Let’s talk about the best Friday night of my life.
After Sofia had eaten our dinner of lentil soup and bread, we were on our way out the door when a Turkish man who was speaking in English stopped us. He introduced himself as Deniz, and then invited us to get in his car and he would take us around the city.
Remember all those lessons in elementary school about not getting in cars with strangers?
Grant and Joe squeezed in the passenger side, and the four of us girls climbed into the back seat. Shows you how much we learned from first grade.
Deniz drove us down to the old city walls, and then offered to take pictures of us on the walls. Several sections of the wall had steps and arches built into the shape of a heart. Deniz directed us into symmetrical poses on the steps, and then played with the self-timer and got a shot of him with us as well.
Then he took us to a market that used to be an old hotel. We walked in to the sound of Turkish drums and the sight of a circle of dancers. Deniz explained to us that we were watching a traditional engagement party thrown by the bride’s side of the family. He ordered tea and coffee for all of us, and we sat around and watched the dances for a bit while we got to know Deniz a bit more. He works for an oil company, and has done a fair amount of traveling, including to the United States (which explained his excellent English). He absolutely charmed the pants off of all of us.
As we were finishing our tea, the waiter came up to us and said something to Deniz in Turkish. He translated: “You can go down and dance if you want!”
WHAT. This was too good to be true.
Five and a half seconds later, we were dashing down the stairs to the main courtyard, and linked up with the rest of the guests, who welcomed us into their circle with smiles and open arms. We danced in the circle while more onlooking guests linked up between the Sofia members.
And then one of the men gave Grant a scarf. Cue Grant strutting out, scarf in hand, waving it enthusiastically and making his way into the center of the circle. And then an older woman pushed Dez into the middle. And then April danced out. And then all six of us were dancing in the middle of the circle, surrounded by clapping and smiling Turks.
The video footage is pretty glorious.
The rest of our evening was spent drinking more tea and coffee and talking to Deniz (who we hung out with the next night, and the night after as well) and getting to know this man who was eager to speak English with the Americans. That day was probably my favorite day of the Race so far. And it had started with my attitude in the gutter. Funny how our Father works.
This is my last communication with the outside world before we leave Diyarbakir. We’re catching a bus to Erzurum in the morning, and then we’re on the move again. We’ll be doing some ethnographic research for the week, and then heading back into Istanbul on the 23rd. Until then, we will be living in tents without much (read: any) access to modern amenities (yes, this includes bathrooms and kitchens). Keep us in your thoughts while we’re researching this group of people, who will be interacting with Americans for the first time.
See you in Istanbul.
