ACTIVITIES NEWSLETTER – January 2023

Welcome to the January 2023 edition of the H3A Newsletter! So appreciate the additions and corrections that were sent in so that this revised version could be made.

Hope to see you at BODTO for presentations twice a month (February Presentations now listed) as well as at Gürece for ongoing activities. (Revised Weekly Gürece schedule below.)

If you are interested in joining an existing interest group or in learning more about it, please contact the person listed below.

Please share any ideas for new activities or other interest groups.  You can contact Didem didemsk@gmail.com or Emel emelhal@gmail.com .

See also News/Announcements at the end of the newsletter.

PRESENTATIONS AND SPECIAL EVENTS

Presentation 43: Depicted 19th Century Mosques of the Aegean

Date: 2 February, Thursday at 15:00

Presenter: Reyhan Destan

BODTO Chamber of Commerce Hall, Bitez

Contact Didem didemsk@gmail.com or Eftal eftalkoklu@gmail.com

World Story Day Event

What: H3A Project, organized by the Bodrum Municipality

Date: 11 February, Saturday

Place: Herodotus Cultural Center

More details to follow

Contact Didem didemsk@gmail.com

Presentation 44: Bodrum Castle

Date: 16 February, Thursday 15:00

Presenter Mehmet Çilsal

BODTO Chamber of Commerce Hall, Bitez

Contact Didem didemsk@gmail.com or Eftal eftalkoklu@gmail.com

SOCIAL GATHERINGS

New Member Welcome Coffee

Next date: 28 January at 11:30 (for those who joined in December)

Place: Herodotus Beach Hotel, Yahşi

Contact: Martha mkspatrick@gmail.com, Eftal eftalkoklu@gmail.com, or Didem didemsk@gmail.com

H3A Breakfast (Monthly)

Next date: Monday, 30 January 10:30AM

Place: La Mandira (Bitez Beach)

To make a reservation please contact Colin: colin@onetoonedesign.co.uk  

Birthday Party for Aquarians

Date: to be rescheduled soon

Place and Time: Gürece, 14:00

Contact: Emel emelhal@gmail.com or Martha mkspatrick@gmail.com

WALKS

Walks: once a week on Sundays (weather permitting)

Dates and locations announced on Google Group.

Contact  Ethem : ethemsiral@gmail.com , Fatoş : msiral@hotmail.com  or

Fuat : yetkinler44@gmail.com

Seaside Strolls: once a week on Saturdays (weather permitting)

Dates and locations announced on Google Group and WhatsApp.

Contact Lale: lale122@hotmail.com

Bodrum Botanic Group:

Dates will be announced on GoogleGroup.

Location : Open air

Contact Mete : topparemete@yahoo.com

INTEREST GROUPS

Art Groups

Hero Art

Date : Tuesdays 14:00

Location: Gürece

Contact Nilgün Erdem : 0532 323 32 65

Digi Art

Date: Saturdays at 11:00

Location: Gürece

Contact Aslı : aslisander@gmail.com

Handicrafts

Date : Thursdays , 11:00 – 13:00 (every other Thursday)

Next meeting : 26 January

Location: Gürece

Bonus for early arrivers: Nurhan Ergenekon leads Yoga workshop from 10:00 to 10:30

Contact Lale: lale122@hotmail.com  or Esin Atabeyli : esinatabeyli@hotmail.com

Cinema Dizi Group (Turkish)

Date: 2nd Wednesday of each month at 11:00

Next meeting: 8 February

Location : Gürece

Contact Didem : didemsk@gmail.com   

Photography

Date: Mondays at 11:00.

Place: Gürece

Contact Mehmet: mehmetuyargil@gmail.com   

Dance and Other Physical Activities

Aegean Dances

Date: Every Tuesday at 14:00

Location : Erkal Hotel, Yahşi-Ortakent

Contact İnci: incicuhadar@gmail.com   

Hero-Yoga

Date : Every Wednesday 10:00-11:00

Location: Zoom

Contact Yasemin Ünal :  0532 386 6648

Let’s Play Tennis

Will start in February

Contact: Nuran nuran9@gmail.com

Table Tennis

Date and Time: Mondays, 10:30-13:00

Place: Erkal Hotel, Yahşi Ortakent

Contact Mehmet cuhadar.mehmet@gmail.com

Writing Groups

Writing Circle (English):

Date: alternate Mondays, at 14:00.

