You Can Say that Again...or Can You?

Whenever you leave a restaurant in Turkey, they send you away with clean hands and freshly scented hands. They always offer you little wet wipes to clean your hands. But, they don't just stop at that...they also offer you cologne to put on your hands to leave you feeling well scented. Today, my roommate and I cracked up as we opened the bag that came with our pizza we ordered and inside, there were not only wet wipes but yes...a little mini bottle of cologne. Our pizza came with perfume. Life here is always interesting.
This morning, i went to visit my D.V.D. friend (post wedding) to deliver a semi-late gift and chat. I also had to apologize to one of her family members who instead of telling I was sorry for my ride being late at the wedding, I told them that I was very tired...of waiting? They sound alike, and sometimes my brain fails me and I end up saying silly things at totally inappropriate times. "Kusura bakma"...(overlook my mistake). I say this...alot. I'm never quite intending to say everything that I do and I don't always get out what I want to . Today, i was going to ask someone on the park bench next to me which bus they were waiting for and how long they had been waiting. They just wrinkled up their nose at me and laughed, saying, 'I don't understand you.' Now, I know my Turkish can stand some improvement, but give me a break here. I totally knew what I was saying at least was intelligible.
And then sometimes, being a foreigner pays off. Yesterday as my roomie and I were waiting for the bus, we befriended a lady on the bench next to us. She asked which bus we were waiting for and how long we'd been waiting. I told her. Then, when the bus came she helped direct us where to go--even though i was quite aware of where to go (I have been riding that particular route for 5 months), but we graciously accepted her help and when we started loading...she made sure to usher us to the front elbowing teenagers out of the way right and left, whispering, 'they're foreigners'. Are we that obvious?
So, then today my friend at the D.V.D. store told me that she liked me more than her Turkish friends! How sweet is that. Too bad my reply was, 'can you repeat that, slower?' Welcome to my mind. But, we did chat quite a bit today and she affirmed today that she almost always understands almost all of what I say...well, it was affirming for me anyways. I may not be a linguist...but I am a learner...and I'm not giving up Turkey! I am pressing on!