African American Turkish Brazilian

Turkish women it call it your "ozel bolge" literally meaning "special district." Go to any Turkish hair salon (called a kuafor) walk through the salon and there is almost always an upstairs where you can get your nails and your waxing done. Anyway, carrying on, I've been here for a month so I was due to be taken care of.  So I goes in there and I'm kind of anxious cause I didn't know how the whole process goes down here and whatnot. 

After waiting for about 10 minutes one girl brings me to the back waxing rooms and I says to her, "Ozel Bolge" and she knew what time it was. Naturally, next, I drop my drawers and get on the table and as soon as she see me s she goes "Ooooh different. Very cool!" in the thickest Turkish accent ever -- and by different she was referring to the texture of my pubic fibers. I'm just a girl trying to get my monthly maintenance done and I'm sitting there spread eagle with this girl (bless her heart) calling my vagina cool. 

I'm sorry, ma'am, but is my name Sarah Baartman?  ... No. Didn't think so homie.

When she gets over the initial awe of my black ozel bolge, the most horrific Brazilian session I've ever experienced commenced. 25 minutes of pain and agony -- TWENTY FIVE I SAID. And let me make this clear, it didn't take that long because I'm a hairy brutish barbarian -- No, no. She did not know what on Gods green earth she was doing. I couldn't be too mad though because how many black women's nether-regions have passed through that salon? Probably none. There's a first time for everything and somebody has to be the guinea pig. Best part about it though was that it only cost me seven American dollars. Be jealous ladies. 

So in conclusion, I would just politely that you please remember my "special districts" in your prayers tonight and pray for their quick recovery.

It would be much appreciated. 

The Grand Hustle

The Grand Bazaar is one the worlds oldest and largest covered markets with 61 covered streets and 3,000 shops. So of course, knowing this and being the history freak that I am, I had to make a visit to this famed market.

I don't really have much to say about it other than the fact that I was 100% unimpressed -- I think its because I'm not a traditional tourist and so I know that the majority of the stuff in there is a straight rip off. Everything in there is extremely over priced and gimmicky. If you ever make your way to Istanbul, its worth taking a look around just to say that you've been, but I pity the fool who opens up their wallet to drop dollars on some trinket that was actually made in China or India.  

In short -- See the sights, save your money.

The Grand Bazaar... More like

The Grand Hustle

A Natural Abroad

Being natural in the Sates is hard enough --  At least for me it is. Constantly being pumped with images of women with long, luxurious sew ins and flat ironed tresses. So when I moved to Istanbul a month ago, I thought the pressure to straighten my hair would be even greater. However, to my surprise, my prediction has been proven wrong. In fact, the reception my hair has received here in Turkey is the exact opposite of what I was expecting. People find my hair fascinating, exotic, and drum roll... beautiful. Now its not that I don't love my own hair, I'm just not used to other people overwhelmingly admiring and taking such a genuine interest in it . Its actually quite a bizarre feeling.

 On any given day, (and quite frequently I might add) I'll be walking down the street and some random person will come to me and begin to touch my hair and say "Cok guzel!" which means "Very pretty" in Turkish. My students love to ask questions about how I style my hair, how long it takes, what kinds of products I put in my hair etc. A whole lesson down the drain because of an impromptu natural hair Q&A session. One time I told my students that my braids were not my real hair and bless their little hearts, they couldn't wrap their heads around the idea. So at the end of class I gave them a little braiding tutorial -- Their minds were 100% blown. BLOWN, I tell you. 

That being said, there is a downside to being a natural abroad in this side of the world.Turkey's Black population is EXTREMELY low and as a result, the demand for Black hair products is damn near non existent. I knew that before coming here and made sure I had my hair in a protective style and that I had fully stocked up on hair supplies -- Dropping dollars at the beauty store before I left. I must say, too, that I'm so happy I stocked up because I've been in beauty supply stores here and A.) There's no Black hair products in sight and B.) The prices of hair products here are out of control. The struggle would be so real out here for a sister without a protective style,  no products from home, and no hair salon to go to. Being a DIY natural with a degree from  the esteemed YouTube University has really come in handy. And as my arsenal runs out, I'll probably have to ask my people back home to send me hair care packages. 

