cell phones

In Turkey, most people drop everything to answer a phone. Partly cultural. Partly because we don't have voice mail. Tolga rarely misses a phone call, and if he does, he returns the call instantly. One day, a cousin called him around 10pm, but Tolga dropped the phone onto the ground before the number could register. Tolga called about five friends asking, "Did you call me?" before letting it go. I shook my head at this, saying "They person will call back if it's important."

About four weeks later, we learned this cousin was mad at us for never returning her phone call.

In America, Tolga would always answer your call, or call you right back. It's refreshing. It is a clear message - I'm not too busy to talk to you. I'm not to busy to say, "can I call you right back." And, if I've missed your call, I will call you right back.

It's a stunning concept. I know.


Of course, the flip side is the fact that everything is dropped when the phone rings. No one screens their calls. It's impolite. I actually get some suspicious phone calls, now and then, and I don't answer my phone. Tolga will answer my phone if I don't and say "Who's this?"

A couple of times, I've missed people from work - and I didn't call the persons back. This was before I understood the rule. The first person, I didn't call back because I thought she had called me by mistake and hung up. The second person, I didn't know the sound of my ringer. Either way, I've since learned . . . but I still won't stop a conversation or meeting or call for the phone.

Realizing this the other day, I decided this could be confusing with Tolga, so I said - "If I can't answer the phone, and it's important, just call me back right away, and I'll know."

Yesterday, I got to my phone and I had 7 missed calls from Tolga. I hadn't checked my phone all day. He was calling again in the middle of a meeting and I left the meeting to take the call. Tolga was in a bit of panic. He was calling me to tell me that there was trouble with his work and he would have to drive to the field in the morning. He would be gone for two weeks. And, so he called his mom to come stay with me, and she would be there in the morning.


I will from now on attach my phone to my personal being.