Her insan mutlu olamaz...
Çünkü; gereğinden fazla özler dünü,
Hak ettiğinden fazla düşünür yarını...
Ve hiç hak etmediği kadar bilinçsizce yaşar bugünü...

Her insan mutlu olamaz...
Çünkü; gereğinden fazla özler hayatından çıkanları
Hak ettiğinden daha büyük umutla bekler hayatına girecekleri
Ve asla göremez yanı başındakileri...

                                                                             Erich Fromm

O yuzdendir ki bazen arakdaslar, bazen de psikolojik danismanlar bize yardimci olabilirer.

At the school we were working there was a traditional assembly every Friday called Positive Action. During this time, all students from P-K to 5th grade would be gathered and a teacher would give instructions. There was singing, sometimes dancing. Students were encouraged to perform in their seats. It would be followed by singing the national CNMI anthem and the school song.

During one particular Positive Action day, the teacher running the show had a megaphone in her hand, giving instructions to the entire P-K to 5th grade students. Having found the dance bit difficult to follow, the students started disengaging from the activity and started talking to each other. Meanwhile, the teacher, who had been in education for many years (something like 20+ years), got very frustrated and tried to gather the students together by shouting orders to do this and that. Finally, she realized that her attempts were fruitless and she yelled to the young students using her megaphone, "You are retarded!" It wasn't so much yelling as it was singing at the top of her lungs during Positive Action time.

It's been nearly 9 years since this happened but til this day, it gives me stomach pain due to uncontrollable laughter of the irony of the situation.

I really like this piece by Daniel Pink and I just want to share it with you.

There are two kinds of people in the world . . .
Those who make your life easier — and those who make it harder.
Those whose presence helps you perform better — and those whose presence makes you do worse.
Those concerned about doing the work — and those concerned about getting the credit.
Those who leave you feeling up — and those who leave you feeling down.
Those who simplify — and those who complicate.
Those who listen when others are talking — and those who wait when others are talking.
Those who give — and those who take.
Those who last — and those who fade.
Which are you?

The two quotes that I think summarizes my theoretical framework are;
“Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.”A Chinese Proverb
 and
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” by Maya Angelou

