Always More to Learn

Last week I learned from a Turkish friend about the special pide (translates to pita) made fresh daily for the month of Ramadan. While I don’t have close Turkish friends that are religiously Muslim, they are, of course, culturally so (please read my February post on WWAM Bam about this distinction).

I enjoy learning about the culture and religion of the places where I choose to live. In fact, I’d say it is one of the primary reasons I choose to live abroad because not only does it expand my knowledge and understanding of the world and its people, but it pushes me to know myself in new ways as well. 

I especially wish to share with my friend and familial orbits what life is like in this Muslim country because I have come to see that there are many misconceptions. For example, I have a few friends coming to visit me this summer in Turkey. One of them mentioned in her workplace (she’s a high school teacher) about her intention to come and spend 10 days or so with me in Turkey. A co-worker–one that claims to have taught internationally–responded by asking (paraphrased): was she sure she wanted to do that? Didn’t she know that Turkey was a Muslim country? She shouldn’t travel without her husband (or a man). It isn’t safe there for a woman to travel alone. That she’d need to keep her body covered, etc, etc. 

Thankfully my friend shared with me this misinformed coworker’s off-the-cuff reaction and I dispelled her worries. I shared about my experience, living 2.5 years, in this “Muslim country,” albeit in Izmir which is purported to be the most liberal city in all of Turkey.

I talked about the travel I do, alone, around my city, as well as on planes, buses, and in rental cars to other areas of the country. I shared how safe I feel here–which is far more safe than I often felt in my home country. I described the diversity of dress I see–from yes, women who cover their heads, to those wearing daisy duke style shorts, tube tops, and who are adorned with tattoos. As well as everything in between. Turkey is, after all, a diverse and modern country. 

Now let’s get back to the bread!

After learning about the pide I stopped at Kral, my favorite local bakery, and bought my first Ramadan–known as Ramazan in Turkey–pide for 3 TL (about 40 cents). It was about the size of a medium or 14 inch pizza. I took it home and sat on my balcony in the 60+ degree weather to give it a try. Per my girlfriend’s advice, I tried it plain, as well as with butter, and then with cream cheese. The bread was warm, slightly crunchy on the outside, but soft inside. It reminded me of something from my childhood and youth… and after consuming nearly 80% of it (yes, I did!), it hit me–the bread reminded me a bit of Little Caesar’s Crazy Bread–something I LOVED as a child. It didn’t have the parmesan on top, but the texture and taste of the bread was similar.

In the featured photo at the top you will see the man from Kral that greets me any time I stop in, OR simply walk by on my early morning walks.

“Hoşgeldiniz Hocam,” he says, (phonetically it will sound like this: hosh-geldiniz, ho-jam).

We engage in the customary greetings and I have opportunity to practice my Turkish a little. He is always smiling and kind, and it was his idea to pose with the pide prepped to go into the oven. I know I’ve been quiet in recent months, but I am back and have a few posts coming your way. One of which will talk about my neighborhood “people” like this man. Stay tuned and until then, Happy Ramazan to my Muslim friends and colleagues, and Happy Spring to those back in the States. 

One last note, if you’d like to read a bit more about Ramazan in Turkey, I found this article from the Daily Sabah informative.