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❝ My Language Learning Journey ❞ / Hazal Paçaci

❝ My Language Learning Journey ❞ / Hazal Paçaci

Nosūtīja Loreta Gudelj
Atbilžu skaits: 1

Upoznajte Hazal- plesačicu, zaljubljenicu u jezike i slobodnog duha koja život prihvaća s pozitivnošću i kreativnošću. Izvorno iz Turske, Hazalin put odveo ju je iz Istanbula u Bosnu, a zatim u Zagreb, Hrvatsku. Na tom putovanju izgradila je uspješnu karijeru u ljudskim resursima, a sada započinje uzbudljivo novo poglavlje kao coach.

Zahvaljujući ljubavi prema jezicima- tečno govori turski, engleski, hrvatski te španjolski na visokoj srednjoj razini- Hazal se lako povezuje s ljudima različitih kultura. U ovom intervjuu dijeli svoja iskustva prilagodbe životu u Hrvatskoj, radosti i izazove učenja jezika te kako joj je život u inozemstvu promijenio pogled na svijet.

 

Fotografija: Hazal Paçaci 


Hazal, možeš li se ukratko predstaviti OLS platformi?

Ja sam plesačica i umjetnica. Život gledam kroz prizmu pozitivnosti i kreativnosti. Moj istraživački i slobodni duh uvijek me potiče da živim punim plućima. Dolazim iz Turske, a trenutno živim u Zagrebu. Imala sam dugu karijeru u ljudskim resursima, a sada ulazim u novu karijeru kao coach. Moja supermoć su jezici. Moj materinji jezik je turski, tečno govorim engleski i hrvatski, a španjolski govorim na (višoj) srednjoj razini. Do sada sam živjela u Turskoj, Bosni i Hercegovini, Sjedinjenim Američkim Državama i Hrvatskoj.

 

Možeš li nam reći nešto o svom putu od Turske do Bosne i zatim do Zagreba? Što te dovelo ovamo?

Moj posao. Radila sam za jednu hrvatsku multinacionalnu kompaniju dugi niz godina. Počela sam raditi u njezinu uredu u Istanbulu, a kasnije su mi ponudili preseljenje prvo u Bosnu i Hercegovinu, a zatim u Zagreb, gdje sam preuzela novu ulogu i dodatne odgovornosti pri svakom preseljenju.

 


Kako su te iskustva u Bosni pripremila za život u Hrvatskoj?

Prvo što mi pada na pamet je- jezik! Naučila sam bosanski i to mi je puno pomoglo u prijelazu na život u Hrvatskoj. Također, iskustvo života u inozemstvu u Bosni pripremilo me i za život u Hrvatskoj.

 

 

Fotografija: Hazal Paçaci 


Kakvi su bili tvoji prvi dojmovi o Zagrebu i jesu li se promijenili s vremenom?

Imala sam malo nesreće s vremenom preseljenja jer je to bilo u vrijeme Covida, pa je moja prva godina u Zagrebu uglavnom bila rad od kuće, lockdown i mjere. To mi je bilo izazovno i nisam baš mogla upoznati grad. Kada je Covid završio, to je imalo veliki i pozitivan utjecaj na moj život – napokon sam mogla izlaziti i upoznavati nove ljude! Ono što volim kod Zagreba je sigurnost i praktičnost koje omogućuju kvalitetan život.

 

Kako je izgledalo tvoje učenje hrvatskog jezika?

Kad sam se doselila u Zagreb, već sam govorila jezik, ali trebalo mi je neko vrijeme da se priviknem na naglasak i hrvatski vokabular.

 

 

Fotografija: Hazal Paçaci 

 

Postoje li sličnosti između turskog i hrvatskog jezika u vokabularu zbog povijesti – je li ti to pomoglo u učenju?

Iskreno, ne baš. Neke riječi, iako imaju tursko porijeklo, malo su izmijenjene da bi se uklopile u hrvatsku fonetiku, a ponekad se čak koriste i u drugačijem kontekstu. No ipak je zabavno prepoznati hrvatske riječi koje zvuče kao turske!

 

 

Fotografija: Hazal Paçaci 

 

Koji su ti bili najveći izazovi u učenju hrvatskog?

Padeži i rodovi :) Hrvatski ima više padeža i složeniji su. Također, u turskom jeziku nemamo rodove ni u zamjenicama ni u pridjevima, niti imenice imaju rod. Dakle, iako znam razliku između „čitao sam“ i „čitala sam“, nemam prirodan osjećaj za to.

 

Što misliš o OLS platformi? Smatraš li je korisnom?

Mislim da je OLS izvrstan resurs za učenje jezika. Učinkovit je, jednostavan za korištenje i pruža vrijednu podršku u unapređenju jezičnih vještina. Čvrst izbor za svakoga kome je potrebna pomoć u učenju jezika!

