Friday, October 8, 2010

Weather or not...

Merhaba! Benim arkadaÅŸ ve aile.  Today I woke up to grey and cloudy skies; an obvious threat of a rain storm.  This, to say the least, has not been the average morning in Adana, Turkey since my arrival.  The clouds have now opened though, and it is presently pouring outside.  Arion got to wear her new rain coat to school and I am left here at home, pondering the weather.  

Prior to moving to Turkey, I took some time to look at the latitude and longitude of my future home and was surprised to find that Turkey is very close to being a straight shot across the world from Wyoming.  The altitude in Adana is a mere 240 feet, where the altitude of Cheyenne is just under 6,000 feet.  The humidity is clearly due to the Mediterranean Sea that I now live near.  I have heard that there are mountains near Adana; the Tarsus Mountains, to be exact.  I haven't seen them yet, but have been told that when the weather cools down and the rain begins to fall they and are visible even from the base.

There are small tan geckos that can be found in the evenings on the walls and trees outside; and yes, occasionally in the house as well.  Medium sized frogs are frequently spotted hopping around during the cooler hours as well.  I even noticed a wild hedgehog exploring my backyard.  There are many wild cats and dogs in Turkey as most Turks don't consider pets as family members or welcomed in homes.  Muslims do not believe in spaying or neutering animals either, because "preventing an animal from reproducing is preventing a natural process that Allaah has created in it."  Muslims also do not believe in euthanizing animals under any circumstances.  Even the vet on base is not allowed to euthanize or de-claw pets due to the sensitivity of this subject.
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On a personal note, I have to say that I have enjoyed life here so far.  The heat was pretty intense and uncomfortable when we first arrived but has been about right these last three weeks.  I love the palm trees and don't mind the animals that come along with warmth and humidity.

My experience of the Turkish people has also been very positive.  Turkish people have a very formal and accommodating culture and this is easily seen any where I have gone.  Even the Turks that do not speak English try their best to help an obvious lost or confused American and the Turks that do speak English are eager to make conversation and provide any help they can. Turks are also overwhelmingly trusting.  If one was to enter a store and appear interested they could expect their salesman to offer you to take the item home and keep it for a while for free with no obligation to buy (without documentation or paperwork).  When I get on a dal mush bus into the city, I simply hand my lira to the person in front of me and they pass it to the person in front of them until it makes its way up to the bus driver.  The change returns in a similar fashion.  I have yet to see a person get on a dal mush and not pay, or receive the incorrect change.  Bartering is also a custom and interestingly enough, it is considered rude to not negotiate a price.  It would be offensive for me to walk to a market or bazzar and just pay the price listed.  This does not apply, however, to food or any shops on base.  This negotiation of payment was a bit uncomfortable for me at first; but I have successfully bartered for several items so far!

What else do I love, you may ask?  Thats easy!  The turkish ice cream that you have to eat very quickly to prevent melting, like the one I enjoyed just yesterday.  Don't worry, it didn't get much more of a chance to melt after I snapped this picture.

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That's all for now!  I am expecting our first load of personal belongings to arrive any moment.

Güle güle!

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