things my sister says and does

My parents made it back from Patmos with sun and wind burn.  It seemed to be everything my mother had hoped for . . . and Turkey the exotic adventure she could share with all her work friends.  With my sister here, my mother seemed to have renewed determination for sightseeing.

I honestly didn't think my sister would come to Turkey.  She is always telling me she'll join me - but has never come through.  When I went to the family reunion in Scandinavia, then onto Russia and Turkey - she first committed to coming to Sweden with me, then a week before I was leaving she was going to go to Russia with me (when I said you needed to apply for a visa two months in advance, she said, "I can get it in a week."), and when I left she said maybe I'll meet you in Istanbul "but I'm not making any promises".

Ah, okay.

Now she was here and I saw what a dangerous combination my mother and sister were.  My mother was using my sister as an excuse to travel everywhere: "But your sister hasn't seen it yet!"  My mother also relied on her to strike bargains.  My sister is notorious for out-haggling hagglers.  In part, because she doesn't trust a soul.  She assumes everyone is dishonest and trying to deceive her.  This happens to be her own modus operandi - a habit that much to my bewilderment, her friends actually appreciate.  They've nicknamed her "Sneak" as an endearment.

And to think, she's a bank manager...

So the two were already planning from the first morning:
Mom: Rachel, we should take your sister to that Ottoman hotel.
Me: Maybe.
Sister: "What Ottoman hotel?"
Me: It's an old hotel, built in the Ottoman style with a pretty view.
Mom:  And then we can buy some rugs from that guy Hakan knows.
Sister:  What . . . is Hakan getting a percentage? MEOW!

My sister now says "MEOW!" to punctuate sentences.  I'm not sure why she decided this would be her trademark, but I think she subconsciously uses it to deflect anything offensive she's said or done.

Me: No, Hakan's just helping.
Sister:  Then why do we have to go there?
Me:  We don't.
Sister:  (Squeezing Teoman and sucking her teeth and cheeks) Hubba bubba!
Me: Be gentle . . .
Sister:  I AM!
Me: I've seen you do that to your dog and make her yelp.
Sister: I've never hurt her, you're just making that up. MEOW!

We went into the Kusadasi center the first day.  Kusadasi is a port town for international cruise ships, so you can't quite call it Turkey.  The main strip has been built on tourism.  Shop owners now enough of a few languages to sell to anybody.  My sister continued with her sweeping judgements.
"This reminds me of Mexico, there's a bunch of Tchotches here!"


That's another thing my sister does.  She makes up, or mixes up words.  I doubt she knows what a tchotchke is, but she'd be too proud to admit this.  She projects a lot of herself on other people, and whoever she suspects of being tricky or slick is a "Tcotch".

Tchotch!

Tuesday we visited Ephesus.  We parked, and my sister said,
"Dad, are you sure we can park here? We might get towed."  (It was a field).




Wednesday we visited the National Park.
"This reminds me of Oman!"
And Priene

at Priene

And Thursday we drove to Izmir

Izmir - I wish someone in my family would
have told me to fix my hair.

Friday, we packed and spent time with the family.  Hakan, and his wife's family visited to say hi and bye.
Sister: When are we going to the city center.
Me: After they leave.
Sister: When are they leaving?
Me: I don't know.  They came to meet you.
Sister: Well you told me we'd go to the city center.
One hour later
Me: We can go now.
Sister: Well its too late now.
Me: Okay, Pops and I are going.
Sister:  For how long?
Me: About an hour.
Sister: Fine, I'll go then.

thus our trip goes so far . . .