{"id":57507,"date":"2025-02-19T00:20:49","date_gmt":"2025-02-18T21:20:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gurkangenc.com\/?p=57507"},"modified":"2025-02-19T00:20:49","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T21:20:49","slug":"hello-we-have-a-problem-in-houston-the-power-is-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gurkangenc.com\/en\/2025\/02\/hello-we-have-a-problem-in-houston-the-power-is-out\/","title":{"rendered":"Hello\u2026 We have a problem in Houston. The power is out."},"content":{"rendered":"

After leaving New Orleans, Habip and Bahri were genuinely worried. They were tracking my route via the online system and could see that I was pedaling through heavy rain.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Since the weather was warm, such downpours didn\u2019t matter to me at all. They could last for days, even weeks. I had set up my tent and ridden through countless rainy days in many lands. In such conditions, equipment hardly matters. If I\u2019m cycling non-stop in the rain for weeks or days, it means the weather is warm. Getting wet doesn\u2019t concern me. Today was one of those days, I was soaked to the bone. I was pedaling along the bike path, barely able to see ahead. My rain jacket had only one job, to block the wind from hitting me head-on. As cars passed by, some drivers honked at the sight of someone cycling through the wind and rain, unfazed.<\/p>\n

By the Mississippi River, the wind became so strong that I could no longer move forward. I spotted an open factory on the right. That was it, I\u2019d wait there until the wind calmed down.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Without hesitation, I stepped inside. No one said anything.<\/p>\n

The security guard inside said,<\/p>\n

Guard: Cycling in this weather is madness!<\/p>\n

G\u00fcrkan: I\u2019ve done crazier things. Can I wait here until the wind dies down?<\/p>\n

Guard: Of course.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Later, I learned that in such disaster situations, anyone on the street is free to take shelter wherever they can. They made a point of emphasizing this. You know how these states have that “This is my land, step in without permission, and I\u2019ll shoot” kind of rule? Yes, they legally have that right. But during storms, hurricanes, and tornadoes, you are free to enter places for shelter. What can I say, may God bless them.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

That first night, I camped in a park next to a hospital in a village near New Orleans. I had checked the fire station, but no one was there. The municipal office was closed. Since night was falling, I had no choice but to pitch my tent in the park. This park also had basketball and baseball courts. But on such a rainy day, no one would be outside playing. I set up my tent inside the basketball court, unfolded my chair, and sat down.<\/p>\n

A road ran right next to the court. A few people walking through the park deliberately passed farther away from me rather than taking the closer path. They probably thought I was homeless and were scared, so they changed their route. I just hoped no one would bother me during the night, I\u2019d leave early in the morning anyway.<\/p>\n

Bahri, seeing my location via my website\u2019s satellite tracking system, immediately sent a message: \u201cI have two students in that hospital. If anything happens, let me know.\u201d I have used this tracking system for years, all over the world, for many great purposes.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The next day, I camped in another town\u2019s riverside park. This time, since there were families with children around, I asked the police for permission to stay. The park had restrooms and drinking water, so I wanted to be respectful and get official approval.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Before granting permission, the officer needed to know who I was. He had to understand that I wasn\u2019t homeless or a beggar. Plus, he needed to be someone who understood my situation, because by allowing me to stay, he was also taking responsibility for me.<\/p>\n

Police Officer: Mr. G\u00fcrkan, we\u2019ll come to check on you around 1:00 AM. Is that okay?<\/p>\n

Me: No problem.<\/p>\n

Police Officer: The officers might ask if you’re okay.<\/p>\n

Me: That\u2019s fine.<\/p>\n

And indeed, at exactly 1:00 AM, they came by, checked the area, and left.<\/p>\n

I had another interesting experience\u2026<\/p>\n

Between New Orleans and Lake Charles, there\u2019s a town called Franklin. As I cycled through, I noticed that this town was completely different. It looked nothing like the other towns along the route.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I stopped in the town square, looking around. It felt as if I were in a village in Switzerland or Germany. Honestly, it was like d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu. As I wandered through the streets, I came across a sign:<\/p>\n

