LaLa Land

Last night, Bob, Emre, Amelia, and I celebrated Selmans's 25th birthday. In his culture, birthdays are not celebrated so this was his first birthday party! We had dinner and cake and sang to him; he was horribly embarrassed but loved it. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SELMAN!







I’ve been here in Turkey for over six weeks now; here's a few things that I will miss and not miss when I return to the US in one week.


I will miss:

* Friends! Bob, Selman, Amelia, and Emre have all been so fun and helpful and have made this trip very special.

* The food! Lamb, eggplant, peppers, bulgur, yogurt with everything, tea after everything. Turkish food is rich but light with a delightful mix of spices and fresh ingredients.

* The music! Hot Roma music, saucy saz, street musicians, and even the pop music on the radio is good. Visiting a saz bar with friends over a bottle of rakı and some fruit while listening to a saz player sing his heart out and the rest of the audience join in with hands on hearts – priceless.

* Ezan. The Muslim call to prayer occurs five times a day and is just one of those sounds that reminds me that I am in a different world here. One of the muezzins at the mosque next door has an AMAZING voice – maybe Ella Fitzgerald was reincarnated as a Turkish man…

* Men who touch. The men here walk down the streets arm in arm, they sit and talk and hang all over each other, they kiss each other when they say hello and goodbye. It warms the heart.

* Hamams. Having the option to visit a 450-year old bathhouse and be scrubbed down and massaged for $10 is just so civilized.

* Rakı. The favorite alcohol of Turkey is an anise-flavored grape liquor that, when mixed with water, turns milky white. It’s similar to the Greek ouzo but not so sweet. Raki widens the smile, deepens the emotions, cements new friendships, remixes poor sound systems, and intensifies daylight the following morning. Best enjoyed with lots of food, friends, and music.

* Really good public transportation. Getting around Istanbul is cheap and easy. Buses across Turkey are also very cheap and the service is impeccable, with movies, snacks, tea, frequent pit stops, and seats that recline almost 180 degrees. Better than any airplane.

* Locally owned businesses. Large corporate businesses are not as prevalent here as in the US. You get your meat from a butcher, bread from the baker, vegetables at one of several open-air markets, hardware from someone who owns their hardware store, etc. People take a lot of pride in how their products are presented and it’s nice to hand your money directly to the person who will benefit from the transaction.


I will not miss:

* Cigarette smoke EVERYWHERE. Roughly 75% of the adult population smokes here and smoking is allowed everywhere but airplanes and buses (unless you are the bus driver).

* Turkish toilets. Built into the floor with little foot landings, Turkish toilets are cause to roll up your pants, tuck in your scarf, and hope nothing you are wearing touches ANYTHING. Granted your body is in a more healthy position to do its job and they are more sanitary in public places than the Western toilets that I also have no desire to touch, but there’s something to be said for a nice clean seat and maybe some light reading. Also, the associated toilet sandals that one wears into the toilet and shares with all other toilet users will not be missed.