Niye Yok Kebap?

Subject: "Why no kebab?"

Food:
I never thought I'd say this but...I've become a vegetarian. Ok only on this Turkey trip. I had the obligatory fish and chips in London just last week but as soon as I set foot in Istanbul, I have lost any desire to eat fish, meat or poultry. No offense to the kind Turks here but the smell of the souvlaki, fish and various other unknown meats is not very enticing to me. One of my traveling companions is a vegetarian but I promise you she has had no influence on me and my eating habits - for years I've even tried to convert her to a carnivore. Don't worry, I've had my fill of delicious fruits, eggplant, pasta, rice, beans, hummus, stuffed tomatoes, nuts and bread. But I'm hitting Moby as soon as I get back to DC.

People:
Hardworking but at the same time they enjoy life. Less attractive than I expected but still very exotic. A curiousity towards Americans; some have tried to practice their English with us but it's hard not to be skeptical of them. You may have heard that American women have a reputation of being, how should I say, easy? abroad. A lot of Turkish men approach on the intention of getting laid so at times it's hard to know if their intentions are otherwise. Luckily, I've fooled most, if not all, into thinking I'm Turkish so the men look but NOTHING beyond looking. When shopping, I speak with a thick Persian accent. They ask where I'm from. I [lie and] say Tehran. They give me thumbs up with an enthusiastic "IRAN! Very good!" followed by a 25%-50% discount. They're big fans of Iranians. Thank you, Ahmadinejad. Another observation: very few women in the streets. Where the hell are they? They seem to come out late at night with their hejabs, sitting on their doorstep, gossiping with other female neighbors. I don't know if the male:female ratio here is just ridiculously high, or if women just never leave the house. Also, people are more lively and friendly on the Asian side. The Turks on the European side seem to only be after tourist money. We've already argued, negotiated and corrected bills at restaurants and taxis.

Sights and Sounds:
Ah, the sound of prayer five times a day. The salt man walking through the neighborhood yelling "SALT" at freakin' 7 in the morning. The cats screeching and fighting in the alleys in the middle of the night. The drinking of tea every 10 minutes by every single Turk - even in the scorching heat of the summer. The lavish fruit and spice markets in the streets. The smell of pastries and bread at every turn. All remind me of Iran except, wait, I'm walking around in a skirt, tank top and sandals with my hair free-flowing... Yeah, it's tempting to try to compare Istanbul with something I'm familiar with but I really can't. Culturally, Turks and Persians share a lot of similarities but this country is unlike any place I've been.