After almost a week in E’s hometown, some observations:
- We sit on the balcony every night to escape the heat (and boy is it hot), and I get to watch the neighborhood. I also finally got to take a short, accompanied, walk around the block. Although this is Istanbul, it feels very much like a village. Most of the neighborhood is transplanted from Black Sea villages in the last 20 years. The homes/apartment buildings were constructed illegally, so the government has randomly torn down entire buildings, leaving rubble in its wake. E’s mom’s buildings were some of the first built, so he doesn’t worry about their destruction.
- Vans drive up and down the streets, advertising their goods over loud speakers: fruits and veggies, linens and things, copper and tin.
- Like most of Turkey, there seems to be a complete disregard for public spaces here. Garbage is everywhere, and I watched a young girl wantonly break bottles in the road the other night. Since we married, E has become aware of this problem and he now feels much distress at the polluted landscape.
- Most of the women here cover, but it feels different. They loosely cover their hair, more like villagers than devout Muslims. I’ve seen bare arms and feet on these women, which seems downright practical in the stifling heat.
- Everyday, E’s family watches two Japanese TV imports that I swear are exactly the same. As far as I can tell, they take place in ancient royal courts, and the cooking staff is the star. For an hour, we watch the characters cook different dishes. E’s family is amazed by the concoctions. And I can’t wait to eat non-Turkish food in a few days!
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