You Know You're In America When:

• Everyone owns iPhone rather than blackberry
• The roads are wide and long
• You know your rights and use them extensively
• There are over 5 rows of books on weight loss and mental health, but people are still overweight and crazy
• There is next to no one walking on the sidewalks
• Everyone fights for the front row parking spot (Sometimes circling the parking lot several times)
• There is nothing open passed 9 on weekdays and 2 on weekends
• There are drive-thru restaurants at every corner
• America has 70% of the world’s lawyers/legal professions (There are law-suits for everything)
• On Memorial Day, 4^th of July, and Labor Day must be properly honored with a barbecue or grill-out. MUST!
• Students carry book bags and laptops to class
• You talk about international travel and they respond with "I'm part Irish, German and Italian."
• You enjoy house parties as much as going out
• Language embraces only the good feelings, a type of political correctness. (They are not fat, they are “Person of size”. They are not blind, they are “seeing-impaired”)
• People take with them the food that they did not eat in "To go bags"
• You go to a theme park and see fanny-packs galore (Typical American tourist identity)
• There are only self-service gas stations (Yes. You have to wash your own windows)
• There are water fountains everywhere (FREE drinkable water)
• There are police cars everywhere and are sneaky (They are experts at speed traps & writing tickets/fines)
• The commercials take as much time as the actual show
• You wake up far before 8AM for school
• To be a man, you must become an American football player or play some kind of "manly sport"
• Everyone in class bring their laptops
• Every licensed driver has at least 1 car
• People talk about their personal religion out loud
• There are yard decorations/ornaments (Deer. that make you slam on your brakes)
• Any noun can be turned into a verb and you can make up words daily
• Laws can change drastically between towns, cities, and states
• There are dollar stores everywhere (Everything in the store is $1 plus tax)
• Clubs/bars start getting busy around 11-12 and end at 2AM
• Only about 30% of the population owns passports
• Winning is the central idea to the American spirit
• Everything is thought of in terms of money. EVERYTHING!
• Anyone who is jobless is thought to be a non-person
• The Superbowl is the most important event in the universe (Millions of dollars spent on commercials, but yet we have economy problems)
• You can walk five minutes to your destination, but would rather drive to save time and energy
• The Americans think that the world would not survive without their existence.
• On St. Patrick’s everyone becomes Irish and wears green
• There is a tool/machine/gadget to do anything you want (God forbid doing anything manually)
• Everything comes with a warning label of some sort (Cups, gadgets, food, EVERYTHING)
• Children are raised to be independent
• It is considered rude to tell a joke that enables any social, ethnic, sexual, religious or racial stereotype
• Our most distinctive traits are –religious extremism, paranoia, greed, and boastfulness (Oops!)
• The typical quick breakfast is either cereal or pop-tarts
• People get confused using the metric system
• You know everything you put in your mouth will be bad for you, but that’s your only option. (Be prepared to gain weight. No one ever escapes it!)
• If it didn’t happen on the news, it didn’t happen at all
• There is reliable public transportation only in larger cities like New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles

This post was not meant to offend my any means. Just some observations I have taken note of since arriving from Turkey 2 months ago. Hope you enjoyed a good reality check of American culture. :-)

Note: I do not own the copyrights to these photos

How to Blend in With the Turks!

So as I write this, I am happily awaiting the arrival of my mother and my grandmother (mother's side) to come to Izmir this Wednesday. ONLY 2 FULL DAYS! Yes, That was needed, as I have not seen any of my family for nearly a year! In the midst of their packing, they constantly ask me how to pronounce names of my family and hello, how are you, and other basics. They also ask me about some normal to things to blend in. Although I am not Turkish, I am now at the point of being able to tell who is a tourist, and its very fun and down right cool to now know. I mean we all are tourists somewhere, and after living in a foreign place for nearly a year, I find it so cool to point out what I probably used to look like!

So what I can do is write a few recommendations or notes of how to at least slightly blend in with the Turks; you know, after your outfit, hair and skin color is taken out of the options to change.

