My Cambridge Notes

My observations of the city:

• Babies, children, mothers, fathers, grandfathers, grandmothers, families with children—everyone here rides a bicycle.

-They run very seriously; it's become a philosophy of life for them.

-Traffic is restricted to a single lane within the city; no stopping or overtaking is allowed.

-There are no horns in traffic, few vehicles, and very little exhaust emissions.

-The roads are very carefully divided into areas for bicycles, pedestrians, stopping, passenger drop-off, and cargo unloading; because they are so well planned, the rules are fully complied with.

-The city is built within nature; instead of nature shaping the city, the city has been shaped by nature. You feel like you're walking through a rainforest while exploring the city.

-There are so many parks, more park space than houses and workplaces, and these areas are incredibly well-maintained.

-Light pollution is being managed, yes, not every place is illuminated, and the areas that are illuminated are limited and only lighted at knee-high level.

-In short: Few cars, low population, pristine nature, no noise, clean air…

-The city is small, with a population of 125,000, of which 20,000 are students.

-Fast food consumption is very low in the city, there are very few chain stores, and I didn't see many cinemas either.

-There are squirrels in the forests, birds in the water; people and nature are fully integrated.

-Most stores have automated payment systems; you do your shopping, pay, and leave.

-All 31 colleges in the city are actually churches; the churches are preserved exactly as they are and continue to function as colleges. I went inside one out of curiosity, and after entering through a large, imposing gate, I was greeted by a lush green courtyard and a beautifully landscaped garden. As I walked around inside, I realized that these areas included dormitories, the church, and classrooms. While these churches appear cold and unappealing from the outside, entering them feels like stepping into another world.

-I didn't see any automatic watering on the lawn; as far as I understand, they don't water at all due to the climate, the grass gets enough water on its own.

-Each college has its own playgrounds outside the city. These areas are entirely grassy, and college students play games like soccer, American football, and frisbee there; on Sundays, it's so crowded you can barely move.

-In churches, services are held on Sunday mornings; people sit in rows, hold hands, and sing prayers to music, thus worshipping.

-The houses are attached and generally two-story, with dozens of houses lined up side-by-side along a street.

-Payment methods like credit cards and Apple Pay are used; cash is almost non-existent.

-The British are very attached to their traditions; there are mailboxes in the streets, and it's clear they're very old, but they're very well-maintained. I understand that they still communicate by mail. Also, the famous red telephone booths are everywhere, standing there as symbols even though they're not in use.

-Public transportation is very inadequate here, but everything is close by and you can meet all your needs on foot or by bike.

-They have intercity buses called National Express. The trip from Cambridge to the airport costs £26 and takes 3 hours.

-Cambridge is surrounded by a river, which is suitable for canoeing; the river is very clean and its surroundings are exceptionally well-maintained.

-The nightlife here is very weak; there are a few pubs, and they don't stay open very late. My impression is that this is a city focused on education and science.

-The city is expensive, especially in terms of Turkish Lira; for example, a large Burger King Whopper costs 6.59 pounds.

-There are large shopping malls called Tesco, which are very similar to Migros in Turkey.

-I saw very few gas stations, none at all in the city.

-This isn't the right city to rent a car; you can't park everywhere, traffic is single-lane and, most importantly, flows on the left, with the driver sitting on the right. It's quite difficult to get used to, both for drivers and pedestrians.

-You absolutely must see the Fittzwilliam Museum; the building is breathtakingly beautiful. Inside, you'll find historical and cultural artifacts from very different places, including Egypt, Italy, France, the Far East, and Africa. Very old Bibles and oil paintings are displayed here, and it's free.

-You should also see the anthropology department and museum. The section that impressed me the most was the one about children in history; it beautifully portrays the place of children in life.

-If you're a computer enthusiast, you should definitely visit the Computer History Museum. You can tour the museum for 8 pounds and even try using the computers if you wish. In the office called "1970s," everything is from the 1970s: telephone, desk, television, computer.

-Very, very old computers can still be seen here; devices considered the ancestors of computers are also on display here. It's a wonderful museum.

-Their food culture is different from ours; they add sugar to many of their dishes, even their sauced and spiced dishes contain sugar. There are no olives for breakfast, and the cheeses are unlike anything we're used to. They love pastries, but they're all very sweet. They especially enjoy making and eating pastries filled with jam.

-I went to the markets, they sell fruits, vegetables, pastries, handmade objects, but they are incredibly expensive compared to Türkiye. There are very few fruits and vegetables, and they are sold at very high prices. Forget about buying fruits and vegetables by the kilo here, everything is sold by the piece. Even meat is sold in vacuum-sealed bags.

-The light bulbs used in homes are generally standard bulbs and give off very little light; people live in dim light.

-When I went to the bus stop to buy a ticket, the ticket office was closed and they were directing me to buy tickets online. They've drastically reduced human labor in these kinds of jobs; they're doing everything online now.