The Magic of Cay...

How much more Turkish can I get?...
I just finished signing 35 pages (yes, signing--initialling was not allowed) of papers to start a Turkish bank account. Yesterday, I went to get a Turkish tax I.D. # so that I can begin my residence permit application. I have a Turkish cell phone account and my name is on the lease of the Turkish apartment that I am fixing to move into very soon. I am just embracing the Turkish business world aren't I?
And what do you think all of these places had in common? Yes, I had Turkish tea called cay (pronounced 'ch-eye') at each one of them. Here is a list of the places that I have had tea at thus far: a D.V.D. store, another D.V.D./perfumery store, the bank, the tax office, the rug store, a random clothing shop that I visited one day, every Turkish home I've ever visited, most of the restaurants I've eaten at, and well...you get the idea. There's something about having a cup of tea that brings people together here! It's amazing. Tea actually has the potential to be a catalyst for hours of conversation. Time slows down where you're talking over tea and people are relaxed and willing to slow down. And that, is where most heart to hearts happen here, I've found. Over a good long cup of cay. I love it. I've adopted a Dr. Seuss attitude towards tea...Yes, I will drink it in a box, and I will drink it with a fox. I will drink it on a train, and I will drink it in a plane. I will drink it in a house, and yes, I will drink it with a mouse.
I pray that the tea keeps coming and keeps opening doors to share who I am...now if only, I could find out what Turkish delight actually is!

Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful...

Welcome to my fair city on a not so beautiful day! This weekend the weather has just been bizarre! Yesterday the winds were howling, like I've never experienced in my life. If it hadn't been for all this food I've been eating here...I might have blown away. I kid you not. Massive winds.

Then today, we almost got washed away. Yes...all that white stuff on the ground is hail!!! Chris and I had both been downtown and were going to the V's for a group dinner so we braved the winds, rain, and hail together. I think Chris saw my un-lady-like side as I puddle hopped across our main thoroughfare...possibly drawing a few laughs in the process with my antics. The girls on our bus kept saying, 'it's snowing, it's snowing'!

So yesterday, to complete this crazy fun weekend...i was riding in a bus on the way to teach my English lesson and my prejudice about Turkish bus drivers was only confirmed. Yes, many of them are bad drivers. Especially, if they are drinking tea and smoking. Look out, you're gonna get there in a hurry. So our bus hit a car...while i was in the bus. (see above picture...only minutes before--I missed the photo-op--there was a huge crowd of Turkish people gathered around including the to be mentioned screaming red-faced Turk.) It was quite a unique experience. Everyone piled out of the bus and gathered around the scene of the crime and there was a very red-faced owner of the effected car yelling many Turkish vocabulary words that I have not learned yet...may never. (smile.) I kept thinking, should I stay and fill out a report or wait for the police...nah, this is Turkey. I'm not really sure if they even called the police...

But this weekend did bring good things with it, too. #1. Hopefully this coming week, my apartment will have power! #2...So much better, we've had visitors this past week from good 'ole MS and they visited Tarsus...which actually opened a door for me to share with a friend of mine and Mrs. V's, why Tarsus is so special to believers and who Paul is and how God changed his life and how He still works like that today. I'll take another weekend like that anytime, rain and all.

The Great Wall...

And, today it truly proved to be great... Today we went with our tutor to visit the Emniyet for a courtesy visit (the place where we will get our residence permits very shortly) and then we took her to the one and only Chinese restaurant here in our fair city! It's near the base. She had never eaten Chinese food and we were so pleased to show her another culture that we love! Not only did she like it, but we approved of it! The food was good, the prices were reasonable, and it was the fanciest place I've eaten since I've been here! It was certainly a unique experience though. We had Chinese food cooked most likely by Turks in Turkey who took our order in English. We were trying to order in Turkish at one point and he just looked at us and in perfect English said, 'I got it.' And he did. But we were so excited! The food was great and it was definitely a treat. I don't know who had more trouble with their chopsticks, though, me or T...

This has been a busy week. We're starting to get things ready for the apartment...so I've been to the notary once already this week and will go again tomorrow and take care of a few last minute details. The first time I went this week, I actually went without a translator! Don't be too impressed though, I had to use half my cell phone minutes to call a friend to let me know what was going on! One day. But the apartment is really starting to shape up, any day now hopefully we'll have power. Moving Day is set for middle of April.

Saturday I'm having lunch with a friend who doesn't really speak much English and I'm actually looking forward to that! I'm still wondering when I'll totally understand this language, but every day gets better. I keep telling myself that He knew just how quickly or slowly I would learn and how much language I would know at each point on this journey and He still saw fit to set my life down here, so I know He's got a purpose!

