More than words - Turkey

I have always enjoyed reading. I read every readable surface that my eyes rest upon: bus tickets, tattoos, posters, graffiti, and of course, signs.

I also enjoy taking pictures. You might even call me trigger-happy if you fancy.

Combine both and you have me taking pictures of signs whe
rever I go. Somewhere, not sure where, I have an interesting and funny mix. Today I want to share the ones I saw in Turkey. There were so many, but I could only photograph a few and these are my top twenty.

Some are funny in English, some in Spanish, I will write comments accordingly.

And here we go

20. No loud music

If someone refuses to tone down, he/she will be kicked off immediately. Why do you think they have the water slide? No fun guaranteed!

19. Bruce Wane’s shop?

After all, there is a town called Batman in Turkey.

18. Milagroso sandwich

Imagenes de santos que lloran o sangran no son novedad, pero han visto un kebp que ora?

17. Haz tu cama y hechate a bailar!

Katre hoy, Hamaca manana

16. But what?!

15. Two for the price of one

The importance of spell checking your work.

14. No apto para alcoholicos.

13. Fancy a meal in high-def?

12. Este es el futuro de los DTs del pasado, laburar en un cyber café en Turquia

11. A barber with a of humour

10. Honestly

9. Oh, that Tom Cruise is such a romantik!

8. What did we say about spell check?

7. Tired of carrying your bag around? Here at Bagart we will watch it for you!

6. I’ve heard of stinky cheese before, but this…

5. Estaba tekorei y decidio establecer una heladería. En el momento de elegir un nombre se quedo sin ideas.

4. I’ll have a blue cheek and a striped one please!

Hairdressers of the world, beware of the online translators. I don’t think you really meant bottom colouring, did you?

3. Tired of you son? Fancy getting a new one? This is the place for you!

2. Two-hundred year old leg-shaver. Para el cliente que esta muy kaigue como para afeitarse las piernas

1. Say no more

Diccionario Paraguayo

Al leer este diccionario me acordé de los perros en Praga y de el traspaso de la jerga nuestra a estimados vecinos. Va para los perros y todo aquel que tenga ganas de reírse un rato.

Aijue lote : exclamación elevada en su maxima potencialidad

Mbore: negación rotunda

Aninati: término utilizado por los recurso'i en el momento más trágico de lo acontecido, se suele utilizar en pleno fútbol cuando el adversario intercede en una jugada peligrosa

Moo piooo: expresión utilizada para llenar el vacío cuando no es posible discutir la veracidad de un hecho o situación

Japiro tunare: 1-expresión utilizada bajo extremo nerviosismo 2-negación rotunda a una petición (sustantivo complementario: mba´e)

Kapelú: término proporcionado a una persona de nuestro aprecio

Hendy Kabayu Resa: 1-Centellean los ojos del corcel 2- destello ocular equino: Dícese de una situacion complicada en extremo

Ani kena: pedir en forma pacífica no cometer un mal acto.

Vaquita: dícese del equipo mil; proceso por el cual individuos de un mismo círculo social contribuyen económicamente en circunstancias de necesidad. Generalmente se lleva a cabo dicho procedimiento en acontecimientos sociales o reuniones recreativas donde se utilizará la colecta para la hidratación con alcohol.

Jabó nde pyre: utilizado en personas de poco agrado (molestoso/a) e invitándole a desaparecer inmediatamente del lugar

"En suelto": forma de adquisición de artículos en la despensa

Heeeeeeeeee: frase utilizada al ser rememorado algún recuerdo

"Vo hacia donde te va?": frase comúnmente utilizada para aprovechar recursos autóctonos o automovilísticos a fin de evitar el periplo en líneas del transporte público

"Muy lindo estuvo": sentencia emitida, ya en el camino de venida, generalmente por madres, después de un cumpleaños caracterizado por los bostezos y uno que otro borrachín bailando "música brasilero".

"A veces quiere ser CABEZUDO": eufemismo utilizado generalmente por esposas que se resignan a sobrellevar sus enormes cuernos debido a su dependencia económica conyugal. Sirve para justificar las andanzas de su maridito que generalmente es un aduanero que viste prendas de color blanco (zapato incluido)cy "camisa negro" y perfume Carolina Herrera (ese con motitas)

Banda: expresión utilizada por algunas madres para referirse a la fémina que anda con su hijo cuando consideran que no se merece a su "joyita".