Despite the product issues, its nice to be able to feel like other people like your hair as much as you do -- A great confidence boost. Its something that I don't feel much of back home (which is part of the reason why I sometimes have periods of excessive flat iron relapse). Since being here, I haven't felt that urge once - Not that I feel there's something wrong with flat ironed or permed hair, I just know that I use heat to the point where my hair is unhealthy.

 Going abroad is one of the best decisions I've made in my life thus far and being able to feel comfortable with my self image has mad it all the more easier to settle in. 

So for all you naturals who aren't getting shown any love back in the States, buy a ticket to Istanbul and I'll take you around and help you get your mind right! 

                            

A Few Things I Learned Since Coming To Istanbul

Tomorrow it will have been a month since leaving America and moving to Istanbul. I don't know what it feels like to yall but it definitely feels like longer but whatever. Anyway, I've learned a few things during my short time thus far and in the spirit of my 1 month stay I figured I would share with you folks. 

Let the sharing commence...

1. TURKISH HOSPITALITY SHITS ON SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY 

No diss to all you country bumpkins but your particular brand of hospitality may be nice but it doesn't compare to what I've experienced here. If you are a guest, you are treated with the most respect, warmth, and compassion. It really is a way of life for them. Whenever I am in the school cafe, I never pay for my tea, coffee, or snacks. Students have taken me out for coffee and dinner and insisted that I not pay for anything. I've had my cabs paid for, been given gifts, and had students make my worksheet copies in the office. I'll probably get fat because my students are constantly offering me their food and if I decline, they simply keep on insisting so I eat out of obligation. Shop owners also offer me tea and snacks if I stay in their store for more than 10 minutes. Its to the point where you feel guilty and you're taking advantage but its normal to them and actually quite rude if you do not accept. Its is so OD here that southern hospitality almost makes a mockery of it. I'm telling you, they're treating me like their Nubian Queen --

 Matter of fact, yall can just call me Queen Tiye from here on out.

2. BURGER KING REIGNS SUPREME 

Eff what ya heard about McDonald's being the most popular fast food joint cause that simply isnt the case here in Istanbul. Real talk, I've never seen more Burger Kings in my life -- and people actually enjoying it too. Burger King only came to Turkey in 1995 but by the early 2000s already had more restaurants than McDonald's.  Now McD's only has around 180 and BK has over 300 (only second to the US in the amount of restaurants). If you ask the Turks which one they prefer, they are most likely going to tell you BK. Apparently, the meat is tastier because they cook on grill that Turkish people are used to and at the moment they are more accessible since there are more restaurants open. 

Wtf right? 

3. I TOOK AMERICA'S "MELTING POT" FOR GRANTED

From what I've noticed, Turkey is pretty much culturally homogeneous with the exception of the Kurds. The country is also 99.8% Muslim. I never really took the time to appreciate the cultural diversity in America until I came here and one area where I feel it most is when I'm eating. Son. I eat the same damn tavuk doner (a sort of chicken sandwich) everyday man. Even when I switch it up, the food is still cooked in a similar style with similar spices. Turkish people also aren't big on food from other cultures so its hard to find a restaurant with something different. I miss having the option of Thai, Indian, Mexican, Italian, or Chinese food. You just can't get that here and it breaks my little food loving heart. When I go home its about to be on and poppin cause your girl gonna go on a culinary world tour.  

4. TURKISH ETHNOCENTRICITY GOES HARD

Until I came here, I used to think that Americans had to be the most ethnocentric people in the word but dawg... In some cases Turkish people be on some next shit. One time I was trying to have a discussion with my students on different kinds of foods, and my students kept saying they only liked Turkish food. So I asked them if they tried any other kind of food and they basically replied "No" because they claimed that they already knew that Turkish food was the best and there's no need to try anything else. Another time I was trying to ask a class where they wanted to go and they said they didn't need to go anywhere else because Turkey is the best. Most of my students couldn't even tell you where the West Indies were --I tried to explain that once too and it was a lost cause. No lie, their ethnocentric shit is can be outrageous. 