Culture Shock

So, welcome to just another day in the life of my Turkish self. Yesterday me and T. went to get the water and electric bills for my apartment put in my name. Business just works differently here. It's an experience. You take a deep breath and you're prepared that it will take far longer than you probably think that it should. This is how it goes. We go in the first building and ask for directions and we are led to a room at the end of the hall on the second floor. Two men in a smoky room show us the form we have to fill out. We do so and then when he realizes that I'm a yabanci (ya-bahn-jee), I'm a foreigner, he says that we have to go downstairs to another room to get a sheet of paper filled out. Did he not realize that I was a yabanci when he saw me before we filled out the form? Any who, then we go to that room where a man stamps the sheet you filled out and then we back to the previous desk upstairs again. He tells us to go outside around the corner and into the same building to a counter where one man looks at my sheet and gives me again, a stamp, sends me down the counter to a different man who is friendly and takes my money. Then we go back to the original man who didn't believe that my passport really had a Turkish Visa stamp on it even though I showed it to him and made him a copy. He finally agrees and shows me where to sign the paper that I have taken to all the various other employees and then...I am officially the user of water in my apartment and can pay my own bill. All in a day's work. We did about the same for the electric. With a small twist.

First, let me give you a little history on some cultural superstition in Turkey. The evil eye. Turks believe that when you look at someone and give them praise, compliments, or just have envious thoughts towards them or something they have that something bad is bound to happen to that person. You give someone the evil eye when you pay them a compliment and later something bad happens to them. So, to ward off this superstition, Turks carry a small stone that has a picture of an evil eye on it in their pocket or somewhere on them. This supposedly wards off the inevitable 'bad thing' from happening. T. has been carrying one lately. When someone compliments a baby, I've heard that Turkish mothers will either rub the Nazar (the evil eye pendant or stone) or scratch the baby's bottom. I only thought this was done to babies.

Now, back to my story. T. and I are in one of the various rooms we went to during our business adventure, and the two employees start complimenting me very insistently. One woman tells me that I look like a Turk from Bursa and that I have lovely eyelashes. Thank you, but I don't really think I look like a Turk. Another man tells T. that he is very very excited that I am here and they just go on for a little bit complimenting the yabanci. Who knows why, it was raining, and i was looking a mess. Any who. Turkish is flying everywhere around me and out of nowhere in the midst of this rapid fire Turkish--some that I understand and some that I don't-- T. looks at me and tells me to scratch my backside. Now I am a little surprised and caught off guard so of course, I just stand there and look at her questioningly. Again, the same command. Yes, so there i am in the middle of the electric office caught off guard and scratching. I didn't realize what had happened until later and assured her that I would be just fine without the scratching. I think I might have in that moment experienced culture shock.

We had a good day running our errands and then to finish off my Turkish day, I got to meet her family which was great. I had a home cooked lunch. That kind of culture, I'll take any time. But, maybe it will be awhile before I go back to the electric company.

Week in Review

Week in Review: Went to McDonald's-check. See picture. Actually see all three pics. It deserves it. (That's the car the couples share that they are so gracious to tote me around when they can...public transportation is great, but the car is fabulous when I can get a ride!) Got acquainted with public squatty potties-check, check. Went to dinner and a movie party with Mel and her mom. We watched Miss Congeniality 2...in Turkish last night...no subtitles. It was some quality language time. Don't you worry, I'm fully immersing myself in Turkish! Today, I had lessons with Roz and then I went and had a visit with Miss Lolita Lempicka at the DVD/perfume store. p.s. the perfume smells great. I haven't rented a movie in awhile and our friendship is still very intact. Good sign. Though our friendship did hit a language blunder that had to be clarified...
So she is really sweet and before I left she wrote me a note to tell me what a good friend I am and how she's glad she met me. I'm not showing off, this is a crucial part of this story. But in her note, she told me that I was hot. 'Sicak' (suh-jak). Literally, the words she wrote, meant you are hot, like the weather. I am certain because though my language is slow, I am beyond this point. I can discuss weather. (Now, in America, this sort of lingo, means, 'hey, I think you're pretty good lookin' and normally you don't say it to someone of your own gender...so my mind just was sort of like, what is happening here? I had to follow up and good thing I did. Apparently this means, I think you're a sincere/genuine/special friend, generally a warm person. I tried to be discreet and just say, 'I'm not understanding this sentence.' So, day by day, I'm overcoming language blunders! And, if I understand it, I'll take a compliment like that any day. I'm so glad that we're just genuine friends and that she wasn't telling me how good lookin' she thought I was! Welcome to tea time. Anything can happen!
Well, I'm multi-tasking right now...I'm drying laundry (on the balcony-see previous blog for laundry details), got to chat with my folks thanks to Skype, and I'm fixing to go over to the V's to 'talk' with Mrs. V's neighbors. I told you about them in the last blog. Today is English conversation club, tomorrow is Turkish. So today has been a full day. Really, things are going so well. The language is slow and 'zor' (HARD), but God keeps giving me patient friends to have conversation with so Praise Him! He is so faithful and His mercies are new every day in my heart in this place, and I hope that He'll open your eyes to see Him that way in your neck of the woods, too.

