Market

Today we woke the boys up around 9:30am and headed out to a Turkish market with Nick. We did not take our camera as we wanted to get our bearings and see how acceptable picture-taking was before we complicated our lives further.

I wish I could paint in words what we see when we leave Base. It is, as if, you exit the Base and are immediately thrust into another country. I suppose, in fact, that is exactly what is happening.

When leaving, you have to show passes and open your trunk. Upon returning, everyone in the vehicle must exit and wait on the sidewalk while a mixture of Turkish and American Air Force personnel and their dogs investigate your vehicle. I had no idea that the Base security would be quite so intense.

Once off Base, the Turkish people are incredibly nice. You see groups of men together quite frequently. Society norms, as I understand them, don't have men and women socializing together outside of the home very often. I felt very comfortable wearing capris and a shoulder-covering shirt. I am not sure I would feel comfortable wearing shorts or a tank-top simply because no one else is. I am really hoping to get to a tailor soon to get some clothes made.

Young children walk around unaccompanied, even young girls. That being said, at no time did we feel uncomfortable or unsafe in our surroundings. In fact the only reason we felt uncomfortable was that it was blazing hot. JB and I have agreed, and the sentiment was echoed by Nick, that this is the hottest place we have ever been. It was 103 degrees today with no air movement. There is no breeze. I think the lack of breeze is what separates the heat from that in a place like South Florida. This is way hotter than South Florida. I have been told that this is the hottest it gets. So the fact that it can only get cooler from here is encouraging.

Once at the market, you are immediately "claimed" by young boys -- about ten years old. They will help translate, carry your groceries, play with your kids, whatever you want, for a tip at the conclusion of your visit. (And don't under tip them. They let JB know that they weren't happy with his offer.) Omar and Memmet (sp?) claimed us today. They helped the boys eat watermelon and another fantastic melon. They even tried to help our boys with their cups, even if the boys didn't need it.

Isaac and Elijah seem pretty comfortable with all the attention they are getting. They let Omar and Memmet help them eat their food and just rode along in their stroller without much issue. Elijah was incredibly hot and sweaty which put him in a cranky mood. But Isaac, as he often does, just went with the flow.

There is no need to barter. (Thank goodness! I'd hate this!) At least at this market that was the case. And the men who run the stands do not harass you to buy their products. They will offer you samples and encourage you to try their produce, but they are used to Americans, and understand how to make us comfortable. Most of them speak some English. They are also very helpful in letting us work on our Turkish. I think I now have "hello" and "thank you" down. I'm not branching out too far past that yet.

I was also relieved that other than the fact that people are drawn to the blonde hair and light eyes of my boys, I am not facing a barrage of comments about how tall I am. I am not sure if this will change but so far, so good. It is nice to feel like you blend even when you don't whatsoever.

The market has every fruit and vegetable you can imagine. It also has a lot of spices and rices and even toiletry items. Everything is extremely cheap. This particular market is available every Sunday. We'll definitely be going back. However, we will probably try to go earlier in the day to avoid the scorching noon heat.

We spent some time at our "new house" today bringing a few things over. We have to check out of our lodging here at TLF on Tuesday morning, and we don't want to have to make a ton of trips at the last minute. We even brought Scrubs over to our new house with us so he could get accustomed to his new house.

The afternoon featured must-have siestas. I think afternoon is when you most remember that you are are used to being asleep when you are awake. JB and I (and I am assuming the boys as well) hit a major wall. You feel so tired, you actually feel ill.

After naps, I ventured out of TLF by myself. I think it is important that I drive on Base so I know where I am going. I also think it is important to get a feel for what there is to do on the Base, since that is where I'll be spending a lot of my time. I stopped at the library. Then I stopped at the Community Center where I was able to print some of my NightWalkers document to edit for a small fee. I also stopped at the Fitness Center and checked out the family room, where you can work-out while your kids can play.

Following my return to TLF, we headed to church ... more about that ... tomorrow.