A WAY OF SEEING TURKISH THINGS

One of the most fascinating things I found in Turkey was the way that goods for sale were displayed. First, of course, is that you could find displays everywhere you went, sometimes in front of shops and other times in the street markets that moved around the cities on different days. Things you wanted to buy, such as the shoes above, were not hidden in boxes, with only a single pair of shoes to tell you what was in the rest of the boxes, but pairs and pairs and more pairs of every style and color were there for you to touch and feel.

If you think of how many kinds of olives we might have in any one place - black, green, tree-ripened, and a few imports - in Turkey you will soon realize that you have never, ever seen how many olives were possible to name and display. There are no two baskets of olives alike in this display. I was simply stunned, not only at the multitudinous types but also at the wonderful display arranged by the owner of the stall.

The most dramatic arrangement I saw was the one below. It was, to a city-girl's sensibilities, gruesome and grotesque but I still had to give the butcher credit for a fantastic arrangement. To be very honest with you, it was difficult for me to look at these things, and because I wanted to get it over with as soon as possible, I really didn't do a very good job on focusing the camera. But I'm sure you can understand why I wanted to get it done quickly and move on to something else. Nevertheless, it certainly proves my point that Turkish displays of merchandise are truly a marvel to behold.

Yes, it is okay to say "UGH!"