Regarding Bugday Association membership for both types of visitors (tourists and volunteers), non-resident foreigners should contact the Bugday Association and TaTuTa staff for procedural information.
For more information about the Bugday Association's activities and concept of "ecological living," we invite you to visit the English section of the Bugday website (www.bugday.org) and, upon arrival in Turkey, the Bugday office in Istanbul (click here for a description of how to get to Bugday from the Istanbul airport, the west-bound international train station, and the central bus terminal)
Even as Turkey becomes increasingly westernized, with each passing day there are certain traditions in rural Turkey that have been maintained and must be respected. Some examples are listed below:
When entering the home, outdoor shoes are removed.
It is usually not permitted for non-married couples to share a room (please consult the Bugday Association for appropriate measures and/or farms). Moreover all couples should refrain from showing physical affection.
Meals are not often eaten at a table with chairs. Rather, a large tray (elevated slightly) or cloth is spread and people sit on the floor around the spread.
Hosts are often very hospitable (sometimes overwhelmingly) towards guests in their home. It is common for the guest to offer his help (in the kitchen, around the house, etc) even if the help is repeatedly refused. Depending on the family, with time and/or confidence the help will likely be accepted. Help around the house will indeed be more readily accepted (even expected) from a volunteer but all visitors should remember that helping with household chores is a fine venue for cultural exchange.
For more information about Turkish/Anatolian culture please consult country travel guide books like Lonely Planet, the Rough Guide, Le Guide Routard, etc. Official websites such as www.turizm.gov.tr or that of GencTur (a youth travel agency that organizes volunteer work camps in rural Turkey) http://www.genctur.com/kp/yike/guide.php may also be useful. Or, for a more profound understanding, relevant cultural studies and sources should also be consulted. And of course, for the most up to date and specific knowledge about individual farms you should contact and consult with the Bugday Association and/or TaTuTa staff.
In Turkey there are two types of toilets. "Alaturka" refers to a shallow ceramic bowl fixed on the floor with a drainage hole in the center. The correct position for use is squatting. "Alafranga" refers to the common western toilet on which one sits. The type of toilet available on each farm is indicated in the farm description.
