FYI: The Invitational will come out on Thursday morning as usual. I'll be handling it from the predictable Mount Vermin, my imperial palace in the D.C. area.
As a man and woman of the word, you may want to have some useful Turkish slang at the ready, as opposed to pointing at the phrase on your phones which usually translates to: "I am an American and thus too lazy or arrogant to learn a few words of your language."
Yarak gibi: A vulgar phrase meaning "like crap" or "useless".
Dandik: Means "low quality" or "cheapo".
Sayko: Means "psycho." (Probably could have guessed this one)
Hadi oradan: Means "you're kidding" or "come on".
Then there are the boringly common but necessary:
Merhaba:("meerhaba") Hello (roll the "r")
Lütfen: ("lutefan") Please
Teşekkürler ("teshshekkurlas"): Thank you
Bir Bira Lütfen: One beer, please (Probably not very useful)
Probably more useful: "Biz ünlü Amerikalı yazarlar ve hikaye anlatıcıları ıyız, bizi içeri alın" or "We are famous American writers and raconteurs, let us in."
On the other hand, you can simply follow the common custom of speaking English very slowly and loudly assuming, by some as yet to be formally recognized laws of physics and linguistics, this will suddenly cause the person addressed to understand English.
I definitely agree on the language. Not only is it respectful, but many are delighted to see an American trying. It's...unusual. I was recently in Mexico and Honduras. As I grew up in Puerto Rico, I speak fluent Spanish. Many people were pleased that I talked to them in their language. Don't be afraid to try.
"Interessantste." Especially how or why you decided on each destination. In any event, please do give Erdoğan my worst, should you run into him in Istanbul. While in "Suid-Afrika," you might explore why the white Afrikaners, who despite being a small minority, but owning around 70% of South Africa’s private farmland, and being the country's most economically privileged, for some reason turned down Demento's official batshit crazy offer of refugee status and resettlement in the US. They also pointed out we must keep Elmo Muck under a little known provision of the Geneva Conventions dealing with terrorists. Now, as far as fud, you will have to be constantly on your guard since South Africans have been known to slip curry powder into whatever they can thanks to large numbers of willing (and early, unwilling) immigrants from India and Southeast Asia. This includes the (more or less) national dish of Bobotie which, despite its seemingly innocuous name, usually contains the dreaded substance. And Cape Town, in particular, is a hotbed of Malay curries. You have been warned. Btw, the delicious sweet and sticky baked sponge pudding made with apricot jam and served smothered in a hot cream sauce is called "Malva," not "Mulva." "Seinfeld" was popular in South Africa, so be careful. Enjoy! Assume Lexi will also enjoy her respite and soon forget the indignity of you giving her a cheap Chinese-made cast off.
Sounds like a fun trip! Be prepared to bring home a Turkish rug. 😉 The salespeople are very good. When I was last in Istanbul everyone was very friendly and polite.
I do think most people separate the Americans from the politicians. Wouldn’t hurt to wear a “I did not vote for him” button. 😝
You are very brave or very foolish to have gone to a remote island without having done any research. No wonder you’re always warning everyone about roo-roo.
Re request to bring Declaration of Independence to Oval Office: he was probably hoping to take it to Mar-a-Lago (or Sea-to-Lake, since English is now our official language).
I’ve never been treated poorly in another country even during the time when most non Americans thought the US should get the hell out of Vietnam. And although Havana had lots of posters against the US embargo, we were treated with great kindness by the Cubans.
Not that you'll need a reason to lift and clink the bottoms (as is the custom) of your anise-flavored raki filled glasses, but this year marks the 95th anniversary of the official renaming of Constantinople, Istanbul, which it had been informally called for many hundreds of years. With that in mind, entertaining couple that you no doubt are, you might thrill the locals with your version of the novelty song, "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" here sung by The Four Lads, the Canadian (O, Canada --- too right. Don't let the bastard get you down!) quartet, in its original release.
I have a stepdaughter who is living in Turkey but not in Istanbul. I no longer have an address for her as mail has to go through inspection here in the US etc. She likes it there but their leader is what Trump is trying to be, President for life.
I put “probably not” based on traveling in Europe during the GW Bush presidency. People seemed to understand that our government wasn’t us. Maybe that’s because so many European nations have had to live through periods when their governments didn’t represent them?
FYI: The Invitational will come out on Thursday morning as usual. I'll be handling it from the predictable Mount Vermin, my imperial palace in the D.C. area.
Make sure you don't end up in Constantinople. It's a common mistake.
Gene, see if you can get South Africa to take Elon back. I admit it’s a long shot, but worth a try.
