Turkish-American Hour - Episode 34

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• published: 12 Feb 2011
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DESTINATIONS: RAFTING IN TURKEY This travel video explains how Turkey’s mountainous terrain is perfect for rafting. As well as being a thrilling action sport, rafting in Turkey is an excellent way to see different aspects of the country that most visitors do not get to see. With necessary instructions from a professional guide as can be seen in the video, the sport doesn’t require previous experience. The country’s many rivers provide good flat waters in all seasons making it a popular destination for white water enthusiasts from France, Great Britain, Israel, New Zealand, Russia, Sweden and the USA. The Melen River, not far from Istanbul, has flat water during the winter and has a high demand from visitors. In other parts of the country like Koprucay, Dalaman and Coruh rivers have abundant water during spring and the summer. On other rivers, the rafting is a fine ride into the water. Rafting in rivers is classified in 6 categories according to difficulty and danger. Class 1 is considered to be the easiest with small currant with small rapids and no obstructions. Class 6, however, is maximum difficulty, the river is unpredictable and it creates significant danger to life. Turkey’s rivers cover all 6 classes. The easiest rivers can be listed as Koprucay, Dalaman and Kizilirmak which are in Class 1 and is perfect for beginner rafters in all ages and those who would like to raft without a guide. Dalaman and Zamanti rivers have Class 2 and 3. Firat and Coruh which are located in the mountainous eastern Turkey are in higher, more excitement classes of 4 and 6. The length, the depth and the regime of the rivers in Turkey are so convenient for rafting that Turkey has been listed amongst the best rafting countries in the world. HANDMADE: MODEL BOATS In this short, but delightful documentary the Turkish-American hour presents the making of model boats through special arrangements with Turkish Radio Television. Ayhan Demir who is a craftsman from Sinop, shows us the elegant techniques of making model boats. He was influenced by his mentor; craftsman Dervis, who was a fisherman but started making model boats after he became a prisoner and who set sail towards his freedom with his wonderfully crafted boats. Craftsman Dervis carved everything that would help him reach the sea from sailing vessels to small sailing boats to cutters. Craftsman Ayhan became craftsman Dervis’s student after he saw his mentor’s works all of which were fulfilled with his fantasies. After finishing his art school where he learned the language of trees, the details and the smell of the wood, he started working in his workshop. His model boats were so explicit that he started exporting them all over the world from Black Sea to America, Venice and Genoese. Walnut, horn beech and poplar trees are used in model making of boats to produce them in sizes changing from 6 to 30 centimeters. Elegant model boats are sailing with nostalgia and keeping craftsman Dervis’s dreams alive as they continue their journeys. CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERT BY OSMAN KIVRAK AND TERI LAZAR Highly acclaimed Turkish violist Osman Kivrak and his wife violinist Teri Lazar perform two songs in this mini concert. The first piece Uzun Hava is composed by Osman Kivrak for his wife and the second piece is Daldalan which is an adaptation of a Turkish Folk song by Osman Kivrak. Teri Lazar has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in the United States, Europe and the Middle East. She performs with the Sunrise Quartet, the Richmond Chamber Players and Currents. She also has recorded chamber music for the Albany, Klavier, North/South Recordings, Living Music, Plucked String and Centaur labels. She currently works as the faculty member of the American University where she teaches violin and is Artist in Residence. She has won several important music awards including National Association of Music Clubs Competition, the Alexandria Symphony Soloists Competition. Osman Kivrak is a violist and composer, was a winner of the National Scholarship Competition in Turkey, the Baltimore Chamber Music Awards, the Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Awards, the Culver (California) Chamber Music Competition and of three Maryland National Parks and Planning Commission Awards. He performs with the Sunrise Quartet, the Richmond Chamber Players and with Currents. He is also Artistic Director of Concerts at the Beach in Delaware and of the Davies Concert Series. He has recorded chamber music for the Klavier, Amerimusic, Arizona University Recordings and Living Music labels. He has also performed at the Spoleto Festival in the USA and Italy and he has toured Europe a number of times as a chamber music player. His works have been performed in Washington DC at the Kennedy Center, the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the Library of Congress and throughout the United States and in Turkey. Formerly a professor at the Izmir State Conservatory in Turkey, Dr. Kivrak currently teach