Adventures as a quasi-translator

You'd think that speaking Spanish wouldn't get me very far in a country where the national language is Turkish, but surprisingly I've been able to use my Spanish a lot here. There are tons of tourists from Spain or other Spanish-speaking countries that visit Istanbul. I've noticed that English serves as a median language between many of the people that work in hotels/restaurants and tourists from other non-English speaking countries. Being nosy as usual, I often eavesdrop on conversations whenever I hear Spanish and I've noticed that a lot gets lost in translation switching between spanish and english and turkish, and generally, someone gets super confused and exasperated. So a few times I've stepped in. The first time I was really reluctant because it has definitely been a while since I've spoken in Spanish, but all parties involved in the conversation were pretty relieved for the clarification, and it felt good. Granted, it was non-earth shattering conversation, but I was pretty impressed with myself (it was at a food stand and I happened to remember the words "para llevar" after the guy asked two Spanish tourists in English if they wanted their food to go and they had no idea what he said. I like to think I saved them from a hot, crowded upstairs seating area and that they ate happily somewhere along the Bosphorus, but I doubt it). I've also helped guests find their way around the hotel when they didn't understand the guy at the desk's directions to the terrace restaraunt.

My eavesdropping skills have opened up an entirely new world. It is funny because people often think they are all stealthy because they speak a language different from the most common languages in the area (in this case Turkish/English) but I totally know what they are saying. One time I was studying at a cafe with Kim, and a family from Spain sat down at the table next to us and proceeded to discuss how weird it was that we were studying in public and after much deliberation dismissed it as an American thing. I didn't want to be annoying/rude so I didn't say anything but reveled in the moment. Gotcha!!

Sometimes, it is fun to mess with the annoying vendors trying to get me to shop in their stores. Well, it is always fun, but particularly when I pretend I don't understand English and shoot them an apologetic look and a "lo siento" and keep walking. Sometimes I get in trouble when they switch to Spanish, but generally I am far enough away by that time to have to reply. When you're 5'11" and pretty darn white/American looking, its fun to cling to the one thing that will throw off their perception of you (that's the other thing...I'm taller than a good 90% of the population so I definitely stand out--especially when I hit my head on the abnormally low storefront awnings and try to play it off like nothing happened.) It's funny to watch other people in the group get approached...vendors often assume that the Asian kids in our group are Japanese when none of them really are. Or the vendors just start throwing out names of Asian countries hoping they'll get a response: "Japan!! China!! Korea!! Thailand!! Vietnam!!." Actually, its funny because the vendors group all the English-speaking countries together and they can't tell our accents apart. They generally think we're from Australia, and the United States is their second guess. Needless to say, when I pull out the Spanish, they get really thrown off.

Okay, that was study-break #2 and it is time for bed! Here is yet another picture of me with a kitten...I'm pretty much the Pied Piper of kittens in that wherever I go in Istanbul they appear, though I promise I won't drown them in the Bosphorus. This guy lives under the deck of the restaraunt across the alley from our hotel. We're tight.