Great adventure in Istanbul

Istanbul is a huge and diverse city that surprised me every day. 

Warsaw (the capital of Poland, where I live every day) has always seemed to me a big city (2 million inhabitants). Meanwhile, 15 million live in Istanbul (unofficially almost 20 million). This is almost half of the entire population of Poland. 

The commute to work in Istanbul normally takes at least an hour, sometimes even two. Everything is far away. The city is always jammed and never sleeps. I liked Istanbul the most at 4 or 5 in the morning. It was probably the quietest time of the day. 

My greatest discovery was the metrobus - a bus that moves on a designated lane as often as the subway. A very convenient means of communication in Istanbul. If someone lives in the Asian part and works in Europe, he or she could could to work by ship.

Metrobus stop 

For a long time I tried to get used to the big dogs walking around the city. Not because I was afraid of them. In Poland, if a dog walks around the city alone, it is taken to a shelter. In Istanbul, dogs are raised on the street. I have a 12-year-old Labrador at home and I was sad to look at these dogs. I had the impression that someone left them - which was not true because people take care of them. I always had food for dogs in my backpack and water for a dog that I met on my way to work. She was always in the same place (every dog ​​has its own area).

The dog I fed on the way to work

Istanbul is on the one hand a city of glass high buildings and on the other hand very conservative and old districts like Faith. One of my biggest surprises was the Polish town in Istanbul - Adampol. The place looked like a quiet Polish village and is only 40 minutes by car from the center.

Polish restaurant in Adampol

It was impossible to be bored in Istanbul. There are many places to visit and you will find restaurants serving all the cuisines of the world. My favorite Lebanese had a view of the Bosporus.

Lebanese breakfast

Although after a whole day of work (I worked from 10 am to 6 pm plus commuting 1.5 one way) I didn't have enough strength to explore the city. I usually did it on weekends, often with friends.

With Orla, EU Aid Volunteer from Ireland in Harem (Dolmabahce Palace) 

These few months in Istanbul were a great adventure, during which I met many interesting people, I became friends with some of them and we keep in touch even when I left Istanbul.

What are you actually doing there?

 What are you actually doing there?

When I tell my friends and family that I am a volunteer in an organization that helps Syrian refugees, the same question always comes up. What on earth are an HR expert from a Warsaw corporation that employs 10, 000 people doing in 10-person NGO in Istanbul? The answer is simple - a lot of interesting and developing work.

It's been three months since I've been at Small Project Istanbul. This is half of my internship and a good time for a brief summary of my work so far. Can the work of an HR Expert in a small organization be interesting, necessary and developing? 

Trust the expert

I came here with an action plan agreed with the director of my hosting organization before my arrival. But as it often happens, plans change. After almost two weeks of work at SPI I proposed minor improvements to my tasks. I was very pleased when I heard that I am an expert in the field and they trust my experience. 

Quo vadis? 

We started with a workshop with employees on the mission, vision and values ​​of the organization. When a lot of changes happen in an organization, it is worth going back to the roots. Check which direction we are going as an organization, what is important to us and what I do in my daily work to support the foundation I work for. 

It's easier to talk about the values of your vision and mission
 when you imagine that the organizations is a person

To understand the organization it is good to see where
I am in this organization

The workshop participants could use their drawing skills

...work in teams

...and shared their ideas with colleagues 

What month were my teammates born?
When we recall our values, mission and vision, it is worth going down one level - to the team and asking yourself some important questions. How well do I know my team? For example, do you know who was born in what month What does team working mean for my and my team? What do I like about my team (behaviors, traditions, ceremonies)? Why do we like being and working together? What would you like to start, stop or continue doing as a team? And build a contract together, thanks to which we will cooperate een better.

They talked about what they like about their team 

and shared their they view with the rest  

They pointed out what they want to stop, start
and continue doing  

and they decided about priorities 

How am I feeling? 

During our worksop on mission vision and values we focused more on the organization. The next workshop was focused more on people. If the organization changes it also affects people. What does change do to us? What emotions can it cause? What can we do to deal with the change individually and as a team? How we could be the source of inspiration, motivation, peace and stability for us. It was definitely one of the more difficult workshops - about emotions, feelings about the atmosphere in the team.

What am I doing here? 

When we already know in which direction the organization is going, what it does on a daily basis, what values ​​are important, how I support the organization, and how we are working as a team, it is worth describing your position and tasks in detail. Each employee has prepared a job description for his or her role. It was not an easy task. It's a bit like writing a job advertisement for your own position. But the team did an excellent job describing… their job :)

Retro, weekly, monthly report 

We also had the first retro meeting (short for retrospective) - a monthly team meeting designed to:

check what happened in the last month and to identify elements that have worked well and those that qualify for improvement. This meeting is a form of feedback session. An ideal moment to celebrate our achievements and the opportunity to express appreciation for your colleagues and the entire team. We came back to the weekly meetings in a slightly new version and prepared a monthly report with our actions for the management board.

And lots of other stuff. And we did it all as a team in three months! What was the feedback from the team? 

