One of the final assignments in this class was to create a photo documentary essay. The topic of my essay was "Objects that migrants bring from back home that reveals their attachment to their homelands". I have a friend who is from Turkey and I asked her if i could use some of her items for this assignment. She could only find 3, and they were the evil eye, her flag, and a necklace her parents gave her that has a prayer on it. In Turkey, the evil eye is normally a bead that can be carried around with a person. It can be on a string, a necklace, a key chain, etc. My friend's was on a bracelet, and in Turkey, they often refer to it as "Nazar Boncugu". The purpose of the evil eye is to warn off negative thoughts. The Turkish flag is meaningful to her because it reminds her of where she came from. Not that she necessarily needs a flag to tell her that, but it is like a token of her country. Lastly, the necklace that her parents gave her has a prayer on it called "Ayat Al-Kursi". The purpose of this prayer is similar to the evil eye; it keeps one safe from bad things. The prayer is written in Arabic. She does not speak Arabic, but the meaning of the prayer is comforting. And because her parents gave it to her, she cherishes it.
I found the two other items from my mom. The items were her birth certificate, and her immigration papers. She had the original version of her birth certificate (which was really "cool" to see). I could tell the paper was old, but it was interesting to see the format, and what was written on it. My mom and her twin were born on the 26th of November, but they were registered on the 28th. So, it's like they have two birthdays. The immigration paper I found basically stated that someone from her immediate family filed for her to live in Canada permanently. It also instructed her not to make any sudden decisions regarding that news (like quitting her job, getting rid of any belongings, start packing, etc). I didn't even know that my mom had these documents stored in our house. I'm glad she does because they were interesting to see, and each one told a story.
I find it interesting how your mom and her sister have two birthdays in way. It must feel pretty neat to discover new information about your mother and her background.
ReplyDeleteI too did my Photo Documentary on migrants and their connections with significant objects and traditions. I found it interesting seeing the attachments each individual had. It's amazing to see how something small (like Nilgun's Turkish flag or the evil eye) can be so significant to the individual. I enjoyed knowing that there was comfort felt with such attachments.