A Walk to the Pazar

In our new neighborhood, the pazar (much like a farmers' market) happens on Fridays in the parking lot just outside the closest mosque. It's by far the best place to buy fruits, vegetables, and other assorted things, as the prices are cheap and everything is farm fresh.   

I was a regular at our former neighborhood pazar, but this was my first time at this location and I noticed a few differences. Each time I was charged a partial lira (like 3.50 or 2.50) and I handed them money rounding up to the nearest lira (like 4 lira for a 3.50 purchase) they would just hand me back a full lira (so essentially only taking 3 lira for a 3.50 purchase) and say, "Size berek versin," (Blessings to you). While their words may have been sincere, I suspect it's part of their sales tactic in my new, more religious, neighborhood, whose pazar is next to the mosque on holy day. Maybe they're trying to earn repeat customers??

This pazar was also much smaller than my last pazar and was rather quiet until the mosque let out halfway through my shopping trip. The place was immediately flooded by men and the sellers began their shouting campaigns, "Potatoes! You can Choose!" And then to me, "Older sister (how I'm commonly addressed by sellers), come! Onions, tomatoes, eggplants! You can choose!" 

After buying eggplants, onions, tomatoes, parsley, peppers, brocolli, and fresh baslama (a giant English muffin-type bread), we headed back toward the apartment, passing some construction along the way. This is how they construct apartment buildings in Turkey; homemade wooden scaffolding, a few men, no hard hats, no machines, pulleys for pulling up bricks, and nothing blocking pedestrians from the job site. 

We also passed this very typical Turkish-looking car that, according to the writing on the side, belonged to a locksmith. Take a close look at the seat covers. The print is like a cross between snake skin and leopard. Decoration like this is often added to cars, buses, taxis, and domuşes (mini-buses). Curtains, beads, and shiny things are also popular additions here.

A snapshot from the bottom of our hill.

Here are my colorful and delicious pazar purchases.