Daffodils!

This is asure, a traditional Turkish dessert. Sinan's mother made a HUGE vat of it and was giving it away to friends all day. It's an interesting combination of ingredients, but it actually works pretty well. This is what I could distinguish: bulgur, rice, chickpeas, white beans, grapes, apricots, oranges, nuts of some sort and other things like sugar, water etc. Sometimes it is in a more congealed form, but this was more soup like, and warm.


We went to visit Sinan's grandmother across the road yesterday, and there were daffodils blooming!



Today I went shopping with Kübra, her mother, and some neighbors downstairs. It's so hard to shop with Turkish people because they are so generous and hospitable. I don't dare point out something I like because I know they would buy it for me. I refused to let them buy me clothes, but I think I satisfied them by letting them purchase yarn so Kübra could knit me a scarf. It was a fun outing and we actually managed to communicate in Turkish, so today was not as discouraging as the previous days. They are all so patient with me, I really do appreciate it. This picture is with a girl from downstairs (I can't remember her name...) and Kübra on the right. Kübra is one of the sweetest, most thoughtful people I know. Anyway, there is a garden and currently there are lemons and oranges!


This is a view from their balcony. The apartments you see are so standard all over Turkey, and what Sinan's family lives in as well. Off in the distance there are mountains (something new for me!) that are so beautiful, some have snow on the tips. Because Antalya is so warm, most of the apartments have solar water heaters on them, thus it is better to take a shower during the day time. I love how far ahead of us they are in so many things.