Uh Oh...

Since my last adventures life has started to slow down a bit. I have started Turkish classes and go for 4 hours 3 times a week. Its a bit much but I'm still getting a lot out of it. I can have a very limited conversation. Such as "Hello" and "How are You"? "What is your name?" Stuff like that. I can also buy groceries and what not and understand to an extent of what all they are saying to me.

So apparently I am pretty good looking guy. I am obviously saying this in all humility. I was walking around the market yesterday, the 17th of August, and these 2 girls that worked at this certain market grabbed both of my arms and pulled me in opposite directions. They were saying that I was handsome and that they loved me and all sorts of stuff. I am sure that me being and American had nothing to do with it, right?

I have made a couple of friends in this past week and a half. I was asked not to give there names for certain reasons. But there is one of the guys in particular that wanted to take me to the Turkish Parliment after class one day. I am gonna call him Bob. So after class on that certain day we went to the Parliment. Now as we approached I totally forgot that I did not have any form of I.D except a photocopy of my passport. This was mistake number one for me. So as we approached the counter I handed my copy and they basically laughed at me saying that I probably wont get in but i can go to the main security desk and find out. So Bob and I went over to the main desk and again was basically laughed out. So as we where leaving Bob turns to me, kind of dramatically, and says, "hold on give, me your phone." He then makes a random call, speaks some Turkish, hangs up, and tells me to follow him with a grin on his face. So I did. We walk right past security and find a man waiting for us on the other side. He was the Prime Representative of Southeast Turkey. This was pretty exciting. Apparently Bob's dad and him go way back. So he escorted us straight to His office. He even served me some water. As we sat in his office we started having a little chat. Then we started talking about the states and I asked him if he had ever been to Tennessee. He had not and so I started telling him a little bit about it. As we were talking I ended up performing a major cultural taboo. I gave the Prime Representative of Southeast Turkey the Bird, the turkish way. By the time I realized what I was doing, it was way to late. The Turkish sign for such matter is the "OK" sign one does with his hand. I never do this sign and I still have no idea what possessed me to do such a thing. After this little stunt I heard a few more Turkish words and then we left, rather quickly. The very next thing that Bob said to me was to never to that sign.