Which Is Better?

A question we get a lot from the nationals here is, "Which is better, America or here?" They seem to ask in economic terms and I think their perception is that America is a glorious place to live. It stems from the Hollywood movies that tend to portray America as affluent and comfortable. The Hollywood movies are misleading and also damaging to us ordinary American expats. We are portrayed as promiscuous, careless, disrespectful, amoral, and godless. I cringe every time I see a Britney Spears music video blasting on wide-screen TVs in stores and bars. So, I always have to point out that what they see in the movies isn't true of the whole country, just a small percentage. Not everyone owns these enormous mansions and drive fancy cars. Luckily, I don't deal with a lot of criticism from the folks here about America, as I had in Poland where Americans are viewed as fat and lazy.

So, how do we answer this question that forces us to consider their pride in their country? We tell them that America is our home and our families are there but this country is a great place, too. This satisfies them. Sometimes, I will tell them that they have an amazing, very rich history that go back thousands of years and America is young in comparison.

Another question we get asked frequently is whether food here is better than America and vice versa. Well, I'm usually able to deflect that question because I tell them I have celiac disease and cannot taste most of their cuisine so I can't make the comparison. I will also point out that America is a melting pot and there is a great variety of cuisines there that they do not have here. G usually answers that he likes both. I think they ask this because they take a lot of pride in their food and it seems very much a part of their identity. There are very little ethnic restaurants here which could be for a number of reasons such as: 1) the city isn't that cosmopolitan and therefore, there aren't many foreigners to open restaurants, 2) the nationals here love their own food and generally aren't interested in foreign cuisine. I imagine a lot of ethnic restaurants have opened and then eventually closed for the lack of business.

On to other things...

We really enjoyed having G's parents and my mom come for a visit. It's nice to see family again and for them to meet DB. We also had a good friend of ours stop by on a trip to visit with us for a few days. Last week was their sacrifice holiday here so our language tutors canceled to celebrate their holiday and visit with their families. We enjoyed the break from language and went to the seaside, 15 minutes away by car, for a picnic twice in a row. We managed to get a few things done, shop for winter clothes for the girls, and run some errands. When my mom came, she brought my smartphone that I'd ordered and shipped to her in the States. We jumped through a lot of hoops to get the phone registered here for use but I am glad to have it. It's proven useful for navigation in this crazy city, taking pictures for my language projects, taking videos of sign language when I am out for me to study later at home, tracking DB's feedings and naps with reminders, and for translation. I will be able to talk on video with my Deaf friends here and not have to text back and forth in Tkish. The phone is a great tool and cut down on some stress of living in another country. I'm glad that I made this improvement, even if we paid a pretty penny for it.

The only indication that fall has come is the temperatures dropping into the low 70s and upper 60s. Since we are surrounded by mostly concrete, we don't have fall foliage to give a sense of fall. I just baked a pumpkin tonight to make pumpkin puree for muffins and bread. That might be only taste of fall that we'll have. Did you know that pumpkins here are mainly gray?

This weekend, we are headed to the mountains about three hours away from the city for a 3-day mini-vacation. G's having "city shock" and anxious to get a break. I had my city shock last winter and some minor episodes from time to time but I could use a break from the city, too. We've rented a cabin with a fireplace and two bedrooms. We'll just need to bring our own food and we'll be set to enjoy the outdoors. It'll be DB's first road trip and she sleeps great in the car so it should be relatively smooth.

Here are some pictures. I posted some of these on Facebook but these are for the benefit of those who aren't on Facebook:

G and the girls

A and her best friend, Ada, from preschool. They are two peas in a pod.

Picnic by the sea

G and A

What do you call these? They were flying up and down the seaside.

We finally hung pictures, in a skyline style, a nod to our urban lifestyle. 

They don't celebrate Halloween here yet I saw this kid dressed
in a Buzz Lightyear costume out in public today.
Pretty brave of him and indulgent of his mother.
And so cute.

Edit: When I said Britney Spears music videos in bars, I didn't mean that I frequent them. :-) There are bars that open out onto the street and you can see the interior from the outside. It's hard to miss those giant flat-screen TVs.