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5/16/o8 Luleburgaz Day 2
Mornings here start much later than ours… around 10:00am. This morning we met with government officials such as the mayor and governor. Their system is based on the French government and is somewhat different from the system used in America. The mayor is in charge of physical things in the city such as roads, buildings, sewer, and new construction. He is elected into a 5 year position and can stay in office for an unlimited number of terms as long as he is reelected. The governor is appointed by the Turkish government and can only serve one five year term in a city. After holding this office governors usually move up in power. Governor is in charge of the police money and schools (people.) We met both of these men today! The governor said that I was a beautiful American and he had a son that was 28 and available. It was funny we visited the mayor second and the Turkish GSE team chairperson told me that I was safe because he only had a daughter. Both said that they were very honored to have us in their city and that it is people like us that
will rebuild the good ties between America and Turkey.
We toured the Raki factory after lunch. Raki is a Turkish alcohol that if mixed with water or ice it will turn from clear to white. It has a flavor similar to licorice. I tried it… it was ok and strong. The production line that is pictures produces 25,000 bottles per hour. The plant runs 24 hours a day so it produces 600,000 bottles per day. Labels were put on by hand on the top of every bottle. It was a very efficient process. Companies from around the world send samples of different alcohols here and in the chemical lab they can tell down to the billionth of an ounce how much of each ingredient they will need to reproduce it. They sent us home with 3 bottles of Votka (Vodka) which is also produced at this plant.
Now that the work was done for the day it was time to get ready for the Rotary Meeting Turkish style! We went to the hair dresser and got our hair done, nails painted, faces waxed, and make-up put on. Our time at the hairdresser was at least 4 hours. In
Edirne of maybe it was Corlu they asked us if we needed to go to the hairdresser before the meeting. We said no of course because we could do it ourselves. guess it is a tradition. I’d love to get pampered like that once a week or even once a month. We are really getting spoiled by the people of Luleburgaz.
Our presentation at the Rotary meeting was our best yet! I think the fact that we have been so welcome here and we cut a lot of the minor details out to save time. We must have a translator so it takes twice as long as we planned for. Since the GSE chairperson lives here we did a special presentation of Mardi Gras beads while playing the second line. It was a hit.
They had a surprise for us too. When the entertainment (a Turkish singer) the host mothers and fathers snuck off to the back room to prepare for Turkish folk dancing. It looked like fun and a good workout. After they danced we joined them for some dancing. What a treat that was.
5/17/08 Luleburgez: Day 3
We got an early start
after a late night. The early start was because we were going to see a cave that is located about two hours away from here. It is AMAZING to see the beautiful creations that occur naturally on this earth. I found it strange how the temperature inside the cave was very cold and near the entrance there were pockets of warm air. The drive was long and like a rollercoaster ride (fast driving through the mountains up and down) BUT well worth it!!!!!!!!!!
Tonight we cooked the following Louisiana food for our families: red beans and rice, corn bread, jambalaya, gumbo, deviled eggs, and ranch dip with vegetables. The cornbread was the biggest hit but they seemed to like all of it.
My family came late because they had to go to a wedding. Well they wanted to go back after dinner at 11:00PM. All I could think about was how tired I was and all of the stuff I needed to be at home packing. Well I’m glad I had the opportunity to experience it. The bride wears a red ribbon around her waist and on her wrist to signify that she is a virgin. I know
Turkish Folk Dancing
The Rotarians and their wives performed Turkish folk dances for us! I've seen nothing like it before. It would be a good workout because there is a lot of jumping and kicking. what you’re thinking and yes everyone wears the ribbon either way. The dancing was very similar to the folk dancing that we saw last night. Everyone seemed to really get into the dancing. You’ve got to have at least a little rhythm to follow the beats of the music!!! Gultan (my host mother) tied a string around the button on my sweater at the wedding. It is thought to give good luck and that I will marry quickly! ( )I’m tired and need to pack! Its off to another family tomorrow morning.
5/28/08 Leaving Luleburgaz
Seren (the middle daughter) woke me up with a knock on the door as usual to come down to breakfast. Yes we had cheese, cucumber, tomatoes, bread and olives. BUT we also had scrambled eggs with sausage in it and chocolate chip muffins!!!! It was so good to have some comfort food. Selin (the oldest daughter) taught me how to make Turkish coffee. They gave me a set of cups and saucers to take home as well as a coffee pot and some coffee. Selin said t hat I must learn how to make coffee and it makes enough for 2 (me and
Dancing
Laurie and Tyco Ronnie). *Side note: They liked to say the name Ronnie because it doesn’t sound like anything they know. It was hard to say goodbye to such a loving family knowing that I might not ever see any of them again.
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Greg
non-member comment
Thank you!
Sarah, I've never been on a GSE trip and for the first time, I feel like I am getting to travel along with a team. Thank you so much for the frequent blog posts and photos. The days must be very long for you all, but it is already 1/4 over. Before you know it, you'll be back on the plane for the long trip home. Enjoy every minute, soak up every detail.