Two Years Living In Turkey.
After several holidays in Turkey, we had made some Turkish friends. Hubby decided we should go and live there. I was not for this, but I was told it would be fine ect.ect.
We sold our home and everything here in England and flew out to Turkey…we spent a couple of weeks in a hotel whilst we looked for a home to rent..we were told you had to live in Turkey for five years before you can buy a house. Eventually we found a newly built house to rent, it was perfect with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a front room , and a kitchen plus it had five balconies.
We overlooked a very barren field , where the farmer kept one cow,this poor cow was staked out for a couple of hours a day, then led back inside, there really was no grass for it to eat.
The estate where we lived was all Turkish families, all in these new homes.The one’s on the Estate were all really nice people.We realised that in winter the houses got very damp as they were not built for bad weather, and it certainly rains there in winter.
I found the country to be very behind times, the men cut asbestos on the side of the roads, if they were welding they wore only sunglasses.It was all pretty weird to me.
We did get used to the Mosque, blaring out several times a day, I liked the markets, but when you went to them, you had to be very aware that someone may rob you. I saw holidaymakers who had been robbed on the markets. No-one seemed to care really.
We did make friends , both English, and Turkish, and we did visit some nice places. It really was not the life for me. I tried to like living there, but it never seemed to win me over.
I mean women are the lowest of the low there.I just used to do the cleaning, prepare meals, and whilst hubby and our teenagers went on boat trips, I walked to the shops, or to the places where our friends were.
The men all seem to think that they are Mr Wonderful and proposition all the women.There are lot’s of women looking for Turkish boyfriends,what they do not realise is that once they board a flight home after their hols, whatever, the boyfriend is already meeting someone else.
We did travel around a lot at weekends ect, but not a life I wanted sadly.
I really was glad to board a flight and come home.
Tania
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at least you tried it Tania..to some it can only be a pipe dream..shame it never worked out but hope at least you made some happy memories as well as some not so happy x
I did make some happy memories as well, Thank you,bluesdad…..
Hi Tania. In my last year at school I applied to join the Royal Navy,it was my dream from being a young lad. Eventually I passed all the exams and I was sent for a medical. I failed, I was deaf in one ear. After a few months I tried again.I failed. I was gutted. When I left school I worked in a supermarket stacking shelves.
Then my parents thought about emigrating to Australia,they asked me how I felt about it but I couldn’t care less. So after all the paperwork was sorted and the ‘medical s’ a date was set for us to sail to Perth on 29th January 1970.
Two months before our departure I tried again for the navy, I passed. I joined the Royal Navy 23rd February 1970 . My parents didn’t emigrate to Australia. While I was in the Royal Navy we visited Perth, Western Australia. I didn’t like it at all, I went to the place where we were meant to go, it was horrible.
Right choice or not!!
Thank you, mart, yes we once had the chance to emigrate to Canada, but never took that up…I had an uncle that emigrated with his family to Australia in the 50s I think it was about £10 passage then…they stuck it…I like where I am, done enough moving around .
Hi Tania, my daughter has friends whose parents live in the back and beyond of Turkey, she has visited and stayed there a few times, they still live very basically although they don’t have to, they have just agreed to have a flush toilet installed, every morning the heavy mattresses that they sleep on the floor on are taken up onto the roof and shaken, this women the mother who does this is in her 80s, they sit crossed leg on the floor and get up with ease, their food is simple basic, Bread, cheese, tomatoes….she did meet with some hostile reaction from some of the women in town, apparently they didn’t like the way she was dressed, although she was dressed decently………she has brought many beautiful items back from Turkey at unbelievable low prices………but would she want to live there….no…….I think we are happiest with what we know……
Hi Star, The women used to bake flat bread in a partly built house over the road from us. Yes they like their Domates(Tomatoes) they go into everything. We did visit a remote village often where the women grew absolutely everything, and bags , and bags of Almonds. I used to get spoiled with lots of fresh veg. I bought Leather sandals while out there..they lasted ages…Gold is a good price as well…bought some of that…I think it is just their way of living that was not for me.
Well, Ladies and Gents,
I can only stand behind and support what Ms. Tania has said. I have lived among these people for a long time, here in Germany. The family structure is the key to maybe understanding the people as a whole. I will not go into religion, but more into the hierarchy of the basic family structure as I know it. Males rule and women are ordained to be subjected to the whims of men. This has been so for a very long time.
In the basic Turkish family, as, I see it, male domination. Women should be subservient to there males. Men provide and the woman relents, bows.
This age-old gender war is nothing new, just in the Turkei more pronounced. Things are changing here in Germany, and also in Turkey but it is slow in-coming.
Tania, I am glad that you made the wise decision, back then to return
I am sure it was the right decision to come home…Thank you, Happysailor1
I admire your courage for venturing into Turkey – not a place I know much about – before coming to New Zealand we holidayed through much of Europe, but we never tempted to live there. We probably would never have left Britain, but when an opportunity offers so much, a change of mind quickly came about – been here 50 years now with no regrets, but have to admit that the new job did incur me in a number of overseas visits. I guess I was luckY!
it was quite a long time ago now, drummer.I would have preferred either, Malta or Greece, but not Turkey….Never mind I got home…..Thank you
Hi Tania, I lived in Istanbul for 10 years and worked in schools there and I found it to be a really vibrant beautiful city full of very respectful people. Family structures were very strong; it appeared patriarchal but there were some incredibly strong women there too. I would meet young women who when asked would say they were industrial engineers and a lot of young modern women had a variety of jobs. This was back in the 90s, I know under Erdogan things might have changed. I have such fond memories of Turkey, but rural areas are very different to cities and I would think our experiences would have been very different. But you had an adventure I would say, which is always a good thing…but I also understand the feeling of relief to get back to the familiar, thanks for sharing your experience with us
Thank you clarabow….yes we were in Armutalan..we had lovely neighbours, but as we were just a short walk from Marmaris….it was more of an adventure,