Time for a tale as juicy as your average tangerine. I spent Saturday morning shopping with Nihal and Emre in a nearby village and on our return we dropped off Nihal's mother at her friend's house. A short time later Nihal got a call to say I was invited to return to the friend's house for a Turkish meal. Some I've met have said I'm the first foreigner they have seen in the area so I guess am quite the novelty. It should be mentioned here that the majority of older women in Turkey wear a shawl to cover their hair. Some younger women also but very few. Anyhows I showed up to the house alone and was greeted by the lady of the house. She seemed to me to indicate that I enter the house but I think now that no such indication was made. I waltzed in and was greeted with the surprised stares of 10- 15 of Turkey's finest. None of the women were wearing their shawls and all looked as though they were caught in the act. Plenty of cheeks suddenly blushed and mine more than all others. Nihal's mother who was quickly refitting her own made a swift indication for me to return outside. The moment I got out the door an eruption of laughter emerged from within. I was led up stairs to the second floor where I was to enjoy my meal and the laughter below continued for at least ten minutes. Having a young foreign lad view them in that compromised state caused quite a stir I guess. Glad to be able to provide small thrills for the old birds.

That same evening I made a well needed discovery. I have been staying in a hotel for the last two nights and in the time been thoroughly confused by the plumbing. The only device I found to perform the necessary flushes is a small metal hose attached to the lip of the toilet bowel. The water pressure one can achieve with the hose while considerable is inadequate to actually flush anything down and the knob for turning on the water keeps falling off. For some time I tried to figure the correct angle to aim the hose but my efforts were in vain. Instead I have had to spend the last day and a half using the shower head as a psuedo toilet flusher. Sadly it leaks at the faucet and shower head connection so each time I leave the toilet looking like a monsoon victim. Having to leave the hotel looking soiled in small town Turkey is no fun let me tell you. Well now to the discovery. I must take my toilet time far too seriously because I had neglected to take a look around and notice the large flushing device high on the wall behind the toilet bowel. One pull of that flusher and a river pours that could flush an Indian elephant down. What joy and relief was mine. Since then I have found any and all opportunities to pull the chain on that monster flusher. Further thought (scary I know) and I have realized that the delightful metal hose is for those bark chewing tree huggers. Why use toilet paper when your left hand is sitting idle? I imagine the cold water from that hose and the five digit special is quite a thrill come Winter. If there was any uncertainty about the intelligence of yours truly this situation should clear up the matter. Put the flusher in an odd location and this mo will be scooping water from the sink to try to flush whatever necessary.

You may have noticed but I finally added an Archive link to your left. Those of you latecomers can take a look when time allows at the early stages of this fanciful journey.