Warm Your Body

Three years ago I was baffled as to why Turks wore so many layers of clothing. Really. I used to stare at people on the bus and wonder how they weren't plagued with heat strokes. I finally understood once I read a document describing some of the techniques the lower/middle class Turks use to save money. Their philosophy is to "warm your body, not your house," during the cold winter months (and interesting, but not the point of the story, they also unplug their refrigerators at night). It totally makes sense, doesn't it? Not only is it cheaper to put on a sweater instead of turning up the thermostat (or burning more coal as many Turkish families do), but it helps to eliminate the "I'm too cold /I'm too warm" discussion that often happens between family members.

It also makes more sense for their lifestyle. Few places (businesses included) have central heat and  only approx. 10% of the population own cars, so most people do not have the luxury of getting into their heated car and driving to their heated office building. They walk through the snow to the store. They walk to the bus which then takes them to the market that they own where they sit in the dark (only turning on the lights when a customer comes in) and use a space heater for warmth. 

Well, yesterday, as Noah and I stared out the window at the foot of snow below us, I had the urge to dress him like the average Turkish child. I did skip a couple of the layers as our home is kept fairly warm, but this gives you a feel for the "style."

The knitted sweater vest, worn over 3-4 layers of clothes, is a signature piece for Turkish children. I suspect the trend was born from "village dress" and it's probably the older generation that are producing these, but kids of all ages can be seen in these. This particular one was made by our close friend's mother and was given to us when Noah was born. 

Thick sweatpants with tights underneath are a must. And, yes, in case you're wondering they sell "boys' tights" too.

Slippers, slippers, slippers are a must (which actually I try to keep on them all the time). Especially for girls, as the "old wives' tale" is that a girl's ovaries will freeze if she walks around barefoot on a cold floor. 

This is how we heat our house. This machine, called a "COMB BEE," is located in our kitchen next to our stove. It works much like a gas stove where a starter will ignite the gas which then heats our water and the water that goes to our radiators.

Here's a radiator in our main room.

  

View from our main room window.