Dinner with New Friends

Last night all of us from UAB were invited over for dinner by a friend of Tuba's. We have mostly been eating in the cafeteria at school up until this point so we were all very excited for the opportunity to try some new Turkish dishes and make some new friends. When we arrived after a long day of exploring the bazaar, we were all very warmly greeted and welcomed into their home. The family also had some guests over aside from us, including another student from Haceteppe and a woman who had moved to Turkey from Peru and her daughter. It was a wonderful group and a fabulous mixture of languages and cultures. I particularly loved speaking with the woman who had moved five years ago from Peru about her reasons for moving and her perspective on Turkish culture and language. She had converted to Islam while in Peru and decided she needed a change in her life. She said once she converted she started wondering what it would be like to live in country that has Islamic culture. After speaking with friends and thinking a lot about what country she would move to, she chose to leave everything behind and move herself and her six year old daughter to Turkey to start a new chapter of her life. I thought that this was such a brave leap to make, especially to move to country on the other side of the world where she didn't speak the language. She and I spoke a lot about the Turkish language and how we both think it sounds very musical.

The meal we had was almost as wonderful as the conversation. First there was a soup, then a dish sort of similar to little beef-filled dumplings in a yogurt and tomato sauce, and lastly a rice and chicken dish. There were also many side dishes of salads, warm vegetables, and peppers stuffed with rice. There was so much good food that I didn't even have room in my stomach to try everything. A delicious drink was also served that was made from the juice of sour cherries. I was told that it is a drink that is traditionally served after a woman gives birth. After dinner, we all moved to the couches and were served what I believe is the best cake I have ever had and tea. The cake was yellow with poppy seeds and topped with a sort of sticky vanilla ice cream that was handmade. It was a wonderful night with wonderful people. Everyone was so hospitable. They have already invited us over again for breakfast at a later date. I can't wait to meet with them again.