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Published: June 24th 2010
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I'm going to assume that not too many of you have awakened with Bill Roach and begun musing about plans and dreams for the time ahead. Well, let me tell you that after a short time, I always hear the very plosive phrase that has lived inside him in the forty-plus years since he was in Iran: "Ya Allah!" Beyond the literal meaning of "with God's help," the phrase is a call to action. Let's gather our energy and get on with it! A few days ago, when we saw a bus bearing that phrase parked at the pazar (farmer's market), we decided that "Ya Allah!" captures something very personal for us about this odyssey. Right now, we have this wonderful window in our lives; we have reasonably good health; and we share a passion for diverse cultures, language, and history. So here we are in Turkey for a couple of years. The planning and dreaming are over. Now it's time to embrace the sometimes grand, sometimes gritty, reality. We are getting on with it..Ya Allah!
We arrived in Istanbul on Bill's 69th birthday (May 31) and spent three days tasting the wonders of that throbbing, colorful city. We
could see how it seduces its visitors and why so many westerners never want to leave. The arts and antiquities alone are worth weeks of exploration, but the contemporary nightlife for the 20 - 40 set is equally dazzling. For us, though, 'Bul is just too big, too pricey, and too congested. We'll definitely go back (but not in high season).
Then, on June 4 --three weeks ago tomorrow--we flew south from the Bosporus to the western Mediterranean city of Antalya. As prearranged, we were met by Gloria Patterson, originally from Puyallup, Washington, who has lived in Antalya for eleven years and speaks Turkish. Gloria is a prized cousin-in-law of our Seattle friend Jessie Strauss. We dropped our bags at the small hotel in Kaleici, the ancient (formerly) walled city at the heart of Antalya and began exploring on foot with Gloria. After wandering a bit around the lovely palm-lined park that runs along the Mediterranean, we turned onto a narrow residential street of pensions and apartment buildings just off the park. One pink stucco building with blooming bougainvillea snaking around its balconies had a "Kiralik" (for rent) sign. Gloria called the number--and the rest is history.
With
the sainted Gloria translating and offering priceless advice, we moved at breakneck speed. We signed the lease two days after we first saw the flat. Then we spent a week doing bureaucratic errands to become official residents of Antalya (getting a tax number, opening up a Turkish bank account, signing up for utilities, cable, internet, etc.). We also bought four appliances (these are not usually provided when one rents a Turkish flat), two powerful air conditioners, two double beds, some deck furniture, and a used sofa/loveseat set. We moved into our second-floor flat (about 3000 square feet for the equivalent of $420/mo.) one week after we arrived in Antalya. It already feels like home.
We haven't had much time yet for entertainment or seeing the sights, but we did take in a marvelous open air performance of Carmen at Aspendos, a beautifully preserved Roman theatre near here. Built 161-180 A.D during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, the theatre seats 10,000 and has nearly perfect (un-miked) acoustics. It was a preview of the antiquities that are everywhere around us. We're eager to see more but are pretty well engaged with immediate tasks for now. "Yavash, yavash", Bill says (Little by
Aya Sophia
Built by Emperor Justinian in 537 AD and reigned as the greatest Christian church which was later converted into a Mosque and is now a museum. little).
Our favorite part of every day is Turkish breakfast (tomatoes, cheese, watermelon, olives, yogurt and bread with coffee) on our front balcony. As we eat, we overlook the street where our neighbors walk their dogs, and the wild cats frolic. Also, we watch Turks walk by with towels over their shoulders on their way to a nearby spot where they can take a path down the cliffs to swim in the Mediterranean Sea. Best of all, every morning we look forward to the call of the bread vendor who walks down our street with a huge platter of bread balanced (no hands!) on his head. We've learned that we can put money in a basket on a rope and let it down to him, then pull it up with that morning's fresh bread. Tomorrow we will try it!
On the same front balcony of our flat, we have our Turkish class twice a week with our teacher (and friend/neighbor/advocate), Emel. The Turkish language has a complex suffix-driven grammar, but the pronunciation is relatively easy. (I'm sure any Turk who has heard our primitive early utterings would smile politely at that last statement!) And I accuse Bill--with the
benefit all the Farsi loan words to help--of being the teacher's pet. We plan to study dialogues and vocabulary together, sometimes on a bench in the park. This is going to be a long, sometimes arduous, effort. But we're committed to it.
We would love for many of our friends and family to follow us electronically as this adventure unfolds. We would especially love for you to visit if you can! (That second bed awaits you in the guest room.) There have already been some bumps and there will be more, but this is a remarkable time in the world--and in our lives--to have a deep encounter with Turkey and her people. Please share this experience with us in any way you can: Ya Allah!
Affectionately,
Karol and Bil (Turkish spelling)
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catherine
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Congratulations!
I'm so glad to hear about your trip and your apartment. I want to visit! Not sure how or when, but I'm going to try to do it!!! I may be retired before you come back! Big hug!!! Catherine