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| A night shot of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. |
None of these are intended as insults or a means to simplify/generalize an entire group of people into a list of ten. This is just a humorous compilation of observations and a brief introduction into a new society, one that I hope will inspire you to come and see it for yourself.
1. Sense of humor
Turks are a very fun group of people. They like to joke around and are quite playful. You will most likely see this when it comes to dondurma. Dondurma is Turkish ice cream and it actually has a different consistency than American style ice cream or Italian gelato. It's slightly more...sticky. I know that doesn't sound appealing but it is actually delicious and will not melt off the cone and onto your clothes.
Due to its more viscous nature, the people manning dondurma stands will tease you by messing around with the cone. They will extend it and then flip it around, pretending that the ice cream fell before finally proffering the cone. It is actually very entertaining to watch and this is very commonplace.
I also noticed this on the pirate ship ride I took here in Alanya. Midway through the trip, the captain put on a dress and then started gyrating around the top deck. Then one of the crew members did an impressive cliff jump before removing his pants and swimming around with his cheeks beaming up at the audience. Sure, this was all done in entertainments name but seriously, how many cultures do you know that would willingly make fools of themselves just to get a laugh?
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| Turkish swimming activities... |
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| Our lovely Turkish captain. |
2. Tea
By the time you leave Turkey, you will have drunk your weight's worth in tea. They serve tea with EVERYTHING. There is never a bad time for tea. Waiting to change money? Have some tea! Getting your hair did? Have some tea! Walking along the street? Come sit and have some tea! You must also have tea after finishing a meal, no ifs, ands, or buts.
One tip is that the famous apple tea is actually something concocted for foreigners. Turks found out that tourists aren't really fans of the regular black tea (they find it too bitter but I enjoy it) so they made a powder of sweet apple flavoring.
3. Backgammon
This is the board game of choice in Turkey. I actually got the Boy a dual backgammon and chess set for Christmas this year. No matter where you go, you will see a group of men huddled around a rickety table and yelling at the board. Of course, as they play, they will be drinking tea. There is another game, which I haven't yet found the name of, which makes people want to slam down hard on the table.
We still don't know how to play but that is one of my New Year resolutions.
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| The lovely mother of pearl backgammon set. |
4. Grooming
If you have a lot of hair and are not sure what to do with it, come to Turkey. Turks know what to do with hair. They are experts in hair control. Hair that you don't even realize that you have will be dealt with.
I also maintain that Turkish women are the toughest bunch out there. My first week here, I went to a salon and did my nails, eye brows, and got a hair cut. I was literally crying in pain by the time I left. My nails looked great, my eye brows looked great and so did my hair, but it all came at a price: pain. Well, not really my hair until they decided to straighten it and so began the tugging, but for sure female grooming here is not for the faint of heart.
Men have it much better. The Boy has delighted in the attentions of the barbers here as they give him a little massage, lather him up and then carefully give him a smooth shave. The coup de grace is when they do one of two things:
1. Make a mask of mud and put it onto the guy's cheeks. This is left to dry before it is
carefully peeled off, taking all the cheek peach fuzz along with it.
2. This is the more dramatic of the two. A little cotton ball is lit on fire and then they
repeatedly whack this flaming cotton against the guy's cheeks in order to burn off the
peach fuzz.
I never realized that peach fuzz was something to be dealt with. So, lesson to be learned by this: Women, enter at your own risk. Men, go and be pampered.
5. Excessive friendliness
I also maintain that Turkish women are the toughest bunch out there. My first week here, I went to a salon and did my nails, eye brows, and got a hair cut. I was literally crying in pain by the time I left. My nails looked great, my eye brows looked great and so did my hair, but it all came at a price: pain. Well, not really my hair until they decided to straighten it and so began the tugging, but for sure female grooming here is not for the faint of heart.
Men have it much better. The Boy has delighted in the attentions of the barbers here as they give him a little massage, lather him up and then carefully give him a smooth shave. The coup de grace is when they do one of two things:
1. Make a mask of mud and put it onto the guy's cheeks. This is left to dry before it is
carefully peeled off, taking all the cheek peach fuzz along with it.
2. This is the more dramatic of the two. A little cotton ball is lit on fire and then they
repeatedly whack this flaming cotton against the guy's cheeks in order to burn off the
peach fuzz.
I never realized that peach fuzz was something to be dealt with. So, lesson to be learned by this: Women, enter at your own risk. Men, go and be pampered.
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| Flaming ball of peach hair. |
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| Male grooming in Turkey. |
5. Excessive friendliness
Turks are seriously the friendliest people that I have EVER met. I can't even count the number of times where I have asked for directions and they have just left whatever they were doing (some people even closed their shops) in order to lead me where I need to go. They didn't even want anything! They just did it to be nice.
There are folks who will probably cheat you but these are mostly found in tourist traps and even then, they are way nicer than some of those in the same capacity in India. Otherwise, the Turkish people are a delight to be around. I have never met a group of people who just wanted to be friendly for the sake of being friendly. I have literally met two rude people in the six months that I have been here.