Location: Gürece

Next dates: 6 and 20 February

Contact Martha: mkspatrick@gmail.com

Writing Circle (Turkish):

Date : alternate Mondays, at 14:00

Location: Gürece

Next date: 30 January. 13 February

Contact Filiz: filizyzc3@gmail.com    

Conversation Groups

English Conversation Group, Level 3

Date :Fridays

Location: Zoom

Contact Edit:rakosliget@yahoo.com    

English Conversation Group, Advanced

Date : every other Wednesday 11:00-12:30

Next sessions:  1 and 15 February

Location: Gürece

Contact Camille :  camillesahin@gmail.com  or Lila : lilamisen@gmail.com

Greek Conversation Group, Levels 1 &2

Date : Tuesdays; resumes 24 January

Time : Level 1 at 11:00 (old students may join too)

          Level 2 at 12:00 (beginners may join too)

Location: Gürece

Contact Camille: camillesahin@gmail.com  

German Conversation Group (all levels)

Spontaneous conversation or homework discussions

Date : Fridays at 11:00

Location : Zoom (throughout the winter)

Contact Sena : senaguralp@gmail.com

Reading Groups

Turkish Reading Group

Next Session: Wednesday, 25 January

Contact Ludmila: ludmila.denisenko@gmail.com   

Happy Reading Group (Turkish)

Next meeting: Friday, 10 February at 11:00 – once a month

Location : Gürece

Contact Lale: lale122@hotmail.com

English Reading Group 1

Next meeting: Wednesday, 15 February 14:00

Contact Bob: rcpatrick5443@gmail.com

Herodotus Travelers Reading Group (Turkish)

Contact Canan: canankucukeren@hotmail.com   

Poetry Reading Group (Turkish)

Meeting once a month

Contact Sönmez:  sonmeztaner48@gmail.com   or Emel: emelhal@gmail.com   

Other Interest Groups

Informal Bridge Group

Dates: Wednesdays and Fridays 13:30 – 17:00

Location: Gürece

Contact Oktay : oktayorhon@gmail.com

Chess Group

Dates: Mondays, 14:00 – 16:30

Location: Gürece

Contact Oktay: oktayorhon@gmail.com   

Games Group

Dates: Thursdays at 14:00

Mexican Train, Scrabble, Americano, or any other games are welcome.

Location: Gürece

Contact Selmin: oguzselmin@gmail.com   

Cook and Eat

Meets in groups of 10 to 12 (first come, first served)

Dates : Sundays – next session to be announced soon

Location : in a volunteer member’s kitchen

Contact Esin Aytaçoğlu :  eaytacoglu@hotmail.com

NEWS/ANNOUNCEMENTS :

At the Extraordinary General Meeting held at Karya on 22 December, the meeting approved raising the 2023 aidat membership fee to 200 TL and the joining fee to 500 TL. Future increases will be determined after reviewing the government’s inflation figures. Bank details have been sent by Adil Korkmaz.

New Member forms are online and at Gürece. They have to be filled out, signed, and handed in personally to Şadan or Adil, including a recent photo and the copy of your ID.

Thanks to all who contributed to the New Years’ Service Project (cosponsored by H3A and Bodrum Humanity Association, led by Lale Çağlar and Ali Hadji).  Food packets were distributed to local families in need.

Monthly birthday parties according to horoscope signs continue to be a great success. Don’t worry summer birthdays! Geminis and Cancers will have a party together in early June. Leos and Virgos will celebrate together in September.  

WhatsApp Groups are set up independently from H3A. H3A bears no responsibility. We suggest no discussions of politics, religion, or commercial announcements.

Wishing everyone a healthy and happy 2023, 

Martha and Emel

Gürece Winter Program 2023 (As of 23 January)
  
Monday11:00 Photography (Mehmet Uyargil)
 14:00-16:30 Chess (Oktay)
 14:00 Writing (Martha/Filiz)
  
Tuesday11:00 Greek Conversation (Ludmila)
 14:00 Art (Nilgün)
  
Wednesday11:00 English (Camille) (Every 2 weeks)
 11:00 Cine-Show (Didem) (2nd week)                 
 13:30 – 17:00 Bridge (Oktay)
  
Thursday11:00 Handicrafts (Lale, Esin) (Once every 2 weeks)
 14:00 Games Group (Selmin)
  
FridayFirst 11:00 – Board (Eftal)
 Middle 11:00 – Happy Reading  (Lale)
 13:30 – 17:00 Bridge (Oktay)
  
Saturday11:00 Digi Art (Aslı)
 14:00 Exhibition Opening or
           Birthday Party
  
Sunday 
  

Directions to H3A in Gürece:

Coming from Bodrum, several hundred metres after passing the leaving Yahşi sign, there is a light and left turn towards Bağla and Akyarlar. Take this left turn. If travelling from Bodrum by dolmuş, take a dolmuş going to Turgutreis, Bağla, Gümüşlük, or Dereköy etc. 

Coming from Turgutreis, take the right turn at the light at the Bağla and Akyarlar sign.  

A few metres after leaving the main road, you will see the tea house on the right.  Turn left here and the building is on the right, next to a hardware store and opposite a ferforje. It is a small, white, single story house with yellow window frames. There is an H3A sign at the corner of the building. Above the door it says Gürece Yerel Derneği Odası.