Posts
Although we only move 30 kms between our summer home and the winter one, it feels like we are stepping from one world to another. The village is focused on rural activities, Bodrum is a port. In the village, I can collect veg on the daily dog walk, in town I pass the quayside fish stalls. Only 3 "yabanci" i.e. anyone from outside the county, have settled in the village in the past 30 years where as Bodrum is a mish-mash of locals, Turks from the cities or Anatolia and foreigners from every corner of the world. Only Turkish is spoken in the village, but not the received pronunciation you'll pick up from a language class. The local dialect can best be explained by imagining an extra "ptrrr" in the middle of every verb and changing all the ks to gs. Bodrumites used to speak like this, but it's rarely heard today. The local accent is a bit addictive and I sometimes find myself adding a few extra consonants when talking to my village neighbours. They humour me, but I probably sound as if I am doing an impression of an angry horse. I don't recommend it but one can live a full life in Bodrum without speaking a word of Turkish. This month I'll attend a photography workshop, a writing group, a book club and a lecture all conducted in English.
It's sometime easy to forget on which continent we live. Last week-end, a market selling scotch eggs, cup cakes, egg tarts, crumpets, walnut loaf and Christmas cards could have been in any village hall in Europe. This time next week we will be gearing up for the carol concert. After a busy summer in and out of the village, it's great to be back in cosmopolitan Bodrum.
Sounds like you have the best of both worlds, B2B. Just wondering, if you get a case of urban overload, do your village neighbors let you come back for a bit of recuperation?
ReplyDeleteI go back frequently to keep the damp at bay.
DeleteGood to pass the winter with plenty of activities...that was what struck me in rural France...when i was first there there were local clubs for all sorts of things...but as T.V. and the internet began to take over the winter became a time for hibernation.
ReplyDeleteHope we don't go the same way.
DeleteAs we've always said, there's Turkey and then there's Bodrum. Enjoy your winter!
ReplyDeleteWe should have dug the canal from Torba to Bodrum
Delete. . those wonderful village dialects - here we have 'gelin gari' (come here) 'hindi; for 'şimdi' and countless others that are alive and well. We miss the cosmopolitan only sometimes and when we do get desperate we decamp to Istanbul for a couple of days.
ReplyDeleteWe have "hadi gari"
DeleteYou made me smile with your comment about the local accent; the temptation is strong here to adapt to the midi twang too, and I enjoy hearing a friend from Normandy who does it and ends up sounding like she's taking the mickey.
ReplyDeleteSo you"re really going Back to Bodrum, B2B - sounds like you have a great deal whichever home you are in.
I fall into the same trap when faced with a Newcastle accent.
DeleteI'd love the local accent too, and would have loved to hear your version : ) I think its a great balance of both worlds, enjoy it, sounds great to me : )
ReplyDeleteGe gız, ne yaptırırr?
DeleteNice Post.... I like Your Post....
ReplyDeleteTurkey Tour Packages From India
Do you have Bodrum tours in your packages?
DeleteI guess that I spent too much time in the tourist resorts before we moved to this village that I don't miss them now. Although it is nice to visit Bodrum for the odd day out. Which reminds me that I will pop over to see you soon....as soon as the new arrivals have settled x
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to seeing you.
DeleteI feel so out of sorts lately. . . a second home, not to far away, is exactly what I need. And a book club in English sounds about right too!
ReplyDeleteYou should come for a visit!
DeleteYou really have chosen the best of both worlds for your two homes.
ReplyDelete