In our never-ending quest to learn everything, we were given the opportunity to interview Burcu, a lovely lady hailing from Turkey. In the interview she dispelled many of our preconceived beliefs, and at the same time piqued our interest in her native land. Sadly, we forgot to ask if "gobble gobble" is a common phrase in Turkey.

Q: What animals are native to Turkey?

A: Unfortunately, my advanced zoology degree was in arctic species, so I can't help you with animals in Turkey. I can tell you which animals are NOT common in Turkey. The turkey. Go figure. You probably won't find too many pigs either since consuming pork is taboo for Muslims. Also, despite the prevalent Hollywood perception that we all ride camels to the market through the desert, you will be hard pressed to find a camel anywhere outside a tourist attraction, where considerate Turks go to a considerable amount of trouble to import camels so that tourists can sustain their misperceptions as they pay for overpriced rides on these non-native beasts.

Q: For someone visiting Turkey for the first time, what locales and attractions do you recommend they visit?

A: Depending on the tastes of the visitor, Turkey offers quite a variety of attractions. If you are the type that would like to lie on a sandy beach all day, Turkey has beautiful shorelines on the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts. In addition to the breathtaking beaches, you will find numerous ancient Greek ruins and theaters, which may induce you to don a toga and start worshipping multiple deities. If you like mountains and forests go hang out at the northern or eastern parts of Turkey. Although, you proceed at your own risk if you wish to visit eastern Turkey since we border with Iran and Iraq, which aren't necessarily the most stable of borders what with all that jihad fever and death to America sentiments going on. If your vacation isn't complete without a visit to a major cosmopolitan city- one that is overpopulated and never sleeps- you must go to Istanbul. This is a unique city, home to both Byzantine and Ottoman Empire historical structures as well as lying in both the Asian and European sides of Turkey. The famous Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul allows you to cross over two continents in just one car ride. Beware that although it is the biggest city in Turkey, Istanbul is not the capital. If you wish to lobby or meet the president on your vacation, then you have to head to Ankara.

Q: Is there a meal that is unique to Turkey that is particularly delicious?

A: There are many options for the culinary adventurer to enjoy in Turkey. The most popular dishes are Doner, Iskender, Lahmacun, and Sis Kebap. The first two dishes are thin slices of lightly seasoned gyro meat slices over lavash bread. Lahmacun is in a way like a thin crust Turkish pizza that comes with ground beef and thinly diced veggies. No cheese on it though. The Kebabs are either lamb, beef, or chicken. The famous kebab is the Adana Kebab (beef) and it is a bit spicier. For the vegetarians it would be very easy to survive in Turkey as we also have lots of tapas and entrees that only have veggies. The national beverage is RAKI. It is almost the same as the Greek drink Ouzo but infinitely better. If you have to make a comparison I would have to say Turkish food is very similar to Greek food but infinitely better. If you have a meal in Turkey do not forget to try out the Turkish coffee afterwards if you enjoy strong coffee. Or polish it off with baklava, which is a sweet delicious pastry that includes filo sheets, walnuts, and syrup. Mmmm...baklava...

Q: What makes Turkey stand apart from the United States and the rest of the world?

A: There are no other countries named Turkey so I guess that would be one way to stand apart from the rest. Maybe a geography enthusiast may challenge me to this but I stand to say there are no other countries in the world that is on two continents. A couple other unique things to remember while visiting Turkey: gratuity is completely optional, you do not have to tip unless you really mean to. Most people just leave the change. Another thing is you will have to be prepared to hearing a prayer in Arabic 5 times a day. One of them being early morning around 4:30 am. These prayers are to remind the Muslims to get up and pray. Some go to Mosques to fulfill this holy duty and some stay home to get in touch with Allah in their own privacy. We don't have Sundays dedicated to religion but Friday noon prayer is the biggest one and most businesses close around that time to allow for the workforce to pray.

Q: Do people always assume you love turkeys since you're from a country with the same name?

A: Only Americans. In Turkey the animal turkey is called "hindi" which as you can tell has nothing to do with the name of the country Turkey. So most Turks live their lives unaware of the fact that the Americans think we love turkey. I am in support of this strange coincidence and hope that Turkey will use this coincidence to its advantage by exporting turkeys to U.S. Buy your turkey from Turkey this Thanksgiving!

Q: Do people drive on the right side of the road, or the left side there?

A: Although it is supposed to be the right side of the road, you may find cars on every side of the road in traffic. It is a common understanding by all Turkish drivers that everyone is crazy when they sit in the driving seat. It is your fault if you don't drive defensive, you are a danger to everyone if you stop at a "STOP" sign, and obey the lane restrictions. Hence it is common for most Turks to use the public transit and almost all cities offer a good public transportation system to allow for survival. There are also a lot of small businesses in residential areas that allows you to walk down to the market without having to worry about finding a bus or parking.

Q: Are Turkish people friendly toward tourists, indifferent, or aggravated by their presence?

A: Not to be biased but Turkish people are known to be some of the most hospitable hosts out there. You would find most Turkish people to be super excited to practice their English if they spot you. They will be eager to show you around or just ask you if you liked Adana Kebab. I wouldn't wear a t-shirt that says "I love Bush" even if you meant the other kind. If they sense that you are pushing a political agenda or religion, they might quickly lose interest in you.