Shock absorbers

I know cultural shock is normal, but I feel I have been somewhat been shielded from it. I'm working in an English department, my husband is speaking English, we have cable with many English programs. Spending my time in Kusadasi where it was solely Turkish we are speaking, has made me realize how much I can avoid. My Anne prattles on to me in Turkish. She doesn't use easy words either and often uses very Turkish expressions. For example, last night she told me she was breaking her legs. I didn't understand what she was saying of course, just that Gokhan called, he's bringing something home for dinner, and she had prepared some other things and we would wait for him. Tolga was on the phone and started laughing at his mom, and translated the phrase, "I'm breaking my legs" for me. We both laughed then. I like that my Anne just talks and talks to me as if I were Turkish.

But also, last night, I hit my limit. I always do. I was tired of speaking Turkish, watching Turkish TV, listening to conversations in Turkish. So I went to bed. Anne and Gokhan were kind of shocked because Tolga had just called to say he was flying in that night - but I decided the family was excited enough for all of us, and I was going to bed.

Well, Tolga arrived around 1:30 in the morning. He woke me up and gave me a present. He actually had already told me he had bought me a present because he wasn't able to keep it a secret. He had bought me a touch-screen phone. Electronics in Turkey are expensive, and we had been looking at phones since I came here. And so, the phone he got me was a real treat.

It was also a real treat having Tolga come home. We ate something in the middle of the night, Tolga, Hakan, Gokhan, his mom and dad were all laughing easily. Maybe they are my biggest shield from cultural shock of all - my family together