Other Turkish Stories

• Once when Stephanie and I were walking across a bridge to get to our bus stop, a bird pooped on my wrist.  If I hadn't been gesturing so widely, it probably wouldn't have hit.  Stephanie burst out laughing, then pretended to be sympathetic, but she kept giggling while I kleenexed it away.

• Turns out I like Turkish cherries, even though American cherries make me cringe.  Tulay grabbed a few to try at a street bazaar (you can do that), and I ate both mine and Stephanie's, since she doesn't like them.  My teeth cracked on the pit, which I forgot existed, and I spit them both in my hands.  I walked a couple blocks with spitty pits in my palm, unsure whether or not I could drop them to the ground.  I was pretty sure it was acceptable, but in case I was wrong, I wanted to be as surrepticious as possible.  In the end, I just leaned toward another fruit stall and let them fall to the ground.  No one arrested me.

• After The Avengers, Bir Kan (which means One Blood in Turkish, and is probably the most epic name ever) told me about a protest he'd seen put down in March.  On Women's Day, he said.  Did we celebrate Women's Day in America?  Stephanie and I said no, but then I realized!  I had just discovered that March 8 is National Women's Day this year, and I made up a library book display of awesome ladies.  But celebrate, no not really.  Bir Kan thought that was a bit sad.

• The newest James Bond movie had been filming in Istanbul.  When Stephanie and I went to the Spice Bazaar, there was a big section of newly created food stalls fenced off.  Loads of people, including ourselves, gathered around to stare through the chain-linked wall that separated us from movie glory.  Except the filming area was completely empty.  We were staring at nothing.  The rest of the time I was in Istanbul, I half believed James Bond (not Daniel Craig, like a normal person) would swoop by running for his life.  Sadly, that never happened.

• Vonda came into the bathroom one morning while Stephanie and I were getting ready.  She looked at the sink and sucked in a breath of disgust. 

     "Did you guys know that was in there?" she gasped. 

     We looked too, and saw a big beetle of a bug dead in the drain of our sink. 

     "...Ew, that's gross!" Stephanie contributed. 

     "I thought it was a clump of hair," I explained. 

     We continued getting ready.  Vonda sighed in disgust and fished the bug out with a wad of toilet paper. 

     "Yay!" we cheered.  "You're our hero!"