5. RACE RELATIONS? ... THEY NOT ABOUT THAT LIFE

Simply put, the Turks don't have the same history of Black vs. White as much of the rest of the world does. Also, oddly enough, it seems as if many of the negative stereotypes have not reached this part of the world. Its strange to say, but I really don't think Turks look much at the color of your skin. From conversations I've had with students, this is what seems to be the case. Most of my students know very little or nothing about slavery or American Civil Rights or any of that. Many of my students have flat out told me that they always though black and white people in America have always been equally-- Cray, cray. I almost feel uncomfortable with the thought that people aren't looking at my race. 

 That just shows you, though, how fucked our society has made our minds.

How warped does my brain have to be in feel slightly uneasy in a space where race isn't such a big deal?

6. IF YOU'RE LOOKIN FOR CHIVALRY, ITS HERE IN TURKEY

Gonna keep this one short and sweet. Turkish men are gentlemen.  I'm talking, paying for everything, holding doors, the whole ladies first rule, all of that  So to all you ladies who like to moan and groan all over Twitter about chivalry being dead, get off the computer and go buy yourself a plane ticket to Turkey so we don't have to hear it no more. BYE. 

As of now, that's all I can think of. Sorry if you were looking for some deep, self reflective lessons but it just aint happening in this post. Maybe by next month or by the time I leave I'll have that Oprah Winfrey couch interview material ready for you but right now just let me be great with the basics. 

Temple of Artemis

The Temple of Artemis was one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient Worlds and it was also, hands down, the most wondrous  disappointment of my archaeological escapades last Monday. I was thinking I was gonna see something OD crazy -- Something that would make my pee my pants in excitement but nah son. Due to raids from invading peoples and earthquakes over the centuries,  all that's left is really one big ginormous column and some scattered piles of rocks here in there. Half of the site is waterlogged too.

But even though it was the most underwhelming site of the day. it is nice to say that I actually saw it, nah mean? 

Last Home of the Virgin Mary

Even though it is widely debated, it is widely believed that after Mary was brought to Ephesus by Apostle John, her last residence was on Nightingale Mountain (About 4 miles up the mountain from the Ephesus archaeological site). It was close enough to the big city, yet remote enough so that she could maintain a low profile and be incognito. It is believed that she lived here until she died from natural causes at the age of 64.

The house is an official pilgrimage site of the catholic church. 

The house itself is extremely small. There is only a very small entrance room, a slightly larger main room, and an exit way the size of the entrance. She must have lived very humbly. The site also has a spring which is hooked up somehow to a fountain. I'm pretty sure you aren't supposed to take any water but I emptied out my water bottle and filled up. Its believed that the water can cure illnesses and procure miracles -- Idk about my water now though. The act of stealing it might have negated all of its healing properties. Whatevs. 

Oh and by the way, no pictures were allowed inside the sanctuary but you know me. Of course your girl procured a few photos. Gotta have documentation, nah mean? 

Sorry Mary. 

Entry Way

Inside Main Room

Old Wall Fresco

(Not sure how old it is)

View After Exiting

After you exit the home, there's a place where you can light a candle and say a prayer and that I did. Surprisingly, there was only me and 2 other people in sanctuary at the time. You would think there would be crowds of people but it was the exact opposite. Very quiet, very serene. It was just as you would expect for the former home of the Virgin. Now that I'm thinking about it, I would describe it as a beautiful experience. 

Cave of Seven Sleepers

Following my tour of Ephesus, I took a little detour to a less frequented site in Selcuk. Its called the Cave of the Seven Sleepers. As I mentioned before, Selcuk is home to a lot of early Christian historical sites and stories. This one is quite interesting, so I thought I would travel off the beaten path and check it out. 

After I exited through upper Ephesus, I walked down a long road for about 20-25 minutes. From there, I banged left on this gravel road and walked for another 20 minutes or so. While walking, there was literally no one or any cars on the road. Just me -- Quite eerie. I've seen too many horror movies to be doing shit like that, but I was determined. So I walk down this second road and I come to a few small houses with old Turkish women sitting around drinking tea. And right outside the houses, there was a sign for the cave.  I walked up a steep hill for about a minute and bam, there it was. 

AND IT GOES A LITTLE SOMETHING LIKE THIS...  

During the 3rd century AD, the epic beef between the Roman State and the early Christians was still raging. This was, of course, because the Christians refused to worship and make sacrifices to the Roman gods and goddesses. When the Emperor Decius was due to come to Ephesus, seven young Christian men escaped the city to avoid persecution for defying the Roman State. They hid in a cave up in the mountains where they fell asleep. When the Roman soldiers found their hide out, the emperor ordered the cave sealed.

