I've posted about Ulus before...it's the old district in our city. On Saturday our family headed to Ulus to pick up end-of-the-year teacher gifts. After we finished our errands, Campbell Clansman loaded up the 4 youngest to head back home, and Firstborn and I stayed in Ulus. First stop, a bathroom. But we couldn't just use their bathroom, we had to buy something. So we had ice cold Cokes in a bottle. Why do they taste better in a bottle, she asked me? I guess because that's how I remember them as a kid.
We strolled hand-in-hand, browsing the unique shops and enjoying the unique people.
I kept snapping pictures, thinking of this blog post. Do you realize what these are? They're corsets. Corsets are alive and well in Ankara, Turkey.
Ulus is not a tourist trap. It's the real deal. So when I saw this man dressed like this, I realized he was just doing it because he wanted to. He was selling some kind of sticky Turkish dessert.
After finishing our last errand, Firstborn and I wound our way through markets to get back to the bus station. It wasn't the shortest route, but it was the most interesting. I took this picture, just because it is a lot of eggs!
We strolled hand-in-hand, browsing the unique shops and enjoying the unique people.
I kept snapping pictures, thinking of this blog post. Do you realize what these are? They're corsets. Corsets are alive and well in Ankara, Turkey.
Ulus is not a tourist trap. It's the real deal. So when I saw this man dressed like this, I realized he was just doing it because he wanted to. He was selling some kind of sticky Turkish dessert.
After finishing our last errand, Firstborn and I wound our way through markets to get back to the bus station. It wasn't the shortest route, but it was the most interesting. I took this picture, just because it is a lot of eggs!
This man sits on the side of the street with a scale. You can pay him 1TL (about 70 cents) to use his scale to see how much you weigh. I suppose there is a small population of mankind who might actually want to pay money to see the reality of their pounds/kilos in public, but I would not be in that category. I slipped behind a bus stop to snap this picture. He caught me. He yelled at me, "Sister, get over here and pay me to use my scale!" I grinned and walked away.
And after indulging ourselves in a 1TL fresh-squeezed orange juice, we found our bus and began our journey home. I did tell my daughter at one point, "Honey, I know you live in a weird place, far from both your country of birth and also your country of citizenship, but I really believe you are being enriched." That was right after the scale guy called me his sister.
Here's a clip of my cutie.
3 comments:
Hi Sara! It's neat to see your family and your excursions...I like what you told your daughter about living in a weird place but I agree...you guys are all being enriched. I'm amazed at your bravery for living so far away...I really don't know if I could do that. Living 3 hours from my family this year has been a HUGE stretch for me. :) Hope you are all doing well! Love, Kim
I agree... cokes taste much better in bottles! David says the formula is actually different for bottled coke. I hated coke as a child... got used to it sometime in college and then started actually liking it... so it can't b/c a nostalgic thing :)
What was it you said in a later post about resilence? I don't think your kids even think twice about where they have lived all their lives, do you? When they are grown, they will look back and realize what a great childhood they had living all over the world! I know a young lady now who while describing the "horrors" of western Africa, would live there again in a minute because she grew up as a MK. I suspect if you are where you are many more years, it will be "home" to your kids.
The video clips are great. How precious Mary Erin is. I am glad you include clips so those of us who don't know your children in person can see just how sweet they kids are.
I am continually amazed at where you live. You are certainly right about being enriched.
M
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