Romantic Turkey

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Turkey Tidbits

• Turkish Food

  There is something unique about Turkish food. Although I am definitely not a connoisseur, but I enjoy exploring different options that can be put on a plate in front of me. Turkish food, in my mind, can be summarized in three words: fresh, consistent, practical. And of course, it's delicious.

  There are two main staples you can find in just about every Turkish meal, from breakfast to dinner: Turkish tea, bread. In addition, for every breakfast, you should expect to find the following on the table: honey, Turkish salad, fresh fruits, cheese; for other meals, one or two meat dishes made from lamb, chicken, or beef is normal. Whether it's stuffed grape leaves, Kebab or salad, you will find every Turkish meal to be very just right. It may not be a eight-course Chinese style feast, or an elegant French dish, it has everything you need. It's practical.

  That being said, there are a few odds and ends with Turkish food as well. One, a lot of people eat bread with chocolate. They use soft style chocolate and spread it on the bread (more often, though, they spread honey on the bread, which I think is pretty common in many parts of the world).

• Ataturk

  Ataturk -- The Father of Turkey -- is a title bestowed to Mustafa Kemal by the Turkish people. He is responsible for leading the Turkish people fighting off invasion from other countries during WWI and established the present day Turkey. Furthermore, he is accredited for changing the official language of the country from Arabic to Turkish, a language based on Roman letters. Along with the language change, he also separated religion from government, therefore, made Turkey a very unique Muslim country where both traditional customs as well as new ideas are practiced. For these reasons, he is probably the most regarded person in Turkey and you can feel his presence at almost everywhere. Every city has some thing names after him, be it a park, a building, a street, or a memorial. He is to Turkey what George Washington is to United States.

• Everyone loves Jackie Chan

  If Chinese people as a whole want to have an world ambassador representing the entire country, Jackie Chan should get the job without a question. I knew he is quite famous as a Chinese action/martial arts/comedy star, but what I did not realized, prior to my Turkey trip, was how popular he is. Everywhere I went in Turkey, almost everyone I talked with knew who he is. When someone found out I am Chinese, typically the very first question from the person would be something related to Jackie Chan. And most time, the conversation about Jackie would be the most dramatic one of all my conversations, with hand shuffling, body moving, accompanied by some sound effects.

• Bus System

  Of all the countries I have traveled to so far (not many, at this point), Turkey's bus transportation system is by far the best I have seen. First, their bus stations are clean and well organized. The bus stations in major cities such as Ankara, Istanbul, Konya rivals the air ports in some respect. In Ankara, for instance, the bus stations can host up to 200 buses at one time in a two level mammoth complex. In most bus stations, each company owns a booth, just as the air lines, and there are waiting areas, service areas, etc. All the buses look sparkling new and are extremely clean and comfortable. Further more, I have to say that the services you get on the bus are far more better than what you can get on most of the airlines. Each bus consists three crew members: the driver, the steward/stewardess and driver's help person. Once the bus leaves the station, the stewardess will periodically start serving your choice of tea, coffee, or water, along with some snack. Once in a while, you will also get some cologne to freshen yourself up. Although I am not very fond of the smell of the cologne, I applause the patience and courteous shown by the stewardess. Nice bus stations and good services are not the only thing I was awed. Some large bus companies even own service stations along major highways. Every two, three hours or so the buses will stop at dedicated bus service stations where passengers can get off and rest a little bit at the cafeteria, enjoying some snack, food, or a cup of Turkish tea. Some service stations even give the bus a through wash during the break. No wonder their buses look so new!

• Turkish drivers

  Turkish bus and taxi drivers reminds me of their Chinese counterparts in every aspect. Their negligence of the seat belts; their poise when passing over another vehicle using the opposite lane, even when there is an incoming vehicle.

• Turkish Music

  Turks love to sing and dance. However, one thing I have noticed is that male seems to dominate the Turkish music scene. Most songs I have heard in Turkey are sung by males. This is especially true in traditional music. I haven't heard enough Turkish songs to assert that this is also true for modern Turkish music.