There's Something About Brittany

All of my posts thus  far have been about my general day to day in Istanbul and not specifically dealing with being black in Turkey. Surprisingly, I get the feeling that that is due to the fact that Turks do not generally view Black people in any particular way. I had heard before coming over here that this would be the case but I couldn't really wrap my head around it. Turkey is not necessarily a melting pot of cultures, so I figured I would be subject to side eyes, unfriendliness, and cold shoulders. This is simply not the case. It is apart of the Turkish culture to be inherently welcoming and accommodating especially to foreigners. 

However, I have caught people staring at me on the train or in the street -- Stares that seem to stem from curiosity and not ill feelings or suspicion. People say things to me in Turkish when I walk by -- And judging by the tone its spoken it, I never take the words to be insults. Today, though, let me TELLLL YOU. Even though I had a feeling what was behind those stares, whispers, and comments, all that came to light today during and after my Bosphorous Cruise (which I'll tell you guys about when I'm not as tired). 

But bless their hearts, these people out here acting like I'm the most exotic thing they've ever seen. One man flat out told me I was an "exotic beautiful woman" while I was touring a little town called Anadolu Kavagi and after the cruise people came up to me (in some cases ran up to me) on three different occasions just to take a picture with me. One little girl even starting petting my hand and hair -- Of course knowing this was most certainly blog worthy, I asked them to take a picture with my camera as well. Definitely the most entertaining part of my day. 

FIRST THIS

I had just gotten off my Bosphorous cruise and was standing near the docks when these two girls ran up to me with HUGE smiles on their faces and tugged on my coat. Then two ladies, who I assumed to be their mothers, pulled out their camera phones and started snapping away. All paparazzi like and what not.  

NEXT THIS 

After my cruise I headed over to the Suleymaniye Mosque -- I know I look OD ridiculous with the scarf over my head but you know how the Islam thing goes. But word to Allah, Muhammad Ali, and Louis Farrakhan  this boy pictured here almost broke his neck trying to sneak a picture of me. So I just told him to stop playing and come get a piece of this hot chocolate -- resulting in this here fabulous picture of course. 

THEN THIS

This little girl was the cutest and most excited of my admirers today. She ran from across the courtyard of the mosque and hugged my leg. Her parents whipped out their camera phones and took pictures as she stroked my hand and patted my hair. I enjoyed her a lot.

So how funny is this? Guess the Turks missed the Black stereotype memo that was sent to the rest of the world. Fine by me.

Maybe I should stay here and be treated like the Nubian Queen that people wont let me be in the States.

 I'M TRYNNA BE GREAT AND THESE TURKS BE LETTIN ME