1. Do not rely on maps! As a traveler, everyone has maps, right? Well, if you have a map for Turkey, many times they will be out of date or even completely wrong. You know how a map shows street names, numbers and all of that? Yeh. Don't come to Turkey expecting there to be street signs on every street corner like there are in United States for instance. Finding a road sign is like finding a needle in a hay stack, they are there, but trying to spot them takes up half your travels. My best recommendation is to ask the nearest market owner or people on the street. This is the easiest way to find your way, and also possibly even learn something or get a complimentary treat (Tea, gum, coffee, etc.) Which brings me to my next point.
   
2. Do not think that Turkish people do not know or speak English. If you go somewhere playing a game of charades or flipping through your fresh new Turkish-English phrase dictionary, you might get some innocent laughs and be asked to just simply ask in English. Although sometimes there is a huge language barrier, you will be very surprised how even simple English can help you on your travels.
   
3. When crossing streets in Turkey, run like there is a huge animal chasing you! Turks are known as very hospitable and polite people; however, something happens like a morphing transformation when they get behind the wheel of a car. It does not matter if the cross light says walk, look left and right before crossing, and while crossing, keep your eyes open for those little moped motorcycles. This and only this may be your only life-sentence while in Turkey, so I repeat, cross streets with speed and caution!
   
4. When entering the house of a Turk, take off your shoes. This is just a simple cultural respect. Some families even take their shoes off before even entering the house. Do not be surprised either if you are handed a pair of slippers to wear around the house, they want you to be comfortable. So after entering the house, take off your shoes, and if they say it is not a problem (as sometimes, this is not a problem), then leave them on as you wish.
   
5. Never disrespect bar owners, waiters, taxi drivers, or hotel receptionists. In general you should show respect anyways, as it is plain courtesy. However there are those times when something goes wrong: the wrong meal, bad hotel room, the taxi takes you to the wrong place, etc. When these instances come up approach them calmly, and I guarantee they will handle the situation to the best of their ability (Hospitality, AGAIN) and you may even get a free meal, taxi ride, or discounted hotel room. Turks will do ANYTHING to make you feel welcome, happy and relaxed. While talking about respect, never, ever, ever, ever disrespect the name of Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey. Do not even test what will happen, Please!
   
6. Be ready to eat when coming to Turkey. Again and again, I write on my blog about the Turkish hospitality, and it is so evident when you get here. When at a meal, they will push food on you over and over again. Sometimes, if you are not used to it, it can be overbearing, but they do not want you going hungry, EVER. It is considered rude if you do not at least try what they offer you, but if you are genuinely full, just put your hand over your chest and say tesekkurler (thank you). Turks are persistent with hospitality and will even give you their own bed if all the beds are taken up.
   
7. When getting on a public bus, hold on tight. Turkish transportation offers many options from Dolmus (mini-bus), taxi, taxi dolmus, bus, metro, Vapur (Ferry), and metro-bus (Istanbul). Generally buses come every 15-25 minutes, ferries and metros have a set schedules, and the dolmus comes at random in their designated routes. Just a simple tip, though, when getting on a public bus, hold on tight, because the bus drivers love to drive, turn, and stop with speed. If you are elderly, individuals will give up their seat for you to sit in mild comfort. If you are young or capable of standing, be courteous and let the elderly or disabled have your seat.
   
8. Dont assume that you will come here and wear a turban. While some Turks prefer to cover their hair, you are not forced, nor inclined to wear one. Turkey is secular, and you can practice however you wish. If you are on the West, it is very modern and you may not even notice the difference, while the East has more conservative individuals. When touring mosques however it is required to cover your hair out of respect to the people actually practicing that religion.
   
9. Be prepared for a Turkish man to say I love you upon the first night of meeting. Turks are very romantic, and also have a different view on love. There is no like or dislike of something, it is always  love or hate. So when a Turk says he loves you upon meeting you, this does not necessarily mean he is in love with you, it just means he has a deep liking for you. Turks are very poetic and romantic, but also very jealous lovers. So be prepared to be swept off your feet, but I wouldnt recommend this in your itinerary.
   