Arriero haragán: expresión utilizada por algunas madres para referirse al tipo que anda con su hija cuando consideran que no se merece a su "joyita"

Sabía loo : profeta

Nde rembe peseto: persona de labios agrandados

Ndi Zapature: expresión utilizada en ocasiones trágicas o que denotan un gran susto

Nde tavy: expresión usada cuando alguien te pide alguna contribución monetaria para algún menester

Nderakore : término utilizado cuando nos encontramos en una situación frustrante

Ndii!!: exclamación que denota olvido, sorpresa o metida de pata

Andar por su cabeza : que hace lo que quiere

Queso de comer: queso que no es para cocinar

Feró tembó lo que es: individuo de poco aprecio, persona odiada

Reunión karapé: círculo social en el cual se realizan actividades de recreación donde el alcohol es indispensable

Partidí: actividad deportiva realizada por individuos de un mismo barrio donde las trampas y la viveza son indispensables

Haala!!!: expresión en donde se demuestra orgullo por la victoria... Suele ir seguido por la expresión "Tuti"..

Aña racópe: demostración de profundo disgusto y malestar ante una situacion adversa

Aina: expresión de dolor o sufrimiento que uno siente. Ej: Aina nde Tembo.

las peladas del verano

Despues de estar nueve meses en Siberia, mi blanca palidez era terrible! Sera por eso que al primer contacto con los rayos de sol, olvideme de tomar las precauciones adecuadas (una y otra vez), lo que resulto en multiples peladas. Los registros fotograficos a continuacion.

After another winter in Siberia my poor skin was in desperate need of a tan. Reason why I avoided sunblock lotions like the plague and ended up peeling off as if I had had some sort of plague. It figures. The photos follow.


1- Lago Baikal, Rusia

ANTES - BEFORE

DESPUES - AFTER

2- Gobi desert, Mongolia

ANTES - BEFORE

DESPUES - AFTER

3- Cape Wrath, Escocia

ANTES - BEFORE

Since 2005 we´ve been trying to go to Cape Wrath. It seemed like an impossible mission, so I made a promise: the day after our visit I´d get a hair cut. On the 26th of July we started our trip. We got to Durness on a Tuesday, tried to go to the Cape the following day but there was no ferry service that day. We delayed the trip for three more days. Darn it! But then, on a beautiful Saturday morning we made it! So I had a picture taken with my hair blowing in the wind before...

Desde el 2005 que con mi amiga Sabrina tratamos de visitar el Cabo Wrath. Anualmente nuestros intentos eran frustrados por cuestiones economicas o de situacion geografica, es por eso que a principio de este anho hice una promesa, que el dia que finalmente pisaramos la punta mas noroeste de la isla britanica me cortaria el pelo. Y fue asi que empezamos nuestro viaje el 26 de julio, tres dias despues intentamos hacer el cruce en ferry pero no habi servicio, la familia del senhor que operaba el bote estaba de luto. Pero el sabado siguiente, el 1 de agosto finalmente lo conseguimos!!! Y me saque una ultima foto con los cabeshos al viento...

DESPUES - AFTER

se vino el corte de pelo... and then the hair trim ;)

From Russia with love... for ЯРН-БРУ

El colmo del tekoreismo

Beware of blonde ladies from London who drink liters of tea day, own winter boots that leave a trail of penguin-foot-prints, studied latin & ancient greek at school, own skipping ropes that have weighs, and ponder whether or not to pack their boxing gloves when travelling.

I’m telling you, they might look as innocent as this

She might even fool Fyodor Svyatopolk, my faithful companion, into believing she is nice.

BUT BEWARE!

On a fine and crisp morning, with the sun shining and sharing some warmth with the poor sods walking the streets of Siberia at eight in the morning, where the temperature in March is around -13ish, you will discover the truth behind that shiny smile.

And you might wonder, my dear readers, how come I know all this details about the wee hours of the morn.

I’ll tell you why.

In a moment of EXTREMADO TEKOREISMO, I found myself not only waking up at 7:15 in the morning, but actually GETTING UP at such a time. ARGH! What’s happening to the world that I behave in such a despicable manner?!

And there I was, following her...

To the gym for crying out loud!!!

