Winter has taken more of a hold over the city of Istanbul, and the weather has become slightly more consistent. On another chilly November night ÇayTalks, a staple of Istanbul&I's events, was held in the office. The topic of the discussion was "First Impressions'' and as always, the attendees answered a plethora of questions in a roundtable-style rotation. The 27th of November was chilly, but the Istanbul&I office was warm with engaging discussions over delicious tea. A mixture of four or five circles were formed around the office space. Each group led by one or two moderators.
"First Impressions" is an interesting topic for a ÇayTalks event. As it does serve as a first meeting space for many of the new attendees. The questions centered around the various reactions people might have had to others upon first meeting them or about how much their first impressions mattered to them. A roundtable style of discussion allowed for the attendees to hear different perspectives and respond in real-time to one another. Moderators participated as well and often asked follow-up questions, allowing for an easy flow when it came to the conversation. Therefore, as the "Çay" section of the event was served by hot and iced tea, the "Talks" section was covered by these discussions.
The attendees had interesting responses all around, as one could hear the room buzzing with discussion throughout. Some of the other questions, that were of interest, included ones about whether a person's first impression should be important or not. Or another on whether someone had judged or labeled someone based on their first impression. Afterwards, there was an intermission for the attendees to refresh themselves and change their groups if they wanted.
It's safe to say that the two hours flew by. Here's what the attendees thought of the event.Öner, a translator and interpreter said "I had been [to this event] once before the pandemic at a café. I enjoyed it now also. I like meeting new people and I think it's a good way [to do that]". Another attendee, Didar, who is an International trade & finance student at Medipol University, said "That was a very great event. I met many new people and their experiences here. I guess I'll come here again."
Overall, it seems that Istanbul&I made a great first impression during this event, and we hope to see more great participants at our future ones.
07-12-2022 written by Mohammad Kachooee
23-12-2022 proofread by Hosna Kachooee