Buy and wear a couple of Canadian Maple Leaf pins.
As a man and woman of the word, you may want to have some useful Turkish slang at the ready, as opposed to pointing at the phrase on your phones which usually translates to: "I am an American and thus too lazy or arrogant to learn a few words of your language."
Yarak gibi: A vulgar phrase meaning "like crap" or "useless".
Dandik: Means "low quality" or "cheapo".
Sayko: Means "psycho." (Probably could have guessed this one)
Hadi oradan: Means "you're kidding" or "come on".
Then there are the boringly common but necessary:
Merhaba:("meerhaba") Hello (roll the "r")
Lütfen: ("lutefan") Please
Teşekkürler ("teshshekkurlas"): Thank you
Bir Bira Lütfen: One beer, please (Probably not very useful)
Probably more useful: "Biz ünlü Amerikalı yazarlar ve hikaye anlatıcıları ıyız, bizi içeri alın" or "We are famous American writers and raconteurs, let us in."
On the other hand, you can simply follow the common custom of speaking English very slowly and loudly assuming, by some as yet to be formally recognized laws of physics and linguistics, this will suddenly cause the person addressed to understand English.
I definitely agree on the language. Not only is it respectful, but many are delighted to see an American trying. It's...unusual. I was recently in Mexico and Honduras. As I grew up in Puerto Rico, I speak fluent Spanish. Many people were pleased that I talked to them in their language. Don't be afraid to try.
I said probably not for the same reason as William. If you are polite, curious and kind, you’ll be fine.
Instanbul, not Constantinople?
"Interessantste." Especially how or why you decided on each destination. In any event, please do give Erdoğan my worst, should you run into him in Istanbul. While in "Suid-Afrika," you might explore why the white Afrikaners, who despite being a small minority, but owning around 70% of South Africa’s private farmland, and being the country's most economically privileged, for some reason turned down Demento's official batshit crazy offer of refugee status and resettlement in the US. They also pointed out we must keep Elmo Muck under a little known provision of the Geneva Conventions dealing with terrorists. Now, as far as fud, you will have to be constantly on your guard since South Africans have been known to slip curry powder into whatever they can thanks to large numbers of willing (and early, unwilling) immigrants from India and Southeast Asia. This includes the (more or less) national dish of Bobotie which, despite its seemingly innocuous name, usually contains the dreaded substance. And Cape Town, in particular, is a hotbed of Malay curries. You have been warned. Btw, the delicious sweet and sticky baked sponge pudding made with apricot jam and served smothered in a hot cream sauce is called "Malva," not "Mulva." "Seinfeld" was popular in South Africa, so be careful. Enjoy! Assume Lexi will also enjoy her respite and soon forget the indignity of you giving her a cheap Chinese-made cast off.
Sounds like a fun trip! Be prepared to bring home a Turkish rug. 😉 The salespeople are very good. When I was last in Istanbul everyone was very friendly and polite.
I do think most people separate the Americans from the politicians. Wouldn’t hurt to wear a “I did not vote for him” button. 😝
You are very brave or very foolish to have gone to a remote island without having done any research. No wonder you’re always warning everyone about roo-roo.
You can blog regularly or haphazardly, but you can’t do both.
If I blog, say, every day, but at wildly disparate times, that's haphazard. IMO.
Don't sell yourself short--you regularly post haphazardly.
Our Benevolent Overlord of the Gene Pool can do anything!!!
Re request to bring Declaration of Independence to Oval Office: he was probably hoping to take it to Mar-a-Lago (or Sea-to-Lake, since English is now our official language).
I’ve never been treated poorly in another country even during the time when most non Americans thought the US should get the hell out of Vietnam. And although Havana had lots of posters against the US embargo, we were treated with great kindness by the Cubans.
Not that you'll need a reason to lift and clink the bottoms (as is the custom) of your anise-flavored raki filled glasses, but this year marks the 95th anniversary of the official renaming of Constantinople, Istanbul, which it had been informally called for many hundreds of years. With that in mind, entertaining couple that you no doubt are, you might thrill the locals with your version of the novelty song, "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" here sung by The Four Lads, the Canadian (O, Canada --- too right. Don't let the bastard get you down!) quartet, in its original release.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcze7EGorOk
I have a stepdaughter who is living in Turkey but not in Istanbul. I no longer have an address for her as mail has to go through inspection here in the US etc. She likes it there but their leader is what Trump is trying to be, President for life.
I put “probably not” based on traveling in Europe during the GW Bush presidency. People seemed to understand that our government wasn’t us. Maybe that’s because so many European nations have had to live through periods when their governments didn’t represent them?