Adjusting to Turkey

Today was spent recovering from 'the incident' of yesterday and getting stocked up on food supplies.

Each time we enter a new country, there is an onslaught of emotions, from nervousness to excitement, from reluctance at leaving a country for which there is so much more one could see to eagerness to see a new part of the world. With it all comes a period of feeling off kilter for at least the first day, the first shop, the first few encounters with the language. There's always unexpected ways and questions surrounding the most ordinary of tasks: do we weigh the produce first before bringing it to the cashier or do they weigh it, do we stand in line to board our flight or just push closer in a clump, do we take the change from the cashier's hand or allow her to place it on a round dish that some countries have for this purpose, do we wait for the restaurant check or signal to the waiter, do we jaywalk at a red light if there are no cars about or wait patiently, etc.? Each region has its own methods and until you recognize what they are and can go with the flow, there is a certain amount of underlying unease. Hence, when we went out to shop in Kas, knowing we had to go to the supermarket, the bakery, the butcher, the vegetable and fruit seller, we set a good portion of the afternoon aside and made that our sole outing. Guslev, the Turkish agent, gave us some tips on where to go for the best selection, produce, meat and prices. That helped considerably as well as exploring a few of the four main 'supermarkets' in the small town. She also told us that there is a regular Friday market in town where people from the nearby villages come to sell and buy a myriad of items, food and otherwise.

At the supermarket, I saw a lot of different sauces, pomegranate chief amongst them. I have bought a jar, hoping I can find out how they use this here. At the fruiterer's (as they call them), I saw an interesting yellow fruit that I think is a derivative of a pear or at least a close cousin; when it ripens, I'll give it a try. The kids also wanted to bake some more so we have got the ingredients for boeterkoek of all things -- it is easy, tasty and we happened upon what we're pretty sure is almond extract. We tried a few treats at the Turkish bakery here, as we did in Antalya; many of the cookies are fairly plain but I think some of the pastries will prove more interesting.

We stepped into the butcher shop and he eagerly prepared spiced beef skewers for us as we waited, managing to tempt us with chicken and those yummy meatballs (although they are shaped far differently than spheres). The prices there are quite high so we may need to try an alternative too. The girl at the bakery was fairly cool towards us but, as it's the only bakery in town, she will have to get used to seeing us. I must try to learn and use some more Turkish -- my attempts at a local language usually bring smiles of some kind; whether they are smiling WITH me or AT me is difficult to say.

The wind was out today but, once home, we enjoyed our views from the living room and bedroom, particularly mesmerised by the sunset. No word yet from the owner on the broken door... I'm avoiding going past it and Hannah has settled nicely into the third bedroom upstairs, just down the hall from her parents. Oh yay.

Kas sunset off our balcony