Just a Tip

I learned something today: If you want to get noticed in Turkey, WEAR RED LIPSTICK!!!

It started today walking down the street to the Kordon. It was the first time I had gone by myself, so I was a little bit nervous about getting lost. I made it fine, but seemed to attract a lot of attention... By my apartment, there is a place with a couple of tables & a bunch of older men sitting outside chatting. When I walked by, the men went SILENT.
Then I got to the statue where I was supposed to meet some exchange students I had never met before. I sat, worried I was early (I left extra time, in case I got lost). An old woman (she might've been a beggar?) came up to me, speaking Turkish. I asked her, ''İngilizce?'' (English?) She didn't speak it, so eventually she walked off.
Next a family was sitting behind me and a girl said, ''Merhaba?'' I said it back and then asked for english again. She said, ''Very beautiful.'' Then an awkward half english half turkish conversation ensued before they left.
Then, a family came over to me speaking Turkish and had their daughter sit next to me to take a picture!!! They kept saying ''Ayran Ayran'' which is the name of a drink here made of yogurt and salt. It confused me until I realized they meant Iran the country. They asked me, ''Ruso? Alman?'' (Russian? German?) I answered, ''Amerika'' and then they politely left. Hahah, I guess Americans and Iranians don't mix???
Finally, I was sitting there, still waiting, and smiling because I found the whole thing really amusing. I made eye contact with a boy who was staring and he thought I was smiling at him! So he fixed his hair and came over and sat four feet away from me, AS IF IT WASN'T OBVIOUS. I said Merhaba and we had a really awkward conversation using my very broken Turkish. I told him (in Turkish), ''One year student Tevfik Fikret (my school) Alsancak (my neighborhood in the city) America''. Hahah that's all. Finally Rodrigo (a boy from Brazil) came to save me.
I spent the rest of the day with the exchange students. 3 from Brazil, 2 from Mexico & 2 from the U.S. It was really fun until I had to go to a Rotary meeting. So boring & I have to do it again tomorrow!!!