Two siblings, two different worlds. One seeks peace, the other adventure. One is verbal, the other is numerical. What they have in common is their passion for the sea.
Ada is 15, and Uygar is 10 years old. Two siblings were born in Marmaris, right by the sea. Thanks to the restaurant their father ran in Çiftlik Bay, they gazed at the sea every day. They grew up by the sea, learning their first lessons about life from the sea. The sea is at the top of both of their "favorite things lists”
"My father's favorite things are the sea, fish, and boats. His whole life is the sea," Ada tells. "You can go anywhere you want on the boat! He instilled this in us too." Ada never forgot the day she learned to swim. "I was like 3 years old. My parents were working, and there was no one around. "I learned to swim on my own," she says. Her father helped her a little, but she mostly figured it out herself by putting on the arm floats by trial and error. Here's a great example of what children who grow up freely and independently can do!
As an elder sister, she set an example for her brother, cleared the way for him, and calmed the waves when necessary. Everyone kept an eye on Uygar, but he learned to swim by falling off the boat again. He explains it as follows: "I was like 5 years old. I fell into the sea while jumping from the boat to the pier. My dad explained to me what to do, and that's when I learned it! That day I understood the sea, you know."
Uygar plans to become an architect or designer. He has already made his first design: Sandman - Waterman This is a game design. Well, let him explain the rules of the game so the other kids can play too. "This is an imaginary game, there aren't many rules. It can be played by single players or multiple players. First, you bury yourself completely in the sand and become the Sandman. However, you start talking to and fighting with the Waterman. The Waterman is throwing water at you and trying to get you out. It's just that kind of thing!" His other passion is digging holes by the sea and sitting in them all day.
Ada's love of swimming evolved into diving in Egypt. "I went scuba diving for the first time there and felt like a mermaid. Among the fish and sea creatures, I am like one of them," she says. Uygar listens to this part with a mixture of envy and frown. He's doing fine with a snorkel for now, but he needs to grow a bit more for diving. But he gives us an important piece of information: "Hey, you know Nemo in the Finding Nemo! We have found him. We've found him in Egypt!"
The kids have gotten into the philosophical side of things too. Ada says, "The only thing I can understand without speaking is the sea. It is the sea that understands me best. When talking to people, you need to explain yourself or they may misunderstand you. But when you're at sea, you can be yourself. You feel very relaxed and at peace." Yet Uygar thinks differently from his elder sister on this matter too. To him, the sea means more adventure, courage, and self-confidence.
The kids don't remember ever being afraid of the sea. They swim from island to island, moor the boat to the shore, and sometimes even sail their father's 11-meter boat. They helped their mother to overcome her fear of the sea. Uygar even took part in a "rescue operation". They went and rescued a sailor stranded in Gebe Kilise Bay, along with his father! The kids' plan now is to start sailing. You would like to listen to them again, say, 10 years from now. Who knows what else they'll do at sea, what else they'll tell us.
Ada's message to the children who are reading us is very clear: "You should not be afraid of the sea, of trying new things." The sea is like home, and it understands them very well. They will also be guests of the sea creatures. Let them think that way." Ada has two warnings for adults: "First, what everyone says. Don't litter in the sea, don't pollute the environment. Secondly, don't leave your children aged 4-5 alone on those inflatable rings in the sea!" Her suggestion (as a designer, of course) is to prepare posters and slogans. Uygar's opinion on this matter is as follows: "If the sea could talk, it would be mad at us. For not treating it well. So, please be careful. Let's treat the sea the way it treats us."
Uygar and Ada, two siblings, thousands of colors. They hardly resemble each other at all. (They were arguing under the table during the interview!) But when it comes to the sea, they come around and get along with each other. They become siblings and friends again.