Paulette Douglas

For me the whole trip for me was quite transformational, I learnt a lot about myself both personally and professional.  And of course firsthand experience of the Turkish people and the culture was amazing and intriguing.

Best days?  Well if I had to choose it would have to be:

1.  The visit (via cable car) to the historic site of Pergamon which took me back in time and was just amazing.

2.  The visit to the children's home and the vocational centre where we met the inspiring groups of boys and girls.

3.  The National Teachers' Day party held at the hotel - this felt like complete immersion into aspects of the Turkish culture and philosophy for life.

4.  The training weekend: this brought us Londoners to a space where we could engage with Turkish professionals and young people and get a feel for their perceptions of life and their futures.  It also provided an insight into the Turkish mindset i.e what matters to them, where they're at as individuals and as a collective.

All in all it was an amazing trip and one which really challenged my own perceptions about the things that are important in life. Also, the importance of regular engagement as professionals in order to share/exchange experiences and ideas and to challenge misconceptions. I learnt what it means to be proud of one's country and to have visions for its future and be an integral part of that future, and at the same time having a global perspective. Though language was a barrier we were able to overcome this with the right attitude i.e. a willingness to engage and come alongside as human beings with a commonality of experiences.

It was a great trip and will always be memorable for me on several levels!