My philosophy of education is built upon my experiences as both a student and a teacher, Constructivism, Humanism and Connectivism.  I started learning English as a second language at a bilingual school at the age of 12 totally through the direct approach, which means no use of a person’s mother tongue. Lessons begin with dialogues and anecdotes in modern conversational style, actions and pictures are used to make meanings clear, grammar is learned inductively, literary texts are read for pleasure and are not analyzed grammatically (Murcia, 2001, p. 6).  I learned English well, but my skill level was lower than my friends; I never figured out the usefulness of English other than for schoolwork.  My level of English was sufficient enough to do the work, but I wasn’t fluent until I met Tim, my husband. This demonstrates that motivation, which can be defined in terms of attitudes towards the language, in second language learning, is important, because if learners have favorable attitudes towards the speakers of the language they will desire more contact with them (Lightbown & Spada, 1999, p56).  Constructivism holds that meaningful learning occurs when people actively try to make sense of the world by filtering new ideas and experiences through existing knowledge structures (Snowman et al., 2009, p. 337). In agreement with Jerome Bruner, I confront students with problems and help them to seek solutions either independently or by engaging in collaborative group discussion (Snowman et al., 2009, p. 337). Fetherston (2007) calls this as social negotiation and adds that teachers operating according to constructivist principles would create an environment where students had ample opportunity for this social negotiation (p.160).  Furthermore, teachers adopting a constructivist approach would scaffold their students’ learning by matching the task to the students so that it lies within their ‘zone’ and use real and authentic tasks (p.161).  As a language teacher and a strong believer of  the constructivist approach, I make sure the students see meaningful connections between content and skills and the real world by providing opportunities for them to use the tools in authentic, real-life activities to create common or shared understanding of some phenomenon (Snowman et al., 2009, p. 340). Therefore, I plan and implement learning experiences in classroom and outside of classroom that supports students’ development and active engagement with the world (Standard 6). 
Much of our current society is built on systems that pacify the individual. People are encouraged to be watchers and observers, but not encouraged to take part in influencing or changing situations. Traditional education, which is based on behaviorism, feeds into this problem by making students empty vessels that knowledge must be poured into. The learner is passive during the time the teacher delivers the lesson. It is my belief that education serves to change the individual’s personality from passive to active. Lesson planning shifts from focusing on teacher delivery of content to designing collaborative projects that tap into cross-curricular content, abstract concepts, and learning in meaningful ways (Knobel & Wilber, 2009).   Bruner argues that conceptions that children arrive at their own are generally more meaningful than those proposed by others (Snowman et al., 2009, p. 337).  Vygotsky believed that children learn more from the interactions they have with those who are more intellectually advanced, particularly if the interaction is designed to fall within the child’s zone of proximal development (Snowman et al., 2009, p. 47).  Therefore, it is my belief to implement intellectually challenging learning experiences that actively promote student inquiry both individually or collaboratively, and also promote higher order thinking by scaffolding (Standard 3).
Learning a foreign language in a country where the language is not used, can be challenging. Errors are a natural part of language learning (Lightbown & Spada, 1999, p167). Students make many mistakes throughout this journey and more importantly they learn from their own mistakes. Tomlinson & Kalbfleisch (1998) argue that in order for learning to take place, learning environments must feel emotionally safe.  I make learning appealing, minimizing pressure and reducing responsibilities for failure or embarrassment (Snowman et al., 2009, p.445). Also in agreement with Abraham Maslow, I try very hard to have a positive teacher-student relationship in the classroom. In addition, I make sure the students are physically comfortable, feel safe and relaxed, have a sense of belonging, and experience self-esteem (Snowman et al., 2009, p.444) (Standard 7).
Students today have grown up in a world where mobile computers, cell phones with browsers, and other personal digital devices are common tools, and instant messaging, blogs, and wikis are common modes of self-expression (Apple, 2008).  Dondlinger argued that several studies have demonstrated that the use of computer-based learning and teaching increases students’ intrinsic motivation and performance (as sited in Snowman et al., 2009, p.454). In order to engage this new generation of learners, I encourage learners of all ages to learn vocabulary and grammar by having them use programs such as Comic Life or iMovie as students who worked on computer-based projects exhibit more self regulated learning behavior, greater persistence and more positive attitude towards their peers who did not match their cultural, social or gender profile...(Lou, 2004).  Some of the principles of connectivism are that learning and knowledge rest in diversity of opinions, learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources, learning may reside in non-human appliances, and nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning (Siemens, 2004). Therefore, connectivism presents a model of learning that acknowledges the tectonic shifts in society where learning is no longer an internal, individualistic activity (Siemens, 2004).  I believe that the students should continue learning outside of classroom using programs such as Facebook, Messenger, or iChat. Since languages are dynamic and evolving over the years, there is only a small amount of information that can be taught in a classroom. Beyond that, I encourage the students to learn more by connecting with other people around the world. Siemens (2004) also states that as our ability to learn what we need for tomorrow is more important than what we know today. Students now need the skills to understand how to locate, comprehend, synthesize, evaluate, and effectively use information. Connectivism provides insight into learning skills and tasks needed for learners to flourish in a digital era (Siemens, 2004) (Standard 1).
Finally, in the world we live, there are students from diverse backgrounds in almost all classes. Multicultural education is an indicative component of being a successful teacher. As an immigrant to the United States with Turkish ethnicity,  I wish to foster an understanding of and mutual respect for, the values, beliefs and practices of different cultural groups (Snowman et al., 2009, p.143).   In order to achieve this goal, I make sure that students bring their unique cultures into class by having discussions where they become proud of themselves and their cultures. (Standard 4).
References
Apple. (2008). Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow-Today: Learning in the 21st century: Apple inc.

Fetherston, T. (2007). Becoming an effective teacher. Nelson Australia Pty Limited: Thomson,     Australia.