 

 

Fotografija: Hazal Paçaci 

  

Imaš li neku smiješnu ili zanimljivu hrvatsku riječ ili izraz koji ti se posebno istaknuo?

„Bok“. Jer „bok“ na turskom znači „sranje“, pa je smiješno pozdravljati ljude tom riječju. Ali navikla sam se davno.

 

Ti si pravi poliglot i učiš još jezike – reci nam nešto o tome!

Mislim da to dolazi od mog oca. I on je bio vrlo talentiran za jezike i u mladosti je brzo učio i govorio razne jezike! Pretpostavljam da je to obiteljska stvar.

 

 

Fotografija: Hazal Paçaci 


Koji su jezici još na tvojoj listi želja?

Dobro pitanje! Definitivno francuski, a možda bih nastavila i s njemačkim.

 

 

Kako bi usporedila kulturu u Hrvatskoj s onom u Turskoj?

Rekla bih da u turskoj kulturi emocije dolaze prve i da smo mi, Turci, impulzivniji od Hrvata. Također, u Hrvatskoj postoji individualističkiji pristup odnosima, dok su Turci više „zajedničarski“ tip ljudi.

 

Jesi li primijetila neke zajedničke kulturne elemente između Turske i Hrvatske?

Postoje slične fraze i izrazi u oba jezika. Mislim da to pokazuje sličnost u načinu gledanja na život i zajedničko nasljeđe.

 

Kako tvoj svakodnevni život u Zagrebu izgleda u usporedbi s onim u Turskoj?

U Zagrebu je definitivno manje prometa i gužvi :) Dolazim iz velikog grada Izmira, a živjela sam i u Istanbulu osam godina- i vjerujte mi, u tim gradovima nije lako doći od točke A do točke B! Potrebno je puno više vremena nego u Zagrebu. Također, kvaliteta mog života ovdje je viša jer Turska, nažalost, nema stabilnu ekonomiju. U Hrvatskoj uživam veću kupovnu moć, što čini veliku razliku u svakodnevnom životu.

 

Koja su ti omiljena mjesta u Zagrebu? Zašto baš ta?

Jarun, svakako- jer volim prirodu, a Jarun nudi savršenu kombinaciju plavog i zelenog :) Također volim Zrinjevac i Strossmayerov trg jer nude zelene prostore, a ujedno su u centru.

 

 

Fotografija: Hazal Paçaci 

 

Jesi li razvila krug bliskih hrvatskih prijatelja?

Imam krug hrvatskih prijatelja, iako ne bih rekla baš jako blizak. No, imam divne hrvatske prijatelje u svom životu koji značajno obogaćuju moje iskustvo ovdje. Moj najuži krug zapravo čine prijatelji Turci koji ovdje u Zagrebu žive već dulje vrijeme. Mislim da nas iskustvo života u inozemstvu još više povezuje.


Kako bi usporedila tursku i hrvatsku kuhinju?

U Hrvatskoj je kuhinja u unutrašnjosti uglavnom bazirana na mesu i krumpiru, a na obali na ribi i morskim plodovima (što ima smisla!). Turska ima sličan aspekt, ali mislim da je naša kuhinja jedna od najbogatijih na svijetu! Zbog klime imamo veliku raznolikost voća i povrća, a osmanska baština (jela koja su se pripremala u palačama) donosi nevjerojatnu raznolikost recepata i kombinacija.


 

Fotografija: Hazal Paçaci 

 

Imaš li omiljeno hrvatsko jelo (koje je možda i tursko)?

Obožavam štrukle! Iako podsjećaju na neka turska jela, ne mislim da su turskog porijekla.

 

Jesi li uvela neka turska jela svojim hrvatskim prijateljima?

Nekima da, ali mislim da im je najdraži turski doručak koji im pripremam! To je doista poseban doživljaj.

 

 

Kako obično provodiš vikende ili slobodno vrijeme ovdje?

Plesačica sam i sportašica, pa dosta vremena provodim u plesnom studiju i teretani. Također izlazim ili se družim s prijateljima Turcima.

 

 

Fotografija: Hazal Paçaci 

 

Jesi li imala priliku istražiti druge dijelove Hrvatske? Koji su ti se najviše svidjeli?

Plitvice, Lika, Hvar, Split… Hrvatska stvarno nudi predivne krajolike!

 

Postoje li mjesta u Hrvatskoj koja još nisi posjetila, a voljela bi?

Da! Hrvatska ima više od tisuću otoka, trebat će mi sigurno godine da obiđem dobar broj njih! Ali da, voljela bih istražiti otoke na kojima još nisam bila.

 

Kako ti je život u Zagrebu promijenio razumijevanje turske i hrvatske kulture?

