7.Friendship with Iraqis and Shopping in Turkey

Once, while waiting for a bus, a short man approached me and asked if I was from India. As we spoke, I got to know him well. He was a third-year medical student at Cukurova University living in Adana with his three siblings—a sister and two brothers. They lived in a rented house about five kilometers from us, while their elderly parents remained in a village in Iraq. The eldest sibling worked to support the others, and one of the brothers was a skilled cook.

When I invited them over, all four accepted and visited us the following Sunday. It was a wonderful occasion. As descendants of Mesopotamian culture, they were eager to learn about Indian traditions. They examined our coins and belongings with great curiosity, and my wife gave them several books.

The sister, Emina, asked me to write her name in Sanskrit so she could have it engraved on her locket. They were so enthusiastic that although they arrived in the morning, they stayed until evening. Before leaving, they invited us to their home.

When we returned the visit, he was waiting for us at the bus stop exactly as planned. We were surprised to see how the four siblings managed in such a tiny one-room house. The brother who was an expert cook prepared a delicious meal. Once again, the conversation cantered on India; their curiosity was truly heart-warming.

On our way back, we stopped at our usual shop. A woman had arrived with a pushcart to sell sweets. When we showed interest, the shopkeeper bought a treat for us. They spoke to each other in Turkish, and when we tried to pay, the woman refused our money despite our insistence. She humbly asked that it be considered a gift to her "Indian friends." It was a first-class sweet—we truly understood the meaning of "Turkish Delight" that day. After that, we bought treats from them every week.

Banana Leaves and Turkish Carpets

My wife often toured the town with Madam Pamela and Khatija, the wife of our department head, Suleyman. During one visit to a museum, they found a small banana grove in the courtyard. This gave my wife the chance to describe a traditional Keralite feast.

She explained that in Kerala, food is served on banana leaves, especially at weddings. She described the 22 items involved, including pickles, banana chips, pappad, aviyal, sambar, thoran, olan, and kootu curry, as well as parippu, rasam, sambharam, and three types of payasam. She also mentioned the benefits of eating hot rice from a fresh leaf and noted that our culture has used these "disposable" natural plates since ancient times.

Whenever the three women gathered, the conversation turned to India. My wife showed them 'kolam'—the intricate geometric patterns drawn with dots in South Indian homes.They were amazed at how she could create such beauty from a few dots. They treated the drawings she made on paper like treasures.

We also noticed cultural differences regarding family. Madam Pamela’s family dynamic was very different from ours. In her culture, children learn to be independent early, earning their own income and choosing their own paths. Her son and daughter both chose their own spouses and simply invited their parents to the wedding at the church.

One day, we visited an exhibition of Indian jewellery and Turkish curiosities. The local girls were fascinated by the bindi (the mark on the forehead) my wife wore. Turkish carpets were also a highlight; they were as beautiful as Iranian ones. We looked for a carpet for our daughter in America, and the shopkeeper explained that we could ship it through the nearby Injerlic  Air Base. Since it was a strategic base near the Iraqi border, they could deliver goods anywhere in America reasonably and quickly.

Throughout our stay, we travelled mostly by bus. Even when it was crowded, we never had to stand. The local passengers were incredibly respectful, always giving up their seats for the elderly and for women.