Stop the Madness!

So, yes apparently the clowns that I saw a couple weeks ago are not a rare occasion...No, I've actually seen them every Saturday from the bus on my way home from teaching English! Yes! Stop it! Turks love a clown! Today we went downtown to shop around and explore our city a bit more and saw another clown on the street.

So, saw the clowns this weekend, #1. event that started the uphill climb...Then Sunday, I got to meet some of one of my MS friends' neighbors. I haven't mentioned them on the blog yet and well, it's high time, eh? They're the V's from good old small town, MS. They have four boys. Remember back to my laundry picture and multiply that by a family of 6! They're pretty awesome. So Mrs. V invited me over to have lunch with their fam after church and talk with some of her Turkish friends. She has friends that come over to talk once a week in English and once a week in Turkish. They turned about to be around my age and were so excited that I had come! Me too! It was great, and I got an invite back from the girls! So, I'm really excited to have two more friends in the making!

Then, Monday, Christine and I went to sign the lease on my apartment!!! It's so great! Yes, I know. Now I am renting an apartment in my new home... in Turkey. Sometimes I just think, 'stop the madness!' Am I really living this life! How amazing! It blew my mind to see Christine talk with the realtor. She was pretty impressive with her Turkish. One day at a time for me. So, I know I can't live there until my roommate comes in April...but to have my own little home again is just sounding good. It's been awhile! I can't wait to have my Turkish and family friends over to the place! The table and tea are already set in my mind!

Today, I went to Mel's house to 'talk' for a couple of hours. We meet on Tuesdays. She told me I was doing better than last week! She also told me that I looked fat in a few of my pictures, so I know she's telling me the absolute truth...no holds barred! I took one of my picture albums with me, so if you're in it...then we probably talked about you today. In Turkish! Next week, we're going out on the town together! (Don't worry, we're going at 10a.m. ! We might shop and have lunch, but it'll be interesting, whatever we do. Mel almost ONLY speak s Turkish...which every now and then causes funny moments at her house, much less with her taking her Turkish learning friend out in public!! She's so brave!

Tonight, C-Love and i had dinner with the Curtis' and then the Yates joined us for 24 night...it was intense. We were rooting for some extra Jack tonight, but Jared had to stand his ground and remind us that we had homework! Back to the real world...and in it, we have Turkish homework!

I guess you're up to date now!

Lolita Lempicka

So, this week was a hard one, but is looking up. It held some missing home moments and a little bit of sickness...but I'm feeling much better now, physically and in my spirit. I had to be reminded of who lifts me out of the pits, & who lifted me out of the biggest pit long ago with His love and mercy and redeems my life still today. A week of reminding. I had to write on my right hand and my heart:, 'the Lord's', like Isaiah talked about in chapter 44, and be reminded that the right hand is a sign of strength and He is all that I need to lean on for strength because v. 20, there is not a lie in my right hand, when my strength is in Him. 'Is there any other Rock, I know of none.' It's good stuff and it was sweetness to my soul after a rough week.

But the week is on the uphill climb, for sure. I taught English this morning and it just keeps getting better and better. I'm no longer nervous when she rings the office door! (I was a little at first). I had tea with the lady at my local D.V.D. store/ my local perfumery! Yes, just like McRae's. There is a perfume counter in my movie rental store. I am begging for my language to catch up enough before the akward silences un-nerve her! But she thinks I'm sweet, and I keep thinking, once I can talk to you without my Redhouse pocket dictionay companion, you'll really think I'm sweet! I rent movies and listen to them in Turkish or read the subtitles...and maybe just maybe, I've made a purchase from her perfume counter. That's why I call her Lolita Lempicka. This is one of my favorite perfumes at home, and she happens to sell it...actually she concocts a nice replica...It comes in this unmarked bottle that slightly resembles Love Potion No. 9, I'm convinced. (smile). The MS fam here is not sure about the perfume, but hey, it's been awhile since I've smelled home, so it's good to me. It's also greatly greatly discounted! Like almost 80 %! We'll see how long the scent lasts! But I am now an established patron and somewhat friend in the making! If it took a couple of movies and a bottle of perfume, I'm okay with that, just hoping that now we can be friends because my entertainment budget is getting low and I have no more need for perfume! But she seems to genuinely like me for now...so I'll just keep going by to see Miss Lolita Lempicka at my local Blockbuster.