Of course when you move to another country you want to try new things and moving to Turkey for me was no exception. The food is fantastic (as long as I don't cook it!) and I am willing to try most things here, although I'm not sure about trying Kokorec, which is made from intestines, Iskembe which is tripe (I did try tripe once in France and vowed never to eat it again!) and Beyin, which is brain. My students assure me that they are all delicious, and that I should at least give them a try. They find my reaction to these food highly amusing, especially when they hear that I have tried frog's legs and snails in France (the thought of these foods horrify my Turkish students). The fruit and vegetables here are fantastic, so fresh and full of flavour, and it is now pomegranate season!
But there obviously things I miss about home. Friends on Facebook doing a countdown to Christmas make you think about the things you miss, and will miss while being overseas at Christmas. These are in no particular order (apart from number one of course)
1. Family and Friends. The Turkish people are really friendly, and so are the people I live and work with, but nobody can replace my family and friends from back at home. Keeping in touch with people back home is very important to me and this was one of the reasons I started my blog, so they could read about what I have been up to. Of course we have emails, Skype, Facebook but this can never replace the face to face contact I am used to. I think of everyone back at home often, and I miss everyone a lot.
2. Mum's Christmas Dinner - Yes I will miss this for sure! We will attempt to cook a Christmas dinner in the flat on Boxing Day, but I know it won't be as good as what I have back at home!
3. Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles. OK this may seem to be a strange one to most. Strangely I never used to like them, but over the last couple of years I had to give up a lot of the food I love because of food intolerances, so Fruit Pastilles became my sweet of choice. I was kindly given a supply as part of a leaving present from work colleagues, but alas the supply is no longer!
4. Vitam-R. OK so marmite is quite popular in the UK but I can't say I am a fan, but I found an alternative that I preferred. Marmite's flavour is too in your face for me, so I changed to Vitam-R, less salt and more flavour. Don't think I will find anything like it here in Ankara.
5. Gluten Free/Dairy Free Products. I am unable to eat wheat (although while I have been here I have been sneaking some bread in with my kebabs). I can usually get away with a small amount of the wraps, but I generally know I have eaten something I shouldn't have. I have found gluten free pasta and Alpro soya milk, which are both very expensive, but for me a necessity. But the only bread I have found is grim! I have not been able to find any Rye flour (it all seems to contain wheat) and rice milk (and xanthan gum) to make my own, which I had started to do in the UK. The hunt continues.
6. Bacon. I never thought I would miss this, as I didn't eat much of it in the UK, but sometimes all you want is a bacon butty (made with Genius gluten free bread), with brown sauce.
7. Thinking ahead for Christmas, Terry's Dark chocolate orange. This to me is a sign that Christmas is here. This year will be the first time I will be working on Christmas Day, so celebrations will be on Boxing Day.
8. Fluffy socks. Haha yes I am missing my fluffy socks that I wear around the flat. When I left the UK they hadn't arrived in the shops yet. Ankara is starting to get a bit cool in the evenings! I have looked around the shops, but the ones here just don't cut it!
9. My comfy bed. I can't seem to get comfortable in my bed in Turkey for some reason and of course your own bed at home is so familiar.
10. Rubis - For any chocolate fans who haven't tried this, you should give it a go. Rubis is a fortified wine, think along the lines of port, with a hint of chocolate - http://www.rubiswine.com/. I always get myself a bottle for over Christmas, but this year it will be missing from my Christmas treats.
Don't get me wrong I love living in Turkey, but sometimes you just miss those home comforts.....
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