On the subject of Englýsh.

Currently I am attempting to read through a history of Political Philosophy from Socrates to Rawls. The thought of it drains the blood from my hope. My Blog has been nagging at the loose threads of my mind for months now and in keeping with bumping into C yesterday (one of my students from the Philosophy class last year – I call this person C not out of any malevolence but that’s the first letter of their name and I’m not sure if they would want me writing names in blogs etc… so out of respect for them I’m simply writing ‘C’) I have decided to write something. Given the constraints on my time, that is how long it is possible for a person like me to sit in one place and concentrate I have decided to shorten the process by sharing some of the emails I wrote to my sister during my trip to Turkey in 2004. I’ve always meant to record these on my blog but never made the time. I also have four hours of video recording of our trip that I will one day get around to editing.

Well things have continued to remain interesting. Today is Saturday and it is really cold here. Spent some time in McDonalds writing and thinking.

Couple were getting a little too hot and heavy in one of the booths so I got out of there. No one was in there anyhow and I wanted to be where the action was. The other action. This McDonalds has a great view of the square, which is actually a circle, so that’s why I sat there writing. Most people were across the road in a big Turkish fast food place that serves bread stuffed with cheese etc... I tried to ask one of the staff why McDonalds was empty, he just kept saying yes.

I'm starting to develop this expression - kind of a bored stare of mild disbelief, it stems from the following - you ask someone on the street if they speak English? Like in the following example where I had taken an interest in a peculiar building with a dome shaped roof covered entirely in grass.

I politely inquired of a gentleman who looked like he was waiting for someone,'Do you speak English?'
Very enthusiastically, 'YES, YES, speak English!'
'Good. What is that building over there?' I pointed at the large ancient ruin with grass on it’s roof in the middle of this giant turning circle (called a square) surrounded by new and old five to six story buildings - obviously of some significance this building. It’s right in the middle of everything.
'Taksým square.'
'No...' I pointed at the building, making square in the air with my fingers around the building and for some reason began speaking in pigeon English'...building right over there, building in front of us, right in front, what is building?' This is a terrible habit of mine. I tend to mimic the inflection, if not the accent and general way of speaking.
'Is bus.' Man is clearly surprised at my stupidity.
'What? No behind bus!' Now I’m making jumping signs with my hands,’behind bus is building, what is it?'
'Is city.'
'City' I repeat. 'That tiny little building is a city.'
'Yes is city' Man is now making broad sweeping gestures.
I stare politely at this man before wishing him a good day by saying Merribah which is actually hello.

I was asking Darren something about the structure and another man interrupted, answering my question he apparently overheard about whether or not anyone spoke English. 'Yes I speak English,’ he said and then had absolutely no idea what I was talking about - structure with no windows, in the square, very old, grass on top, what is it?. Zip. Stare. Finally answers 'Hotel' Yes, of course. Thanks. Thanks very much, it’s clearly a hotel with no windows and grass for a roof. It turns out that when people answer "Yes, I speak a little English!" that is precisely what they mean, that is the only phrase they know - "Yes, I speak a little English."