Minibuses and Market day :)

Well, I will detail some of the interesting things about my life here!

Minibuses. I have finally gotten to the point where I am totally comfortable on them! For those who don't know, there is this road called the Minibus Yolu (minibus road) that runs parallel to the coast. This is what I take from Idealtepe (where the apartment that I am staying at is) to Altintepe (where the Byles live) every day. Its about a half an hour walk, which I didn't mind, until it came time to carry bags, etc.

The minibuses are smallish, with probably four rows of two-seaters and one three- or four-seater in the back. The drivers are nondescript most of the time. Each day I just say 63 in Turkish (the street up to the Byle's) and hand my 1.5 Turkish lira, and theres no problem. The drivers are often smoking, the people are quiet, often with iPods and MP3 players distracting them, and...what was that other thing? Oh yeah. As a foreigner, the driving here makes me just about soil my pants every freaking day. However, I have come up with a foolproof Istanbul minibus stance (I usually just stand because the little old ladies are on and off the buses and they need the seats):

Feet just a little more than shoulder-length apart (if theres room). Left foot pointing left, right foot pointing forward. Left arm holding upper bar on ceiling, right hand behind back holding bar. Whole body leaned up against hand on back bar. And let me tell you, that whole 2 minute ride is white-knuckled. I cling to those bars for dear life. The drivers come closer to the other cars on the road then I thought physically possible! There have been times that if the window were open, I could have leaned over 3 inches and lost half my face! Sheesh. Its quite the experience. Today it was really cute because the driver was a lot younger then the other ones I have seen...probably 20ish, and he had a buddy riding shotgun. I got in and gave the money, and the friend smiled at me and stared for a second, then sheepishly hopped out of his seat and offered it to me. I smiled and told him no, (I didn't want to get there and have to get up in two seconds to get off). So I stood there, and handed people's money up for them (a common thing). Those who sit in the back just pass the money forward to the driver, and then the change gets passed right on back. Then another minute later, and the guy motioned for me to sit on the center median between him and the driver, and it was right at that moment that I needed to get off. It was really cute because they were sweet and weren't perverted! Amazing how happy that makes me. 

LOKUM. (Turkish delight). Its yummy. :)

Tomorrow is market day! Every thursday, part of the city is unrecognizable due to the stands and booths that line the streets. Veggies, fruits, clothes, beans, cheese, shoes, jewelry, underwear, tablecloths, curtains...you name it. Its there. The first market day that I went to was so much fun! I bought a pair of pants (quite like gauchos) and when admiring one of the dresses in one of the booths, the guy gave it to me, saying (in turkish) "you are our guest!" It made my day. Throughout the market, people were handing me things to taste. New fruits I have never seen before were handed to me (and thoroughly enjoyed). 

I haven't been sleeping well at all lately...it has been really stressful. I don't know what is causing me to not get much sleep. I have been tossing and turning and waking up every hour. So needless to say, I am always exhausted which is really frustrating. I hope it doesn't last much longer! But seeing as though it is a little after 10 now, I have to start trying to fall asleep. :)

Love to you all, 

Marlies

Ahh Turkey...

Well, as I write this, I am snuggled in a cozy concrete corner of the Ankara bus station. My phone isn’t working, there is no Wifi, and this is a very large building. I have no idea at this point if the Telfords are already here and looking for me, or if they haven’t arrived yet. *Stress.* I am also STARVING but I am not starving enough to have to battle the language barrier to get myself something…I can be SOMEWHAT patient I suppose.

I am so glad that I got here without a hitch! Thankfully, on my way here I was able to find a two people who spoke a few words of English…that helped quite a lot. And there was one very enthusiastic Turk man who took my ticket and went to every bus in the lot to inquire if that was the one that I needed to be on (alas, none of them were, but bless his heart for trying).

The most entertaining part of my trip here to Ankara was when I went into the restroom at the first bus station (it was very small and out dated) and I got into the stall…the floor was sopping wet, the wall was sprayed with some unidentified liquid, there was no toilet paper or seat cover in sight, and the toilet seat was very clearly wet and sticky. Even now as I think about it, I move my feet further away from me knowing that they were on that floor. I was so stuck though, because I had to pee, and I had a 6-hour bus ride ahead of me. I went out of the stall to see if I could channel MacGyver and figure something out, and was mortified when I looked around and saw a vending-machine-sort of thing for little cardboard contraption that enables women to pee standing up. No way. So I looked in the other stall to see if there was anything in there to work with, and to my horror, there was a Squatty Potty (I know several of you know what that is) with a fountain of water draining onto the floor (that explained why the floor was so wet). NO FREAKING WAY. So I got back in the stall, and lets just say, I made it work, at the expense of an old T-shirt that I had just happened to pack.

The rest of the trip was spent trying to not bump the girl next to me ho was sleeping most of the way. I am so glad that I packed two iPods, because I have certainly needed them both!

Lately I have been trying to peg what stage of Culture shock I am at…I am neither ecstatic about Istanbul nor sick of it. I must say I think I have evened out and have reached a point of ambivalence to it. Indeed, I can’t wait to be home. Whenever I travel, I notice little things that I take for granted. Such as: hugs. Not just any hugs, but the hugs you give those who you are familiar with. The hugs that you are so used to that you don’t even think about. I also miss the friendliness of Americans. Granted, the attitude ranges in any country, but I miss the genuine friendliness in Lynden. Here all I get is blank stares, glares, and perverted gestures. Right now, in fact, there is a 30-something who has been walking back and forth outside, looking in the window at me. And just now he walked inside and walked by me again. To me its no big deal if a guy is looking at you, and then when you look at them, they look away. But what is terribly uncomfortable to me is when you look up and the guy keeps eye contact and just stares at you. Which is what this guy is doing. DUDE. STOPPIT.

Haha – not even half an hour ago, I was irritated with how my tailbone was hurting after sitting so long on the bus. Well…now I am sitting on cold concrete, and my tushey is even MORE uncomfortable! Go figure.

Another thing I have missed so much about the U.S. is control. When I am at home, I have control over just about everything. I can drive where I want to, when I want to, without any sort of hindrance. I can go to Safeway and know exactly where everything is. The cashiers recognize me, and I can joke around with them. I can go to Woods, and I know which baristas to get drinks from, and which to steer clear from. I have lost every bit of control since I have been here. I can’t communicate, and can’t drive myself, and beyond my everyday route, I don’t know where anything is. I can’t find anything in any stores because it’s all in Turkish, and I can’t ask about it, because all the Cashiers are Turkish!

I guess what I am trying to say is that I will always be a small-town person. There are a lot of wonderful things about big cities. But really, what I enjoy most is driving down the road and seeing four people I know. I love knowing and talking to cashiers…I love that just about everyone in Lynden knows eachother. I LOVE it.

Top on my list for things I NEED when I get back to the states:

East Indian food – spicy spicy spicy PLEASE.
Panera Bread – Cheddar Broccoli soup in a Sourdough round.
Olive Garden – Zuppa Tuscana
Sushi – Spider roll. (I think that’s what it is…the one with the deep fried soft shell crab).

Asian 1 – Fried rice

24 Oz. Blueberry White tea and 16 Oz. White Chocolate Mocha Shake with Irish Cream AND a 24 iced Americano.
Five Guys Burgers and Fries – anything.

SOMETHING BARBECUE. Anything. Just slap some barbecue sauce on some part of a cow that’s been barbecued low and slow. Thankyouverymuch.

A Good ol’ white bread and plain cheddar grilled cheese sandwich.

So that’s my tentative list. I guess. I am still hungry, and I am still trying to kill time, can you tell?