6. Turkish patriotism
There are folks who will probably cheat you but these are mostly found in tourist traps and even then, they are way nicer than some of those in the same capacity in India. Otherwise, the Turkish people are a delight to be around. I have never met a group of people who just wanted to be friendly for the sake of being friendly. I have literally met two rude people in the six months that I have been here.
6. Turkish patriotism
I am fairly competent when it comes to history (thank you AP world history) and I was aware of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the leader who essentially created modern-day Turkey out of the ashes of the Ottoman Empire. I did not realize just how fiercely proud Turks are of their founding father and their homeland. There are Turkish flags EVERYWHERE and I am just amazed at the overwhelming pride that this society has for their own country and founding father.
It is not a loud, in-your-face, obnoxious sort of patriotism. It is more a very open appreciation that proclaims "I am Turkish and Turkey is awesome." Love it.
7. BBQs
It is not a loud, in-your-face, obnoxious sort of patriotism. It is more a very open appreciation that proclaims "I am Turkish and Turkey is awesome." Love it.
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| Yes, that is Ataturk on a horse holding the Moon. |
7. BBQs
First let me say that I love Turkish food. I am especially in love with Kahvalti (look for an upcoming post), which is Turkish breakfast. While this is very much a food culture, the Turkish love of barbeques is really noteworthy. Especially during the warmer seasons, families will go to nearby public barbeques every weekend and set up camp for the day. This is such a beloved part of their culture that there are actually numerous public areas which are chock-full of grills.
8. Yelling out nationalities
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| Shot of the best kahvalti in Alanya. This can be found at Dizdar Garden up towards the castle. |
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| Powdered grill sauce in Antalya |
8. Yelling out nationalities
This is something that I have only noticed in really touristy areas. In order to get your attention, hawkers will start guessing your nationality. Walking down some of the main streets of Istanbul and on the boardwalk in Alanya, I will hear: "Hello, China!" "Hello, Japan!" "Hello, Thailand!"
One guy got so frustrated that a friend and I were not responding to him that he then proceeded to yell out, "Hello, @$$holes!"
I haven't really encountered this tactic elsewhere and found it to be particularly irritating. Pretty much on par with the incredulity I face whenever I tell people here that I am American. You would not believe the look of complete and utter disbelief that I get; because I am clearly lying and hiding the fact that I am Asian. A lot like China, nationality is tied to ethnicity.
9. Love of children
Turkey is the most child-friendly place that I have ever been to. They LOVE kids here and I have never sensed any fear of stranger danger. One time, when the Boy and I were getting on an escalator at the local mall, we saw a little boy freak out at the moving staircase. His family had already stepped forward and were heading down as he started to panic. This Turkish girl (probably late teens) then stepped forward, grabbed his hand, and yanked him down. She even held his hand the whole way before returning him to his family at the bottom. That would not have been okay in the U.S.
Similarly, when the Boy and I were waiting in line to get our residency permits in the police office, we saw two of the police officers playing with a baby. I was surprised since I didn't think that officers were allowed to bring their kids to work. After taking a few photographs with the adorable child, the officers then walked towards our line and handed the child back to one of the other waiting families. Those officers just grabbed the random kid while the parent stood idly by and had a photo shoot! If you are one of those people who likes to pinch random kids' cheeks and pat their head, Turkey is the place for you.
10. Speed demons
I have lived in quite a few countries with poor driving records. Indian roads are death traps, Manila is so clogged that you have to add at least an hour of travel time for every five miles, and China is just as terrifying as India (especially when you get out of the huge cities).
Turkey has its own unique driving trait: speed. The roads are actually really nice here and are very clearly marked, so they aren't an issue. What you really need to look out for are people zooming. Maybe this is really an Alanya thing, since there aren't enough cars to really cause traffic pile ups, but I have never seen so many people speed so unnecessarily. They are really only saving themselves a minute, if that, and yet given the chance they will gun the gas pedal. It's quite terrifying!
And that's it! One trait that I debated adding to the list was: Everyone is Turkish until proven otherwise. However, that only really applies to people who are already from the Mediterranean region or have heritage from around that area. The Middle East and the Indian subcontinent also apply.
I hope you enjoyed this list and that it inspired you to visit, for those who haven't been, or resonated with those who have.
Turkey has its own unique driving trait: speed. The roads are actually really nice here and are very clearly marked, so they aren't an issue. What you really need to look out for are people zooming. Maybe this is really an Alanya thing, since there aren't enough cars to really cause traffic pile ups, but I have never seen so many people speed so unnecessarily. They are really only saving themselves a minute, if that, and yet given the chance they will gun the gas pedal. It's quite terrifying!
And that's it! One trait that I debated adding to the list was: Everyone is Turkish until proven otherwise. However, that only really applies to people who are already from the Mediterranean region or have heritage from around that area. The Middle East and the Indian subcontinent also apply.
I hope you enjoyed this list and that it inspired you to visit, for those who haven't been, or resonated with those who have.
