CAP1486

I was an alternate for Taiwan (since April 2nd) and found out on May 23 that I had been promoted/ given the grant/ whatever you want to call it. I received an email first which read "Dear Fulbright Applicant, My name is Jonathan Akeley and I am the program Officer at the IIE responsible for the Asia-Pacific region. Please give me a call at the number in my signature at your soonest convenience to discuss the status of your Fulbright application". When I spoke to him on the phone he said that extra funding opened up, but I'm wondering if that is their way of saying somebody declined the offer or if funding did actually become available. I hope this is helpful.

Just got bumped from alternate to accepted for an ETA in Taiwan!!!! I am beyond excited! Pending medical clearance, I will be in Taiwan August 1st!

I spent part of my junior semester study abroad program in Turkey (in 2007). I was studying ancient Greek and Roman art so my suggestions are mostly based on that. I went to some pretty remote sites; but one of our "jumping off points" was Kusadasi. It is a resort town on the aegean coast where a lot of cruise ships hit. This can be a good and a bad thing. It has a pretty lively night life and there are lots of shops and things to look at within the city, but it can also be very crowded. From Kusadasi we visited Didyma, Priene, Pergamon, and Troy. They are all kind of out of the way, but great places to visit if you want to see ancient Hellenistic temple ruins while in Turkey. Bursa - south of Istanbul - was the first capital of the Ottoman Empire and also has thermal spas that have been in use since the Roman Empire. There are also several mosques there worth seeing. I remember visiting the "Green" Mosque. I remember shopping being particularly good there with a lot of local craftsmen and a big silk trade. In Istanbul, we did go to Hagia Sophia. You could spend a lot of time in there looking at the architecture/frescoes/ mosaics/ learning about how it went from a christian church to a mosque to a museum... it is a very interesting place to visit. I would also visit the Blue Mosque in Istanbul - impressive grounds and interior and very interesting to see a functioning mosque with people praying in it(make sure your knees, arms, and head are covered - if not, they loan you stylish blue pieces of cloth to wrap around yourself). I was in Turkey during Ramadan, so unfortunately, all of the bazars and most of the shops were closed - so I can't tell you anything about what the grand bazar is like, but it is one place I wish I had been able to visit. Be ready for people to be in your face and try to push merchandise/ restaurants on you and when making purchases at stalls or in the bazar be ready to haggle on prices. Hope this is helpful! My recollection of the places we visited is kind of spotty as it was almost 6 years ago (yikes, I feel old!)

Congratulations!!! I stopped reading this forum after I received alternate status for a Taiwan ETA because I was heartbroken. I decided I should just tell myself I was rejected because the thought of more waiting made me feel sick. I started applying for teaching jobs stateside, which has turned into another waiting game because current teachers are interviewed for openings first and newbies won't be contacted until after those positions are filled... which will be June or July! Since I'm stuck waiting for news again, I revisited this forum the other day. I am trying not to get my hopes up, but I am surprised at the funding that is opening up in different countries. I would much rather have the experience of teaching in Taiwan before I begin my career stateside. I'm going to start offering sacrifices and saying prayers to the Fulbright gods for some extra funding for a Taiwan ETA slot for me (can't hurt, right?)!! My thoughts are with all of you still anxiously waiting for news.

that was my same thought!

I have been reading this forum for the past couple of weeks but this is my first post. I'm a Taiwan ETA hopeful and have now had TWO dreams that I was selected as an alternate, but ultimately not chosen. The wait is messing with my head and I really hope my dreams don't come true in this instance!