Knobel, M. & Wilber, D. (2009). Let’s talk 2.0. Whether it’s Web 2.0 or literacy 2.0, it’s a whole     new way of thinking, Educational Leadership, Vol.66, No.6, pp-20-24.

Lightbrown, P. M. & Spada, N. (2003). How Languages are Learned: Revised Edition. Oxford University Press, Oxford, New York.

Lou, Y. (2004). Understanding process and affective factors in small group versus individual learning with technology. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 31(4),337-369.

Murcia, M. C. (2001). Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. Third Edition. Boston, MA: Thomson Learning. Heinle and Heinle.

Siemens, G. (2004). Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. Elearnspace everything elearning. Retrieved from: http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

Snowman, J., Dobozy, E., Scevak, J., Bryer, F., Bartlett, B., & Biehler, R. (2009).   Psychology Applied to Teaching: 1st Australian Edition. Qld: John Wiley & Sons.

Tomlinson, C., & Kalbfleisch, M. (1998). Teach me, teach my brain a call for differentiated     classrooms. Educational Leadership, 56(3), 52. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier     database on 3/14/2010.

From the first stories we shared with Tim for 10 years, I kept hearing about Wolf, his childhood friend; however, I never had a chance to meet him in person. I always wanted to because obviously Wolf had a great contribution to the mental growth of the man I love today. Wolf lived overseas as well and that’s why it did not work for many years. In short, we ended up in Copenhagen at the Lindell’s House where Wolf, Martina, Stella and Lucia have settled. The Lindell house was located perfectly in Solrod Strand, a few houses away from the Baltic Sea. One very interesting thing we figured out is that the sand makes a weird sound as you walk on it. I am not sure what chemical causes that sound but it was interesting.
During the days, Wolf had to get up early for his work and Martina was busy with preparing Lucia for her school as we get out to explore more about the city. Again, the architecture was breath taking. I have never been intrigued by the big cities and tall skyscrapers. Conversely, I like building that take you to the past. I like old rock bridges, red brick houses with cobble stone roads full of jovial people and that is why I fell in love with Copenhagen.
On top of it all, when the evening starts to appear late (11:00 pm) after both kids were in bed, we exchanged many more stories with the help of a couple (!) Carlsberg beers and some Chilean-Argentinian wine with Wolf and Martina. Sure it was hard to depart after having 3 long days and nights together and we hope to see each other sometime soon; may be in Turkey, or in Croatia.

We took a train back to Copenhagen and from there, we switched to another one to Amsterdam. We ended up getting in to Amsterdam at about 7:00 pm. By the time we found the house we rented and went out with Lynn Bilbrey and Tim Bray to get something to eat and drink, almost all the stores were already closed except one. This particular supermarket was letting out the last customers and not letting in any new ones. So, we crossed the street, and I literally begged the supermarket director if he could let us in and that we would be out before he knew it. I also added that we just came and we have nothing to eat. Like as if we wouldn't eat at a restaurant. Anyway, so this nice guy let us in, and Lynn was in charge of getting crackers and Tim was in charge of cheese and I was in charge of wine. Needless to say, we managed to buy stuff and head home to celebrate our first reunion in Amsterdam. For the record, we, three of us, had 4 bottles of wine that first night.

The next morning, we started exploring Amsterdam. About the architecture, I love the buildings. They look like they are inclining to the front. This city is also impressive with a little bit more added to it. For example, I call Copenhagen as a very delicious meal made up of a yummy salmon salad, but Amsterdam is like a meal made of a yummy salmon salad and a little cup cake as a desert added to it. Literally, the cup-cake makes a difference and you feel it for a longer time than you expected. Lynn, Tim and I had a great night out in the garden of the house we rented. Prior to the dinner, we went to a store where we purchased some brie cheese, olives, crackers, salad and wine. As we were planing our next move with a map of Europe in our hands in the night, we laughed so hard that at one point the vastly tolerant host approached us with candles in her hands to make the experience more memorable. I remember that she also asked us to be a bit quiet when laughing.