Two centuries later an earth quake broke down the wall and miraculously woke up the men who then re entered the city to find food. They returned to Ephesus to find that Christianity was now the accepted and official religion of the Roman Empire. The Emperor Theodosius was informed of this miracle and recognized it as proof of the doctrine of Resurrection -- which at the time was a major issue within the Church. 

When the young men eventually died, they were buried in the cave and a church was built over the resting place. 

I couldn't walk into the caves because it was fenced off but I snapped some pictures through the fence.

Nobody was up there but me, either. Kind of an uncanny feeling. 

Shit you don't hear about let alone see everyday, man. 

  

Real Hustlers of Ephesus

Before I go on to detail the next place I visited while in Selcuk, I'm gonna go ahead and talk about something I noticed while walking around Ephesus right quick. 

Many of these tourist destinations are plagued with thirsty Turkish business owners who harass you as you enter and exit these historical sites. You also have these bootleg freelance tour guides who will relentlessly be all up in your face trying to make a buck. Even though its extremely annoying and I'm usually a hot target because my skin immediately gives me away as a foreigner, I can't knock the hustle. Everybody's gotta eat. 

But the real hustlers of these tourist traps here in Turkey are not the men hawking you, telling you to buy their goods and use their services. No, no. If you were thinking that, then you are sadly mistaken. The real hustlers in these streets are the feral cats. These aren't no scrawny pitiful looking things either -- Their clearly well fed, healthy, and surprisingly clean. They gotta be 10 times more thorough than the ones that are in Philly.

Anyway they're clearly scamming us poor unsuspecting tourists. All they do is lay around, get lavished with attention and food from people who find them to be so precious and irresistible. Straight chillin. 

So shout out to the hustling cats of Ephesus. I tip my hat to you.

 Stay grinding, stay hungry. 

   

Ancient Ephesus Highlights

Before I hop from subject to subject, I figured since I last blogged about my inter city travel experience, I'll fill you guys in on my trip. Anywho, I traveled from Istanbul  for 10 hours to a small town 2 miles from the Aegean called Selcuk (pronounced SELL-CHOOK). Selcuk is attracts hundreds of thousands of tours because of its early Christian history and its proximity to the ruins of the Ancient port city Ephesus. And lucky you, now you get to read all about it. 

Ephesus was one of the largest cities and most wealthy cities in the ancient Mediterranean world with a population of 250,000. Its wealth was due to its natural harbor which is now 3 kilometers from the archaeological site. Ephesus was one of the seven churches of Asia that were cited in the Book of Revelation, Letter to the Ephesians is in reference to the people of Ephesus, the last home of the Virgin Mary is nearby, and St. John is also buried nearby as well. The city was eventually abandoned because over the centuries, the natural harbor silted up and it ceased being the epicenter of trade and commerce. So as you can see there is a lot to  discuss so lets get this show on the road. I'll start with the highlights of the official archaeological site. 

The Great Theater: This amphitheater was by far my favorite part of touring the city. Its hard to imagine the vastness of it but it was simply amazing. 

Just walking up to the top and sitting for the moment really made my day.

The Church of Mary (Double Churches): This is the church where the Catholic Church officially declared that Jesus was both human and divine (431 AD) and also the first church ever dedicated to Mary. The church itself was first built in 2nd century AD. 

The site is completely in ruins but you could tell the complex was extremely large. Below you can see the baptismal pool still remains. Not much left but the history make up for what the remains lack. Poppin. 

Library of Celsus:  If you type "Ephesus" into a Google image search, you're most likely gonna come up with either an image of The Great Theater or a picture of the Library of Celsus. The library was believed to have housed 12,500 books, which was a substantial amount at the time. I could especially appreciate this because as the daughter of a librarian, I have an affinity for books -- In the words of the ever so eloquent Juvenile, "She get it from her mama."

The Public Toilets:  Last but not least and certainly the most amusing was the public toilets. The seating is extended around four sides of a wall. Below there was a deep sewer that was flushed by a continuous flow of water. The toilets were roped off so I was unable to capture a pic of me taking a fake #2 so just a pic of the toilet will have to suffice. Don't be shy, step right up, drop your pants, and take a squat. 

