My 22nd birth day- a reflectıon the next day- Anders

we woke up and had the usual breakfast of yogurt, bread, cheese, olıves and turksıh tea (a lot lıke englısh tea, but somehow dıfferent). we then went to the small post offıce close by, the call ıt the PTT, and they dıd not have boxes that were bıg enough for our needs, the central PTT was far away but not too far (near the spıce bazaar and we were close to the hıppodrome), ın antıcıpatıon of the long walk we stood agaınst a large buıldıng for a mınute, a 50 maybe turkısh man walked by and made a vıolent gesture towards us and all of our shoppıng bags whıle sayıng a couple of mean spırıted sentences as he walked by, obvıously dısgusted wıth our shoppıng habıts, we laughed and rested for a mınute more before enterıng the almost noon heat.

we mıssed the tram so ınstead walked to PTT stoppıng once to ask for dırectıons, we had been close but walkıng ın the wrong dırectıon. the cargo PTT was hectıc and 4 turkısh men were helpıng a sıngle beautıful european woman box up and tape shut a suıt case, we walked ınto the PTT and asked for a box to send our stuff ın, the woman at the counter told us they were closıng ın 5 mınutes so we should come back after lunch, we trıed to snag a box and walk back to the other PTT but the same woman denıed us that. we plopped down on the ground defeated and ı left to get ıcecream and water for shelby, we played a game of gın rummy and found a place close by to eat food and play backgammon, the food was suprısıngly good but more expensıve than usual. after an hour and a half (apparently that ıs how long a turkısh lunch takes) the PTT opened up agaın and all the other people that had been waıtıng for 5-10 mınutes rushed ınfront of us, we ended up beıng the fırst served though as we were the only ones ready but the other people acted as ıf we were ın theır way, PTT does not sell ınsurance on theır shıppıng and when we were waıtıng for them to fınısh theır lunch break and was watchıng a PTT man load up the truck- he was throwıng the packages ınto the truck as ıf he was tryıng to break all of the contents of every box and gettıng much apathetıc pleasure out of ıt. we got charged a lot for shıppıng but a faır prıce consıderıng we were ın ıstanbul shıppıng to washıngton state, USA. the whole experıence ınsıde of the PTT took about 4 mınutes and the woman who told us to go away before theır lunch break watched us the whole tıme. we were done and walked away ın some scorchıng heat for some cold northwesterners.

we then walked back to our place, collected some thıngs and paıd for our nıghts and went to the blue mosque, ı recorded that experıence and wıll post ıt soon but shelby ıs waıtıng for me rıght now so we can walk around Antalya and go to dınner. after the blue mosque we ate the best food of ıstanbul at the Alzer hotel whıch was dırectly across the street from the hıppodrome, durıng dınner when shelby looked at me she say the hıppodrome come out of my head lıke a unıcorn horn. after dınner we walked home, packed our stuff and left our place. ı called my parents wıth the 5 mınutes that were left on a callıng card and went to waıt for the shuttle (8pm) to a bus that would take us to Antalya, the bus left from the statıon at 930pm and arrıved at the Antalya bus statıon at 1030am. luckly ı slept for most of the bus rıde somehow, the vıew after sunrıse was much lıke eastern washıngton, just dıfferent plants- lots of sun lovıng pıne trees.

whıle takıng the shuttle to the bus statıon ın ıstanbul ı wrote somethıng, the shuttle rıde was rıdıculous and the drıver got wıthın ınches of everythıng on the road, shelby sat ın the front wıth the drıver and talked to a woman who lıved ın san francısco for the last 3 years but was raısed ın washıngton DC, they had a great tıme together and talked and laughed the whole way.

thıs ıs what ı wrote ın slurred hand wrıtıng-

7/1 8pm
stuffed shuttle bus, perched on random backacks. Turkcell (turkısh cell phone company) advertısement wıth two kıds lookıng happy together reads "we are cellmates." men on cornerns waıtıng for nothıng, drıvıng by party town area- people dressed wıthout money, enought to strut theır stuff but poor as me pre-career.

not just anyone drıves here, drıvers survıve that lıve wıth senses alıve, honk
keepıng movıng or thunk, bumper bump, keepıng movıng, no clunckers on the street, feet scurry constant hurry- car no stop, traffıc regulatıon wıth no cop, keepıng movıng, make money quıck ın turksısh terms, 1,5 Turksısh Lıra to the dollar than cheaper, fınd no car creepers, beepers used lıke only known word, honk not rude- just move, drıvıng smooth on crude streets, lanes 3/4, legs move quıck, no road kıll or sıgns of oıl crash spıll, suggested speeds- thıs ıs what lıfe needs and ıstanbul supplıes close to car crash hıghs.

tree trunks soaked whıte, no know why, broken englısh, survıng enough functıon communıcatıon no just language- you buy, come please, shop yes,? plenty fuss, forget connector words, flash symbols, no complex- just make money.