Bullying is a public problem.  It should not be considered as a part of the normal growing pains of a young child. With the help of media sharing stories from all over the world about bullying, the belief that it is part of life and that it is normal and even necessary for healthy adulthood, has started to change (Kim, Koh & Leventhal, 2004). Scientific reports have proven that bullying is a significant, independent risk factor for suicidal ideation and behaviors in adolescents who had been victimized repeatedly (Kim, 2006; Kim, Leventhal, Koh & Boyce, 2009).  In fact, there were 517 suicides in the 10-24 age range between the years of 1998-2002 in America directly caused by bullying (Rosenthal, 2008). Educators must accept that bullying is a severe problem that must be dealt with and stopped in schools.
Bullying can be defined as an unfair aggressive behavior with the intention of physical, social or emotional harm generated toward another person with less power. Not necessarily, but most of the time, the behavior is repeated over a period of time (Hibbert, 2005; Ma, Stewin & Mah, 2001). According to Rosenthal (2008) children bully because of the following four reasons: (1) They copy others, (2) they believe that it is the only way to be accepted by the group, (3) they build self-esteem through bullying, and finally (4) they keep themselves safe from being bullied.  To break the cycle of bullying, educators must help students build self-esteem in positive ways and teach children that bullying is not an acceptable behaviour. Lai and Chang (2008) found out that children who are bullied have poor attitudes toward schools, teachers, classmates which results in poor academic achievements. They also added that these children are more likely to engage in violence and create an unsafe school environment. Bullying is not only harming young pupils in the short term, but it does negatively effect them in the future as well.  Rosenthal (2008) reports that of the adults who had been bullied as children: 20 % lost their confidence, 13 % reported that it affected their relationships, 9% were suicidal, 8% received treatment for mental issues and 7% found it hard to get a job (p.104).
So who becomes a bully?
According to Hibbert (2005) bullying behavior may be due to the way people are raised in their homes and that people bully because they have experienced physical or emotional abuse or neglect.  Because it is likely that bullies have suffered physical or emotional abuse, educators should not punish bullies unnecessarily. Rushowy (2011) introduces “no-blame, problem-solving response” for bullies. She suggests that bullies should not be labeled or stigmatized as bullies. They should not be blamed for their aggressive behavior because bullies are being aggressive perhaps because they haven’t had any role models at home and that they are trying to gain self-respect through bullying.  Pontzer (2009) found that there is a correlation between parenting style and whether or not the child will be a bully. If the parents stigmatize their child by calling names, teasing and rejecting, the child may imitate these aggressive behaviors when interacting with others.  Therefore, in order to reduce bullying, aggressive children should be the focus of greater attention by teachers, counsellors, administrator as well as parents (Fleming & Jacobsen, 2009; Lai & Chang, 2008). Educators should help children understand that bullying is not an activity worth engaging in, not because they will be punished if caught, but because they will be better people for not bullying.
Ways to deal with bullying
One way to deal with bulling is to teach the students to be N.I.C.E. Shapiro and Jankowski (2005) came up with a systematic approach which has the acronym N.I.C.E. N stands for neutralize emotions, I stands for identify type, C stands for control the encounter and E stands for exploring the options. N.I.C.E. is a set of practical tactics in social encounters with bullies and impossible people. The NICE approach is one that people get better at it through practicing. This approach is said to help victims deal positively with bullies; however, it is not a system that focuses on preventing bullying from ocurring. On the other hand, since it is evident that bullying happens all around the world,  it would be necessary to teach students ways in which to deal with bullies, tyrants and difficult people. Hence, incorporating the NICE approach into a school’s curriculum is a positive stop towards ending bullying cycle on the victims end.
A better way to deal with bullying in schools is to implement bulling prevention programs or activities which may include establishing anti-bullying policy and training staff to monitor and intervene (Hirschstein, Edstrom, Frey,  Snell, & MacKenzie, 2007). The problem with prevention programs is that they are difficult to monitor, because bullying usually does not happen under teacher observation. It happens mostly in the hallways and on the playgrounds when there is no supervisor around and/or outside of school (Young, 2009). Therefore it is hard to know if bullying prevention program (BPP) has helped decrease the amount of bullying happening. However, Houlston (2009) has found that with the help of a peer counseling scheme, students felt positive about the school knowing that the school is working hard to prevent bullying. In addition, they believed that there is less bullying occurring in school.  Effective bullying prevention programs are needed and recommended by Due et al. (2005) to reduce the amount of bullying by informative programs to teachers and pupils. Moreover, it is suggested to increase the inspection in hallways during transitions when bullying is likely to occur (Due et al, 2005; Young, 2009). The positive feelings students have toward the concept of the school fighting bullying may be enough to justify using a prevention program, even if a direct correlation to lowering the prevalence of bullying cannot be proven.
One prevention program that is widely used is the Olweus Prevention Program which was first developed by Dan Olweus, after three Norwegian boys committed suicide in 1982 after being bullied repeatedly.  Starr (2005) argues the key components of the bullying prevention program that Olweus developed as increased adult supervision, increased consequences for bullying behavior, and a clear message that bullying will not be tolerated. She summarized the program components as;

