Apparently weird weather writing is my new habit. It is only 10 in the morning, but already the sky has gone from sparkly sunshine to clouds so dark the streetlights have popped on about three times. And don’t forget the thunder and lightening and occasional downpour. I’m too distracted by it to do much more than stare out my window. And maybe write.
It has been a fun-filled week. To start with last Saturday, Elena, Kim and I decided to have our fortunes read. If you are ever in Ankara with a hankering for some clairvoyance, here’s what to do:
Step 1: Go to Kizilay (an area of the city)
Step 2: Ask the cashier at the first newspaper stand you happen across where to find a fortuneteller
Step 3: Follow his directions
Step 4: If unsure of his directions, ask any security guard or police officer you walk by where to find The Fortuneteller
Step 5: If the original fortuneteller’s shop is closed, walk around the corner. Chances are there might be another.
This, at least, is what we did, and it worked well enough. The shop was maybe half the size of my apartment (read: tiny) with little more than a few dresses on display and a scattering of chairs. The woman was middle-aged with a kind demeanor, without any extraordinary qualities to speak of. Kim acted as our translator as we settled down, agreed on a price, and had our Tarot cards read. Now would probably be a good time to mention that none of us really believe in the hocus-pocus side of life; this was purely a “when in Turkey” activity. And yet, each of us had a WOW moment. Let me summarize.
With Elena, the lady said that she has a great interest in the Arab world, will get a high degree soon, and will live in many countries. Elena had a Fulbright in Morocco last year, will start an M.A. program at Harvard next year, and is not nearly ready to stay put in the US for a while yet. Check, check, and check.
With Kim, she said that her mother misses her a great deal, that she will stay in Turkey next year, and that she will do well on a big foreign exam she will take soon. While it may come as no surprise, Kim’s mom does indeed miss her a great deal at the moment (although I’m sure mine does too). Kim will stay here next year, and true enough, she is studying for the GRE at the moment.
I may have had the biggest wow moment of them all. I will go to law school, do very well and be successful in my job, and work for the government, possibly the White House. That is, more or less, the plan. I’ll be applying to schools this fall, but there is no way I want to be a courtroom lawyer. I have been saying human rights work with an NGO, but I would certainly have no objections to some government work. My fortune, of course, went on from here. I may have some money issues soon, I will move into a small but beautiful house, and, since romance cannot be sidelined when at a fortuneteller, I will have two lovers in my life and marry the second one, with whom I will have a boy and a girl. I can accept that. Elena got the shocker; she will get engaged next year.
After a week of “teaching,” discussing the Gaza flotilla with my students, and dinner parties, I went this weekend to Kizilcahamam with Elena, Kate, Kim, and one of Kim’s former students, Gokce. Kizilcahamam is a small town about an hour away, known for its baths and nature. We had a delicious lunch of local kofte (a bit like meatballs), salad, and bread with butter and honey, then took a short walk through a nature reserve where families were having intense picnics left and right. Hammocks abounded, grills were brimming with meat, and teapots held a central location at nearly every picnic table. After, we went to the hotel where Gokce and Kim would be spending the night (the rest of us wanted to just have a day trip) and used its hammam facilities. Because we were with guests, we didn’t pay a thing. We relaxed in the warm pools and splashed in the fountains, then Gokce gave us a little lesson in the fine art of the scrub-down. Usually you pay to have a woman who works at the hammam do this for you, but there were no workers here, and free is free. I should also add that Gokce knew what she was doing. After nearly two hours of scrubby bubbly time, it was time for three out of five of us to get our pruney selves back to Ankara. We grabbed some snacks and said goodbye to Kim and Gokce, returning home in a state of cleanliness formerly known only to Greek goddesses.
Just three days of teaching left! Next weekend will be my trip to Diyabakar, known unofficially as the Kurdish capital of Turkey. Just don’t tell a Turk that.
