People Of Another World I

What to do on a frigid Boston day?

If the weather temperature is negative and even the squirrels have retreated to their nests, a few ideas can be shared. My idea is not to have a hot coffee and sit on the favorite sofa and watch a good movie, although it’s also a good idea, I will share a great interview with you…
  
I’m Melda Sherman; I’m here with my first interview for ARTTMODERNMIAMI NEWS. We are now heading to a mystical country as beautiful as the view of Boston Back Bay that I love so much… I will take you far from Boston just like my book Migratory Birds… I reached Edinburgh, Scotland and
interviewed my dear guest, Mrs. Hülya Donald. How did she experience living in another country? What’s Edinburgh like? Why Scotland? I even asked about the amazing Outlander series and Sam Heughan. I asked everything that could be asked, and she answered sincerely. Let’s get started…
       
Hello everyone with Mrs. Hülya Donald,

—— ARTTMODERNMIAMI NEWS / Melda Sherman: Dear Hülya Donald, can you tell us a little about yourself?
——HÜLYA DONALD: I’m Hülya Donald. We immigrated to Turkey from Kosovo Pristina on our father’s side. I was born in Turkey. I am married. I have a son. I look at life with the glass half full. I am someone with many hobbies. Such as canoeing, cycling, growing flowers, reading, painting, sewing. I live in Edinburgh, Scotland.

——MELDA SHERMAN: Ooo, you have immigration codes. What is your reason for settling in Edinburgh?
——HÜLYA DONALD: I live in Edinburgh. I came married with my Scottish husband at the age of 55. I found the right person at the right time.
——MELDA SHERMAN: Oh how nice! Very romantic 🙂 How did you meet?

——HÜLYA DONALD: My husband had come to Turkey to canoe with her friends. We were three friends on a trip. There was an athletic builder with wonderful blue eyes sitting on the bench opposite the Kings Tombs in Dalyan. It’s a coincidence 🙂 Three girls sat next to him. We chatted. After 3 years of friendship, we decided to get married. We had a small wedding in Scotland.
——MELDA SHERMAN: Awesome! A story like a movie 🙂 A love story that starts with a blue-eyed stranger with an athletic body in a mystical place like the King Tombs in Dalyan… I wish you happiness… It’s really beautiful! So, what are immigrants called in Scotland? For example, in America it is called “immigrant”. How is the situation in Scotland? Are there many immigrants?
——HÜLYA DONALD: In Scotland immigrants are called “immigrant” as in America. In recent years, educated and academic immigrants have come a lot.
——MELDA SHERMAN: Where did you live before?
——HÜLYA DONALD: I used to live in Istanbul.
——MELDA SHERMAN: What is your job? Have you had previous experience of living abroad?
——HÜLYA DONALD: I have had 30 years of working life in Turkey. I’m an ex-model. Then I retired from an airline company. I have traveled quite a bit in all my jobs. Due to my job, we sometimes had flights to 3 continents a month. We stayed where we went.
——MELDA SHERMAN: I am sure our readers would like to see your photos; you are full of surprises. Next question: How did you adapt to where you live?

——HÜLYA DONALD: As a person, I can easily adapt to any place. The work that I have been loving for years also has an effect on this.
——MELDA SHERMAN: How is life in Scotland, or rather Edinburgh?

——HÜLYA DONALD: Edinburgh has a population of 500 thousand, Scotland’s population of 5.5 million. The buildings in a part of the city are 500 years old. The rest is 200 years old. Traveling with a UK visa. Livestock is mostly practiced in the country.

——MELDA SHERMAN: Are there any studies for the integration of immigrants?
——HÜLYA DONALD: There is not enough work for the integration of immigrants. We help each other among ourselves. I can say that there are not many immigrants, there are no refugees. Because the work to be done here is animal husbandry or agriculture; life is not easy!
——MELDA SHERMAN: We have learned that you are volunteering at the British Heart Foundation. Can you tell us a little about this process?
——HÜLYA DONALD: As soon as I came here, I applied to volunteer with the British Heart Foundation. I have been working for 12 years. I owe a lot to this foundation. Scottish English is very accented. Working here has helped me a lot to understand them. We check, price and sell donations to the foundation. I work at the cash register. I chat with people from all over the world. I am friendly and they love me here, I love them too, of course, I have very nice friends.

