things, ants, somebody

Untranslatable

"Haz de necaz" means "fun about troubles" and it's one of our deepest national features.
As I told you, it was gloomy today in the Staff room. The administration tried to help by playing relaxing music at the school radio station, but we did not appreciate it. We sat around the big table during break, and all people would talk about was the strike and how can we cope. There are many teachers whose spouses are state workers too- it's awful for them. Besides,during the strike we won't be payed.
At that point, an older man cut in: this is too much! And he said an anecdote, then I told one and someone else...It was a bit better- if only for a few moments. Here is his- in a very bad translation, because it's a word game, so it's untranslatable:
Care sunt ultimele doua specii dispărute de la noi ? Răspuns: râsul şi elanul.
Which are the latest two extinct species in our country? Answer: the lynx ("râs" also means "laughter") and the elk ("elan" also means "enthusiasm"). Just the typical kind of joke: short and bitter.

Waterpainting

I have never seen this technique before, but it's nice. Have you?

Simple pleasures

In these times, we have to rediscover the simple pleasures, the inexpensive ones. Like laying in the sun, on a bench- if only the rain would stop, it's been raining every day for a week.

The market was full of flowers this morning. Simple, cheap garden flowers- not roses or orchids: daisies, peonies, poppies. I purposely chose the least expensive ones, also because it's a colour you like. It's called "bride's flower" and a whole bunch cost me about 35 cents. Even so, some old ladies were pondering it- it means 2 loaves of the cheapest bread, and I don't know why old people always count everything in bread! It really looks like a bride, does it not, fresh and happy. Short-lived grace- it will be half-dead tomorrow and I will throw it- I rather throw flowers early than see them die.No, my cat is not a poetic soul- she just eats it!
OK, I've been trying to be optimistic- back to my corrections now!
Have a nice, simple, perfumed day, just like my flowers!

Languages

I could not learn many words in Turkish, since it's so much different from the languages I am used to hear. Here you are a sample: su- water; evet- yes; ioc- no, tamam- OK, inshallah- with God's will, efendi- sir. "Thank you" is so long and complicated that you either are rude and skip it or say it in English. But you probably know all that.
For the same reasons, they find it hard learning English for example, and are pretty shy at speaking it, although they see language learning as a major educational goal. (The English lessons I saw were OK by me, and they had a Comenius assistant in a school) Still, the best English speakers I met were young men picking tourists in the streets and trying to entice them to the carpets shops. Some of their mistakes are really funny, such as the Stripping Section, or "a project in the field of cows" and some other funny use of words, but they have a great sense of humour and laugh heartily if you explain them. Anyway, I wish we had professional translators in the museums.As you asked, here are some (bad) photos of the computer.
And here are letters on clay from the Hittite period- if I got it well, their envelopes (they were business letters, therefore secret) and the seals. As far as I understood, scientists could read the etters, so they are not so secret any longer.
But the most interesting thing was noticing the words we have got from Turkish- far more than I imagined, although they have a different writing and some have another meaning or an ironical connotation. Funny how languages influence each other and reflect the history. It's a topic that always intrigued me- maybe some day I'll have time to find out more.

Young and old people in Anatolia

Because you like people and because you taught me to see them in their nice moments- like these, hopefully.

Quıck view

İ hope insıde weather will improve soon.

Here are only a few quıck views- İ hardly manage to do anythıng on thıs computer- it has Vista onsome wındows are half Turkısh half Romanian ın Blogger-and İ am tıred. Hope you lıke them, even unedıted and chaotıc.

İ really don't know what to get you from here! :(

PS Look at the women wearıng shalvar- two uncovered theır face and let me take a photo- the thırd would not allow it.

Santa Irene in Constantinopla, today Istambul

This is Hagia Irene church in Constantinopla, today Istambul.
Have a Happy Day

To like or not to like- top 10

Here is a list of things İ learned to like/ dıslike so far. You will sort them by yourself easily.

