Zafer

Oh yes, they are green (a real rarity in Turkey). This lovely boy is Zafer, Rahmi’s other officemate. He was in Istanbul with Rahmi when we first met. As Rahmi’s favorite sidekick, Zafer is firmly woven into our Turkish experience as well. Some of my earliest memories of Turkey are of Rahmi playing translator for us in the hotel & narrowly escaping crazy Turkish drivers as we ran screaming arm in arm across the streets of Istanbul--- too funny! Really, he & Rahmi are like our Turkish family here. I love watching the exchange between the two of them. Rahmi says, “sometimes he is my friend, sometimes he is my brother, sometimes he is my son”, as he tries to trip him or tease him about his latest love interest. In fact, Zafer’s ever-changing girlfriends have become the topic of many conversations. He seriously has a new one every time I see him (which is about once a week). I swear I can’t keep up. He is still very boyish in many ways (which seems to be common here), but there is an intensity about him that I can’t explain. He alternates between the smiling, playful boy offering me food (usual chocolate) & this serious looking character. It is interesting. I wonder what is going on in that head of his sometimes… maybe he’s contemplating where to find the next Miss Right:) Rahmi & I joke that he has dated everyone in Turkey & that he will have to learn English to meet girls in other countries. Now, don’t get me wrong, he is not some scandalous womanizer. To the contrary, he is actually a pretty devout Muslim (complete with the cute little covered mother, who is always feeding you & giving you plenty of tea & kisses on the cheeks). He says he is looking for his true love. So there it is… yet another difference between motives of people here in Turkey & those in the US. He is only 22 now, but in a few years when he is full-blown-- watch out ladies! Just look at those eyes.