If we could take you to one place in İstanbul…
Rebecca’s choice: my neighbor’s house for tea
I know, I know…there is a lifetime worth of sights to see in İstanbul , the most shining of which are raved about in tourist books and advertised on the television, but what those books can’t prescribe is a visit to Auntie Ayse’s kitchen to enjoy tea with her and the ladies. Almost every day in between kitchen chores and running to the pharmacy for grandma’s blood pressure medicine (truly, a day of hard labor not for sissies) the ladies in our building get together for tea. More than just warm beverages bind these women’s lives together, you see. Three out of four of our landlord’s sons and their families live in this modest apartment building. Their wives and daughters and granddaughters flow in and out of each other's homes about as constantly as the tides. I’m lucky enough to be somewhat adopted as one of them, despite the fact that I’m easily lost on conversation due to language barriers, though I like tea I can’t live up to their stamina for it (i.e., drinking it morning, afternoon, and night), and, to be honest, I’m terrible at being a housewife.
I would have you to tea with us because it is a truly authentic Turkish experience. Chatter about soap operas, pazar sales, and upcoming weddings amidst a platter of olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh bread, and inevitably something sweet. Meanwhile, Aunt Ayşe has started preparing dinner for her family, her daughter-in-law leaves early to pick up the girls at school, and then we all pause for a moment while the call to prayer begins.
I don’t intend on making these women’s lives sound trite, because they are not in the least. They are full of love and devotion for family and neighbors, which thankfully, includes me. In their welcoming and seemingly effortless way they have shown me the real Turkey. I would like for you to see it too.
Occasionally a picnic replaces tea time!