Kad dugo živiš u inozemstvu, počneš primjećivati i razlike i sličnosti među kulturama. U mom slučaju, prije sam bila vrlo kritična prema svojoj zemlji- i još uvijek jesam u nekim aspektima- ali sam naučila cijeniti mnoge stvari o vlastitoj kulturi koje prije nisam. Svejedno, život u različitim kulturama donosi veliko bogatstvo i dublje razumijevanje života.

 

Koji bi savjet dala nekome iz Turske tko razmišlja o preseljenju u Hrvatsku?

Istražite kulturu, budite jasni u vezi svojih očekivanja i onda odlučite je li to vaša destinacija. Iskreno, ovaj savjet bih dala ne samo za Hrvatsku, već za bilo koju zemlju. Kultura čini veliku razliku u svakodnevnom životu, a život u inozemstvu traži puno prilagodbe i može biti izazovan. Ako planirate živjeti u stranoj zemlji (ne samo je posjetiti), ključno je biti informiran o dinamici života tamo.

 


Fotografija: Hazal Paçaci 

 

Što za tebe znači život u Zagrebu i kako je oblikovao tvoj osobni razvoj?

Osobni razvoj je zaista prava riječ. Dodala bih i- samootkrivanje. Naučila sam puno o sebi- tko sam, što želim raditi u životu, što volim, u čemu uživam… Mislim da je važno upoznati sebe. Jedina osoba koja nas prati cijeli život smo- mi sami! To rečeno, sada mogu reći da sam spremna za sljedeću fazu svog života!


Hvala što ste bili dio Hazalinog putovanja! Voljeli bismo čuti vaša razmišljanja ili iskustva- slobodno ostavite komentar ispod.


Loreta, OLS Community Manager – Hrvatski



Atbildot uz Loreta Gudelj

Re: ❝ My Language Learning Journey ❞ / Hazal Paçaci

Nosūtīja Loreta Gudelj
Meet Hazal, a dancer, language enthusiast, and free spirit who embraces life with positivity and creativity. Originally from Turkey, Hazal’s journey has taken her from Istanbul to Bosnia and now to Zagreb, Croatia. Along the way, she’s built a successful career in Human Resources and is now stepping into an exciting new chapter as a coach.

With a love for languages- she speaks Turkish, English, Croatian fluently, and Spanish at an impressive upper-intermediate level- Hazal has a knack for connecting with people across cultures. In this interview, she shares her experiences of adapting to life in Croatia, the joys and challenges of learning the language, and how living abroad has transformed her perspective.


Hazal, Can you tell something about yourself to the OLS platform?

I am a dancer and an artist. I see life through positivity and creativity. My explorer and free spirit always encourages me to live life to the fullest. I am Turkish, currently living in Zagreb, Croatia. I have had a long career in Human Resources and now, I am stepping into a new career as a Coach. My super power is languages. My native tongue is Turkish; I also speak English and Croatian fluently and Spanish at an (upper) intermediate level. I have lived so far in Turkey, Bosnia & Herzegovina, the United States and Croatia.


Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your journey from Turkey to Bosnia and then Zagreb? What brought you here?

My job :) I worked for a Croatian multinational company for many years. I started working in the Istanbul office of that company and later on I was offered first a relocation to Bosnia & Herzegovina and then later on, to Zagreb and took over a new role and additional responsibilities with each move.


How did your experiences in Bosnia prepare you for life in Croatia?

The first thing that comes to my mind is language! I learned Bosnian and that helped a lot in my transition to Croatia. Also, being an expat in Bosnia prepared me for an expat life in Croatia as well.


What were your first impressions of Zagreb, and have they changed over time?

I was a bit unlucky with the timing of my move to Zagreb because unfortunately, it was Covid time and my first year in Zagreb was mostly working from home and being in lockdown or under certain measures that were implemented at the time. This period was challenging for me and I did not get to experience the city that much. When Covid ended, it sure had a big and positive impact on my life and finally I was able to get out and meet new people! What I like about Zagreb is the safety and convenience it offers for a quality life.


How was your experience learning Croatian?

When I moved to Zagreb, I was already speaking the language but it took some time for me to get familiar with the accent and the Croatian vocabulary.


There are similarities between Turkish and Croatian in vocabulary due to historic reasons, have that helped you learn the language?

Not really, to be frank. Because some of those words, despite coming from Turkish origin, are slightly changed to accommodate the Croatian phonetics and sometimes are even used in a different context. However, it's still quite fun to be able to say some Croatian words that sound like Turkish!


What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while learning Croatian?

Padeži and genders, Croatian has more cases and they are more complicated. Also, we do not have gender pronouns or adjectives in Turkish, meaning we do not conjugate the verbs or adjectives according to a male or female speaker. Nouns are also not assigned any gender. So, although I know the difference between “čitao sam” i “čitala sam”, I do not have a feeling for it.


What do you think about OLS platform and do you find it useful?