• inclusion of lessons that promote empathy, kindness, and friendship,

• having class rules against bullying,

• immediate consequences for the bully,

• ongoing meetings with all students communicating clear expectations about preventing bullying,

• ongoing communication with parents (p.89).

This actually works against the non-blaming approach of Rushowy. The two systems could be used together by not blaming the student who bullies someone for the first offense, but making the student aware of the negative future consequences for bullying. Kim (2006) examines a BPP based on reality therapy as well as Olweus’s bullying prevention program for group counseling. Glasser explains Total Behavior as a concept that is made up of four inseparable components- acting, thinking, feeling and physiology.  One can not directly change physiology or feeling but one does have direct control over acting and thinking components of behavior (Cameron, 2009; Corey, 2009).  A change in any of these components will influence the entire behavioral system (Cameron, 2009).  With that being said, BPP has not only provided psychological support to the victimized children from the counselor and other children, but effectively improved responsibility among them which ended up reducing the bullying situations in school and in classrooms, creating a safer environment by empowering students who are dealing with bullying in healthy and meaningful ways (Kim, 2006; Young, 2009).
Korean Culture and bullying
Bullying was first noticed to be a problem in Korea in the mid 1990s and it is known as a serious problem among Korean school children and adolescents (Koo, Kwak & Smith, 2008). In fact, it is reported as the third cause of death (Kim, Koh & Leventhal, 2004); and therefore in 2005, the Korean government opened a public dialog about this issue (Koo, Kwak & Smith, 2008).  Sadly, it is perceived by the citizens that creating public awareness does not help reducing bullying nor increasing the amount of reporting of bullying (D. Choi, personal communication, October 10, 2011).
Even if there was a law protecting citizens from being victimized, it wouldn’t be that effective because of the way the hierarchy works in Asian societies (Rhie, 2002).  In agreement with Bukspan, (2004) the graduates of the  Korean Yonsei University would be the powerful, ‘elite’ group that would be ruling society; since it is considered the best university in Korea (Yonsei University, 2007).  Therefore, graduates of Yonsei are in positions of power throughout the country and can continue supporting each other from ‘outsiders.’
Koo, Kwak and Smith (2008) points out that the nature of Korean bullying is based on collectivism in which an individual’s opinion over a peer is not so important but pupils follow the silent decision of a majority (p. 136).  According to Rhie, (2002) that is (1) because Koreans find it impossible for an individual to exist alone in society. That’s why they create and belong to countless social groups not only to protect themselves but also to increase their spheres of influence and power. (2) Because of Confucian traditions, where hierarchy and rank are the necessary facts that need to be taken into consideration when building friendship. It is easy to know someone but to become close friends -- age and title play a major role. With that in consideration, it makes sense that many Koreans bully each other mostly by gipdan-ttadolim which is translated as group isolation (Koo, Kwak & Smith, 2008).  Due et al. (2005) call this as social exclusion and that it may result in a lack of social participation and attachment and delayed and possibly weakened development of social competencies, which may harm future social and work prospects (p.130).  Since Koreans do not want to be excluded and thus, feel the negative effects in the future relations, it is being noticed lately among youth that the bully, bystanders and the victim laugh when bullying happens (D. Choi, personal communication, October 10, 2011).  It is  a normal reaction for the bully and the bystanders to laugh; however, when the victim laughs while being bullied, it is probably because he has an internal conflict and displaying discrepancies in nonverbal behaviors such as laughing while being bullied in the hopes of not being isolated (Ivey, Ivey & Zalaquett, 2010).
Conclusion:
Even when opening public awareness by the Korean government, it is evident that bullying happens among young children and even among adults. However, it is proved that bullying causes suicidal ideation and it is a serious public health problem (Kim, Koh & Leventhal, 2004).  Starr (2005) argues that it is the schools duty to maintain a safe environment for students so that learning could happen. Since bullying is a relationship problem, it is imperative to solve it through intervention programs,  where the bully gets the attention of counselors, teachers, administrators, and the parents and receives the necessary education to be a more responsible adult who can make the change to become a positive members of society.