——MELDA SHERMAN: Millions of people want to change their lives and live in another country. Living in another country is as difficult an experience as it is beautiful! You must have experienced such moments; can you talk about your experiences?
——HÜLYA DONALD: It is not easy to leave everything behind and live in another country. Sometimes I felt lonely. I missed Turkish food, fruits and vegetables. The first years were tough. You have to endure all difficulties and be patient. I went to the local library and tried to be informed about everything. Such as traffic rules, education system, health system, different etiquette rules.
——MELDA SHERMAN: I understand you very well, it is necessary to be assertive and determined! So, what’s Edinburgh, Scotland like? How is your life?
——HÜLYA DONALD: Scotland is like a dreamland. Its nature, castles and lakes are magnificent. Oxygen level is too high. We drink the water from the mountains. Edinburgh is a very historic city. All the buildings are more than a hundred years old. The buildings are very well preserved. Edinburgh castle is very famous. Its parks, sculptures and museums are worth seeing. I saw thousands of stars and satellites at night at the campsite. It was like a dream. While we were kayaking, we passed the seals. When traveling to western Scotland in the summer, watch out for the Midges. They wander in the form of a white cloud. The bite site is very itchy and swollen. People wear net-like hats on their heads to cover their faces for protection. There are also ticks. When I first went camping, I wore wool socks. When I woke up in the morning, I saw 10-12 ticks on my ankle. My husband cleaned it all up with the tick removal tool.

——MELDA SHERMAN: OMG! Women with tulle hats came to life in my eyes. I had seen it in some movies, and I couldn’t understand why. We learned the reason 🙂 Another question: You are married to a Scottish man. It will be a specific question but how are Scottish men temperamentally? Can you give an example of the words love?
——HÜLYA DONALD: Scottish men are very kind and value women. They share the housework. They often say words of love. All couples hold hands. Even if they are angry, they do not raise their voices.
——MELDA SHERMAN: Very nice! If we were to say what is the turning point in your life, what would you say? Is moving abroad a turning point?
——HÜLYA DONALD: The turning point in my life was involuntary early retirement. The second turning point was living abroad with a wonderful companion.

——MELDA SHERMAN: The Outlender series, which won the hearts of millions, is filmed in Scotland. The amazing Sam Heughan in the movie stole everyone’s hearts. Scottish men and the atmosphere of the show really like that? Or are they offering us a dream?
——HÜLYA DONALD: Yes, the Outlander series that won the hearts of millions was filmed in Scotland. We went to Culross Castle in the Fife region where the series was filmed. Fabulous atmosphere, preserved as it is. You can close your eyes and dream. You can wear the clothes of that time and take pictures. And yes, Scottish men are really cool 🙂

——MELDA SHERMAN: As a Turkish woman living in Scotland for years, how do you view Istanbul and Turkey? Do you go often? Or do you think that I will settle in the Aegean after a while?
——HÜLYA DONALD: I am very happy to live in Edinburgh. I have a happy life. I go to Istanbul every 2 months. Air pollution bothers me a lot. The young-old faces of the people I’ve seen lately are sullen and unhappy. The economic crisis has a great impact on this. This energy affects me negatively. I feel very angry. We used to think that we should buy a house in the south and spend the winter in Turkey. We gave up. We have a caravan in the comfort of home. Last year, we passed 5 countries from Scotland and went to Turkey. We did a Turkey tour. It was tiring but beautiful. I love my country, visiting is enough.
——MELDA SHERMAN: Now is the time to dream! Everyone should take some time for this! Imagine if the whole world would hear you! What would you like to tell us? Do you have a message to people? What is the summary of life?
——HÜLYA DONALD: There is something I am very sensitive about. We must protect and care for nature. We must reduce the use and consumption of plastic. We should love and be tolerant of each other. If we use resources correctly, this world is enough for all of us. Scotland, Edinburgh has added so much to my life. Nature consciousness and integration with nature are some of these and I wish this consciousness spread to the world.
——MELDA SHERMAN: Thank you for this nice interview.
——HÜLYA DONALD: Thank you and greetings from Edinburgh.
I am happy to realize the first of the interview series for ARTTMODERNMIAMI NEWS. I wish everyone a pleasant new year with the wonderful atmosphere of Edinburgh and the sincere feelings of Mrs. Hülya Donald.

“How many women can a woman fit in a lifetime?
How many women does she turn into?”
Migratory Birds / Melda Sherman

Melda SHERMAN
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