Who am I?
I'll have a picture and a
more in-depth autobiography soon, but for now here are the basic facts:
Name........................................
Aral Balkan
Gender......................................
Male
Age............................................
20 (egad!)
Height....................................... 1.76cm
Weight......................................
60kg
Hair..........................................
Blond
Eyes..........................................
Greenish-Brown
Nationality................................ Turkish
I was born in Ankara, Turkiye
on Nov. 8th, 1976. When I was around two years old my family and I moved
to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for a two-year stay followed by a return to Ankara
for three years before going back to Malaysia again, this time for a six-year
stay. I received all of my primary school and secondary school education
(save for the first and last years) in Malaysia and graduated from TED Ankara
College in 1993 upon our final return to Turkiye in 1989. Malaysia (especially
Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Pulau Teoman, Ipoh) is a wonderful place -- paradise
on earth; a land wherein technology has merged seemlessly with nature;
where people are friendly and the climate is a year-long summer. I loved
Malaysia. Although I am Turkish by nationality if someone was to ask me
where I came from (or where home was) I guess I'd have a hard time in telling
them.
Currently I am studying in the
Communication and Media Studies Department at the Eastern Mediterranean
University in North Cyprus. North Cyprus is the Turkish part of Cyprus
-- separated from the South by a border instated during the 1974 Peace
Operation launched by Turkiye in response to the slaughter of the Turkish-Cypriot
population at the hands of the Greek-Cypriot community in pursuit of what
they call "enosis" (of the reunification of Cyprus with Greece.)
Life here is simple. Students
form the majority of the population of the town where the university is
located and where I reside; Gazi Magosa (formerly Famagusta) and the only
entertainment outlets around are the few discos and bars frequented by
them. As far as social activities are concerned there aren't many. Two
years ago I founded The Dead Bird Musical Company as a club (the EMU Musical
Club) within the university and last year we staged Jesus Christ Superstar
at the Salamis Ruins. Apart from that we've given a few concerts within
the university and we've gone on tour to Istanbul (with JCS.) Our last
show, West End, North Cyprus, a concert comprised of songs from a variety of musicals,
opened on Saturday, 15th of March at the EMU Cultural
Center -- the night was a wonderful hit. Unfortunately, due to a falling
out between myself and my then-girlfriend, Asli
Ersoy -- who happened to be one of the four vocalists -- we were forced
to abandon the second showing scheduled for the 21st of March. However,
things have gotten better between the little lady and
myself and we're back in rehearsals (with the addition of a new female
vocalist) and will be back bigger and better than ever in about two or
three week's time.
Apart from musicals (and music),
which happen to constitute my meaning in life, I write songs, short
stories and poems and am busily learning how to orchestrate with MIDI.
For more information on my undertakings check out the Musicals section
on the menu.