10. Share everything. Just as Turks are hospitable to you, do yourself and them a favor and be the same back. For example, after buying a pack of gum, a bottle of water, or cigarettes, offer them some before taking some for yourself! You can also leave an open pack of whatever on the table, for people to have at their desire, dont buy something and stuff it in your pocket or purse for yourself. This thing is so simple, but will prove that you are just as much Turkish as the natives.

These were just a few that I thought of from the top of my head, but if you want to be as Turkish as possible check out some books at the library and listen to some music to feel the heart, soul, and peace of the Turkish individuals.

Everyone enjoy your stay in Turkey and in advance, Turkiye'ye Hosgeldin.

~Welcome to Turkey~

Dinner Time

You know as an American family, dinner times can be many different things. Sometimes dinner can be grabbing your plate of food prepared by your parent and taking it to your room, enjoying while watching TV, studying, or browsing the internet. Sometimes, dinner is enjoyed at the dinner table with the family, where you talk about what happened during the day and then leave immediately after the food was inhaled. Other times you may grab the plate of food and crowd around the tube (TV), not saying a thing, but paying attention to the comedy show, reality show, or daily news.

One of the things I love about dinner time in Turkey is not just the absolutely fresh and fulfilling food that is served, but rather the conversations. Typically it is started by a simple thing that happened earlier in the day, but then is extended to a very intriguing and sometimes intense conversation. When the food is all gone, they stay at the table and talk for another half an hour. After a while it is typical, if it’s not too late, someone offers to prepare Turkish coffee. This then leaves for at least another hour of conversation and fortune reading.

If you don’t know a typical thing to do after drinking a small cup of Turkish coffee, you cover the cup, flip it over while wishing something, and then the fortune will be read by another person after the cup has cooled. The easiest way I can explain this is through Harry Potter where they are looking at their personal objects.

I love the Turkish culture for many things it offers to the family and friendships. Conversation is a very easy thing to strike up, especially over dinner or Turkish coffee. This is something I would love to carry over to America. Dinner time that lasts more than the meal, conversations that can solve the world’s problems, and fortunes to explain the future. Maybe with even an hour of sanity over dinner, we can all find relaxation and health over good nourishment.

Turkish Rice (Pilav)

One of the typical and simple dishes in Turkey is Pilaf (Rice). This is one of my favorites, and you may be thinking, rice? This rice however is moist, warm, and so smooth to the palate. Since it is one of my favorites, I figured I would share the best way to wake rice, the Turkish way!

Ingredients:
2 cups of long-grain rice
2 cups of hot water
About 6 tbsp butter or Vegetable Oil (The oil should cover the rice when used)
2 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper

Wash the rice several times with warm water and drain, until the water is clear. Then fill the bowl of rice with hot water and leave for about 15 minutes, then drain. Melt the butter or pour the vegetable oil in a cooking pot. If using vegetable oil (I prefer) then make sure that all the rice is covered. Saute the rice with butter/oil for 2-3 minutes while stirring. The rice will become clumping, this is a good sign. Pour 2 cups of hot water in it. Add salt and pepper. Turn the heat to low, cover with lid, and cook until the rice absorbs all the water. This will take approx. 15 minutes.

Take the cooking pot away from the heat, when it is finished. Open the lid, and let the Pilaf stand for about 5 minutes. After the "brewing time" you are ready to serve!


VERY IMPORTANT POINTS YOU MUST FOLLOW:

***Don't stir Pilaf while it's cooking.***
*** Don't use a spoon to fluff Pilaf. Use a wooden or regular fork for it.***

Other notes:
* You can deviate and mix in shredded cooked chicken or chickpeas in when you add the water to the cooked rice. This is another great option that the Turks, as well as I, enjoy.

Makes 6-8 servings.

You can serve Turkish Rice Pilaf with any meal. My favorite is mixing in PLAIN yogurt and served with some chopped fresh greens (lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, with vinegar and olive oil).

Afiyet Olsun! / / May it bring you appetite and health!