an undelivered letter...
I recall the existence of this undelivered letter.. and a forgetten infatuation..*** December 2004 *** A Letter ***
Merhaba! Nasilsiniz? I hope you would say ‘iyiyim sagol!’
As I munch on those delicious Turkish nuts, while watching the video and looking at the photos taken in Turkey, I had the sudden urge to send a note to you. Unknowing, it’s been 5 weeks since I came back to Singapore from Turkey, but the fond memories are still so vivid..
Honestly, Turkey did not seem an especially appealing place for me to visit, and when my family courageously braved the terrorism and earthquake threats on this trip, I had my reservations on how interesting it’s going to be. But honestly again, I felt sadness more than anywhere else when I had to say goodbye. I knew I was going to miss everything there..
The daily doses of history and turkish lessons which I dutifully listened to word for word, of gunaydin greetings every morning, of elma cay in tulip cups everyday..
The sight of magnificent mosques and palaces built in Istanbul and Bursa, of ruins of an amazing city once built in Ephesus, of beautiful geographical formations of white terraces in Pamukkale, of breath taking views of caves and fairy chimneys in Cappodocia, of grand monuments built in Ankara, of snow upon the pine trees with bears and honey in Bolu we imagined, of fruit trees and cotton fields and towns along the bus journeys, of sunrise upon the Aegean sea and sunset upon the ‘golden mountain’..
The sound of rooster calls and cow bells which attracted attention,
The smell of lemon cologne so distinct and awakening,
The taste of Ayran, Raki, yogurt with honey and opium seeds,
The touch of the sand and stones which existed so long ago..
The jokes of tamales and hodja in which I thought your attempt to make us laugh was all more humorous,
The feeling of being millionaires, and at the same time math illiterates having so much difficulty in exchange rate conversions
The fun we had in my first 2 nightclub experiences dancing and drinking and laughing, saying selefe and happy new year to almost total strangers even on the streets,
The new experiences of swimming in sulphate filled waters, of walking in calcium filled cold waters, of duck walking in underground caves, of shopping in the grand bazaar busy saying ‘yok sagol’, of cruising along the Bospherus looking at the 2 continents of Asia and Europe together, and of the greatest guide accompanying us on the journey..
*** A tribute ***
Turkey wouldn’t have been one bit the same without you. It was you who made all the difference. Along the bus rides those lessons on the country’s language, history (which I didn’t quite get everything right), geography, culture, and even modern day economics and politics (which was interesting to listen to from a local’s point of view) made me momentarily attached to the Turkish way of life and even be part of it for that period of time. It was as if we were all professionals at answering whatever one would ask about Turkey. At the same time those Chinese phrases popping out between your explanations as well as those almost Singaporean Singlish was definitely entertaining and made us all relate well and feel more comfortable in a foreign land. Not forgetting the Chinese and Singaporean songs as well. For all that and the amazing memory remembering those facts and figures which no one dare challenge, you have been crowned ‘the best tour guide ever’ in our family. Congratulations on getting your award! Haha..
It is interesting how your name can pop up somewhere along our daily conversations. In talking about our trip, in talking about Troy and greek mythology, in talking about tour guides. Even when having Turkish delights it reminded us of your ‘yao yao’ way of eating it which made all the difference in taste. And it is not only us. Just recently when we went to another tour agency to make payment for our South African holiday, your name popped up once again when we mentioned our Turkey trip and it seems as though you’re rather popular in the tourism industry of Singapore. Feeling flattered? Or are u just too used to it? U
‘All good things must come to an end’ in your words. And so must this e mail full of praises. Life wouldn’t be the same again. For one, Turkey and you have become a passing in my life. Though short, but definitely unforgettable. I’ve become the so-called ambassador of Turkey, trying to promote and more importantly clear many misconceptions about the country, namely the politics with neighbouring countries and the secular system which many would mistake it as Islam based. And another is that the men and women there all look rather good!
rebec inspired @ 12:53 PM
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