“I think we need to do like this workshop every time”

“It helps to understand team feelings about the change”

”activities was good and amusing, in my opinion it achieved the aims and make a friendly atmosphere between the members of team”

”It was fun”

”It’s amazing I like the way it is presented , but if the meeting time could be shorter”

”I think every time we need to remember the vision, values...

Pivots in Istanbul

Due to the covid epidemic, I waited 2 years to come to Istanbul. I was glad when I finally got here. I agreed with my hosting organization about my action plan before I came. My partner was supposed to join me for a few months. In my free time I wanted to travel and relax. That was the plan - more or less. But the first month has already shown that everything is quite different than I expected. The key words in my first month were: flexibility, peace, adaptation and networking.

Already on the first day it turned out that there were problems with the flat in which I was supposed to live. I used my friends network. It turned out that some of my friends have their friends in Istanbul. I made a lot of new contacts and didn't feel lonely. Within two days, I moved to the apartment of one of my new friends. I thought that it would be a temporary solution. But it took me and my hosting organization more than a month to find a suitable flat.The housing market in Istanbul is going through a deep crisis. Rental costs are very high and are increasing every day. In addition, we wanted to rent a fully furnished apartment for only a few months - which is not popular in Istanbul. The city is overcrowded. And in some districts there are so many foreigners that there is no permission to register new ones. Thanks to this situation, at least I got to know Istanbul well and made many new friends.

Pivot at work

If there are constant changes in one field, you hope that at least in other areas it will be more stable. Not necessarily. In the first week of my work, I found out that the manager of the hosting organization who recruited me and with whom I set my tasks, is leaving the organization. The team has been going through various changes for a long time and now another one has appeared. As an HR expert, I came here to help develop HR policies and processes, help the team develop themself,prepare job descriptions, etc. Supporting the team in the process of change was not in my plan. But my plans had to change. In the corporate language (agile methodology) in such situations we say that you need to pivot. You have to change your approach because the current one is not working. So I prepared a new plan that assumed that I was doing some of the things I planned but I have to change my priorities and add a few minor changes.

Back to the basics 

Whenever you have an impression that everything around does not go according to plan. Our ideas do not work and your life is a  chaos. Then you can stop for a moment and take a step back to the basics. Ask yourself - why am I here, what I wanted to achieve. Look for support and go back to what gives us strength and peace. With my hosting organization, we started with a workshop on mission, vision and value of the organization. We went back to what is most important for the organization. Which way it is going, what it is focusing on. It gives a sense of security and builds engagement. There is chaos around me, but at least I know where and why I'm going. For me my safe place were my friends, family. Before I came to Istanbul I bought a ticket home - I knew that after a month I would be homesick and returning home for the weekend will definitely help me. Warsaw is only a 2 hour flight from Istanbul. And if you buy tickets well in advance, they are not expensive. After a month in Istanbul, I flew home for the weekend - see my partner, dog, friends and family. It also helped that I had many new friends in Istanbul. I went back to Istanbul with new energy. 

We know that it's not worth getting too attached to plans (which doesn't mean it's not worth having them). But when nothing goes as planned, it can be difficult. When our expectations are not met, it is easy to give up. Or to pivot our plans and focus on what gives us the sense of safety and peace. 

PS My partner did not get permission from the company to work abroad. So he will not be able to come to me with our dog for a few months - as we planned. Another pivot in my Istanbul life. 

Volunteering painted my life with rainbow colors

Before starting my first deployment I had some expectations in mind of what it would have been. I was mainly focusing on the job aspect, I was excited about the new tasks, how the work would have been. The rest was a bit in the background, I didn't think about it much.

But the deployment is a full immersion into a new life, and what I didn't realize was that the job is just half of it. Part of the day is spent in the office, but there is a big part outside of it. And that's part of the deployment too. Understanding where the closest supermarkets are, getting to know your neighbor, getting lost while trying to reach home, trying to make new friends, putting yourself out there, and building a new life day by day. It's a jump into the unknown, a very exciting jump. It is a bit intimidating at the beginning, but that's where the gain lays, stepping out of your comfort zone and being transformed by the experience without even realizing it. 

I didn't have a full grasp of what I would have found by moving to Istanbul. 

I found a job where I never stop learning. I found a city that gets under your skin, a mix of contradictions that together somehow make sense. I found a family, friends that will be there even when our roads will separate, a community so warm and welcoming that made me feel at home from the first moment. 

A couple of weeks ago it happened to be my birthday. When I stepped into the office all the team was there ready to surprise me with an amazing birthday party. They went above and beyond and it was the perfect way to celebrate: all my team around and a table full of croissants. 

And while I was sitting there I realized that the jump was so worth it, and it enriched my life in a way I could have never anticipated.

And that's what volunteering has always meant for me, a gift of opportunities and challenges that make life fuller and more colorful. 

In Istanbul during Ramadan

 

Time has been flowing in a different way since the beginning of the pandemic and months are passing in a blink of an eye, but still, every week is filled with new experiences, and looking back at these past few months many things happened. I have been busy with many projects in Small Projects Istanbul(SPI).  For a few months we went back to office a bit more frequently, which was also a nice change. I really miss spending time with my colleagues and it was great being with some of them in the same space once in a while. 

