So this is Christmas...

in Turkey and I am just in the spirit. I'm making a list and checking it twice... Started my Christmas shopping yesterday. No Christmas music, no decorations, absolutely no commercialism and don't you know, I'm still in the Spirit. I have this feeling that this is going to be a Christmas that I'll never forget and one that will hold special meaning to me forever. I'm seeing it through eyes that never have all around me...and then I'm getting to see it through a few special eyes that for the first time ever, really truly understand and will celebrate. A pretty incredible gift at this time of year, to say the least.
We've got the house all decorated and the Turks love our tree! The neighbors came over for dinner last week and--Melissa and I did do some abrupt Christmas caroling for them, they love a concert. I feel like I'm always putting on a show for friends, but I've finally learned some Turkish praise choruses and I'm always quite pleased to oblige-- so the neighbors were over for dinner and they could not stop taking pictures of the tree with their cell phones! Any who, so they're obsessed with the tree. I'm not sure what that says because sometimes their tastes are well....just not mine. But hey, we used what we had to work with here. They're probably texting all their friends to say that their weird foreigner neighbors have their New Year's decorations up already. If I've told one person we're not celebrating New Year's, CHRISTMAS (NOEL) is what we're celebrating...then well, I've probably told everyone I know. They think that we put our decorations up way too early. They'll decorate for New Years, but we'll take ours down the day after Christmas and I'm sure that will just give us a few more opportunities to share exactly what we're celebrating...
I think I'm going to get some friends together and carol at all the foreigners houses. Doesn't that sound like fun... And, we'll be doing our fare share of baking again. Oh, to be a Turkish woman...the expectations. The ladies in our building still love us and when we visit one more times than another, the food starts, which is amazing and always ever so welcome, but does not come without expectations. Those being a visit--which I also love--but I still have trouble bringing myself to ring their doors empty handed. I love the being invited in, lounging for hours being immersed in second hand smoke and 150 degree salons, and the silly and sometimes serious conversations that come from our unexpected visits to the neighbors that have come to see themselves as mothers in our lives. (Do not get jealous mom, you still speak my language like no one else does...literally compared to these ladies who only speak Turkish!) So, I'm rolling up my sleeves and putting on the apron and am ready to deliver some home baked Christmas goodness these next few weeks...which just makes the kitchen on these winter days without a heater a pleasanter place to be!
And then there comes the countdown to the parental visit...(2 weeks and 4 days) (a bit less than that last day if you count that I'm 8 hours ahead, practically a day ahead of y'all). I'm so excited. I need some familiar faces and hugs. It's just about time wouldn't you say? And, what better time than Christmas...
So Christmas in Turkey has begun.