funny stuff

Ahoy,

Story 1:

Two nights ago, I got back to the ship and my roommates are in my room. Notice how I've become accustomed to plural roommates (I should only have one). So I go back up to check my e-mail. I lollygag with an extra-long reply to B probably about nothing. I go back down. Still there. I hop in the bathroom because I need to do laundry. I soap them and leave them to soak in the sink. I get in the shower and do the usual. I turn off the water to soap myself because I"m trying to save water. I'm done soaping and I turn the shower back on. Only, no water is coming out. I ask my roommates to call the front desk and inquire. They tell me the water is shut off from 0000 until 0430 for maintanance. I'm standing in teh showered all sudsed and soapy as I ponder what I should do about my soapy self since water is not an option.

Story 2:

The Grand Bazaar is supposed to be ginormous and crowded and haggling shop-owners. I found that it is. You are comstantly being bombarded with someone trying to get you into their store. They try to talk to you, try to interest you. The questions I kept getting were,

"Where are you from?"

"Japan?"

"Korea?" 

I say, "Chicago."

"No, originally."

"Chicago."

"Originally."

"Chicago."

"Originally."

"My parents are from China."

One time, I got, "Africa? Cambodia? Malaysia?" I get mostly a lot of "konichiwa." I get the ocassional "ni hao." They're so curious.

Story 3:

We were on a carless island off the coast of Istanbul. My friends got some lemonade and we sat down to drink it. I'd been smelling this bread since we got off the ferry. We went into the shop and smelled. We asked what their best bread was. He didn't understand.

"Best, good, tasty, yummy..."

cricket, cricket

Then we do the rubbing tummy and "mmm" thing.

He points his thumb behind him, "Next door."

We bought his bread anyway, and then we were off to look for tzaziki to go with it. We walked into more than a handful of grocery stores. No one knew what we were talking about. We come across a deli and ask the guy. The guy pulls over his bicycle rental friend who I guess knows more English. They dont' understand.

We try to explain the dip, "Yogurty sauce, spices, white, creamy, dip, for bread... with chopped cucumbers..."

All of a sudden," Oh! Cucumber! Yes! Oh! Cucumber! Market. Vegetables. Fruits. Cucumber. Over there."

We do not want cucumbers. We continued our search.

hopingly sleepy,

JT