Aussie in Adana is back!
It’s 2013 and we are back to visit family explore the city
of Adana yet again.
Coming back this time feels so familiar. It seems like
yesterday since we last were here but I guess it was only 1 year ago, virtually
to the day, in October 2012 when we arrived for our last visit.
We arrived on Oct the 29th this year 2013 which is the Turkish Republic Day. The Republic Day is a public holiday and celebrates the proclamation of the republic of Turkey in 1923. The day actually starts at 1pm on the 28th but it lasts 35hrs long! You can always see Turkish flags flying from apartments anywhere in Turkey all year round but on any Turkish National day, there are especially many more to be seen.
Autumn in Adana
I like this time of year in Adana, the temperate is very
mild, warm but not hot, cool but not cold. Perfect really, and much like Spring
in Australia. (Except in Australia we are having a particularly warm spring
this year which has produced lots of forest fires that have unfortunately taken
many houses) .
Adana in Autumn is very comfortable. The crowds are gone,
and maybe some of the festivity but Adana really never sleeps.
The parks are still pretty, the sounds still varied and
constant, the people all out on the street and the foods delicious.
Pomegranates! My favourite fruit is in plentiful supply,
big, juicy and cheap to buy! 1 lira 1 kg! omg! Pomegranate heaven!!
We arrived to Adana in the early evening this time and the
first thing you notice when you return to Adana is the Traffic. The traffic
rules are more relaxed to say the least. And although there are some rules,
they drive like there isn’t! lol You don’t see many police enforcing road rules
so you require some skill to anticipate everyone’s random and somewhat erratic
movements. Yet somehow it all works and people seem to know what to do, or be
it, how to use their horns and voices to navigate the streets.
I’m back. The sound the smells the sites so familiar now
that it’s like coming home. I am recognised by some people and they are warm
and friendly with their greetings. It’s nice. I watch the eyes of others with their curious
looks at this foreigner to their “hidden from tourism” city. How strange I must
be to them.
I notice the changes, the road improvements, the street
scape changes, some shops disappear, other have appeared but generally things
are the same and what I expect. And I notice the familiar scenes that make it
all feel like home.
Having arrived via Turkish Airlines and Emirates Airlines late on 29th of Oct, sleep,
beautiful sleep was the order of the day, or should I say, night!
After such a
long journey, 3 flights and a busy couple of sleepless weeks leading up to our travel, I
felt like a bus had hit me. A wave of fatigue hit like a flood as my body is
telling me I can finally rest. I slept 11 hours last night and another 5 during
the day, but still, every time I look at the bed it seems to call me too it.
We went for a walk in the morning and afternoon between
sleeps. My wife Aylin wanted to buy some short sleeve tops, forgetting from her
time in Australia that Autumn in Adana is still warm. She came prepared for
winter where I understood from last year it would still be closer to late
spring in Australia.
Michael Emre, or Emre as he will now be here in Turkey is
now a year older, understands more, speaks great English and his Turkish is
better than mine. How easy it is for children. Not fair really!
I find Turkish such a challenging language. Nicer on the ear
than Arabic, more like the “French” of the middle east. But it is a challenging
language for an Australia tongue to speak.
I have learnt most of my Turkish words by associating the words with
English words. lol
Good morning sounds like good night “Goodnighten” and good
bye sounds like a horse’s shackle “horseshackle” etc, etc..
I am hoping to learn more words to add to my Turkish vocabulary
this time but I know without a school it won’t be easy. I will slowly learn,
ever so slowly. Lots of schools here to each English but very few can be found
to teach Turkish.
We visited Ataturk Park this morning, 8am but my body was
telling me it was 5pm which it was in Australia. It was warm, well cool but
pleasant. Everyone wakes up late apparently and slowly Adana comes to life but
I still found the streets filled with people compared to back home.
I wore my Central Coast Mariners jersey, which is the jersey
of Australia’s 2012/13 season Champions Football team and my favourite Aussie
team. I doubt anyone in Turkey knows this jersey but I thought I’d educate you
all. Central Coast Mariners – Australia’s best football team. Got it?? :-)
Whilst in the park I found a couple of new things interesting. The first I guess is not so new and probably been happening for thousands of years. One of the park attendants was sweeping the pathways with what looked like a palm branch. You don't see that back home in Australia and I thought was really nice, natural.
The second thing new was the "colours" added to the seats and rocks around the park. I inquired what these were and was told this is the colours and symbol of the peoples protests that took place in May and June 2013. What people outside of Turkey wouldn't realise because media was somewhat "controled" was that protests took place all over Turkey in mass numbers and locations. And in Ataturk Park here in Adana they took a very "festive" feel with dancing and music, along with the odd riot policeman! lol
The colours are actually done quite pretty and adds another point of interest to the park.
Little Michael was entertained by some band members before moving on to the swings.
And he
enjoyed the park and swings and playing hide and seek with his grandmother. He
can run fast!!
Fast, ha, Aylin had to tell me to slow down too as my
walking pace was set on “work speed”, not holiday speed. Habits are hard to
break and I found walking slow and relaxed very difficult to do!
So I can relax now and once again enjoy the wonderful
Turkish city of Adana. I wonder what journeys and adventures I can bring to you
all this time??
Stay tuned to Aussie in Adana 2013!
I'm back in Adana in 2016 on my 8th visit and it feels very familiar,
nostalgic even. The familiar sounds, a chorus of sounds really that penetrate the
day and night make me feel instantly I’m back to a place I know already so well. 