I tried to keep it as short and simple as possible with the archaeological site. It took me around 3 hours to completely tour the entire ancient city. It would have been impossible to outline everything that I saw while I was there. I just wanted you guys to see my faves. The only problem I had was that I forgot to pack my walking shoes in my bag so I was stuck wearing the flats I wore to the bus station. Son. By the end of the day I had all kinds of blisters and band aids plastered all over my feet. 

Small price to pay for the chance of a lifetime, I suppose. Also, please just pretend like you didn't notice my ashy left foot. Thanks. 

I Get Around Pt. 2

In one of my first posts I filled you guys in on the ins and outs of getting around the city of Istanbul. Well, I took my first intercity trip Sunday night to a little town on the Aegean called Selcuk to visit the Ancient ruins at Ephesus.The town is actually filled with a crazy amount of early Christian history but that's neither here nor there right now cause before I blog about that, I gotta tell yall about these dope inter city buses. 

I have to say that when I found out that the easiest way to make my way down there was by bus, I was very apprehensive. Cause if America can't get its life together between Megabus and Greyhound (Don't eem get me started) then how on God's green Earth is Turkey gonna have its long distance transport game right? I had visions of me riding on rusty, crusty bus the size of Big Worm's ice cream truck. And like so many things since I've been here, your girl was wrong yet again.  *Sigh* 

The buses here are 10 times better than any inter city American bus I've ever been on. And being from Rochester and living in Philly, I've been on countless bus trips for innumerable amounts of hours. I booked my ticket with the Kamil Koc bus company and I was so pleasantly surprised.

Firstly, these buses were extremely punctual. As a very impatient traveler, I truly appreciated that -- Don't have no time to be messing with Megabus and their CP Time nonsense.  So when you get on the bus the first thing you notice is that their Mercedes buses and each seat had a personal TV. You could watch anything from CNN to ridiculous melodramatic Turkish soap operas. The seats were so incredibly comfortable, too. This was such a relief because I had literally gone straight from teaching my evening class to the bus station with no time to rest in between. None of that funny business where your butt cheeks go numb from sitting on those God forsaken Greyhound seats. Oh, and lest we not forget the wifi. 

So just as I'm getting comfortable and settled into the ride, the man who clearly works on the bus come down the isle like a flight attended with drinks a snack tray -- "Oh word? Say no mas." is exactly what I said to myself when I saw that. Of course, like a creep and complete foreigner, I snapped a picture of this for your enjoyment:

So I got me a nice hot tea and this Turkish fruit cake. At any rate, this guy goes up and down the isle I think 3 times during the trip. On top of that, though, there is a button that you can press to request his services. WILD. I know, my mind was blown too. 

The trip took about 10/11 hours in total. I slept the entire time and it was a night bus so I can't really tell you about the scenery along the way. I can tell you however, that at one point the bus had to board a ferry boat for about an hour or so in order to cross the Dardenelles. I stepped out for a bit onto the ferry deck but I couldn't see anything in the dead of night and honestly I was just too tired. I got over trying to experience the Dardenelles real quick and went back to the bus to sleep -- I tried. 

Even now just thinking about the subpar bus service we are used to is making me want to foment revolution at Megabus headquarters. When I go back to the states and, no doubt, have to get back on a bus at one point in time, I just KNOW Imma be mad, marinating in my own saltiness cause the buses here are simply on another level. 

Its Never That Serious (Just a Note)

This post will be quick and easy. The other day I was at work and I had to go to the bathroom really bad. For whatever reason, I hadn't taken a trip to the bathroom at work yet. So I walk into the bathroom -- Nothing out of the ordinary.

I opened the stall and to my horror...

NAH, YO.

I'm sorry, but going to the bathroom will never be that serious for me. Ever. 

I just can't be bothered. 

Sultanahmet Square: Basilica Cistern

I know my posts have been less frequent but that's because I officially started working 2 weeks ago. Making that paper. -- I'm sure I'll have posts about that in the future. For now, though I decided it would be nice for me to talk about all the places I've visited in and around the city. So these posts will be for all you uncultured heathens who asked me, "What's in Turkey? Why would you even want to there?" 

Well , guess what? Turkey got tourist traps on traps on traps. 

