"Seni Seviyorum"

     I was told "I love you" today by a Turkish woman of indeterminate age. I was also invited to sit in the kitchen over a leisurely cup of tea with said woman and the other maid, both of whom I have been invited to call my "Abla", or big sister; a title which I am coming to learn holds a great amount of affection and deference to the Turkish people. Abla is perhaps my favorite word in the Turkish language...right after guzel (beautiful) and yemek (food/eat) that is.
     Another thing I like and need to practice is the "Turkish Blink" An exaggerated blink of the eye is the Turk's version of the head nod. I means 'yes' but it also seems to mean much more then that. 'I knowledge you'...it's like a double wink, or an extra long hug.

*     *     *

     Standing in the living oda of Yasemin's Babaanne (Paternal Grandmother) two days ago, I was struck dumb with wonder. Laid out before me was the most magnificent view of my life, the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge across a milky turquoise Bosporus in the Foreground with the dogpiled buildings of Istanbul spilling all around it. There was even a cami (meaning Mosque, pronounced jah-mee) or two sprinkled in the mix, all cuddled under the most gently grey overcast sky I have ever seen.
     Yet my eyes were drawn time and again to the equally shocking display of opulence behind me. Shifting my perch on the canary brocade sofa I am met with a clash of gold, brass and real silver. LOTS of real silver. The nutty, chewy taste of my first Turkish Delight still making the acquaintance of my tongue, I fight the urge to be a gawky American and reach for the camera that should be hanging around my neck somewhere between my visor and my fanny pack. And here I thought our house further up the Bosporus was nice. This one has an elevator and a gatehouse complete with security attendant.
     One short elevator ride later I was ushered into the home of yet another Keceli family. There I watched 2 little girls ooh and ahh over a newborn baby, 2 little boys run wild, banging on toy pianos, and realized that for all the glam and all the psycho traffic, there are somethings that transcend language and timezone.
     I also made my second American contact, the Au Pair of the little terrors afore mentioned. I suspect she was even more relieved by the short moments of American conversation than I was.

Sabah Iki (Morning 2)

(This is from an email I sent my Anne (mom) early Thursday morning

 

Gunaydın--Good Morning!

     My cup is full. From the moment I arrived this family (and their many retainers) have made me feel like a celeb. The cook, Döndü, who is an older lady, is tickled pink everytime I use a Turkish word and expresses to me everytime I am in the kitchen how excited she is to learn some english as I learn Turkish at the same time.

     I spent all of yesterday making crafts, reading books, eating flavorful HEALTHY food, playing wii fit (ask justin what that is), watching Wizards of Waverly Place in Turkish (Tell Jordan I even watched an epısode of Hannah Montana for the first time), reading books and playing an itty-bitty guitar.
    But all day I was listening close and ask ask askimg questions. "Bu Teurkçe ne demek?" --What is the Turkish word for this?--The eldest daugter, Selın who is my best teacher and closest friend so far, praises me and marvels at my ability to speak. "You can read Turkish!" sure I can say it, I just don't know what I am saying! I am carrying my little alien notebook everywhere and wishing I had a bigger one. The girls--even down to little Yasemin all love to write their favorite words ın my notebook for me. So I now have all the colors, names for animals like horses and bees, weather, food, etc.

 

Well, I think thats about it right now. They all sleep until 10:30--thats rıght--10:30am now that ıts break so I have about another 2.5 hrs to sleep before Kahvaltı (a delicious breakfast of cheese, olives, tomatoes bread and tea) I think I will quick munch on a few more prunes and what I thınk are drıed fıgs, dates, and cherries; then head back up to my 3rd floor bedroom my kingsized bed, and the best part--the secret balcony I just discovered last night with an AMAZING view of Beykoz! 

 

I love you. I love the family. Tell them so. This is SUCH an adventure!

