When the Clock Becomes Irrelevant: Village Henna Night

We thought the henna night was supposed to start at 8:00, but we weren’t socially ignorant enough to arrive on time.  We got there at 8:30, but the tea garden was still empty. Workers strung up lights and prepared the sound system. Finally at 9:30 the first guests arrived.

Bahar’s parents hosted her henna night in their village 5 days before the wedding. At this important celebration, the bride and groom’s hands are tinted with henna as a sign of blessing.

Birthday Suit in a Turkish Bath

Photo credit: Kapadokyarental.com

I’d always heard about Turkish baths, but I never dreamed of going. Who would want to sit in a room full of naked women? I never imagined that regular city dwellers ever went to a hamam.  Surely that was for village people who didn’t have a bathroom at home.

But when my friend Ezgi told me she went every month and that it was fun and relaxing, I was curious, so my Turkish sister and I set out one Saturday morning to meet Ezgi at the hamam.  On the bus, I started getting cold feet.  What on earth was I getting myself into? 

The 23 Year Love Affair that Pre-Dates my Marriage

A colorful look at Turkey.  English starts on the 12th second of the video.

I fell in love with the Turkish people when I was 24 years old.  I remember how I sobbed on the airplane when I had to return to America after a two year stint in Istanbul.  For reasons I could hardly understand, I felt that my heart would break over leaving Turkey.  I felt almost the same way three years ago when we had to leave for a one year furlough in America.

Fashion on a Shoestring Budget: 3 Lira Fun!

10 lira sweater + 3 lira scarf + 2 lira earrings = 15 lira outfit!

Don’t you love it when you stumble on an fashion bargain that you happen to love and then people compliment you on it later?

“What cute earrings,” your friend says.

And you say, “I got these for two lira on the street the other day.”

One of the perks of life in my Aegean city is fun fashion finds for cheap. A few weekends ago, my daughter and I went shopping at our Saturday pazar (market).  People from all over town come to our pazar for its treasures: costume jewelry, cheap perfume, jeans, sweaters, coats, scarves, sweat suits, and designer factory rejects.  It’s best to get there early because by 12 noon you can hardly push through the crowd.  You have to be really committed to the concept of fashion finds for cheap to brave the afternoon mob.

My daughter and I ambled around for an hour, getting lost a couple of times in the maze of stalls and examining countless treasures.  We ended up with sweaters for 10 Lira (US$ 6.66) and matching 3 lira scarves.  Practically a new outfit for $13 lira!

Of course I don’t know how long we’ll be able to wear these sweaters, but they’re fun and didn’t unravel in the first wash. Even if they fall apart by spring, I won’t care.  I can wear anything happily for only one season if I paid just 10 lira for it. And you never know; six years ago I found a tailored burgundy blouse for 7 lira at the same market, and I still get compliments when I wear it. While home on furlough two years ago I found two sweaters in favorite colors, royal blue and emerald green, for $5 on a sale rack at Target, and they’ve made it through two winters.

Personally, my life is so busy that I have to stumble upon clothing bargains.  I don’t have time to drive all over town looking for the cheapest thing.  Sometimes I pay more for the sake of simplicity.  Get what you need NOW, and then you’re done.  So it’s doubly fun when I run across something I like for cheap.

What’s the best fashion bargain you’ve found recently? Did you find it while travelling or living abroad?

What Was Your name? Mine is Mud!

Overseas living gives us plenty of opportunities to laugh at ourselves. After all, it is humbling to move overseas and suddenly find that in your new country you're less competent than most children. Sometimes even grasping people’s names when you meet them is difficult, let alone trying to have a conversation afterwards. So for me, it’s therapeutic to be able to enjoy a good laugh, even at my own expense.