Well, tomorrow I start Level 3 at my language school. Friday I passed my Level 2 final exam with flying colors and hoping that my solid score really was an accurate reflection of learning. Let's hope. In Turkish, I can now say that I am doing something, I did something, I will do something, I always do something, I was doing something, I may do something and if I do something .... Every new verb tense fills me with hope, though the sentence structure still kills me. Turkish insists on putting the verbs at the end of the sentence and attaches everything else to the words before the verb. Next to impossible for me to think this way. Gives me a headache.
So after class some of us went out to celebrate the end of class. Yes, Sarah came. We got on fine though she was a bit amazed that I had gone to a hamam (Turkish bath) the day before, alone. The hamam I went to was one of the most famous ones here in Istanbul. I think it was in one of the Raiders of the Lost Ark movies. And it is mostly frequented by tourists. So, how scary could it be? (answer: not at all.) Basically I felt so relaxed that I fell into a wonderful sleep on the warm marble floor, staring at the lovely 18th century dome above me. The Canadian guy in my class continues to be a favorite. The Turkish expression for brother is "abey" (sp?) and is commonly used by anyone trying to get the attention of a guy. So what does my favorite Canadian in Istanbul call the advice column he is writing for Time Out Istanbul? Well, "Dear Abey" of course. Hilarious. He also made a great comment about drafts. Turks seem to be in near mortal fear of drafts. OK, that is an exaggeration but really, most homes are over-heated. Slippers are required upon entering the home and guests are provided with slippers upon arrival as well. My Dutch friend was told by her future mother-in-law that she was at risk for a urinary tract infection if she didn't wear her slippers in the house. Interesting connection. Anyway, my Canadian friend made a remark that he finds it fascinating that the same people who once held all of Europe in terror are themselves held hostage by their own fear of drafts. Struck me as very funny at the time.
Later on that night, I met up with a few folks from the Level 1 class for their celebration. It was fun being the older, wiser Level 2 graduate... There is a funny hierarchy and sure, I am in slight awe of the levels above me as well. So, yes, I was like an upperclassman who deigned to spend time with the underlings. I was invited by a British historian who reminds my Dutch friend of Mr. Bean. Yep, I see it. So, this was the first time that I have actually had the raki/meze experience. Raki is a licorice flavored brandy that is sort of the national drink of Turkey. When mixed with water, it turns cloudy, as does one's head. Meze are small dishes that include marinated fish, stuffed grape leaves, yogurt dips, etc. The waiter brings over a big tray with all the mezes on it and you choose. For those of us who don't really like to decide, it is perfect. Fun night. Good company, good food.
So, yes, next up is Level 3 and yes, I am halfway through my classes here. I have felt a change in my relationship with this language, and definitely feel more comfortable with it. However, I feel that I am still a bit quiet. I do also see that it is such a process and can't exactly be forced. I have decided that, from now on, I will not speak English on a regular basis. This will be hard. However, at this point, I do think I now have enough words and tenses to actually say what I'd like to say. The hardest thing, though, is the loss of personality through communication. I have never thought and talked so much about language, communication and expression as I have in the past two months. Language is so much about culture, not just about a string of words. Speaking in a language that does not express one's own culture is not natural, particularly in a culture as strong as this one. Turks are very specific in how (and what) things are done and this is true of their language as well. Many expressions are basically mandatory when faced with certain situations. English feels much more loose. Ah, we'll see.
Oh, and sorry about the lack of images. I am having trouble with my digital camera. It doesn't focus properly. I am not sure I will be able to fix it here. Bad timing!
2 comments:
It's a well-known fact that UTIs are often avoided by wearing slippers. The rationale for this is that slippers stay on best with all feet on the ground, which in turn makes UTI-causing activities more difficult. Perhaps this connection could be marketed in the U.S. as a new public health initiative?
if the slippers have dog heads or bunny rabbits on them, they can definitely be an inhibitor of UTI-causing activities, so this may not be such a strange connection for this woman to be suggesting to your friend.
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