Gunaydın

I was brushing my teeth with my fınger (because I forgot my toothbrush in Michigan) in my third floor bathroom this mornıng when I heard it. I pulled open the strange mırror\window next to me only to discover a world that had magically been turned to winter over night. And through the stillness echoed the call to Salatu-I-Fajr, or morning prayer. I said to stuffed tıger: "Bangy, I don't think we're in America any more"

Rewind 18hrs< < <
     We exchanged emails and with one quıck hug promised to talk soon. He was a guy from Ney York here for a semester of study abroad, I was a graduate from Michigan suddenly wondering what I was actually here for and what the hell I had just gotten myself into. I think both of us realized that this was the last vestige of Amerıcan companionship we would have for some time. I went to the Visa booth and was so shocked at how easy and fast it was that I think I may have just stood staring at the girl behind the counter for a few minutes after she grabbed my 20 dollars, slapped the stamp in my passport and thanked me. Then I shuffled sheeplike through the "Passport" queue and without so much as a moment of eye contact with the agent I was in the country.
     So much for homeland security.
     Baggage collected I walked out the doors into a scene from a movie. Or the SAG awards. Dırectly outside the airport doors there was a dividing wall holding back a crowd of men (I know, funny metaphor for something I've never had to do in my life). Many of them holding signs. I paused for the pap to snap my picture, posed, molehill of bagage trailing when I spotted my sign: "Vada Horse" with the H and an M hurridly scribbled in.
     Meet Sami.
     Loaded into the "VIP Car" sitting in the front seat next to our driver it takes me only seconds to realize that Turkish driving ettiquite and American driving don't even belong to the same Phyllum. "It's rainıng" both my driver and later the father point out. As if the the total and universal disobeying of traffic laws, traffic lanes, and common sense is to be excused by the weather.
     Through a complex system of exaggerated pantomime, Turklish (self created term indıcating and basterdised mix of turkish and english) and writing in my holographic alien notebook, Sami and I soon dropped into a conversation about American NBA players and how many children were in our perspective families. It took only minutes for this 49yr old man to become my first friend in Turkey...

Washed, dressed ın pajamas and ready for bed hours later (after a whirlwind afternoon of unpacking, helpiıng the girls with homework and sampling Turkish dishes while both girls, the cleaning girl Ayşe and the older woman Döndü looked on and laughed at my apparently sad attempts to learn the Turkish names), I was in my room and gave into a few self indulgent tears.

Some things I learned today:
1. I never want to drive here. Ever.
2. Due to sıze, this city ıs going to be a lot harder to get around then I thought
2.5. Istanbul is beautiful and I love it already
3. The language is going to be a lot more of a barrier then I expected.

How it all Began...GreatAuPair.com

The first thing you need to know is that i have wanted a Nanny job for over three years. I have been actively looking since January of this year (09). Late last winter I created a profile on AuPair.com hoping to find a position in a French Speaking family in Switzerland...To make a long story short, I got a whole lot of nothing but disinterest and creepy scams. (never never NEVER wire money to ANYONE you don't know!) June to November was a constant rollercoaster of thinking I would be leaving for Switzerland, England or France, only to have it fail at the last minute. Finally I gave up and tired of being unemployed applied for a job in my neighborhood...

Just when it started to look like I was doomed to spend the rest of my life right here in Grand Rapids, Michigan (my own personal Hell) an old roommate suggested GreatAuPair.com. With very little hope, I skeptically created a profile on Tuesday. Wednesday morning I had 7 messages from families all over the EU, one of which was a family in Istanbul Turkey. As soon as I saw their pictures on their family profile I knew they were what I had been looking for. I had found "My Family".

That was last week.

The mother, Sebnem, and I then began to exchange almost daily emails. Today, we were finally able to connect and talk face to face using Skype. I was able to meet both the mother and father, and they were able to meet a few members of my family (including my VERY relieved Mom) through the wonder of the modern webcam.

The date is set. We shall be buying a plane ticket from Chicago, IL to Istanbul, Turkey for February 1, 2010!

Merry Christmas Eve to me and to you too.