Izmir

 We finally had the chance to stay with a host family during our trip and it was a blast!!! Sinan, who works as a graphic designer and website designer for the tour company that handled our travel arrangements, was our host for the night. Right away he was very friendly and told us that we cold ask anything that we wanted to. He told us that he lives with his twin brother as well as his parents and they have lived in the same apartment for over twenty years.  My first impression of the home was that the family did much more with the space that they had then Americans do.  Everything has a place and everything goes back into it's place. We then had some coffee on the balcony and talked about hobbies, music, films and other small talk. Sinan and I bonded over our love for rap music, it was fun to quote lyrics back and forth, apparently there are some pop culture aspects that transcend language barriers. Then we talked about elections and what was wrong with AKP and how much he hates the current prime minister.  Watching the election coverage was interesting because I could absorb a lot of what was going on simply because they use a format similar to American news.  I was sad to see how frustrated Sinan was because of the fear of the reelection of Erdoğan.  A lot of Turks fear regressing into a nation that is radically Islamic and does not allow freedom, similar to Iran etc.
     Taking a break from the serious topics we talked about the lighter topic of sports.  During my travels in the last month I have grown to appreciate football on a whole new level.  Armed with my recently broadened knowledge of football history and current players I was able to converse with Sinan for a while and it was stellar. A program showing the highlights of the Barcelona football club was playing and we both watched in awe of Messe, who happens to be one of the greatest players that ever played.
      At some point during this Songul, the mom, arrived and Sinan was quick to help carry in all the groceries.  She didnt speak English but from the expressions of body language and Sinan translating we could tell that she was really happy to invite us in and cook a meal for us.  She was a ball of fire that was quick to show affection and ensure that we had everything we needed. The meal was fantastic and very filling.
     The three guys went down to the seaside and we tried to get beer at a cafe but it was election day so alcohol was not allowed. Sinan suggested going to a store and getting some and drinking close to the water, which we happily agreed to. And it was fun until the police arrived, apparently the police are corrupt and love harassing people, thus we were forced to ditch the beer. We made reference to a certain NWA song as the police were combing the beach. 
    We went back to the house after the sea and had a beer each and talked some more about Turkish culture and such. It's striking how similar yet different how the American and Turkish cultures are. I believe that I have found a new place that I could someday call home.  As we were leaving Sinan and Songul both lamented the fact that we were only there for one night as were we.  I love this country and the interactions of people.  It's truly a hidden gem among the countries of the world.