July 21

Today was a little more of a difficult day for the debaters during their rounds, as mentioned in previous posts. The Limited Time Prep debates are difficult without prior experience in Karl Popper debate, as it essentially like preparing extemporaneous speeches for the entire debate round. However, the debaters are much more confident in their performance in the third round of the day as the negative on Prepared Topic II (the topic about the UN Migrant Workers Treaty). Unfortunately, that was a non-disclosure round, and we do not know the outcome of that debate. There is still one more preliminary round on Topic II tomorrow morning before the beginning of break rounds (octo, quarter, and semifinals).

This evening, we all took a trip from the school to Bağdat Caddesi (Avenue), a long, tree-lined avenue hosting some of the most high-end stores in existence - Burberry, Dolce and Gabbana, Godiva, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and, Rolex. Stores like Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, and Steve Madden were also present along the avenue. It is comparable to Michigan Avenue in Chicago or 5th Avenue in New York, however, aesthetically nicer due to gardens and trees lining the street. Upon arriving at the famous portion of the  street, located between Bostancı and Kızıltoprak in the Kadiköy District of Istanbul, all of us (including Mr. and Mrs. Tolksdorf - who arrived by cab), dined at a McDonald's. Yes indeed, a Big Mac and Large French Fries tastes the same in Turkey as it does in the United States. However, the McDonald's was much classier than what is typically found in the United States; this McDonald's had an outer patio and roof top dining areas. The Avenue features other fast food giants like KFC and Burger King, all of which (including McDonald's) operate motorcycle delivery services, something which is completely unknown in the US. The fast food restaurants reemphasize an earlier cultural point I made about smoking and its prevalence. Ashtrays (and smoking individuals) could be found at all the fast food restaurants, high-end and upscale restaurants, and even in Godiva's outdoor patio. Smoking is the norm in Turkey, and the restrictions in place in the United States are nonexistent in Turkey and Istanbul.

Pictures are posted below:
Roughly, the order of the pictures go McDonald's at Bağdat Caddesi, followed by general and groups shots along the avenue.



Post: Alex