Phillip and Rebecca Mefford

Big family or Party? Having family and various guests from our home country visit us the past few months has reminded us of some of the aspects of Turkish culture that stands out to “outsiders,” things that used to seem strange to us, but is now becoming normal. Here are just a few: No right-of-way for pedestrians Whether it’s written in legal terms or not, the “rules of the road” will vary from country to country. Driving at first can be harrowing, but once you learn to anticipate what everyone else around you will do it is not so bad. Part of the driving culture here is that pedestrians do not necessarily get the right-of-way. The car is the bigger man so to speak, so they will wait for you before crossing. Not wearing shoes inside the house Everyone is expected to take their shoes off before they get indoors. To walk inside with shoes on is considered unthinkably dirty. At Lincoln’s preschool the students each have an “indoor” set of shoes that they put on once they

Phillip's Mom helped corral the kids on a trip to Istanbul. There is nothing like having the nurturing, love, and support of Mom when dealing with big life changes—the woman who put band-aids on your scraped knees and counseled you through your first heartache, who knows your favorite foods and never forgets your birthday. And no matter how old you get, they will always be your mom. Each of our moms have been able to stay a full month to help us adjust to having three children. They have showered their grandchildren with presents, helped with details of home life, and have been great sports helping serve çay to people whose language is not their own. Many of our Turkish friends have, with a sly smile, asked if in America mother-in-law relationships are as strained as the mother-in-law relationships in Turkey. Jokes and portrayals in t.v. sitcoms are proof enough that, perhaps as a universal truth, in-laws don’t always get along. But we are blessed to be the exception to th