This is Mom and Dad in a very nostalgic picture! Thank you so much for bringing me to this world! As crazy of a world as it is, it is nice to be part of it!
My page is and will be under construction for a while, so please bear with me!
Astronomical Technical Assistant
When I started working for the AAVSO I was mainly responsible for processing the nightly observations received each day. Since then, I have become involved with many tasks at the AAVSO including: being a member of the chart team, working to publish AAVSO Monographs (long-term light curves on variable stars), evaluating the AAVSO data, responding to requests for data, working on the team that publishes the annual AAVSO Bulletin (Predicted Dates of Maxima and Minima of Long Period Variables), co-editor of Eyepiece Views (electronic publication for visual variable star observers), plus much more. My current focus is work as a member of the Validation Project Team and to respond to requests about general astronomy that are received from the public, particularly from students. I also processes and modify any incoming data that may require my attention. My ongoing task over the past 6.5 years has been to work closely with the observers and respond to their questions and requests, which I tremendously enjoy due to my outgoing personality.
AAVSO (American Association of Variable Star Observers)
gamze@aavso.org
http://members.aol.com/gamzemenali/gamzehome.html
I will now talk a bit about AAVSO and Janet, one of my only few guardian angels… I joined the AAVSO staff in January 1998 after moving from Istanbul, Turkey with my husband Haldun. I hold a BS in Mathematics/Astronomy from Istanbul University as well as a certificate to teach math. Prior to arriving in Boston, I taught eighth graders at a private school in Istanbul, an experience that I found extremely rewarding. What better place than the AAVSO for me to work, given the fact that my background was astronomy and I was married to one of its long time members! YES, I was introduced to the AAVSO by my husband who is marking his 20th year of membership to the organization in 2004. I own an 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain Go To telescope, as well as many other telescopes and binoculars that we have acquired. I named my telescope Mary Ann after the character in Gilligan's Island! I do enjoy spending time under the beautiful night sky with my husband but I make a point to take time off from astronomy every now and then since this has become my day job! Janet… she was the director of the AAVSO up until her passing away and she was (as she always had been and actually always will continue to be) my guardian angel. A good heart, an incredible brain and a pure, brilliant soul she was in today’s rather crazy world we live in. I am going to talk more about her and let you to get to know her a bit more in the days to come. May you rest in peace Janet, may you rest in peace!
Speaking of guardian angels… I guess I am just lucky to have more than one of them! My other guardian angel whom I owe just so much is my husband, Haldun. My life took an incredible turn on the very day he stepped into my life! And life has never been the same since that day! We had our ups and downs throughout the way but I must report that I never met anyone like him nor will I ever find anybody like Haldun! He is an incredible human being, highly intelligent, fun loving, very smart, good-hearted, enjoys helping people, respectful and a very respected man! Never mind the fact how cute looking he is! Need I say more? I am BLESSED! I thank God for him everyday and I am forever grateful to him for choosing to be in my life. I want him in there forever… And even after! I love him more than anything and everything in this world. Thank you Haldun, from the bottom of my heart for being as understanding towards this crazy girl, thank you for allowing me to live the life I am living, thank you for allowing me to be a little kid, a teenager, a grown up woman and an old, old lady, all at once. Not many men would be welcoming even the thought of it! Thank you for respecting me the way you are, thank you for being there for me every single second, thank you for allowing me to live my life the way I want to but loving me, caressing me and letting me know that you will always be there for me. I have more to thank but I will simply say, THANK YOU FOR BEING YOU! I love you so much. I love you more than the skies and the grass, I love you more than the Moon and the stars, I love you more than the oceans and the lakes, I love you more than the mountains and myself! I love you more than anything and everything in this world and beyond. May you always be in good health and beside me as we go along this journey called life.
What else? I have a mom who is totally heaven sent. God must have known I will need someone like her in this life to love, to rely on, to cherish, to look up to, so he made me a daughter to her! Mom…I love you! No matter what I say here won’t be enough to express my love, my admiration, my gratitude to you, so I am not going into all that but I just want to let you know that you ARE my life! My brother is the sweetest guy on Earth! You will hear more about them, my friends, who I am, what I do in the days to come, so stay tuned for them…
My brother is enjoying a night out, practicing his belly dancing as you can see!!!
Hello! This is our picture! Well, we both are a bit different now since this picture was taken 10 years ago! I’ve doubled my size while Haldun has lost half of his hair!! Practically we are even!
This is at the (very professionally put together!!) party in the office to celebrate my American Citizenship! I got overly emotional when I saw both flags in the library! It was VERY nice of them to honor the Turkish flag also. Nice, nice people.
It is hard to locate me when I am not in the office because together with my husband, we are often on the road - we love to travel! Aside from traveling, my main interest is reading. I enjoy books with a broad range in subject from world history to politics, geography to the arts, and classic literature. Reading books in English (reluctantly admitting they were romance novels at first!) is what helped me perfect my conversational English when I first moved to the U.S. I also enjoy taking long walks and appreciate the magic of autumn in New England. I am a member and supporter of Boston's Museum of Science where together with my husband enjoy participating in many events. I am very much involved in charity work and have contributed to many organizations in the U.S. and around the world. My favorites include the National Foundation for Cancer Research, USO and the United Nations.
Last revised: July 25, 2004