World War II German Prisoner of War Camp<\/p>\n

Well, that was unexpected.<\/p>\n

The prisoners, held in a low-security area, were forced to work in the sugarcane fields. The German POW camp was located two kilometers west of town and was established on October 14, 1943. Over 300 German soldiers, mostly captured on the African front, were brought here to work in the sugarcane fields.<\/p>\n

But when did America fight in Africa during WWII? I didn\u2019t know everything, of course. Maybe there had been a prisoner exchange program.<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

In Sweden\u2019s town of T\u00f6re, I had once discovered the graves of two Ottoman soldiers. While cycling through northern Sweden in 2013, I stumbled upon their graves and wondered what they were doing there. It turned out that Turkish soldiers captured in the Balkan Wars had been sent as slaves to work in the mines under a prisoner exchange program. Since I had seen something similar before, I figured that German POWs captured in Africa could have been sent here under a similar system.<\/p>\n

According to town records and local stories, the people of Franklin greatly admired the German prisoners for their discipline and innovative work in the fields. Some returned to Germany after the war, while others stayed in America, settling in various places. Their influence was still visible in the town\u2019s landscaping.<\/p>\n

No matter where I traveled in the world, I always saw that same German discipline. Back in 2013, the agricultural landscapes in Germany amazed me. Between 2014 and 2016, I had seen the remnants of German colonial projects in Africa. From 2017 to 2019, I had observed German agricultural influence in South America. And now, in 2024, I was seeing how Germans were involved in agriculture in the United States 80 years ago. That was surprising.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Since we’re on the topic of World War II, let me share a memory from my visit to the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, ranked among the top three museums in the United States. The museum is incredible\u2014go see it! If you\u2019re in New Orleans, skipping this museum is not an option. I insist you must visit. Visiting here, you truly realize how unbelievably STUPID the human species can be. Of course, after leaving, you\u2019ll remember this stupidity for about five more minutes before forgetting it again. That\u2019s just our nature\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve implemented an interesting system at the museum entrance. Thousands of soldiers who participated in the war have had their military dog tag numbers digitally recorded onto a card. Before you start exploring the museum, you begin your visit by following the life story of the soldier assigned to your card. Throughout the museum, in designated areas, you get to see what that soldier experienced on the battlefield.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The dog tag I received belonged to a truly fascinating soldier. He was the son of a Japanese family that immigrated to America in 1900 and was born and raised as an American citizen. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. government rounded up all Japanese Americans, even those born in the country, and placed them in internment camps, forcing them to work in the fields for years.<\/p>\n

“I was born in America, and even though this is my homeland, my friends and I were forced to work as farm laborers for years,” the soldier recounts. When the U.S. eventually needed more soldiers on the battlefield, they sent Japanese-Americans to war as well. The museum also highlights fascinating details about the discrimination white Americans inflicted on those with Asian features during this time.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In this museum, they don\u2019t shy away from holding themselves accountable, openly showcasing their past mistakes to visitors. That\u2019s why I strongly recommend going. With this visit, I have toured the largest World War II museums in Japan, Russia, Germany, and the United States.<\/p>\n

When I left the museum, I stood under the American flag for a while, just looking at it.<\/p>\n

What if the flag waving over these lands were the Turkish flag? What if Turkey were the world’s most powerful country, holding the greatest resources?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s dive into a bit of a fantasy\u2014this idea intrigues me.<\/p>\n

What if a pre-Seljuk Turkish society had existed on this land?<\/p>\n

Why pre-Seljuk? Because I\u2019m talking about Turks who hadn\u2019t yet blended with Islam and Arab culture\u2014Turks who weren\u2019t part of the population within today\u2019s borders of Turkey.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m talking about a completely different civilization built by the Turks.<\/p>\n

Instead of marching west, what if we had endured the harsh, cold steppes a little longer and, like our ancestors, migrated east as a whole?<\/p>\n

