You know you have been in Turkey for a while when…

© aNadventures

1. You don’t stumble over the cats and dogs around you anymore.
2. You drink at least one çay and / or Turkish coffee per day.
3. You spend a lot of time “sitting” and talking.
4. You are not afraid of crossing the street anymore.
5. You know your way around the local pazars.
6. Everyone is your abi (older brother), abla (older sister) or kardeş (younger sibling).
7. You automatically ask for indirim (discount) when shopping.
8. There is at least one plate belonging to your neighbours in your cupboard.
9. There is ayran running through your veins.
10. The Turkish toilet is referred to as the “normal toilet” in your surroundings.
11. You crave çiğ köfte, mantı, and simit on a regular basis.
12. You start looking like a simit.
13. You are used to being offered a wet lime scented towel after any meal outside.
14. You know what bureaucracy is.
15. You won’t dare entering a house with your shoes on.
16. You take off your street clothes and put on your cozy home outfit as soon as you are inside.
17. You know about hospitality and helping each other out.
18. You know that clicking one’s tongue and raising one’s eyebrows at the same time means “No”.
19. The answer to all of your problems is yoğurt.
20. You see a nazar boncuğu in front of every house.
21. You don’t wonder about finding potatoes, rice, pasta, börek and bread (a pure combination of carbohydrates) on your plate anymore.
22. You know that in Turkish pasta is cake and makarna is pasta.
23. You have gotten used to the daily calls for prayer and barely notice them anymore.
24. You know who Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is.
25. You know not to criticize Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
26. 25°C feels like winter.
27. You think that it is the most normal thing for men to be kissing each other on the cheek. Twice.
28. Fried potatoes, fried eggplant, salça (tomato sauce), goat cheese and olives are part of your breakfast.
29. You have learnt how to play tavla.
30. Men are the ones to pay for your meal, even if you are just friends.
31. You put your hand on your heart and make a slight bow to indicate “thank you”.
32. You know not to blow your nose in public.
33. You know that the standard price for half a litre of water is 0.50 TL and that a simit generally costs 0.75 TL.
34. You know how to recycle the blue water bottle lids.
35. You know that you don’t have to recycle anything else.
36. You wonder when friends visiting from abroad only buy water for themselves.
37. You know about the addictive power of sunflower seeds.
38. You know that a smile says more than a thousand words.
39. You know that there is a solution to everything.
40. Meeting at 8pm actually means meeting at 9pm.
41. There is always someone who knows someone who can help.
42. You are not afraid to ask for help.
43. You start speaking with a Turkish accent.
44. You know your çiğ köfteci’s first name.
45. You know you can always pay tomorrow.
46. Or the day after.
47. You have learnt to be more relaxed about things you cannot influence.
48. Things you cannot influence are either nazar (evil eye) or kısmet (destiny).
49. Strangers call you canım (my soul / darling).
50. Everything is çok güzel.

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