References

Bukspan, E. (2004). Bullying at work in France. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 32 (3), 397-406. Retrieved from   EBSCOhost.
Cameron, A. (2009). Regret, choice theory and reality therapy. International Journal of Reality Therapy, 28(2), 40-42. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Corey, G. (2009). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (8th ed.). Belmont CA: Brooks/Cole/Cengage Learning.
Due, P., Holstein, B. E., Lynch, J., Diderichsen, F., Gabhain, S. N., Scheidt, P., & Currie, C.     (2005). Bullying and symptoms among school-aged children: international comparative cross sectional study in 28 countries. European Journal of Public Health, Vol.15, No. 2,128-132.
Fleming, L. C. & Jacobsen, K. H. (2009). Bullying among middle-school students in low and middle income countries. Health Promotion International, Vol.25, No.1, doi:    10.1093/heapro/dap046
Hibbert, A. (2005). Why do people bully? Raintree, Illinois, Chicago.
Hirschstein, M. K., Edstrom, L. V. S., Frey, K. S., Snell, J. L. & MacKenzie, E. P. (2007). Walking the Talk in Bullying Prevention: Teacher Implementation Variables Related to Initial Impact of the Steps to Respect Program. School Psychology Review, 36(1), 3-21. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Houlston, C. K. (2009). The impact of a peer counselling scheme to address bullying in an all-girl London secondary school: A short-term longitudinal study. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 79(1), 69-86. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Ivey, A. E., Ivey, M. B., & Zalaquett, P. C. (2010). Intentional interviewing and counselling: Facilitating client development in a multicultural society (7th ed.). Belmont CA: Brooks/Cole.
Kim, J. U. (2006). The Effect of A Bullying Prevention Program on Responsibility and Victimization of Bullied Children in Korea. International Journal of Reality Therapy, 26(1), 4-8. Retrieved     from EBSCOhost.
Kim, Y. S., Leventhal, B. L., Koh, Y. J., & Boyce, T. (2009). Bullying increased suicidal risk: prospective study of korean adolescents. International Academy of Suicide Research. Retrieved from University of Southern Queensland database.
Kim, Y. S., Koh, Y. J., & Leventhal, B. (2004). School bullying and suicidal risk in korean middle school students. American Academy of Pediatrics. Retrieved in September 27, 2011, from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/115/2/357.full.html
Koo, H., Kwak, K. & Smith, P. K. (2008). Victimization in korean schools: the nature, incidence, and distinctive features of korean bullying or wang-ta. Journal of School Violence, 7:4, 119-139.
Lai, S., Ye, R., & Chang, K. (2008). Bullying in Middle Schools: An Asian-Pacific Regional Study. Asia Pacific Education Review, 9(4), 503-515. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Ma, X. L., Stewin, L. L. & Mah, D. L. (2001). Bullying in school: nature, effects and remedies. Research Papers in Education, 16(3), 247-270. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Pontzer, D. (2010). A Theoretical Test of Bullying Behavior: Parenting, Personality, and the Bully/Victim Relationship. Journal of Family Violence, 25(3), 259-273. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Rhie, W. (2002). Korea Unmasked: In search of the country, the society and the people. (1st ed.). Gimm-Young Publishers, Seoul 110-260, Republic of Korea.
Rosenthal, B. (2008). Bullying. Greenhaven Press, Framington Hills, MI.
Rushowy, K. (2011, October 3). A different way to deal with bullying. Parentcentral.ca. Retrieved from http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/newsfeatures/article/1062917--a-different-way-to-deal-with-bullying
Shapiro, R. M. & Jankowski, M. A. (2005). Bullies, Tyrants & Impossible People: How to beat them without joining them. Crown Publishing Group, Random House, Inc., New York.
Starr, L. (2005). Bullying intervention strategies that work: the community must help victims fight back agains bullies. Education World. Oct 26.
Young, A. (2009). Empowering Students: Using Data to Transform a Bullying Prevention and Intervention Program. Professional School Counseling, 12(6), 413. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Yonsei University. (2007). Yonsei newsletter. Retrieved from http://www2.yonsei.ac.kr/eand/eng/cgi-bin/view.asp