I think OLS is a great resource for language assistance. It’s efficient, user-friendly, and provides valuable support for improving language skills. A solid choice for anyone in need of linguistic help!  


Are there any funny or interesting Croatian words or expressions that stand out to you?

“Bok”. Because “bok” in Turkish means “shit” and it is funny to be greeting people with this word. But I got used to it a long time ago.


You are a real polyglot and you learn another languages as well, tell us more about it!

I think it comes from my dad. He is also very talented in languages and in his youth, he was able to learn and speak different languages quite fast! So, I guess it runs in the family!


Which languages are still on your wishlist?

That’s a good question! Definitely French and maybe I would continue with German.


How would you compare the culture in Croatia to that of Turkey?

I think it is safe to say that in Turkish culture, emotions come first and we, as Turks, are more impulsive than Croatians. Also, Croatia has also a more individualistic approach to relationships where Turks are more “community” type of people.


Have you noticed any shared cultural elements between Turkey and Croatia, perhaps linked to history or heritage?

Both Croatian and Turkish have similar phrases or expressions. I think that shows the similarity of life views and heritage between both cultures.

How does your daily life in Zagreb compare to your life in Turkey?

Well, in Zagreb, there is definitely less commute and less traffic :) I am from a big city called Izmir and I also lived in Istanbul for eight years, and trust me, in those big cities, getting to places is not easy! And it certainly takes much more time than it does in Zagreb! Also, my quality of life has increased here, because Turkey unfortunately does not offer a stable economy. In Croatia, I get to enjoy having a higher power of purchase which makes a huge difference in daily life.


What are some of your favorite spots in Zagreb? Why do you love them?

Jarun Lake for sure, because I love nature and Jarun offers a great combination of blue and green :) I also like Zrinjevac and Strossmayer parks/squares because again, they offer a green scenery and they are also in the center.


Have you developed a close circle of Croatian friends?
How have they influenced your experience in Croatia?

I have a circle of Croatian friends but unfortunately, I would not say a very close circle. However, I have quite amazing Croatian friends in my life who absolutely make a huge difference in my experience here. My close circle is actually a group of Turkish friends, who also live here in Zagreb for a longer period of time. I think the experience of being an expat/foreigner here bonded us even more.


How would you compare Turkish and Croatian cuisine?

Well, Croatia has a cuisine that is based mostly on meat and potatoes in the inner parts of the country, and a cuisine that is based on fish and seafood in the coastal area (which makes sense!). While Turkey has a similar aspect, I think our cuisine is the richest in the world, to be honest! There is a variety of vegetables and fruits available due to its climate and also, the Ottoman heritage (recipes served in palaces etc…) offers a huge variety of combinations and recipes that you would not even imagine!


Do you have a favorite Croatian dish (that’s maybe Turkish as well)?

I love štrukli! While it is similar to some Turkish dishes, I do not think that it is of Turkish origin.


Have you introduced any Turkish dishes to your Croatian friends?

To some yes, but I think what they most love is the Turkish breakfast I make for them! It is truly an experience.


How do you usually spend your weekends or free time here?

I am a dancer and athlete. Therefore, I spend quite some time in the dance studio and in the gym. I also go out or hang out with my Turkish friends.


Have you had the chance to explore other parts of Croatia? Which places have you enjoyed the most?

Plitvice, Lika, Hvar, Split… Croatia offers quite a bit of scenery!


Are there any places in Croatia that you haven’t visited yet but would love to see?

Yes! Given the fact that Croatia has over a thousand islands, I am sure it will take some years for me to visit even a good number of them! But yes, I would love to explore the islands that I have not been on.


How has moving to Zagreb influenced your understanding of Turkish and Croatian cultures?

When you live abroad as a foreigner for a long time, you start seeing both the differences and similarities between the cultures. In my case, I was very critical of my own country before, I still am in some aspects, but I learned to appreciate a lot of things about my local culture that I did not appreciate before. But still, living in different cultures adds so much richness to your life and understanding of it!


What advice would you give to someone from Turkey considering moving to Croatia?

Research the culture, be clear on your expectations and then decide if this is your destination. Frankly, I would give this advice not only for Croatia but for any country. Culture makes a whole lot of difference in life and living in a foreign country requires quite a bit of adaptation and it can be very challenging. Therefore, if you plan living abroad (not just visiting), it is crucial to be informed about the dynamics of living in that country.


What does living in Zagreb mean to you, and how has it shaped your personal growth?

Personal growth is really the right phrase here. I would also say; self-discovery. I learned so much about myself- who I am, what I would like to do with my life, what I love, what I enjoy… I think it is very important to get to know yourself. The only person that accompanies us for the rest of our lives is us! That being said, I can now say that I am ready for the next phase of my life!


Thank you for being a part of Hazal’s journey! We’d love to hear your thoughts or anything you'd like to share, so feel free to leave a comment below.