I obtained my Master's Degree in Industrial Engineering, and my thesis topic was on the resource provisioning problems in cloud computing services. In September 2018, I moved to Rotterdam with my husband (when he got accepted to work as a PhD student) and in September 2019 I started my Ph.D. studies at Erasmus University Rotterdam.

I usually travel in a 2-person group. I grew up in Giresun, in the East Black Sea Region of Turkey, but with the start of the college, I moved to Istanbul. I've also spent a semester in New Jersey, USA in an exchange program. In my childhood, I was fascinated by the Egyptian Mythology. Of course, as the years passed, I have forgotten about it. And now I want to expand my knowledge of the world, especially the desserts of world kitchen. I deliberately look for the best-rated dessert shops in every city I visit. As we say in Turkey, "Eat sweet, talk sweet."

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is the best way to befriend other people from other countries. I've experienced renting out a place in a foreign country, but I've also experienced staying with a foreigner as a roommate (or hostel-mate). Of course, actually spending your time with a foreigner can gain you more in terms of cultural exchange whereas renting out a place is only an isolated experience with nothing much to learn.

Interests

I like the theater. I like old opera houses, theaters, etc. I like books, also, but I'm very preoccupied with my studies (except summers). I like to watch TV series (Turkish and American). I also like to dance, I have even taught tango in the past for a while until Istanbul's traffic problems prevented me from going further.

• books
• theater
• dancing
• tango
• desserts
• tv
• traveling
• opera
• engineering

Music, Movies, and Books

I like tango musics, 90s Turkish pop, Turkish folk. A short list of my favorite artists includes Jason Mraz, Fazıl Say, Tarkan, Shakira, Zaz, Brenna MacCrimmon, Erkan Oğur, Bülent Ortaçgil, Fikret Kızılok, Hüsnü Arkan, and Michael Buble. I would be more than happy to introduce Turkish music scene to my hosts.

I like Woody Allen movies that don't star Woody Allen (Vicki, Cristina, Barcelona and Blue Jasmine). I don't usually like to watch a movie by myself; however, it is a good pastime when I watch it with my friends and especially my husband.

When I was a child, I've read Popular Science magazines and books. However, my current favorite books/authors include some works of Orhan Pamuk and Paulo Coelho, Blindness by José Saramago, Kite Runner & A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, Serenade by Zülfü Livaneli, and earlier works of Ayşe Kulin.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

On the World Peace Day of 2014, I've seen Ban Ki Moon and been inside of UN headquarters in New York City and I also watched live Yo-Yo Ma while playing his cello and it was amazing!

Teach, Learn, Share

I tried to learn Russian but by now I even forgot the Cyrillic. I might want to practice again if anybody willing comes along. Nowadays I am trying to learn Dutch.

I can teach about Linear Programming, but I doubt anybody would want that :) I can also teach Turkish to the willing. I can create a top-notch itinerary for you to visit Turkey, with insider information.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Netherlands, Turkey, United States