Monday, January 3, 2011

You Know You Have Lived in Turkey When...

So I was thinking today about all the weird mannerisms I have picked in Turkey, and how I am constantly realizing new ones, so I decided to make a list...or at least start.

You Know You Have Lived in Turkey Toooo Long When

  1. You see a busy street full of traffic and fearlessly cross
  2. You are jaywalking and a car nearly hits you, and you swear at them and make hand gestures
  3. You yell siktur git at guys trying to help you
  4. You throw your regular toilet paper in the garbage
  5. You are afraid of regular kindness from men
  6. You have a million scarves
  7. You wonder why you haven't heard the call to prayer yet
  8. Call to prayer is like your alarm clock
  9. You look forward to free tea, and are confused when it doesnt come
  10. You go to the convenience store craving ayran
  11. You greet people by kissing them on each cheek
  12. You dont dry your clothes
  13. You eat way too much bread
  14. You crave cig kofte
  15. You are so happy it is a "real toilet"
  16. You expect to pay to use the bathroom
  17. Your local bread man is your facebook friend
  18. You pick up your phone when you are thirsty (to call the water man)
  19. You say allahallah
  20. You make hand gestures when you are mad
  21. You start dancing when you hear arabesque
  22. You have Ataturk swag
  23. You take off shoes when you go in the house (did that already)
  24. You have so many nazar ("evil eyes," literally amulets against evil) you can't count
  25. You start to like the taste of raki
  26. You try to bargain at every shop
  27. You think in lira
  28. You know about bayram traffic and chaos
  29. You rush home before ramazan traffic
  30. You crave Mado, and you know where all the Mados are
  31. You know where the best and cheapest doner shops are

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