Crazy Turks, Calm Europeans

The only thing I needed was someone to adopt me when I came this country. In Turkey, people look at Syrian emigrants like they don’t want them. I am talking about it.

I have a reverse situation. People smiled and said ‘don’t bother’ when I went to a library and my children went side to side, making noises. I don’t remember how many times I apologized, but the respond was always the same with a smile: no problem.

My dear flight attendant friend Kata, texted me that she doesn’t have flights in next two months and she wants to invite us for Wednesday. I, always the quickest and never learnt to take something easy, sent the answer with smiles: Ok, what time?

Kata, is the woman who held my hand in the refugee camp, I met while she was an intern in the same camp. And now, she is inviting us to her house. I was wondering about her house and where does she live on the way. I realized that we were visiting a family above the population standards.

Kata welcomed us with a big smile on her face. She called her three children, older than my children, to the sitting room to meet. Her smile on her face when I gave her the flowers I bought, recalled spring.

All toys in the house were in front of my children. Kata’s daughter took children to the game room and they played all together. My little children met with Katas’ little hamster. Then we all had dinner. At the dinner, I saw the thing what it had to be the same, but I never did. Creamy mushroom stuffed crepes was the meal, creamy crepes with strawberries was the desert. And tea… That’s all. After the meal, Kata played her piano and sang children songs with us.

After two magical hours we had, I asked for permission to leave. Kata’s children gave my children Easter gifts. I hugged her, and could say nothing but ‘thank you very much’ as there was a knot in my throat…

Kata, gave us the wolds that day.

Next week, Linda came for new-house visit with her two sons. It was her first time visiting our house. She was in front of the door at the time we discussed. Annica also came. Linda gave children toys, and gave me fresh bread and salt as symbols of plentifullness in their culture.

I cooked too many things for my visitors… Trying to express Turkish hospitality. But they took little pieces from all kinds of meals. They just tasted them. For two hours, children played. After that they left with best wishes.

We had Turkish people meeting program last weekend, between 14.00-17.00 clocks. Including me, we all arrived at the restaurant at about 15.00. I saw that, none of us could finish our plates. We couldn’t take ourselves from talking. At about 18.30 we decided to combine all tables together. We left the restaurant at about 20.00. While taking photographs, I recalled European hospitality.

I think we, the Turks, are successful with dancing the halay and other folkloric figures. We are crazy Turks.

Europeans are experts of tango and waltz, which are esthetically on the forefront.

We have so much to lean from Europeans, who solved the time waste problem.