Wednesday, August 16, 2006
My apartment road drops at about a 45 degree angle, for two hundred yards, where it rises again to another ridge (on which more major roads are situated). Lately I have seen the same man, a "junk" collector (one of many) who pushes a wide, low handcart in front of him and calls out. He mostly collects metal, to sell for scrap. While he probably wishes for a better lot in life, the presence of these men and teens really cuts down on trash, and helps with recycling efforts. Of course, there was the one time I was in a kabob house and a man came in to sell a load of chopped up wood. Mixed in were several sheets of thick wallboard or cardboard. Since the pide (bread) was cooked in an open fire in the shop, I wondered what type of chemicals were getting into my food.
On Sunday, Arif's in-laws treated me to a wonderful day. After two previous mix-ups (even communicating which day one will visit over the phone is difficult for a non-Turkish speaker), Orhan and his son Umut arrived to wisk me away. We first went to Atakule, a towering structure with a revolving restaurant at the top. I could see most of Ankara, and see just how steep and pitched the terrain is. The closest I can come to a U.S. city with similar terrain is San Francisco (but with an environment and housing more like Lebanon). They then took me to the Ankamall, which was not really what I came to Turkey for (four stories of shopping, including a Starbucks). Of course, it was interesting to remember when people could smoke inside. The food court was especially nasty, with thick smoke above everyone's head (smoking is very common here, even on public transport, where supposedly only the driver is allowed, but I've seen passengers lighting up on a dolmus).
Next we went to Anit kabir (Ataturk's mausoleum). Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) was the modern father of Turkey, who initiated so many progressive ideas that he must have had a time machine. His picture is in just about every shop (even the smallest shop) and office I have been in. We have no one to compare him to in the U.S. (a mxz of Washington, Jefferson, etc., but even that doesn't represent what he did for the country, and maybe I will write another time of him).
Then we went to Orhan's home, where I also got to meet his wife, daughter and Tulay, who I believe is Turkan's half sister and two others came. Despite the lack of a real common language (Umut knew very little English), we could discuss through maps, gestures, etc. where I was from, where my and Silvia's family lived in the U.S., what their favorite football (soccer) teams were, and even joke about things. It was such a warm feeling to be with a family, sitting in their home, drinking fresh squeezed lemonade, and I owe them for their hospitality.
Before bringing me home, they walked me to Altipark (alti=gold), a BEAUTIFULLY designed park, with walkways, a humongous indoor swimming pool (I don't think many swim in Ankara - most of the swimmers were in tinted plastic innertubes), a fishing pond, paddle boat areas, go-cart areas (I left Umut in my dust), horse rides, lots of ice cream vendors, a running/walking track, etc. It was so well put together that my list of items doesn't do it justice.
On the return trip home, as it was getting dark, we passed a large rock wall, four or five stories high, all lit up. Water cascaded off it, and it culminated in a brightly lit white castle. I will have to explore it (I've also been told there's a pink castle in Ankara).
On Sunday, Arif's in-laws treated me to a wonderful day. After two previous mix-ups (even communicating which day one will visit over the phone is difficult for a non-Turkish speaker), Orhan and his son Umut arrived to wisk me away. We first went to Atakule, a towering structure with a revolving restaurant at the top. I could see most of Ankara, and see just how steep and pitched the terrain is. The closest I can come to a U.S. city with similar terrain is San Francisco (but with an environment and housing more like Lebanon). They then took me to the Ankamall, which was not really what I came to Turkey for (four stories of shopping, including a Starbucks). Of course, it was interesting to remember when people could smoke inside. The food court was especially nasty, with thick smoke above everyone's head (smoking is very common here, even on public transport, where supposedly only the driver is allowed, but I've seen passengers lighting up on a dolmus).
Next we went to Anit kabir (Ataturk's mausoleum). Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) was the modern father of Turkey, who initiated so many progressive ideas that he must have had a time machine. His picture is in just about every shop (even the smallest shop) and office I have been in. We have no one to compare him to in the U.S. (a mxz of Washington, Jefferson, etc., but even that doesn't represent what he did for the country, and maybe I will write another time of him).
Then we went to Orhan's home, where I also got to meet his wife, daughter and Tulay, who I believe is Turkan's half sister and two others came. Despite the lack of a real common language (Umut knew very little English), we could discuss through maps, gestures, etc. where I was from, where my and Silvia's family lived in the U.S., what their favorite football (soccer) teams were, and even joke about things. It was such a warm feeling to be with a family, sitting in their home, drinking fresh squeezed lemonade, and I owe them for their hospitality.
Before bringing me home, they walked me to Altipark (alti=gold), a BEAUTIFULLY designed park, with walkways, a humongous indoor swimming pool (I don't think many swim in Ankara - most of the swimmers were in tinted plastic innertubes), a fishing pond, paddle boat areas, go-cart areas (I left Umut in my dust), horse rides, lots of ice cream vendors, a running/walking track, etc. It was so well put together that my list of items doesn't do it justice.
On the return trip home, as it was getting dark, we passed a large rock wall, four or five stories high, all lit up. Water cascaded off it, and it culminated in a brightly lit white castle. I will have to explore it (I've also been told there's a pink castle in Ankara).
# posted by Michael Strich @ 1:28 AM 
