometown university, what can you say?
It is so different, my university was built in 70s and the name is ENSAI and it is so old university about food industry. It has very old campus and everything is old like the building even science teachers. There is a big history and big knowledge of all food industry. It is different from here, because there are many different departments like civil engineering, industrial engineering, but in my university, there is only food industry. It is so big. We have so many things for like agronomy and we create our own beer. We can do anything for food industry. Also, I don’ t understand Turkish time delay. We can be late 20 minutes. It is normal, but in France if you come late 5 minutes, you can’ t come. You will be absent. It is so different here. Students come with coffee which is the reason of being late and it is no problem. It is incredible for me but I like it, too. Teachers are nice. I really can understand their English. Their accent is not that hard. When people speak Turkish here, it is near than French. Sometimes, they are like same pronunciation and when they speak English. It is not hard to understand and I like it. They don’ t speak English very well and I don’ t speak English very well too, so we understand each other.
Do you know any Turkish tradition, behaviour or something like that, what do you think?
Yes, about respect to everyone I was so surprised, because in France it is not like this. When you go somewhere, everyone is fighting for a seat. Here, everyone is so polite and respectful to old people. I was so surprised because in France, it is so different. In the first time I came, there was a free seat. I just sit and everyone was looking at me and I don’ t understand what did I do. I was just sitting and I didn’ t see there was an old man in my left. He was looking at me like I was doing something really bad. Now, I don’ t want to give place because I think it is easier being stand up because I don’ t know when to give seat. Sometimes I stand up for the giving a seat but he or she doesn’ t understand me and can not speak English so we don’ t understand each other. Now, I don’ t sit anymore.
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