Reflections/ Observations

The best part of my time in Turkey was meeting and getting to know the incredibly friendly people. Here are some thoughts and observations as I sadly wrap up my blog

1. I regret that I did not know Turkish. I would have learned more about the politics and society if I could have spoken with people who don't speak English
2. People from work did not invite me home - maybe because they were limited with the university-provided transportation and most lived with family, not in their own flats
3. The vast majority smoke- so sad and frustrating. In June there may be riots in the street when a law banning smoking in restaurants takes effect
4. The unemployment rate is 9.9% plus underemployment of 4%. Lots of men in every town and city sitting around in tea houses at all hours of the day. The underemployment perhaps is reflected in the 10 waiters that work in a shoe-size restaurant or store. You could say the Turks have an entrepreneurial spirit, but the situation is also sad when you seen men selling spin tops in the street or 5 packages of batteries.
5. You need to hold on to your plates in restaurants. Waiters watch you like hawks and whisk your plate away as you swallow your last bite. Then the custom is to let you sit for hours until you request the bill.
6. Turks drink tea every 47 minutes. You can decline tea, but still it will appear in front of you. They are incredulous when you decline multiple refills. Teapots look like double boilers with the tea essence on the top and water on continuous boil in the bottom. At a reception I saw a large urn with 2 spigots - I thought perhaps coffee and tea. But, it was tea essence and hot water to dilute the tea to your liking.
7. Maybe it's just me and my circle of friends who question authority, but it appears that the Turks follow rules. Library web pages feature the library rules - what you can't do in the library.
8. Lots of police with machine guns patrolling the street, in particular on Istiklal Caddesi - the main street of modern Istanbul. There are buses of police and policemen stop young men to check their identity cards
9. Turks are very proud of their cuisine, but it appears to me that it is the same everywhere - 4 star restaurant or hole-in-the-wall cafeteria. There is variety, but meat, rice, spinach, eggplant and fresh salads are staples.
10. It's not because I wasn't a buxom blond that I was never hassled. Smiles broke out on everyone's face when I used my few words of Turkish. They have a hard life of long commutes, low salaries and few career options. Yet, they are close to their families. They enjoy shooting the breeze with their friends and family. I'm convinced there is a Turkish friendly gene. They weren't helping me to give their country a good reputation with tourists, rather it just comes natural to these lovely people with a complex past and an evolving future.