Questions answered

*** UPDATED WITH EVEN MORE NEWER ANSWERS ***

All righty folks. It's question time. While I don't know the answers to everything yet ... I'm still learning myself, I'll do my best to answer any questions you have. So, fire away! Ask me anything you can think of. No question is too silly or crazy.

Here are the questions I have received so far.

1. Why can't you take photos outside? From what I understand, although I am yet to get this confirmed, we cannot take photos outside while on Base. We can take pictures if we are off of Base. This is a Turkish Air Force Base. There are two sections: the American side and the Turkish side. As such, we follow Turkish rules. They do not want any photos of their installation. Again, I may get better information on this at some point.

2. What money do you use on Base? On Base we use U.S. dollars. Off Base, you can use your credit card for many things. You can also use the Turkish Lira. One Turkish Lira is the equivalent of 66 cents (approximately).

3. Congratulations -- you made it! And seemingly (at least from the perspective of a random reader who doesn't know you) with a lot of poise and grace under pressure. This isn't really a question, but I still thought I should answer it. I appreciate the kindness in this statement, but I don't want people to ever find themselves in a similar situation and think, "Well how did Wendi do it so well." I have been doing okay but last night I had a major breakdown just feeling overwhelmed with how much new stuff there was too learn, how many things the boys can get into in the house, all the new people I was meeting, cultural changes, etc. It's not easy at all. I try to have poise, but I definitely do not feel like I always have it all figured out or put together.

4. I'm wondering about drinking the water and eating the local food (from the market just off base, for example). Any concerns there? On Base, we are welcome to drink the water although it doesn't taste very good. We've been doing bottled water until we get a water system of some sort set up in our home. (We have a Brita coming in UB, but JB is thinking about utilizing a different system.) I don't like doing bottled water because it costs more money and because they don't recycle here. When we went out with Nick and Kristy, I was majorly jet-lagged so I ordered a coke (it comes in a can) with a glass of ice. Kristy quickly informed me that my choice might not be a good idea. I didn't even think about it. According to Nick, GI issues are very common complaints on Base. They advise you to take things slowly food-wise. The general rule is to avoid uncooked foods, at least in the beginning. And we should always drink bottled water off-Base.

5. Are you planning on getting to know people outside the Base and making Turkish friends? We would love to. There are a few Christian churches off-Base. However, they are pretty small and pretty far from Base. Tristan and Shannon had friends here off-Base that they wanted to put us in touch with. We'll just have to see what direction the Lord takes us during our time here.

6. How does it feel to live in Turkey but at the same time be so far away (although not in distance) from the real Turkey and it's people? If you could choose, would you prefer to live in a 'normal' neighborhood? This is a great question. I know my old FLCS friend Jenny, who lives in Germany "through" the military, lives off-Base, and at nearly every other overseas location, aside from Turkey, you have option to live off-Base. Not so here, and I think the main reasons is safety. If given the option, I'm not sure what I would do. If I didn't have children, I think I would definitely live off-Base if given the option. But raising two little boys, there is something wonderful about the "Mayberry" feel that is present here on Base. It is a very weird feeling to be behind a big ring of prison gates. I'm not even sure how I feel about the fact that we live in this sort of little bubble. I think you take the positives with the negatives.

7. Are you allowed to speak about your Christian faith? Turkey is a secular state. They have religious freedom. That being said, 99% of the population is Muslim. It is important to understand that the vast majority of Muslims are incredibly kind and wonderful people. Radicals cannot define a population. I wouldn't want the Oklahoma City Bomber or someone who kills an abortion doctor to definte my country or its people. Nor do many Muslims want radicals to define them. That being said, it is advised that while representing the military, we do not engage in politically charged or religiously charged conversations. My faith will always be a huge part of my life, and I don't plan to ever cease from believing that Jesus Christ is the key to eternity. But I plan to allow the Lord to lead me in how that will play out while in Turkey. For now, he is just calling JB and I to love everyone and to share that with anyone we meet.

