Today was also our day to go shopping in the city. On my free time I have been out to the shops but i had a much longer this time. The hardest thing was that none of the shop keepers speak English. It was lucky for me that I was with my Georgian friend Nestor who studies Turkish language! I will not go into the details of what I bought because it is a surprise! But i will say that after every transaction the storekeeper offered us tea and we drank together. It is a really wonderful custom. Imagine going to Best Buy, buying a large flat screen, and after the transaction you sit down with the owner while he serves you tea and asks how things are going!!! I don't think that could ever happen in America.
Another interesting thing i have noticed about Turkey is that there is no such thing as city planning. Most streets become narrow and curve. There are no street signs. Buildings are placed in a random order. Directions go like this. "Yea if you want to find a store to get tea go straight for a while then it will curve up then make a left" Needless to say we were constantly lost. My friend Nestor was trying to find a store to buy a hookah and we spent the good part of a half hour trying to find a store that sold them. Apparently hookah's are a bit taboo, like alcohol. This goes to show how that Erzurum is a fairly religious city. Most women wear head coverings, there are no bars, and it is only one hookah bar that is very remote. But oddly enough cigarettes are not.
Also in most of Turkey their are watering stations located on every block. They are kind of like water fountains here is a pic of how they look.
After we got back i ate dinner (which always consists of yogurt, tomato soup, meat, rice,and potatoes.... always!!!) then played two hours of basketball with the locals. It was really great but i have blisters on my toes now. But it was worth it.
yeah show em how to hoop!
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