During June and July of 2011,  I was not able to contribute to the world of blogs. The reason was because I was in Turkey seeing my family shortly but also I was in the process of buying a small property which actually is an other story to tell. It is an arduous process to buy a property in Turkey, especially when there are more than one property owner. We spent many mornings, getting up, getting ready and been told that they cannot perform the selling of the property due to some bureaucratic reason or another. Not only that but also the property is in a small village that had no Internet connection, therefore, I was unable to contribute to my blog.

Moreover, during summer of 2011, we spent 21 days traveling around Europe with Rail-passes. Our journey started in Munich, with which we both fell in love. I am not an authority on this but June in Munich is the best, if you ask me. We stayed at a hostel called Wombats City Hostel. The place was very conveniently located and full of backpackers. During the day, we walked around and saw the city which was full of unique buildings, surrounded by parks which are full of lush greenery. I also have to say I found the people very approachable, friendly and helpful. The farmers markets have abundant meat, olives, fruits and vegetables, dips and of course beer gardens. It was almost impossible to not be impressed with everything. We easily met a group of local guys who were having some wine and beer at the water fountain. After a few seconds of observation and with the help of their input, we realized that they didn’t want for to pay for beer from the beer gardens but instead, they go and buy their booze from the store and cool it off in the fountain and then drink standing. Overall, I was really happy to be there except one moment that I was dumb founded. As we were walking along the side of the river, we saw people sunbathing on the shore which looked great. Then, Tim asked me if the guy right next to us was naked or not. I looked at the guy, who was lying down in a weird way as if he wanted to burn the side of his leg and his tummy at the same time. Anyway, when I saw him mostly sideways, although it looked like he might be naked, I did not want to believe that could be a possibility. So I shared with Tim my idea which was that the guy was wearing a bathing suit however it was made out of tan color fabric. We started walking away, as the angle changed, I learned very fast that the people in Munich do not feel obliged to cover themselves.

We took the train to Berlin that night. Berlin is a very historical old city full of war ruins. Checkpoint Charley which was the cross over between east and west Berlin in the days of the division. Next, we saw the parliament building and the remaining pieces of the wall which was amazing. The people in Berlin seemed like they do not know how to move their muscles on their faces that could make them smile. Seriously, I was not impressed with that. We went to a cafe shop and bought coffees which were delicious. However, when I wanted to use the bathroom, the owner asked me to pay her 0.5 euros. Total scandal!  I have used toilets in 8 countries in Europe, not even once in Nice I was asked to pay when I was a customer in a store. Even in NICE it is free for customers. Thinking that it is an experience and we came to have an experience and so we did have one. The night came and we took the train to Malmo, Sweden just for a short stay. Next, we took another train and went to Copenhagen where I met Wolf and his wife, Martina for the first time. 

To be continued...

This weekend I made two how to movies, one about cheese and the other is yogurt.
Please feel free to share any recipes that would go well with yogurt and/or cheese I made.
Enjoy!