8. Why do people working for the military in the US HAVE to move every 2 or 4 years? Is this not a waste of time and money? (Not that I'm not happy about the opportunity it gives your family to live in Turkey for a few years. Just curious.) This is a very good question. One of the main reasons is because it is sort of unfair for someone to get to stay at a good location for their whole career. There are some wonderful places to be stationed and some not-so-wonderful. You sort of know that you might get a bad station but it may be followed by a good one. So you take the good and the bad because it will all "come out in the wash." Now that I've said that let me say that I agree with you. I just have to believe there is a cheaper and better way to get all this done. I'm not sure what it is, but it would seem that there is so much waste going on. For this reason, however, if you are at an unpopular location, you do hold bargaining power. I have heard that there is a doc at a Base in the pacific who has been there for over a decade. While moving is often the rule, there are exceptions.

9. I'm curious what you will have made to wear off the Base? Generally speaking, dress here in Turkey is fairly similar to the U.S. I plan to limit my exposure to legs and shoulders when off-Base. Some women are covered nearly completely. Others are dressed just like we see in the U.S. The burka (complete religious covering) has been outlawed in Turkey. If someone is wearing it, they are from another country.

10. Can I come for a visit? Of course! :) We are not sure what our rules are for non-family visiting. We have been told that they can but that it can be more difficult to get a gate pass for them. If anyone we know is thinking that they'd like to visit us in Turkey, please let us know. We have a great home for having guests, or will, once our furniture comes in.

11. You mentioned you are going to start learning the language. Are you hoping to become fluent, and are you planning on teaching the boys much of the language? I am hoping to learn Turkish as well as I possibly can. And yes, we plan to teach the boys as much as we can as well. We are hoping our gardeners and housekeepers can help with teaching the boys. The sky is the limit as far as how much Turkish we can learn. I have already seen how much the Turkish appreciate it when we try to learn their language. I plan to do my best.

12. I'm curious about critters. I know in FL there are those little gecko lizards. I was in FL for a week when in college and saw those things skitter about frequently. Frankly, I'd rather have a mouse in my house. But in warmer, browner climates like in Turkey there's bound to be some kind of critter they may have warned you about. Why I'm curious about critters I don't know. Probably because I hate bugs, especially spiders. This is a funny question. Firstly, it's funny that gecko lizards bother you. We grew up with these, and they were quite the fun childhood playtime activity. So they don't bother me at all. However, I have heard that with so many people in South Florida releasing their Iguanas, their population has nearly disappeared. Instead, big lizards are the norm. I have seen some "in between" sized lizards here. Not the big Iguanas but much bigger than the geckos. Also, I have been told that the one "bad" thing about our house are the critters. I have seen many spiders already. Unfortunately, JB is vehemently against killing spiders since they kill other bugs. I don't think I agree, but last night, we did allow a spider to go about his merry way after a bit of a debate.

13. You have talked about the way children are treated several times in your posts-including the most recent one, trip to M1...Has it been hard letting go of the "stranger-danger" anxiety that comes with raising kids in the US, and when you return to the States will you go back to being cautious with the boys? Wow. Another fantastic question. I have to say that I am, on the whole, a laid back mom. If anything I tend to lean to the side of turning my back too frequently and not being cautious enough. If I were a very "intense" mom, I think this would be even more difficult. Yesterday when we were at the mall, one of the ladies kissed Elijah on the mouth. This wasn't my favorite thing, but culturally, to say something, would put up walls that I do not want put up at this point. It is interesting how quickly you switch gears -- accepting the new culture and their way of doing things. You want to fit in for one thing. I imagine that when we go back to the U.S., switching back will be relatively seamless as well. A man pinching my sons' cheeks in the U.S. or kissing him or tousling his head would be accepted in America if the man were over 65. Under 65? Creepy. But in the Turkish culture, you can immediately feel the difference.

