I Love the Pazar!

Pazars are great. They are the open air markets that sell fruits, veggies and household stuff like slippers, pots and pans, etc.  There is a large one I got to on Sundays, however I saw a smaller one today in a different neighborhood.  Pazars are not normally mid-week so I decided to stop by. 

This pazar is smaller and has fewer choices, but because there is less traffic since it is on a Wednesday instead of the weekend the prices are a bit lower.

3 loaves (or pieces) of bazlama bread, a huge bunch of mint, a giant head of lettuce, a large head of mesculin, a bunch of parsley and a kilo of Ankara pears.   All of this cost 8  lira, or $5.   A super bargain.  I wall be going back to that market for fresh greens, especially since it is so nice and quiet.

A note: I just discovered fresh bazlama bread at the pazars.  It is now my favorite food.  It is so soft and fresh, kind of like a chewy English muffin.  I will endeavor to start making it myself soon.  Though, for one lira for 3 pieces it may be cheaper just to buy it.

Döner at Özçelik Aspava

Ridiculous!  I have posted about their döner before, but I feel it needs to be done again.

We ordered döner, the rest you see is complimentary.

Mixed green salad, with a pomegranate molasses dressing.

Fresh French Fries with a homemade tomato sauce.

Cacık with sumac and mint on top.

  

And the pièce de résistance : Döner.  I had already had a bite before I took this photo.  I couldn’t wait!

The money shot, thinly sliced which had been roasted on a rotating spit.  Served with homemade tomato sauce and sliced onions rolled in a fresh soft lavaş.

  

This is my favorite place to eat in Ankara. 

Birthday FUN!

I am not closer to 30 than to 20.  It feels weird.  Though I was still the youngest (adult) at my birthday party.  There was a 4 year old, but of the people who have learned to read in that room I was the youngest by 6 years.  So. Still a baby.  Which is good, because I don’t always feel like a grown up.  I think that is normal though.  In a chat with my Nana, who is 97, she says she still feels like  young woman.  She is only tethered to age by her body.   As are we all.

 

My party was a blast.  It was not a “birthday party” but a party for my birthday.  That is what I wanted, fun with my friends.  And we had a great time.  There was wine, and food, and wine and beer and cake and wine. 

The spread was quiche, Mac-n-cheese, kisir, Polish apple and leek salad, tuna veggie salad, white cheese borek, chocolate cake, cinnamon rolls, kadayif and carmel cake. 

Yes, I am still waddling.

Less Craptastic Than the Last Post--Barely

Oh MY!!  This morning was one for the books.  So last night I ironed a bunch of clothes.  I usually iron in the morning because I am to lazy to iron loads of stuff all at the same time.  But last night, I ironed, which saved me this morning. 

So this morning I had a meeting with my boss.  I had prepared and was ready for the meeting.  What I was not prepared for was waking up 10 minutes before the bus came. (In Turkey lots of employers send buses for their employees—I don’t ride with the kids.)   Bulent would not have been able to drive me this morning.  He needed to get to work himself in a different direction. 

I brushed my teeth and hair.  Threw on my ironed clothes and dirty socks.  The only ones I could find.  It was taking too long to dig through the sock drawer.  I grabbed some makeup and tossed it in my bag and ran out the door while scrubbing my face with a baby wipe.   Adrenaline and panic are not two of the best morning guests. 

Now usually I set two alarms.  I am neurotic about waking up.  I relaxed a little and what happens?  Even though I checked the alarm twice last night it didn’t go off.    If I hadn’t been responsible and ironed last night I would have been out of luck.  In my panic I did forget it is an option to take a taxi.  It would have been a bit pricey, but still an option.  I have to remember that!

Winter Wind is Dangerous

The weather here has been crazy, warm spring days, then snowfall and chilling winds.  The chilling winds are a problem.  Seriously.  The other day I took the dog for a walk.  All was going well.  It was cooler than usual—not a problem.  So we are walking, and the dog takes care of her business…not strange.  So then I do the normal, socially responsible thing and I pick up her poo with a plastic shopping bag.  

There was a hole in the bag.   A. Hole. In. The. Bag.  So then I have poo smeared all on my fingers.  Do I have a wipe? A napkin?  A used tissue?  No.  Nothing.  I even though about picking up tissues of the ground, but then I realized whatever was on them might be worse that poo.   Or it might  be poo.  As least I knew whose fecal matter was smeared on my fingers.   So I found a nice soft patch of grass and did the best I could. 

I decided not to turn back and go home because the dog had only been outside for 5 minutes.  She needed a walk and besides that, if I had turned around I would have have to drag her back or carry her because she did NOT want to go home yet.  So with pooey fingers we proceed on our walk.  Then that “Winter Wind” became a problem.  There was a hole in the bag, this I knew.  And the poo was slowly falling out the bottom of the bag.  I started to hurry towards the trash—still wanting to be social responsible with my gooey, warm bag of poo.  But then the wind came and the poo started flying out of the bottom the bag.  This was when I decided to forget social responsibility.  By this time the poo was spraying with the wind and I decided, poo on my fingers---I can deal with. Poo all over my clothes.  Forget it.    That winter wind makes me nervous.

One Year Anniversary

I have been in Turkey for one year.  A full year of living in a country where I am not part of the hegemonic culture.  Being an outsider in a different land has allowed me to observe Turkish culture closely and learn more about my own.  When your culture is not the mainstream culture, it is easy to see what your own culture is, since it contrasts with the culture around you.  It has been a great year, and a fun one, filled with food, travels and excitement.  Things have changed a little since I started working again, become more routine.  However, life is still fun and exciting.  We are finding our niche, making friends.  It always takes a while to make a new city “home.”  We are finding our favorite places, our favorite restaurants, bars and hangouts.  The process in itself is fun and exciting. I am sure the next year in Turkey will be just as great as the first.

Settling In

I had a fantastic time at home with my friends and family.  It was really fantastic to see everyone.  However the transition was rough.  I flew back on Saturday night.  I landed in Turkey Sunday night, my bags were still in London.  After filling out the lost baggage paperwork we drove home.  I went straight to bed and Monday I dragged my behind out of bed at 6 to go to work.  It is difficult to have the necessary patience for 6th graders when you are tired and jet-lagged.  The first two days of the week were tough, and the next few I was used to catch up on life, sleep and laundry.  I am finally back….Which also means Back to Blogging!  Yay!  It might take me a while to get back into the swing of things, but no more long absences. 

Here is a souvenir of my trip home… This is my super cool little brother.  Right after this was taken he swung me up on his shoulders kind of like a yoke, head facing one way, my behind the others.  As I was struggling to get down, using my only weapon (the tickle),  his friends walked in.  Thankfully being a mature person he dealt with this tactfully.  Did he put me down?  No.  He turned so my face was facing them instead of the other end.  We may be adults, but some things never change.