There’s always a drama

16.4.17

Things always seem to go wrong before a trip away.

I still remember my son throwing a tantrum in the kitchen the day we were leaving for a holiday in Turkey. A mouse had got in the top workings of the washing machine and fried himself and the machine, by chewing through some vital part that generates steam and melts the soap dispenser if its gnawed.

We dared to suggest he could use the launderette while we were away. That idea went down so well that John went and picked up a new machine from a nearby store and fitted it with minutes to spare before leaving for the airport.

Last time we went away was our Bulgarian road trip drama – we couldn’t plan it until the last minute as the car transfer paperwork had a few glitches. Bureaucracy at its best.

Well…this has been a very stressful couple of weeks. The weather in Turkey goes from wet and cold to hot in no time at all. The race was on to get the house painted before our trip as it will be too hot when we get back and will only be 4 days before my Dad will be coming to stay. We really didn’t want him managing the project from his sunbed telling us how he would do it, so it had to be done before his arrival!

Day 1 was lovely, we scraped off flaky paint and filled walls ready for painting, with a bit of music and Iced Baileys coffee break.

Day 2 didn’t go so well. When I began painting the garden walls with the typically watery crap Turkish paint, John very helpfully added water to it as it says so on the instructions. Turkish houses typically have patchy paintwork that flakes within months. It was just pouring off the brush before I could get it on the wall. Fuming, I refused to paint gnats pee on the walls so John ended up painting the whole lot over the next few days. However, he didn’t dilute paint pot number 2.

Next drama..MOT due the day after our planned trip. Despite asking (at least twice)  how early it could go in before the due date ,John still booked it for 2 working days before we set off.

Needless to say it failed and although the work to pass it was minor and done the same day, the obligatory gas report which was dropped in as a surprise, couldn’t be done because they don’t open on Thursdays.

On Friday morning, bright & early John set off after many attempts to find the place.

Horrendous queues and John cancelled the 1pm retest appointment in case it wasn’t ready and re-booked for 3.30 pm. By this time I was resigned to not going to the lake and wondering about the bus times to Kuşadası for the cruise port which we’re going to after the lake.

We had arranged to meet friends at 4.30 pm and of course he wasn’t back so I was getting dressed and carrying my phone around the house anxiously waiting for news. Ultimately my phone fell out my pocket and ended up down the loo.

Initially it was ok but then it had a split screen of normal and purple fuzz. I literally felt sick. My life is contained in that gadget and I bought the best I could afford after reading every review and loved it to bits, the camera lives up to everything it promised…and my blogging..oh no..

I put it in a bag of rice and set off to meet our friends. Praying. No way of knowing if car has passed or if we are going away. An hour passed and no sign of John, assumed it had failed and he was too scared to come home. Next thing he’s sauntering along the prom, long face, I’m frantically waving & waiting for a thumbs up sign. Nothing. When he caught up with us, I said…’Well???’  “Yeah all done, told you it would be ok’  in his best nonchalant voice. Would probably have killed him if we hadn’t been in company.

I kept looking at my bag of rice and resisting the temptation to switch the phone on.

Had a fab time chilling on the prom followed by a lovely evening and a delicious curry.

On the way home I noticed that a new little phone repair shop was still open and decided to pop in for advice. He didn’t speak much English but my 3.5 hours of Turkish lessons a week did me proud and my phone needs a new main board and screen.

He was very amused about the rice. ‘Come back tomorrow around 9 pm it will be done’. Incredible. Not cheap by any means but no choice. And I was able to understand his conversation with the guy he rang about the cost of the parts. He will make around a fiver out of this.

Sure enough 9 pm it was all sparkly and exactly how I remembered it before the loo drama. Would have been tempted to smother him in sloppy kisses if I wasn’t a very happily married woman (despite the paint & mot irritations)

I bought a new charger lead and even though he had given me a complimentary plastic back cover he insisted on giving me some headphones as a present. I tried hard to refuse as I have some and even after 6 years forget how hurt Turkish people look if you refuse their generosity. So I’m now the proud owner of new pink headphones.

(Anyone who hasn’t lost the will to live reading all this – the shop is next to Meri Bar & A101 in Calis)

In 2 years time I’m getting someone in to paint the house. And I’m in charge of the next MOT.

Thanks for reading my dramas. Its good therapy to get it all out there.

WOOOHOO ! We are en route to the beautiful Bafa Lake, sun is shining. Its 3 hours 40 minutes from Fethiye, where we live, and will make our onward journey to Kuşadası much shorter.

John just bought me a Karam bar, a thick chunky wafer coated in dark chocolate. Life’s good.

Well almost…it’s Referendum day here in Turkey. Tonight’s result will have a massive impact on the future of this incredible country. A huge moment in history.

What exactly will people be voting on? (Courtesy of The Guardian News)

The 18 amendments primarily deal with the powers of the executive and legislative branches. They include:

• The abolition of the post of prime minister. The president will appoint the cabinet and will have a number of vice-presidents. Parliament will no longer oversee the ministers as their power to initiate a motion of no confidence will be removed.
• The president will no longer have to be neutral, but will be able to maintain an affiliation to his political party. Currently the president has to sever ties with his party once he is elected.
• The number of members of parliament will be increased from 550 to 600 and their minimum age lowered to 18.
• It will be possible for the president to be impeached by parliament. At the moment he could only be prosecuted by the legislature if he committed treason.
• The abolition of military courts.
• The president will be able to appoint four out of 13 judges to the highest judicial board in the country.