14. Curious about the cost of hiring a gardener and/or housekeeper. If everyone seems to do it I'm guessing it must be inexpensive? And are you really expected to hire them? Who does it offend if you don't? Them? The Turkish Base Officials? I am so impressed with these questions. They are really good ones. A gardener costs about $20 a week. A housekeeper costs about $40 a day. Gardeners will do anything you need done. This cost usually includes washing your car, picking up dog "stuff", taking care of your lawn, helping with your trash, virtually anything that is outside. The housekeeper will work for you all day for $40. Typically this includes cooking a meal, cleaning, laundry, sheets, and they will even watch your children and dogs for you. I would imagine that the cost of what a housekeeper does here would run you nearly four times the amount in the states? Someone who came in for eight hours a day and did everything? I have no clue what the gardener costs would be. While the costs are significantly cheaper, they aren't cheap enough that people go overboard. I have considered getting a housekeeper two days a week, and while I totally can, I have been told that this would be unusual on Base. Most people just use them one day a week. It is sort of expected that when you come in you will get a gardener. I think the housekeepers aren't quite as "expected." However, you do not have to hire either. When it comes to lawns though, it is usually quite obvious who has not hired a gardener. It is more a tradition. It is also a way to help the local economy. While I don't think anyone would care if you didn't hire someone, if the entire Base stopped hiring, it would probably create a "problem" as many people and businesses depend on the Base to help the local economy.

15. You mentioned everyone only having one car. Are you only allowed one car per family? I realize they will only ship one for you but I would think some people would want to purchase another vehicle while there. Actually, a lot of the single people will not bring a car at all. Taxis are waiting to take you off-Base. They sit in a lot, tons of them, ready to go. You can walk anywhere on Base that you wanted to go. There is also a Base shuttle system, and people bike a lot of places. A lot of people, if they go off-Base, go in groups or take a taxi. The government only allows you to take one vehicle over here. Technically, you could buy a second vehicle here. However, I have been told that there is so much paperwork and Turkey makes it so difficult, that most people do not buy vehicles here. You also would have to pay more in taxes to get it out of the country than the vehicle is worth. Many other countries in Europe or the Pacific do not adhere to this standard. I know my friend Sarah and her husband Rob, who are in Japan, just bought a mini-van for $600. And they were not permitted to take a vehicle with them. Each country is different, but those are the general rules here in Turkey. I do not know anyone who owns two vehicles on Base.

16. Tell us about the food! What is Turkish food like? Everyone knows what German or Chinese food is... but Turkish? What are the staples there? What is available in the stores... and what isn't available that you are going to miss. Turkish food varies across regions. But there are some specialties that are available throughout the whole country. I would say that Greek and Lebanese is probably the closest that we would come in the U.S. to the local Turkish food. Baklava is very common. Olives. Kababs. Pitas. Breads. That sort of thing.

Other frequently used ingredients in Turkish specialities include: lamb, eggplants, green peppers, onions, garlic, lentils, beans, and tomatoes. Nuts, especially pistachios, chestnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts, together with spices, have a special place in Turkish cuisine. Preferred spices and herbs include parsley, cumin, black pepper, paprika, mint, oregano and thyme.

Dolmas are very common. They are used to describe anything "stuffed." (They are, humorously I think, also used to describe the buses used in transportation around these parts which are stuffed full of people.)

JB definitely wants to learn how to cook the food here. We also plan to eat as much of the food as we can. I'll have JB expand on this question more in days, weeks, months, and years to come.

17. Update on photo question. I have gotten a bit more details on whether or not we can take photos outside, while on Base. Apparently, this is a bit of a gray area. As long as the photos aren't directly intending to picture Turkish installations, it is okay to take photos. So while maybe a bit more cautious in my photography, I will be able, at least as I understand it now, to take pictures while outdoors on Base.

18. Do you pay your housekeeper and gardener in US dollars or Turkish Lira? We pay them in US dollars I believe. We do not pay them directly. We pay a company that they work for. That company then takes 1/3 of the money and puts it directly toward taxes. The other 2/3 they get. A few years back the help on Base was much cheaper but due to the taxes, it went up.

Still more questions? Keep 'em coming in the comments section.