Thanks to Aygün, I get to see something new almost everyday. My days already filled with going around the city, having tea with friends and family members. Aygün makes each day a little bit more special. She has a great way of making situations more tolerable with a Nasreddin Hodja story or a proverb that fits perfectly. She was telling me about a conversation with her daughter the other day. It goes like this..
Idil (daughter) So what are the plans today with lale?
Aygun Lale would like to shop for a leather dress, I will take her to Zeytinburnu
(Leather fashion manufacturing area)
Idil Ohh, sounds nice. Get me a dress too.
Aygun continues telling me a Hodja story.:
One day, Hodja says to town people that he is going to market. He blows his whistle and yells if anyone would like to place an order to let him know. People place their orders with him according to their needs from the market. And kids of the village come and ask him to buy whistles for them. One young boy comes by as well and says here is 50 kuruş(cents) and please get me a whistle. Next day hodja comes back from the market and blows his whistle to let the village that he is back. The kids come to ask for their whistles. He takes out a whistle from his pocket and hands it out to the kid who paid for the order and says "you get to blow the whistle if you paid for it" That's where "Parayı veren düdüğü çalar." in Turkish comes from. (One who pays the piper calls the tune) Apparently, that was the end of that conversation.
The other day I noticed that we Turks can express ourselves in such detail that it becomes poetic. Instead of saying that idea is old, they describe it with the change of seasons. I also noticed that the word "şey" which is literally means "thing" is capable of describing a lot. One can actually make a whole sentence around the word "şey." Get me the şey from the şey and put it in the şey.. In a magical way, I know what to pick and where to put "it".
I love to listen to the Classical Turkish Music. I was lucky enough to be invited to a private concert by the Bosphorous University Alumni Chorous the other night. Dr. Alâeddin Yavaşca, a very famous composer and lyricist was present. Thanks Belgin! It was swell.
All the songs are based on being in love. Love is usually described with an organ of the body, mostly eyes, or a season, mostly spring time, one cries to the point blood replaces their tears for the love of their lives.
One of the song talks about falling in love with a 13 years old girl.
It goes like this:*
she wears a scarf on her beautiful head
her side locks reach down to her eyebrows that look like the new moon
she is just 13, 14 years old
charming, amorus, beautiful village girl
In the morning when a nightingale sings in the garden
she picks roses in bunches
wearing a fragrant hyacinth on her lapel
village girl whose eyes are darkened wıth kohl
come, beautiful village girl, let me take you and elope
let me sprinkle gold on your fancy bridal veil
let me escape these lands with you
charming, amorous, beautiful village girl
Obviously, this song is about lusting after a young girl, if you know what I mean. However, I also know that it is a very old song and that time girls married by 16 years old.
I had the most fun the other night watching a tv show called "You got Talent". It would be more apropriate to call it "People with no Talent". I have never seen so many untalented people putting them through horrible situations to compete in front of millions. There was a a man who is in his late 60's riding a bike on stage. He rides his bike in circles as the stage permits first few minutes. Then he stands on one pedal and balances himself for a few seconds. Then he starts pedaling his bike backward and runs into the stage lighting and mirrors that were strategically placed. Background music is Black sea folk music. With the stage accident, they all stop all of a sudden. The whole situation is ridiculous. He is eliminated by three judges who are not very articulate either. Later on a young guy comes on stage starts dancing to hip hop music. Music is good and his moves are funny. Judges are happy to see him. One asks his age. He is 15 years old. They ask him about his school and his grades. He says he is failing all his classes, he got low grades in math and geometry he adds that it is his destiny. He hopes that his teacher will hear him give him passing grades after this show. The audience starts applauding him. Camera turns to audience and young girls are waving at him and trying to get his attention. Jury members approve. I do not know who to be angry at. My country is full of ironies. I think that is the word best describes Turkiye.
* Original Turkish lyrics
Yemeni bağlamış telli başına
Zülüfleri düşmüş hilal kaşına
Yeni girmiş onüç ondört yaşına
Edalı işveli köylü güzeli
Sabah olmuş öter bahçede bülbül
Durmayıp devşirir demet demet gül
Takınmış göğsüne kokulu sünbül
Gözleri sürmeli köylü güzeli
Gel seni köylü kız alıp kaçayım
Telli duvağına altın saçayım
Seni bu diyardan alıp kaçayım
Edalı işveli köylü güzeli
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