How would this continent look today?<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0 The Turks had a Council of Consultation. Therefore, a system resembling democracy would have emerged.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0 Due to the content of our traditional culture, I believe it would have completely influenced world culture.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0 The flag would certainly feature motifs related to nature, such as wolves, the moon, and the sun.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0 In the lands we conquered, we lived harmoniously with the indigenous people, so we would have lived in harmony with them here as well. The greatest genocide in history would not have occurred (the Native Americans).<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0 We would have used the resources on this continent according to our needs.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0 In terms of livestock, this continent could have been a very interesting place, as it was our main occupation.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0 Gender equality existed in Turkish societies. When European explorers set out to discover the continent, they would likely have encountered female leaders.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0 The situation could have been the opposite as well. Turkish explorers from the Americas could have discovered Europe.<\/p>\n

I thought about it a bit, and I would prefer it to be this way. But someone will say, “G\u00fcrkan, our people would lead them astray.” I don\u2019t agree with that. I explain my reasons in my conversations.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A large part of the route I\u2019ve been pedaling is known as the \u201cOld Spanish Trail.\u201d It\u2019s also quite funny when New Orleans is referred to as an old French city. The thing is, the structure of the houses here is exactly the same as in Cartagena, Colombia. The French took it from the Spanish by force, and within a year, they lost it. But as always, saying \u201cwe come from the French school\u201d sounds a lot cooler. The tourist guides that come and go present it like this, which is funny. Anyway, it\u2019s not something that concerns me, but the city has a strong Spanish colonial vibe (though nowadays, there are even worse smells\u2026)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

By the way, I couldn’t help but notice that there are still bike lanes, and even on shared roads, they\u2019ve created drainage covers designed to protect bicycles in areas where the drains are located. Even the cover formation looks good.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

My last city in Louisiana is Lake Charles. After leaving New Orleans, Habip’s dear friend, Nevzat, kindly hosted me at his home along with his wife, Semra, and their children. Nevzat’s adventure in the U.S. began in the early 1970s. What an adventure it has been! Back in those days, coming to this country, establishing a factory, having three kids, then marrying Semra and having more children\u2014wow. He passed the factory on to his son, who expanded the business into other states.<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

One day, Nevzat\u2019s guest arrived; a Turkish citizen. We chatted for a while. Now, listen carefully to the story I\u2019m about to tell. At the end of the story, I will ask you a question. Before I continue with the story, answer the question first, then I\u2019ll proceed.<\/p>\n

Years ago, he had sought asylum in the United States. He obtained an American passport and now lives in the United States. I don\u2019t remember exactly how many children he has, but it\u2019s more than one. He lives in a detached house with a garden. A few months ago, his child was playing and fell, breaking their leg, and the conversation shifted to that:<\/p>\n

Nevzat: How\u2019s your child doing?<\/p>\n

G\u00fcrkan: Hope they\u2019re okay. Do they have a sibling?<\/p>\n

X: They broke their leg.<\/p>\n

G\u00fcrkan: How did that happen?<\/p>\n

X: Our girl is very active, G\u00fcrkan. Last month, I sent her to our neighbor\u2019s house. She was jumping on the trampoline with the neighbor\u2019s kid. While they were jumping, our girl fell and broke her leg.<\/p>\n

G\u00fcrkan: I see, accidents like that happen when they\u2019re kids. Once the bones heal, they\u2019re stronger than before, I know from experience, that I\u2019ve broken a lot of bones myself.<\/p>\n

QUESTION: In this situation, if your child fell and broke a part of their body at a friend\u2019s house, what would you do? (Think about it for a bit, then continue)<\/p>\n

…<\/p>\n

This friend did the following: He took his child to the hospital, had them treated, and then sued the neighbors.<\/p>\n

G\u00fcrkan: Why did you sue your neighbor, brother?<\/p>\n

X: G\u00fcrkan, my neighbor was supposed to take care of my child.<\/p>\n

G\u00fcrkan: But, brother, your child was playing with their child. It could\u2019ve just as easily been their child who fell and broke a part of their body. After all, they were playing on the same trampoline, and active kids like that often break something. It\u2019s a pretty normal situation. Suing the neighbor is really strange.<\/p>\n

