Home for the holidays

It's been a wild few weeks since I last posted here. From Boston's first blizzard of the season to celebrating Christmas at three different homes in two days, time has been short. With that said, I wanted to provide a little update on how everything is going on several projects:

1) In Good Faith

The original score is completed and I'm currently in the process of submitting it to the College Emmy Awards. I don't expect anything out of it, but the process of applying alone has been a great learning experience. The documentary was turned down by the Big Sky Documentary Film Fest in Colorado recently, but it would have been a great surprise for the film to get such an honor. The film is being submitted to several other festivals including a local Boston festival where it may have more of an opportunity to be seen.

We are also working on scheduling a new premiere screening at the Roxbury Mosque. However, the high holy days and now the recent conflicts in Israel-Gaza are delaying those efforts. Hopefully, things will settle down and I will have more information on the event. Until then, my thoughts are with both the innocent Israelis and Palestinians caught up in this nearly century's old conflict.

2) For Others

Also currently being submitted to the College Emmys by Naz Keskin, the producer of the film.

3) Fulbright ETA to Turkey

I haven't heard anything back from the IIE yet, but many have said that my application seems very strong. Over this break, I said good bye to my Turkish tutor, Mehmet, who is returning with his family to Istanbul. I will miss him and his help, but I look forward to possibly visiting him next year. Mehmet also introduced me to Soner, another Turk studying at BU looking for help with his English. Hopefully, Soner and I can find time this semester to meet for tea and help each other out.

I've also been following my friend Emily and her blog from Turkey. She has been telling me a lot about her friends who are ETAs and how their experience has been going. I emailed one of her friends and hope to get to know him, and how he has organized himself as a teaching assistant in Turkey.

4) Graduate School

I thought I would add that I am beginning the Graduate school search for the 2010-2011 academic year. I'm hopeful to find a solid broadcast journalism or journalism program in New York, Chicago, or Washington D.C. So far, schools that have popped up on my radar are Columbia U., NYU, Northwestern, BU, Emerson, American University, University of Maryland, and Syracuse. If anyone has any thoughts on these schools, I'd be happy to hear from you.

New Documentary: For Others

It seems like only yesterday I was submitting posts every three or four weeks. Hooray for six posts in December (so far!). Anyways, now that the semester is winding down, I wanted to share a very cool documentary four friends of mine and I made for Prof. John Michalczyk's Documentary Film class. For the film, we followed four members of 4Boston for several weeks. A short synopsis is below. Thanks to 4Boston, and everyone at Jackson Mann for letting us into their classroom to film.

"In an era where individualism and the survival of the fittest mentality exists everywhere, four students from one of Boston's elite universities give up four hours each week to provide assistance for adult education. Each week, they give the men and women they teach hope by assisting in English as a Second Language and GED prep classes."

This film was made possible by the Salmanowitz Grant for Moral Courage in Film and Boston College.

Acclaimed BC show takes stage for final time

Boston College has taken the phrase, "The show must go on," to another level with its current show, "A Dancer's Christmas." The show in its 28th and final run includes professionals, students, local talent, and children, some cast members have been involved for the entire run and have seen their family grow up with the performance.

Directed by Fr. Robert VerEcke, S.J. of Boston College, "A Dancer's Christmas has been sweeping audiences off their feet since Boston College first built its theater in 1981.

Türkçe Kahve Akşam or Turkish Coffee Night

Last night, I had the privilege to visit the Turkish Cultural Center's (TCC's) Coffee Night for the second time. It has been a great time going to coffee night, and this one was also very well attended by Turks and non-Turks. Each month, the TCC holds a "Coffee Night" where everyone gathers to together to learn a little about Turkey and enjoy some excellent Turkish cuisine, tea, and of course, coffee. According to my friend from BC, Sibel, the food included Turkish Pizza, some interesting Turkish cookies, macaroni salad, another kind of Turkish salad that was very good, and also yogurt. It was all delicious.

Sibel and I had some very interesting conversations. We had the chance to sit at a table with a rabbi, a Turkish woman working as a Nanny in Boston, and Katie, a graduate student studying social work/theology at BU. Later, I got pulled away from that to talk with my friend Kasim. We went on a fruitless search for more coffee and tea. Kasim said that there was a saying in Turkey, "When you find that the food you were looking for is empty, it's a sign that the woman in the house is mad at you." So clearly, we were not doing well by the end of the night. Luckily, we did find some water.

Unlike the last coffee night (which was just before the election), most of the conversations ended up about where had everyone been, and what places had Kasim seen since he had been here. All in all, another great coffee night, and looking forward to the next one. Below is a picture from the evening.



From the left: Kasim, Myself, Yusef, and Sibel
In the back with the camera: Sener, head of the TCC

Christmas in heaven

Borrowing a line from Monty Python's Meaning of Life, I use it in the title of this post describing what I felt like listening to the spirited and joyful sounds of the BC Chorale at the Trinity Chapel last night. From the first note in Joy to the World all the way until the very last Hallelujah, I was blown away by the concert. I just want to say congratulations to all of my friends in the Chorale on a truly amazing show. Also, cheers to the wonderful BC Symphony Orchestra who may be one of the best kept secrets at Boston College. You all did an amazing job.

Below are some pictures from my standing room only non-seat.

Turks turning up everywhere

In all of the things I had expected to happen during the whole process of applying for the grant to Turkey, one unexpectedly favorable outcome was how many Turks I would find at BC and in the area. Since beginning my Turkish studies in the summer, I have come across over well over 20 Turks at BC, BU, or Northeastern. Sure, you can say, "Matt, you've been hanging around a lot of Turkish places this semester."

I'd tend to agree on that except for two things.

1)I worked for a year and a half on a documentary about the Muslim community in Boston and never met as many Turks as I have now. Of course, I wasn't really looking as I am now. But, number two is even more peculiar.

2) I have found Turks in my classes(non-Turkish related), the Improvisational Murder Mystery Comedy group I'm in, and many other random, totally unrelated groups I have been in at BC for the past few years.

Of course, all of this has been great. I've been able to practice my Turkish, and been introduced to the country by and wide group of amazingly nice people. I just wanted to reflect on how amazingly lucky I've been to find so many people from Turkey through so many random and unexpected connections.

Also, it has been reported that Barack Obama was briefed on Turkey in the past few days. According to the Turkish news source, the report spoke about the "importance of Turkey in the region. Brookings and CFR experts recommend Obama to develop Turkey's mediating role to find a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute."

A little on the light side

First, a little update. I've been currently distracted with a full fall semester course load, a short documentary project on the Boston College 4 Boston program, and an improv performance that I've severely neglected the blog. But, the good news I guess is that my posting can only get better from here.

Also, some very exciting news, I recently found out where all the Turkish English Fellows were placed this year. According to my list, the fellows are in Denizli, Gaziantep, Konya, Erzurum (2), Izmır, Adana, Balikesir, and Trabzon. Stay tuned for some more specific postings on what each city is known for and looks like, etc.

With that said, I also came into a bit of luck last week. The BC Intersections Program offered an iPhone to anyone who could make the funniest two minute video that incorporated the word "Intersections" and a BC faculty member. Below is my WINNING entry, enjoy!