I will go more in details about my work and the projects in my next blog, but this time I thought it could be interesting just talking a bit about my life outside of work. 

Many of the perks of being deployed in a new country are definitely connected with the work and the skills you gain within your position, by collaborating with inspired and hard working professionals from different countries and applying your expertise in a different context, but having the chance to get to know and understand a new culture and become part of it is also an amazing opportunity.

Turkey is still holding some restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID 19: the weekends are in full locked down and every day there is curfew from 7pm to 5am. Restaurants and cafes can only serve takeaway and masks are still mandatory when outside. It's not easy for sure, but we are all trying our best to isolate as much as possible and do our part in helping the situation improve, which means that I don't really go out much, apart from shopping and walks outside when the weather allows it.

But still, even with these limitation, Istanbul is a city that offers so much. I live very close to the port and I can sit near the seaside and enjoy the fresh air and that amazing fragrance of sea and spring air. 

Also, last week Ramadan started here in Turkey. Ramadan is usually a month of conviviality and celebration, where many people fast during from sunrise till sunset and get together to break the fast and spend some time in the evening with their families and their community. This year is going to be celebrated in a more private and contained way, but still, Ramadan is always a month I like a lot. Every morning at 4am, groups of drummers roam around the city to wake people up, so that they can prepare and have breakfast before the sun rises. The shops and bazaars are filled with new and interesting food made especially for Ramadan, like the Ramadan pide (a round and flat bread sold in every bakery of the city), tamarind sherbet (a sweet beverage made of tamarind), or güllaç (a special dessert made of milk, fresh and dry fruit and pastry). 

I am really enjoying every small discovery I make in the market, and try food I didn't know before and get to know Istanbul and Turkish culture a bit better. 

That's all for now, but I will get back soon with more details about my deployment. ✌

A year in my EUAID life

 

One of my favorite things when I reach a milestone is look back and do a revision. Go back in time and recollect the first memories of places and streets where I used to get lost and now are so familiar to me, or the first impressions of people who now are family more than friends. I like to look at things that now come easy, but took effort to achieve. 

The specific milestone is the first year in Istanbul.  

I walk though the streets of my neighborhood Balat and everything looks homely and familiar, I know the shopkeepers, my neighbors sometimes share some food with me (I got some great food during Ramadan 😁). Now I can have basic conversations in Turkish and, not a bit shocker for who knows me well, I know everything about Turkish and Syrian food and all the best places for food around the city. I feel home and it feels really good. 

Also, when I look back I feel so glad I was deployed as EUAID volunteer, it has been one of the most formative years of my life, both on a personal and professional level. I gained so many new competences and discovered things about myself that I didn't know, like a passion for graphic design and that I love taking pictures to express myself and the work SPI is carrying on.

I am glad I took part in the pre-departure training, which provided so many useful tips and knowledge which really came handy, especially during this weird 2020. It gave me tools to work in stressful situations and develop resilience, which was very much needed, especially at the beginning of the pandemic, where many changes came all together and forced us to face and adapt to a new reality.

And I am glad I became part of Small Projects Istanbul's team, especially during this weird year, which put many obstacles on our path, but it also became an opportunity to find innovative solutions to thrive.

 

I have to say, I feel very lucky my job was not disrupt by working mainly from home and I still can safely participate in some of the activities of the community center, which has been amazing and I am so grateful for that as well.

For sure, volunteering took a even more important meaning during these times and it highlighted the importance of all the values that it represents. Supporting and helping one another has become even more important and it can help us feeling less isolated and alone and the concepts of empathy and understanding are standing out in a time that we are all collectively living through insecurity and uncertainty. 

Now the first year has passed and I will start focusing on the future and see what's it will hold. I am optimistic they will be good months, because one thing I have learned it's that you can always find happiness and joy, even while surfing through adversities. 

 

Today is my seventh month in Istanbul. Happy monthiversary to me!

I struggle to wrap my mind around the fact that's already 7 months from the beginning of my deployment, because the amount of life that happened in only few months made me think it was 7 years instead. I also look back at the person that took that flight to Istanbul in September 2019 and I am not sure I know her anymore.

It is not easy to write down how these few months of deployments have been, for sure they were nothing I expected, but, we all know that life always finds  unique ways to blow your mind and to go beyond expectations.

I found a family. A lovely team of people who pour their souls in what they do and in what they believe. A community of wonderful people that always welcome me with warm smiles and open arms, and the sweetest children that make my heart melt every time they say my name.

I discover new skills. I learned to use a camera and it came out I love taking pictures and work on projects that require a lot of creativity, which I never really used in the past.

I was given the chance to check my resilience, as the COVID 19 outbreak brought a lot of changes in everybody's lives.  I have been working from home for the past 2 months and being away from the community center has been the toughest part. My favorite part of the day was roaming around during the children's activities and having small talks, play a bit, dance a bit, and then going back to my desk. I hope these days will come back soon and, in the meantime, I know I lucky I am that I am able to work from home.

So, thanks to DG ECHO, MTU Mondo, Small Projects Istanbul for these great seven months and looking forward to find out what will happen in the next five. 😄