Here in Turkey I learnt the stories of many people. Most of the people are very helpful and friendly. (Except in driving, there they are stressed and selfish) I would say that Turkey is one of the most hospital countries in the world. If you draw a map out of your pocket it will not take long and somebody will ask you if you need help. And if they see that your from a foreign country they invite you at least for chai. You can believe me I have a constant level of caffeine in my blood. Once again I noticed the paradoxon that people who own nothing, share with you everything they have. Like the shepherds I’ve met. They invited me to dinner with them in their tents. They were interested in everything I got. From an adjusting gas lighter to my big mountain boots. It was quite hard to communicate, because they only speak Turkish, ok, my dictionary helped a little, but really only a little. They earn their living with selling wool.
One story I head from a guy in a carpet shop. After they understood that I am traveling and that I had no use for a carped, we started talking about personal matters. I asked him what his future plans were. He told me that he will move on with his grandfathers work of selling carpets. He only has by-the-way vacations when he is going somewhere in Turkey for buying or selling the carpets. He accepted the way of his given life without complaints, even though he maybe wanted to do something else personally.
Another story, a boyfriend of a friend of Eloise, my amazing host in Istanbul, told me about his life and his job. His family had medical problems and were in debt for about 40’000. Because he acquired a good job in programming he was recently able to pay all those debts off in the last few years. Chapeau, to somebody like this who steps that much back himself. I have no debts to pay of. My fathers and grandfathers business is gone. I don’t have to follow that, but maybe I somewhen start something like it, who knows. I don’t really know where my thoughts have brought me, but I am grateful to have what I have got.
I guess we (or is it only I?) often forget the possibilities we have got and the people who have offered those possibilities to us — like our parents, our country, our friends. Somewhen, it will be time to pay back.