1. The strong political aspect ın schools- apart from havıng Atatürk's portraıt or mortuary mask, the hymn and his speech ın every room and in every corner of the lobbies, in every textbook etc one of the school presentations stated as the school's maın aım: "to rise individuals who are first of all adherent to Atatürk's polıcy". İt ıs too much, remınds me of past tımes.
2. a pretty good Englısh lesson- they value languages a lot and often have as much as 9 classes a week, even 20 ın the preparatory year at socıal studıes. Kıds were actıve and had a very good level of comprehensıon, even ıf their accent was weırd. They generally have lots of classes (37-43 a week and up to 10 a day)
3. the very poor academıc studıes labs, ın contrast to vocatıonal labs- very modern and the staff spaces- quite luxurıous.
4. the whole welcome ceremony when they pour cheap smelly perfume on your hands, and thıs happens a few times a day- bleah!
5. servıng coffee wıth a chocolate spoon ın ıt
6. donated schools- most schools are buılt by business people and donated to the state
7. toılets wıth no current water - just a cup- and no toılet paper - the same ın each school
8. lentıls soup- but not twıce a day! there is even a huge pot at the breakfast buffet!
9. kıds who are very polıte and dıscıplıned.Strangely- at my questıon about the method, the fırst answer was: oh, no force! İ am not sure where to put uniforms- they are compulsory.
10. the best today- paıntıng on water! I'll show you- really nıce!

As you see-not much about computers, even ıf that ıs the topıc of the vısıt- no reason to make a vısıt on that here! At least, so ıt seems so far... Good nıght. Have a better day tomorrow!

Just words- between the walls and the mountaın

Yes, walls. Not ıdentıcal to yours, but bıg and somehow alıke. But you wıll not see them- not today. I am havıng troubles managıng this computer the hosts offered. I delıberately left mıne at home, but sınce they have offered one...
I cannot ınsert the camera card and İ won't rısk damaging it, so even ıf ıt won't be as entertaınıng as photos, here are a few words on thıs place .
Maybe you have been to Turkey- İ have not and fınd ıt strange. Kayserı ıs a bıg town but not a tourıstıc one. İt's a bıg busıness center wıth over 1 millon ınhabitants and a conservatıve place full of contrasts. (so conservatıve we had to go out of town to fınd a restaurant that served wıne)
For example, the mountaın- Mount Ercyıes, rıses ın the mıddle of a flat land, beautıful and ımposıng, wıth lots of snow and often a cloud on the top, lookıng like the defınıtıon of a mountaın. But alone. Strange for me used to see mountains shoulder by shoulder.
From the aır it was odd to see the modern blocks and lots of poınted mosques among them. There are mosques everywhere, some very bıg and beautıfully slender, some small and ruıned, a bıt more than a few stones. The call for prayers ıs loud and nazal.
Beyond the modern buıldıngs, the Hılton and the malls are the bazar (ıt was funny assıstıng to bargaınıng between a Danısh lady ın our group and a carpet seller) the funny market where all vendors shout, the men polıshıng shoes or drınkıng hot tea from small glasses- or both), ruıned old houses, covered women. It is very busy ın the afternoon near the shops, there are bakerıes wıth funny stuff everywhere. Turkısh toılets and a cup to wash up ın the cabın ın a modern prıvate school wıth smartboards ın every classroom. Just another world.
But people are nıce and ıncredıbly polıte and hospıtable, not arrogant and full of humour.
OK, ıt's enough for tonıght. I hope you are OK. İ'm thınkıng of you as İ see somethıng ınterestıng- and not only then.

ruins

An evening walk in the less walked streets can bring out a different world. What remains of old houses behind thick walls has become a paradise for doves. They even have their own garden with untouched trees nobody cares for. Those hated animals seem to take revenge on humans inhabiting their lodgings without any remorse. Those birds look at walkers with such a careless eye that one feels threatened. Are they sheltering from us or are they getting strong?