Istanbul Works

My initial plan for a couple days of business in Istanbul was to spend two weeks and make an effort to see the Black Sea coast and venture into Bulgaria. Travel plans require flexibility so when the cargo was delayed by customs, I lost a week handling paperwork at home. Now my trip was confined to one week because of other commitments. Okay, I can handle two days of work and five days to play.
The first day of business was going well. My host, Kerem offered to take me to dinner, a Turkish one at my request. It was a nice businessman’s restaurant on our Asian side of Maramar Sea. The maitre de set a US and Turkish flag on our table as a courtesy. Rakisi is their country’s ouzo – an anise taste with 45% alcohol so with water and ice, it was good for the palette. The appetizers were plentiful, much the same in Arabic food – eggplant, garlic, and beans with flat bread. The salad was tomato, parsley, walnut, and peppers. A Turkish pizza was thin and covered with olive tomato mix. By now I am very full when the waiter brings our main dish Adana, a minced meat kabob kind of thing. I worked at it but left some behind. Of course, we finished with Turkish coffee which Kerem noted that at the end you dump the cup in the saucer. When it cools, the grit pattern is something used to read your fortune. I recall hearing the same with Arabic coffee.
From our conversation that evening, I learned Kerem’s fortune had been established by his grandfather. The founder of the business had earned his doctorate in chemistry at the University of Michigan in 1942. My host was a recent Purdue graduate and the business was headed by his father, the imposing figure, I had met earlier in the day. I am sure the chain will not be broken. We talked of family values. His traditional marriage to a fine Turkish wife had brought him a daughter, now twenty-one days old. This legacy may or may not require a male heir should it come to that. Turkey seemed imbedded in tradition but with a pending European Union appointment, flexibility was also on the horizon.
The next day of training left me comfortable that the lab people were resourceful to handle my instrument. For lunch I went with them to the company mess hall. There was a hearty portion of soup, bread, rice, and a stew mixture. Erina pointed to a baklava style dessert, at which I exclaimed “Fat Tuesday”. Her shrug assured me that it did not translate. At our table, I pursued the Lenten subject by throwing out Mardi Gras – Carnival – holiday. She twisted her head and said they only have two holidays -- Ramadan and – the English word was not coming to her. She searched for words – lamb -- sacrifice – cut, cut – then motioned to be cutting her throat. I said with a smile, “Oh, like Americans in Iraq?” “Oh! No! No, not that!” I broadened my smile and winked. We put that subject to rest and enjoyed the meal.
My anxiety to see Istanbul and a sense of accomplishment for the task completed had left me jittery to seek out a hotel to focus on the historic city. Kerem shrugged at my tour book choices and suggested the Armada Hotel. A company Fiat in the hands of a speechless driver took me to the walls of the old city. My quaint position after dark left me content that morning would bring all expectations alive.