Bayramin Mubarek Olsun*!

(*Eid Mubarak)
I told, i like to keep the best for the last..

This is my second Bayram (Ramadan/Candy Festival a.k.a Eid ul Fitr in Arabic) away from home, but unlike the first one in Australia, I wasn't alone celebrating it. Indeed, i had a very nice family to spend the first day with. Olcay, a collegaue from work, (find more info on her in previous posts) kindly invited me to her place for Bayram. I, of course, ''jumped into'' that offer (yuzsuzluk sagolsun!) and spread the news way too before than she did the formal invitation.

So, on Monday, right after work our first direction was to Limburg; on the way, Olcay and I, did a very good preparation for Philip (yabanci damat ) to get him ready for a loud,noisy Turkish Bayram by non-stop talking during 1 hr drive. We visited Buyuk Dayi first, kiss the hands of elders, meet other relatives and of course had the delicioussss food of Durdane Yenge. Baklava, sulu kofte, pogaca, tursu,sutlac can't stop promoting it ''the only thing missing was bird's milk'' as they in the Turkish saying.

After Limburg, headed to Antwerp to visit the father's side. Of course, a bayram wouldn't be a real bayram without talking Turkish politics. This time, her father was replacing my dad's role and of course at the end he reached exactly the same conclusions Recep Amca would say. (Great history of Turkey, other countries' unfairness etc ) . After watching TRT Int and listening to some Turk Halk Muzigi (Turkish Folk Music you can say); went back toLimburg and stayed in the nice house of Olcay's mom.

The short chat i had with her at night and the whole evening i spent with this big family, reminded me of a very important thing; one thing that i really miss and proud of being of a Turk; value of family and the traditions we have as a part of our culture. (Bayram visits, kissing hands of elders as a show of respect, giving pocket money to youngers and -nothing to do with that but :)- wanting the girl from the father, hihih :) )

Seriously as a new Turkish generation, we need to keep these traditions alive and I really appreciated this family for still doing these, miles away from Turkey.
I don't know how to pay it back to Olcay vallah but maybe next time, it will be her visiting my family ,eating my grandma's baklava, talking politics with Recep Amca..who knows .. insallah! :)