Yo que siempre cuento la historia de mi querida amiga Nora que sale a correr 5 kilometros cinco dias a la semana aun con -38 grados. JA! Quien lo hubiera pensado, yo, yendo al gimnasio a la madrugada, con -13 grados y sin muchas pilas. Aunque es cierto que cuando sea grande quiero ser como mi jefa Florci, que se levanta todas las mañanas EXTREMADAMENTE temprano para, literalmente, abrir el gimnasio a las seis de la mañana.. si, leiste bien, 6 AM!!!!!

Y bueno, la gente dice que soy tekorei porque tomo tereré en Siberia, porque vine a Siberia en primer lugar… pero ya les quiero ver la cara cuando se enteren de que voy al gimnasio a las ocho de la mañana antes de venir a trabajar.

So, yes, today was the first day. We have to wait and see if I make it till the end of the year. Nonetheless, I CANNOT believe MY very own EYES.

Que tekorei por favor!

So what if it seems a tad unhygienic?!

Sunset in Pilar, Paraguay

My couchsurfing mission states "taking TERERE around the world so people can enjoy too :-D" Which is what I've been doing for quite a while now.

Today, amongst tons of papers I have in that mess I like to call my room I found the legend of the yerba mate, Ílex paraguarienses, (thanks to which I can enjoy some tereré everyday) ... I would like to share it with you now.

Here it goes...

" It was like this: the tribe would clear part of the forest, plant manioc and corn, but after four or five years the soil would be worn out and the tribe had to move on. Tired of such moving, an old Indian refused to go on and preferred to stay where he was. The youngest of his daughters, beautiful Jary, had her heart split: to go on with the tribe's youths, or remain isolated, helping the old man until death would take him to Ivy-Marae's peace. Despite her friends' pleas, she ended up staying with her father.

This love gesture deserved a prize. One day, a unknown shaman arrived at the ranch and asked Jary what she wanted in order to feel happy. The girl did not ask anything. But the old man asked: "I want new forces to go on and take Jary to the tribe that went away".

The shaman gave him a very green plant, perfumed with kindness, and told him to plant it, pick the leaves, dry them on fire, grind them, put the pieces in a gourd, add cold or hot water and sip the infusion. "In this new beverage, you will find an healthy company, even in the sad hours of the cruelest solitude." After which he went away.

Sipping the green sap, the old man recovered, gained new strengths and was able to resume their long journey toward meeting their kinsmen. They were received with the greatest joy. And the whole tribe adopted the habit of drinking the green herb, bitter and sweet, that gave strength and courage and would comfort friendships at the sad hours of utmost solitude."

in Aberdeen, a splash & some tereré with Spot

When I was abroad, I would drink tereré on my own as people found it too wierd to share the bombilla with me. Well, that's the whole point. Whether you are drinking mate (with hot water) or tereré (with cold water), sharing it with friends shows how close you are. Or it could be that we just don't give a damn about hygiene.

I'd go with the latter, although for touristic purposes I always point out the romantic notion that sharing the cup creates a "kind of bond where the sharing of the health and meditation of the yerba mate is a sign of total acceptance and friendship."

chilly tereré in Siberia
(tereré kit was stolen but it didn't matter!)

Nah, we just don't care about bugs. We even share it when we
have a cold, the flu, or sore throats. We believe the sharing of the bugs creates a kind of bond... with the bugs that helps us build our inmune system. Or at least I like to believe that :D

So, if you see me around walking with my tereré kit, feel free to share some of your bugs with me! I'm game if you are!



A sip en 'el Brit' with my new kit & Ardi

el poder descriptivo de Ange

A few minutes ago, I found myself on the phone with teacher Adri. As usual our conversation had no sensible thread so at one point I had her ask Ange about KU's mascot. Our exchange of words was as follows:


Me: ¿Che, le podés preguntar a Ange que tipo de pájaro es un jayhawk?

Teacher Adri: Rach quiere saber que clase de pájaro es un jayhawk.

Ange: Un pájaro normal.

Teacher Adri: Obvio boluda, no va a ser un perro.

Ange: Y es un pájaro que vuela (...). Una onda pájaro carpintero.


I think I'm calling Oxford to add Ange's definition. The entry would be something like

jayhawk: noun
normal bird that can fly. Quite similar to Woody Woodpecker.

All we need know is picture.