I called my brother G\u00fcrhan. He has completed his academic career in this field and has been specializing in construction and factories for 14 years as one of the managers at Ka Sigorta (an insurance company). Also, everyone around me in Ankara works with my brother and is happy to do so. I haven\u2019t promoted my brother for 14 years. Since my writing touches on an area he is an expert in, I\u2019ll get the correct information from him, right? The issue is long, but I\u2019ll keep it short. If anyone wants to learn more about the topic, they can call his company and reach him. I\u2019ll add his phone number at the bottom of the article.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m explaining the situation I experienced above to him.<\/p>\n

G\u00fcrkan: G\u00fcrhan, have you ever encountered a case like this in Turkey? Let me check with you first.<\/p>\n

He laughs…<\/p>\n

G\u00fcrhan: Comparing the insurance industry in our country with that of the United States is very wrong. A situation like this has never come across my path in 14 years of individual insurance. However, there are examples in the corporate sector.<\/p>\n

G\u00fcrkan: So, if something like this happens to an individual, which type of insurance covers it in our country?<\/p>\n

G\u00fcrhan: The situation you described would fall under homeowners insurance. However, in that case, the policy should specifically include third parties. On the other hand, in our country, the identity of those third parties is also important.<\/p>\n

G\u00fcrkan: So, can you get money from insurance in the end?<\/p>\n

G\u00fcrhan: Yes, you can. However, it won\u2019t be astronomical amounts like in the United States. Homeowners insurance would also cover personal accident insurance, and there is a limit to it, you can\u2019t exceed that limit.<\/p>\n

The whole third-party situation is a bit complicated here, I understand that. I don’t want to write it in detail. Moreover, if such astronomical amounts of compensation paid in the US were paid in Turkey, there would be chaos, no joke. Also, not just in our country, but in Europe too, no one would sue their neighbor for such a reason. When you send your child to your neighbor, no one says, “Hey, do you have homeowners insurance or not? I\u2019ll send my child based on that!” Here, no one asks anyone, but from what I understand, due to the incidents, homeowners insurance in the United States covers third-party injuries. Wow, man…<\/p>\n

After learning about this situation, I conducted a social experiment and asked Europeans, South American tourists, Americans, and our fellow citizens I came across about it. The result: In the settled population of the United States, 95% immediately think about suing. However, no one who doesn\u2019t live in this country or isn\u2019t part of this culture thinks about suing if their child gets injured while playing with a friend at a neighbor\u2019s house. \u201cKids do these things, it\u2019s completely normal,\u201d they say. In the United States, both immigrants and locals are concerned with how to get money from insurance. The community living here is benefiting from the country\u2019s resources. I also asked a friend of mine who works in insurance in the US; the answer I received surprised me even more:<\/p>\n

“Now this person is getting money from the neighbor\u2019s insurance after considering third parties under the property insurance coverage, with a court verdict. On top of that, is he also getting money from the insurance that covers his child?” At this point, the answer will probably surprise you as well. Yes, he is getting money from both. There\u2019s nothing more to say; this is something that both educated and uneducated people do in this country.<\/p>\n

We continue learning along the way. I stayed a few days at Nevzat\u2019s house in Lake Charles. Nevzat asked, \u201cWhat\u2019s the rush? Why are you leaving?\u201d Well, if I stayed a month at everyone\u2019s house and chatted, I\u2019d never finish touring this country. Thanks, Nevzat.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Next stop: TEXAS.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I think Texans really love Texas. That\u2019s the impression I got. I\u2019ve never heard a non-Texan American speak highly of Texas. It was introduced to me as the most conservative state among the southern states. Let\u2019s see how it turns out… Also, there\u2019s this saying:<\/p>\n

\u201cG\u00fcrkan, everything is big in the United States, but in Texas, it\u2019s twice as big.\u201d<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t understand this at first, but once I entered Texas, it became clear in the first few miles.<\/p>\n

The bike lane I was riding on suddenly got wider. Also, why does everyone have a pick-up truck? And these trucks have models specifically made for Texas. They are bigger and have different features that are unique to Texas. Almost no normal sedans are around. Beaumont was the first city, and Nevzat had reserved a room for me at a hotel, telling me to stay there and not be left out in the open. Also, Professor \u00d6zge, who has been following my travels for 4 years, is an academician in Beaumont and invited me to dinner. \u201cYou definitely should come and give a presentation at the university. I\u2019ll host you, but come here,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

