Culture Shock

I knew that I was going to experience some manner of culture shock upon arriving here. I was not, however, exactly sure how it would manifest, as I have never been to some place quite so novel. The most succinct way to communicate this experience is to compare it with being a child. So many ways of doing things here are quite different, and as such I have to learn them all over again. Taking the bus or making a phone call require special preparation that is not necessarily self-explanatory. Add that to the language barrier and the bustle of a mega-city and it becomes quite easy to feel absolutely helpless. It is true that many people speak English, but not necessarily when and where it would be helpful. I find that many of the people working in the shops and restaurants don’t speak very well. Right now I am living in a neighborhood quite away from the tourist areas, so there is not the same demand for the merchants to speak English. At the same time there are lots of English speaking students, so people around here are accustomed to it.
Nevertheless my guide has been very helpful in showing me around and helping me become more independent. She insists that I take some time to wander around and get lost a little in order to have an authentic travel experience. I have not become lost yet, but I have had to use my limited Turkish vocabulary on a number of occasions to request basic things. I suggest taking the time to gain an elementary grasp of the language when traveling to a place in which English is not in common use. Being able to ask how much something costs and then being able to understand numbers goes a long way towards a feeling of belonging.
I don’t feel that I can get much done though, because I don’t know the rules and customs of so many things. When is it O.K. to barter and when is it rude? Who do I want to buy things from and who should I avoid? What is the custom around tipping? This is just an abbreviated list of the myriad of questions that comes to me as I try to navigate my way through this new place.
I should also mention some of the great things, because it is what I am more struck with (as I write this the Muslim call to prayer is blaring on the loud speaker outside. It has become part of the environment, as it plays several times a day. It can become somewhat ironic at times; for example, last night while the prayer was playing the streets were in a bacchic frenzy over the victory of a local soccer team). The food here is absolutely awesome! They have cheese with nearly every meal, and it is incredibly fresh and tasty. They have a number of different types of cheese, the most common of which is a mix between cottage cheese and feta. There is also an extraordinary excitement all around: merchants yelling, packed streets, a symphony of horns, people walking everywhere. It does not take much to get caught up in the excitement. The scenery is also remarkable in places. The city is full of hills so it does not take much to get up to a high feature for an overview onto the sea. The other day we went to the top of a rooftop patio that overlooked the Marmara and it was spectacular.
To close this entry off I will offer up a few more random impressions that will give you a bit better sense of how I am in such a different land
1) The sidewalks are for parking and the pedestrians walk on the road. The other day Mark mentioned that anyone who complains about parking laws should come here. There doesn’t seem to be parking laws, for I have seen cars parked everywhere: on a boulevard, on the street, on the grass, on the sidewalk. This can cause major congestion, which in turn makes getting anywhere take a long time. One remedy to this problem is the scooter, which is very popular. Perhaps I shall look into one.
2) The cats here are like squirrels in Winnipeg- all over the place. It is rather nice though, because they are not at all wild. They are friendly, well groomed and for the most part appear quite healthy. There are also numerous dogs wandering around. They go about their business in such a casual manner that no one doubts their claim to live there along with everyone else.
3) The craftsmanship here is either exceptionally good or exceptionally poor. I could list a hundred examples after having been here almost a week: doors that don’t fit, holes in the walls, numerous unfinished buildings and sidewalks.
4) Jay-walking is the norm. Sirin has made fun of me for running across the street, because it is understood that if one walks into traffic the cars will slow down or stop. In reference to my second point, I say a cat crossing the street that barely avoided being hit by a car coming the one direction, then barely squeaked by one coming the other direction. The cat did not adjust his speed in the slightest; he walked as care free as though he were in an open space.