Don't belee me? Juh watch ... or read. 

First, I'm gonna break yall off with a piece of the historical peninsula in Istanbul. Locally, it is referred to as the Sultanahmet District. This district is home to Istanbul's biggest tourist attractions including the Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern, the Blue Mosque, and Topkapi Palace. I'll be going in the order I visit/visited them which leads me to my first attraction, the Basilica Cistern. 

The Basilica Cistern or Yerebatan Sarayi ("Sunken Palace" in Turkish) is the largest of hundreds of ancient cisterns beneath Istanbul and was built in the 6th century under the Emperor Justinian. 

The people who settled around the cistern were provided with their daily water through various openings in the ceilings. 

 

In the western corner of the cistern, there are two column bases in the shape of a Medusa heads. Traditionally, the story goes that the Medusa heads were oriented sideways and inverted in order to negate the effects of Medusa's stone cold gaze. Apparently, however, archaeologists say it is most likely because  they needed them to be the proper size to support the column. -- That shit sounds super whack  to me so I'm gonna choose to subscribe to the traditional story. 

It took me about 10-15 minutes to tour the whole cistern. The fact that there's still water and fish in there was pretty awesome,. The architecture was beautiful  and the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism had the mood lighting on point. Had me feeling like I was at a spoken word joint. But I enjoyed the Medusa heads the most . So, without the Medusa heads I probably would have rated this attraction a 7.5 but instead I'm gonna give it an 8.5 -- I'm a Greek/Roman mythology freak what can I say? This shit really lights my fires. 

And just like the Black person I am, all I could do was repeat the Andre 3000 line from his feature on John Legend's "Green Light," "So I went hard like Medusa staring at me." 

SIDE NOTE:  If you fancy seeing the Basilica Cistern in one of it's theatrical appearances, take a looksie at The International with my man Clive Owen. Its a pretty good movie. 

  -

There's No Place Like Home

 

I've always been the type to want to try something completely new and step out of my comfort zone.I also  I tend I enjoy my solitude and my time alone. When I had to go to middle school, I chose the school where most of my friends weren't going. When it was time to choose a high school,  I chose to leave the School of the Arts when all of my friends stayed. And finally, when I had to pick a college, I picked Philadelphia -- A place where I had never been to and knew no one. Each time I did well. I never really had problems adjusting. I was hardly ever homesick when I first moved to Philly. I didn't even go home once for my entire 1st semester. I always thought it was funny when my friends frequently went home because I never wanted to. 

There's nothing funny or sarcastic to say in this post, though. I just flat out miss home. Don't get me wrong, the experiences I'm having here are invaluable and I will never forget them but as cliche as it is -- There's no place like home. There's no people like the people you left at home either. I miss my family, even though they get on my nerves when I'm in Rochester. I miss my cat. I miss sitting on Samantha's couch until it got too late for me go all the way back to West Philly. I miss my other friends very much so as well. -- If you're reading this you guys know who you are. I miss Dunkin Donuts coffee. I miss having different kinds of food to eat -- Besides shit fast food, you can only really get Turkish food here. I miss speaking English. I miss being able to watch Netflix. Hell I never thought that I'd say this but I miss school and I miss Philly. I'm not even a month out of undergrad, and I'm steadfastly looking forward to grad school. In regards to Philly, of course I have a list of complaints about it but its what I know. Its where I spent the majority of the past 5 years. Its where I've done a lot of growing up. 

I speak to my parents more than I ever did living in Philly. I watch NBC Nightly News everyday on the internet because it reminds me of home. As I type this, I'm watching The Color Purple because it helps with the homesickness. I go through old pictures on FB. I stay up late because I feel like I'm missing out on the day on the East Coast. This homesickness is real -- Never felt anything like it before. And at times (like on my days off or when I get in my bed at night) the feeling always is amplified. Enough to make you irrationally decide to book a ticket to come home next month.

Like I said before, I'm really enjoying this experience but I really don't know how people become expats. 6 months is just enough for me to experience, live, enjoy, and then make it back to America before I begin to resent the place for not being like home. 

Sorry, if you guys were looking for another laugh but on top of being a sarcastic ass, I also can be quite sentimental and emotional. 

Anyway, I miss you guys. 

Brittany