Some Textures of Turkish Life

This post is taken from notes written after about a week in Turkey, just a few thoughts about life there.

     I want to capture some of the interesting things here that make up the everyday tapestry of life here along the Aegean Turkish coastline.  This will be just some random things I notice that I think you’ll find interesting as well.  Thus far as we’ve moved about seeing local things and calling on people the our friends  have become acquainted with.

Calls to Prayer

The first thing we noticed are the 5 daily “Calls to Prayer” over the loud speakers that can be heard - no matter where you.  The mosques are situated about so that you can easily hear the prayer chants from any direction, and they’re a short walking distance from wherever you might be.  They occur at 6am, 12 noon, 3pm, 6pm, and 9pm. It was very surprising, however, that there was no response to this. Nothing changed. The people in the market or on the street did not stop to pray, or even pause in their routine.

Now is the Time for Tea

     In Turkey, Chai is not referring to a tea with spices like we are familiar with.  It is simply tea served very hot in a small glass like a juice glass.  Usually its black tea like we make iced tea with, or it might be a Sage tea which comes out a neon yellow until a slice of lemon is squeezed into it making it clear.

     Any time . . . any place . . . and any occasion is a good time for “Chai.”  Whenever we’ve been introduced to someone, rich or poor, they’re immediate response is to say “shall we have Chai?” which is the Turkish way to show hospitality.  This has been taking place at least 5-8 times a day for us and we’re stoked up with tea caffeine.  I love this tradition because it slows down the pace and values the importance of relationships.

 

 

Hard Life for Dogs and Cats

     Dogs and cats seem to not have pet status around here because they all are skin and bones, infested with mange, and look destitute and homeless.  I’m not particularly a pet person - but this is really pitiful. There are a LOT for dogs and cats around. They wander the streets, sometimes in large groups, but are not threatening. They hang around the restaurants, especially on the shoreline, and wait for diners to throw leftovers their way.

Dirt Roads and Construction Debris

     The highways and main arteries here are generally paved, but certainly not to Western World standards.   The neighborhood streets are just dirt paths which are cleared by a road grader once a year to remove vegetation.  Since this area is the mountain foothills, the dirt roads are laced with chunks of rock, broken bricks, cement tiles and other kinds of construction materials.  My guess is that this provides traction when the rains come.

Genies and Superstitions

     This is noteworthy.  The local culture has deep rooted beliefs and superstitions regarding spirits which they call “genies,” which all stems from their ancient Turkish lineage with Arabian influence.  They believe these genies are disembodied spirits looking for a place to inhabit – thus the cartooned “Aladdin’s lamp” folklore is not make-believe to them.  They are very sensitive about this because some genies are reputed to be good and some evil.  This belief system resembles “voodoo” in other cultures because they give credence to the influence of spiritual curses.

     In order to ward off the evil spirits, they have ceramic tiles that look like “scary eyes” built into the outside walls around their doors and windows, or perhaps have a plaque or medallion that looks like an eye.  The house the Schmidt rent has them as well, so they had a painter make them look like eyes of a fish.

To the Right – to the Right – to the Left – to the Left

     No, this is not a line dance song at a wedding reception.  I was just trying to figure out the proper way to greet a person.  They do the cheek hug on one side and then the other.  Men and women do this.  If I hug someone, they always shift to the other cheek to complete the 1-2 step greeting.  I can’t get a clear answer:  is it right side first – then the left . . . or is it the left side first – then the right?  Is it right cheek first (which means left side first) – then the left cheek second (which means the right side second)?  I may not get it correct . . . but all I know is these folks (men included) seem to want a cheek to cheek “air smooch” on both sides.  Turning the cheek in scripture is about a slap, so maybe this is sort of what scripture calls a “holy kiss.”