"Where Are You From?"
Before I came to Armenia, some people told me to not speak Turkish there, or not to say where I come from. I understand their worries but I didn’t even think about lying before I came to Armenia. Because everyone should be free to express themselves, as long as you are respectful. We shouldn’t hate anyone regarding of their nationality. So there was this man, who was a tourism professional. There was this board with all the places you could visit in Yerevan. Firstly, he spoke Armenian to us, which we responded English to by saying we don’t speak the language. After that, he asked us “where are you from?” and to be honest, this is what I was waiting for. I was waiting for the time I could say I’m from Türkiye and see an reaction of a random Armenian stranger. My dear friend Deniz said “America” but right after I said Türkiye. “Türkiye?” The man asked, a little bit surprised, but with a big smile on his face. “But you have an Armenian face!” he said. We smiled, thanked him for the help he had to offer for tourism attractions and then we went away. My friends said that they were a little bit afraid that I was telling someone in such a comfortable way that I am from Türkiye. And I get it, when I told it, I got a little bit scared too. But I wanted to be honest. The whole way we talked Turkish and I thought that people would stare when we would talk in our language, but no one did. Everyone minded their own business. Isn’t it weird that society expects you to react to a nation that they don’t get along well with? Why should we be afraid about telling about our origin, when coming into this world and choosing our parents was not even an option? When we walked around the city, it didn’t just feel like that I was in Armenia. It felt like if I was just exploring the world. Because when you think about a world without borders, there are no restrictions.
So, where do I begin? Should I start with my name, my age, or with the place I’ve been born? Okay, let’s do this. Let’s do as if you are meeting me on the street and let’s become friends. “What’s your name?” Your asking, right? Well, my name is Hilal Biçici and “Hilal” means crescent moon. Fun fact, normally my name should be written with an “â”. It changes the pronunciation a lot. Now you’re wondering what’s my age. I was born in 2001, which makes me 23 years old, but actually I am more excited about being in my thirties. Finally, where are you from? This is the trickiest question actually. Long story short, both of my parents are Turkish, but I was born and raised in the Netherlands. Nice to meet you!
