It really seems that God has brought us to the right place. Yesterday was the first night that we could spend on the balcony that was renovated in Landon and my room, so we just sat there smoking our pipes and drinking a Turkish drink called Raki reflecting on a week gone by. Life seems really good here. The only down side is that while we love it here we definitely could be paying a lot less for rent. That being said, we don't really want to move because we have made this place our home....Another very confusing thing for me is that as a woman, it is expected that I don't look men in the eyes or be overly friendly. I have realized this week just how hard it is to follow these cultural norms based on the fact that in Canada just the opposite is the norm. However, I am determined to be as culturally sensitive as I can!
Today our grand plan is to walk to the fish market by the Golden Horn and to go across the Galata bridge to the Old City side to look at the Spice Bazaar. Hopefully my sore ankle is up for the journey! The pictures are taken from the ferry.
Hey Jess, good you hear you are developing a friendship with Istanbul. In Cairo it was also inappropriate for me to make eye contact in public (particularly with males). It was hard to learn to walk through busy streets without looking at people (past them instead). I'm not sure I ever got used to it, but it did become more habitual over time. Children are great for ice-breaking in public. A smile at children would return a smile from them, and often from their mothers too and sometimes short conversation in broken Arabic.
ReplyDeleteAll the best!
Melanie