Turkey blocked this website for the last month or two - the country has a slight affinity for censorship. And then, for whatever reason, the ban was lifted.
Last night I went out to dinner with my American colleagues and their Turkish husbands. I figured we all had a good starting point to build relationships. I also had a slightly aberrant curiosity - I wanted to see how the Turks, a generally suspicious and untrusting bunch, would interact knowing each had swooped up blond-haired foreigner as a wife.
We made quite the group - we were a Muslim, a Mormon, a Catholic, a Christian, and an Atheist.
Tolga is easy-going and didn't have a problem. He's respectful and straightforward with a big likable smile. We ended up flip-flopping our seats so the husbands spoke in Turkish, and the wives spoke in English. We ate. A lot. And finished our meal some four hours later - it was a good beginning.
Today, Tolga and I walked down to the US Embassy residence to attend an Easter Cantata and brunch. We moved through security and entered American land. Manicured lawns, old vines climbing up a mansion of high ceilings and luxurious curtains. It was a little bit shocking seeing the trim blond-haired blue eyed citizens. Sure, it was multicultural - with other races, but white and blonde was the dominant colors.
The message involved words like the Garden of Gesthemane, Calvary, and so on. And I wondered - how many people would a story like this reach using such loaded language?
The Embassy was a beautiful place, but again, how much foreign relations are you building when you are fenced off from the rest of the city? Those attending the service were mostly connected to the army base - another little America. These citizens would go to school, work, and shop for American products without ever tasting Turkey. Or, they can venture out and the come back to this safe haven to tell their friends about experiences in a culture that is literally right outside their doors.
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