Masallah!

Found my first *mf* open-air market yesterday! On a street that runs directly behind my apartment, no less! Some serious fortuity at work this past Tuesday as my friend Celeste and I decided to take a different turn on the walk home (from an abandoned downtown outing in which we were the [lucky] two who didn’t fit into the Jandarma car when some random officers insisted on escorting us to a taxi stand that would take us to our hesitant government office destination when we couldn’t board the town trolly without university IDs...).

The local tent bazaar sets up every Tuesday with two streets worth of fruit, veggie, spice, dairy, and herb vendors There are, of course, plenty of people selling cheap household essentials as well. Like many sizes of spoons, a huge assortment of granny panties, second-hand clothing, head scarves, children’s shoes, and plastic do-it-yourself furniture items. So à la Madagascar--this is more like it!

I do a lot of giggling during this purchasing experience, partially because I’m unreasonably giddy about each find and partially owing to the fact that although I know two solid ways to ask “how much?” I still kind of suck at numbers, so I have no idea what the vendor’s response means. I usually just hand over a few lira and smile so they know that I am indeed a clueless yabanci and the choice to rip me off or give me change is completely up to them. (My favorite experience though was when I just held out my handful of coins to a woman selling spoons and she picked the ones I owed her.)

This çok successful shopping experience cost me 11ish lira (about $7) and yielded olives, feta cheese, parsley, dill, mint, apples, pears, a pomegranate, green beans, dried chick peas, the best jordan almonds I’ve ever tasted, and fresh hazelnuts (the latter two form a heavenly combination when eaten in succession).

Bloody hell, guys--I’m home.

(Some 'home' photos)