We went out for dinner with her academic friends. They were talking about the student profiles in the United States. I found it hard to believe, there were some unbelievable stories. (I sometimes share these stories in my presentations.) After that, we continued to Houston.\"\"<\/p>\n

When I arrived at Cihangir\u2019s place, I noticed something on the road. In Houston, there were many areas without sidewalks. A saying from an American living in Texas goes: “If you don\u2019t have a car, you shouldn\u2019t come to this state.” That’s why Texas is one of the states that homeless people rarely choose to live in. Especially in the summer, Houston is not a place to live. It\u2019s like Turkey\u2019s Adana, can get hot, no exaggeration.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

While staying with Cihangir, I also saw the Turkish Airlines office in Houston and met our regional manager. One afternoon, we all had lunch together and chatted. Another day, we watched a match at our Consul Ahmet\u2019s house.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

We enjoyed the pool, barbecue, and bike riding with Cihangir. By the way, Cihangir is an adventurer who traveled around Japan by touring bike before getting married. After marriage and having kids, he embarked on different adventures. His wife, Kader, is a whole different world; thanks to her, I learned about a new profession in the U.S.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ask Cihangir if he remembers me when I read the text. \ud83d\ude00<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I didn’t know about this industry within the U.S., but in Turkey, it’s well-known among certain circles. I also found out that this industry employs people from all different nationalities. Kader was kind enough to explain the details to me, and I thank her once again for her hospitality.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

You’re married, expecting a baby, and planning to give birth in the United States. However, you might not be aware of the entire process that awaits you. After entering the U.S., every step you take will be handled by a consultant here, such as Kader and Okan, who deal with these matters. The couple planning to have a baby will need assistance with accommodation, hospital procedures, doctors, paperwork after the birth, and so on. This has become a complete industry in the U.S. It\u2019s not only people from Turkey who come for this service; people from all over the world come to the U.S. for this purpose. This is why the population in the U.S. is growing rapidly. Children born in the U.S. receive U.S. citizenship, and once they turn 18, they can help their parents acquire U.S. citizenship as well. Families see this as a long-term investment.<\/p>\n

The U.S. government is aware of this situation and plans to make some changes to the law in 2025 to curb this process. The trend is already leaning toward Trump winning again. (In November 2024, Trump was elected president of the U.S. for a second term.) He is also bothered by this situation. The influx of people into the country has caused unease among the local population, especially white Americans, despite the country being large with expansive settlement areas.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Houston is an important city for both my generation and before. In the 1995 film Apollo 13, the line spoken by Tom Hanks’ character, Jack Swigert, who was part of the Apollo 13 mission to space in 1970, became famous: \u201cHouston, we have a problem.\u201d NASA\u2019s mission control center is located in Houston. So, it would be impossible for me not to visit the NASA museum in this city.<\/p>\n

Now, where should I begin with this story? Let me refresh my tea\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been talking about space in my conversations with students for years. Especially after 2015, I changed the content of my world tour talks and started addressing different topics. One of those topics was space.<\/p>\n

Space Programs\u2026 Let me give you some quick facts:<\/p>\n

\u2022 The United States’ space program officially began in 1954, and by 2024, over 1 trillion dollars have been spent on 20 space programs. You can find this information in open sources.<\/p>\n

\u2022 One of the latest programs (my personal favorite) is the Artemis program, which began in 2017 and is still ongoing, with a budget of 93 billion dollars.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The European Space Agency was founded in 1964. Its total budget up to the present is 200 billion dollars.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Turkey’s first astronaut, Alper Gezeravc\u0131, joined the space programs supported by NASA and Europe have a total spending of 1.2 trillion dollars, by contributing 55 million dollars to this project. This contribution represents just 0.0046% of the total funds spent on the project.<\/p>\n

When I heard that our astronaut was Alper Gezeravc\u0131, my first action was to read his resume, and when I saw his master’s degree, I smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cOperations Research\u201d<\/p>\n

You\u2019re involved in a project that has spent 1 trillion 200 billion dollars, and the man’s master’s degree is quite interesting. Let me write about the nuances of this field now.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

To fully contribute to this program, one must meet several criteria:<\/p>\n