Me, myself and Ajš

Merhaba! My name is Aysenur, but you can call me Ajš. You had chance to get to know me in December issue of magazine. You need to get used to me writing articles for now on, because I will be here in Mreža udruga Zagor for a full year. This article is for introducing myself. I came from Izmir, a gorgeous city in Turkey. As for my background, I have studied International Relations at Ege University, which

equipped me with negotiation skills and different disciplines. It is essential for me because International Relations are multidisciplinary and it means we can cooperate with different things. It has also made me knowledgeable about how Non-governmental organizations work on an international level which is

always useful for my perspective. Therefore, I realized I could get through with every part of life.

As I am a multitasking person, I have also worked during my time as a student. I worked at Greenpeace Mediterranean Turkey, which is a Non-governmental organization that works on climate change issue. I became highly competent in teamwork. All these years in this NGO helped me conflict resolution strategies. I have also organized many events and workshops to develop and present these organizations campaigns to people as a local volunteer. It taught me how powerful volunteering is and that we can change almost everything if we believe in ourselves.

In that time, I have participated in many trainings like Greenpeace International Leadership, Greenspeakers, and I became an instructor in some of them. I am still volunteering as a local group facilitator remotely in this NGO.

All these things are about my idealist part. One part of me is realistic and the other part is dreamy. I can explain myself like a harmony of opposite. I feel deeply about both of them. To talk about my dreamer side, I always laugh, dance, act like a movie character. I like taking photos, especially with my film cameras (analog photography). While taking photos, I prefer to change some things, add

shadow or light motive. By this, I try to show that another possibility is possible.

I take photos for a long time, somewhere around ten years. Taking photos is the best way to express myself and show my point of view. This shows why I’ve been taking pictures for so many years. I prefer to use analog cameras because it is a good way to understand the process. I’ll write about this more detail in future articles of this magazine (stay tuned).

The thing that has made me feel the best in past few years has been the lindy hop dance. I am interested in old times, vintage things, and jazz music so lindy hop is the best combination of all of them.

Dance nights are like a time machine because all of us are wearing vintage clothes, and sometimes jazz bands are playing. You can forget everything about that day, and enjoy. As a result, this dance has an important place in my life.

My self-healing method is also painting. I paint items such as refrigerators and tables. When I focus on the painting, I feel calm. All my thoughts are getting clear in my head. My other option for feeling better is socializing. I like sharing emotions and memories. I think getting together is our best power and we must realize it.

I guess I explained myself in few words for now; there must be something to write about in future issues. I hope you will stay tuned and find out more about analog photography, painting, lindy hop and me.

Author: Aysenur Kursun

Photo: Aysenur Kursun