More this and that

Many restaurants and some hotels give out individual packets with a hand wipe to clean before/after your meal, etc.  They are printed with the establishments name on them like an advertisement.

Lemon scented “cologne” is also used to cool, refresh and clean after a meal.  At some restaurants when you pay, the cashier will pick up the bottle and you are to hold out your hands and they pour in a couple of tablespoons and you rub it all over your hands and your neck and face if you want to!  On the buses, they pass out cups of water and then also go through and offer this cologne to everyone as well!  Guess it helps keep the odors down too!

Vendors and collectors ride bikes or push carts through the city streets calling out their wares or what they are collecting.  The vendors mostly have different types of breads – this is in the mornings – or trucks of melons or a mix of fruits.  The collectors will pick up your old newspapers, broken electronics, etc. Also, people ride through the neighborhoods on bikes with a hug canvas bag on a frame in front, and go through the garbage bins, looking for plastic, glass, cardboard and other recyclables.

There is an over abundance of cars in the city neighbor hoods.  There are blocks and blocks and blocks of apartment buildings and the streets between are made of cobblestone and are pretty much one-way. On the ground floor of the buildings are often small businesses – on Abdullah’s block, there is one other apartment on the ground level and the rest are businesses.  Every few blocks there will be a wider street with larger businesses, such as teahouses and restaurants, vegetable stands, florists, etc.  It always amazes me that a person can make a living with such specialty business, such as just selling nuts, or a little tiny (6 foot x 6 foot) shop with school supplies, or snacks, etc.  Anyway, added to these small streets are the cars.  Cars are parked along one side, and sometimes actually up on the sidewalks, and other cars just stop in the middle of the street and the driver jumps out to conduct his business with one of the small businesses along the way.  Cars behind are usually patient for a few minutes, and then start honking.  As cars approach an intersection they slow down just a bit and honk there horns and then blast through the intersection…they can’t see in either direction without pulling into the middle of the intersection because of the parked cars.  As a walker in all this, it is difficult, as the sidewalks are narrow and often either have parked cars on them, or something from one of the business on them, or trash waiting to be picked up.  So, people walk in the middle of the street, and when a car approaches, it honks and you step to the side close to the park car and wait for the car to go past.  Add delivery trucks, a few bicycles, plus the bicycle vendors, strollers, cars temporarily pulled to the side, etc., and the streets can be quite busy and full of chaos.  

Abdullah sits in a chair by a window and is able to look out on the street.  Most people who walk by are actually walking in the middle of the street, but some are on the sidewalk right up against the building.  His visitors often stop at the window to say hello and then either he or Ayten will go and ring in the visitor.  His daughter Ayşegül often stops by the window to say good morning, etc., or to say she is going to the market and asks if he needs anything.  There is one woman who walks by at the same time every morning, and sometimes Abdullah will look at the time and then comment that she is running late!  There is one elderly man that walks by who is usually singing and carries some type of a big thermos jug on his arm.  Abdullah always calls out to Ayten when he goes by, that her lover is there!  This cracks me up as it reminds me of my friends and I teasing each other by calling men we see each other’s boyfriends.  One day the man actually stopped and said something to Abdullah and looked at Ayten and I who were sitting there.  When he left, Abdullah cracked up laughing and said that the only time the man ever stops to say hi is when he sees Ayten sitting right there and this is why he calls the man her lover.  I tried to get a photo of the man one day, but was a bit late on the click!  Here are photos from outside and inside!