Toilet talk and other bits and bobs

As in Greece, you cannot flush toilet paper down the toilet in Turkey. Unlike Greece, most toilets come with a little spout at the back of the pan, with a tap you can access to wash your bits after doing the necessary. It can lead to some embarrassing moments. Take the other day, for example, I was visiting my sister-in-law and used the toilet. After doing what I had to do, I reached down and turned the tap on. How was I to know that they had the water pressure of a fire hydrant? Water splashed over to the opposite side of the pan, over the top and straight into my knickers and leggings, soaking the bum part completely. I had to pull up soggy leggings and try to walk normally. The worst bit was when we decided to sit out on the balcony and she offered me a cloth chair to sit on. It was more comfortable you see, but I had a wet bum. Imagine if I had had to get up again? I would have left a big wet patch on the chair. As I am getting to know them all better, the incontinent look wasn't what I was aiming for!! I opted for a hard wooden chair instead, at least it wouldn't leave a wet patch. In all, it took about 2 hours for my bum to dry. So people, if you ever visit Turkey, be reminded of this episode and turn that little toilet fountain tap with great care.

MHTTB washes everything. Old jam or marmalade jars, Huge yogurt cartons. My cupboards are full of cooking essentials in containers that are nothing what so ever to do with the contents but if I forget to write on the jar/tub I have no idea what is in them, unless it is something obvious like chilli flakes, I normally have to sniff them to know what is inside. Also, nothing gets wasted. Look on any secondhand for sale site here and you will find anything, old pots, pock marked coffee tables, plastic plates, generally stuff that I would throw in the bin in the UK. In fact, if I think of the things I trashed while clearing out the house, it makes me ashamed. If I'd just got even more baggage allowance, I could have made a killing over here selling things that I consider to be rubbish. In a way it is a good thing. There doesn't seem to be any major recycling going on in the country, although I have started to notice a few glass and cardboard bins popping up in Fethiye. Refuse is collected at communal bins located mostly along the street. I have to walk at least 200 yards to my nearest bin. The funny thing is, it works. You rarely see an overflowing communal bin. They are emptied daily, no idea when they come, ours is never full, but I never hear the dustmen. Also, the other day, and I loved this, I heard the Turkish equivalent of the rag and bone man. He came along in a open back truck with a speaker on it asking for.............well I don't know because my Turkish isn't up to par, but it was full of old crap. You see old men pulling carts full of wood or metal, so it all gets recycled but just not how I am used to.

I'm going to a Christmas Fair tomorrow. It's in aid of a local animal charity. I will be able (according to their advert) get MINCE PIES!! I will have to let you know what they are like. I was so convinced I wouldn't see any this Christmas I consumed about 2 boxes the week before I left he U.K. I also have another Christmas fair to go to on Monday in Fethiye. This one in aid of a children's charity. They also do regular coffee mornings too. A friend here said it sounded posh! I assured her, I don't do posh, but as yet I still haven't got to one so it might be...........................................