I took a trip to Adana last week and stopped at one of the roadside vendors selling oranges and grapefruits.  I picked up a bag of oranges for 10TL, which is about $3.50.  I will set them in the office and let people take some when they come in.  After paying the man, I told him my mother is very old and wants to see pictures of the crazy Turks here.  He didn’t understand, but he knew I wanted to take his picture, so he obliged, although reluctantly.  For some reason, he was uncomfortable with it, so I figure he must be a wanted man.Every morning when we drive in, our car goes through a quick inspection for anything that shouldn’t be on it.  This takes place at any embassy or consulate in the world.  One of the guards will always ask me, “Nasılsın?” which is “How are you?”  I would answer, “çok iyi.” which means “very good.”  Then he would instruct me to instead say, “Bomba gibi!”  Which means, “Like a bomb!”  The idea is, “I am so full of energy, I am about to explode!” (like a bomb)

So, I took his picture this afternoon, again saying my mother is very old.  I’m not sure he understood, but he tolerated me.And then there is Mahmut!  This little guy is one of the Guard Supervisors.  Several years ago, I was giving a training class on a certain piece of equipment I work on, and Mahmut was the interpreter.  During the class, all the guards started laughing, and he turned to me and said, “I told them you said I was a handsome man.”

So, every since then, when I see him, we will always shake hands and I will tell him how handsome he is.  And he will tell me. “I am the handsomest man in the vorld; no, in the universe! (notice the “V” in vorld).  And he will say, “And you are the second handsomest man in the universe!”

So, this morning I saw him and said, “Mahmut, you are the handsomest man in the vorld; no, in the universe! (notice the “V” in vorld).  And he replied, “And you are the second handsomest man in the universe!”

Then I told him about my 97 year old mother who wants a picture of him, and he stated, “I bet she looks 18!”  I said, “No, she looks 97.”  So, below is a picture of the first and second handsomest men in the vorld.  No, in the universe!Okay.  Enough of that.  Visit again later and in the meantime, Kick Butt.      D.