I love our grandchildren. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for them. So this is no way a criticism of them, just an observation. Early on I decided that grandchildren and my personal PC didn’t match. I am pretty computer saavy, but sometimes their usage went beyond my knowledge. I have a friend who was at a total loss after grandchildren used her computer. So, we parted ways. They could use their own electronic devices when they visited. I actually didn’t mind when they used FB and forgot to logout because then I could type in such messages as “my grandmother is great” or “I love coming to grandmother’s house”, etc. Of course their friends would respond “You’ve been hacked”. They knew that a grandchild would never say that.
Where am I going with this? Elders are like grandchildren. But the difference here, is that when they mess with your computer or cell phone, they change it to Turkish. And when we start typing letters, all we get are the Turkish symbols. This AM an Elder borrowed Dad’s cell phone because he forgot his. Evidently he called some Turkish investigators on it. When we returned home, Dad tried to text to someone, and found only Turkish symbols. We tried the “normal” stuff like looking at settings, but couldn’t resolve the problem. So we texted the elders on my phone to find out how to undo their doings. They called and told him to click here and there and try this and that. None of that worked. He at last punched a button that seemed to make things work, so they hung up. Then Dad proceeded to respond to a text, and found Turkish squibbles again. I again texted the elders. After another conversation and a few more clicks, they were able to change his device to English. Whew!
So, if someone wants to use your cellphone, politely decline and refer them to the nearest pay phone. Oh wait, there aren’t pay phones anymore. Just politely tell them you forgot your cellphone also. It would solve a lot of angst for elderly people. Elderly people do forget lots of things.
Cell phones are like tooth brushes. You don’t need to loan them out.
Other than that, our week has been okay. It is now a bleak, rainy afternoon. I guess I shouldn’t complain because I am inside, and most of the week was sunny. The country does need water. And our heat does work some of the time.
We have both been working pretty steadily at our Turkish. I now know two words. So I’m making progress.
We took one of the YA Branch members to dinner last night for her birthday. She politely said she didn’t celebrate birthdays, but we wanted to celebrate. I gave her one of Heather’s romance novels. She is actually an English Language 4th year college student, so her English is great. We went to our favorite restaurant that serves Turkish food. My, isn’t that profound? Why would a Turkish restaurant serve Turkish food. We like this restaurant because they have several appetizers that come with the meal, so we don’t have to choose so many things. It also includes dessert. I had a lamb dish, Dad had a kabab item, and our guests both chose a pizza-like thing. We walked to the restaurant in a rain storm. But when it rains here, it isn’t that cold.
We also had the chance to have dinner with a Sr Couple that is leaving this month. They are stationed in Istanbul, but wanted to come to Izmir to say goodbye to those they know here. They will return to St George. We joined them and another Branch member for dinner. We ate in one restaurant and went to another for dessert. There are some very nice, rich desserts here.
Food is actually quite inexpensive here. We live in an area with upper-scale cafes, but even they aren’t as expensive as eating in the US. Chicken is inexpensive, but beef dishes are quite expensive. A lot of the meats are combined on a big skewer, but usually include chicken and lamb. There are lots of American fastfood places. They are a bit cheaper than the US.
Dad and I often eat a Turkish sandwich for lunch. We buy it from a street vendor. It costs 2L each, which is about $.60. It consists of a torpedo-like bun, 4 big slices of tomato, a big hunk of cheese, and a long hot green pepper. We always chuck the green pepper. As long as we eat local cuisine we save money. A large loaf of bread is 1L…. or about $.30. Dad and I can consume one loaf at a meal. So good.
Dad is struggling a bit now with a cold. The Elders have been a bit ill, and they are here often. So we may both be at risk. I’ll have to go out tomorrow and see if I can find some ginger for him. I see ginger root displayed prominently in most markets. Perhaps it is a local treat. I sometimes have to search for it in Orem.
Every Sunday is a different event. Today we had 9 in the room for Sacrament Meeting and 3 skype families. WE never know exactly who will come, and when. I think we have about 11 that could be considered almost full-time members in this area. But only six of us are 100%’s so far. And we have a vastly scattered populace of many miles that are officially in our Branch.
A speaker at BYU Hawaii gave a devotional this week. He told about this mission in great detail. Evidently he and his wife served here recently. His last name is Bauer. If you’d like more details about this area you can listen to his devotional. It is posted.
I hear our washing machine is kaput. I’m sure Shoshauna will be knocking on your doors for assistance. I’m guessing all of you have already made a trip to her door and offered to take her washing items to your homes for cleaning.
As you know I’m the financial guru in the family. I read something in the news recently that said “get out of the market”. It turns out that person was correct. The market has been falling. My, my, what shall we do? I’m too old to care anymore. I know you will all provide adequate support for us if our holdings all disappear. We’ve been eyeing the playhouse in Arizona, the furnace room in Lehi, and the room under the stairs in Vernal for possible residences.
Love you!
Mom
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